#good question Ody

[asexualbert]

Odysseus: Why are my eyes so heavy

Also Odysseus, four seconds earlier: For nine days, I've stayed wide awake

[gingermintpepper]

On that trojan war au thing you're writing. 1. What are the tags for it, cause I'm super interested! And would love to read what you have so far! 2. "And Odysseus is a much grimmer darker man due to his home being one of the places that were first swallowed up by Erebus" - I wanna know more about this. Please tell me more.

Oh , wow, I'm so flattered! I'm very happy it sounds appealing to you <33 This work is a huge passion project of mine so I'm always glad to talk more and more about it, especially since there are many aspects occurring in the background (such as the alternate fates of the main players of the Trojan Conflict) which I cannot properly cover or even explain within the events of the novel itself.

That said: 1) If you mean tags as in ao3 - unfortunately, this work isn't on ao3 my friend :( As I said above, these are elements and concepts in the greek mythology based-fantasy novel I'm currently writing (the concept of which I outlined here in the introductory post of my novel concept!) As for wanting to read whatever writing I currently have available: I currently have three fics available on ao3 that are written in my Pursuing Daybreak verse!

The Prince and Princess series deal with a young Apollo and Artemis and the many consequences they face after Apollo has slain Python. The two works uploaded right now are Exeunt Phoebus Apollo which covers the murder trial of Python and Manent Apanchomene Artemis which covers the intense feelings of helplessness and alienation Artemis experiences after Apollo returns from his banishment and is completely changed. Both of these have themes of family, grief and relationship exploration at their heart.

The third bit of writing I have up is quite outdated but does cover the immediate aftermath of Hyacinthus' death. It's called A Petal Falleth and features Apollo making one of those Big Silly Decisions that have completely unintended but extremely important consequences: namely, instead of the larkspurs being made of Hyacinthus' spilt blood, Apollo anchors the boy's soul to the flowers so Thanatos wouldn't take him. Like the Dawn is also set in this world but because it is nsfw in nature, I wouldn't recommend it as easily as the other three bits of writing. If you don't mind the whole naked men thing though, I'd definitely suggest reading Like the Dawn for a better idea of what my current writing is like (along with eventually getting to see characters like Hector, Andromache and Cassandra/Helenus) Like the Dawn's themes are also different to the other three works with it focusing more on the power dynamics of a god/mortal relationship, exploring masculinity and masculine sexuality and self discovery.

The running theme here, of course, is that all of these bits of writing are centered on Apollo/Artemis or Hyacinth because my novel itself is centered around them. There are, of course, other important characters and figures like Eros, Psyche, Penthesilea and Iaso (one of Asclepius' daughters) but while there is the definite presence of characters from the Trojan War they most certainly aren't at the center of the novel (and the ones that are aren't the Greeks but rather the Trojans i.e Hector, Alexander, Andromache, Cassandra, Helenus, Aeneas, so on and so forth.)

2) The basis of the apocalypse in my work is cosmological! Due to Apollo's err-- untimely departure, there's no longer anyone maintaining the axis of the heavens or the navel of the earth. Because of this, Erebus - whose darkness is usually kept firmly in the spaces between the realms - begins to spill out into both the heavens and the earth. The beasts of Erebus (referring primarily to the Seven Curses - Old Age, Misery, Deceit, Violence etc etc) consume, torment and destroy whatever is inside of Erebus' darkness and Ithaca, as one of the islands on the far edge of the world, was one of the very first places that were devoured in this manner. Odysseus was visiting the Argives at the time for a festival and had left the pregnant Penelope at home since he didn't want her to suffer through the voyage in discomfort. He only finds out about the destruction of Ithaca after it had already been consumed when Athena personally interrupts a feast to warn both him and Diomedes. Needless to say, Odysseus, like everyone else, assumes that everyone on Ithaca has died and thusly is a very, very different man in terms of humour and comport. A part of him still stubbornly clings to the belief that Penelope managed to escape - that she was smart and resourceful enough to see the end approaching and do her best to escape - but that doesn't stop him from being dour for the majority of the time. Diomedes does his best to keep his spirits up in the meantime. Without him around, Odysseus is something of a black hole when it comes to the oppressiveness of his discontent though he does manage to lighten up when in the company of Helen, Clytemnestra and even Menelaus on occasion.

