#and that's 3 of 3 hades characters DONE

[oni-odyssey]

The freezing cold ought to have drained the life from you; but I've allowed it to relent, for now.❄️

Demeter from Hades, original design: Jen Zee (Supergiant Games)

[genericpuff]

Have you ever considered the idea of drawing your favorite Hades characters in your own style, or do you think they are wonderful as they are drawn?

... y'all asking me to draw Hades AU stuff? ( •̀ᴗ-)

[ablog]

Girl help I wish to travel to different dimensions just to watch a movie/show I really like a little to the left

[deepspacenova]

CRIMSON DESTRUCTION

4000 words | heavy angst. romance. blood/injury. war. major character death.

Note: I'm still reeling from everything we've discovered in Sylus' myth card, my friends. This draws a lot of parallels and portrays a bit of history repeating itself. I apologize in advance for any pain and suffering this might cause, this one's for the masochists (: I know not all of us want more angst as a coping mechanism for angst so make sure to read the warnings

Inspired by this ask from a fellow angst enthusiast — i think i may have... over-delivered? Either way, I hope I did your prompt justice @huachengnism <3

Also, bc no ideas are original, I was half done writing this when I found this post by @relentlessconqueror, who I apparently share at least a few braincells with when it comes to headcanons haha so *fist bump*

She struggled to catch her breath, her chest heaving with the exertion of the escape. Her ribs screamed with every inhale, bruised from the last blow she’d taken before breaking free, and every bone in her body ached.

It'd been hours since Mephisto miraculously landed on the bars of her cell in the depths of the Association's intricate Wanderer prison system with an all-access key card. But she — they, she corrected as she felt the reassuring pressure of the crow's talons perch on her shoulder — were alive and unhurt. 

The battle had moved to what little remained of the newest No Hunt Zone: what was once known as Linkon City Centre. The once bustling hub that had been full of people and livelihoods had been reduced to a crater on the planet’s surface, destroyed by violence, explosions, and carnage. Linkon was falling, neighborhood by neighborhood, consumed by chaos orchestrated by the Hunter’s Association. Their relentless pursuit of her — the so-called Traitorous Tenebra — had left a trail of destruction in their wake.

She'd barely survived the Alpha Team's brutal "interrogation," which had brought her to the brink of unconsciousness when they demanded information she refused to give. But it was their arrogance and the surrounding destruction of their crusade to capture the elusive leader of Onychinus that let her slip through their grasp.

Now, she had one goal: find Sylus so they could escape this nightmare.

It was easy to predict how today would go — Ever Group’s unrelenting thirst for domination and the Hunter's Association’s relentless pursuit of Onychinus and aether cores made for a volatile duo. But no one, not even Sylus, who had an uncanny knack for understanding human nature, could have foreseen how they would fuel each other’s chaos, turning the Linkon into a nightmare of their own making.

Bloodthirsty men who called themselves "researchers" with protocore-powered ammunition stormed the streets, piercing through civilians like arrows of death. She'd done all she could to defend the innocents of Linkon from afar with the Hunter weapons she’d swiped on her way out of the Association. But only so many could be saved while it seemed like countless others met their ends.

Of course, the Hunters had their own twisted methods for submission. The few teams she'd spotted were taking protocore-inlaid weapons while Wanderers followed their commands like the puppets Xander Sciences made them to be. The very creatures the Association set out to destroy, now wielded like oversized hellhounds to take down Onychinus' leader, "the harbinger of doomsday in Linkon."

She couldn't help but scoff at their zealous fanaticism. And she was the Tenebra.

Bodies and blood were strewn across the cobblestone and the asphalt, and there were far more dead from their side than she’s sure they had predicted in their arrogance. But the fate of Ever’s defeat loomed over the rubble like the mythological Hades, waiting to collect his souls. 

She watched for a few minutes as the attacks grew more spaced apart, deciding that now was the perfect time to send the signal to Sylus. She’d only had a glimpse of his black-red mist and that was hours ago. All she’d wanted to do was cup the reassuring beat of his heart in her hands, to feel his hand wrap around the back of her head, pressing her nose into the warmth of his neck. 

Now was the time. They were done here. Done with this place. 

She looked at the thunderclouds overhead, swelling with eagerness to spill their deluge of water over the landscape. She removed the dark red gem around her wrist before her hands rose to clasp it over her companion's sturdy neck. Her fingers trailed the cold metal of her crow's studded wing when she murmured, "Keep this safe for me, you big fiend. Now, Mephisto. Go."

His mechanical wings unfolded before he launched into the stormy sky. She watched the crimson glimmer as he soared with a fluid grace and precision that made him as real to her as any other crow.

Sylus would know to meet her now.  

Sylus surveyed the No Hunt Zone from the neighborhood’s tallest building, atop the skeletal remains of empty flats that had somehow stayed standing. He was up there for a better vantage point, sure, but he also had to distance himself from the eye-stinging smoke that had surrounded him below as well as the eerily familiar, nausea-inducing smell of burning flesh. 

But he wasn’t going to think about it. Couldn’t think about it. That was then, this is now. 

He'd purposefully stayed within sight of Linkon's supposed saviors and the battle, moving just enough to keep their attention fixed on him. He darted between buildings, his black-red mist filtering through the haze of smoke, a deliberate lure to give her a chance to make it above ground and send him their signal.

He felt a faint trace of her energy only an hour ago as he moved around, commanding and powerful, the only source of water in a desert of death.

Sylus' heart almost beat out of his chest in anticipation of being with her without time limits, without restraint, and he did his best to tamp down that feeling he forbade himself to feel since he was a dragon with his first love: hope. 

But he couldn’t avoid the promise of their escape. It wrapped around him and took the form of her body, making him feel a longing so fierce, he had to force his feet to stay on the stone until Mephisto arrived. 

The firing shots and pained cries were getting fewer and far between, with no shadows of Wanderers moving within sight. The battle was almost over. 

As Sylus squinted to see if any of his men lay among the dead, his ears caught a rhythmic flapping, prompting him to extend his forearm. When he felt the cold weight of the robot's body land on his arm, two things happened at once.

One, his gaze locked on his bracelet's twin, the garnet-colored gem winking at him as he took it off the crow's neck and clenched his palm around it. Two, at the same time, Mephisto's beak opened to reveal the recording device within and the only voice he ever wanted to hear rang out, "Keep this safe for me, you big fiend."

The sound of the words surrounded him like an embrace. Fiend.

He froze in delighted disbelief and couldn’t help it. He laughed. A loud, genuine laugh. It sounded gravelly and unpracticed, feeling foreign on his battle-hardened cheeks, but he couldn’t contain his relief. 

They were done here. 

Mephisto trailed Sylus like a shadow in the sky as he headed toward the N109 Zone, smirking all the way. Very much the opposite of the expression a man who’d just sacrificed everything he’d built on this planet, whose organization had been disintegrated by the Hunters Association, should be wearing. 

He glanced back every so often at Linkon behind him, a scorched blemish on the landscape. 

Impatient, Sylus tried to seek her out with his evol and swore he could feel her heading his way. He was half-tempted to haul her to him, her complaints of manhandling be damned.

The abandoned buildings in the N109 Zone stood like silent witnesses, their jagged edges silhouetted against the unnaturally bright moon. 

He glanced around and whispered her name a few times. When no one answered back he leaned against a crumbling wall, waiting for her. The moon seemed brighter in the sky.

That was when he saw the sinister glow of emerald eyes in the alley. 

A sharp crack split the air, as Sylus’ power surged forward, barely stopping a metaflux-infused bullet mid-air and disintegrating it into nothing before it pierced his chest. 

"Impressive," a guttural voice growled from the darkness. 

The lead scientist of Xander Sciences emerged and Sylus’ lips twisted into a grimace. The maniac had fused himself with a Wanderer. 

The aether core Ever had attempted to manufacture had done more than just augment him — it had warped him completely. Whatever remained of his humanity was buried under a grotesque amalgamation of man and Wanderer. Ugly green scales shimmered under the moonlight, and claws scraped the concrete as he moved.

"I was wondering when you’d crawl out of your hole," Sylus said, his voice calm and unbothered. 

