#all new xenia

[sunlitewhispers]

Hello, I've been plagued by these three. Had created a female yautja named Kioda who is a stoic clan leader and then decided she should get two human lovers as a treat...,,,however,,,Xenia n Maynelis aren't her lovers.....yet.

Why? Cause I like making things harder on myself :)

BUT basically, they exist to help raise her nieces who were kidnapped by the Weyland-Yutani Corp for a short time. Also, one of them has super powers, and the other has a hit on her from a rival clan. So yeah that's what been going on for me, I'll go more in depth of them soon, hopefully 🤞🏼since i believe im close to a solid premise,,,,i just need to iron out on some details 🫶🏽

[lady-of-doves]

Finding Her in the world around me

♡ I find Aphrodite Ourania in the heart shaped clouds, heavenly and all encompassing

♡ I find Aphrodite Pandemos in the rants of my cousin; she talks about how much she loves her girlfriend. Love is for everyone

♡ I find Aphrodite Praxis in the hands of a lover, withing gentle touches full of care

♡ I find Aphrodite Melainis under the covers of Nyx, She fills me with the energy to create gifts for my friends

♡ I find Aphrodite Nymphia in weddings, She walks along the procession congratulating a couple on their new beginning

♡ I find Aphrodite Ambolgera in the wrinkled hands of my grandmother, experienced as she oils my hair and retells stories of her youth

♡ I find Aphrodite Areia in protests, She stands with those fighting for the right to love.

♡ I find Aphrodite Nikephoros in the victory after war, She celebrates with those who are finally free to love

♡ I find Aphrodite Xenia in videos titled 'faith in humanity restored'. She watches with endearment as families meet again

♡ I find Aphrodite Philomeides in the laughter shared with my friends. Our stomachs hurt as She laughs with us

♡ I find Aphrodite Chrysea in the pictures taken during golden hour, She makes my skin shine making me proud of my heritage

mother of desire, richly crowned goddess. I find you everywhere. In the morning dew and moonlight walks, in the tears of a farewell and the tight hugs when we meet again. Everywhere I look, I find you ♡

[mauvecherie-writes]

be mine this christmas: l.hamilton.

pairing: lewis hamilton x black oc!xenia richards

trope: grumpy billionaire x personal assistant au

ru’s 💌: this will be my last update for a few days because I have some school work to do that I’ve been avoiding lol. The Lewis in this story is not to be conflated with IRL Lewis. He’s an asshole who knows he’s an asshole but you’ll love him the same. This story is fast paced because it takes place in about one day.

series masterlist

chapter: TWO

chapter warning: DUAL POV, mentions of toxic family dynamics: child neglect, asshole!lewis

chapter w.c: 3.86K

𝐋𝐄𝐖𝐈𝐒

Lewis had an affinity for pissing people off. Since childhood, it had been something that he loved and it was probably something that he always had a fascination for. Seeing the way that he could affect someone else in such a way that dictates their mood was amusing to him. For most people, it was a funny occurrence that he would quickly forget about as soon as he left their presence . But there was one person that he made a point to aggravate with her furious expression being left in her wakes as she stormed away - his little assistant, Miss Xenia Richards.

Being able to garner a reaction out of her was worth his time in gold. It was like a hobby of his where he kept a running record going of how many times that he could successfully piss her off. Any moment that he was feeling bored, all it took was a swivel of his chair and an intercom call to her desk and it took nothing to invoke a reaction out of her - simply because it was too easy.

Why did Lewis love it so much? A very simple answer. He was an asshole.

It was how he was raised - or lack thereof.

A toxic cycle that he found all too time consuming to break with everything else that he had going on. It was just the way he was and he was not going to dig deep into his childhood trauma to figure out why pissing his PA off gave him a greater satisfaction than winning a new client. He liked the way he was just fine.

He wasn’t going to psychoanalyse why when she bashfully hid her face away from him, it made his dick hard. Or when she storms out of his office, he loved the way her ass jiggled and he pictured it bent over his lap wiggling as he slapped the smooth surface. He didn’t care as to why he enjoyed aggravating Xenia so much. But he was not going to stop any time soon.

When the company was established, Lewis had put it in the company policy that the executive staff would not fraternise with anyone directly in their line of authority and for the last three years he had been deeply regretting that rule. He was sure even the way that he fantasised about Xenia would be grounds for his termination from his position. So the next best thing that he had in his arsenal was riling her up.

His fascination also probably had to do with the fact that getting smart-mouthed and strong-willed women to submit to him was a kink of his. It was a dangerous affliction that he knew would cost him but it was worth it, million times over. Especially if it was Xenia at the end of his tunnel.

Lewis knew that she put up a good front but he could see right through Xenia’s faux exterior. She was nothing more than a brat who needed guidance. Specifically his guidance.

“Sir.” The sweet voice of his secretary, Tabitha, came over the phone’s intercom.

“Yes Tabitha?” He answered as it put a stop to his wayward thoughts.

“I have a list from Olivia on what else is needed for the Christmas party.” He could already feel an idea formulating before he could even utter thank you. The eagerness that swept through him at the thought of his assistant’s displeasure was concerning but he chose not to focus on that. Instead, his mind dwelled on how her face would contort between wanting to be defiant and wanting to submit to his bending. It was too good of a moment to not witness. As for now, he’ll just have to settle for the memories.

Lewis grabbed his cellphone from the desk and typed a quick message to Xenia with an updated list. He predicted that by now she probably would have been grabbing Mile’s lunch as the sushi restaurant was a few more miles further out from their offices. It was a last minute addition and when he thought about it, he preferred the roast blend from MonMouth instead.

After sending his message, he placed his phone back on his hand-carved red oak desk and turned back to face his computer screen. When the screen lit back up, he scrolled through some of the marketing reports and was particularly impressed with the continuous success of PLUS44WORLD. Nearly half a decade later into his retirement, his merch was still a major selling point of his brand. He then schemed through a few proposals from marketing agencies for sponsorships. He forwarded the ones that he thought would work best with the company to Miles and the legal team.

Even despite his obsession with enraging his personal assistant, Lewis could not deny that she did a fantastic job. A damn near perfect job actually. Everything that he threw her way, she was able to handle it with ease. Departments handed in their reports on time due to her delegation. Meetings and proposals, he went through half the time because Xenia often assessed them before forwarding them to him. This ultimately left him with very little to do towards the end of the day.

That was not great for his boredom. As he looked out of the window and watched the falling snow, he was forced to spend time with his thoughts. By the stream of thick fluff, he predicted that by the time Christmas rolled by, the streets of London. Would be covered in blankets of it. He hated the way that his mind shifted to his parents. They hated the cold, snow in particular and spent most of their time somewhere in the tropics.

At the very first sight of snowfall, they ran. As soon as they were able to leave Lewis alone with his nannies, they did. He was raised by his nannies, whichever one they had at the time. Up until he began to take an interest in motorsports, then his parents decided that they wanted to do their job. They had done just enough for it not to cause a media firestorm as his success grew expeditiously. The perfect family, they were dubbed.

It was only ever for the public. Behind closed doors, Lewis was often left alone - back into the arms of his nannies. Alone again, especially at Christmas. He never let it bother him, in essence, he was surrounded by too many people to actually ever be alone. But in his solitude, he had observed a thing or two about humans. Their mannerisms, their habits, their tells - all to come to the conclusion that people were ruled by their emotions. Whether they wanted to or not.

Through his adolescence, he pushed his nannies past their limits - most of them quitting before their contract was over. It was then that he decided that he was not a fan of compliant women. They were not stimulating enough for him. Lewis learnt a lot of things in his isolation as an only child. How to be in charge of his own happiness. He was indifferent to his parents due to their mistreatment and he probably needed professional help to unpack that. Right now, that was not a priority.

Instead, he chose to find solace in causing Xenia discomfort. He enjoyed seeing the life in her eyes when she got mad. He always wondered if there would be that same fire when she reached her climax. Or would she crumble beneath him, spent and exhausted. One assumption he was almost certain of was that she was undoubtedly a screamer. That he was sure.

As if his thoughts had summoned her presence, he turned around at the tumbling of limbs, bags and lunch barraging through his office door.

The better part of him wanted to stand up and offer some help. The arsehole part of him leaned back into his chair, silently watching as Xenia cursed as she struggled to make it through. After a painful moment, she was able to gather herself as she dumped the bags onto the floor and then placed his lunch and coffee onto his desk without a single spill.

“Such a gentleman for helping me with the door, sir.” She spat out the last word with so much venom. Xenia had probably done it to annoy him as if he wasn’t already in the mindset that he was, it would have. All it did now was that it shot shocks through to his dick. Too many times had he fantasised about her using his official title as she thanked him for her pleasure. He chewed on the inside of his cheek to control his smirk from breaking out as he watched her shuffle in one place as she tried to regulate her emotions. Her hand twitched by her sides as she seemed to be counting down.

She was so responsive, Lewis thought to himself. And it only drove his desire to toy with her more. Xenia may not respond with words but in letting her body respond for her, it fuelled the flames in the pit of her stomach.

Since Lewis had hired her, he knew that she would be more than he bargained for and he had begun to wonder if - even by just the smallest fraction, that she also wanted to please him. It would make sense if she did. Xenia was responsive to him in other ways that she may not have been aware of, eager for his touch and eager for his praise.

Yet she would not submit, she would not give up her control to him. But he would take it, own it, bend it to his will and there would be no going back.

However, as tempting as it would be, it was a pleasure that he would not indulge in just yet. The company rules were there for a reason and his desire would remain in his thoughts and burn his soul as they were starved of fruition.

Lewis would just have to settle for the tremble of her full, glossed lips, the rising of her chest instead of the jiggle of her ass. He would observe the fierceness that swirled in her eyes every time that she looked at him rather than the feeling of her cunt clamping down on his dick. He would expand her energy to run around the city with a list in hand for as long as it fuelled the fantasy of her running out of breath as he drove into her, marred the walls of his warped mind.

That would do. For now.

𝐗𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐀

There were many kinds of demons in accordance with the religions and mythologies of the world and as this particular demonic spawn sighed as he leaned forward, Xenia wondered what she had done in her past life to deserve this.

“Let’s hope that I don’t need to get my shirts re-starched due to your negligence.”

Oh, this dickhead.

