Okay, let's finally talk about EPIC's Apollo
I feel very compelled to say, first of all, that I do not dislike Epic. In fact, I am very fond of Epic and have been following its production and status very eagerly! I attend all the launch streams, I watch all of Herrans' update videos; I am, at the end of the day, a fan and I want it to be known that my words are spoken out of love and passion as much as they are spoken from a place of critique.
So really, what my problem with Epic's Apollo?
In the briefest possible terms; the choice to have Apollo be defined by his musical aspect in God Games is thematically strange. And not in the 'oh well in the Odyssey, Apollo was important to Odysseus and his family so it's weird that that wasn't kept in Epic' strange, strange in the sense that Odysseus' character arc since My Goodbye has been getting more and more obviously Apollonian and so it is positively bizarre that when we get to meet Apollo, the god seems entirely disinterested in him and his affairs. So much so that he is not even defined by any station that would indicate that he has been watching over and protecting Odysseus and his family.
What do I mean by 'Odysseus has been following an Apollonian arc'? I'm so glad you asked!
Remember Them is the last song in which Odysseus explicitly uses his sword until Mutiny where he must use it to defend himself against Eurylochus' blade. He uses it to help enact the plan to conquer Polyphemus and, due to Polites dying in that battle, Polites who wished for Odysseus to put the blade down entirely and embrace a post-war life, Odysseus also retires his sword. This is an action that symbolically separates him from Athena - and the image of Odysseus as a traditional warrior set for him in Horse and Infant - as much as My Goodbye physically separates him from the goddess and her war-ways - from this point onwards, Odysseus will no longer be leaning on Athena's wisdom or methods to solve his problems. Likewise, he will no longer be able to rely on her protection.
Odysseus thusly solves most of his upcoming problems through diplomacy and avoidance. He approaches Aeolus - a strange and ambiguous god (both in gender and in motivation) and appeals to them for help. Circe too, he approaches not with wishes to conquer or for revenge, but for the safe returning of his men and an alternate way forward. In all of these scenarios, there is some Apollonian element which is subtly interweaved alongside the influence of other gods; it is with a bow and arrows that Polyphemus' sheep is slain (and thus it is this Apollonian element which is at the root of Odysseus' spat with Poseidon), it is a vision of Penelope that warns Odysseus that his men are about to open Aeolus' wind-bag, Circe's peace offering to Odysseus is to refer him to a prophet of Apollo who has since died.
In this way, Apollo is walking alongside Odysseus for all of his journey after Athena departs - even in the Underworld, he is guiding him. It is Tiresias' proclamation that is the last straw for Odysseus, it is by the power of a mouthpiece of Apollo that Odysseus decides to embrace his ruthlessness. It is with the bow and arrow that Odysseus subdues the siren who sought to trick him, likewise, Odysseus does not attempt to undermine or escape the fate of paying Scylla's passage price - he knows of the doom about to befall the six men and quite unlike the rest of the journey until this point, he does not fight against it. This all comes to a head on Thrinacia where it is a blade which sacrifices the sun god's cow and brings destruction upon the crew once more.
My point with all of this is that when I heard the teasers for God Games years ago, it made perfect sense to me that Apollo would be Round One - he is not Odysseus' adversary and has no reason to oppose Athena's wish to free him. From other teasers about what will happen in the climax of Epic, Apollo will still be walking alongside Odysseus - it is Apollo's bow that Penelope will give the suitors to string. Likewise, it is Apollo's bow that will prove Odysseus' legitimacy and identity. That bow will be the power by which Odysseus hunts his adversaries and cleans out his palace - it is Apollo who is the avatar of Odysseus' ruthlessness, not Athena.
So tell me, truly, what was the point of having Apollo raise a non-argument in God Games? Why have him appear unconcerned, aloof and slightly oblivious? Why have him appear in his capacity as the Lord of Music at all?? And if the intention was never to make Apollo an active player in Odysseus' life like he was in the Odyssey, why keep Odysseus as a primary archer?
The answer of course is that Apollo is inextricable from the fabric of the Odyssey - his influence and favour exudes from Odysseus just as much as Athena's. In Athena's ten year sulk, it would have been Apollo who kept Telemachus and Penelope safe. It would have been Apollo protecting Odysseus from Poseidon's gaze as he travelled the seas (according to the Odyssey anyway)
Forgive me for not being excited about something that I thought was being purposefully set up. I was extremely ecstatic about all of the little Apollonian details that litter the sagas because I know where this story ends up (loosely) but all God Games did was reveal that maybe those Apollonian details were not intentional at all, but merely the ghost of the Apollo who persistently haunts those he favours, even if he cannot explicitly come to their aide in an adaptation.
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I love the Against PDA Laswell/Valeria x Jealous fem reader! Thank you so much!
Kate Laswell x GN reader
After a bad marriage, Kate never thought she would have another chance for a relationship
Then 💥BOOM💥 reader appears in her life!