The monster sneered, revealing his jagged face. "You’ve meddled with us for the last time. This planet is mine to reshape. You won’t stand in our way."

He moved with inhuman speed, closing the distance between them in a blur. He slashed with his claws, but Sylus ducked, releasing a burst of energy that sent him skidding backward. The hybrid roared, firing another shot, but Sylus twisted his hand, bending the energy around him to absorb the bullet’s momentum before redirecting it in a volatile arc that scorched the ground at the monster’s feet.

The battle was a storm of power. The hybrid lunged, his claws tearing through the air, but Sylus met him head-on, energy crackling from his fists as they clashed. Each blow lit up the darkness, casting crimson shadows on the crumbling walls around them.

"You’re nothing but a monster now," Sylus gritted out, his voice strained as he deflected another strike. "Even your own tech couldn’t handle your ambition."

He laughed, the sound a guttural snarl. "Ambition is evolution. And evolution demands sacrifice!"

Sylus wasn’t winning this fight, though. He’d already won. 

The hybrid had definitely been injured in battle, or he might’ve just been drunk on bloodlust, but either way, his attacks were haphazard and sloppy at best. Sylus was just looking for the right opening, baiting him so he could deliver her final strike against him. 

Sylus’ evol surged, spiraling around him in a black-red maelstrom of raw power. He struck the ground with his fist, sending a shockwave that threw the monster off balance. Taking the opening, Sylus launched forward, his fist colliding with its jagged jaw, cracking scales and sending it stumbling.

But he recovered, the gun in his beastly hand raised as he fired a spray of bullets, each one infused with metaflux. Sylus dodged, but one grazed his arm, searing through his jacket and burning his skin.

Gritting his teeth, he channeled his frustration into his power, summoning a massive sphere of energy. "This ends now," Sylus growled.

The sphere expanded, its glow lighting up the area around them. With a roar, Sylus hurled it at his enemy, picturing the faces of the hundreds, thousands of humans and monsters alike who had wronged him. Wronged her.

The hybrid tried to counter, his claws swiping through the air to absorb the energy, but the sheer force of Sylus’s attack overwhelmed him. The explosion rocked the area, sending debris flying and shrouding the battlefield in smoke.

When the dust settled, the brilliant Carter of Xander Sciences lay motionless, his hybrid body cracked and broken. Sylus stood over him, breathing heavily, his evol flickering around him like a lightning storm.

"Evolution demands sacrifice," Sylus echoed, his voice low. "Guess you were right about that."

She sighed as she spotted the outskirts of the N109 Zone and headed toward their spot, toward Sylus. She knew he’d be there waiting for her, knew he'd gotten her signal when she saw the silhouette of a black crow sailing through the sky. 

She couldn’t wait to be with him unreservedly, without ever having to leave his side again. She found herself getting excited, feeling a breathless sort of anticipation. Her body ached, the pain of old wounds and new wounds alike coming together throughout her body. And it took all of her willpower to stay cautious of stragglers, to not to break into a sprint. 

But her willpower was no match for hope. No match for the smile that slowly dominated every inch of her face. 

She’d never been so overjoyed, so relieved. So overcome with the need to see his vermillion-streaked eyes, taste teasing smirk, feel his silver-streaked hair. 

The journey felt endless, like she was the Greek king Sisyphus, eternally destined to never reach her only goal. But finally, finally, she could see the haphazard border of the N109 Zone.

When she was just a few dozen feet away, she spotted him, reclined against a stone wall near a felled wanderer, spotlighted by the moon like her very own star.

She paused to compose herself, holding back her stupid tears of joy, of relief. He hadn’t noticed her yet and she was okay with that, content to steal a moment of gazing at him for herself. 

But then he stirred, his eyes lifting to meet hers, and her breath hitched. A teasing smirk tugged at his lips, but it softened when he noticed the way she looked at him, the way her entire being seemed to collapse with relief.

“You’re late,” he called to her. 

She broke into a run, ignoring the protests of her body, her legs barely able to keep pace with the urgency in her chest. “Sylus!”

He stayed in place, his arms opening as she barreled into him, wrapping herself around him. The warmth of his body and traces of his evol enveloped her, buzzing against her skin like a thousand kisses.

One of his arms slipped down to wrap her leg around his waist and held it there, as if the pressure of her chest against his wasn't nearly enough. She felt the warmth of his lips and the sharpness of his teeth on the space between her neck and shoulder as he tentatively nipped her there, like he was infusing himself into her.

She pulled back with a gasp to look up at him, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. His greedy gaze faltered for a moment, replaced by something softer, something vulnerable, as his eyes searched hers.

And then she kissed him.

Her lips met his in a rush of emotion—relief, joy, desperation—all spilling into that single moment. For a heartbeat, he froze, startled, before his hands moved to cup her face, pulling her closer. His evol flared, an electric hum that danced between them, matching the frantic rhythm of her heart.

When they finally broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers, a low chuckle rumbling from his chest to her palm, which caressed the pulse of his neck.

“Careful, sweetie, I might start thinking you like me,” he rasped, his voice rough and playful as his hand slid to the small of her back, holding her close.

She laughed through the lump in her throat, clinging to him tightly.

He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, ruby gaze sparkling with mischief. His brushed a strand of hair from her face. “You look like hell.”

“I’ll live,” she reassured, leaning into his touch. “I just… needed to see you.”

He sighed as if the words were a balm, hand still cradling her face. “Good,” he said, his thumb brushing her cheek. “Because this big fiend will hunt you down if you leave my sight. Or—" he let go of her leg to circle her wrist and fasten her half of their bracelet around her wrist. "—dare to take this off again."

“Not a chance,” she whispered into his throat, wrapping her arms around him to clasp the bracelet with her other palm, as if printing its jagged shape into her wrist. “No matter how many times the world turns its back on us, I’m never leaving your side.”

The moment took up the entire lens of her focus, so she didn’t spot the other silhouette skulking from the entrance of the N109 Zone.

Sylus felt the shift a second too late.

The sharp, metallic click of a gun broke the fragile quiet, the sound slicing through the air like a knife.

She turned toward the sound and Sylus saw her eyes widen, not with fear, but with recognition.

“Jenna,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

From the shadows stepped her former leader, the woman who had once been her mentor. Jenna's presence was a weapon in itself, Sylus knew —steely, unyielding, and absolute. A metaflux-infused dagger was already raised aimed directly at Sylus.

“Did you really think I needed all the prison guards? I knew where he went, you’d follow,” Jenna’s voice sliced through the air, her voice razor-sharp as she spoke to her and aimed a disgusted glance at Sylus. "The perfect bait."

Without hesitation, she threw the blade like a dart.

"No!" she screamed as Sylus pushed her away from him, the blade slicing his cheek and eye, leaving a burning streak of pain and a hazy right field of vision in its wake.

Pain erupted like a white-hot brand as the impact shattered the aether core in his eye. Blood and fragments of glowing green dripped down his face in a torrent, obscuring his vision.

He staggered, his breath hitching as agony lanced through his skull. The disorienting mix of searing pain and the flickering in his right eye overwhelmed him, and he stumbled.

Through the haze of pain, he could feel the core’s fragments still burning into him and the world around him blurred as his mind fought to regain focus.

A frustrated sob behind him made his blood run cold.

Raising his head, his heart dropped as he saw Jenna’s gun aimed not at Sylus but at her aether core. Her heart. Jenna's other hand had forcefully raised her elbow, aiming his beloved's gun at Sylus' chest.

“You had such promise, young Hunter," Jenna continued, her tone lamenting. "But you should’ve known better than to run from your fate.”

“Jenna, please—”

Something sinister flickered across Jenna's face before vanishing into her practiced calm. “I taught you everything. And this… is how you repay me?” Her tone was as merciless and final. "Now you either kill him, or I kill you."

“Don’t touch her,” Sylus growled, his voice low and dangerous. He tried to reach out toward her, tried desperately to yank her back to him and take her away, but his evol didn't respond.

Jenna only smirked, her grip tightening as she tilted her head. “Your fate has always been sealed. But hers… Well, that depends on how obedient she feels.” She shrugged coldly. “Now shoot him."

