#And that odysseus had dreamed the mutiny

[backpackingspace]

I just really think we glossed over eurylochus's confession and the mutiny in thunder saga. Like first off no reaction from odysseus at all?? And then after being stabbed and over thrown and (I assume) tied up all odysseus has to say is my head hurts? And then eurylochus is reverting to calling odysseus childhood nick names??

[anniflamma]

My Thoughts on The Thunder Saga

I've been thinking about The Thunder Saga all day, even though I have a headache, and I can say one thing: I liked it!

I was mostly prepared for the emotional damage in Mutiny/Thunder Bringer for multiple reasons, like collaborating with Jay on the ending of Thunder Bringer. However, I was genuinely surprised by Suffering, Different Beast, and the reveal that Odysseus had already tried to kill Eurylochus during Scylla. I really wanted Odysseus to go full-blown monster mode in Act 2, so I felt satisfied.

Maybe this is a hot take, but I have never really felt bad for Odysseus. The only time I did cry and felt for him was when his mother was singing to him in The Underworld Saga. I've never been fond of the crying, shooting soldier type, both in fiction and in real life. I've watched too many documentaries that made me incapable of feeling bad for people or characters committing cruel acts on others and then crying about it like they were the victims.

The song Suffering was a delight! You immediately knew something was wrong just from the happy tone of the music, especially since we were left with Monster. At first, I thought it was a flashback, and yes, the comment "daughter" piqued my interest. Then I quickly thought it was a dream, but at the same time, something felt wrong.

When it switched to Different Beast, my first thought was, "Did he just shoot Penelope?🤣 " And yes, we now know it was the Sirens! But the imagery is very ironic. I even see it as a parallel with the first saga, with the infant. Odysseus has a whole song about his struggle with the decision to kill an infant that reminds him of his own child, ends up killing him, and then in the second act, he kills a female creature that looks like his wife without hesitation. That, folks, is character development! Yes, Odysseus knew it was a Siren, and we can still tell that he is somewhat tries convincing himself in Different Beast.

"My real wife knows I'm not scared of the water And my real wife knows I don't have a daughter"

Essentially, he is reminding himself that this woman in front of him isn't his wife.

All the cruelty against the Sirens was unnecessary. But that is the point! He believes that the only way home is to be as ruthless as possible. However, bringing unnecessary suffering to both foes and friends was obviously the incorrect decision.

Musically, the song Different Beast didn't really click for me. I mostly found it edgy and not really "cool," if you know what I mean. I've heard it a couple of times but still have a hard time remembering the melody, weirdly enough.

If I ever make an animatic of these songs, it will probably be all together in one animatic. Those two songs are meant to be one, but I understand why they are separated due to the major difference in tones.

The song Scylla was the least anticipated song for me. The snippets didn't really catch my attention. But I did like the conclusion of making Scylla and Odysseus have a short duet at the end. Scylla's cruelty was just a mirror of Odysseus, and he was the one actually killing his men. I think this saga really was Eurylochus' peak in terms of characterization. Eurylochus confesses that he was the one who opened the bag and has suffered with this weight and guilt. Odysseus, in his state of mind, turns away and tells Eurylochus to light a torch, knowing that action will doom Eurylochus. Odysseus straight-up tried to kill Eurylochus already, and I thought it would happen in Mutiny! XD

That moment was cold! No words, no goodbyes, just "Light the torch."

Then we have Mutiny. I really liked it! The callbacks to Luck Runs Out were a bit expected but felt so good when they happened! I've seen comments here and there saying that Eurylochus was a hypocrite due to his comment from the Circe Saga to abandon the men who became pigs. Odysseus even brings that up! But Eurylochus is very justified in calling Odysseus out for his actions.

"When we fought the Cyclops, you were quick to hatch a plan And when we fought with Circe, it was you who left behind no man But when we fought this monster, we didn't take a stand"

Odysseus could have made a plan that at least could have increased the chances of survival for the six men who died. But he didn't, he only thought of himself and betrayed them first, using them as bait to guarantee his own survival. Eurylochus, in the Circe Saga, was a man who was scared, confused, and filled with guilt for opening the bag. So his wanting to take the cowardly route is understandable, but it's nowhere near what Odysseus did.

