#Odysseus: you know I’m afraid of the water…

[lemonpoet]

Epic: the musical except Penelope has actually been turned into a siren in a quest to find her husband.

[amazingmsme]

Just a silly lil stupid idea I wanted to share after Ithica saga because lord knows we need it after that

But just imagine after he gets home, Odysseus & Telemachus are playing on the beach & Telemachus decides to run into the water. Ody chases after him, but when he gets to the water’s edge it quickly recedes around him to the point where it’s obvious it’s avoiding him. & to be funny, Telemachus jokes “I think Poseidon’s afraid of you, father”

& without missing a beat, he goes “he doesn’t have to be. I’m home now” & now Telemachus is like 👀👀👀 cause what the hell is THAT supposed to mean

Odysseus just smirks & cups his hands around his mouth & yells something like “I promise I won’t stab you again!” What? He can show off & brag to his son

& then a huge wave crashes straight into Ody & knocks him flat on his ass

[moonlit-lian]

“Then jump in the water and kiss me~”

“Penelope I’ve told you this before- you know I’m afraid of the water!”

“I’ll make sure that you are safe and sound~”

Odysseus: “gotcha beach ���”

I’m very excited I finally finished this! I’m astounded at the attention my sketch of this is getting, I just hope this gets noticed too! Heh!

I feel like when he says “more than you know, his expression is very pained at first, like I just know he meant that! UGGH

[jackiepackiee]

hi there! I was wondering if you could do some hcs about telemachus x reader where she’s a demigod daughter of poseidon? And shes not close with her dad at all bc he’s absent n everything but hes just sorta nervous? Or maybe he isnt nervous but when ody gets back he sorta freaks out? Whatever works for you hun xx

Telemachus x Poseidon Daughter! Reader

An- apologies, I’m not too proud of this one… if you want anything else about this just ask! @sunshinewhosketches

I’d say pretty confidently there are three levels of timespans of your relationship

That being meeting, dating before his dad returns, and after Odysseus’ return

Meeting

Now Telemachus is no strangers to gods. He’s a bit of a nerd… studying all the great tales of the sky, ocean, underworld, etc

And obviously he is close with Athena, he’d consider her one of the closest people in his life

But that’s the only god he really knows as in a personal way, not to mention Athena came to him so he wasn’t actively trying to win over anyone

That being said, it’s most likely that he meets you through Athena

One day you overheard the goddess of war and wisdom speaking of her new mentee with Hermes and you were more than interested

It’s not often that she speaks so fondly of anyone, especially men, so this boy had to be good!

Anyways, it’s not like you knew of his father yet (it’s likely during this time you first hear of him that Poseidon and Odysseus are having their fights)

So you followed Athena one day to meet the boy, just planning to watch from afar

As a demigod you couldn’t exactly make yourself invisible like true gods, so you hid in the water in one of the beach pools of Ithaca while he trained

But he’s very intelligent and soon sees you poking up from the rocks at the waters edge

Now he’s incredibly flustered, not knowing who you are or your intentions

So Athena has to tell him to calm down before you can talk

Sure, she’s against romance, but it wouldn’t hurt for her warrior to have a demigod on his side

And when he finds out your Poseidon’s daughter?

Yeah, he’s shocked

Not because he’s scared, but because “gods are such strong beings supposed to be so beautiful?!?”

You’re there, skin sparkling from the water looking like you emerged from the depths of the ocean

He’s immediately very polite, not daring to say anything to offend you

After all, your father is known for drowning his enemies for a small wrongdoing

But he sees your face and can’t bring himself to be anything but a stuttering mess who blushes lightly

Before Odysseus

When you two are dating things are more or less… crazy

The most obvious issue is the suitors

Now he’s tempted to say to them that, “yeah, I’m dating a demigod so don’t mess with them or my mother”

But he’s no idiot

He knows this would put you in danger, so instead you two usually meet at the rivers and beaches of Ithaca

Anyways, he loves getting out of the palace and exploring his kingdom with you

Although he knows you’d protect him, he likes to be the one protecting you

He feels strong knowing a literal demigod is trusting him with their safety

Your favorite pass time together is sailing, since he isn’t afraid of you getting caught in the water because he knows you can swim well lol

He looks so so so good with slightly wet hair, muscular arms shown off as he hums lowly and pulls at the ropes of the ship

But don’t tell him that! He’ll blush and lie that it’s a bad sunburn

Now he doesn’t know of his father and your fathers feud, so you two have little to fear

Well… kinda

He’s never known a demigod, nevertheless been in love with the daughter of an incredibly dangerous god

So he’s extra polite to you (he would be anyways, because he loves you) and never goes into the water without you

I’m not going to assume what type of abilities you have, but whatever it be he’s very very proud

When you show him he looks at you in awe before hugging you like an excited little kid

“Do it again!” Yeah, who can say no to him?

You two mainly share gentle kisses after long days of adventures, and you always splash him with some water when you get shy from his affection

After Odysseus

Definition of… “oh sh-“

Now Odysseus is a kind man, despite his change after his odyssey

So he won’t be rude to you

In fact he likely won’t know for a while since… everyone has a lifetime of catching up to do

So it isn’t until you see Telemachus come into your bedroom with a panicked expression that issues arise

Now he’s a sweet sweet boy, and he lies

He tells you he’s just feeling ill and needs to lie down

In actuality his dad was telling him about his journey and started talking about the absolute hatred him and Poseidon had for each other

Telemachus goes pale.

He’s so scared two of the people he loves most won’t get along!

So he doesn’t tell you while he figures it out

And by figuring it out I mean having a “tummy ache” because he’s so nervous

To be fair he didn’t know you didn’t care for your dad as you never brought him up

It was a touchy subject for both of you, but now that he has his dad he’s aware of how quiet you are on the subject

Everything is okay to him until he sees you and his dad talking while you help him fix a boat by going underwater and poor bby let’s the secrets fly

Since he sees you underwater he assumes his dad knows

“I’m so sorry father! I know you hate Poseidon but she’s so lovely and I’m not willing to give her up even if you have fought him.”

Which just confuses the two of you until you look at one another and realize

Now both you and Odysseus love Telemachus, and don’t like Poseidon, so what is there to fight about?

Telemachus just holds your hand, waiting for his fathers reaction

But all he does is nod and carry on

To be fair, he owes you for protecting his family while he’s been gone

After that Telemachus is less nervous

Now the only thing that gets him going in a flustered stutter is when his mom says “I’ve never thought you’d marry a demigod” and I maid squeals “when is the wedding”

No, Poseidon and Odysseus aren’t going to get along for your sake

[antinousletmehit]

Polties with a very playful nymph reader he met on one of the islands they sail to go!!

୨୧┇pairing: Polites x Nymph!reader

୨୧┇Enjoy!!

────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ───

The sun hung low in the sky as the crew of Odysseus’s ship landed on yet another mysterious island. The air was sweet with the scent of wildflowers, and the gentle rustling of leaves seemed to whisper secrets. Polites stepped off the ship with his usual enthusiasm, taking in the lush greenery that stretched as far as the eye could see. “Stay close,” Odysseus warned, his sharp gaze scanning the horizon. “We don’t know what dangers lie here.” Polites waved him off with a grin. “You worry too much, Captain. Not every island is out to kill us.”

Odysseus gave him a look but said nothing more as the crew began their exploration. Polites, as always, wandered a little farther than the rest, his curiosity pulling him deeper into the forest. It wasn’t long before he stumbled upon a glade that seemed almost too perfect to be real. The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting a golden glow over the crystal clear pool at its center. And there, perched on a rock by the water’s edge, was a person unlike any Polites had ever seen.

Its hair cascaded down their back like a river of gold, and their laughter was like the chiming of bells as they dipped their toes into the water. They looked up as Polites approached, their eyes sparkling with mischief. “Well, what have we here?” They said, their voice melodic and teasing. “A sailor, lost in my woods?”

Polites blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. She was stunning, and the way she looked at him made his heart race. “I—uh—wasn’t lost, exactly,” he managed, scratching the back of his neck. “Just… exploring.” The nymph laughed, hopping gracefully off the rock and stepping toward him. “Exploring, are you? And what have you found?”

“Something beautiful,” he said before he could stop himself, his cheeks flushing as the words left his mouth.

Their laughter rang out again, and they circled him, their bare feet barely making a sound on the soft grass. “Flattery will get you everywhere, sailor.” Polites grinned, relaxing a little under her playful gaze. “Then I’m in luck, because I’m very good at it.”

“Oh, I can see that,” she said, stopping in front of him. “But tell me, doesn’t your captain and crew worry about you wandering off?”