For the second time in less than two minutes, Xenia had to use the countdown method to control her rising temper. And for the fourth time that week, she thought about handing in her resignation, cashing out her savings and moving to New York. It was wishful thinking. A sigh left her as she patted her hair back into place.

“Maybe if you had helped me then that wouldn’t be a worry would it?”

“And why would I do that? It’s what I hired you for.”

Now, she knew that being of a certain class made people lose touch with reality but to hear such words come out of the cretin had her mind racing with insults that could curse an entire bloodline. All of them colourful and all of them violent enough to get her a secured spot in HM Bronzefield.

So she stood there in silence as she swallowed down her disgust at the complete lack of chivalry. They stayed there, Xenia attempting not to burst with anger and Lewis daring her to defy him.

You just need this job a little bit longer, Xenia.

Pushing her pride aside, she bent down, picked up his dry cleaning and walked across the main office space to the private en suite. She hung them behind the door and took a moment to inhale and exhale, again and again until she felt her hert beating steadily again.

Entering back into the office, she did not offer Lewis a second glance as she picked up the other bags up from the floor. “Now that you have your lunch, I will take these bags to the conference hall.” She turned to walk away, her body burning with anticipation to leave his scrutinising gaze. Then he cleared his throat and she had to stop herself from screaming in frustration.

“Is there anything else that you need from me, sir?”

“I do.” For all of the times for Xenia to be affected by his voice, it had to be when she wanted to bash the side of his head with the bags in her hands. Not only that, she hated the visceral reaction his voice seemed to have on her body. Her core tightened as a shiver rushed down her spine.

Xenia forced herself to stay still, facing the door as he stood directly behind her. She did not want to look into his eyes as she was avoiding whatever she was feeling.

“As soon as you drop those bags in the conference rooms, please come back here. I know your propensity to become distracted.”

He was right and it gutted her that he had picked up on the restlessness of her mind.

“Yes, sir.” Xenia did not stop once she had thrown the door open and rushed across the floor, avoiding the eyes of the other assistance.

“Are you alright?” Her mind couldn’t register that it was the voice of Tabitha. She incessantly pressed on the elevator button, in an effort to increase the distance between her and Lewis. Her eyes cut to his office and she saw him leaning against his desk so he took sips of his coffee as he scrolled through his phone. As if he could feel the intensity of her glare, his eyes flickered up and met hers. Holding her stare, Lewis put his phone down and pressed a button on his desk and the glass walls began to tint darker and darker until they were pitch black. Before he was enclosed in complete privacy, Lewis shot her a wink.

And it almost dissolved her resolve.

“Xenia?” The sound of her name jolted her back to reality. She looked to her right and saw the older woman, Tabitha standing there. In her mid fifties with a full head of grey dreadlocks secured on top of head in a bun with spunky red glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose. “I asked if you were alright dear.” The Jamaican twang to her voice gave her a sense of comfort that made Xenia relax her tense shoulders.

“I’m okay Tabitha, thank you for asking. I’m just trying to get through the day in one piece.”

“Knock on wood as soon as you find some. That boy is very unpredictable.” Tabitha winked at her as the elevator doors closed. The ride down to the ground floor was swift. When she entered the main conference hall where the party would be hosted, it wasn’t a shock to her at the utter chaos that was taking place. Ladders tall and short propped against the walls as frivolous leftovers of decor loitered on the floor. Workers ran around as they tried to finish the last of the set up.

As she stood at the door, Xenia could see the beginnings of her vision coming together after weeks spent designing. This was not just a party for the company staff, no. All of the members currently sitting on the board attended. Major clients that the company wanted to keep in favour amongst social media content creators on the PR list. Ala in all to say that a lot of fucking people were going to be in attendance and Xenia had felt the pressure, to make it perfect as she did every year since her employment.

She managed not to get her feet tangled in discarded tinsel as she entered the room further.

“Drop them near the main stage, Nia.” Olivia, the event coordinator and good friend pointed in the direction that she wanted the bags to be. Her dark, raven locks were pulled into a high ponytail, her beautiful umber skin glowing under the low lights. Similar to little miss bitch, Lola, Olivia had the same gymnast body type. However, Olivia was nowhere close to the bitch that Lola was, she was an angel.

Once the bags were dropped, Xenia stepped back to admire the work that was being put in. The theme this year was Winter Wonderland with a specific colour scheme to stick to considering what the traditions of what a winter wonderland entails. But the design was coming along very well and Xenia was very proud of herself.

Crystal and faux glass decorations adorned the ceilings alongside uniform rows of white christmas lights. The centerpiece was a ten foot Christmas tree sat on the stage that was still in the process of being decorated but she knew that when it was done, it would be the showstopper.

“You think you can help us tackle that monster?” Olivia asked as she opened the bags that Xenia had delivered.

“Not a problem darling. I just need to go and see what Hamilton wants first and then I’ll be back down.” Olivia smirked at the mention of their boss but when she met Xenia’s death glare did she swallow it back. Olivia had a sick fascination with Xenia’s relationship with Lewis. From the beginning, she claimed that the sexual tension was intertwined in the bonds of their hatred for each other. Olivia had the ridiculous notion that Lewis seemed to enjoy infuriating Xenia because she was terrible at hiding her emotions. Whilst that may be true, that he loved goading a reaction out of her, Xenia loved doing the same. Even if it was the smallest loss of composure, it gave her a sliver of triumph.

“When i come back, the very mention of his name, I will fuck off out of here.” Xenia threatened, which caused Olivia to roll her eyes. Her track back up to the executives floor was one she dragged her feet for. She was not in a rush to get back to Lewis’s office. When she approached her desk to grab her iPad, she could feel his eyes peering at her through the privacy window. She had always found it creepy that he could watch the floor but no-one could look into his office when the tint was at full transmission. Xenia didn’t bother with knocking, he knew that it was her anyway.

The air grew thicker as he was unfazed by her show of an entrance. He was ignoring her as he typed away on his computer. She lowered herself onto a chair in front of his desk in a huff.

Can this man hurry up? I have shit to do. Xenia said to herself internally.

“Can you stop being dramatic, Richards? There’s no need for all of that.” His words were slow and mastered as he finally typed in the last of whatever that he was doing and turned his gaze onto her. His deep brown eyes were dark, alluring and made all of the muscles in her body tighten.

She could be honest, Xenia talked a big game and she absolutely had a massive attitude but there was not a lot of bark in her bite. Especially now as they were alone, Xenia’s body knew what her mind refused.

“Can I be honest with you Miss Richards?” The smoothness of his voice was enticing. Like a matured whiskey being poured over ice, she knew not to reach for a taste.

And yet, she still took the bait. “When have you never been honest with me?”

Lewis smirked. “I like this little game that we have going on between us.”

”Game?” Xenia frowned in confusion. Lewis nodded his head as he stood up from his chair and circled the desk until he was closer to her. She froze in her sit but managed to lean back into it so as to create some physical distance. His dark eyes remained on her as he rolled his sleeves, exposing his intrinsically tattooed skin for her viewing pleasure. Xenia forced her eyes back to his face and to maintain that eye contact as her traitorous core tightened at the simple act.

“Don’t play coy. I won’t say what it is that we play as it doesn’t need to be stated.” He paused as he fixed the folds of his shirt. “But I like it.”

Her worst enemy at that very moment was her body. Her nipples tightened as her core pulsated. Once in a while, the thought of hate fucking her boss crossed her mind, more often than it should. However, today was simply not the time nor place to let her mind wander into places that had been locked behind red doors.

Xenia crossed her legs and cleared her throat. “Of course you’d think torturing me is a game that we both like to play. I mean, I knew that you were a narcissist but this sounds concerning. Do you need me to contact someone?” The faux concern in her voice caused Lewis to lean backwards. He folded his arms across his chest and peered down at her. That fucking stupid smirk back on his face. The strands hanging on either side of his face with the overhead lights casting shadows that danced across his skin.

She should have been intimidated but she wasn’t. She was deeply aroused and then it dawned onto her how they were positioned.

Lewis above her and her below, almost eyes level with his crotch.

A show of submission. One that she would not give into. Xenia quickly shuffled back up to her feet and that caused Lewis to widen his smile before he moved back to his seat.

“What did you actually need me here for, Mr Hamilton?”

“I just wanted you to make sure that you don’t forget about the list I have emailed you.” Lewis said so casually as if he had not just accosted her. The scoff that left her could not be held back as she grabbed her iPad from his desk and charged towards the door.

What a waste of my fucking time.

“Oh and one last thing, Miss Richards.”

Don’t roll your eyes girl.

“Yes, sir?”

“Make sure to remember the number six for me.”

Is this man alright?

Xenia exhaled through her gritted teeth. “Yes, sir.” She had almost made it out of her door when she heard the faintest whisper. Whether he had actually said it or not, a shiver rolled down her spine and lit her nerves aflame.

Two simple words,

Good girl.

reading list: @queenshikongo3 @dhlfastestlap @saintslewis @serpenttines-library @saturnville @hopefulromantic1 @lettersofgold @cocobutterqwueen @melodichaeuxx-lacritquexx @sapphireheaven @olyvoyl @lewisroscoelove @lh44adore @hellomadamebutterfly @scorpiobleue @laneywrld @qveenmelanink @tremendousstarlighttragedy @bekindbecoolbeyou @greedyjudge2 @itsapurrfectstorm @createdbylivingclocks @omgsuperstarg @peyiswriting @miyuhpapayuh @blowmymbackout @purplelewlew @henneseyhoe @perfecttrashface @alianovnaromanovanatalia @leilaxaliel @hotfudgeslug @iamryanl @pickingupmymercedes @eleetalks @ambs-06 @annisassintchaska @boujiestpoet @nayaesworld @nat-lh-44 @mochachocolatteyaya @melaninpov @kindan3rdy951 @elyseesarchive @sl33p-deprived-princess @soiguessimtheshit @acidlv @trinitoldyouso @gwenda-fav @f1-football-fiend

[lyculuscaelus]

Ok now maybe imagine if it didn’t take too long for Odysseus to finish the oar quest as instructed by Teiresias, say, a year or two (maybe three but tops I swear) from when he sailed from Ithaca to the mainland and went all the way northwards, until he at last finished the ritual and then returned once more back to his homeland.