So then they fight, epic moment, we all love it! And for the second time, Odysseus tries to kill Eurylochus but ultimately fails because Perimedes stabs him in the back. Odysseus is like, "My brothers, why?"

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHY??? But that is still the point of Odysseus' perspective. He is acting like a ruthless monster now, so he is in a state where he is incapable of understanding or more like thinking of his victims' perspectives. Of course his men would defend themselves from him, of course they would betray him, of course they would backstab him. If you treat your own friends as disposable, eventually there will be a reaction: they will either abandon you or retaliate. It takes an immense depth of pride to feel secure with someone you have inflicted suffering on. And pride is the very theme in this saga!

When Luck Runs Out plays but the roles are switched, it felt a bit nostalgic in a way, but it's still a bit distorted. This time, Odysseus is the one singing Eurylochus' lines, but it's not him being confused and doubtful, instead, he is scared yet manipulative. Eurylochus opens up and is vulnerable toward Odysseus. He feels hopeless, clearly experiencing survivor's guilt.

"Eurylochus: How much longer must I push through doubt? Odysseus: I need to get home Eurylochus: How much longer must we go about my life like this when people die like this?"

When it doesn't work, Odysseus switches from "I" to "we." I love that detail. It's not genuine, and I love it!

Thunder Bringer… I loved it. There, I said it! There is nothing more! LOVED IT! ⚡⚡⚡ I am so happy that I got to do an animatic for Jay for this song!

Thunder Bringer is the song where Zeus punishes the whole fleet for killing (presumably) Apollo's cattle. My theory now is that Apollo doesn't like Odysseus for killing his cows in God Game, and Athena is probably like, "Yeah, but his men did it, not him." And Apollo is like, "Touché."

EDIT: I know that the cattle is Helio's but I speculating maybe the musical will change that to Apollos. Who knows!

Essentially, Zeus literally comes down and sets things straight. Instead of being sneaky and witty like Odysseus usually tries to be, Zeus just gets to the point, "Who gets to live?" And Odysseus points at Eurylochus/the crew, saving himself from Zeus' punishment. Well, I do see that Calypso's island is Odysseus' punishment in a way. It's an ironic one. He comes to paradise and gets a home and a wife… just not the home and wife he wanted. I have some fun ideas for my Thunder Bringer animatic!

Rest in peace, Eurylochus. You will be missed.

[absolutelynotararr]

HISTORY HAS ITS EYES ON YOU but this is EPIC

• Imagine the conversations between Telemachus and Odysseus, where the former continues his legendary-dreams, telling his father how he wants to go on the same journey to become great, to prove that he is also strong, smart and cunning, that he wants to lead soldiers, and so on...

• And he kept talking with the same youthful desire, without really thinking about the deeper and darker meaning of such desires and journeys. But Odysseus didn't share his desire very much

Odysseus: Let me tell you what I wish I’d known, when I was young and dreamed of glory...

and then he begins to tell Telemachus for several hours how everything is not so simple. That leading a large number of people is difficult, that maintaining their fighting spirit and driving all possible thoughts of mutiny overboard is also difficult ,that it is hard to lose dear people cause of your orders, decisions, actions or inactions; that trying to regain people's trust when someone dies during a trip and you return is a real torment, both for the parents of the deceased son and for you, who lost him, no matter under what circumstances.

• He talked and talked, but he himself went deeper and deeper into memories, as if into a black swamp. He no longer assumed what could happen to Tele during the journey, but spoke directly about what had happened to him.

"I led my men straight into a massacre"

"I witnessed their deaths firsthand"

"I made every mistake"

"I felt the shame rise in me"

"And even now I lie awake"

Odysseus: "You cannot escape the attention of the gods, especially the attention of angry gods, cause they has its eyes on m-...you."

"I know that greatness lies in you. But remember from here on in they has its eyes on you."

And he spoke not only about the gods and how they always watch from the shadows, but also about his people, about strangers, about kings, about enemies and friends.

He understands what lies behind all this glitter of "glory" and "eternal memory", brighter than any cleaning product. And he wants to dissuade him with all his might, to warn his son, cause he doesn’t know whether he will be luckier if he goes traveling or, on the contrary, whether all the misfortunes will fall on him in one big pile of shit from death, pain and a broken psyche.

