#accepted: calypso

[raggedy-spaceman]

Izzy in the 1700s singing a song written in 1945 🤝 Crowley in the 1800s singing a song written in 1965

[theglassesgirl]

Calypso vs Antinous: A Tale of Two Villains

I know this is such a weird topic for me to come back for after not blogging for months, especially I’ve never spoken on this fandom here, as opposed to TikTok. But precisely BECAUSE tiktok is so limiting, even if you make various videos on a topic, someone won’t have all the context and the comment system of that app is pure ass so here I am

Calypso and Antinous are two (out of three!) of the MAJOR villains in the Wisdom Saga, however, both these villains have produced polarizing discourse that has fascinated yet confounded me. On Calypo’s end, she is a villain who many are made upset by when she is interpreted as the villain she is (in varying degrees). On Antinous’s end, he is a villain who many are made upset by when he is interpreted as anything BUT the villain he is (in various extremes). What on earth happened here?

I’ll try to dissect what has transpired as i have come to understand both situations.

PLEASE try to read through the end, but if you like, you are also more than welcome to just focus on one section if you don’t care for both discourses or how i think one affects the other. I totally get it. KEEP IN MIND, that i might speak about something you haven’t PERSONALLY seen, but as i often say in fandom, just because YOU didn’t see it, doesn’t mean it didn’t HAPPEN. It adds context to why/how certain fans are reacting as they are. You could be in one camp, and never have seen what the other camp has, so at any point where youre reading and saying to yourself “is this a thing that happened?” Consider that it did indeed, happen, and you are welcome to expand your knowledge on the subject.

ANY comments that go “you have no idea what your talking about/this isn’t true/i’ve never seen this/when did this happen(sarcastically)” will not be answered and you will be blocked, because it is clear you are not actually open to discussion. You’ve made up your mind about these characters and topics, and my time, at least, is valuable.

GENUINE questions like “I didn’t know this/when did this happen (genuine)/can you explain this point more” are more than welcome. I will absolutely entertain character interpretation as well, so long as we’re not trying to “convince” one another, as that isn’t the point of this post. These are two villains who i find fascinating and am wondering why are being treated so differently in discourse spaces.

For Calypso:

I truly and HONESTLY believe that because Calypso is a unique (and lovable! Mind you!) villain, it had led to many of her newer fans to feel uncomfortable with her role in the story. I have seen numerous sides of her discourse and have come with a few iron-clad rules: it is ONLY acceptable to call someone out if they are harassing Wangui, calypo’s VA (which has NOT happened as i am writing this out) OR if an anti-calypso comes into SOMEONE ELSE’s post saying anything like “if you like calypso then you condone her actions” because as what we sane people know, that is just a silly fallacy, OR if they start shit in a cosplayers/fanfic writer/fanartists comment section. ASIDE from these instances, i will be speaking on what none sense has transpired about how Calypso is portrayed in the Musical within her first song, and her future song, because BOTH have been used for utter bias.

A few things to debunk:

FIRST Calypso is NOT cursed to fall in love with anyone who comes across her island. That is a Percy Jackson ONLY addition that has no bearings on her actions in the musical or the original poem.

ALSO though Calypso CANONICALLY RAPES Odysseus for seven years in the original poem, the CHILDREN from that abuse only really exist in secondary sources/works. They NOT in the original poem.

Having said that:

The Ambiguity of Calypso’s actions in both of her songs means that everyone is right when they speculate on what she has done. Odysseus was trapped on her island against HIS will for seven years. He is canonically seen refusing her advances, trying to kill himself, and begging her to let him go and leave him alone. These are UNDISPUTED facts. As such, regardless of how YOU personally choose to interpret Calypso actions, she will always have a CANONICAL victim in the musical. I feel people are forgetting Odysseus when they speak on Calypso and that’s the whole point of her existence in the poem and the musical.

This leads directly into WHY there has been arguments about Calypso’s character. In the POEM, she very much sexually assaults Odysseus for seven long years. He is seen crying nightly and begging to be free. In the MUSICAL, Jorge has decided to leave the situation ambiguous - which, i have seen, does not sit well with current fandom culture. NEW fans of Calypso seem to be very adamant about NOT interpreting Calypso as a rapist, in levels that range for they’re just not comfy with it so decided not to head canon her as such, to other very concerningly speaking about rape survivors in such a way to justify liking a villain when you dont HAVE to justify liking a villain at any point at all ever.

Let’s break it down.