Sylus' mind raced as his blurry gaze locked onto the watery anger of her eyes, familiar to him for longer than this planet's entire existence.

"Do it." He ignored her cry of indignant fury at his unmistakable command as he spoke cruel words wrapped in a loving tone.

"Sylus, no."

Inhaling through the pain he exhaled a shaky, almost impatient sigh. She had to do this, had to know he was okay with a world without him in it. "You bluffed once before in this position, kitten. Don't let a second chance pass you by."

"Stop!" The hand being forcefully aimed at his heart was shaking.

Suddenly a fierce resolve burned behind her eyes at his words, at the memory.

Her quaking hand suddenly steadied and her fingers adjusted their grip on the gun, and for a moment, relief overcame the pain in Sylus' body when he thought of her shooting him and ending it once and for all.

But — his cunning little kitten — she outmaneuvered them all.

She twisted her wrist, aimed the barrel at her chest, and pulled the trigger.

The deafening crack of the gunshot rang out, the impact jerking her frame as the bullet pierced right through her and struck Jenna, who staggered backward, eyes wide with shock as crimson bloomed on her Hunter's uniform.

Letting her go, Jenna clutched at her chest as she fell to the ground.

And the world slowed to a crawl.

The visceral scream that tore through his throat was a feral sound, an ancient, animalistic roar that was both agonized and shrill enough to become a death knell for every living being in Linkon. In the world.

Sylus’ legs buckled as he caught the weight of her body. His knees hit the concrete, and his arms tightened around her as he laid her trembling form on the ground.

“No, no, no,” he growled, his voice cracking as he pressed his hands against the flickering, shattered aether core in her chest, desperate to stem the flow of blood.

Her face was scrunched up tight in excruciating pain, but she was still alive. He could work with that. He would. 

“Fuck. You’re okay, kitten, you’re okay,” he crooned. He ignored the blood dripping from his eye to her chest and tried linking his hands through hers, tried to get her to resonate with him, to activate either of their evols so he could at least attempt to—

But her hands were bloody and trembling and limp.

"It's okay, Sylus. It's... alright," she soothed, wincing. "There's no choice, if it's between you and me. No choice."

A half-growl, half-sob escaped him. “Yes, and that choice is always you. Now look at me so I can fix your mistake and figure out how to— no, you're not allowed to close your eyes."

He paused during his diatribe, noticing just how much of his blood and hers had pooled beneath them, just how pale her lips were getting.

“There’s no saving this, Sylus.” Her unfocused eyes met his, hand hovering in the air weakly to pull his face down and place a kiss on his forehead.

The familiarity of the feeling overwhelmed him, like a thousand cuts of grief all at once. His groan sounded like a whimper as he pulled back to grab her hand and press it into the ravaged side of his face.

"Jenna was wrong.... about your fate." She inhaled a ragged breath. "We just made sure of it. There's no going back now."

All he could do was shake his head and imprint her hand over his eye, cold reality starting to fall like ashes around him.

When grey wisps started to sprinkle her hair and rest against her eyelashes, he realized it was actual ash. To some, it might’ve been beautiful; to him, it was devastating. Their souls were separating again, except this time, she was the one leaving him.

"If I ever had a soul—" he exhaled a shaky breath, blinked past the wetness that blurred his good eye, "—just know that it was you."

"You'll always be tied to me, Sylus. Forever." Her breaths were faster, shallower.

Her cheek twitched up and her eyelashes fluttered as suddenly, weak little notes squeezed their way out of her chest. His hand tightened around hers as the familiar melody embraced him and finally made the chest-wracking emotions drip salty trails down his cheek.

As the final note of her requiem faded, there was a long silence.

He waited for her voice again, for more words, but when he pulled back her chest was a pool of crimson and her eyes were closed.

She was gone, and he was in agony.

Suffering had long created a hole in his blackened heart. But this pain was unlike anything he’d felt before. It enveloped him, suffocated him.

And that’s when he found it. That small pebble of rage beneath the mountain of anguish. 

He set her on the ground as gently as he could before getting up and sucked in a breath through his clenched teeth, focusing on the anger so he could escape his grief. 

He felt it latch onto faint, flickering traces of his evol and the two powers laced together like two lovers, moving through his body, his fingertips.

He almost felt drunk with it.

He didn't notice it at first, he was still fixated on his beloved's lifeless face, but there was a soft glow radiating from the shattered remnants of their aether cores.

Black-red mist twitched restlessly and began to stretch outward.

“The day of judgment is today. Everyone will pay for this,” said Sylus, his voice utterly calm. “The whole world will burn.”

[helenofsparta2]

Percy, Nico, and Jason should have fallen into Tartarus together, while Annabeth should have remained with the rest of the Seven in House of Hades. Please hear me out.

1.

For one, this way Tartarus would have been much more intimidating. At least in my opinion, it has pretty much lost this aspect, especially after Sun and Star. Tartarus is the prison of the titans, a place so scary and so dangerous, that only the best of the best can make it through. Homer described it as being as far beneath Hades as heaven is above earth.  Overcoming it should be the ultimate challenge.

Yes, Annabeth is smart, incredibly so, but, I feel like, because Rick wanted her to be useful in Tartarus, he used a lot of cheap tricks in her POVs to get her and Percy over obstacles, which seem a bit too simple to really work against beings like Nyx. This took the heaviness away from them being down there and felt at times even anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong, again, because I know this is a sensitive subject, Annabeth is smart, has a strong resolve and is great at hand to hand combat, but that’s it. And, in my opinion, that should not be enough to overcome Tartarus. If it would have taken a child of each of the big three working together to only barely make it out, it would have definitely reinforced that status, and also the gods’ belief that such children can become too powerful.

2.

Secondly, Percy not letting go of Nico’s hand, would have done wonders for the development of their relationship and for each character’s individual arc.

Imagine, Nico dangling from the edge, instead of Annabeth. Nico, who had only days prior pretended like he didn’t know Percy, who is so full of self-hatred, he thinks the entirety of camp half-blood hates him, who is already weakened by being imprisoned in the jar, and who is scared out of his mind by the idea of being alone in Tartarus again.

Imagine Nico staring up at Percy, clasping his hand, while Percy looks up at Annabeth, the love of his life, whom he had been separated from for months. Imagine Nico being convinced, that Percy is going to let Nico fall down to stay by her side.

But Percy refuses to let go.

He refuses to let go, even after Nico tells him he should do it, and decides instead to fall together with him into the worst place on earth, just so Nico doesn’t have to endure it alone again. It would have further reinforced Percy’s self-inflicted role as Nico’s protector which he already had in the original five books and his fatal flaw of loyalty. To Nico, it would have given him a worse inner conflict about having a crush on him, which could have been revolved while they were travelling together.  The confession scene would have been much more impactful and healthier, if it would have come from Nico himself, and if he and Percy would have had a more in depth talk about it.

And if Jason would have flown after them in a moment of desperation, it would have reinforced the sense of loyalty and protectiveness that he had already shown when he had saved Piper at the grand canyon. The scene with Polybotes could have also taken place in Tartarus instead, and him and Percy working together, and putting all of their differences aside would have been a much more interesting dynamic than the stupid, out of character, rivalry bit they’ve got going on in Mark of Athena.

And, to be honest, just having Nico, Percy and Jason go all out, would probably be one of the coolest scenes in the entire Riordan verse.  

3.

All the while, Annabeth could have really cemented her role as a leader. I love her character, but to say that she has more leadership capabilities than Percy is laughable to me after reading the original five Percy Jackson books. These books are, after all, about Percy’s hero’s journey from an inexperienced kid to a smart, powerful and wise hero and the leader of camp half blood.  Annabeth, in comparison, shows relatively little of that. (Obviously this makes sense, considering that the books are from Percy’s POV and revolve around him, but the complete switch-up to saying that Annabeth is the natural choice as leader of the seven just felt a bit out of the blue to me in Mark of Athena)

Her leading the rest, in a moment of such a tragedy and remaining strong would have really reinforced the strong resolve that she had already shown in holding the sky in titan’s curse and in remaining steadfast despite all the horrible things that happened to her with her father’s rejection and luke’s betrayal. Annabeth’s relationship to Piper, Leo, Hazel and Frank, which is painfully underdeveloped in the books, could have also been given some much needed attention. Like, I can’t remember a single scene where she and Hazel, or she and Leo really talk to one another, which is a shame, because they could have had really interesting dynamics with one another.