“They worry too much,” Polites replied, his grin widening. “I like to greet the world with open arms. There’s too much wonder in it to spend all my time being afraid.” The nymph tilted her head, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “A rare sentiment, for a sailor.”

Before he could respond, a familiar voice called out from the trees.

“Polites!”

He turned to see Odysseus striding into the glade, his expression darkening as his gaze landed on the nymph. “Step away from it,” he commanded, his voice low and firm. Polites frowned, confused by the sudden tension. “Captain, it’s fine. They’re not—”

“Do not trust it,” Odysseus interrupted, his eyes never leaving the nymph. “It may look harmless, but I’ve seen too many men fall victim to charms like theirs.” The nymph smirked, crossing her arms. “Such cynicism,” they said, their tone light but eyes sharp. “You must be the captain. Always looking for the trap, never the treasure.”

Odysseus’s jaw tightened, but Polites stepped between them, holding up his hands. “Captain, please,” he said, his voice calm. “Not everyone we meet is out to harm us. Sometimes, you’ve just got to greet the world with open arms, remember?” Odysseus’s gaze flicked to Polites, and for a moment, he hesitated. Then, with a sigh, he stepped back.

Polites turned back to the nymph, his smile returning. “See? No need for all this tension.” The nymph chuckled, stepping closer to him. “You’re brave, Polites. Perhaps a little foolish, but brave.”

Before he could respond, they leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. Her lips were cool, like the morning dew, and the touch made his heart skip a beat.

“Take care, sailor,” she giggled, their voice barely audible. “Not every nymph is as kind as I.” And with that, they turned and disappeared into the trees, leaving behind nothing but the faint scent of wildflowers.

Polites touched his cheek, a dreamy smile on his face as he turned back to Odysseus. “See?” he said, his tone light. “Not everyone’s out to get us.”

Odysseus shook his head, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “You’re lucky it was one of the kind ones. Next time, don’t wander so far.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Polites replied, laughing as he followed his captain back toward the camp. Odysseus shook his head again, Polites could have sworn he saw the faintest hint of a smile.

[pearl-pool]

Siren Penelope: Don’t you miss me?

Odysseus: More than you know...

Siren Penelope: Then jump in the water and kiss me!

Odysseus: Penelope, I’ve told you this before. You know I’m afraid of the water.

Siren Penelope: ...

Siren Penelope: So, you don't shower or bath?

Odysseus: ...what

Siren Penelope: So the ugly smell I've been smelling is coming from you then!

Odysseus: NO IT'S NOT...

Odysseus: ...

Odysseus: WE RAN OUT OF SOAP OKAY

(Someone ate the soaps because of hunger)

[tuul1p]

I like to imagine in “Suffering” that because Odysseus had beeswax in his ears and needed to lipread the siren repeating “I will take the suffering from you” was really just out of exasperation and frustration because Odysseus kept mishearing her.

Odysseus: “But Penelope, you know i’m afraid of the water!”

Siren: “I would take the suffering from you.”

Odysseus: “Uhh.. yes, I too would love to stake the buffering…”

Siren: “No, I could TAKE the SUFFERING”

Odysseus: “rake the covering?”

Siren: “no! Ugh, I SAID I will TAKE THE SUFFERING!!!”

Odysseus: “Ohhh… but i’m too scared!”

Siren (muttering to herself): “UGH this man is going to be the DEATH of me.”

[helpmeplzimbeggin]

Just a little rambling about Scylla and Odysseus

I know that at least a handful of people have probably drawn a few similarities between them already, but that’s just NOT ENOUGH people so I’m just gonna dump some of the thoughts that have marinating in my noggin for a while now.

Does anyone remember when, at the very end of the song “Scylla” both Odysseus and Scylla sing the lyric “We are the same, you and I” in sync (and there a few other lyrics earlier into the song where Scylla sings similar lines on her own)? Becuase I do, and I thought it was WAY too intriguing to disregard. I understand that the scene was meant to mean that both of them would do terrible things to survive, but the being that is expressly said to be in the one place Poseidon wouldn’t roam (from the song “Suffering”), which could mean that he was afraid of Scylla, to actually see some random mortal as the SAME as her has to mean something, right? I know we all got majorly distracted by the the mutiny stuff and then whatever the heck Zeus’s song was (and maybe that was even by design so we wouldn’t look too deeply into the lyric), but it feels like such an important scene!

So I researched into who Scylla actually is, and it turns out Poseidon isn’t exactly afraid of her. She actually used to be a beautiful sea nymph that Poseidon fell in love with, but he asked Amphitrite to turn her into what she is now after after Scylla rejected him. So the reason why Scylla related with Odysseus so strongly was because they are the same. Someone forced to become a monster because of Poseidon’s cruelty, and someone who Poseidon himself would eventually come to avoid (bcus we all now edgy water boy isn’t going anywhere NEAR Odysseus after the beatdown he got in “600 strike”).

((Also, kinda random, but I also just wanna bring up that Odysseus (in the song “King Odysseus”) will be “aiming for the torches” just like Scylla was to the men in Odysseus’s ship! Probably just a coincidence, but it’s an interesting parallel nonetheless.))

okay bye thanks for listening to my Ted talk!!!

[melishade]

Me listening to the Epic the Musical Live Stream on July 3rd and listening to the first song of the soundtrack.

Me: Huh, surprisingly upbeat song. Is Odysseus dreaming?

Penelope~!

Me: definitely sounds like a dream.

Odysseus: You know I’m afraid of the water.

Me: Hm…that’s odd.

Penelope: Come play with me and our daughter.

Me snorting: What? Odysseus doesn’t have a daughter…OH FUCK ITS A SIREN!

[graaaaaayy]

so. ithaca is an island. they’re said to have had some of the most fearsome sailors of ancient greece.

and then. when ody and his crew face the sirens this is how it goes:

odysseus, king of an ISLAND, currently on a BOAT: penelope you know i’m afraid of the water 🥺

fake siren penelope: sounds legit

[twomanyfandomshelp]

If you haven’t listened to the Thunder Saga yet, this is your spoiler warning.

Also, look at this album cover art! It’s so beautiful.

Apologies in advance for all the caps lock you’re about to see, and please ignore whatever typos or grammatical errors you find, it’s like three in the morning.

Enjoy watching me slowly lose my mind and my commentary become more and more unhinged.

MR. RIVERA-HERRANS

JORGE

JAY

MR. JALPEÑO

MY HEART CAN’T TAKE THIS WHY MUST YOU BE SO TALENTED never stop please Jay I need more I need your music directly in my veins

SUFFERING

Oh my gosh, I figured this song would be about the sirens but what the heck how did I not realize the siren would pretend to be Penelope?!

“Come play with me and our daughter” Excuse me, Mrs. Siren you are incorrect, he has a son and he is wonderful how dare you disrespect Telemachus like that. Watching chat go crazy over this line during the watch party was pretty fun though.

Odysseus tricking the siren into telling him how to avoid Poseidon was so smart!

YOU’RE TELLING ME EVEN POSEIDON IS AFRAID OF SCYLLA?!

This chorus is a bop

DIFFERENT BEAST

Oh my gosh this is such a tone shift from the last one and I love it!

I LOVE THIS CHORUS AND THE CALLBACKS OH MY GOSH

My man is so smart and I love him for it. Not only did he figure out there were sirens nearby just from an empty ship, but he had the whole crew put beeswax in their ears and scoop up the sirens while he distracted their leader (I’m assuming she’s their leader?! idk) and tricked her into telling him how to avoid Poseidon!

THE SIRENS BEGGING ODYSSEUS TO SPARE THEM AND ODYSSEUS’ RESPONSE OH MY GOD “i made a mistake like this/it almost cost my life/I can’t take more risks of not seeing my wife/cut off their tails, we’re ending this now/throw their bodies back in the water/let them drown” SIR WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DOWN WITH MY ODY?!?! HE WAS NOT KIDDING ABOUT BECOMING THE MONSTER RUTHLESSNESS IS MERCY UPON OURSELVES

And now the chorus is different and it’s talking about Odysseus and the choice he made to become a monster and ahfhsidhsndg

ODYSSEUS SCREAMING TO KILL THEM ALL AND THE SIRENS’ SCREAMS?!?! JORGE!!!!

SCYLLA

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh

KJ BURKHAUSER’S VOICE IS SO FREAKING BEAUTIFUL I LOVE IT SHE SOUNDS SO PRETTY AND HAUNTING AT THE SAME TIME AND THEN SHE GETS SCARY AND I JUST AAAAAHHH🧎‍♀️🙇🏼‍♀️

“Deep down you know that we are the same” Excuse me ma’am what does that mean?!