Those who just don’t like the idea of Calypso being a rapist in the MUSICAL are valid. It’s very easy to block and avoid those who have chosen to explore this aspect of her in the musical because they can and are allowed to. I am very pro-finding a space in fandom where you can talk about Calypso without HAVING to mention she might have raped someone. She’s still a villain for having kept Odysseus captive for seven years, but it’s not important. You are more than allowed to love villains, and without the rape aspect, Calypso’s villainy boils down to her physiological and emotionally torturing Odysseus while physically kidnapping him. That’s still ALOT of bad stuff to unpack, if you so want to. You could also not want to! It doesn’t hurt anyone, and anyone who says it does is not being intellectually honest.

The PROBLEM that I’m seeing, is that many of her newer fans…DONT want Calypso to be seen as a villain. At all. Which…is not how fandom works, I’m sorry to say.

While some EPIC fans have interpreted Calypso of being manipulative / selfish even in their most sympathetic analysis of the story (and the current song), others are treating these interpretation as wholly incorrect and somehow a form of harassment. The main caveat to this reaction appears to be, as TikTok puts it, “That Calypso DOESN’T SA Odysseus on the musical”

As we have pointed out, Calypso canonically rapes Odysseus in the poem, while it’s ambiguous in the musical. As we have ALSO pointed out, the ambiguity of the musical allow ALL INTERPRETATIONS to be correct. Something about the RAPE aspect of Calypso’s characterization in this musical, however, is the primary reason this discourse has happened.

Now, as i have said earlier. You are in your RIGHT to not head canon Calypso has a rapist in the musical. In the same vein others also have a RIGHT to head canon Calypso AS a rapist in the musical. But from what I’ve seen, it’s when others interpret Calypso as a rapist that newer Calypso fans leave comments about they’re not “interpreting the story correctly” and not “Judging calypso based on Jorge’s vision” and at first i found it funny…now it’s a bit concerning.

There are two instances that come to mind. One tiktoker made a video where she was in tears saying that it made HER SAD that people were “judging Calypso wholly based on outside sources material” which is disingenuous. As i have said before, even without the RAPE aspect of Calypso, which i will go further into what her newer fans consider “rape”, she is still an antagonist within the musical - she is a villain who keeps Odysseus against his will. To claim that they are calling her a villain for that reason alone is a blatant and useless addition to the discourse. I did not care for it at all. It would have been MUCH MORE constructive for this tiktoker to say that even though Calypso is a villain, the sexual assault is up to individual interpretation, and as all interpretations are valid, it’s better to find people who agree with your head canons rather than start fights with people who don’t share yours. This tiktoker very poorly worded the discourse as a one-sided thing where one side is wrong, and that is simply not true.

ANOTHER tiktoker, who wisely turned off comments because such discussions are impossible on the app, worryingly claimed that a line in Not Sorry for Loving You was absolute PROOF that Calypso did not “rape” Odysseus so it was wrong to interpret her as such, because, and this is a loose quotation “i don’t think Jorge would make Odysseus say something like that HAD Calypso done that to him” which unfortunately leaves fandom discourse into REAL WORLD victim discourse. Holy shit. The line she is referring to is when Odysseus calms Calypso down when she is in the middle of explaining her actions by saying “Calypso i love you, but not the way you want me to” to this tiktoker, it seems illogical for a rape victim to every say these kinds of things to their rapist…which is….NOT it. At all. Fiction, as beautiful as it is, is meant for you to QUESTION “huh…how would this impossible fictional scenario work? What makes this compelling?” It is NOT meant for you to attribute your REAL WORLD assumptions onto a FICTIONAL SCENARIO in order to justify you liking a villain character when you dont HAVE to justify it. You can like Calypso! It’s only weird when you make real-world comparisons like this because a rape victim can and HAS said as much and even more to their rapists in known history. *bonks you* dont do what this person did! Fiction allows you to explore situation that would be traumatizing outside of it in as safe and consensual way! You CANNOT and should NOT ascribe your personal biases on sensitive topics for FICTIONAL characters. That’s not how this works. “real victim wouldn’t x, so fictional wouldn’t y” is a ludicrous statement! You can’t back it up with facts! “Fictional victim does x, so i wonder if there ever would be a situation where a real victim would do y, and would like educate myself on the topic” IS what fiction was made for! OPENing your mind, not closing it for stupid reasons.

But it got me thinking. BECAUSE these fans anchor their arguments on the rape of Odysseus, even when they themselves DONT consider it, what exactly do they consider rape, and why is that ONE act Calypso may or may not do the ONLY reason to call her a villain when she is one, regardless.