It wasn’t a woeful journey, this time—just receiving Xenia from different cities, meeting some old faces and new faces (cue Acarnan and Amphoterus sons of Alcmaeon in Acarnania; maybe catching up with his brother-in-law Alyzeus in the city of Alyzia; maybe visiting Amphilochus in Amphilochia cuz why not; maybe helping out a young Thesprotian prince Polypoetes son of Pheidon the deceased king in a war and having to sign an adoption contract), disguising as an old man, lying his way northward—“hey look I’m just a simple Cretan but I can tell you about Odysseus if you want” (turns out all those non-Homeric traditions are stories Odysseus in disguise told to those Epirotes along the way), maybe all the way to Buthrotum where Helenus and Andromache welcomed him unaware of his identity (as he yapped about how he was a Ciconian whose hometown Ismarus was destroyed by cruel Odysseus as he was brought along the way until getting marooned in Thrinacia and something something Phoenicians and stuff) as they traded stories and ended up lamenting the fall of Troy and talking shit on Odysseus—including Odysseus himself (“fun,” says Odysseus as he continues throwing slanders on himself, “now shall I tell you how he died by some guy named Telegonus, someone born to him on Aeaea though I didn’t see anything”), maybe reaching the land of Illyrians where he heard about their history from Cadmus’s arrival to the not-so-recent Epigonoi war (and all Odysseus can think about is his bestie), maybe finding his way past the Riphean Mountains to Hyperborea where he finally performed the ritual (I mean, no ship, no salt…sounds like it).

Then maybe he’s picking a path south-east to visit some old friends (*snaps* what did you say Nauplius has done again *picks up a rock* alr say it again), maybe traversing the rest of Greece from Thessaly (didn’t see you back in war—how are y’all faring, O so many sons of Heracles?) to Mycenae (your dad sends his regards from hell, Orestes) to Argos (wait where the heck is my Diomedes) to Sparta (Menelaus: hehehehe I knew you’d make it old buddy oh btw your son has your thighs) to Pylos where Nestor finally gave him a ship to go home cuz he had no oar left (Nestor: also Peisistratus my boy I know you want to go to Ithaca for some…*coughs* specific reasons so here’s the ship and you’re the captain).

Back to Ithaca! Telemachus celebrated Odysseus’s return with joy (and was surprised by Peisistratus’s arrival). During his father’s absence he had run the kingdom well—a good job continuing to reestablish the class of nobility in Cephalonia as Odysseus willed it. Then Odysseus found Penelope waiting at the olive tree, as she met his gaze and smiled—and the world was again back into shape, for Odysseus, the great craftsman.

And this time, Odysseus finally realized he was this old, this tired, after all the years of traveling. The world of wanderings, in the end, had become too much, too far away, for the man of twists and turns. Not even the world of reality could mend the scars left in his heart, a mind forever haunted by shadows of the past. But for now, a world of home would do—it’d be everything for him, really—just a man with his family, and the peaceful days he had long craved.

So he swore to stay, here by the side of his love ones, never again to be apart. So he stayed, for the rest of his life, till death in the coming days did them part…

He’d inherit his father’s farm after old Laërtes’s death, and teach Telemachus the art of gardening, to take care of all the grape vines, fig trees, pear trees, apple trees, and…olive trees. He’d sing his tales to the new generation of Ithacan children, mentoring them on the virtues of Xenia, of bravery, of love. And he’d go back to his old habit of carving, sculpting figurines out of wood—oh, but he’d make so many wonders—the monsters of legends (that he had seen), the faces of old acquaintances (that he would never forget), the images of gods (that he had stolen)…and he’d show them all to his family, and sometimes, to his people struck by curiosity.

Meanwhile, Telemachus would be so delighted to indulge a father who had long missed the chance to raise his own child, as a son who had never got the chance to make any childhood memory with his father. And so often would they roam around in the forests, catching up days forever lost to them both. Meanwhile, Penelope would be so enamored of her husband’s passion, as the one who knew his mind best (oh, what a blessing of homophrosyne). And so often would they pace around in the farm, chattering at length from the rosy-fingered Dawn till the star-filled night…

Maybe at some point, the memories would prove to be too heavy for the old king. Days and nights his family would find him whispering commands that went unheard, words of comfort that he no longer needed—or that he needed the most. All he saw were illusions of the horror he had once witnessed. All he heard were hallucinations of the Siren song he had once heard. Maybe after all these years, ptsd had finally caught up with him. Maybe it went even worse after Penelope’s passing…

Until one day, a stranger knocked the gate of Odysseus’s palace open.

Prince Telemachus offered him food—he politely refused, asking to meet the old king right away.

Odysseus came out, fixing his gaze on the visitor’s face—it seemed foreign, yet strangely familiar—it was as if he had known him so long ago, in a place he couldn’t quite name. But the stranger only moved forward, meeting Odysseus’s eyes.

“Come,” he said gently. “Time to join the rest of them…time to join her.”

And Odysseus knew.

Turning to his son, Odysseus muttered a few words of comfort. Somehow, Telemachus knew this to be a farewell—he embraced his father one last time, smiling in tears.

The prince of Ithaca watched the two of them walk away, to the sea where the stranger came from, as he suddenly leapt, spreading a pair of wings, carrying Odysseus off quickly. Realization struck him finally.

The stranger was none other than fearful Thanatos.

So this is the Death that comes to him from the sea, in such a gentle way.

[monzabee]

the lusty month of may – cs55 (+18)

masterlist

Summary: The one where it’s that darling month when everyone throws self-control away, and you and Carlos decide to do a wretched thing – or two. 

Pairing: carlos sainz x reader

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: smut, unprotected sex (cover your willy, don’t be silly), pre-established relationship, cursing, google translate spanish bc i forgot all the spanish i learned in school (lo siento mucho, señora xenia), talks about pregnancy, minors dni!!

Author’s Note: hi, hey, hello!! okay so this was not supposed to take me this long to write, but i kind of procrastinated because of studying and my exams, but here it is, finally done! i fully blame carlos for my brain rot, so i hope you guys enjoy this one, and feedback is always appreciated! (p.s. the title comes from a song from the broadway musical ‘camelot’ for those of you who are interested!) good morning, noon or night wherever you are, xoxobee

Please also note that all of my works are protected under copyright, and not available for reposting on other platforms. 

His hand is closed over your mouth in a feasible attempt to cover up any pleas or sounds coming from your lips. You tried telling him no when he started pulling you towards the greenhouse behind the villa his family rented out for the weekend. It was supposed to help Carlos destress before leaving for Miami for the rest of the triple header, a long weekend, “A quick little getaway,” his mother called it. Carlos lets out some built-up steam, alright, by fucking you every chance he gets over the course of the 4-day vacation. 

“You know what it does to me when you wear this dress, amorita,” Carlos’ breath hits your sweaty skin as he runs his nose down the length of your throat, “maybe I should rip it when I’m done with you, hm? De esa manera no puedes tentarme más.” That way you can't tease me anymore. You try shaking your head as a response which elicits a mocking chuckle from him, the way he bucks his hip driving him further deep inside you. The strangled moan that rips from the back of your throat has you throwing your head back, which causes Carlos to quickly, but gently, tug on your chin to make you look back up at him. “Eyes on me, cariño.” 

His hips continue their rushed movements as he keeps his eyes locked to yours, your lips opening in an attempt to make him see reason. “Carlos, they’ll hear us.” You think he’ll ignore you once again, like he did when he was frantically pulling you away from the pathway which leads to the courtyard both of you were supposed to be making your way over for dinner with his parents. 

With one last thrust of his lips, which pulls yet another moan from your lips. “I won’t let anyone see you like this; you know that don’t you?” His tone is sweet despite the way he’s breathing deeply in an attempt to organise his breathing, the way he uses the tip of his pointer finger to caress down your blushed cheek, sending shivers down your spine. Although you manage to nod your head, there is a small smile on his lips as he reminds you, “Words, amorita.”

“I- I know that,” you breathe out a ragged breath, hand gripping Carlos’ shirt tighter in the process, “you’re far too jealous to let anyone see.” 

“Always such wits, amor,” he drags the tip of his finger towards your lips, “maybe I’ll just have to fuck you harder to remind you how much you love my possessive side.” 

“You are insane,” you pant, letting out another moan when he shifts his hips to continue his movements even deeper, “is that why you pulled me here? To fuck me into the wall because you were jealous?” 

His voice is hoarse against your skin as he drags his hand down your face to your neck towards your chest to grope your breast. “I made you a promise, remember?” 

And you do. You remember the hushes whispers and promises shared before the New Year’s, and the sweet kiss you’ve shared afterwards. Your eyes soften as realisation sinks in, his determined gaze on yours suddenly making more sense. His hand is rough as he kneads the skin of your breast, his fingers quickly find your pebbled nipple, which has you whining. “I do- I do remember.” You manage to get out as you do your best to focus on his command from earlier. 

“Good, so be a good girl for me and hang on tight, hm?” He gives you enough time for you to organise yourself; your hands grab the flower arranging table underneath you firmly and it makes you receive a pleased hum from him as he keeps up the movement of his hips whilst also making you wrap your legs around him, a hand firmly placed on your upper thigh. “Eyes on me, cariño.” He reminds you.

You comply, of course, and his thrusts keep getting deeper and deeper every time his hips finds yours because of the new position. There is nothing innocent about the way the sounds of your skin slapping off of each other echo in the stuffy greenhouse, mixed with your moans calling out his name over and over again. He knows you well enough to know your tells when you’re getting closer, and he knows your body well enough to know that you won’t be able to hang on for too long. 

The way you scream out Carlos’ name when you feel his fingers drawing circles on your clit is nothing short of animalistic, the way he whispers praises to your lips is lost to you as you feel yourself getting closer to your release. “Carlos,” his name leaves your mouth in a desperate moan, followed by a softer and more pleading, “Carlos, please.” 

“Ask me nicely, amor.” His smile is almost devilish as he mumbles the words to your lips, his fingers slowing down their movements until you give him what he wants. His free hand tighten around your upper thigh in warning as he adds, “No continuaré si no lo pides amablemente.” I won't continue if you don't ask nicely.

You bite back a snarky comment, hyperaware of the fact that he is a man of his word and will leave you unsatisfied on the table by yourself if you don’t give him what he wants. “Por favor déjame correrme.” Please let me cum. The next moan that comes out of your lips come off more as a broken sob as he resumes his fingers’ movement on your bundle of nerves and his hips speeding up their movements to get you there, and you can’t help but chant “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.”