EURYLOCHUS HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US?!?? I already knew he opened the fucking bag but it hurts to hear him admit it out loud

EURYLOCHUS’ “forgive me” SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE ODYSSEUS’ “forgive me” FROM JUST A MAN AND I KNOW THAT’S THE POINT BUT IT STILL BREAKS MY HEART

FULL SPEED AHEAD

“Eurylochus, light up six torches” NO ODY DON’T DO IT DON’T SACRIFICE YOUR MEN

THAT “hello” EXCUSE ME MA’AM??!?!!

HER VOICE OH MY FUCKING GOD

THE SCREAMS IN THE BACKGROUND AS THE SIX MEN ARE TAKEN AAAAAAHHHHHH

MUTINY

I love the snippets we’ve heard of this one, I’m very excited and so very scared.

EURYLOCHUS IS SO PISSED AT ODYSSEUS OH MY GOD NO STOP TALKING EURY YOU’RE GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED!!!

HERE IT IS HERE’S THE PART I KNOW OH MY GOD I’M SO SCARED!!!

WHAT THE REST OF THE CREW STEPPED IN AND STABBED ODYSSEUS INSTEAD BECAUSE HOW COULD THEY EVER TRUST HIM AGAIN KNOWING THAT HE’LL SACRIFICE THEM TO GET HOME!!!

NO DON’T DO IT EURY DON’T EAT THE COWS!!! I DON’T CARE HOW FUCKING HUNGRY YOU ARE EURYLOCHUS DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH THOSE COWS!!!

THE CALLBACKS TO LUCK RUNS OUT!!!

OH MY FUCKING GOD EURYLOCHUS JUST CALLED HIM ODY OH MY GOSH “Ody we’re never gonna get to make it home, you know it’s true… You don’t know that’s true!” Eurylochus no don’t give up if you give up you’re definitely never making it back home 😢

OH MY GOD NOW EURYLOCHUS SAID “I’m just a man” SIR YOU DON’T GET TO SAY THAT IT’S ONE THING TO KILL AN INFANT TO SAVE YOUR WIFE AND SON IT IS ANOTHER TO OPEN A BAG THAT YOUR CAPTAIN SPECIFICALLY SAID NOT TO OPEN BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T TRUST HIM WHEN GUESS WHAT HE WAS RIGHT AND OH LOOK NOW YOU’VE KILLED MOST OF YOUR MEN ARE YOU HAPPY EURYLOCHUS OH AND NOW YOU’VE KILLED APOLLO’S CATTLE WHICH IS GOING TO KILL EVERYONE ELSE WHAT THE FUCK EURYLOCHUS THIS IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT AND NO SHUT UP I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING 😭

NO NO NO DON’T KILL THE FUCKING COWS

The way Odysseus immediately goes into leader mode and starts commanding his men in a desperate attempt to save them even though they just LITERALLY FUCKING STABBED HIM IN THE BACK and he begged them not to kill the cows

“We’re too late” oh my god you can the emotion in Ody’s voice because he desperately wants to save his men and they’ve doomed themselves

THUNDER BRINGER

YES I’M SO FUCKING READY LET’S GOOOOOO

Luke Holt has an amazing voice oh my gosh the way he says distress and confess 🥵

I KNOW WE’VE ALREADY HEARD THIS CHORUS BUT IT’S SO FUCKING GOOD OH MY GOD

“Choose. …choose?… Someone’s gotta die today, and you have got the final say. You or your crew.” OH MY GOD WAIT WHAT I DIDN’T REALIZE ODYSSEUS HAD TO CHOOSE WHAT NO

It’s giving that one TikTok sound “One and two. One of you’s gonna die. The other’s gonna live. And, the thing is, it’s your choice.”

JUST ZUES FORCING ODYSSEUS TO MAKE ANOTHER IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE!!!!

The combination of the crew singing the lyrics from Just a Man and Penelope singing about taking away Odysseus’ suffering is just… so beautiful and so heartbreaking at the same time

“Captain?… I have to see her… But we’ll die… I know” OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK JAY AND ARMANDO HOW CAN YOU DO THIS THE EMOTION THAT THESE MEN CAN CONVEY WITH JUST THEIR VOICES IS UNREAL

And now we’re back to Luke’s absolutely phenomenal voice as Zues just massacres Odysseus’ crew

NOT THE SAD PIANO PLAY OUT NO JAY DON’T oh it’s too late, now I’m crying.

[aaasdgnklm]

hey hye wanna hear my epic rant too bad ur gonna anyways

spoiler warning for epic: the musical, the thunder saga

Ok so the thunder saga. genuinely I’ve been shaking so much every time I’ve heard it. I’m gonna go song by song and this is a rant so theres gonna be a shitton of tangents sorry

1. suffering

this title scared me SO MUCH when I heard it cause like oh fuck my poor little guy(hes a king and has fought multiple wars and killed thousands of people) doesnt need more shit happening to him like leave him alone and then the melody was so upbeat and I was like huh?? and then ‘penelope’ starts talking and I’m like. pardon. what. sorry?? I was confused as shit, mostly at how nonchalant ODYSSEUS was. my first assumption was its gotta be one of the gods fucking w/ him but then why is he so casual? so I thought it was a dream. but then there were little things, penelope’s asking him to get in the water(which. reminds me of. someone HAHSBHADBH), and then he says hes scared of the water and I’m like. my guy I hope youre not afraid of the water youre a captain on a ship. but then I realized theres no way odys afraid of the water unless its bcuz of posideon, and penelope WOULDNT KNOW ABOUT THAT so he wouldnt say “you know I’m afraid of the water”. and then ofc shes like “daughter” and I’m like nope. this aint penelope and its not a dream cause then it would be odysseus’ mind making her up and hed never think daughter. And then odysseus asks how to get home and at this point I’m like hm. ok. so this is some kind of water based monster trying to pretend to be penelope to lure him in, right? (ALSO the fact that the only time in the song odysseus drops the act is when he says “but scylla has a cost” is so mmmmmm)and then. and then.

2. different beast

HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT THIS IS WHERE THINGS GOT GOOD. like I love suffering but different beast scratches my brain SO GOOD and the rest of the saga was uphill from there I ahhhhhhhh. initial reaction: odysseus’ explanation that he knew what had been happening the whole time was SO GOOD and had my mouth hanging open the whole time. and then when he says “cut their tails off, we’re ending this now. throw their bodies back in the water. let them drown.” ohhhhhhhhhh my god holy fuck this was when it kinda hit for me- odysseus was not fucking around in monster hes actually BRUTAL in the thunder saga and I honestly hope it continues cause fuck yeah character development. also there were SO MANY lines in this that are just SO GOOD. “youve been tryna take my life this whole time” “I know exactly what you are, youre a siren.” “my real wife knows I’m not scared of the water, and my real wife knows I dont have a daughter.” “we found a ship with no crew” “sirens know about every route and horizon now I know how to get back to my island!” “so you can kill the next group of sailors in this part of the sea? nah, you wouldnt have spared me. I made a mistake like this once it almost cost my life, I cant take more risks of not seeing my wife. cut off their tails!” “kill them all!” and then the “odysseus” at the end I’m like why does that sound familiar? MFER ITS CAUSE ITS IN THE “You dont think I know my own palace? I built it.” SOUND CLIP IM

3. scylla

silly little sounds. silly little men. silly little deaths. ok so I watched the livestream so I saw the anamatic and holy SHIT the moment that eurylochus realized why odysseus had him light six torches was BRUTAL. also eurylochus’ confession that he opened the wind bag? ohhhhhhh ok MOTHER FUCKING SON OF A BITCH also when odysseus said “not much to say” god he sounds so tortured I cant with this. and scyllas voice in general is so ahhhhhh ESPECIALLY the “Hello.” and DROWN IN YOUR SORROW AND FEARS. CHOKE ON YOUR BLOOD AND YOUR TEARS. BLEED TILL YOU RUN OUT OF YEARS. WE MUST DO WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE. GIVE UP YOUR HONOR AND FAITH. LIVE UP YOUR LIFE AS A WRAITH. DIE IN THE BLOOD WHERE YOU BATHE. WE MUST DO WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE. with the fucking crunching and screaming in the background lik e ok. I needed this in my life.