Well, I’ve seen a lot of back and forth. Some anti-calypso’s are okay with the idea that Calypso is more of a “kissy-face” monster, a silly villain who, having no concept of what actual love is and what your supposed to do with someone you love, thinks hugging and kissing is the only thing on the table. It still makes this version of Calypso something of a sex pest and is still in line with sexual assault as we see Odysseus is miserable. The gravity of the situation is based entirely on funny fanfics to Odysseus canonically trying to kill himself because of Calypso’s affection. This interpretation (shockingly enough) is also hated by some new Calypso fans.

Because from what i have gathered. “SA” as used in TikTok, had been boiled down to a literal forced insertion of Odysseus’s dick in Calypso’s vagina. Not the literal words “sexual assault” which is an umbrella term for multiple things. But in this discourse “SA” has JUST been used for the ACT of rape itself. That is what new Calypso fans think is criminal. That is what they entirely base her villainy on. Because we will NEVER get confirmation on whether this happened, it’s impossible to engage with some of the newer fans, who dislike attributing Calypso with the villain title because of this one thing and this one thing alone. Any other line, from Calypso saying “and I’m sorry if i pushed you, or if i came on too strong” in her next song, or even her saying “in bed we will climb” is, for some reason, not grounds for others to be allowed to interpret her as, at the very least, assaulting Odysseus physically and sexually in a way without having to have actually raped him. It boggles my mind. Truly. But every argument i have seen has boiled down to the newer fans saying “welllllll, we dont know the context, and Odysseus said —“ when i have already explained that none of that matters. All interpretations are valid. You CANNOT say with certainty that she did or didn’t rape Odysseus. That’s the POINT. You can’t PROVE either, stop TRYING to, it’s YOUR choice and your interpretation can be backed by lyrics/official animatics, but it is hardly an absolute.

It has become a GROWING problem that in videos where Calypso is portrayed negatively, there are at least a dozen newer calypso fans who have to bring up how she is sympathetic, and therefore, not a villain. Which is not true. She is the MOST compelling villain in the epic musical, thus far.

These “fans” say that she absolutely didn’t rape Odysseus which is theory, not fact. And not a theory that can become fact. In the same way that saying she absolutely did rape is can not become fact. They appear to believe everything outside of this hypothetical act, nothing else she does is deserving of her title as a villain, and start arguments in non discourse posts about all the ways she’s sympathetic when it goes hand in hand with what makes her a compelling villain antagonist.

There’s also a newer cope saying that it’s all Zeus’s fault anyway, which has NO bearings on the conversation as, again, despite Zeus being a dick and allowing Odysseus live while not necessarily enabling him returning to Ithaca, it’s still up to Calypso on how she acts towards HER captive. And she straight up chooses violence lmao. Athena asks for “Devine intervention” to an impossible situation, regardless of if it was Zeus’s actions that led to it, it’s also up to him to “untie apprehensions” because Calypso, being a goddess, has complete control over whether Odysseus can leave and SHE won’t. She has to be ORDERD to. By a HIGHER power. Zeus.

Such argumentations as “well if YOU were in Calypso’s situation, wouldn’t you also do the same” are useless fallacies to get into, because you are NOT a goddess who owns an island and is in possession of a man who does not love you. Even if you were, guess what, it still makes you the antagonist. A villain. A knowing one or not.

In fact, since I LIKE interpretations that Calypso isn’t psychologically torturing Odysseus ON PURPOSE, i go as far as to say that her being a genuine goddess who wants love is in fact…..so much more painful, narratively. Because that means she is INCAPABLE of ever being a good person. Her loneliness and fear of being unloved makes her utterly blind to Odysseus’s misery. She HEARS him saying constantly that he misses his family, that all he hears are screams, and that SHE doesn’t know him, but she in turn CANNOT get passed this because she is, at her core, unable to, and thus accidentally triggers him constantly, is delusional about her island being paradise, AND convinces herself that her love is real (when it is not) and that Oddy will love her back if she keeps trying.

THAT is what you call a compelling villain!

As in all Calypso stories. There is NEVER a moment of clarity where Calypso realizes “if i actually love this person, i should let him go” in the musical HERMES is tasked in telling her to let him go. And she, as in all her other stories, goes on a tirade to explain/justify her actions, however you wish to see her being manipulative or honest. Regardless of how you choose to SEE calypso, at the end of the day, she has NO RIGHT to be upset at Odysseus because he was her captive. And REGARDLESS of whether Odysseus’s words are interpreted as him forgiving her, or just placating her, at the end of the day, he is her victim and she ends her next song upset that he is willingly leaving her once he got the chance. With absolutely no hope of him returning her feelings. It’s not his job to make her feel better, she IS an antagonist, and you are allowed to love her no matter how that might upset others. It is ONLY a problem when you take it to such extremes that you are in other peoples comments acting as if Calypso is a real person who needs defending. You are more than in your right to block people who come into YOUR videos accusing you of somehow being a bad person because you like a bad person. That’s not how fiction works.