It also would have also been a powerful statement about Percy’s and Annabeth’s relationship, if they, while separated, still believed in each other and trusted that the other person would get the job done.

Without powerhouses like Jason and Percy on board of the Argo II, Hazel and Frank could have really shone as individual fighters. Hazel is probably the second, or third most powerful demigod in the entire franchise, but barely gets any attention, and for a guy, who is apparently so powerful his life had to be tied to a stick, Frank seems, outside of one or two scenes, also pretty underwhelming.  

Without Jason, Piper’s and Leo’s friendship could have also gotten some more attention, and generally the reunion scene at the end of House of Hades could have been much more impactful with these character dynamics. I mean, Hazel, and Nico being reunited, Jason, leo and Piper, and Percy and Annabeth, and Percy, Hazel and Frank.

One of the biggest problems, I have with Heroes of Olympus is the extreme focus on romantic relationships. Having some couples be separated from each other like this, would have also solved this and given the only couple still together, Frank and Hazel, more room to develop.

[woozisguitar]

I just saw the orpheus and hades and the post you reblogged, istg I have no idea what it is about but it got me sooo intrigued.

so, here come the request for the 200 followers event, seungcheol as hades, a trope done very mostly, but it's just one specific moment from the Greek mythology that you'd looove so much.

anon I hope you know you unleashed something in me and i cant thank you enough 😭 what a time to write this when im riding off my hadestown/ epic high giving you a little kiss on the forehead (with consent ofc!) okay so hades doesnt really have any major myths/ stories (other than the persephone lore) so i decided to do a small lore kinda thing! really hope you like it!!!!

(long a/n below so feel free to skip that!!! tl;dr: me talking about future projects tbh)

please note: this is NOT lore/ myth accurate. the original myth has a lot of concerning themes and I wanted to focus more on like the longing and yearning bit. this is definitely inspired but in no way accurate!

requests for 200 celebration post: closed

warnings: its based on greek mythology 😭 , being alone and sad, Demeter is a terrible mom, very very toxic, mentions of kidnapping, hints at manipulating/ lying, tbh this explores more of seungcheol as hades's character but it is still x persephone! reader, animal injury (nothing too much in detail tho!), swearing, lmk if I missed any!

hades! seungcheol who was bored and unimpressed when tasked with taking care of the underworld, while his brothers took over the sky and sea. he knew the underworld was a dark and lonely place, and being given the ‘duty’ to take care of such a place felt more like a punishment than a reward. still, he guarded his expressions and took over his new eternal job.

hades! seungcheol who was glad to be able to spend some time away from the dark underworld at mount olympus. being around well, alive people, made him feel better than being surrounded by dead corpses.

hades! seungcheol who was hurt as fuck when his brothers suggested that he should stay in the underworld full time, unless called upon, because his presence made everything ‘dark, gloomy and smell like death.’

hades! seungcheol who accepted his fate of being lonely for the rest of his long, immortal life. on one of his visits to a village that was epidemic to a disease, he found a small puppy whimpering in the corner. he didn't seem too hurt, but seungcheol decided to check if the pup had other injuries. when he approached, he realized this was no ordinary puppy but one who had 3 heads.

hades! seungcheol who took the puppy to the underworld, tended to its small scratches and wounds. the pup, after taking a liking to seungcheol, decided to stay around and for the first time in his life, he had someone who decided to stay willingly. he initially wanted to name it spot, because of a big spot in the middle of its back, but decided to name it cerberus. after all, this was the puppy of the king of the underworld.

hades! seungcheol who spent the rest of his time apart from work, playing and training cerberus and building his empire. when he was given the underworld, no one really knew what it was like. with absolute chaos and no authoritarian power in control, this place was a mess to fix. from making 3 sectors, elysium, a paradise for the good; tartarus, a black pit for the bad; and the asphodel meadows, which numbed the minds of the dead, after a decision is taken on a soul to deciding where a soul would belong, seungcheol had a lot of work to do if he wanted to establish himself as king.

hades! seungcheol constructed a systematic governing system for the underworld, after aeons of working hard, no idea about how much time had passed aboveground. and even after all these years, he felt an ache, a longing in his heart. all his siblings had found themselves partners, or decided to dedicate their time to duties, if they weren't too keen on a romantic partnership. all but seungcheol. he would stay up fantasizing about meeting someone someday and perhaps falling in love with them. the blurred face in his dreams haunted him on most nights, but when he woke up, all the signs and traces of this person disappeared, leaving seungcheol alone in his solitude.

hades! seungcheol who first saw you picking flowers in the fields outside olympus. he was summoned by zeus to discuss some things, not that he really cared. he knew his siblings well enough to know this was yet another temper tantrum. still, he was bored out of his mind in the underworld and decided to humor them this once. on his way to the palace, he saw you collecting flowers with other nymphs and was absolutely smitten by you. the way you were giggling with other nymphs, picking each flower with absolute precision, almost as if to ensure you wouldn't hurt it. seungcheol saw the way your eyes shone in the sunlight and the way the wind fluttered your hair. now, seungcheol wasn't one to fall for someone the first time he saw them. but you, you were different. the nymphs around you took notice of his presence and before they would alert him, he shadow traveled the rest of his way to the palace.

hades!seungcheol who for the love of all gods could not stop thinking about you. he did his ground research after reaching olympus. decades of staying away meant he missed a lot of new gods and events. he found that you were persephone, goddess of spring and daughter of demeter (yikes!). he also found that demeter was rather possessive of her daughter, not allowing her to wander too far or for any of the gods to interact with you without her permission first (double yikes!).

hades!seungcheol who had somehow convinced himself that the best person to ask for advice was his playboy of a brother, zeus. seungcheol saw zeus alone in the throne room, later in the evening, and decided to ask him at once. zeus saw him approach and his eyes lit up, “hades! how are you, my brother!” seungcheol internally cringed at the name zeus used. when he and his siblings took over the reign, they decided to use more god-like names. but seungcheol could never forget the soft murmur of his mother’s voice naming him seungcheol and the faint screams of her agony when his father ate him. seungcheol shook his head to get rid of the memories and walked up to his brother. “i’m well, zeus. how are you?” “i’m great! as great as the most powerful being in this universe could be, i suppose,” his booming laughter made seungcheol wince. such a prick. “so tell me, to what do i owe this pleasure?” seungcheol tightened his jaw, giving himself the last boost of confidence, and uttered, “i need your help in impressing a girl.” a devious grin took over zeus’s face. “well, you’ve come to the right person! and who is this pretty lady you’re planning to charm, my brother?” “persephone... goddess of spring,” seungcheol muttered, looking away. “persephone?? demeter’s daughter persephone?? oh, she’s going to turn you into wheat and feed you to her cattle,” zeus shook his head before his eyes lit up again. “well, there is one way, but it’s rather ... unethical.” when seungcheol motioned for him to continue, he said, “you could, you know, kidnap her and take her to the underworld. that's your realm after all.”