4. mutiny

THIS IS MY FAVORITE. eurolychus’ confrontation with begging odysseus to tell him hes misinterpreted the situation, comparing odysseus’ past actions and fights to how he dealt with scylla, finally ending with him yelling at odysseus to “SAY SOMETHING!”, odysseus’ “I CANT.” and the looong pause before the boss battle starts. odysseus and eurolychus’ fight, both of them clearly not wanting to but knowing they have to. the chanting their name in the background. and then when odysseus says “I am not letting you get in my way!” and the sound of a stab- I was so scared hed actually killed eurolychus(yes I knew he dies I watched the overly sarcastic productions video on the odyssey too) and then ODYSSEYUS’ labored breathing and asking “why?” like I’m sorry jorge DID THEY STAB YOU TO GET THIS LYRIC WHY DOES HIS PHYSICAL PAIN SOUND SO GENUINE and then the. the fucking. the fucking luck runs out reprise. the MOMENT I realized it was the melody from luck runs out this is when I started crying.(dw past me it gets worse) the way that the crew is basically like “yeah remember when we asked what would happen if you fucked up? well you fucked up. and now youre finding out.” plus the fact that they are so clearly driving home we dont trust you. you failed to keep us safe. basically telling him ‘youre a bad leader’. that must have HURT. and then the fact that eurolychus bandaged him up and was waiting for him to wake up ough my heart. but also the fact that hes tied to helios’ statue? like. um. buddy. looking an awful lot like a sacrafice there. hahahahahah I’m loosing it. anyways, the luck runs out reprise hitting hard once again. like HARD. holy shit, odysseus’ “please don’t tell me you’re about to do what i think you’ll do” when that was what eurylochus said to him and then EURYLOCHUS CALLED HIM “ODY” I CANT and the eurylochus clearly being fed up(but not fed) while odysseus is actually begging him to please please think about this you can HEAR the desperation the need to get home and knowing if eurylochus kills the cow they probably wont? and then odysseus’ scream of “euRYLOCHUS NO!” cut short by the sound of eurylochus killing the cattle. and then the instant ‘oh no.’ like just INSTANTLY knowing they’re fucked and eurylochus STILL LOOKING TOWARD ODYSSEUS FOR GUIDENCE EVEN THO HE LITERALLY MUTINIED AGAINST HIM LIKE A DAY AGO AND HAS ODYSSEUS TIED UP AND AT HIS MIRCY AND HE STILL DEFAULTS TOWARDS ODYSSEUS FOR LEADERSHIP CAUSE HE STILL TRUSTS HIM and odysseus IMMEDIATELY taking charge and trying to get them out. the rushed full speed ahead melody, the boom of thunder and odysseus’ dread-filled “we’re too late.”

5. thunder bringer

IT LIVED UP TO THE HYPE GUYS!! sure enough the teasers we’ve seen are FUCKING AMAZING in the context of the song, zeus having an inflated as shit ego and taking up SO MUCH space, just like constantly talking about himself even tho IT AINT ABT HIM its so in character for what a massive dick he usually is in the greek mythos. and zeus deadass saying “if i were to make you choose, the lives of your men and crew or your own why do I think theyd loose?” right before MAKING ODYSSEUS CHOOSE. I’m. also odysseus sounds so.. small in this song. I dont know if its the fact hes literally having a mental breakdown or that zeus needs to be the biggest cock in any room he walks into but odysseus’ little “choose?” and him asking “please dont make me do this” JUST LIKE WHEN HIM AND ZEUS FIRST MET, the when does a man become a monster melody playing as odysseus tries to decide with penelopes voice asking him to come home pushing him over the edge wow. just wow. and the the conversation between odysseus and eurylochus? “captain?” “I have to see her.” “…but we’ll die.” “i know” I’m SORRY I CANT FUCKING DO THIS WHY DOES HE SOUND SO BROKEN AND REGRETFUL AND SAD AND OH MY GOD. AND THEN THE FUCKING ANIMATIC SHOWN IN THE TRAILER THE WAY HE JUST POINTS TOWARDS HIS CREW AND THEY ALL LOOK SO BETRAYED AND LOST BEFORE THEY START ATTACKING HIM AND THE LAST SHOT OF HIM CLOSING HIS EYES AS THEY PIN HIM TO THE MAST BY THE NECK WITH THEIR SWORDS AND THEN LIGHTNING STRIKES THE SHIP HOLY. also if you think about it this choice was kind of the final stress test for odysseus, because this is the ultimate decision: should he be a good king, captain, and friend or should he take the small chance to see his wife again? cause its not just about who lives and dies, its about who gets to keep going, who gets to see home, who gets a chance and who looses right now. and how could he choose the people who just stabbed him in the back and have doomed them multiple times over seeing his wife whom he loves and would do anything for? honestly, with what I know about how odysseus is, I wouldnt be very surprised if he was weighing the choice both from the emotional (seeing his wife or saving his crew) and factual (hes probably the strongest and most fit leader among them, they might not do too well on their own, ithaca needs a king and he doesnt know if telemachus can be that, one person has a higher chance of surviving than a large group in a journey(ingreekmythologyanyway), and they did just make a really dumb mistake that odysseus wouldnt have made himself and yeah ok maybe hes a little salty but still.)

genuinly the whole saga is so amazing and I’m so looking forward to the wisdom, vengence, and ESPECIALLY ithaca saga. by the way I could actually do this for every song in the musical/every saga tbh

thanks for coming to my tedtalk, I fucking love epic: the musical

[secretlywritingstories]

Nah, you wouldn't have spared me | EPIC: The Musical one shot

Summary: Sirens are apex predators that easily bring down whole ships. As soon as their song reaches a human’s ear, a spell takes hold that no mortal could break. It is easy to lure men to their demise. Until the sirens meet Odysseus, who is turned into a different beast altogether.

Tags: Canon compliant, set during Suffering & Different Beast, impersonation, predator/prey but uno reverse style, POV siren trying to eat the crew

Warnings: blood and gore, tail dismemberment but not graphic, and death of the narrator

Word count: 3.3k

Read on AO3 or below

It is one of their scouts that spots the ship slowly gliding into their territory. The weather is mild and the sky clear. Bright open hunting ground and a sizable meal about to slide into their claws.

Sirens work in a natural hierarchy, based more on cunning than strength. All of them are strong, all of them have spells that no mortal can hope to resist. It’s amusing, how their prey is turned putty in their hands, throwing themselves overboard with abandon, thinking they are falling into the arms of a beautiful woman or a long lost family member.

So primitive.

It’s almost too easy. It’s why they have turned it into more of a game. Pick them off one by one. Stun them and then play with their food a little. Just to spice things up for themselves.

“I’ll start us off with the captain,” the head siren says, starting her hum in the back of her throat.

Singing is the time when they feel most powerful. This is what they were evolved to do. Sing, spell, lure, kill. An endless cycle. To eat and to protect their territory. To play with, if they get bored.

It’s limited how much play they can get out of a spell-drunk human but usually, the splash of connecting with the water jolts them somewhat awake again. Then they're really fun, desperate and begging for mercy but their fate has already been sealed. 

The captain stands at the helm, looking out over the water and he has got no clue what he is about to encounter.

She always did like this part, getting a glimpse into someone’s head to see what really moved them. It was often primitive. Predictable.

Riches. Power. Love. A trifecta for most humans.

This one is no different, she notes, as the spell starts to take hold of the captain.  A long-lost prince far from home. A wife and daughter are waiting for him. A kingdom that has been left alone for too long.

The wife is his focus. It shines out of his very being. He has to get home to her.

It’s easy to slip into the effects of the spell, knowing that her sharp claws will look like soft, loving hands in the eye of the captain. Wicked smile will turn into pouting lips that he longs to kiss. And from her mouth, he will not hear the siren song but the voice he hasn’t heard in so long.

She swims out to meet the ship and breaches the surface right in front of the captain glancing out on the horizon. Eyes are searching. Their eyes are always searching once the spell has got them. Prime for the picking.

“Don’t you miss me?” she sings, flicking her long, tangled hair over her shoulder.

His eyes find hers and the longing is so deep that it almost catches her off guard. She is used to longing, it is a plaything of a siren but this man is beyond desperate. Oh, he’ll be fun to play with. He is watching her face like he cannot believe what he is seeing.

But he is. She knows that she appears just like that wife of his. A siren spell is a perfect trick mirror. 

“More than you know,” he says, voice breaking and eyes never leaving her face.

“Then jump in the water and kiss me,” she continues to sing.

To place a death’s kiss on sailors is always her favourite things. Stealing the life right out of their lungs before dragging them down to the depths.

She expects him to throw himself right over the railing.

“Penelope, I've told you this before,” he says and his voice trembles. “You know I’m afraid of the water.”

Oh.

That is new. She’s heard about it before. Some fears are so primal that they don’t leave the prey, even when they are spell-bound. She has never met one personally before.

She can feel the eyes of her sisters, deep beneath the water, awaiting her signal to appear and start singing the rest of the crew off.

It’ll be a bloody feast, but first she must coax down the water-fearing captain. A challenge. She perks up a little. A prey earned for once. She signals to one of the younger sirens to come up next to her. If the wife isn’t enough, the rest of the family might be.