Once again. My analysis of the Calypso debacle is that for some, calling Calypso a villain upsets them. Because they like her, and they are uncomfortable with the idea of liking a villain. This is a personal grievance that shouldn’t boil into fandom. Know your truth, have fun. You CAN make silly calypso videos. Many have. Her song is a bop, the meaning of the song is hilariously dark compared to the composition. Jorge did his job VERY well. Too well, that the idea of liking Calypso feels either / or when it’s not. TRUST that i would not be on the side of anyone who says “if you like calypso, youre evil”, but I HAVE seen a pattern that because Calypso is likable, than several people have made it their confused mission to tell everyone who is “mean to her” that “if you DISLIKE calypso, YOU are evil”. That’s bizarre to me. Calypso does enough evil actions in the musical to warrant that title regardless of the reasons for her actions, whether she is being purposely malicious or unconsciously so due to her lack of socialization. Being weird about real life SA survivors for a fictional character is never acceptable. For or against Calypso, whether she is a rapist or not, it is up to YOU to find like minded people who share your interpretation, not to argue with people who disagree with you in their own space. She isn’t real. Get over it.

ANYONE WHO HARASSES WAGNUI, COSPLAYERS, OR GOES INTO POSITIVE CALYPSO INTERPRETATION SPACES TO BE PURPOSELY MEAN* ARE WRONG. Otherwise. Leave them alone, they are as valid as you are. “Defending” a character is a waste of time when you could be creating for them. Calypso is a compelling villian antagonist regardless of how uwu or vile you choose to make her. Thus is the beauty of fiction.

(*purposely mean, would, logically, be someone calling you an idiot or a rape apologist for headcanoning her in a positive way. The ideal interaction with a negative calypso interpreter would be “i dont see her this way, but i understand/like your headcanon”)

WHICH BRINGS US TO Antinous:

Hilariously enough. Antinous has the complete INVERSE problem as Calypso, which was also detailed in her section for fairness sake at multiple points, and this problem is much easier to understand. Antinous is a villian antagonist in the musical Epic, and in his debut in the wisdom saga, he is shown (like calypso) to be in direct opposition to Telemachus and Penelope’s goal.

He alludes to sexual assault much more clearly than calypso. He calls Penelope a tramp to her son’s face AND suggests he let them into her room “so [they] can have fun with her” which is in the same vein as calypso saying “soon in bed we will climb” to Odysseus later on that “you (Odysseus) are mine all mine” in her own song. Like calypso, it is told to us that Antinous has been having this kind of vibe for FIVE YEARS* (a fan pointed this out to me! read here🙏🏼) as opposed to calypso’s seven years. Everyone is, usually, in agreement that Antinous is a villain in the wisdom saga and in the overall Epic musical.

Antinous’s VA is ON TikTok, and has spoken about how happy he is that fans consider him a talented person who did a spectacular rendition of such a villainous character. AND YET.

Inversely from what we saw in the Calypso section, where some of her fans are against the notion of her being portrayed as the antagonist she is, for Antinous we have MANY fans claiming that others are not ALLOWED to portray him as anything BUT an antagonist. Unlike with Calypso, where people circularly argue that her allusions to sexual assault are “too ambigous” and lead to much senseless debate on whether you’re “allowed” to like her or call her a villian, with ANTINOUS, there is this claim that he ABSOLUTELY is alluded to sexual assault and therefore, cannot be liked or treated as anything other than a villain.

As i have discussed AT LENGTH in Calypso’s section, this argumentation is pure fallacy.

There have been NUMEROUS thirst videos that have rightfully said that DESPITE the actions of the character, they still think Antinous is hot and likable (the Gaston affect, if you will). Even WITHOUT the disclaimer, it is OF COURSE understood that Antinous fans are NOT rape apologists. That is a ridiculous assumption that serves only to kill any interpretation that someone else can rightfully have.

It’s utterly devoid of nuance or actual knowledge of how to play within fandom and interact w characters.