The continuous moans that keep coming out of your mouth, in which you are begging him to make you cum causes his hips to continue their movement rather sharply. Your eyes are filled with tears of pleasure as your visions gets blurry, but you make a point to maintain eye contact with Carlos while he guides you through your orgasm. He only lets himself come undone once you’re done, but unintentionally clench around him due to still feeling sensitive. Hearing your name come through his lips in a guttural moan causes you attempt to bring him closer by tightening your legs around him. 

After a few moments of calmness, you whine at the loss of contact as Carlos pulls out slowly, careful enough to not hurt you. Just as he begins tucking himself back to his pants you attempt to fix your own clothing, but he’s quick to stop you as he says, “Stay on the table, cariño.” 

You choose to nod, not trusting your voice. He’s gentle with you as he pulls up your underwear up your legs and fixes the top and the skirt of your dress. You watch him with sleepy eyes as you ask, “Do you think it took this time?”

“We’ll have to wait and see,” he smiles softly at you while getting some of your tangled hair out of your face, “do you think it did?”

“I don’t know,” you mumble, suddenly shy in front of him for no reason – but he is quick to divert the situation by cutting your feet off the ground by carrying you bridal style, which has you squealing as you wrap your arms around his neck, “Carlos!”

 He lets out a laugh a laugh as he walks out of the greenhouse and the colder air outside has you snuggling closer to his body for heat. His voice is light as he mumbles, “Well, this brings back memories.” 

“You say as if our wedding was a decade ago.” You complain, scrunching up your nose in disagreement. You let a confused hum when he starts walking back to the villa. “We’re supposed to–”

“I’ll tell my parents you were feeling ill,” he raises an eyebrow, “unless you want to sit with them for the rest of the night with my cum still–”

“Carlos!” You exclaim, making him quickly drop the rest of the sentence as he stars laughing. “This is not funny, you know.” 

“Oh it is plenty funny, cariño.” Carlos objects, “We can always tell my parents we were trying for a baby.” He is quick to add, “Not, the literal way, loca,” after receiving a bewildered look from you. 

You sigh as you shrug, “I mean, we could.” 

He agrees with a hum, “We’ll talk about it later, now go to sleep, I know you will before I make it back to the room anyway.”

“Mhm, you know me too well.” You mumble as you bury your face into his neck. 

“That I do, cariño.” He mumbles as he presses a gentle kiss to your hair “That I do.”

[royal-wren]

It's so funny I meant to do this mostly for a nonserious variant but as always I can't do that with him ever

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course my fingerprints can't be read by electronic verification systems

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I lie so masterfully (quick and steadfast) you'd think I'm dead serious and honest

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I am a beacon of trust and pushing for peace and equality through beliefs and deeds

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I believe in the good in humanity and the grace that comes when the impulse is to assist and give aid in any way we can to help another in dire need.

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course at a moment's notice I come out like a cryptid with all the answers to any questions raised when learning is my biggest passion

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I devour stories and poetry both new and old as the history and present culture and humanity immortalized

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I have a deep mutual connection to the earth from the flora and fauna, with a call of a bird I know he is near

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I have mastered many skills like an ace of all trades ranging from sports and strength to the arts, maths, and sciences

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course my laughter is infectious and magnetic

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I walk both without a sound without a thought much to everyone's shock, and as loud as I wish with intention and purpose

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I have a voice that carries like that of 50 people from how loud I can be despite my usual soft-spoken and polite nature

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I am calm under pressure and never cower, my morals and objectivity couldn't be louder

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I am amicable in speech with honeyed/flowery words to keep the peace as much as my tongue is barbed, mingling with thorns for the rare few who've earned my ire

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course luck and fortune follow me everywhere I go

I’m a Hermes devotee, of course I uphold xenia like it was life or death for me no matter the distance one is away from me, no matter the friend or stranger, all that don't breathe wrongly held hate are welcomed with an open door

[lilydalexf]

Hey looking for an xcops MSR fic - any recs?

I have lots of X-Cops fic recs! All of them are not strictly MSR, but they are all very good and related to that episode. Enjoy! Big Debut by Kelly Moreland It's show time! Fancy by @lotsoforangesoutside Mulder and Scully get some friendly advice... Feedback by Sheryl Martin So what DID the FBI think of the COPS show? In Other Context: And the Winner Is… by Mary Greten A Cameraman's worse nightmare. In Other Context: Trust Me, Baldy by Mary Greten After the dawn... Inevitable by Flynn He knew it was inevitable. They both did. They'd known since New Years .... since that day in his apartment doorway last autumn .... maybe even since before Africa. Sooner or later, they were going to end up in bed. For real. Inversion Layer by Blackwood Agent Scully has an admirer, or two. A Nice Hot Breakfast by ScullyGolightly Mulder and Scully try to decompress after their action-filled night on the streets of Los Angeles nothing to hide by seek_its_opposite @seek-its-opposite This, for once, isn’t their usual dialogue. (post "x-cops") Raw Footage by Scullysfan Finally someone has proof Mulder and Scully are doing it during commercials. Remotely Controlled by Marguerite Be careful what you think is a good idea, A.D. Skinner. Follows "X-Cops." (This is NOT MSR. People think I need to mention that.) Shoot Out the Lights by David Hearne X-Cops post-episode Stargazing in L.A. by TeaGirl42 Now that Mulder has found some closure regarding his family history is he ready to move on with the rest of his life? A short story based on Mulder and Scully's visit to L.A - what will they do with their evening off following their starring role in 'Cops'. Angst-free happiness. The Thing With Feathers by Diana Battis A hope starved eventually dies. Traffic Jam by Trixie A discussion about fear. Untitled by @mldrgrl Prompt: "Delete that. Now." Untitled by @purrykat After the X-Cops episode airs, Scully is getting a lot of attention. Insert: Jealous!Mulder. Up in your arms by admiralty @admiralty-xfd Mulder's search for his long-lost sister has finally come to an end. What does this mean for his relationship with Scully? And where do they go from here? We're Not Here To Get Involved in Personal Problems by cecily_sass @cecilysass Forty minutes after the end of the events of X-Cops, Mulder and Scully are still in Willow Park. Scully wants food, sleep, and resolution of her (entirely professional) problems. What happens in the weary early morning hours of February 21, 2000. Willow Park: Aftermath by Kelly Moreland Scully gets ticked at the way Mulder acted in Willow Park. Xenia by @aloysiavirgata Brunch in Willow Park

[msbunnat]

I'm quite new to the story of Ganymede and you look like the type of person who is very well written with it. What's his whole thing with Zeus?

I am... I love Ganymede and I have look on a lot of things about him, but I'm not any type of scholar or a specialist, I just love him and want to use him for also my art, as a tool for me to explore a lot of personal things too.

But, lets go!

In resume, Ganymede's myth is: He was a prince of Troy and his beauty was so stuning that the gods decided to take him from the mortal realm and he became the cupbeard of Zeus. He become imortal and have eternal youth.

Now, most versions say it was Zeus that choose him, other say it was like a colective decision and the reason can be two: He cant be in the mortal realm because he is to beautiful or the gods just wanted a new cupbeard and he just stand out at the moment. After that we have versions saying that Zeus was the one that Kidnapping him, or his eagle Aetos (but some we just dont know who took Ganymede). Not long after there re a lot of versions saying that Zeus fell for him, and their relationship is based on pederasty. Some more 'recent' mentions rape and there re a lot of artists exploring Ganymede suffering in the aspect that he was probably a child (12 - 18 years).

The end of the myth is really blurry... Some say he just stayed as a cupbeard, others he became the aquarius constelation. His family have a big role on the myth, as they re so sad and obviosly pissed for losting his son and brother, that some versions metion as the constelation was a way to Zeus calm them to know that his son is ok (but will never come back), when its not the constelation, Zeus give them magical horses (probably sons of poseidon or hermes - not sure). I have found one saying the family 'recive' both the constelation and the horses. There re also metions of Ganymede turning into a god of homo love, and he join Eros 'love army' the erotes.

Zeus have his fame, and dosent matter the version, Ganymede was kidnnaped, so we have some easy conclusions of abuse if they have a relationship. Basicaly there is not a set answer for their relationship, its a open field to a lot of things.

This myth is intrestily short and kinda obscure. But its well know as the myth of the only male lover of Zeus. (Plato was a big shippes of them kkkkk - just remember it was a different time and the social rules didnt see an adult and a teen have relations as bad as today).

Some funny things: Ganymede is pratically the only mortal non hero that goes to Olympus and kinda became god. His family is one of the only that recive a 'satisfaction' from the gods - like most kidnapped victims just come back or they desapear/die and the family dont have any information after (this makes me interpret this myth as one of the firsts ways to soft the lost of a young son to death, saying he actually was taken by the gods and not by death). And the cupbeard job was one of the highest, like, Zeus is almost always with a comitive (?) of six/five gods that serve him, and serving food is so important for Xenia and a trust job cause you can poison someone so high rancking.

I really like all that can come from this myth. I like the suffering view, the death of young beauty interpretation, the body horror of becaming immortal, explore Zeus and Hera with his 'lover' so close, explore abuse, expore others sides of Zeus (thanks to some rage comments, I end up learning so much about him, its a shame how he is descharacterized)... But mostly I love when Ganymede have a personality (this is the thing I care most and am affraid to do a terrible job in the comic kkkk) this boy is like a blanck page with so many mistery as we know almost nothing about him, just his family and his beauty... (ok, we have some mentions of him playing with Eros and him on the trojan war asking Zeus to help the trojans, but its SO LITTLE! I NEED MORE!!).

*sorry about my english, I'm tired to correct any word for now... -w-

Edit: I think its good to say that myths, tales, all this little stories are mean to be vague and metaphorical. That is why we cant say anything as a fact, but as the most stablished storyline. That is also why we can mold it to our taste and propuse, by that I mean all takes/fanfics/reimaginations wahtever, all of them re valid ways to explore and mantain our human culture alive.

[beauty-and-passion]

Lore Olympus: a golden mine of bad writing

As I said, one post wasn’t enough.

There is still a lot to say about this webcomic and in this post I would like to talk about how Zeus, Apollo and Kronos have been treated. Here I will focus on the first two acts only, because the third act is not over, as well as the story. And yes, that means I will write another post when this whole thing is over.