Tele: I know life and fate are scary, but I wanna be legendary!!!

°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Ody: Oh, my sweet sunshine, no, you don't want to be legendary...(ಠ 益 ಠ ) *All kinds of flashbacks*

[jay-avian]

Gonna write a little mini essay on EPIC the Musical. Names have a lot of power in this musical. They're usually used to indicate a character's presence or lack thereof.

One of the most obvious uses of names is for antagonists. So far, all of the antagonists have had their name sung as their introduction. This, for the most part, has been obvious. Upon listening to the musical again, I realized the same is true for siren Penelope. Her name is sung by a backup choir before her vocal appearance. Yes, her name has been sung before, but only by a singular character talking about her, rather than to indicate her presence (with the exception of Ody's dream to give the illusion of her presence).

In the Circe saga, I had a hard time remembering when, if at all, Circe's name was used as her introduction. In the song "Puppeteer", she sings her name herself to the crew. This might indicate that she was the antagonist to the crew all along, but had tried to keep her motives a secret at first. Scylla has her named mentioned by both the siren and Odysseus. After Ody's first mention when they reach her lair, we never hear it again, and we don't need to. We know she's there, we can hear her lurking throughout.

But when we get to Zeus, we don't hear his name at all in the musical (so far). Ody doesn't even utter his name the way he did with Poseidon in "Ruthlessness". Why could this be? It could be because this character needs no introduction to make his presence known, or that his introduction is simply by the name "Thunder Bringer". I originally thought that maybe Zeus isn't really meant to be an "antagonist" like the others, but simply seeks to restore some sort of balance. But on the other hand, other gods like Athena, Hermes, and Aeolus get their names mentioned too upon their arrival. In the snippets of God Games we've seen, Zeus still doesn't get a name drop (though he may eventually have one in that song or some other time).

Even Polites and Eurylochus get their names introduced in the beginning. Their names are used as they normally would: to get their attention, to give them orders. As far as Polites, his name is mentioned only once after his death, indicating his presence is still felt. But after that, he's simply referred to as "my best friend", an epithet rather than a name. Eury is sometimes referred to as "brother" by Ody, both a nod to their deep relationship as well as their literal one (as they are brothers-in-law).

When it came to "the wind god" and "the sun god", their actual names weren't used, but epithets instead. We hear the name of Aeolus only when Odysseus calls upon them. Poseidon's name, besides in his song, gets used by Odysseus when explaining to the sirens what had happened. Poseidon's wrath has already been revoked, his presence ever looming. He's always in the background somewhere just out of reach. (Saw a post about this part, but I can't find it again rip)

Odysseus is one of the few people who didn't get an introduction until much later. He isn't referred to as Captain until the third song and isn't referred to by name or epithet by Zeus during the first song. Ody only reveals his name himself when he's proclaiming to be the enemy of Polyphemus. Polites surprisingly doesn't use his name, only referring to Ody as Captain or, more importantly, "my friend" throughout the song "Open Arms". Eurylochus mostly uses Captain, but only says "my friend" and even "Ody" once towards the end of Mutiny. Both crew members' last mention of Odysseus was by the title Captain, indicating that at the end, they saw him as their leader, the man who they were meant to follow.

His name is also used by Poseidon, specifically "Odysseus of Ithaca", indicating his identity as king to some degree. Zeus both uses his real name and his title of king as well. Both gods refer to him as king in order to teach the lesson that rulers, like themselves, need to be ruthless or make tough decisions in order to be successful. Athena doesn't make a mention of his name whatsoever (so far), only stating that he is a warrior (of the mind), a general, the only titles important to her.

And lastly, we hear his name towards the end of Mutiny in the fight scene, indicating not only that he's winning the battle, but he is becoming an antagonist himself.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts. Let me know if I missed something (I'm fairly sure I did)

[girlinthetardis04]

LIVE THUNDER SAGA REACTION!!!!!!

Because I wasn't in time with the other releases sadly, but caw caw motherfuckers it's the 4th of July so happy drop day to ME!

Suffering - Different Beasts

Who's singing? PENELOPE??????

ARE THOSE THE SIRENS????????? Or is this just a dream he's having? Hmmmm...