There have been SEVERAL posts calling Antinous fans delusional for liking him and “reminding” the fandom that he is a bad guy. This serves no purpose and is utterly useless to the discourse. Antinous being a bad guy is not debated. This is factual. It doesn’t (or shouldn’t, because we cannot speak in absolutes) hurt anyone’s feelings to see an Antinous videos depicting him as the villain he is. Like with Calypso it is ONLY acceptable to call someone out if they are harassing Ayron Alexander, Antinous’s VA (which has NOT happened as i am writing this out) OR if an anti-Antinous comes into SOMEONE ELSE’s post saying anything like “if you like Antinous then you condone his actions” because as what we sane people know, that is just a silly fallacy, OR if they start shit in a cosplayers/fanfic writer/fanartists comment section.

Otherwise. Who cares that someone is saying Antinous is a villain? Block the no fun police and enjoy analysis from others who choose to see him purely as what he is, if you want. If you dont, block them to, it’s your space. You have a RIGHT to headcanon Antinous however you want, even make up AUs for him where he’s nice or lives and gets a happy ending, SO LONG AS you’re not in other people’s posts going actually Antie is my uwu child and he did nothing wrong. Cuz then youre just being dumb. And annoying. Fandom is already impatient with genuine disagreement, being a smart ass gets your head dunked in a toilet. I used to think this was common sense.

(And in case you didn’t read the Calypso section, or didn’t see enough of it there, this IS the appropriate response to people who address newer fans of her as rape apologists too, its in her section, i just also thought it was important to touch on the stranger phenomena of her other fans refusing to call her a villain because it makes them personally uncomfortable - it’s very interesting as Calypso is a female antagonist while Antinous being a male antagonist is being treated very differently for the same subject. In any case, it’s a disservice to either character and Jorge’s narrative to get upset about the very real fact that BOTH of these characters are villain antagonists.)

The very CURRENT discourse surrounding Antinous is that he was recently shipped with Telemachus.

The animator for Apollo’s section of God Games was harassed to such a point that she had to make a public apology regarding her ALTERNATE UNIVERSE scenario. And i, personally, think that’s bullshit.

There have been accusations that she was being insensitive to sexual assault survivors, and that she made a dark joke, all of which she addressed in her apology IN ADDITION to her explaining that she is ALSO a survivor of child sexual assault. She took down her work. DESPITE all of this, there are still others who continue to harass her, and claim that they dont want “a rape creator” in THEIR fandom. To those people: you don’t speak for any of us. In the same way you can claim not to believe that the animator is a survivor, i have no reason to consider your concerns in any way shape or form as being in service of victims. It is absolutely not your call, when blocking and scrolling on will ALWAYS be an option for YOU.

Even in the event someone writes Antonio’s fan fiction keeping his canon personality and characterization in a non-canon divergent way it is not grounds to harass people.

In addition to this animator, there have been SEVERAL Antinous shippers who have expressed disappointment that she was essentially harassed into a corner, as they also liked the ship and the AU she created. These people are NOT “weird” they are allowed to express themselves creatively, and if you disagree, dont even bother with leaving any sort of response — i wont read it, my time is important. Stay in your echo chamber. Even if it wasn’t an AU, and someone wants to write for Antinous as he is in the narrative, they are more than allowed to do so. Dark fiction isn’t going to traumatize you or give you cooties. Grow up.

I am MUCH more willing to ride with Antinous shippers than i ever will be with fans who attempt to control how a character is interpreted by others. Because to ship Antinous with anyone, AU or otherwise, you have to have an UNDERSTANDING of why this would be a compelling thing to write/make fanart for. He is an evil character, and it would be FASCINATING to see him in fictional scenarios that (like in the calypso section) lead us to as WHY this would be an appealing and interesting take on someone. It’s OKAY to do it in fiction. He isn’t REAL. It’s not hurting EVERYONE. And more so than with calypso, it IS understood that Antinous HAS victims in Penelope and Telemachus There’s no senseless debate on what he is, a villain, no one is arguing he is a uwu babygirl so please sympathize w him, it’s inherently understood even among his FANS.

This is why find Antonio’s and Calypso’s discourses so polarizing. Because no one is getting offended or arguing that Antinous only acts villainously because of some tragic backstory or sympathetic reason. It would be absurd to.

That’s the appeal of a lovable villain. Because like Calypso, Antinous IS lovable, but in such a different way that you have fans treating both characters as if they’re polar opposite when at the very LEAST, there’s on the same bracket, just different ends of them. Telemachus/Penelope and Odysseus’s plights are being MIRRORED in parallel.

THAT is what floors me about these two discourses. That they are functionally THE SAME yet are being treating as if they aren’t. I’m positive that there is an Antinous fan who detests Calypso in the same way there is a Calypso fan who detests Antinous. These are called biases. Once you KNOW your own bias, it is up to YOU to act right according to them.