[fluffypotatey]

personally, i like to imagine during the beginning of “Done For”, Ody’s crew is just running around the room as little piglets while he’s questioning Circe about what happened to them

[treedaddymcpuffpuff]

F*CK, KILL, MARRY — nsfw alphabet w john wick (&femreader)

[Warnings: NSFW, discussion of various sexual and kink topics that are 0% canon and 100% my fantasies opinions] gif cred: @lunaspacks & @gifpacklove

[A]ftercare

The literal king of aftercare. It does not matter what kind of sex you’re having with John—even if it’s of the slowest and sensualist variety—he’s making sure you’re clean, kissed, snuggled, and hydrated afterwards.

[B]ody Part

What part of your body does this man not consider his favorite part, is the better question? Seems like his goal in life is to get every little piece of your flesh—especially the batches you don’t like—into his mouth and hands so he can convince you how much he loves, craves, pines after all of you. Speaking of hands, of course you love his chunky, scarred, battle worn fingers. And, since that seems to be your favorite part of him, he’s happy to agree, and wiggle his digits in front of you every once in a while as a teasing reminder of just how much you like them.

[C]um

The only thing John Wick likes teasing more than you, is himself. He’s entirely too good at keeping you both up all night either cumming or just on the precipice of it, so, by the time you’re both spent, things tend to be sticky and soaked in more than just sweat and saliva.

[D]irty Secret

There’s nothing he keeps from you, really. If you’re into it, he’s into it, and vice versa. Look at those puppy dog eyes and tell me you’re gonna tell this man no if he wants to suck your toes.

[E]xperience

Might have been a bit of a whore in his younger days, when he was still trying different bad coping skills for dealing with his own self loathing. Present, John has to really have that emotional attraction for his pants to get tighter, but he absolutely knows his way around female anatomy—as evidenced by yours and his soaked sheets.

[F]avorite Position

Either his face tucked up inside your pussy so deep his hair gets wet (John Wick’s favorite activity is making you cum in his mouth), or your knees hooked over his shoulders so he can watch your eyes roll back in your head while he reaches screaming, teeth gnashing, hellishly pleasurable depths.

[G]oofy

This one very much depends on his mood, although he’s not opposed to play fights and chasing you around the house a little bit before bending you over the couch and fucking his winning prize. He’s more playful than not most of the time, always teasing and sly, grinning against your lips and nuzzling your thighs and starting tickle fights —which may just be the only sort of fight he actually loses (sometimes).

[H]air

This man is not shaving that often these days…Something(one) else is taking up his free time. Plus, he loves to see beard burn on your skin—it means you’re his. He truly does not care at all about your body hair; whether you shave or don’t, he’s still burying his face in your cunt.

[I]ntimacy

Loving and fucking go hand in hand for him; where there is no love, there is no fuck. If he’s fucking you, he’s loving you at the same time, sometimes so deeply and intensely that the emotion becomes more overwhelming than the actual sex, which is a feat of its own. Constantly saying the dirtiest, sweetest shit to you—commanding your attention again when you try to bury your head in a pillow or close your eyes for some reprieve from his attention.

[J]ack off

You’ve both made a maddening deal that you won’t cum unless you’re in the other’s presence. It gets exceedingly frustrating at times, especially when he decides to come home from a week-long contract and then edge you out of your fucking mind for a few hours before he sends you to heaven and back on his cock

[K]ink

Hide and seek — spoiler: you always lose. Topping from the bottom — whatever you’re into, he’s into. Whatever you want, he’ll give it a try with enthusiasm. He loves pleasing you, serving you, giving you everything that you ask for and then some. John Wick is a service sub at heart, even if he takes the dominant roll to prove it. Edging and overstimulating — Living a life of pain, agony, and heartbreak has made him appreciate the finer things in life, like his cock and your cunt aching so desperately it becomes painful. He can spend all day nibbling your ears, teasing you with dark promises, brushing against your little sensitive spots, and then all night kissing your swollen clit and tickling your gspot and fucking you slow and devastatingly softly. And then there’s his love for receiving edges, leaking pools of precum while you tease his cock and kiss his tummy and nibble his hipbones.

[L]ocation

Private. He wants you to himself. The thought of someone else seeing or touching you, unless it’s something you really crave, makes him want to break bones stuff. Besides some hand holding and light cheek pecks in public, he’s not one for PDA.