Penny I'll jump in the water for you! Wait did he say daughter? ...Ody would be a great girl dad tho, change my mind.

OH MY GOD I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE TWO SONGS OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!

I FUCKING KNEW IT THOSE WERE SIRENS

"Cut off their tails, leave them to drown" ??????????????

Damn, he's really taking Poseidon's advice to heart, huh?

Wait can sirens even drown, I thought they could breathe underwater... although if they can't move, having their tails cut off and all...hmmm... or maybe they're the classic Greek bird sirens...

Daddy chill 😬

Wait, was it just my impression or did the chanting of "Odysseus" sound like the chanting of "Poseidon" at the start of "Ruthlessness"?

★I love how differently Mr. Jalapeno handled the sirens. In the original Odyssey, Odysseus had himself tired to the mast so he could listen to their song (which highlighted his hubris, that was much more evident in the original text) but having him use the beeswax and read their lips was extremely clever. ★

Scylla

Hmm... Not a huge fan of her voice... Doesn't really fit a monster...

EUCALYPTUS YOU BITCH!!!!!!!

Omg, the "Full Speed Ahead" callback!??!

I genuinely can't understand the lyrics, but I know bad shit is happening. Wait, is that a bit of "Survive" thrown in there?

Nevermind about her voice, it's great 😳

★ Ok, I'm very glad I read the Odyssey when I was 9, because I have a hard time with the lyrics sometimes. I know in this part Ody had to choose between sailing closer to Scilla (which would probably kill up to six men) or closer to Cariddi (which would definitely kill all of them), so I'm assuming this is the bit where the sailors bit it or got bit, as it were★

Mutiny

-Ok, I had to pause here because I was absolutely enraged-

I'M SORRY???? I'M SORRY???? WHO WAS THE BITCH THAT OPENED THE WIND BAG, BLOWING EVERYONE TO WHERE POSEIDON WAS, COSTING YOU 558 MEN, WHICH FORCED ODYSSEUS TO OPEN THE WIND BAG AGAIN, WHICH BLEW EVERYONE TO CIRCE'S ISLAND, WHERE YOU NEARLY LOST THE REMAINING FORTY MEN, AND IN FACT, YOU VOTED IN FAVOUR OF LEAVING THEM BEHIND AND SKEEDADDLING, BUT NOOOO, SIX MEN IS WHERE YOU DRAW THE LINE???? YOU HYPOCRITE

Why does this sound like a fighting game miniboss battle?

WHO JUST GOT STABBED?? ODYSSEUS?????

"Where are we?" "Moo" 10/10, no notes

"Don't open the bag"

*proceeds to open the bag*

"Don't kill the cattle"

*proceeds to kill the cattle*

ODY CANON NICKNAME????

Honestly, 99% of the shit Ody goes through

THE JUST A MAN CALLBACK???????

OH THAT IS IT, EURYLOCHOS, GET OVER HERE, I'M THROWING HANDS

Yeah, ok, as an Odyssey reader, everybody gonna die, I been knew, let's move on.

Thunder Bringer

★LET'S FUCKING GOOOOO THUNDER BRINGER, THE SONG I'VE SPECIFICALLY BEEN WAITING FOR, I'M READY BABY, WHOOOO★

Is that the same theme as in God Games??????

Mr Zeus's voice actor, spectacular job, chef's kiss, no notes. Also I saw the animatic trailer, and at the cost of being smited, I get it. I get it.

The way King of Ithaca sounds so mocking coming from Zeus omg.

I VOTE EURYLOCHOS!!!! I VOTE HE DIES!!!!

The crew. I vote the crew. Ody. C'mon. There's only 40 of them left, what is even the point.

Oooh, the call backs??? This should be called the Callback Saga.