hades!seungcheol who wasn’t sure if he was mad at zeus for suggesting this or mad at himself for even considering it. he weighed the pros and cons before deciding to fuck it. he would deal with the aftermath later, yeah sure. he devised a totally foolproof, amazing plan where he would kidnap you from the fields you would often pick and plant flowers in during the early hours of the day so no one would notice him. curse his dramatics, he couldn’t help but ‘appear’ in front of you from the shadows, startling you. you jumped in fear when you saw a stranger appear from the shadow of the trees, but having heard his legends, you instantly knew this was hades, king of the underworld. he was wearing a black three-piece suit, his hair fixed to perfection. he looked slightly out of place in your field, but you were too scared to take notice. dropping in a small bow, you greeted him. “king hades, to what do i owe this visit?” hades cocked his head to the side and reminded you a bit of a lost puppy. “please, ditch the formalities. you know me?” you stood up straight and nodded at his question. “well, i’ve heard legends about you so…” you mumbled the last part, suddenly feeling flush. hades threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh before straightening up again. “very well then, persephone, goddess of spring, i fear i have to take you to the underworld with me. you see, i wish to have a garden in my home but with no sun or fertility down there, it’s hard to grow anything,” hades pouted and looked at you. “but surely the goddess of spring can pull some strings and help me out?” you contemplated his request for a moment. you knew your mother was very strict, never allowing you to leave this field or home without permission. maybe this was your one chance to see the world beyond by the grace of fates. you saw hades still pouting and looking at you with a silent request in his eyes. eh, i'll get mother to calm down when i come back, you thought to yourself. “alright, i’ll come with you, my lord.” “ah, very well then, let’s go,” hades snapped his fingers and a portal to the underworld opened with a chariot led by shadow-like horses. “and by the way, please call me seungcheol.”

hades!seungcheol who felt his heart beat right out of his chest with you seated next to him on his chariot, gazing at everything in fascination. seungcheol was a man who believed in romance, and the idea of even forming a friendship with you on the foundations of a lie made him feel more guilty than the worst sinner in the fields of punishment. when the two of you got off his chariot on the grounds of his palace, you took a minute to absorb everything around you. seungcheol, on the other hand, stared at the faint glow around you. this dark, gloomy palace felt so much lighter with you around. the thought of watching you planting and picking flowers made him feel a small ball of light in his chest, but the guilt of lying gnawed its way through. he was about to ask you if you’d like to see the rest of his palace when a loud, happy bark tore through the silence. seungcheol saw cerberus run towards you at full speed, knocking you to the ground with the sheer force of his happy zoomies. you giggled when the three-headed pup tried to lick your face all at the same time and you tried to pet all three heads at once. guess he wanted someone new too, huh. seungcheol smiled at the sight. “well, that's cerberus. come on, boy, let her breathe.” cerberus walked back, hopping between you and his owner, his happy barks filling the air. you let out a disbelieving laugh. “this good boy is the scary, guard of the underworld, hound of hades?” you said in a baby voice, petting cerberus, who let out a woof to agree in response. “come on now, let me show you the rest of the palace and the garden.” hades!seungcheol who felt restless throughout the tour while you looked around in awe. he felt pride in knowing that you were so amazed by something he spent aeons building from scratch. cerberus followed the two of you, letting out a happy bark every now and then. when you reached the garden, seungcheol couldn’t hold it in anymore. the guilt of lying was eating away at him in the worst possible way. “persephone, there's something i have to tell you,” he said as the three of you entered the garden. you nodded at him to continue, and he told you everything, from seeing you for the first time to zeus’s suggestion. “i-i really like you, persephone, and i know it's stupid because we don’t know each other, and i don’t know what i was thinking listening to my stupid brother, but i just couldn’t live without telling you the truth,” he finished slightly out of breath. you nodded, taking it all in. you knew all about how the gods would claim to love then leave, but seungcheol’s honesty made you want to give him a chance. plus, it’s not every day the king of the underworld ends up liking you. getting tired of the same field and flowers, you decided to give this a chance with seungcheol. you walked closer to him and whispered, “i would like you to call me y/n.”

hades!seungcheol who bid you farewell with a heavy heart. he told you that if you want to keep coming back, you’d have to eat the fruit of the underworld, pomegranate seeds. you smirked and took a handful, popping them in your mouth. after spending a few hours exploring his palace, you decided it was time to go back before your mother wrecked havoc on the world. you and seungcheol had an odd arrangement. on some days, you would come down to him and spend the early morning walking around his palace, and on other days, he would visit you late at night, and you would show him your field. giggling away in hiding, for the longest time the two of you didn’t feel completely alone in a room full of people. seungcheol made a point to attend all the stupid parties the gods hosted in hopes of catching you there. a sneaking look, a fleeting smile was enough to make both your hearts flutter. one night, seungcheol was on his way to see you, but when he knocked on your window, your mother demeter opened it. he saw you trying to hide behind her, tears stained on your cheeks. seungcheol felt an unexplainable urge to hurt whoever did this to his beloved, and the shadows around the room bent towards him. demeter felt the power surge but held her ground. “persephone, go to my room,” she said, giving her no chance to argue. with one last look at seungcheol, you walked out, leaving him alone with your mother. “what do you want from her?” demeter growled. “nothing wrong, i promise. i want to marry your daughter. i-i love her.” “don’t fucking lie to me, hades. i know the likes of you. all you dogs are the same,” she spat out. “you leave her the fuck alone. i don’t care what games you’re trying to play, but she will be no part of it.” “i’m not like them,” seungcheol whispered, “I really, really love her. you can ask her yourself. i never pressured her into doing anything and i never will. demeter, please, i’m not trying to play any games, i swear.” hades!seungcheol who, for the first time in his long life, went down on his knees to beg your mother. demeter watched as one of the big three, king of the underworld realm, begged on his knees. with distaste, she told him to follow. when she entered, she asked you, “did he ever try to do something to you? and don’t you dare try to cover for him because i will know,” she gave you a pointed look. you looked at seungcheol, who was already staring at you. “n-no. he never did anything i wasn’t comfortable with, i swear, mother, i lov-” demeter cut you off by showing her hand as if to say enough. she turned her back towards you, and seungcheol slowly approached, sneaking an arm around you. “very well then, since hades here,” she sneered, “claims to love you and you love him, i approve of this marriage.” equally wide smiles broke out on both yours and seungcheol’s faces. “but,” your mother continued, “you will spend only half of the year, six moon cycles, with him. after that, you will come back to me. you are, after all, the goddess of spring, and the aboveworld needs you more than the land of the dead,” she ended bitterly, almost like the word itself left a terrible taste in her mouth. you tried to argue how it was unfair, but she held her hand up. “it is this or nothing,” she said with a tone of finality. before you could try to reason with her, seungcheol spoke up in a low voice, “very well. i will take her as my bride, and she will stay with me for half of the year and with you for the other half.” demeter smirked and, with a sense of victory, turned around on her heel. “well, i’ll go inform my nymphs that we have a wedding to prepare for,” she said, leaving you alone with seungcheol.

hades!seungcheol who embraced you the second your mother left, holding you close to his chest as you sobbed. “why did you agree with her?” you asked in between sobs. seungcheol bent to your height, cupping your face, and pressed a kiss to your forehead. “because, my love, i would rather have you in my arms for a moment than not have you in my life at all. my whole life, it-it has been very, very lonely. and then i met you, and it was almost as if you bloomed flowers all over my barren heart,” he giggled wetly, “i agreed with her because i knew she would never let me have you all to myself. you’re so amazing, my y/n, and the fact i will be able to share half a year with you in my arms is already a blessing for me. you will be my queen, the one who rules my kingdom alongside me. my persephone. my y/n. i don’t think i could give you up for anything this world and universe had to offer. i-i love you...” he ended, body shaking in sobs. you smiled at him in your equally teary, messy state and went on your tiptoes. you kissed him deeply, pouring all your emotions. you felt like your heart was about to explode with all the love you felt for him. when you pulled apart, out of breath, seungcheol leaned his forehead on yours. “i love you, my seungcheol,” you whispered, and the prettiest smile broke out on his tear-stricken face.

hades!seungcheol who, for the first time in his life, didn’t feel so utterly alone and hopeless. when you, his wife, was in the underworld, you consumed all his waking moments, trying to make up for lost time. and when you were aboveground, both he and cerberus waited for your return. over time, this arrangement felt easier, time would feel shorter, and he got demeter to agree to let him visit you for those six months above ground. whenever he held you in his arms, he felt content knowing that no matter how far you would go, you would always find your way back to him. forever, his queen, his y/n.

a/n: I am SO sorry for disappearing. work is killing my ass. so I have 2 plans. one is to complete all my reqs I still have a few (many) remaining and second is to one a long fic for my birthday. it is also based on a greek mythology epic (pretty much an orpheus x eurydice retelling starring jihoon) and that will hopefully be scheduled for my birthday (27th of this month) please let me know if you will be interested in the birthday fic or if I should do something else! also im closing my reqs for a bit I have a lot to catch up on. I want to post all the backlog fics before I take on new reqs but feel free to drop in a say a hi (or remind me to follow you im going on a follow spree after this!) or if you have any suggestions for the birthday event!! again so sorry for dropping I will try to stay more consistent!!!