You are responsible for your OWN fyp.

The Epic fandom had yet to experience such backwards discourse as this, and I wouldn’t expect Jorge or any of the VAs to dignify such trivial discourse with a response. If you’re the type to bring it up to them, you’re being awful. The popular fandom Epic tiktokers are already way too involved as it is. And even they are getting things wrong.

It almost feels remiss to say that in the NARRATIVE of the musical, both Calypso and Antinous are villian antagonists, while outside of the narrative they become dolls you can play with however you like, so long as we are not in each others comments being obtuse. I don’t expect any of my essay to even make it to a larger part of the fandom. But i HAD to get my ideas written down, because if you don’t see someone else connecting the dots you have, you have to present them yourself. Very “can’t we all just get along?” But hopefully, not as insufferable nor one-sides as others might have been. I tried to bring up ideas/points that i have not seen discussed about these two villains and why they seem to connect and go hand in hand.

Why is Calypso, as a female antagonist, given more grace than Antinous, a male antagonist, who is very firmly given none at all. It very well could be just how they were presented, and if so, ask yourself WHY these villains were presented so differently. What purpose do they serve? What are they trying to accomplish? These are questions more suited for actual fandom collaboration that is being drowned out by circular arguements. It feels like homework, instead of knee-jerk reacting to interpretations unlike your own.

To ME, these two characters are two sides of the same coin. (though I DO think it’s funny that the NEUTRAL phrase to refer to either character is “I hate them BUT” because in reasonable fandoms, this is understood inherently….but in this fandom such decorum seems to be lost? For some reason?? Wisdom saga has brought out a lack of wisdom, I fear.) This is the kind of purity culture that suggest you can’t LIKE a character of their a villain, so you go out of your way to argue they aren’t, or that no one else should like them: that’s bonkers. You might disagree and it might even upset you, but that’s a you problem to have.

Having said that, and if you are POSITIVE that you want to engage in conversation with me, you are welcome to do so.

[frownatic]

For the people in the back who somehow don't get it:

YES CALYPSO IS AN ABUSER

It's more of an issue on tiktok, but for god sake man, just because she isn't a cartoon villain version of a rapist doesn't mean she isn't very clearly portrait as an abuser. Flowery language doesn't somehow undo harm your actions cause, get a grip. "Oh but she's so cute!" Yeah bc the looks of your rapist should be considered to judge their crime, listen to yourself you dumbass

[skymagpie]

My new way of coping is just drawing some weird Modern AU(ish) domestic Calypso and Davy Jones (it's working)

[botanicallyinclinednerd]

have you ever thought about how out of all the gods/powerful people Odysseus has met throughout epic, Circe is the only one who respected his no

This genuinely just stopped me in my tracks and caused me to stop breathing for about 5 seconds. No, Fluffy, I have not thought of this. What the fuck. Circe is also the only powerful being he met that encouraged the good in Odysseus

[schrodingers-hoarding-problem]

i think whoever voiced calypso might just be an actual real life siren cause i cannot get her voice out of my head

[sunnybearvampire]

i am not normal about the calypso episode i will never be normal about the calypso episode. something something queer joy and love and found family and you can't ruin that or take it away. finding yourself and expressing yourself fully for the first time and finding a group of people that will not mock you but encourage you with every last breath left in their lungs. seeing all of those unique and amazing people gathered to see you perform. fully for perhaps the first time realising that there was never something wrong with you, something was wrong with the world for not accepting you as you are, worthy and deserving of love. you are the unicorn. i am mentally unwell i shall never recover.

[squircatlies]

Actually, it's Calypso's birthday today and someone needs to sing la vie en rose, so dig that guy up right the fuck now or so help me.

[dizzybevvie]

NO because Izzy shouldn't have died purely because hes PART OF THE SHIP. HES THE NEW UNICORN

[likeafairytale]

"I'm a servant. Slave, actually. And you might be a princess, but you're a prisoner just as well. Or have you forgotten that prince Aeron still didn't give you your bracelet back?" - Yasmeen to Calypso

What happened following Yasmeen words was something Calypso never thought, in a million years, she would do. She slapped her. She always knew she was a bit fierce and bratty. That she could have a bad temper when she wanted. She was the golden child after all, used to everyone giving in to every whim she had. But she never thought of herself as mean. Or maybe she was, but people just never told her, because she was her realm's delight, so no one wanted to upset her? She wasn't sure, but Yasmeen words resonated in her and made her took action before thinking. Calypso was impulsive and she has shown many times she was capable of being a brat when she wanted, after all, she cut her old maid's hair just for being a Fae.