[M]otivation

You don’t have to try to turn John on, which is both a blessing and a curse. More than once have you purchased a pair of cute (not even that sexy underwear) that he has ripped in half so that his impatient mouth can latch onto your pussy. He also adores femininity in all its purest forms—pretty sundresses, little strappy heels and sandals, the curves and soft places on your body, your cute giggles and soft touch and adorable pouting. Even better if you’re naturally not feminine to begin with, and take on a more masculine role; he loves to bring the little lady out in you, and take care of her.

[N]o

John will get a little rough if you ask; spank you, fuck your soul into the next life, a little bit of facefucking, but all the while he’s checking in on you, making sure you’re okay, asking if you need anything, giving you little breaks. He’s just naturally so sweet to you, it’s hard for him to complete a rough session without constant reassurance from his babydoll. So, gags are a no. He wants to—likes to—hear you, and he doesn’t need something obstructing that.

[O]ral

There are two ways that this could go. 1) With Wick slurping between your squishy thighs until dawn, delaying one orgasm after another until you’re sobbing and thrashing, until he finally lets you cum with his pruned fingers fucking up inside and sore tongue on your massively swollen clit. 2) With Baba Yaga burying his face into your folds, still in the sweaty work suit and maybe even a little blood on his tie, and taking you to heaven and back until he thinks you’re wet and stretched enough—spoiler, you are both of those things as soon as you see him…as soon as he opens his mouth—to take his cock.

[P]ace

Quick, bruising fucks in the car. Weekends in his woodsy, romantic cabin where you spend more time on his dick than off. Slow tonguing on the kitchen counter. Riding him on the doorstep while he’s in his suit when he just wants to get you off one more time before he goes off on a long job.

[Q]uickie

He prefers slow and sensual and teasing, but sometimes his cock disagrees with all that. He’s a man, after all, has needs. When he gets that haunted, dark, narrowed, pussy hungry look in his eyes—you’re fucked. You don’t know this, and he might not either, but that’s the same look he gets when he’s hunting a target.

[R]isk

What is the need for it? You’re his, completely. He doesn’t require added adrenaline when you’re around—you are his high.

[S]tamina

Y/n: *slaps John Wick’s ass* trust me, this baby can go for miles. Wait no, no, John-JOhN! Listen!—

[T]oys

As familiar as he is with the world and how it runs, he himself is a bit old school. That means holding doors open and putting you on the opposite side of the sidewalk away from traffic, but it also means he prefers to get you off with himself rather than any plastics or silicones—that is until you showed him just how fun they could be. Now, he may be initially resistant to vibrators and dildos, but that doesn’t mean he’s not privy to other tools that aid in your undoing—feathers, belts, ties, rope, his gun (unloaded, of course, don’t worry).

[U]nfair

Sometimes you feel like all the stoic, broody, dark assassin does is tease you. Not that you’re complaining, as long as his tongue or his fingers or his teeth are on you.

[V]olume

John Wick is a man of focus, determination, and sheer will power—but, make no mistake, he whimpers for you just as often as he growls.

[W]ild card

John didn’t think he’d get much out of thigh riding, until he saw you completely bare grinding your soaked cunt against the tensed muscles of his leg while he remained full on suited in black. Your fingers wrapped around his tie, the thick Kevlar of his jacket, rumpling and dampening the pristine white shirt underneath, mouth open and panting, flushed and grinding, desperate to get yourself off, nipples plucked swollen and dark by his fingers.

[X]-ray

Big Wick Energy. And, surprisingly, something you love to bite and poke, a cute little permanent pudge on his lower tummy amongst the hard panes of ab and tendon and muscle.

[Y]earning

If you’re both in good health—alright, sometimes even if you’re not (see: bullet and stab wounds, period cramps, broken bones)—you’re fucking. Often and earnestly. Debauching every available surface as soon as you get through the doors of each other's dwellings. He’s spent a lifetime training to kill, honing his body into the perfect weapon, building his inhuman stamina, unsure of why he was doing all of it in the first place—until he realized it was the universe’s grand design to assist him with fucking you whenever and wherever he wants; even when you get tired and he has to use you past the point where you can’t move or speak or think. As you’ve come to learn, it doesn’t matter if you’re too cockdrunk to assist, because John can fuck for the both of you.

[Z]zzzzzz

When he’s actually done, he’s out immediately. Just one of those common manly traits you like to poke fun at him for. At least he sleeps, now.