[chucklingmaniacally]

POV: You're playing Hades 2 and spot an unfamiliar god boon symbol.

I'm so happy I got this done in time for Janmashtami lmao. My friend's (*cough* @randomfandomtraveller)headcanon is that Krishna would have a sweet spot for Melinoe because she almost has the same mission as teen Krishna.

I'm putting my hat in the ring to fight all the people that post AI generated images of the gods lmao. I'm not even religious but I think there's something so depressing that you want a plagiarism machine's version of your gods' iconography instead of an artist's version???

Bonus: Alt Version and WIP screenshot for all the freaks out there.

[Image Description:

Image 1: "The image is the artist's rendition of the Hindu God Krishna in the style of the videogame Hades 2. He is a dark skinned god with a slight build, and is wearing a red upper body cloth and a golden yellow _dhoti_. He is bedecked in gold ornaments on his shoulder, his upper arm, his hands and his feet.

He has long black curly hair, which leads into a cosmic gradient of dark blue and purple, dotted with stars. He is sitting casually, with his left hand on his knee and his right holding him up. In his hair, he wears a gold circlet which is dotted with a magical looking peacock feather. He's wearing a garland of red, white, and yellow flowers, and the garland seems to be flying in a breeze.

Encircling his head is a golden aura, which is lit up by divine looking light coming from the right side of the image.

The background of the image is that of the Hades 2 game, at the Erebus level. It is filled with greenery and leafless tree framinge the shot. Krishna's symbol is at the center of the image, which is a peacock feather that looks like an eye.

To the right of Krishna, there is a text box which states his name and his title, and a dialogue. The text box title says "KRISHNA, THE PROTECTOR INCARNATE"

The dialogue he says to the main character of Hades 2, Melinoë is "Something troubling you there on this fine night, Daughter of Persephone? Ah, perhaps a spot of trouble while fighting the Old Man? Well, the advice I have would take too long and I have little time, so here! Have a blessing, instead."

Image 2: The same picture as image 1 but this background is plain white with the artist signature.

Image 3: A desktop screenshot of the lineart of the artwork in Clip Studio Paint.

End Description]

[ahllohehn]

Hello!! I was wondering if the big 3 were allowed to have children in your pjo au? I just found out about it and I'm very unwell/pos

Uh, I want to answer everything creatively so, here! Lore of my own below! (Again, can be considered not canon, if wanted. This is just my own stuff!)

An excerpt from the Camp Oracle's Journal:

"I had the honor of meeting one of the only Big Three kids in camp during my 3rd week as the oracle. He looked a little intimidating, or maybe I just thought he was intimidating because everyone spoke so highly of him like the ground he walks on needed to be worshipped--

But as soon as I got an actual conversation with him, he seems.... actually not like a bloodthirsty monster? I mean, hearing 'son of Hades' I would've assumed I'd be smacked in the face with some teenage angst and daddy issues, but all I got was some fossil who exclaims 'oh snappers!' like it's a game character voiceline.

I challenged him to a spar because, you know, I thought he'd show his true colors in battle or something! And if I fainted mid-sparring because of my curiosity, then at least my curiosity was sated?

But nope, still the same fossil who giggles even when he gets beat down by a mortal child way shorter than him.

I didn't know if he was just making it easier for me, but his humbleness really made me feel like I was on top of the world, so I just took it as is. It was fun.

I eventually asked X why everyone speaks of Etho like he's a god despite him being... well, as he is, and of course- he laughed at me.

Apparently there was an agreed ban on Big Three kids years ago, but was eventually voided because of Etho's existence. Obviously I asked how that came to be and all X said, in an ominous way, 'Because he's Etho.'

.....

Gatekeeper :p

Anyway, apparently I just challenged and beat up the same man who may or may not have done some big heroic thing to make the gods scared enough to void a divine agreement between the Big Three.

Should I be scared? Probably not, haha.

Even if he was quite the big deal back then, you will not find me trembling in front of a guy that giggles like a schoolgirl whenever Joel visits."

about au au tag discord

[genericpuff]

Are there any other LO-critical projects like LR?? Doesn’t have to be comics, I like fanfic(critic-fic?) too, I’ve been really interested in reading stuff like LR

Sure is! The list I have here are just the ones I know of, there are definitely more out there if you browse the #antiLO #lo critical tags or filter your searches on fanfic sites like AO3, but I hope this gives you a good start into finding more works that scratch that itch!

Lore Asgard (AO3) - Briefly in the original LO, Persephone jokes about running off to the Norse Pantheon; Lore Asgard is what would have happened if she actually went through with it.

Lore Mictlan (AO3) - Also plays with the question of "what if Persephone ran off to the Norse Pantheon", but instead she winds up in the realm of the Aztec gods.

Pomegranmints (AO3) - Re-imagines the plot of LO if Persephone and Minthe kissed instead of fighting over Hades ٩(♡ε♡)۶

Survive the Night (Tumblr) - Not sure how long this project is planned to be but it's basically a re-imagining of LO that further explores all the deeply-rooted issues of Hades and Minthe's relationship. Very tense and emotionally raw dialogue scenes, Minthe gets a lot more agency and character exploration here.

Desire for Peace (Webtoon) - Though it's an entirely unique work separate from LO (it's not a fan comic or retelling), the creator was compelled by a distaste towards modern Greek myth retellings to create their own Greek myth comic, starring Ares as the main protagonist. It has both beautiful and unique art, and it presents a writing style that isn't as watered down and simplified as so many popular commercial Greek myth retellings tend to be. The creator is very cool and has done an amazing job at creating a true Greek myth retelling comic, without all the bells and whistles and crutches of "modernizing" the stories.

Theia Mania - Also not at all related to LO, it's just a great comic series that covers all sorts of different myths and tales, but it's most famously known for its ongoing retelling of Hades and Persephone in Queen of the Dead. Like the creator of Desire for Peace, the creator of Theia Mania is someone who Gives a Shit™️ about the source material they're writing about and does a great job at both presenting the culture of Ancient Greece at the time (so again, no modern 2000's stuff here) but also putting some of their own unique twists on an old tale. And the best part? No Demeter scapegoating to be found here <3

Lore Valhalla (Youtube/Patreon) - A brief one-shot that remakes the first episode of Lore Olympus, but with Norse gods instead of Greek. This isn't an ongoing series, just a fun project that Youtuber Crown Obsidian challenged himself to make after he read (and did not particularly enjoy) Lore Olympus.

[aiscard]

This is probably some of the best character art I've ever done :D

I present Gricko in the Hades game <3

(Text: GRICKO; God of Beasts; Frosty! Frosty look! He's trying to escape! OOOH we have to to help you out! You seem like my daughter's age, OOAOOAAH (aka weird Gricko noise) you can be friends!

Without background here

[moony-2001]

The real-world impact of Lore Olympus

i.e. do your research Rachel

Trigger warning: racism, fetishization, appropriation, mentions of SA

Long post ahead

A while ago, someone told me that Lore Olympus was just a silly little comic written out of boredom. That it was made to be "funny". They told me that "[I] can't hope [for] an extremely [well-written] story when it was just made with the intention to make something goofy" and that if Rachel actually wanted to make something serious like I had, she would write a book and not a comic.

At the time of this exchange, it was past 1 a.m. and I was exhausted. I did not want to argue with this person and it simply wasn't worth my time or energy in the moment.

But looking back at that (mostly one-sided) interaction, I can't help but think that there is so much wrong with that point of view. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion about Lore Olympus, whether good or bad. But Lore Olympus isn't just some silly little nothing comic about nothing important. It is a comic that actively appropriates and erases Greek Culture. It is a comic that has no respect for the actual stories that have been passed down over thousands of years whether by word of mouth or written text. It is a comic that perpetuates a false narrative and harmful stereotypes about characters or certain groups of people. So, no, it's not just a silly little comic.