“I’ll make sure that you are safe and sound,” she promises, putting her arm around her niece, who takes the shape of the long-lost child. “Come play with me and our daughter and let’s watch our love leave the ground.”

“Oh, I would, but I’d be suffering trying to float the whole time,” he resists, gripping onto the side of the ship with a white-knuckled grip. He’s resisting but the hold of that fear will not be enough for him to resist her.

She waves off her niece, who disappear under the sea. The man might love his child but he's not looked away from his wife's image, not even once. 

“I would take the suffering from you,” she promises, and with how intensely he’s watching her, she feels like he will throw himself over any moment.

“Oh, as good as it sounds, right here, I'm just finе,” he says and chuckles a little, almost sounding abashed.

She will try again. Surely, he’ll understand.

“I can take the suffering from you,” she says, letting her hands spread along the surface of the water, almost like she’s petting it. Making her home inviting for him. Even if he’ll be on the dinner table rather than a guest.

“You know that I prefer my feet on the ground.”

His fear of the water really must run deep. She can’t imagine what it would be like. But he is going to fall for her call. He will, whether he wants to or not.

“I will take the suffering from you!”

She’ll feast on his suffering, a worthy prey brought down, struggling to keep his life his own.

He sighs, closing his eyes for a moment and when he opens them again, she thinks that she has got him, only…

“Fine, but only if you answer a question or two.”

That has most certainly never happened before. No one has any questions. Ever. Against her better judgement, she’s curious. He might need a bit more of a reassurance to jump in.

Sugarsweet, smiling with sharp teeth that he cannot see, she says: “Of course.”

“Okay, so let's say, I was on the run or hiding,” he starts, voice growing more frantic, like he’s trying to force the words out fast. “From I don’t know, Poseidon! And let’s say he blocked the way home with giant waves and giant storms.”

That most certainly would not be good. Who would be stupid enough to piss off Poseidon? Their days would be numbered, if they needed to cross the ocean. Unless you know how to evade him, of course.

“Oh, no,” she says, tilting her head and trying to take in what kind of man this captain is. There is something about him that she cannot quite put her claw on.

“How am I to evade him? How am I to get home? Which route should I take? Where am I supposed to go?”

He’s frantic. Begging. For help instead of mercy, like she's used to. He saw his wife and his first thought was an escape from the Gods? Something is off about it, but children of the sea have secrets that they don’t get to share often. Maybe she could share this one. After all, the captain will be dinner soon after he’s heard the answer.

And it’s a chance to show off a little. He is watching her like he’s never going to look away from her face. It’s a little flattering, even if she is wearing his wife’s face in his eyes.

“He will chase you, high and low. So, find a place he’d never go. The one way you’ll get home is sailing where he’s scared to roam,” she says, drawing in a breath to dramatically tell him the safest way to avoid godly wrath, even if it puts him in front of a monster. “It’s through the lair of Scylla.”

“No.”

The despair in his tone is palpable. Does he know?

“This is your only way home,” she tells him. “The lair of Scylla.”

But there is a reason Poseidon won’t go near. Scylla is not to be underestimated.

“But Scylla has a cost.”

She blinks, surprised. She did not expect a mortal man to know about the cost. That you can sail through the lair and with luck, your ship will sail straight through. If you are unlucky, however, the whole ship will be sunken, crew and all.

If you’re not willing to take that gamble, you can make a sacrifice. One for each of her heads.

It is not her problem to make such a choice, and it is not the captain’s either. He’ll never get to sail there.

“Well, you asked and now you know. Now jump in the water!” she says, smiling and playfully slapping the water.

Her patience is rapidly running out, even if he is quite entertaining. 

“Penelope, why you know, I’m too shy and terrified,” he says, and tucks his hair behind his ear. It should not be charming, but it is. Strange.

“I would take the suffering from you,” she promises again, certain that it’ll take hold now.

“Oh, for you, I would die, but can’t you let me stay dry?” he responds.

Oh, he’ll die for her alright. But not while staying dry. He’ll be dragged down until there’s nothing but water.

“I can take the suffering from you,” she sings, and he leans out over the railing for a moment before managing to retreat.

It almost worked.

“You should come onto the ship. We’ll jump at the same time,” he offers and it’s sweet. Really, it is. But she’s not going to get up on that ship with him.

“I will take the suffering from you,” she sings instead and she sees the way his shoulders slump.

Defeat. Surrender.

She smiles.

“Ah, the things I do for you,” he says, stepping back a bit. She’s sure he is about to do a running jump right into her waiting arms.

She’s wrong.

The arrow pierces her shoulder and she shrieks. Deep and guttural and entirely surprised. It hurts. It stings like nothing she’s ever experienced. Their prey doesn’t shoot back. What in the world?

“Let’s cut the charade, you are no wife of mine,” he says and everything about him is different. His tone, his posture, the look in his eyes. He stares down at her in the water with a grin that’s a touch too manic. “You’ve been trying to take my life this whole time.”

He shouldn’t be able to figure that out. He shouldn’t be able to tell. The spell should have had him in a thrall. A chill shoots up her fin.

“I know underwater there are packs of you hiding. Yeah, I know exactly what you are. A siren.”

She snarls at him. He pays it no mind. Like he is not even scared, even though he should be terrified of them. 

“My real wife knows I’m not scared of the water, and my real wife knows I don’t have a daughter,” he reveals.

It makes no sense. She saw the daughter in his mind. She believed the fear of the water.

“But while you were so focused on turning my men into snacks... you didn’t notice that your friends got snatched.”

“What?!” she exclaims, ducking down into the water and they’re gone. She breaks through to the surface and spots one of the nets. How did they even get close enough to get snatched?

They’ve all become too complacent. Drawing in close because they were sure their meal would soon leap into the water but they were wrong. Now they are the prey. A siren out of the ocean, a siren without her voice is powerless.

“We are a different beast now. We are the ones who feast now. No more of us deceased, ‘cause we won’t take more suffering from you,” he says and looks down at her like she has personally slaughtered his men.

And she tried, but it didn’t work. Something already hurt him. Deeply. 

“We are the man-made monsters. We are the ones who conquer. You are a threat no longer. We won’t take more suffering from you.”

She bristles because it’s true. He has managed to incapacitate their song somehow. He was asking about a God before. Divine intervention? She should have sensed something was off about him. 

“We’ve been away from home for about twelve years or so. First, we slayed in our own war, and now, we’re here with more foes. While on the run from Poseidon, we found a ship with no crew. I realised nearby, there were sirens singing sailors to their dooms.”

Clever. The sirens let the ships sail on or push them out of their territory as best they can. Most men seein such a thing would assume, they got shipwrecked. No one thinks of sirens because there are no stories of them here.

No survivors to tell the tales.

“We filled our ears with beeswax. That’s how we resist your song. You pretended to be my wife, so I just played along. I read your lips and phrases, scanning for information.”

She takes it back. That is the truly clever part, even if this man is a trickster. He bends the rules to his own favour. No wonder the Gods have taken an interest in him, even if it is to chase him down. He thinks too highly of himself. 

Her sisters are up in the ship’s nets, twisting and shrieking, trying to break free but the nets are holding. They are looking at her for salvation.

Maybe, they can bargain. Adventurers love a bargain.

“Sirens know about every route and horizon. Now, I know how to get back to my island," the captain says.

This man is too well-read about the worlds. He knew about Scylla. He knows about sirens. They underestimated him. She underestimated him and now they might have to pay for it.

She sees the net thrown, but she is too slow to avoid it. It shoots out fast and her shoulder bleeds and hurts, the arrow still stuck in it. The net twists into the arrow, pain shooting up her entire body as she tries to fight it to no avail.

As she is raised up, she sees the whole crew out on deck. Some of her sisters are trying to sing still, but nothing is taking hold. The captain is not the only one with beeswax in his ears. They’ve all done it. They are parroting the captain.

“You are a threat no longer,” he says, as her net is thrown onto the deck. The impact stuns her tail. “We won’t take more suffering from you.”

She never thought she would get to feel how it feels like to be trapped and hunted. It is an unfamiliar feeling and she cannot see how they are going to get out of this one. The men have the upper hand. Escape is not possible.

They have to resort to something else.

They have to beg for mercy. And hope to be granted it.

She has to be the first one to say it. The others follow her. It has to be her who makes the decision.

“Spare us,” she says, words tasting like acid on her tongue, but she has to protect her family. 

“Oh, spare us, please,” they join in, voices calling out with a melancholy that not even their song possess.

She looks at the captain, into those hard eyes, and hopes for him to give in. She has never met a man who didn’t give into her eventually.

“Why?” he asks, staring down at her in a warrior’s stance. “So, you can kill the next group of sailors in this part of the sea?”