[moonmunson]

either way / no doubt

a/n: either way and no doubt by Odie Leigh have been on repeat currently and I relate to them so heavily so I word vomited on a Google docs. its a little rushed but oh well LMAO (I'm also always writing with a plus sized reader in mind)

cw: over thinker fem!reader, autistic coded reader, not knowing how to enter into a first serious relationship, kind lover boy!Eddie, no use of y/n

wc: 2.1k

It is the beginning of Spring when she meets Eddie Munson. Genuinely meets him, not just sees him around town and wonders what it’s like to be in his orbit. Working at the local diner, she sees him and his group of friends often. She’s served them a couple times, and they’re always respectful - albeit rambunctious. They tip well, stack their dishes for the busboys to clear, wave to her on the way out. 

It’s the day Eddie comes in by himself that marks it as different, new. He sits in her section of the diner, glances her way and then averts his gaze when she meets it. That’s odd, but she doesn’t think much else of it. Not until the end of his meal - consisting of a solitary cup of coffee and a slice of apple pie - does he stop her when she checks to see if he needs anything. 

He asks if she’d want to hang out sometime, and she laughs - a forced exhale of nerves. He asks why she’s laughing, and she doesn’t know what to say. After a few moments of awkward silence, she relents and shrugs. What would we do? He says anything she wants. What if she doesn’t know what she wants to do? He says they’ll figure it out together. 

They end up sitting in the back of Eddie’s van, the open doors facing Lover’s Lake. She’s fidgety, and stumbling over her words. He keeps staring at her when she talks and she’s not used to anybody doing this much work to stay focused on her and what she has to say, especially because she’s not saying much of substance. He asks her so many questions, and mundane ones at that. How are classes at the community college? What’s your major? She answers as best she can. 

The feeling of someone looking at her makes her skin crawl. She doesn’t know what to do with her hands, she’s uncomfortably aware of the position of her nose on her face, which seems incredibly silly, and then she’s thinking about just how silly that is when he asks her if she’s alright. 

“Sorry?”

“I was just asking if you felt alright. It looked like you went away for a second there,” Eddie ducks his head down to catch her line of sight. Eye contact has always been difficult for her, but this is different - warm - like sunshine. “I know I’m not the most exciting person to talk to, but I hope you’re having a good time. I enjoy talking to you.” 

“I’m here, sorry. I like talking to you too.”

“You don’t have to apologize, it’s okay.”

“Sorry. Oh-” She sucks in a breath and places her hand over her mouth, eyes wide at the realization of her mistake. He giggles, a sweet boyish sound, and it warms his face. She thinks she could love that face, if he let her. If she knew how. She laughs too, despite herself. “It’s a bad habit. I really have to stop apologizing so much.” 

He’s still smiling when he says it’s okay, he understands. 

Later, when he drops her off at her apartment, the sun has gone down. The ride he’d offered her is relatively quiet. It’s a strange thing, to see the way someone adjusts themself around you. The usual loud heavy metal is absent here. The fast driving and sharp turns are traded in for complying with the speed limit, graceful steering and soft brakes. When he looks at her, she directs her gaze out the window - when she looks at him, he is focused on the road. 

He stops her as she takes off her seatbelt and goes to open the door, jumping out of his own and running around the front of the van to open it for her. She leads him to her front door, and he asks if he can see her again, if he can have her number. She nods, and rummages around her purse for a few frantic seconds before finding her waitress notepad and pen. When she rips the page out that she’s written her number on and hands it to him, he clutches it to his chest and smiles.  

“I’ll call you when I get home, if that’s okay. Just to let you know I made it back safely.”

“And if I want to keep talking to you?”

“We can talk for as long as you want to.” 

“Okay.” 

Eddie walks backwards for a few seconds, keeping his eyes locked on hers, paper still against his heart. By the time he’s made it back to his van, he lifts a hand up for a short wave goodbye, and turns to face the vehicle. 

Now or never. 

“Eddie?” In true Munson fashion, he whips around completely at the sound of her calling out to him. 

“Yeah, sweets?” 

“I just wanted to tell you I had a really nice time with you today. I can’t wait for you to call me later.” She tucks her hair behind her ears, needing to do something with her hands to offset the nausea brought about by her impulsive vulnerability. He smiles wider, if that’s even possible. 

“I’m glad you had a good time. I’ve been wanting to ask you out forever, Gareth and the guys kept busting my balls about it. I promise I’ll call when I get home.” 