"but we'll die" FUCKING KARMA BITCH, SHOULDA THOUGHT ABOUT IT

★No joke, I love the chorus for this song so much, I just laid on my bed staring at the ceiling and smiling like an idiot 😃 <- me, ca 10 minutes ago★

[thoodleoo]

okay okay what's your take on the Underworld book with 1) aeneas not getting the golden bough on his first try and/or 2) aeneas leaving through the gate of false dreams, every time I reread book six i go nuts about this

ah yes book 6 of the aeneid.....a book that transforms me into a wild animal every time....a book that is innovative, provocative...dare i say sexy.........

i’m gonna start with the gate of false dreams because honestly what can i even SAY like. there’s SO much i wish i could ask vergil about this scene. like of course it’s based off of the conversation that penelope has with odysseus in book 19 but the thing is like. penelope is literally talking about a dream she had and says that she fears her dream was a false on BUT THIS IS NO DREAM! IT’S AENEAS HIMSELF PASSING THROUGH THE GATE! VERGIL WHAT IS THE DREAM!!! is vergil saying the empire that augustus was trying to create is nothing but a false dream? or is the story aeneas coming to italy a dream and augustus’s lineage a falsehood? is this to say that aeneas’s hopes are nothing but useless false dreams? or is the very establishment of rome nothing but a dream? is the rest of the poem a dream? DOES ANYTHING PAST BOOK 6 EVEN HAPPEN OR DOES AENEAS NEVER MAKE IT OUT OF THE UNDERWORLD???

okay now that that’s out of my system im gonna talk about the golden bough because HOLY SHIT YALL

i mean the golden bough episode really is effectively just a giant summary of aeneas’s heroic journey. we’re presented at the beginning of the aeneid with a man who is effectively a failure. he’s a failed hero! he can’t be odysseus because odysseus has a home to go back to and aeneas does not. he can’t be achilles because the foes that attacked his home left as victors. he can’t even seem to make it to this crummy new land he’s supposed to and he doesn’t even want to be there! he wants to be dead!

and every single thing that we see aeneas do after this point is met with some sort of failure or disaster. he lands at carthage and is given a warm welcome; he leaves as dido curses his name and all his descendants. he lands at sicily to honor his father and nearly loses his ships to mutiny. he lands at italy and is welcomed as a king only to then face yet another bloody war on top of all of his other hardships.

and i think that’s ultimately why he fails to pull the bough out on the first try, because the bough represents aeneas’s journey and it represents aeneas himself! he both reaches for the destiny he has been burdened with and shies away from the horrors he knows that he must face. he tries and tries and tries and in the end he WILL succeed but it will not come easy and by GOD he’s gonna have to work for it even if he doesn’t want to and he IS the bough!!! aeneas pulls the bough but he also is the bough and he’s fulfilling his fate and resisting it and GOD! IM GONNA HOLLER!!!!!

[notwrittenanymore]

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF ISEUL

HOMERIC EPITHET: THE GREAT TELLER OF TALES

You are the great teller of tales. The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.

FATAL FLAW: IN LOVE WITH THE IDEA OF A PERSON

You’ve got a crush, but the other person is simply incapable of living up to your expectations. You love the version of them that you’ve created in your mind, and not the person they really are. Yikes. You’re going to Gatsby this up so hard. You’re going to wind up dead in a pool. Two other people will also die. Everyone will be disillusioned with the American Dream. It’s a messy situation all around

LITERARY SETTING: JULIET'S VERONA HOUSE

You got Juliet’s house in Verona! Not only is Verona one of the most beautiful places in Italy, it’s also the setting of one of the most iconic love stories of all time—perfect for a hopeless romantic like yourself. You can walk the old-fashioned cobblestone streets, eat your weight in deliciously photogenic gelato, and look out from your balcony at night, waiting for your lover to climb up the wooden trellis and profess their undying affection. Just don’t get caught up in any ancient grudges/new mutinies—for your sake, and for the sake of students in English classes for centuries to come.

Tagged by: @intergalacticxmisfits

Tagging: @taiintedhearts (whiteblood & jaehee), @ofkngs (jun

[journeythrough-impossiblethings]

✨ LITERARY TROPES AND THINGS

repost with your muse’s results for the following quizzes

Homeric Epithet: The Great Teller of Tales

You are John Smith, great teller of tales. The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.

Fatal Flaw: You’re in love with the idea of someone

You’ve got a crush, but the other person is simply incapable of living up to your expectations. You love the version of them that you’ve created in your mind, and not the person they really are. Yikes. You’re going to Gatsby this up so hard. You’re going to wind up dead in a pool. Two other people will also die. Everyone will be disillusioned with the American Dream. It’s a messy situation all around.