Yes. Because that is what they do. They are the predators of the sea. It is their job to hunt and kill. He is the one not playing by the rules. Outsmarting them in a way that should not be allowed. He should be dead already, but there he stands with all of the cards in his hands.

“Nah, you wouldn’t have spared me,” he says, looking right into her eyes.

And he’s right.

They wouldn’t.

“I made a mistake like this, it almost cost my life. I can’t take more risks of not seeing my wife,” he says, and at that, his tone turns a little softer. A little sadder. He looks at her with that deep longing.

The spell might not have worked properly but he is still seeing her reflected back. The way his eyes roam over her body to take in the creation of his wife looks like it physically pains him.

And then he turns away, face downcast but voice clear.

“Cut off their tails! We’re ending this now. Throw their bodies back in the water. Let them drown.”

“No!” she screams. All of them scream and thrash but it is no use. The nets holding up the other sirens are lowered onto the deck. They are on land here. They cannot move fast enough.

She feels like she must have misheard him. The brutality of it is too raw. Too cruel, even for a siren. But the captain is walking away after giving his order, distinctly not looking in her direction.

She screams at his retreating back, trying to crawl after him but the tail, the net and the arrow all keep her right where she is. Screaming and calling out for mercy of a man who cannot and will not hear her.

“Kill them all.”

She sealed their fate and he’s walking away. The crew are drawing their swords, and there is cruelty in their eyes. The same cruelty portrayed by their captain.

“Kill them all.”

He repeats his words before he stops near the railing and looks out at the sea. Like he cannot bear to witness what he has just ordered? Or like he could not care less? She is not sure, but a man approaches with a sword and swipes for her. Death cries from her fellow sirens fill the air.

“Kill them all.”

The first hit is only enough to cut through the net and slash open part of her scales. It burns and hurts like nothing she’s ever experienced before. It feels like being torn apart. Like being dismantled. The next swipe is enough cut halfway through her tail and everything gets fussy.

Cut in half. A siren is nothing without her tail. They’ll be fish food in the ocean that they once ruled.

“Kill them all,” the captain says one final time before disappearing below deck.

Not a single glance back at the massacre that he has left behind him. Another swipe of the sword and she doesn’t really feel the separation as much as she sees it. It doesn’t feel like it’s her tail lifeless on the deck. Limp and bloody.

She won’t survive this. None of them will.

And as she loses the fight against life, she hears the crew call out the name of the captain that took their lives without an ounce of mercy.

“Odysseus.”

It echoes across the corpses like a warning.

[raayllum]

TDP and Water Symbolism

With Book 5 all but being confirmed as Ocean, it made me want to take a look back at what water represents in the series in general. Most prominently, of course, for Rayla for obvious reasons, but also where and how water symbolism pops up for some other characters, such as Ezran and Callum, scattered throughout the show. 

Water often symbolizes healing and rebirth, rivers with pathways, destiny and drowning (particularly for women, such as Ophelia from Hamlet and the Lady of Shalott) and the Ocean unpredictability, power, chaos, and the depths. The Ocean is also often the site of obsession (Ahab and Moby Dick) as well as desire (siren myths) and the struggle to find your way home (Odysseus). There are some tenets of all of this throughout TDP, but we’ll work our way through as well as discuss the limited specifics of what we know of the Ocean primal from Tales of Xadia and additional information from Callum’s Spellbook. 

Water as Reflection 

Lujanne: This is the Moon Nexus. It reflects the moon perfectly. When the moon is full, its light completely fills the lake.

This is the one that’s most overtly related to Aaravos, perhaps, as well as in line with Ocean and Moon’s direct connection in show. Water/ice reflects, mirrors reflect, and tether the two together. The characters who are most heavily associated with reflection in this manner are Viren and Callum, of course, with Rayla as well, although Claudia, Soren (with his sword), and Ezran (with his father’s sword and eventual crown) have their moments as well. 

Moreover, all of this moments of reflection for Rayla are moments where she feels like she’s failing, or has failed. “I guess I was just afraid of being afraid” / “But you didn’t run. They have it all wrong” “Does it matter?” / “I’m not good enough and I never will be.” While many other characters are tied to reflection as noted above, Rayla (and Ethari and Callum with her) are the only characters we see be reflected by water in this way.

However, there are even more ways water is woven into Rayla’s arc, so let’s talk about it

Water as Fear, Bravery, and Shame 

Rayla’s first test as an assassin takes place in the rain, but she is unable to go through with it. This is a ‘failure’ that haunts her even into season four, perhaps best summed up in how she mirrors Runaan in these conversations from 1x01 and 1x08 respectively. 

Rayla: The human looked up at me and I saw the fear in his eyes. Runaan: Of course he was afraid! But you had a job to do!

Ezran: Yeah, but then you saw he was scared, and you knew he was a person, just like you. Rayla: That shouldn’t have mattered. I had a job to do. 

Rayla’s relationship to fear reaffirms the idea that recognizing personhood - her own or anyone else’s - is also a signifier of weakness (laid out more directly, perhaps, in the S1 novelization), and is incredibly Moonshadow of her: “Moonshadow elves aren’t supposed to show fear, ever.” Which is why Rayla is typically confronted with the water-shame duality when she is trying to either ignore someone else’s personhood, or is having her own erased, best seen with her crossing the river in 1x02 on her way to try and be a proper assassin.

Which is why 1x05 is when the shift between what she’s supposed to be - an assassin - and who she truly is - a hero starts to transform water as only a weakness to a showcasing of bravery.

C: That was brave, Rayla. R: No, I already told you, I’m afraid of water. C: I know. That’s why doing what you did was so heroic. R: Oh... Thanks.

And why the assassin pool bearing the literal symbol of shame - the symbol of her just surviving when it was dictated that she shouldn’t have - is what justifies literally erasing her, and turning her into a Ghost. Which, we’ll return to the pond more later, don’t you worry.

If you’d like more thoughts on Rayla with water in this specific trifecta (+ bonus Callum feels), I’d recommend checking out this old but very worthwhile meta I wrote on the subject a couple months after S3 came out and back before I had a water motif tag (like a fool). Through the Moon adds some layers to this, with Rayla being driven into the portal out of fear, primarily, that Viren is still out there, as well as out of love for her family and Callum. But again more on TTM as well later, because I want to talk about the real kicker, I think, which is 

The River As A Symbol of Destiny

This is something that ATLA actually used beforehand (mostly purely as a metaphor) that was then brought more directly to TDP as both a metaphorical and now literal/motif thing.

Destiny? What would a boy know of destiny? If a fish lives its whole life in a river, does it know the river’s destiny? No! Only that it flows on and on, out of his control. He may follow where it flows, but he cannot see the end. He cannot imagine the ocean.

—Avatar: The Last Airbender, 1x15, the Deserter

V: Life is like a river. R: Oh great. That’s exactly what I was afraid of.  V: You can’t see too far ahead. I can’t see at all, as I might’ve mentioned before. You don’t know where the river of life will bend and turn. You don’t know where it will go at all.  R: How is that supposed to helpful? V: Don’t try to control where the river goes. There’s one thing you can know and control: yourself. Look at yourself. Who are you, Rayla? What do you stand for? Once you know that, then wherever the river takes you, you’ll be right where you were always meant to be.

We see Rayla seemingly answer this question for herself by using something Callum told her as a basis for a new worldview: breaking the cycle. “Saving that dragon doesn’t just feel like the right thing to do, it feels like the right thing for me to do. It’s where I’m meant to be.” However, this is precisely the choice we see her walk back in 4x05.

So the River is tied to Destiny as a concept and having choice and self actualization for what you can control. This is tied, then, to Callum helping to give her a path forward for the choices she wants to make, tethering this to their relationship in general and the importance of giving each other agency.

But this specific connection to the River of Destiny, per se, is imo solidified in Bloodmoon Huntress with these panels. 

There’s a few in-universe reasons for this panel/callback, of course. The first is show that Rayla wasn’t always afraid of water and that nearly drowning in BH is what likely created that fear. It’s the first instance in the graphic novel of Rayla’s heroism and loyalty, her desire to protect/save other people before Suroh, a Skywing boy in big trouble, comes barrelling into her life - even if it’s just a tiny Adoraburr who is basically her best friend in an increasingly peerless childhood.

And, of course, at the time of BH’s release, we all assumed this was largely a reference and setup to Rayla’s choice to leave at the end of Through the Moon in order to, in her eyes, ultimately protect him (even at great cost to herself and their happiness together). This is because, of course, Callum is famously her best friend with a big speech in 3x01 all about it: “He’s my friend... My best friend.” 