Incorrect information

Here’s an example of what I mean:

When I was doing research for my post about the 10 year time skip, I looked up Leuce to reconfirm the little information I knew about her. Wanna guess the first thing that popped up about her?

A Lore Olympus Wiki article.

Okay. How about Minthe? Hundreds of pictures of her from Lore Olympus and a LO Wiki article as one of the top 3 results. Both character are horribly represented in LO and unfortunately there isn’t really any documented stories or records that can refute how LO paints them. Because of this, other characters in Greek Mythology like Leuce and Minthe, whose stories have little to no documentation, stand to suffer the most harm from deliberate misrepresentation on Rachel’s part.

Of course well-known and better documented figures in Greek mythology face slander as well. What about Thetis or Leto? How about Apollo? All of their portrayals in LO are HORRIBLE. I have seen people online absolutely drag them to filth not because they're upset about how the character is portrayed compared to their mythological counterpart, but because they have no knowledge of how they are actually portrayed outside of LO. They just assume that's how the characters are. Similarly, people who have either very little or no prior knowledge of Greek Mythology and Culture would look at the comic and go "Yep, sounds legit. It must be true." and go about thinking that what is portrayed in LO is accurate to what was transcribed thousands of years ago.

Creative interpretations and racism/fetishization within LO

Don’t get me wrong. Creative interpretations and artistic liberties can be great. When they’re done tastefully. I personally think if done correctly, a Greek myth spun in a modern way has the potential be very good. But that's not what we were given.

Characters like Minthe, Leuce, and Thetis (all nymphs btw) are portrayed as trashy tramps who put out and are used as a foil sabotage Persephone and/or her relationship with Hades. Compare that to Greek Mythology where in the Iliad, Thetis is very well-respected by the gods, particularly Hera. Unfortunately, other similar characters like satrys (and basically any character that isn’t a god) are usually portrayed as a low-class POC that can be easily exploited, manipulated, or used as a temporary villain/lover/pawn to “get back” at Persephone, our white-coded protagonist who can do no wrong.

Additionally, there is a clear race/class bias against characters like nymphs in LO. We see many cases scattered throughout the comic of gods like Hera or Aphrodite referring to nymphs as "trash" or "low class" or the idea that nymphs do not belong with gods being heavily implied if not outright said. I cannot tell you how often I've seen Minthe be called some variant of "cheap" by the readers of LO. Even Persephone (who created the flower nymphs) treats them with such disrespect. She frequently calls them some variant of "stupid" or "simple" like saying how they're not the sharpest crayons in the box even though she's the one WHO MADE THEM. However, it's so odd not really to note that nymphs like Echo, Amphitrite, or Psyche (who was previously disguised as a nymph) are not discriminated against. This is because they are liked or trusted by the gods they are around and ergo are often portrayed as the "good ones", which is a disgusting mindset to have.

We also see the fetishization of nymphs in the comic that is disturbingly similar to the fetishization of women who are Black, Asian, or Latina. It is a known fact that Hades has a flower nymph fetish. Not only is this implied in the comic, but Rachel stated it outright in an old Patreon post. Nymphs are also generally treated as sex-symbols, disposable, and as a lesser-than. Zeus frequently displays this behavior by abandoning nymphs he knocked up in the mortal realm.

For example, when Persephone finds out Apollo is dating Daphne, she isn't upset he's dating her friend. She's upset he's dating a flower nymph, beings that are generally considered to be "rare", "dumb", and objects of sexual desire. Ew.

Even on the Lore Olympus website (loreolympians.com) nymphs are regarded as "beautiful", "desirable", and "very exotic". And when they're not described in a sexual manner they're say it with me now regarded as "low class" or "workers" for some kind of god/goddess.

Final thoughts

So not only is the characterization of characters like Minthe or Thetis harmful to Greek culture and the stories that are so ingrained in their society, but it is also perpetuating harmful stereotypes about people of color and women who are confident in their sexuality.

Of course, the characters within Greek Mythology had their own issues. Zeus was a serial rapist, many of the goddesses deemed to be "feminist" by today's standards were actually horribly misogynistic looking at you Athena. But 1. that's just how things were back then (but that does not make it right) and 2. all of the good, the bad, and the ugly is still there in Greek Mythology. They're not denying how fucked up it is, but they're also not changing their history to better fit their own narrative or the narrative of the modern world. It exists, it happened, but now it is studied and called out by historians.

Rachel, on the other hand, is doing exactly that. She is actively changing the Greek's cultural history to better fit her fic's narrative. She is constantly sweeping things under the rug or going "No this is how it ACTUALLY happened". Lore Olympus is marketed as a "feminist retelling" yet somehow, it takes allllll the ugly parts from Greek Mythology (rape, incest, problematic age gaps, dubious consent, etc.), mixes it with a majority of the issues we have in the modern world (white feminism, rape-apologists/rape culture, grooming, fetishization of certain minority groups, etc.) and then amplifies the concoction to 20. Lore Olympus cannot be a "progressive, feminist, retelling" and also have characters that are morally apprehensive/come straight from the ancient myths. It does not work. In fact, IMO it makes all the problems from both eras worse.

News flash: actual cultures that are still thriving today are not your toys. They are not "made up". They matter. Do better.

[cosmicourple]

list of EPIC! rarepairs / crackships & crack friendships I fw + some I made up #2 :D (also edited yeaaaa :3)

°— Hera x fem! Polites (Pinklemonade)

°— Apollo x Antinous (Horridmelody)

°— Hera x Sirenelope (Drownedpeacock)

°— Circe x Tiresias (Rottenpuppet)

°— Poseidon x Tiresias (Prophe-sea) (ship name by @faeshittrap)

°— Hermes x Antinous (Featherysnarl)

°— Eurylochus x Aeolus (Windbag: Do Not Open? LMAO I HAD TO)

°— Poseidon x Penelope (Rubysea)

°— Odysseus x Ares (Warriorrage)

°— Tiresias & Odysseus (Prophecy Told duo)

°— Poseidon x Tiresias x Zeus x Sirenelope x Hermes x Odysseus (Colourfulchaos)

°— Hephaestus x Eurylochus (Mechanicalsword)

°— Antinous x Poseidon (Coldsea)

°— Circe x Calypso (Wiltedflora)

°— Polites & Hades (Friendship Bracelets duo)

°— Zeus x Antinous (Darkbolt)

°— Telemachus x Apollo (Brightyouth)

°— Artemis x Aeolus (Indigoclouds)

°— Lotus Eater x Winion (Whitelotus)

°— Polites x Polyphemus (Openlyarmed these r so stupid I do not apologise-)

°— Circe & Odysseus (Schemes n Sorcery duo)

°— Aphrodite x Athena (QPR) (Heart4mind)

°— Sirenelope x Penelope (Waitingsong)

°— Poseidon x Amphitrite x Zeus (Foamingbluethunder)

°— Hera x Aphrodite (Envylust)

°— Hermes x Eurylochus (Downfromthehigh)

°— Hades & Odysseus (Haunting Overseen duo)

°— Scylla x Circe (Fumbledyuri)

°— Ares x Antinous (Bleedingwound)

°— Poseidon x Odysseus x Apollo (Sunsailouttosea)

°— Athena x Penelope (QPR) (Softweaving) (all Athena ‘ships’ r gonna be queer platonic :3)

°— Sirenelope x Athena (Oakinseawater?)

°— Polites x Apollo (Optimistictune)

°— Eurylochus x Odysseus x Poseidon x Zeus (Thebitchpoly)

°— Poseidon x Hermes (Searocks? PLS GET THE REFERENCE— or Salttravel?)