Greek Mythology Death: I’m murdered by accident in Achilles’ armor

One day, during the Trojan War, Achilles decides to just up and quit. He’s the greatest warrior apparently ever, so this is something of an issue. You can’t bear to watch men die in battle for Achilles’ pride, so you don his armor yourself and lead his men into battle. Everyone thinks you are Achilles, and morale is high. You die, however, because somewhere in there you remember that you’re actually terrible at fighting. Silver lining: Achilles avenges your death something FIERCE. So that's something.

Literary Setting: Juliet’s Verona House

You got Juliet’s house in Verona! Not only is Verona one of the most beautiful places in Italy, it’s also the setting of one of the most iconic love stories of all time—perfect for a hopeless romantic like yourself. You can walk the old-fashioned cobblestone streets, eat your weight in deliciously photogenic gelato, and look out from your balcony at night, waiting for your lover to climb up the wooden trellis and profess their undying affection. Just don’t get caught up in any ancient grudges/new mutinies—for your sake, and for the sake of students in English classes for centuries to come.

Taken From: @itscnlyfcrever

Tagging: @ You! Anyone who wants to do this

[impracticalheart]

Respond with your muse’s results for the following literary quizzes

HOMERIC  EPITHET  :  you  got  GREAT TELLER OF TALES

You are Nick Chopper, great teller of tales. The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.

FATAL  FLAW  :  you  are  IN LOVE WITH THE IDEA OF A PERSON.

You’ve got a crush, but the other person is simply incapable of living up to your expectations. You love the version of them that you’ve created in your mind, and not the person they really are. Yikes. You’re going to Gatsby this up so hard. You’re going to wind up dead in a pool. Two other people will also die. Everyone will be disillusioned with the American Dream. It’s a messy situation all around

GREEK  MYTHOLOGY  DEATH  :  you  are  WEARING A WEDDING DRESS THAT IS ON FIRE

You might be wondering why you would do such a foolish thing, and the answer is you're going to get on the bad side of Medea. Why would you ever get on the bad side of Medea? She doesn’t care about anything, least of all you. It all starts when Medea’s dude-lover, Jason, abandons her to be with you. So instead of having anything even resembling a calm, reasonable reaction, Medea responds by giving you a cursed wedding dress that catches fire as soon as you put it on. Some sources say the dress was actually coated in poison. Either way, I think you’ll agree, it’s not good.

LITERARY  SETTING  :  you  got  JULIET’S VERONA HOUSE

You got Juliet’s house in Verona! Not only is Verona one of the most beautiful places in Italy, it’s also the setting of one of the most iconic love stories of all time—perfect for a hopeless romantic like yourself. You can walk the old-fashioned cobblestone streets, eat your weight in deliciously photogenic gelato, and look out from your balcony at night, waiting for your lover to climb up the wooden trellis and profess their undying affection. Just don’t get caught up in any ancient grudges/new mutinies—for your sake, and for the sake of students in English classes for centuries to come.

((honestly this is the only one that really works))

TAGGED  BY  :  @avinkusprince (Can we just acknowledge that we got virtually the same results on this)

TAGGING  :  @pur-chaos @unelectedofficial @daedaluscried (FOR ASTIN) @orchestrahearts (Take your pick!)

[avinkusprince]

Respond with your muse’s results for the following literary quizzes

HOMERIC  EPITHET  :  you  got  GREAT TELLER OF TALES

You are Fiyero, great teller of tales. The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.

FATAL  FLAW  :  you  are  IN LOVE WITH THE IDEA OF A PERSON.

You’ve got a crush, but the other person is simply incapable of living up to your expectations. You love the version of them that you’ve created in your mind, and not the person they really are. Yikes. You’re going to Gatsby this up so hard. You’re going to wind up dead in a pool. Two other people will also die. Everyone will be disillusioned with the American Dream. It’s a messy situation all around

GREEK  MYTHOLOGY  DEATH  :  you  are  MURDERED BY ACCIDENT, IN ACHILLES’ ARMOR

One day, during the Trojan War, Achilles decides to just up and quit. He’s the greatest warrior apparently ever, so this is something of an issue. You can’t bear to watch men die in battle for Achilles’ pride, so you don his armor yourself and lead his men into battle. Everyone thinks you are Achilles, and morale is high. You die, however, because somewhere in there you remember that you’re actually terrible at fighting. Silver lining: Achilles avenges your death something FIERCE. So that's something.