This has taken on an even deeper meaning thanks to season four, though, following Aaravos taking control of Callum, his worry over a path of darkness, and Rayla’s associations with light.  Because, of course, there is every implication that Aaravos’ prison is 1) under the water in the Sea of the Castout and 2) that Callum already tends to get swept up in things unintentionally / without thinking. 

All of this to say, of course, that Aaravos and his prison are the river that Callum has already been swept up by, symbolized by all of the above as well as the Ocean rune on the Key of Aaravos being displayed at particularly opportune times. 

So Rayla, here, is not just speaking of her future desire to protect him in Through the Moon, but not even necessarily to keep from playing into Aaravos’ hands (which is what killing him would do) but to guide him and keep him safe, no matter what it takes. Which reflects the framing of the shots when she arrives: “Then take another path, dummy!” The River of Destiny is fast, but she won’t let him get swept away.

Even if choosing Rayla (and subsequently breaking out of the brainwashing) may not be enough to fully stop Aaravos’ plan (as he still has to get out, after all — this is one river that’s inevitable). 

Drowning 

Of course, alongside destiny and shame, etc. there is also the dark side to water, re: drowning. We see this most prominently featured for each of the trio, with Ezran almost dying in 1x06, Callum’s dark magic dreams in 2x08, as well as Rayla nearly drowning in both BH and TTM, anchoring her childhood and much of her subsequent present day trauma tied together with a neat little bow, ready to unravel at a moment’s notice.

The fact that Callum’s use of dark magic also ties itself to drowning, directly, when it could’ve been anything (something choking him, perhaps, to hammer home / foreshadow Aaravos’ future grip over him) is also interesting to me, precisely because it ties the two so together. And that, thus far, we haven’t seen this drowning motif extended to anyone outside of the main trio, either. 

The fact that both in and outside of the dream scape, Callum smashing the primal stone is what causes him to at first metaphorically, and then literally begin drowning, is particularly apt, symbolism wise. Down to Berto, a winged creature, lifting Villads from the wreckage only for Callum to realize that he is the wing once he has a guiding presence in Sarai. This is a lovely parallel between the boys as well, with Sarai guiding Ezran under the ice in the book one novelization, and makes me think about love as a guiding force through the storm; Sarai for her sons, Rayla on either side of the storm for Callum, and Callum for her in TTM, and how this may be repeated in Book 5, whether it’s Rayla’s parents saving her somehow, Callum, both, or something else entirely.

(It should also be noted that Callum and Rayla mutually save each other in TTM as well. Callum goes in after her when she’s in danger, but loses the phoenix feather to guide them back on the way down. He manages to help Rayla grab it, and then she goes back for him, and they swim out together, toward the light.)

The Ocean Arcanum

(Almost) last but not least I want to talk about the associations given canonically to the Ocean arcanum in the series’ extended material from both the Primal Source quiz, Callum’s Sketchbook, and Tales of Xadia.

Like all rivers flow to the sea, you know everything and everyone is connected. A peaceful soul, you value friendship, love, and family above all else in life. Empathetic and outgoing, you make friends easily, and people are drawn to your personality. In life, you’re willing to go with the flow, and you can adapt to pretty much anything and keep a cool head. You wear your heart on your sleeve, and with love so easily given, betrayal and lies strike you deeply — you are icy and unforgiving only to those who dare strike at your big heart.

Flexibility, Transformation, Flow, Awareness, Navigation, Surface Level V.S. Depth

This is reflected in the magic that Ocean mages wield: dynamic, forceful, reaching everywhere and anywhere, within and without. It can also become surprisingly powerful in rain, giving this primal a powerful synergy with the Sky primal. Ocean magic also includes ice magic, giving mages another powerful offensive and defensive tool.

All of these were released years apart (the primal quiz shortly after S1 in 2018, Callum’s Spellbook after S3 in 2020, and Tales of Xadia in 2021) but they all have similar common threads. There is an emphasis on connection, ice magic, flexibility (change), as well as tantalizing teases regarding the Sky arcanum. And of course as previously touched upon, the Moon famously affects real life tides. 

But like, how do we know that this stuff is going to be consistently carried into the show, and it’s not just padding for supplementary material? Well, that’s because It Already Has.

Navigation and Transformation 

Are perhaps the most direct ones we’ll see in S5, building upon prior associations with water the show has displayed, particularly in S2. The Ocean is tied to Callum’s journey of discovering sky magic, as he learns the winds from Villads on the ship of the Ruthless, and then later is directed into his own consciousness by a similar manner. He’s learning how to navigate and Villads’ advice to Callum mirrors the exact advice he gives to Rayla about the river, too.

Don’t try to control where the river winds go. There’s one thing you can know and control, yourself your sail. 

This is jointly reflected by a con skit performed in 2019 to hype up S3 by Callum and Rayla’s VAs. While again this would be easy to write off, I hesitate to for three reasons: 1) we know thanks to TDP’s production schedule they were already working on S4 at this time, 2) the skit is called Written in the Stars and although silly, some of what is discussed matches up thematically and helped me call the Rayllum “light and darkness” motif months in advance, and 3) there are things from the S4 star chart referenced in the skit, such as Garlaf and his bandolier of skulls, the mama / baby banther, etc and most notably, the South Star, which Callum says: 

What about that? Brightest star in the sky. A single point of light. We call it the South Star. Humans used it to navigate, you know, to find their way in the endless darkness of the night.

So it seems pretty clear that Season Five, with Callum and Rayla now getting to navigate their relationship, in addition to water’s ties to Rayla’s emotional state (the surface vs depths reflecting both her and Aaravos’ possible pasts, his watery prison, etc) all being compounded together. Either Aaravos or Rayla (or maybe both of them) will be his South Star in S5. And, in addition to Callum’s Spellbook, this is the only real time navigation is brought up in series, so I’m gonna take it.

Now that that’s ‘settled’, let’s look at Ocean / water as Transformation. This is of course seen in how Callum goes into the water in his dreams in 2x08, but then resurfaces with help from his mother and is reborn in a sense, literally filled with new breath, as he comes to understand the Sky arcanum. We also see this idea of Transformation being tied to the Ocean and Moon arcanums an equal amount in something like Phoe-Phoe, and as well as in TTM in general.

The Moon Arcanum is all about change.

Phoe-Phoe is reborn on the water. The water transforms Rayla’s fear to bravery. Rayla’s talk with Villads helps give her direction as much as he gives it to Callum, each unlocking how they are going to break the cycle; for Rayla, it’s being a protector and defender (even if still at cost to herself, but that’s a meta for another day). For Callum, he becomes a sky primal mage.

Which is to say, if you’ve been keeping track, Sky and Moon are uniquely tethered in series to the Ocean in ways none of the other primals currently seem to be. Sky and Ocean share overlap in spells and associations (drowning, navigation, breath, travel). Ocean and Moon likewise share overlap in association (transformation, reflections, depths, etc). So it would be exceedingly fitting if S5 is when Rayla and Callum end up fully reconciling, given that Ocean seems to, magically, be where Sky and Moon meet halfway. The water and experiences at the Nexus is what broke them apart, so of course water will also be what brings them together.

Water as the Cycle

More generally, due to its varied associations, Water is tied to Life ad Death throughout the series. In some ways, it is probably associated with the Cycle directly as much as Moon is, both tied to inherently cyclical things that may change, but always come back to themselves. TTM makes this connection overt

But it is there in other places as well. An assassin’s flower, placed in a circular pond of water, floats so long as they live and breathe. Rayla leaves and returns, consistently, like the tide, leaving over and over again, but also returning whenever she can (or whenever Callum chases after her to bring her back from the brink). 

In a lot of ways, Callum and Rayla both do this to each other, leaving and then returning, always circling back to one another or moving in patterns. 

Every time they walk away (die) they also return (live). This element of perpetual ebb and and flow and rebirth is also seen in other characters like Sol Regem, and even indeed the longstanding associations of boats and the underworld in Greek and Egyptian myth in particular, ferrying people to the afterlife (Greek myth a cited inspiration for the series, with the Egyptian mythos more sneakily woven in). 

Seen perhaps most prominently in Callum reckoning with his stepfather’s death and reading Harrow’s letter in the belly of Villads’ boat. 

Conclusion

Book 5: Ocean is gonna Slap, and I cannot wait, thank you goodnight. 

[moonedman]

All other sagas done in previous or future posts

Thunder Saga

Suffering

Fun fact this song doesn’t have any viola to foreshadow that it’s not Penelope

It does have a lot of piano, which is Athena’s instrument. If that means anything to you guys.

Real fans know Odysseus isn’t a bitch coward

“Take the sufffering from you” by KILLING HIM she’s not wrong though

If i remember correctly odysseus was a boat guy before he was a soldier so this song is so goofy to me [he is NOT afraid of the water}

Manipulation time

“Oh nooo” she is not invested

Manipulating the ocean and direction fixation smh

I can’t imagine watching my captain do this

“The things I do for you” yeah we know you’re going to do anything to get home to your wife.