I wanted to focus on these three gods in particular because are treated in a way that baffles me and makes me question what did they ever do to Mrs. Smythe. Tell me, Rachel: was it something personal? Did they do something to your family? What happened?

But maybe you don’t understand my point, especially if you haven’t read the Greek myths at all and you think that these three are just “Unfaithful Guy”, “Rapist” and “Evil Villain Har Har Who Also Wants To Rape”. Seriously, what’s with this weird obsession with raping everyone and with sex? Did Mrs. Smythe ever see anything else in myths, besides sex?

So please, allow me to explain why their characterizations are wrong and boring - and no, not just from a mythological point of view. 

_______________________________

Zeus: the walking clichè

Making Zeus an asshole is understandable, even if utterly boring and clichè. Oh wow, he's an unfaithful husband and he's vain. Very original. Groundbreaking, I'd say. I’ve never read about him being unfaithful to his wife, not even once in all the 200 million retellings made during the history of mankind.

It's a shame because Zeus is much more than that. He's a mighty ruler with a strong sense of justice: in several myths, he punished the assholes for their wrongdoings. He's very clever and strong. He's also associated with xenia, the custom of offering protection to strangers, which means Zeus is also a protector of foreigners.

I mean, this information alone offers so many new perspectives about him! Just imagine if, instead of hanging around and doing nothing useful aside from being everyone’s favorite punching bag, Zeus fought against every corrupt system of the mortal realm, in order to protect the foreigners and the innocents. It would’ve been so cool to see a different side of him, instead of the same thing over and over again!

But nope, Zeus = unfaithful husband only. Let’s ignore all the other aspects of him, to focus on the one everyone focuses on. Let’s make him the umpteenth version of the same guy, instead of offering a new vision. This will surely make the story worth everyone’s time!

Rachel, this could’ve worked if I was 12 and had never read a retelling in my entire life. But since I’m more than twice that age, seeing Zeus as an unfaithful husband again doesn’t get my interest. And I’m sure this doesn’t only apply to me, but to everyone who already saw at least two retellings of him. Isn’t this story supposed to be new and original? Then why are we still picking from the same old clichè visions of these gods? Where is the writer’s personality and ability?

_______________________________

Apollo: king of wasted potentials

I am absolutely, completely, 100% baffled at how Apollo has been treated in this story.

It's insulting to see the most beloved Greek god treated as a bidimensional piece of shit. Not only because he doesn't make any sense in the story (why is he here in the first place? Did Persephone and Apollo even interact in any myth?), but also because there are so many different possibilities for him, that seeing him being this is the biggest waste of potential I’ve ever seen.

A brief recap of who Apollo really is: Apollo is the embodiment of the sun. He is the god of arts and crafts. He's the most beautiful god, he embodies the concept of perfect Greek beauty. And he is associated with a lot of cool stuff, like medicine, truth and oracles. Also, like most of the other Greek gods, Apollo had many male and female lovers.

Now, look me in the eye and tell me that, with all of this, your first idea about him is "yeah, let's make him a stupid rapist, so stupid to not realize that hey, maybe forcing a girl to sleep with you will not make her fall in love with you". Oh and let's not forget he randomly decided he wanted Zeus' throne just after the fertility plot point had been introduced Because Yes. And he’s running for president of Whatever-Land Because Yes. Also, he’s currently involved again in another evil plot Because… yeah, you got it.

It’s just so frustrating to see him being the biggest loser of all time, considering how much cooler he could’ve been. Just think about it: we could've had a bisexual musician, who does concerts with his band (the Muses) and has a shit ton of lovers. We could’ve had a heartbroken doctor, who does his best to save everyone because he has not been able to save his own son from death (Asclepius). We could've had a mysterious advisor who can see the future because of his foresight powers.

What did we get instead? A fucking rapist.

Apollo is nothing but wasted potential. He’s an insult to himself, the story, common sense, and the Greek culture. Of all the incredible things he could've been, he became the most insulting of them all. I really cannot bear to see this fucking idiot and his punching-bag face, pretending to be Apollo. He’s not Apollo.

But if there is a guy I can see less than him, then let me introduce you to…

_______________________________

Kronos: Supreme Master of Wasted Potential

First of all: why is Kronos here? Why does this love story need Persephone to defeat a big bad guy? Just to show how cool and badass she is? Considering that their fight was a joke, it didn't work very well.

But okay, let's say we need a villain Because Yes. Kronos is still a huge waste of potential, probably the biggest waste of potential of the whole series until now. He could’ve been an interesting, multifaceted character, but he became a cartoonish supervillain har-har I want power.

Sigh.

But let’s take a step back and talk about the real, mythological Kronos. His story starts with his parents, Uranus and Gaia. The two had a lot of sons, including Titans (like Kronos) and Hecatonchires (monsters with fifty heads and one hundred arms). Disgusted by their monstrous nature or maybe just out of fear of being overthrown, Uranus chained his sons away into Gaia's womb (aka the Tartarus) so that they could never come out again.

Gaia suffered from this decision, so she devised a plan: she made a stone sickle, gathered her sons and tried to persuade them to castrate Uranus.

All of her sons were afraid of Uranus, Kronos was the only one brave enough to do it. And he was successful: he overthrew his father and became the new ruler of the universe, along with his wife/sister Rhea.

However, after becoming king, he didn't free all of his brothers as his mother wanted, but locked Hecatonchires and Cyclopes away once again. And so, Gaia told him that, one day, he would meet his father’s same fate and be overthrown by one of his own children.

Scared by these words, Kronos devised a plan: every time he had a new child, he took the baby from Rhea and swallowed them. Rhea was desperate and, in order to save her last son Zeus, she sought Gaia's help.

So Rhea gave birth to Zeus in a secret place, then handed Kronos a stone wrapped in clothes: he swallowed it, thinking that it was his son. This way, Zeus managed to escape the same fate as his siblings and was raised in secret, away from his father, until he was old enough to come back and fulfill his destiny.

And now, you may think Zeus overthrew his father with a sword and killed him and nah nah nah, myths are not that stupid and predictable. Zeus didn’t use violence to overthrow his father, but intelligence. He disguised himself to reach Kronos' court and, at the right time, he gave him a drink. That drink was an emetic (given by Gaia), that forced Kronos to throw up everything he swallowed, in reverse order: first the stone he thought was his last son, then Zeus' brothers and sisters.

After freeing his siblings, Zeus did what his father would've never done: he released the Hecatoncheires and the Cyclops to help him in the following battle against Kronos and the other Titans, a battle known as Titanomachy.

The war ended with the victory of the Olympians (i.e. Zeus and his siblings). Many Titans were confined in Tartarus, under the Hecatonchires' control, others were not imprisoned and kept appearing in other myths.

And Kronos? His fate differs depending on the myths. In some versions, he was imprisoned in Tartarus. But according to other, more interesting versions, Zeus forgave him after years, freed him and Kronos became king of the Elysian Fields: the famous earthly paradise reserved for the greatest Greek heroes.

Now. Just look at all of this beautiful, beautiful potential.

We have Gaia, a powerful goddess who overthrew two rulers of the universe, without moving a finger. A goddess strong and clever, but also a mother who wanted all of her children to be free - even the most hideous ones. She could’ve been a tragic figure, a master manipulator, or an evil schemer. Or all these things!

We have the Hecatonchires: fighters so powerful, to turn the tide of any battle. They could’ve been scary and intimidating, but also tragic monsters who just wanted to be accepted. They could’ve taught a beautiful lesson about the importance of accepting the ugly and giving everyone a chance to prove themselves.

Then we have Kronos. And Kronos had everything to be the greatest character.

Think about this concept: Kronos has always been afraid of Uranus, just like his brothers. He was just better at hiding his feelings. And that visceral fear is still inside him, it still haunts him after centuries, just like the memory of how he overthrew his father. And that fear takes the shape of paranoid thoughts about his father coming back to take the throne.

Kronos could’ve seen his father haunting him, but he could’ve also dissociated and seen himself as his father. In his altered state of mind, he could’ve been both the king and the one who overthrows him.

That could’ve made him a truly dangerous, unhinged character. A god who can’t see what’s real anymore, obsessed with the ghosts of his past. A god with nothing to lose and everything to gain. After all, if he kills his children again, the throne would be his once more. And, since he sees himself as himself and as his father at the same time, he would think that he is the "true king" coming back to take his throne.

That could’ve been awesome. Kronos could've been complex, desperate and multifaceted, a villain to pity and to be afraid of. A truly new, interesting version to know and love.

And do you have any idea how incredible Zeus could’ve been in this version? We could see him facing Kronos again, still as strong and determined as when he was young. And while everyone would expect him to kill Kronos, he would use his intelligence once again. He would prove to Kronos (and to everyone else) how intelligence is always superior to violence and how he's a good leader, despite his thousands of flaws.

Also, we could've seen Zeus talking to the defeated Kronos and making him the ruler of the Elysian Fields. We could've had a meaningful ending, in which Zeus understands Kronos' fears and shares his own.

I would’ve adored this, because according to the myth, Zeus was also supposed to be overthrown by a son! Hence why he swallowed Metis (his first wife) while she was pregnant.

The myth never truly clarifies who this supposed "son" is, but according to the different versions, Metis was pregnant not with a son, but with a daughter. A daughter who, one day, would be born, full grown, from Zeus' head. A daughter who would become Zeus' favorite child: Athena.

Honestly? I ADORE the idea that there was never a son to overthrow Zeus, but a daughter. And she would not overthrow his father by violence like her grandfather or by intelligence like her father, but by love. Athena doesn't need to take the throne from her father physically, she doesn't even need to sit on that throne: not when her father loves her more than anything else.

And I love the idea that Zeus is aware of that. He knows his daughter is his weakness. He knows that, if she asks, he will willingly give her that throne, because he loves her too much. And I would've loved to see him sharing these thoughts with the defeated Kronos. It could've been a beautiful moment, to see Zeus talking with the fatherly figure he always missed from his life. It could've led to a beautiful, meaningful ending for a dramatic story.

But can you see the problem here? This concept works for a story about Zeus, not about Hades and Persephone! These two have nothing to do with Kronos! Heck, even Rachel Smythe knows it, considering she had to pull a stupid plot point out of thin air, to explain why Kronos would give a damn about Persephone!