But there's a problem....
Kate and her Ex partner have a daughter (Kate LOVES her daughter)
But she doesn't like the reader...
No pressure, take your time 🫶 and take care
You're welcome! That was a lot of fun to write! I got a bit carried away on this one, so it's quite long, sorry about that! This idea was really cute, inspiration really struck me on that one! Thank you for requesting it! Thank you for requesting in general, especially for the girls! I love them, but it's a genuine shame they don't seem to get as much love as the guys!!
Reader is gn. Only thing I can think of is that Kate's daughter, Luna, was about to get abducted, but reader saved her, so nothing bad happens aside from that. Luna and reader get along later, though, because I'm a sucker for happy endings and want Laswell, reader and their daughter to have a lovely future together. Some parts are almost like a drabble, other parts are more headcanon-y.
Remarried!Laswell, her daughter and Reader
It’s one thing to have the love of your life leave, all the memories, the good and bad, the small trinkets here and there, even just a small dessert call upon feelings that are much better left behind, left in the dark where no one could find them. If only it was that easy. During spring cleanings, Kate would find something to remind her of her ex wife every time. A brooch with a sapphire in the middle, an old recipe book, the very first wooly hat Kate’s wife picked out for their daughter, Luna. It was tiny, bearing the motive of snowflakes on a pink background. And to think their daughter has long since grown out of it. Time really does pass, regardless of whether you’re enjoying the moment or wishing the past had never happened. A few years ago, Kate’s heart would have been torn upon finding it, slashed open to show the insides of a still beating and bleeding heart. But that was the past. She had always been a strong woman, she had no choice, after all.
It was her wife, who gave birth to Luna, and it shows. She took after her so much, from the color of her eyes, her height, even her nose was reminiscent of her ex wife. She was absolutely gorgeous in Kate’s eyes. Her little girl grew and grew, but no matter how old she was, that was still her little girl. While Kate may not get the chance to see her all that often, a few times a year at most, both of them are usually overjoyed when they do get to spend time with each other. Even at 14, when it’s almost embarrassing to be seen with your parents, her daughter couldn’t hide her growing smile whenever she saw her mother. It was familial love in its purest form.
And eventually, you came along. Beautiful you, who was patient and understanding towards Kate. Caring you, who wouldn’t rush her into something she wasn’t ready for just yet while listening to her every woe whenever the melancholy of her ex wife caught up with her. Dazzling you, who gave her another chance at romantic love, slowly mending the holes in her heart. It was a give and take, always: No matter what it was you gave Kate, she’d return it tenfold. You, in turn, would do so as well. A kiss would turn into a necklace bearing a genuine ruby, an intimate and loving night into a vacation on the mountains or the beach. It took a while, but eventually Kate was sure you were the one. Someone, who would never betray her, someone, who would stay by her side, even when the world would stand against her. She was willing to arrange the most dangerous of missions for her most trusted people if something would ever happen to you. Kate was capable of pulling just about any string, get a favorable outcome eventually.
But no matter what she did, Luna simply didn’t seem to approve of you.
It started off with a simple mention of you. First, a friend. Her daughter didn’t seem to mind. She was glad someone was able to make her mother smile again. But when it turned into something more, something more serious, she would frown. An annoyed quip, a passive-aggressive remark, it was evident that no matter what Kate would tell her about you, the latter would react negatively. Regardless of whether you tripped while taking out the trash or proposing to your then girlfriend.
It would take a while for you to actually meet her daughter, but when you did she seemed distant at best and annoyed at worst. Anger wasn’t the solution to anything, so you tried to engage in conversation with her, give her small gifts you thought she might like. Christmas, Easter, Halloween, her birthday, you never forgot about her. But no matter how much effort you put into slowly building a relationship with her, you were rejected. She had two parents, she didn’t need a third one. You knew Luna was Kate’s everything, which is why it hurt twice as much when she seemed to hate you. Afraid of making things potentially worse, you were unsure whether or not you should keep going, it seemed almost pointless. Even when Kate told her daughter to be nice to you, to give you a chance at the very least, it didn’t seem to help.
In a cruel turn of events, disaster has struck. You were tasked to escort Luna home, you and Kate did live together, after all. A young girl and her “parent” usually wasn't something many people would look at twice, it was among the most ordinary things. After dusk, when the sun was barely enveloping the world in its warm rays, three men walked in your direction. Maybe it was your gut feeling telling you to be more aware of your surroundings, maybe Kate had told you to be extra careful these days and nights. Either way, they stopped walking when the two of you got closer. By then, even Luna seemed to realize something awful was about to happen. Just as you were about to walk towards the other street, two of the men lunged out at you, going after her.