LITERARY  SETTING  :  you  got  JULIET'S VERONA HOUSE

You got Juliet’s house in Verona! Not only is Verona one of the most beautiful places in Italy, it’s also the setting of one of the most iconic love stories of all time—perfect for a hopeless romantic like yourself. You can walk the old-fashioned cobblestone streets, eat your weight in deliciously photogenic gelato, and look out from your balcony at night, waiting for your lover to climb up the wooden trellis and profess their undying affection. Just don’t get caught up in any ancient grudges/new mutinies—for your sake, and for the sake of students in English classes for centuries to come. 

TAGGED  BY  :  @goodliest

TAGGING  :  @dubovoye (for andrei), @impracticalheart, @yunhuntress

[adinfinita]

3RD AUGUST, 1845. A FEW DAYS POST-MUTINY, POST-FALL. THE ORLOP, OUT OF SIGHT. FOR @riversoaked​.

how would they tell this story, years and months from now? from whitehall to shanghai, and all the world that sprawled beyond the extremities of an empire with no dusk, no tenable sunset. a tale of mutiny and murder in the vein of hudson, or polytropos odysseus and his decade long journey back to the arms of civilisation. or farther back, to the inception of original sin, the oldest story mankind has ever told. where it all began: a garden, an apple, the pride. the commander has no doubt he will play some rudimentary part in the architecture, laying the bearings and sketched foundations of what would one day become infamy. become parable. but the rest? the rest was immortality. it was the dawning of myth and insurrection; it would be the killing of empire. 

before, when the ghosts that walked the promethean’s decks only whispered, only waited in dream and shadow to ensnarl their victims, he had come to her, the promise of survival and the blood sacrifice required at its altar winding through his lips with the silk-coated steel of providence. what are you prepared to do, he had asked her, levelled eye-to-eye, a clear-sighted parley of arsenals and the statecraft of violence when notions of civility and rationalised humanity had been abandoned. all angels are terrifying. so what kind of monster are you prepared to become? if he were to ask her now, there’d be a blade pressed against his pulse swifter then he could bare a  serpentine smile, the brunt of a pistol rammed against his throat where the urge for laughter lay choked with holy treason. 

there is only one story that matters. let it be known: i did not fall from grace. i leapt to freedom.

he steps into the light, the dim flickering of an oil lamp casting a slick, oscillating film of shadow and visibility across him. hands tucked behind his back as a gesture of ceasefire, and ersatz goodwill, he lifts his chin with the cavalier flick of a matador flag.  “easy now, rowland.”  estrada is no god, no empyrean king, but where they are going, there will be no more kings, no more thrones.  “for all you know, estrada’s men outnumber yours. every day that passes, support for dowling wanes and estrada’s rebellion gains ground, sparks prerogatives of deliverance and finishing what we started. you can’t afford another body in the brig. if i were here to gloat, i’d do it in front of the entire crew to see. i’m here because in your gut, in the place you sheath your teeth and your guns to be your captain’s righteous soldier, you know going back is the wrong choice.”

[zoophagist]

LITERATURE QUIZZES: Repost with your muse’s results for the following quizzes.

NOVEL RENFIELD

HOMERIC EPITHET:  The great teller of tales. You are Renfield, great teller of tales. The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.

FATAL FLAW:  Your brutal honesty. You’re blunt. You’re outspoken. Frankly, you’re kind of a jerk. But you get away with it because you’re usually right and also because you’re indispensable to the major plot. But honestly? It’s going to come back to haunt you. One of these days, you’re going to be TOO honest. You’re going to refuse to lie at a critical juncture, upholding your honorable caustic truthfulness, and you’re going to pay the ultimate price for it.

GREEK MYTHOLOGY DEATH: Murdered by a Frisbee, essentially. The god Apollo is your lover in the nighttime, but the wind god, Zephyros, wants you for himself, because you’re just that much of a catch (no pun intended). One day while you and Apollo are throwing the discus back and forth (it’s ancient Greece, so this is just something that people do), you are struck by the oncoming discus and killed instantly. Plot twist! It was Zephyros who blew the discus off-course and caused your untimely and wholly unnecessary death, because I guess he comes from the “if I can’t have them, nobody can” school of dealing with his feelings.