In case you were wondering: yes, the fertility-magical-power-battery-thing is bullshit. Gods don’t need a magical battery to be powerful. And no, fertility goddesses are not rare either: Aphrodite, Demeter, Hera, even Artemis are just a few of the fertility goddesses in Greek mythology. Kronos could’ve picked his favorite from a large pool, instead of becoming an absolute creep with Persephone in the stupidest fight of all time.

And speaking of that, two words on the supposed “fight”. First of all, apologies to all fights for being associated with this thing, because this was anything but a fight: it was a cartoonish conversation accompanied by the umpteenth sexualization of Persephone, who first appeared fully naked, then with a dress so stupid to defy the laws of physics and perspective.

And if you don’t believe me, please see it by yourself: this is how the dress was supposed to be, according to episode 75

This is how it ended up. Apparently, the Fates didn’t predict how huge Persephone’s boobs would be and the neckline didn’t grow accordingly: I feared to see one of them slipping out from it anytime during the “fight”

Also, please appreciate how Persephone is turned to the side, but the dress’ stupidly huge neckline is shown from the front, otherwise we would’ve seen her full naked boobs.

And that stupid neckline kept bothering me throughout the whole “fight”, because it kept changing size. Check the episodes and see it by yourself: sometimes it’s smaller, other times it’s wider and it keeps moving in impossible ways. It drove me insane.

But since we’re talking about drawings, please allow me a very brief parenthesis about them too.

_______________________________

The drawings are a joke

I am not an artist. I can barely draw a straight line by hand. But I studied art history, perspective, proportions and colors, so I’m not completely clueless.

But you don’t need to be clueless, to notice how bad the drawings became. If you have two eyes and saw another human being in your life before, then you can notice by yourself how bad they are.

It’s not a secret that Lore Olympus’ art style changed over time. In the beginning, this comic was characterized by a lot of straight lines and geometric shapes, alternating and mixing with gentle curves. There were blur effects, colored outlines, a lot of details that gave an overall dreamy, ethereal vibe to every chapter (like the soft glow that accompanied the gods).

But as the story progressed, these elements disappeared. The geometric shapes gave way to an overall “softness” and roundness. The dreamy vibes and blur effects were replaced by sharper, clearer drawings. A distinct black outline now marks every character.

And speaking of characters, they were the ones who changed more. Lore Olympus always had funny, silly faces but the characters were also able to be serious and look natural. Now all we have are grotesque faces: the characters are a collection of caricatures and no one has a normal expression anymore. Check by yourself, by confronting a random episode of the third act with the first one: they’re two different worlds.

The disproportions were common too, since episode one. But at least they were somehow plausible, while now they’re completely absurd. It’s as if Mrs Smythe completely forgot what a human being looks like.

And this is pretty evident in how all characters became a rough draft of the two protagonists: all women got Persephone’s face, all men become buff and huge, with wide-ass shoulders and teeny tiny heads. This is particularly obvious at the end of season 2 / start of season 3, when we see some of the funniest images ever, like Hades with a tiny head and shoulders as wide as the entire USA

Or this hilariously bad image of Zeus with clown shoes and a head as big as his deformed hand.

No excuse can justify these drawings: no one is running after Mrs Smythe, nor forcing her to draw, and people are paying her real money to work on this webcomic. The least she can do is draw something that doesn’t look like a bad distortion of a human being.

Unless this isn’t her drawing, but her staff’s work. In that case, they are still paid to do their job, right? Or do they think this story is a joke and decide to show how much of a joke it is, by turning everyone into a grotesque caricature?

_______________________________

In conclusion

Lore Olympus is hilarious because of how bad the writing is. It’s a manual example of how not to write a climax for your story. It’s a perfect demonstration of how you can still fail, even with great characters with endless possibilities. It’s a list of all the mistakes you can make as an artist.

If you’re a writer or an artist in general, please check Lore Olympus and study it. Here you will find everything you should never do and all the mistakes you should never make.

As a writer myself, I appreciate Lore Olympus, because I need works that teach me what I shouldn’t do. Good teachers are useful, but bad ones are even more useful, because it’s thanks to them that I can learn and grow and make better stories. Lore Olympus might be a failure from an artistic and writing point of view, but it might also serve as a foundation, from which other people can develop better ideas.

Actually, it already did it! Do you want to read a better story, rose from the disappointing ashes of Lore Olympus? Then check Lore Rekindled and @genericpuff: you will find their work here on Tumblr. They planned everything ahead and it’s pretty clear by reading it. The characters make more sense, the events have a more logical explanation. And the art style is much, much better than the last Lore Olympus.

We will meet again for the third and (for now) final post about this series, a much-needed post about the protagonists of this story: Hades, Persephone and Demeter.

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(How about a coffee? ☕)

_______________________________

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[tylermileslockett]

Theseus #3 (Medea and the Poisoned Cup)

After undergoing the customary rites to be cleansed from bloodshed, Theseus arrives in Athens. With a high reputation of his heroic deeds he receives an invitation to the King’s banquet. But only the Queen Medea recognizes Theseus to be the son and heir. Afraid for the legitimacy of her son Medus, she schemes, convincing an elderly King Aegeus that this new guest comes with ill intent. But when Theseus holds aloft his sword to cut his meat, the King recognizes his son, and knocks the poisoned cup from his hand.   Medea, knowing her deception will not go unpunished, flees the banquet, and kingdom with her son.

Here is an opportune time to give a brief overview of the fascinating and complex Medea. Her grandfather was the sun god Helios, and her father was king Aeetes (son of Helios and Perseis, an Oceanid). Despite her divine parentage, Medea is most commonly portrayed as mortal with magical abilities. Medea was a devout follower of Hecate, goddess of magic and necromancy.

Her first introduction is as the princess of Colchis assisting Jason to acquire the golden fleece. The lovers flee Colchis, and with the king’s army in pursuit, Medea and Jason sacrifice her brother Absyrtus. They throw his dismembered body parts into the water, forcing the king to slow and collect his dead son, allowing the argonauts to escape. Many years later having settled in Corinth, the love between the two sours, shown in the play “Medea�� by Euripides. When Jason abandons her to marry the princess Glauce, Medea creates a poisoned dress for the new bride which takes the brides life. Most shockingly of all, Medea murders her own two sons in a bloody act of revenge.

Although in Euripides’ play we can empathize with her as a betrayed and lonely outcast, in Theseus’ tale she is shown in a more villainous light, when she breaks the sacred social contract in ancient Greek culture of Xenia (hospitality and protection of the guest by a host). Zeus was the patron god of Xenia, and this cultural value is a major theme in Homer’s Odyssey.

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[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

The promise of convenience and consumerism embedded in the late-1940s petrochemical industry boom shrouded an inconvenient truth. The products the chemical industry marketed as miracle, low-cost solutions for harried housewives—“long-wearing” nylons, self-service meats in sanitary cellophane, easy-flow paints—are made from climate-polluting fossil fuels and chock full of hazardous chemicals. (Cellophane was originally made of plant materials with petrochemical-based coatings but was soon replaced with cheaper petrochemical-based films.)

Fossil fuel-derived chemicals permeate a dizzying array of consumer, agricultural and industrial products. Many of these chemicals contribute to a range of chronic diseases, including cancer, metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity, and diverse reproductive and neurological problems, research shows. Their manufacture, use and disposal has contaminated the air, water and soil around the world, creating a global crisis on par with the climate and biodiversity crisis, the authors argue. 

Discussions around climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions tend to focus on the oil and gas used for power and transportation, and the need to transition to different sources of energy, said Xenia Trier, a coauthor on the paper and an associate professor of environmental analytical chemistry at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

“What we have talked less about is the oil and gas that goes into making the chemicals and materials that surround us,” she said.

Trier and her colleagues knew they had to jumpstart that discussion when they saw that fossil fuel industry forecasts didn’t predict decreases in production, because they were shifting from selling oil for energy and transportation to selling it for expanded production of chemicals and plastics. 

“As we try to lessen our dependence on oil and gas as an energy source, the oil and gas industry is turning to material production to replace the demand drying up from oil and gas as an energy source,” said Gretta Goldenman, a study coauthor, expert on international chemical regulation and founder of Milieu Law & Policy Consulting. 

[longitudinalwaveme]

The Rogues: Ancient Greek Mythology AU

Thanks in large part to the efforts of my younger sister, I listened to the concept album for EPIC: The Musical, which prompted me to go into an autistic-special-interest rabbit hole about Greek mythology.

This AU is the result. Because the only thing better than autistic special interests is a crossover between multiple different special interests.

Some of this is loosely based on a somewhat similar AU @gorogues wrote about a decade back (I'm primarily borrowing names; the origins of the powers and such are quite different).

The Kobaloi (this AU's version of the Rogues) are, unsurprisingly, a group of thieves, most of whom hail from wildly different parts of Ancient Greece. They are generally very successful and have proven almost impossible to capture, due to both their own intelligence and the fact that more than a few of them have managed to gain the favor---and thus the magical gifts---of various Greek deities. Capturing them is difficult, and punishing them is a risky proposition, since it risks angering their very powerful patrons. Thus, it is fortunate for everyone else that the Kabaloi are considerably more interested in money than in hurting people.

Katápsychros (Captain Cold): Katápsychros is the unofficial leader of the Kabaloi. He grew up in extreme poverty and joined the army at a very young age (probably no more than 15 or 16) in order to escape from his violently abusive father. This necessitated leaving his younger sister behind, an act for which he never fully forgave himself. Katápsychros had a knack for strategy, a fact which his superiors noticed and took full advantage of to win victories---victories for which they claimed sole credit. After all, no one would believe an ordinary soldier had come up with such complex strategies. Katápsychros resented this, and, after he received no credit and no reward for a strategy that had allowed his city-state's army to plunder a foreign city with almost no loss of life, his frustrations reached a boiling point and he began to devise a new strategy: one that would allow him to make off with the loot he felt he had earned after his years fighting. He was in the middle of his plan when he was visited by Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. She had a habit of taking on mortal champions, and she had been decidedly impressed by Katápsychros' strategic mind. If he would agree to fight battles for her when she called upon him, she would guide him in his schemes--and grant him a powerful weapon. Katápsychros readily agreed, and Athena, inspired by his name, gave him a magical amulet that granted him some of the powers of Khione, the goddess of ice and snow. Thus armed, Katápsychros was easily able to carry out his scheme to take what he considered his share of the army's loot and run. His superior officers unsurprisingly chased after him, but his newfound powers allowed him to drive them off, and he took up a new career as a thief and mercenary for hire (which one he was depended on how he felt on a given day). Over time, he recruited a number of other powerful individuals to work alongside him; these men would become the Kabaloi. While cold, calculating, and at times ruthless, Katápsychros nevertheless holds himself and his allies to a set of standards. He strictly refuses to kill civilians, especially women and children, and is smart enough to make sure that he and his companions respect the laws of xenia (hospitality) and to regularly make sacrifices to the Olympian pantheon (particularly Athena, since she's his personal patron). He might be a thief, but he has no desire to be a butcher---and even less desire to get smited.