This wasn’t something that should have happened, so for a split second you froze before reacting, Luna screaming out already. Even though both of you were shocked, scared out of your mind as she was dragged away into the nearest alley, something within you sparked. You were hoping you’d never need them, but Kate had given you lessons on how to defend yourself if you ever needed to, and this time was as drastic as it could possibly be. Using your knowledge on martial arts, you were able to take one of them down as quickly as possible, having him writhe in pain on the ground, unable to compose himself anymore. The third guy advanced towards you, thinking you to be easy prey still. He was taken care of even more quickly than the first one, adrenaline coursing through you. Your legs carried you at a speed even the raging storms would envy, Luna looking back at you, yelling for help still. Her mother wasn’t around, you were the only safer person left, the only aid in a battle she likely would have never won on her own.
She struggled, resisted the creep to the best of her abilities, flailing, biting, screaming. It was enough to buy you time to get to her. As he turned to you, you jabbed your index and middle finger on the spot underneath the larynx. Curses escaped him as he released her, holding onto his throat while gagging. Barely put together, he stretched his arm backwards, an obvious attempt at hitting you, the perfect opening. In a swift motion, you deflected him, taking his arm instead while using your knee to kick him in the groin. A direct hit, leaving him incapable of doing much else aside from whining on the ground, making the most pathetic noises imaginable to man. It mattered not, Luna was more important than anything else. Despite being aware of her dislike for you, this was an exception: You grabbed her by the arm, dragging her out of the alley and to the nearest light post.
She was quaking, her eyes watery as she bit back tears. This was no moment to show weakness in front of you. As she bit her lip, the force was enough to make it bleed, she took a deep breath while you looked her over, making sure she wasn’t injured. A few bruises would form from the rough treatment, but she’d be alright. You wanted to comfort her right now, tell her that she was safe, that you’d make sure not a single pig on this planet would harm her, but you couldn’t focus on that solely. What you had to do was make sure she’d get back home safely to her mother. Kate would kill you if something happened to her, or worse.
You hurried home, never letting go of her, your eyes darting around the streets. Barely anyone was out. Apologies and promises of safety, you spoke them all in a determined tone.
Luna looked at you as you pulled her along. Your touch wasn’t dreadful this time, it was far from detestable. Your hand was warm on her arm, your presence comforting. Maybe you weren’t such a horrible person to have around. And maybe, just maybe, you could keep Kate safe, too. Keep her happy, make sure she can smile forever, give her the solace you gave Luna just now. She wanted to stop, stand still and apologize for the treatment she had given you, it wasn’t fair. Not to you, not to her mother. But she kept going, her home perhaps a minute from where she currently was.
Only when the door fell closed behind you, after you locked it, could you finally take a breather. Luna was still shaken, but nowhere close to tears. Uneven breathing was all that plagued her, but she was finally safe again.
It was time to release her, apologizing for touching her without her consent. But for once, those eyes that seemed to show but resentment for you, they were tired. Although you had let go of her, it was her turn to hold your wrist, a small plea, almost silent, begging for you to not go just yet. It wasn’t your place to refuse and thus you gave her a nod, calming down from your own high. Your voice was so much more gentle than before. How was she feeling? Where was she hurt? Would she be alright?
There was barely a response, only one you could really understand.
You weren’t a monster, you weren’t going to drain the happiness from everyone she ever loved, Luna finally understood that. While your voice may have just barely reached you, she stood completely still for a few seconds before wrapping her arms around you, face buried in your shoulder. You were a good person, she was going to be okay. Everything was okay. She had her mothers and you.
A tight hug, you’d return it any day, looking to the corner of your eye as you noticed some movement there. It was Kate, shocked and worried, immediately rushing to her girl’s side, asking her what’s wrong. This wasn’t something Kate shouldn’t have known about, so with as much calmness as you could muster, you explained the situation to her. Luna carefully turned to her mother, Kate instinctively took her into her arms.
Sitting her down onto the couch, both of you stayed with her the entire night, even when she had fallen asleep. Small conversations sound through the living room. Kate couldn’t thank you enough. Her world was with her still, unscathed and mostly unharmed, because of your quick judgment and your capabilities. This was something she could never repay you for, even if you gave her an eternity of time. It was a rare sight to see Kate in any amount of disarray. She was of calm mind anytime, no matter what. Strong-willed, cunning, brave. Even she had her weaknesses.
But as concerned as she was during that night, she could notice a change in the atmosphere soon enough. Luna’s words weren’t malicious towards you anymore. A smile here, a chuckle there. When the suggestion of getting you a birthday present came, Kate was stunned for a moment. Her little girl and her spouse getting along, it seemed so far out. But any destination was reachable if you gave it enough time, if the circumstances were right. By no means would she ever wish anything horrible upon her girl, willing to kill those men in the same way a lion would kill its prey, but the situation had improved. Luna would ask about you, how you were doing, how the marriage was going, even giving you the present yourself. Almost shy, she handed it to you. You, too, seemed a bit surprised, but the scene was lovely. You and Luna finally got along. It was like something out of a pleasant dream. As you opened the present, your face glowing with glee, Kate, too, couldn’t help but smile.
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