❝I may be a prisoner here but I still am a Princess and I won't let anyone disrespect me!❞ She was herself surprised by her words. They came out by themselves. It was as if her body wasn't hers anymore, as if someone else took control of it.

She knew she could go to extreme length when she was angry, once again, her first maid might remember that too well, at least her brothers liked to joke about this incident. But she thought her action with her previous maid came from a place of hatred, because she was a Fae, and therefore ignored her most of the time, so she obviously believed she would never had to be harsh to Yasmeen like she was to her.

But it might also be because the truth was that Yasmeen was right, and Calypso hated that. Not that the human was right, but that she was herself a prisoner. People still referred to her as ‘Princess Calypso’ well the few ones who were talking to her at least, but was she a princess still? Because she didn't feel like one anymore. The only privilege she still had of a princess was a constant companion, in Yasmeen, but since she surprised Yasmeen and Morgana talking a few days earlier, she realized that Yasmeen wasn't given the role of maid or friend or confident, but the role of jailer. Making sure Calypso wouldn't left. Not that she could anyway. Hence the whole discussion right now.

Without thinking she touched her wrist where her bracelet was supposed to be, her eyes still on Yasmeen. Her stormy eyes were full of sadness that she tried to hide her best, but she wasn't really sure she was succesfull to do so. Compared to Yasmeen or her oldest brother, she wasn't good at hiding her feelings. Just right now, the reality of what she have done, hurting Yasmeen, hit her and she felt sick in her stomach. She didn't want to. She didn't plan to do it. But maybe she was truly her father's daughter. Maybe violence was in her veins after all, instead of the kindness she always thought she had from her mother.

Calypso was shaking now, and she took a step toward Yasmeen, but this latter might have thought that she was about to slap her again, or worse, blind her, because she took a step back and the mermaid just wanted to cry. She never thought she could be menacing to someone.

❝Yasmeen, I... I'm...❞ she started, unable to finish her sentence.

She couldn't say the words. She was sorry. She truly was. Calypso wanted to hug her and tell her how sorry she was and how much she regretted what she just did. That she was still her friend. That she needed her. And she wasn't angry anymore. Because those were true; she wasn't angry now she was sad that it turned sour so quickly and it was part of her fault too, she had to admit it. But, once again, Calypso was Triton's daughter, and though it was acceptable to apologize to your family, it wasn't to apologize to other people. She wasn't teach how to do so. She know she could but she had too much pride. Her father's words came to her and she hated how often them came to her lately: if you show weakness to other people, and apologize after your first strike, you're doomed. They will know they can keep hurting you and that you will crawl back to them, like a weak little goldfish. Deep down she was scared of those words being true.

❝I won't need you any time soon. You can tell the Queen and my husband that I'm not feeling well and won't assist to any dinner or meeting for a few days. Not that my presence will be miss anyway.❞

She tried to switch between sadness and concern to indifference, but she knew it didn't work as she wanted to. She had a lot to learn and she vowed to herself to ask lesson to Yasmeen on how to do it. Because they won't be mad forever, right? At some point they will talk back... Everything was so blurring and uncertain now, she didn't know what she did to deserve this falling from grace... Yasmeen didn't say anything, actually, Calypso only knew she left the room because of the door closing behind her and once it was done, she did something that she didn't do since her mother's death; cry. True tears, not this tearless cry every merfolks were doing. She was wasting her tear for her friendship, for the loss of her friend, not knowing if it will be forever. For the loneliness she will feel now. And she knew damn well that somewhere, Aeron and Morgana will probably laugh at her, thinking that she should have seen it coming. And for the next two weeks, not only Calypso didn't leave her bedroom, no matter how hungry she could have been, but for two weeks straight a light rain poured nonstop on the Fae Kingdom, the only indication that Princess Calypso wasn't over it yet.

[le-trash-prince]

Calypso’s Birthday

I’ve briefly talked about this before, but the Calypso’s Birthday episode of OFMD really hit home for me in a way that I was not expecting. Looking back at what I watched in 2023 (excluding shows that are unfinished), this was hands down my single favorite episode.

I am not a bar person or a club person or “anything that involves me regularly mingling with strangers in loud places where people might touch me” person. So my experience with queer community is not one that is often reflected onscreen.

Where I found queer community in my youth was in cosplay, and this fact was very incidental—in the sense that neither I nor anyone in my group was seeking out a queer space, but that is very quickly what it became due to the freeing nature of costume. It was a place for us to explore both our gender and our sexuality.