LITERARY SETTING:  Juliet's Verona house. Not only is Verona one of the most beautiful places in Italy, it’s also the setting of one of the most iconic love stories of all time—perfect for a hopeless romantic like yourself. You can walk the old-fashioned cobblestone streets, eat your weight in deliciously photogenic gelato, and look out from your balcony at night, waiting for your lover to climb up the wooden trellis and profess their undying affection. Just don’t get caught up in any ancient grudges/new mutinies—for your sake, and for the sake of students in English classes for centuries to come. 

PENNY DREADFUL RENFIELD

HOMERIC EPITHET:  Rouser of armies. You are Renfield, rouser of armies. Be sure to get monogrammed towels. Homer often used this epithet to describe Apollo, who is the god of many things, including but not limited to music, truth, the sun, poetry, and the plague, which is, you know, unfortunate.

FATAL FLAW:  You’re in love with the idea of a person. You’ve got a crush, but the other person is simply incapable of living up to your expectations. You love the version of them that you’ve created in your mind, and not the person they really are. Yikes. You’re going to Gatsby this up so hard. You’re going to wind up dead in a pool. Two other people will also die. Everyone will be disillusioned with the American Dream. It’s a messy situation all around.

GREEK MYTHOLOGY DEATH: Killed by a wild boar that was sent by one of the gods. See, here’s the thing—someone sent that wild boar. It might have been Artemis, because she was jealous of your skill with a bow and arrow; it might have been Ares, who hated you; or it might have been Apollo, because your girlfriend blinded his son. There’s really no telling. You made enemies. This is just what happens when you’re too beautiful to even exist. Either way, you got mauled by a pig and are now dead, but you died in Aphrodite’s arms as she wept, so at least you've got that going for you.

LITERARY SETTING: Gatsby's mansion. This larger-than-life crib is the perfect place for a party animal like yourself. It’s located on the Long Island Sound (ideal for swimming, lounging, obsessively staring across the water with a LaCroix in your hand and unattainable fantasies on your mind, etc.), but it’s also just a train ride away from New York City (city of dreams and $1 pizza). But let’s not forget the best part: it’s got a library that’ll make you wanna grab a fluffy blanket and a chai latte and literally never see the light of day again.

TAGGED BY: @sadderforit TAGGING: @bonhcmme, @grendael, @pestaside and anyone else who wants it!

[drowninginvenice]

literature quizzes;

repost with your muse’s results for the following quizzes.

HOMERIC EPITHET: You are Feliciano, the great teller of tales.

The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.

FATAL FLAW: Your fatal flaw is that you’re in love with the idea of a person.

You’ve got a crush, but the other person is simply incapable of living up to your expectations. You love the version of them that you’ve created in your mind, and not the person they really are. Yikes. You’re going to Gatsby this up so hard. You’re going to wind up dead in a pool. Two other people will also die. Everyone will be disillusioned with the American Dream. It’s a messy situation all around

GREEK MYTHOLOGY DEATH: You got killed by wearing a wedding dress that is on fire.

You might be wondering why you would do such a foolish thing, and the answer is you're going to get on the bad side of Medea. Why would you ever get on the bad side of Medea? She doesn’t care about anything, least of all you. It all starts when Medea’s dude-lover, Jason, abandons her to be with you. So instead of having anything even resembling a calm, reasonable reaction, Medea responds by giving you a cursed wedding dress that catches fire as soon as you put it on. Some sources say the dress was actually coated in poison. Either way, I think you’ll agree, it’s not good.

LITERARY SETTING: You got Juliet's Verona house.

You got Juliet’s house in Verona! Not only is Verona one of the most beautiful places in Italy, it’s also the setting of one of the most iconic love stories of all time—perfect for a hopeless romantic like yourself. You can walk the old-fashioned cobblestone streets, eat your weight in deliciously photogenic gelato, and look out from your balcony at night, waiting for your lover to climb up the wooden trellis and profess their undying affection. Just don’t get caught up in any ancient grudges/new mutinies—for your sake, and for the sake of students in English classes for centuries to come.