Armonikós (Pied Piper): Armonikós is, in fact, a prince; he is the son of the king and queen of Thrace. He was born deaf, and his very disappointed parents ordered their slaves to leave him outside to die. The kindly slaves couldn't bring themselves to do so, and, as such, Armonikós was raised as a slave for the first eight years of his life. During his eighth year, Apollo, the god of music, poetry, and healing (among many other things) disguised himself as a traveling musician in order to test the hospitality of the mortals of Thrace. Armonikós and his foster parents immediately invited the disguised Apollo to take shelter in the palace and quite willingly shared the relatively little food and drink they were given from the king and queen. Apollo was impressed by their generosity, and, as a reward, gave Armonikós hearing that could rival that of a dog, as well as magical reed pipes that had the power to hypnotize anyone who listened to them, and rather strenuously insisted to the king and queen that they recognize the boy as their son and heir. Armonikós grew up with a passion for music and became a very talented musician, but, having spent some of the most formative years of his life as a half-starved slave, he had a concern for the poor that his parents thought undignified. A prince ought not go around saying that he planned on freeing all of the castle's slaves as soon as he became king. The day Armonikós turned 16, his parents went to an oracle for advice about their son---and were horrified to learn that he was destined to become king before his father died. His parents reacted by disowning their son and banishing him from the kingdom, and only their fear of the Furies kept them from simply having him executed outright. Armonikós, who had never been outside the walls of the palace before, and knew almost nothing about how to make money, nearly starved to death, and likely would have if Epíklopos hadn't stumbled upon him and invited him to join the Kabaloi. Armonikós gives most of the money he steals to the poor and spends a lot of time helping slaves escape their masters, particularly when said masters are cruel. The other Kabaloi think he's nuts, but put up with it for the sake of his hypnotic pipes and his incredible hearing. They have no idea he's a prince, and Armonikós intends to keep it that way.

Epíklopos (The Trickster/James Jesse): Epíklopos is the son of an incredibly beautiful traveling entertainer named Helen and the god Hermes. Much like his father, and as his name would imply, Epíklopos is a trickster, a traveler, and a thief. He started picking pockets and running cons practically before he could walk, and he used the money he stole to help supplement the income he and his mother made as performers. Hermes was delighted by his son's skills as a trickster and gave him a pair of shoes that would allow him to walk on air for his twelfth birthday. Epíklopos and his mother used the shoes in their act until Epíklopos turned 16, at which point he struck out on his own and used his talents to become a member of the Kobaloi. In addition to his shoes and his incredible cunning, Epíklopos also has seemingly supernatural luck on his side, which he speculates is another gift from his father. Epíklopos insists that he is the most talented son of Hermes since Autolycus, and by all accounts he's probably right.

Dineuō (The Top): Dineuō is dead. Or rather, he was dead, until his beloved Chrysafénios brought his shade out of the underworld and restored him to the land of the living. Dineuō was born in Athens to a wealthy family of traders. Dineuō was quite well educated and displayed a fascination with natural philosophy from an early age. Unfortunately, while he had a love of what we would now call science, he did not have the temperament or the social graces to effectively work in his father's business, and his father considered him to be a disappointment and an embarrassment. In addition to his love of science, Dineuō also had a deep love of tops, and spent many hours watching them spin. Their motion soothed him and helped him to relax when he felt agitated. As Dineuō grew older, his studies lead him to become an inventor, and he gained no small amount of fame from it. In fact, he became so famous as an inventor that he was rewarded with the blessings of not one but two gods: Hephaestus, the god of the forge, gave him telekinesis as a reward for his very consistent and generous sacrifices, and Zephyrus, the West Wind, gave him the ability to spin at high speed as a reward for a brilliantly crafted device that Dineuō had offered to him on one of his festival days. Unfortunately, Dineuō's success, and his gifts, went to his head. He became arrogant and cocky, and when he suddenly and rather dramatically suffered from a fit of madness that cost him his reputation and banished him from his hometown, it was whispered that the gods had sent the madness as punishment for his hubris. If that was the case, the lesson didn't stick. Furious at his banishment, Dineuō joined up with the Kobaloi----and, soon after, fell in love with Katápsychros' younger sister, Chrysafénios. For a few years, the two were blissfully happy together (in spite of Katápsychros' disapproval), but then Dineuō was killed in a battle where the Kabaloi were fighting as mercenaries. Upon his death, his soul went to the Underworld, where he stayed until Chrysafénios rescued him and returned him to the land of the living. Now that he is alive once more, Dineuō plans to use his powers and his inventive prowess to escape the clutches of both Thanatos and Hades for good.

Chrysafénios (Golden Glider): Chrysafénios is Katápsychros' younger sister, and she was only 14 when her father used her beauty to marry her off to the wealthiest man he could find. Chrysafénios' husband proved to be nearly as brutal and cruel as her father, and, as such, she drugged his wine and ran away from him the second she learned about the Kabaloi. Katápsychros was glad to see her, but refused to allow her to join the group, saying that it was much too dangerous for her. Instead, he used the loot he had acquired from his time in the army to set her up with her own home, where she lived in relative comfort. Her husband drank himself into an early grave a year later, and not long after, a handsome young man named Dineuō, one of the Kabaloi, began paying court to her. She quickly fell in love with him and the two were soon married, much to Katápsychros' disapproval. Unfortunately for Chrysafénios, Dineuō was killed in a battle where the Kabaloi were fighting as mercenaries a few years later. Furious, Chrysafénios swore that she would take revenge on whoever had killed him--and her furious rage attracted the brutal war god Ares. He promised to give her revenge if she would kill for him, and Chrysafénios eagerly agreed. Ares gave her a pair of sandals that would let her fly through the air and a pair of swords light enough for her to use but just as sharp and deadly as any spear or broadsword, and Chrysafénios went into battle and killed not only her husband's killer but a good twenty-five other enemy soldiers besides. Her viciousness allowed the Kabaloi and their allies to defeat their enemies, and Chrysafénios loved every second of the battle, but Katápsychros was horrified---and became even more horrified when he learned that Ares had given his sister her weapons. His patron, Athena, was generally opposed to her brutal brother, and he hated the idea of his sister becoming a killer for the war god---but Chrysafénios insisted that she was a warrior now, and that she was going to use her new skills to help the Kabaloi. Her brother reluctantly agreed, if only to keep her from being corrupted by Ares' influence. Not too long afterwards, Chrysafénios descended into the Underworld, with the goal of bringing her lover back to the land of the living. She was promptly attacked by Cerberus, the guard dog of the Underworld, and actually managed to fight her way past him (albeit at the cost of her left arm). She then made her way to Hades and Persephone, the king and queen of the Underworld, and asked them to release her husband to her. Her courage and her obvious devotion to her husband impressed the dread rulers of the dead enough that they agreed to release Dineuō and restore him to life---but warned her that this boon would only be granted once. No matter how brave she was, no mortal could escape death forever. Upon their return to the mortal world, Dineuō built Chrysafénios a prosthetic arm (after all, she needed to be able to use both her swords!), and Chrysafénios eagerly returned to her role as Ares' warrior. Her brother, she maintains, worries too much. What could be better than fighting at Dineuō's side?

Aetos (Weather Wizard): Aetos has a wand that allows him to control the weather; even being able to summon lightning at will. Originally, this wand belonged to his older half-brother, Astrapí. The two of them shared the same mother, but while Aetos was the son of a mortal man, Astrapí was the son of none other than Zeus himself. Their mother adored Astrapí, the proof that she was beautiful enough to have attracted the attention of the king of the gods (though she was smart enough to never speak of their relationship---she knew what would happen if Hera ever found out), and the fact that he was also strong, handsome, and intelligent made him a general favorite. Aetos grew up in his brother's shadow; generally ignored except when he was being negatively compared to his older brother, and in frustration he ultimately ran away from home and became something of an aimless vagrant, alternatively committing petty thefts, begging, and doing odd jobs to survive. When Astrapí turned eighteen, Zeus granted him the magical wand, and the good-hearted Astrapí promptly started using it to benefit the people around him. Unfortunately for Astrapí, this eventually attracted Hera's attention, and she was quickly able to deduce that the young man who had been granted such a marvelous gift was likely yet another of her unfaithful husband's children. In a fury, Hera arranged for Astrapí to die of heart failure, which he promptly did. She then took the wand, tracked down Aetos, and presented it to him. Since Aetos' mother had always made her disdain for her younger son quite apparent, Hera decided that the best way to punish her rival would be to make Aetos more powerful than his brother had ever been. Not only would he now wield his brother's weather wand, but he would be placed under her patronage---and one day, Hera told him, she would make him a king. Aetos, more than a little stunned, accepted the offer, and in response, Hera gave him both the wand and a rather elaborate peacock-feather cape--a sign of her favor. Not long afterwards, Aetos used his newfound power to join the Kabaloi and start making a name for himself. Thanks to his brother's wand, Aetos is extremely powerful, and, due to Hera's favor, he is also extremely lucky. Aetos also has an eye for ladies (though he is extremely careful to never so much as flirt with anyone he thinks might be married---he was nothing before Hera gave him the wand, and he isn't about to lose it by dishonoring marriage and losing her favor). In spite of his power, though, Aetos is swamped with guilt over Astrapí's death. He knows that he only has his powers because his brother died, and he is well aware of the fact that his brother was much more benevolent with his power than Aetos is. But hey, Aetos is going to be a king someday! If that doesn't make up for the guilt, what will?