°— Poseidon x Circe (Kelpcauldron)

°— Penelope x Odysseus x Zeus (Pridesdelightfulhoe)

°— Hera x Calypso (Highestpossession)

°— male! Calypso x Eurylochus (Ikissedaboy again, not srry 4 this madness :D)

°— Anticlea x Rhea (Milkyway? or Lionessdeath? lmao it’s not even canon characters anymore 😭😭😭)

°— Hera x Anticlea (Marriagegoner)

…aaaaand that’s another round done :DDD pls don’t rip into me 4 this :)-

[tabooiart]

okay so i've been working on some hadestown designs on and off for MONTHS and i wasnt planning on posting them until they were all done but i decided to post what i have done to maybe motivate me to finish the rest. so heres the two main couples!! every time i listen to hadestown a little fake production plays in my head so i wanted to get it out into the world. notes under the cut i have a lot to say <3

my orpheus is a butch lesbian idc you cant take this away from me

i'm bringing back the jean jacket from the london production because i love it so much but ALSO because its always bothered me that orpheus is the only human character that doesnt get a jacket for the winter?? it's worn for some scenes in act 1 including wait for me but is gone in act 2. i imagine she lost it at some point during the journey to the underworld, especially because its so hot down there

the idea was that orpheus' clothes are pretty nice (nice slacks, nice shoes) but theyre all worn out. scuffed shoes, baggy knees, holes in the shirt etc etc

patch on the knee matches eurydice's dress <3

i like the idea of eurydice having a bright dress under her huge dark coat. during summer she is happy and opening up to orpheus so her wardrobe changes to reflect that. but on the flip side during winter when her coat is stolen she is forced to bare her raw self to hades

she keeps her headband even in her hades uniform to show shes still holding onto her fading memories and individuality

okay so while i was working on this i came to the realization that i dont really like persephone's dress that much. and then i realized i can do whatever i want.

i referenced a lot of 30's evening gowns. i wanted something poofy and with a lot of movement. not super happy with how i drew the sleeves but its hardddd

theres this one persephone wig that has gray streaks in her hair i loveeee

both dresses of hers would be very shimmery and sparkly. im imagining a lot of subtle texture thats just hard to capture with digital art

i still HATE drawing suits

not a lot to say about hades i didnt stray too far from his established look because its so perfect

OH i added a red pocket square to both match the red back of his vest but also to be evocative of his heart! like under all the layers and walls he still has some feelings lol

[zibiscusinfandoms]

Aight so you guys enjoy reading show-only opinions, then I shall be giving my opinions on characters as a show-only who just watched the season finale.

Percy- my boy, he has never done anything wrong in his whole entire life, a hero fr.

Annabeth- i actually love her, she has shown the most growth out of everyone.

Grover- is a 20 year old hanging out with kids (is he 12 in satyr years?) He's cute. I think he should have a flower crown he would look magical.

Sally- literal queen. I love her relationship with Percy sm.

Poseidon- he should go back to his family and they should live happily ever after. Sally makes even pancakes blue like my dude HOW ELSE IS SHE SUPPOSED TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU SHOULD GO LIVE WITH THEM.

Zeus- i'm so angry that the actor portrayed him as someone scary and unhinged bc I was so ready to trash on him. (I'm not actually angry it was 👌🏻) Anyway he's a loser.

Hades- he's actually the only brother who is not a loser because he's the only one who doesn't have a halfblood child because he has SELF CONTROL UNLIKE SOME CERTAIN PEOPLE and also he loves his wife Persephone. <3 Seems like a reasonably unproblematic dude and he offered snacks.

Hermes- he is ✨beyond space and time✨ and they make him a delivery guy lol. Good job for caring for every single child you have and the unclaimed children.

Luke- I TRUSTED YOU. WE ALL TRUSTED YOU. Thinks Kronos will be better than Hermes when he ATE HIS CHILDREN- someone really needed to talk to him about that.

Diomedes- instant favorite, delivered the funniest scene in the whole season with Percy.

Who else is there? Uh-

Clarisse- she did nothing except for bullying my boy so she can go and reflect on herself in a room.

Ares- rude as heck. Invites 3 children to his table and doesn't offer them one single hamburger when he has a dozen, AND his hobby is to be insufferable on Twitter. Good thing Percy gave him a reality check.

[omaano]

SW Hades AU December Update

First things first some links and previous updates: May - June - July - August - September - October/November - everything else in this AU

This will be more of a summary of everything I've done for this AU in 2024 than an actual December month update. The reason for that is rather simple: I haven't gotten around to posting what I finished during my little holiday break. Creating those new posts would involve some background work, learning some very basic new things, and writing some dialogue, which just wouldn't compute right now.

All that said what you can be looking forward to through January for sure is a full Quinlan post, and a full Echo and Fives post - I've already made one of them with their character art, but skipped the whole background, pocket characters and dialogue part of the task; mostly because I was missing art for another character to create the whole scene that I'd envisioned.

I also did not forget about Leia winning the last poll. I really didn't, but I honestly have no idea how I want her to be depicted in this AU, and lately Satine, Sabine and Ezra have a bit of a hold on my brain, so all my creative thinking is channelled into figuring out what I want from Ezra here. I do have some sketchbook scribbles for Satine and Sabine both.

How about a poll, which I will totally respect this time!

And now for the summary: Characters who had been added this year include: Cody, Obi-wan from his desert era, Darth Maul, Omega and Batcher, Echo and Fives, Shaak Ti and my trio of baby clones, Quinlan (he's just a wip here though), and presentable WIPS for Doctor Aphra, Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls, Axe and Koska, and Kit Fisto.

Which means that in 2024 I've managed to add 8 completed individual character illustrations to this project! I'm quite pleased with that, considering how I'd only started up with renewed passion in May. I'd also finalized the charcter lineup and their little icons, which I can use as a visual aid below to keep track of my progress. The characters marked with blue have completed illustrations, and the ones marked with orange have some type of a WIP going for them.

For the whole of next year I hope to keep to the "one finished character a month" schedule, finish at least the two background images I'd planned for Obi-wan and the Nite Owls, and clean up all the keepsakes I'd sketched out. I'm a little unsure if this will be enough for me to claim around the same time next year that the AU is done, but that is the dream at least. I am missing 11 character arts completely (I know that it doesn't add up, but Moff Gideon doesn't get a cute little portrait, that's just how it is), and 4 WIPs (although Bo-Katan counts for 3). Although based on past progress I should be able to bang out Kit and Aphra in one weekend if my wrist doesn't get too angry with me :3

Taglist of anyone who wants to be pinged once a month for these updates <3 If you want to be added to the list send me a message, or just reply to this post (a 👀 would do, nothing fancy required ;))

@elwinged @yeehawgeek @velsayshi @lionsaint

If you want to be taken off the list just message me and I’ll take you off, no hard feelings :)

[ketsuarting]

Thinking about Transistor and how, even though I was Obsessed with Hades, it always paled in comparison for me.

Wanna point out the objectively Hades is a much more developed title, but something about the mood struck within transistor just hit me so much deeper. With Hades I at some point start to feel how much of it is a 'game', meanwhile in Transistor I can literally replay in thrice in a week and it'll still have me in a vice. (Speaking literally, here I just cried and then immediately felt uncomfortable at the alternative voice line that you get for Recursing again. I feel such visceral emotions every time)

I kinda knew that it would end up like this from the beginning too. When I heared that Hades (the first one) was coming out from the same people that have made my favourite game ever (discounting paper mario 2 because that only trumps transistor bcs of nostalgia) I was disinterested because I knew it wouldn't be the same, because what makes Transistor so uniquely horrifying to me (in a good way) is what many would call flawed in game design. The way that it tells it's stories (plural) withing the containment of only 10 enemy types, two human models (+Sybil???), 3 ½ voiced characters... The level design and art style.

Such a short and linear story too.

It was clear that every rough edge that I liked to glide my hands over would be sanded down with future games.

I am glad that I did eventually check out Hades, it's impressive in its own rights and I thoroughly enjoyed that one. 90 hours I think., which is about four times the time that i spent on transistor. and I've already spent 30 hours in Hades 2. Some hardcore gamers might scoff but I don't spend more than 100 hours ona game, if I reach that marker I tend top drop the game. Even if I am far from actually done.

I was never very consciously aware of developers until playing Hades so I wasn't particularly familiar with Supergiant, and I do still keep my distance from interviews for personal reasons, but I've been thinking about playing bastion and pyre too now. A little anxious though.