I ran in the Texas con circuit from 2005-2018, and so many of my strongest convention memories revolve around doing makeup in hotel rooms—four people crowded around the bathroom mirror, three people sitting in front of the closet mirror, two people by the window with mirrors that they’d brought. Having multiple people help me with putting on a bald cap, or helping someone do eyeliner for the first time or figure out how to contour. Watching someone put a dress on for the first time and seeing her suddenly glow. Lending someone a binder and seeing how happy they got looking in the mirror.

Seeing Izzy watch Wee John doing makeup brought back a lot of those memories for me. The look on Izzy’s face is one that I’ve seen time and time again, both on myself and on others.

Even though conventions aren’t a purposefully crafted queer safe space—there was always, in my personal experience, a sense of safety in attending a convention in drag for the first time. You weren’t necessarily getting up on a stage, but you could still hide behind the fact that you weren’t dressed as yourself. There was this invisible layer between you and any perceived judgement. It was like being under the magic of Calypso’s birthday.

And there was nothing quite like the experience of putting on the final touches of a costume and being met by your friends with genuine enthusiasm and excitement and pride.

I won’t pretend like every aspect of cosplay was great—I did step away for a reason, but I will always look back with fondness on cosplay karaoke and dance parties and late nights being silly in crowded hotel rooms, surrounded by queer joy—and that’s why this episode is so special to me.

[decaffeinatedpartymuggoop]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS I made a post a while ago about how Percy relationship with Rachel represented him wanting to escape and be “normal.” She was a normal girl who could see through the mist, close enough to rant to and to share some experiences but not close enough to push him in the way Annabeth and the campers were. She was essentially perfect and what he needed during that time in his life, but they wouldn’t have worked out. And they didn’t

And it’s the same way with Calypso HE WAS TRYING TO ESCAPE HIS FATE. She was his biggest “what if” because what is he STAYED. What if he got to escape the prophecy and live an almost normal life.

And for Percy they probably weren’t even an option, it was ALWAYS Annabeth. Annabeth was unfortunately just the biggest reminder of his demigod side, something he wasn’t ready to except just yet.

And like the og post said, it was always Annabeth because at the end of the day, Percy was always going to except who he was. It was just a matter of time.

Rachel and Calypso both serve as opposing love interests to Annabeth that in the end would have not worked out in story because their relationships were both built off of Percy attempting to run away from a fundamental aspect of himself; being a half-blood.

The overarching theme of the original 5 pjo books is Percy coming to accept and ultimately choose this part of himself. In this essay I will-

[stcrforged]

[ PULL ] : sender takes receiver by the hand to help them to their feet after they've fallen or been knocked over. / for calypso!

chest was raised as a puff of air released, MOVING strands of blonde hair that covered the visage as she was lying there on her back, sprawled, like a starfish, taking up space. with one swift movement the golden curtain that blocked her sight was removed. pupils contracted as rays of warm light caressed cheeks. her brown eyes always resembled the SUNSET on the open sea when it was this bright. gaze suddenly fell upon the other's hand. an offer to help her up and she gladly accepted it. however, just as their fingers brushed, something caught the helmsman's attention. at an impressive speed she broke free from his helping hand - only to grip his shoe, holding it up, CARRYING his whole body weight without any problem. " oi! you dumbass! you almost killed this little ladybug! " calypso gently lowered her index finger before raising it, right in front of his face, so he could see the insect clearly. " don't you know that's BAD luck? " this was no joke. she was completely serious about this. " we could have died if you stepped on it! like, most possibly in the future, but still. " /@kaizokugaris

[ephemeraltea]

my new dumb sister: a story of miserable acceptance, by calypso the cat

[ulgapodatkowa]

i said it once before and I'll say it again: queer community. the calypso's birthday episode is fucking pride man. and for izzy, oh for izzy, to be able to finally be free like that? he doesn't understand wee john's 'look' at first but he knows how it makes him feel, so he gets one as well. and for such a repressed queer man to be able to walk out in drag it's huge. AND he sings a love song!! la vie en rose, that's a staple of love repertoire. so izzy feels comfortable, at home enough to be able to go on the deck and show himself as a queer man that loves. he finally accepts that about himself enough to show it. he kisses wee john's hand. he puts on a show. and the crew loves it, sings along with him at the end. one more song indeed, cocksuckers!

[starlitvick]

Rick missed the potential for EVERY possible Leo ship. Looked at all the other possibilities and said "nah, CALYPSO" like c'mon dude

Bruh, how do you make a character whose life is hanging on to a piece of wood destined to burn and another character with uncontrollable fire powers, and you don't make them fall in love in the end.