Enkavma (Heat Wave): Enkavma has the power to summon fire, and is immune to being burnt himself. He was born to a family of devout but poor farmers, but, when a vicious wildfire swept through the small farming community where they lived, he was the only survivor. Hestia, the goddess of hearth and home, took pity on him, adopted him, and granted him with the ability to survive flames and to control the very force that had robbed him of his family. Enkavma lived with her until he was 15, at which point he left to seek his own fortunes. Unfortunately, he wasn't very bright, and didn't really know what to do with himself. As such, he became something of a walking sideshow attraction, using his ability to conjure flames to earn money. Eventually, this ability caught the eye of Katápsychros, who invited him to join the Kabaloi. Eager to have a family, Enkavma agreed, and became the muscle of the group. Enkavma is quiet and gentle, rather like his foster mother, and sometimes wishes he could leave the Kabaloi for a less destructive group---but he has become friends with all of the other Kabaloi, and isn't sure that he would be able to survive without them.

Antanáklasi (Mirror Master/Sam Scudder): Antanáklasi is incredibly handsome, incredibly clever, and incredibly vain. He was the son of a very poor widow, and rarely knew if he would have food to eat on any given day. Antanáklasi's first stroke of luck came when he was nine years old and a traveling philosopher noticed his cleverness and spent a few weeks teaching him how to read and write. This education, brief though it was, helped him find jobs and support himself and his mother, who would tragically die of fever shortly before Antanáklasi's fourteenth birthday. Antanáklasi's second stroke of luck occurred shortly after he turned eighteen. While out in the fields, he stumbled across a magical mirror that held the image of anyone who looked in it. It had once belonged to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and Antanáklasi would ultimately use this chance find to enter into a study of both magic and science. By the time he was twenty-one, he had mastered what he called "mirror magic", a power which allowed him to create illusions, travel through mirrors, and even shoot out concentrated beams of light as lasers. Antanáklasi decided to use these abilities to become a soldier of fortune, and promptly joined up with the Kabaloi. Antanáklasi is one of the group's most powerful members, and, while he isn't particularly devout, he does have a particular fondness for Aphrodite, whom he credits for his amazing discoveries and his stunning good looks.

[englandsgirl18181234]

Last one, I promise. Do Penelope and Odysseus ask new arrivals for news of Athena?

No, no, you're good, I swear!! I'll answer any questions you may have with absolute glee! This AU has consumed my soul and I have no one to talk about it with, and asks you send will be met with gleeful cackling as I type out my rambling thoughts!

And they absolutely they do! They take turns depending on who they're asking, though situations can vary wildly.

They've all gotten into more than one fight when the people they ask try and talk bad about her in front of them. They know she's done horrific things, she's a Goddess, divine beings are well known to do such things all the time for very petty reasons.

But they've all done terrible things as well. They not exactly going to judge her for it.

Penelope ignored how a few of the worst suitors were poisoned and many people that broke laws were executed at her word while she ruled in Odysseus's stead for 20 years. She couldn't do anything about the suitors because of Xenia, but the rest of the kingdom was under her rule and she made sure they knew it when they thought she was weakening.

Telemachus personally helped kill both the suitors and the servants that betrayed him and Penelope, and that's not including everything he did during his own reign as King.

And Odysseus both directly and indirectly slaughtered Thousands during the Trojan war, particularly with his Trojan Horse plan, to say nothing of everything that happened over the course of his journey!

They love Athena just as much as she loves them, which is Really Saying Something. They will absolutely fight Anyone that's badmouthing her in front of them.

In other words, yes they ask newcomers about her All The Time and they get into A Lot of fights over it.

Telemachus and Odysseus have actually gotten into several fights with well known historical figures over their love for Athena, particularly those from the Roman side of things. And they will get into Many more when they find out just how badly the Romans hurt her in their actions.

[yiffos-official]

I am willing to give you or anyone else on tumblr the skills and advice the helped me get my dream job

the idea of working for TEK a few months ago would just be a fantasy

my background in education is English. I learned what I know now on my own and only by random chance.

This is why I am so critical of the linux commumity on tumblr.

They're tagging themselves as -official when they can't provide casual end user support.

They're entirely too horny to be in this sphere. Computers and linux should not be about how much you want to fuck/be fucked by X

it will deter end users

This is very cool that you will help other tumblr users with this stuff; i may actually take you up on this at some point :3

(my tone here is /g, /pos, /nm, /lh)

I do, however, kind of disagree with the other points. I think that for any other social media it's correct, twt or fb does not have the culture to make these sorts of parody accounts viable or not-counter-productive to increasing the linux market share. But I don't think that tumblr is the same.

I think that tumblr does. I think the tumblr community has always been this somewhat ephemeral yet perpetual inside joke culture where almost every user is in-the-know, and new users to the joke are able generally able to catch on quickly to it due to their general understanding of they way tumblr communities operate.

IMO, it's a somewhat quick pipeline of:

\> find first "x-official" blog -> assume it's real -> see them horny posting about xenia -> infer that RH corporate would probably not approve of such a blog

I can appreciate that it might be intimidating to seek out help as a new linux user, and especially a new linux & tumblr user, but looking through these blogs, you do see them helping out people ^^. heck, my last post was helping someone getting wayland working on an nvidia system.

The main goal of these blogs is not to be a legitimate CS service to general end-users. they aren't affiliated with the software their blog is named after, so in many cases they *cant*. The goal is instead to foster a community around linux, creating a general network of blogs of the various FOSS projects that they enjoy.

I think that final sentiment, of these blogs detering end users, is most likely counter to their actual effect on end users who are considering switching to linux.

We all know a lot of tumblr is 20 or 30 something year olds who have just stuck around since ~2012ish, and new users to tumblr join with pre-existing knowledge of the culture and platform. Almost anyone coming across these blogs are going to be people who can see the "in" joke, and acclimate. I do highly doubt that a random facebook mom who's son convinced her to install mint on her old laptop would find tumblr, find a -official blog, scroll through said blog, and be detered from using mint.

The other side of this is that any tumblr users who come across these blogs, be it with an inkling of desire to switch to linux or not, will see a vibrant and active community that fits very well into the tumblr community. They remember, or have heard of, the amtrac & OSHA blogs, and are therefore probably aware that this is a pre-existing meme on here.

In all likelyhood, this will probably further incentivize them to make the switch, as they would be more attracted to a community of their peers over a community of redditors telling them to read the arch wiki repeatedly

I can, on the other hand, definitely see that for people who have difficulties with parsing tone, and especially sarcasm, would have trouble with this. TBH, I have these difficulties (hence when I was speaking to you yesterday I used the /unjerk indicator, as I couldn't tell what the tone of the conversation was), and so it took me a little while of being in this weird "I'm 99% sure these *aren't* official, but what if?". I have been there forI think that maybe being more transparent with the fact that the blogs are parodies is probably important. I'm guilty of this, and after i post this, i'll add it to my bio.

[pokemoncenter]

On xenia

In this world, there is a concept so deeply ingrained in all of us, it is almost universal. In terms of culture, most of the world shares it. Yet it has a variety of names, and many people do not know the rules they nonetheless follow unconsciously.

I speak, of course, of the assistance and hospitality provided to Trainers on their journeys.

Around the world, youths will go on journeys. To become Trainers, to become Pokemon Masters, or simply to expand their horizons. These journeys help these youths become well-rounded adults, who understand more of the world. However, such journeys cannot be undertaken alone- Not only with the Pokemon at your side, but Pokemarts, Pokemon Centers, and the League will help anyone on their way... But it is not just that.

While Trainers can generally get free lodgings and some meals at Pokemon Centers... But cities are large, and not every Trainer may be able to find it. At night, Trainers can simply pick a house to enter and will generally be given lodgings and food for the night. Similarly, even if there is not food, or if it is not night, Trainers will often receive gifts from those they meet in towns, in houses, and along the roads.

This is known by many names in many cultures. In Unova, and Galar, it is known as 'xenia'. In the Kanjoh area, it is called 'omotenashi'. Though the name changes, and the exact rules vary by area, it is known as the 'rules of hospitality', or 'sacred hospitality'.

If a Trainer needs lodgings, it is the host's responsibility to those who travel to help them. However, the host does not need to extend beyond their means- If they have nothing they can give that would not harm themselves to lose, there is no obligation to. The hosts must ensure their own health and safety first, and then attend to the guests' needs.

Furthermore, the guests also have an obligation. Be polite, be courteous. In the past, the travelers had the obligation to tell the hosts news of the surrounding areas. However, now that TV and the internet exist, this has been replaced with simply stories- We ask the Trainers to tell us of their journeys. And that way, the joy they experience upon their journey can be shared with others.

In every culture in our world, with very few exceptions, community is the most important thing. There are some who choose to become ascetics, but for the most part, Trainers and journeys would be impossible alone- It is our community, the shared joys and sorrows and shared resources of people that allow our journeys to happen. This, more than any technology, is the shining achievement of humanity- That we help and care for each other.

Kindness and community allow the journey to exist. And anywhere you go, you will find friends.

[thetwilightroadtonightfall]

Overmorrow: The Founder’s Story Masterpost 🩵

Series Summary: Ephemer’s journey of losing everything, but gaining so much more. Because once it’s been felt, the love you’ve been given never truly leaves you. (Takes place after the events of Union Cross, and long before the events of Missing Link.)

AO3 | dropbox | playlist

Tags below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

❥ main tags:

overmorrow tfs — formerly the overmorrow tag, this tag includes absolutely everything below and acts as the new general tag for the entire fic series

overmorrow — Overmorrow proper (part 1)

objects of affection — Objects of Affection (part 2)

a union without unions — A Union Without Unions (part 3)

ereyesterday — Ereyesterday (part 4)

OCLF (Overmorrow Character and Lore Files) — Supplementary info and lore documents, and concept art for parts 1-3. Not necessary to enjoy the fics, but I definitely recommend going through it. It’s fun, I promise! (also viewable on dropbox: Overmorrow | OoA | AUWU)

ECLF (Ereyesterday Character and Lore Files) — see above (also viewable on dropbox)

❥ misc tags:

overmorrow misc — basically adjacent stuff, random stuff, mostly funny stuff :)

❥ character tags:

Charis Athan-Askr | playlist

Seeker and Finder (Ephemer and Charis) | playlist

Xenia Athan-Askr | Fidel Askr | Hestia Lena

Agapios Athan | Marissa Askr

The Ophiuchus Family (all-encompassing tag for my oc family [for canon and canon-adjacent family stuff, see here])

Aeon A-A. Ophiuchus | Clio A-A. Ophiuchus | Mori A-A. Ophiuchus

Galvin | Petra | Pallas

Kyrillos

Iapyx | Tarmo