Different Beast

Hehe the transition

The hiss

Hough ho ho

I’m so insane about this voice acting

“We are the ones that feast now” sirens literally just want a snack this guys never heard of a healthy ecosystem and food chain

Killing them all couldn’t have been good for the fish population

This is going to affect the trout population

“Man made monster” they’re changingggg

Storytime

“No more of us deceased now” boy howdy do i have new for you.

“Can’t take more risks of not seeing my wife” he really lives up to that his life is his priority in a way

He genuinely. Didn’t need to drown them. Also so many of his own men drowned. Like buddy.

“He is the different beast now” switching the lyrics up because. Nobody else could be thinking that. He’s becoming more of a monster than everybody else

Not that it’s a competition

This won’t have any lasting consequences, surely

Scylla

Her vocals are so good

Now is not the fucking time Eurylochus

“Hm I just watched Odysseus ruthlessly kill a bunch of sirens and come back from the underworld a little different. Is that a scary cave we’re going into? Yeah, i need to tell him about the bag”

“Leaving them feeling betrayed” odysseus feeling right now and his crew in two minutes and thirty seven seconds

“Breaking the bonds that you’ve made” same thing they’re betraying each other this will continue to happen

Eurylochus can apologize Odysseus take notes

“We both know what it takes to survive” god i love this song because it’s like Scylla is talking to Odysseus [he’s certainly not talking to his crew may as well talk to Scylla]

“We only care for ourselves” Odysseus rn fr fr

Odysseus you’re so fucked up right now i am insane about you and Eurylochus right now

“Drown your sorrows and fear” odysseus right now and also the end of get in the water

Also. drowning is a very common thing to happen around Odysseus and to himself (he drowns at the end of Get in the Water right that’s what that is i’m not misreading those lyrics and animatics)

“We must to what it takes to survive” laying it on thick that Odysseus is going to end up sacrificing everybody in order to get home.

Eurylochus was going to die in that cave. He was supposed to die in that cage. His brother was going to sacrifice himself along with five others. Instead of the usual “i can talk my way out and find a way out” attitude, he just straight up killed six men willingly.

“We are the same you and I” and Odysseus joining in on the melody? Shoot me dead i love this song it’s easily one of my favorites holy shit

Mutiny

Eurylochus knows Odysseus is a liar and witty. He’s expecting and ready for a lie or elaborate story. Some excuse. And odysseus can’t give him one because what he did was just his plan and final decision

“Six of our friends” one of which was supposed to be him

“Say something” “I can’t” really shows the crew [not just the listener] how far gone he is

Crew backing Eurylochus vocally and literally

“You must carry all the blame” when does the reason become the blame - Odysseus is the reason they’re there in that situation

To an extent

“I am not letting you get in my way” woah buddy. Different beast and Scylla lyrics were really setting that one up.

Perimedes!!

Luck runs out tune

“Relied on wit and then we died on it?” and whooo called it? Eurylochus.

Finally tied to a pole.

What.

Does nobody know their own gods? Like the sun god statue. Golden cows. Hmm. golden cattle being a sun god symbol. Nothing fishy there, right?

So desperate to get home vs giving up

“I need to get home” not we. not them. He does. His life is the only one that really matters to him, deep down.

“We can get home” he’s trying to convince them but we all know this is about him

GOD voice acting i love you

Even after everything they’re still listening to him because they know he’s right

Thunder Bringer

Is he trying to say only he can be proud in the horniest way possible.

He is.

Being able to undress pride in a “I’m stripping away your pride because that’s my job�� kind of way

“Pride is a damsel in distress” being a hero and if he’s the only hero he’s the coolest

Word play of “Thunder, bring her” and “Thunder bringer”

God games

He’s holding a lot of gruesome fate and damned weight.

The way everybody throughout the musical sings “please” makes me ill 

His men are watching him become a monster in real time for his wife

I’M ILL ABOUT THEM

Piano? Like Athena?!

I’m so insane about the Ithaca saga do you tumblr people want to hear my full analysis of each song to celebrate

[thaliasthunder]

coming home again 😌

chapters 1-5

WHEN I WAS BORN, the name for what I was did not exist. -> SO WE BEGIN

By then they had learned what the four of us were. You may have other children, they told her, only not with him. But other husbands did not give amber beads. It was the only time I ever saw her weep. -> 👁👁

“A prince, I think.” “A prince?” my mother said. “You do not mean a mortal?”-> omg i dont remember if its odysseus or another

"And her chin. There is a sharpness to it that is less than pleasing.” -> oh oh once i read something about this related to the ancient world but i'll make a another post about it

damnnn, my girl is named HAWK

My father has never been able to imagine the world without himself in it. -> ….. apollo where u at

His flesh was hot as a brazier, and I pressed as close as he would let me, like a lizard to noonday rocks. -> this comparation was lovely

“You,” he said to my luminous sister Pasiphaë. “You will marry an eternal son of Zeus.” He used his prophecy voice, the one that spoke of future certainties -> oh pasiphaë what awaits u 💀💀💀

“Father, I feel strange.” -> humanity? power? firsts glimpses of satisfaction from humans' pain? dont be shy girl tell me

“That he fucks them, of course. That’s how he makes new ones." -> okay i was not expecting that explanation neither that lenguage 💀💀💀

Such were my years then. I would like to say that all the while I waited to break out, but the truth is, I’m afraid I might have floated on, believing those dull miseries were all there was, until the end of days.-> oh the poetry of melancholy

There had only been Titans once, at the dawning of the world. -> MA'AM DONT

“Is it true that you refused to beg for pardon? And that you were not caught, but confessed to Zeus freely what you did?” “It is.” “Why?” “Perhaps you will tell me. Why would a god do such a thing?” -> ….....oh

My uncle Boreas and Olympian Apollo had fallen in love with the same mortal youth. -> EJKCJEK APOLLO Y HYACINTHUS MY BELOVEDS 😭

“You think I’d let Apollo have him? He does not deserve such a flower. I blew a discus into the boy’s head, that showed the Olympian prig.” -> oh u son of a bitch

Circe was the first word he ever spoke, and the second was sister. -> Aeëtes my young little boy <3

How does your divinity feel? “What do you mean?” “Here, let me tell you how mine feels. Like a column of water that pours ceaselessly over itself, and is clear down to its rocks. Now, you.” -> ??? im sobbing this is endearing 😭

“A conch.” “And what is in that shell? “Nothing. Air.” “Those are not the same. Nothing is empty void, while air is what fills all else. It is breath and life and spirit, the words we speak.” My brother, the philosopher. -> i love u aeëtes

Let me give you some advice. Next time you’re going to defy the gods, do it for a better reason. I’d hate to see my sister turned to cinders for nothing.” -> oh im sure she will

And that is when I saw the boat.-> wha

I remember the jump in my throat when the sailor lifted his face. Burnt it was, and shiny with sun. A mortal. -> OHOH A SAILOR A MAN

His name was Glaucos, and he came every day. -> mmh u will be a problem i can tell

“I will grant your wish and fill his nets. Yet in return, let me hear you swear you will not lie with him. You know your father thinks to match you better than with some fish-boy.” “I swear,” I said. -> ….something's gonna end bad in here 👁👁

I was too wild to feel any shame. It was true. I would not just uproot the world, but tear it, burn it, do any evil I could to keep Glaucos by my side. -> goddammit unhinged women loving must be the most feral and wonderful thing in the world gO GIRLIE TEAR THE WORLD APART

What could make a god afraid? I knew that answer too: A power greater than their own. -> EJKRJE GO FERAL WOMEN

His eyes opened. For the passing of one breath he did not move. Then he leapt to his feet, towering like a storm-surge, the sea-god he had always been. "Circe," he cried, "I am changed!" -> omg she made him a sea god !!

“That round-faced nymph,” he said, “the beautiful one. What is her name?” -> MMHHM 💀 this love wont last long

The truth is, I had begun to wonder if she was in love with me. -> AKDJAJSJAK 😭

His hands lifted, as though to ward me off. He, who was a towering god. “You have been a sister to me,” he said. -> MF U JUST NOT SAID THAT 😭😭

But of course I could not die. I would live on, through each scalding moment to the next. This is the grief that makes our kind choose to be stones and trees rather than flesh. -> …oh

The halls would echo with her furious screams and the great gods would come to whip me, but I would welcome them, for every lash upon my skin would be only further proof to Glaucos of my love. -> dONT BLAME HER LOVE MADE HER CRAZY. IF IT DOESNT DO IT TO U U AINT DOING IT RIGHT