She nods, her eyes tracking his steps as he makes it to his car. She watches him drive off. It feels so strange, this immediate wanting him to come back, wanting him to come inside and crawl into her brain. To know her fully. It scares her in a way she’s incredibly unused to. When she can’t hear the music blasting from his speakers anymore, she makes her way inside and slumps against the door for a few seconds. 

He does call when he gets home, and they talk until the sun rises. 

__

They spend the next few days talking on the phone. It’s easier like this, she thinks. She doesn’t have to worry about the way she looks when she’s thinking of something to say. She doesn’t have to avoid his white hot gaze, the way she can feel it trail over her face when she’s speaking. If he notices how much more she opens up to him when they’re not actively sitting next to each other, he doesn’t mention it. 

When they’re not on the phone, he clings to her brainspace like moss on a tree. She can’t stop thinking about him, to the point she’s worried she’s obsessing over something that isn’t there. He’d said he had a good time, he said he enjoyed talking to her, so why does it keep bothering  her so much? He feels safe. He does feel safe, but she’s not used to conversations with no expectations. No guise, no hidden agenda. If he notices the way she starts to pull away due to her overthinking, her sentences shorter and stunted, he doesn’t mention it. He carries on as usual, calling her to talk about what he’d done that day. It makes her smile. 

When he asks, unprompted, if he can see her again, she says yes. 

__

They go to the lake again. It is an early March morning, the last tendrils of Winter still grasping desperately for some kind of recognition against early Spring. He brings a blanket and hot cocoa for both of them, and she feels it in her chest - warm and sweet and chocolatey, like his eyes. It’s easier this time, talking to him. She spends less time worried about her posture and cadence - more time really listening to him speak and trying her hardest to maintain eye contact. 

The early morning breeze makes ripples on the otherwise still surface of the water. It’s so beautiful. He’s so beautiful. He’s so expressive when he speaks. She used to think he was careless, jumping on tables and riling up the people he knew didn’t like him. Seeing him up close like this, she realizes it’s kind of the opposite. It’s careful, planned, the way he uses his hands, his eyes. Even when he’s talking about a book he's read a million times, she feels like she's there among the scenery and characters he describes. It’s entirely captivating. She wants to be more like him. Carefully carefree. 

She’s never done this kind of thing - the relationship kind of thing. If that’s what this is, she has no idea how to traverse this new terrain. She can’t find her footing, she doesn’t know what the formula is, what the proper way to go about it looks like. She doesn’t think about sounding weird when she asks:

“What are we doing?” 

Eddie pauses mid sip, brings the cup back down to his lap. 

“Currently? Or like, with our lives?” He chuffs out a little laugh. Not in a teasing way, though it's hard for her to differentiate. “Because currently, from my perspective at least, I’m sitting in my van with a pretty girl talking about our favorite books. What I’m doing with my life is something a lot of people, including me, would really like to know.” 

Levity, she recognizes. 

“Sorry if it's a weird question, I just…” She trails off, breaking eye contact, looking at her hands in her lap. He scoots forward a bit, the side of his thigh touching hers as their legs dangle off the back of the van. He doesn’t push her to say anything, doesn’t acknowledge the unneeded apology, doesn’t fill the silence with his own voice.  He just waits, patiently. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen him sit this still. 

“I really like you, and I really like talking to you. I’ve never done anything like this,” She uses her pointer finger to gesture between the two of them, drawing a connecting line between their bodies, “I don’t know how to, if that makes sense. I’m not really a lot of people’s type, I guess.” 

“Hey, look at me,” Eddie sets the cup down next to him and very gently takes her hand, locks their fingers together. When she raises her eyes to meet his, he continues. “There’s no rush, I mean it. You set the pace here, okay? I like you, like a lot. If all you wanna do is sit here and talk, I’m totally fine with that. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”  

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah, sweets.” 

“What if you find out how weird I am and decide you don’t want to talk to me anymore?” 

At this, Eddie relinquishes his grip on her hand, hops down from the lip of the back of the van, and stands in front of her. 

“Y’know who you’re talking to?” two thumbs pointed towards himself - eyebrows raised, mouth quirked in a goofy grin, “King of the freaks, misfits, and ne'er do wells. I don’t think you could scare me off, but you’re certainly welcome to try.” 

“So just… be myself?” She scrunches her face up - the idea of being genuine is almost totally foreign to her. 

“Be yourself!” 

“Ew. Yeah, alright, fine.” She sighs in resignation and shrugs a shoulder. Doesn’t think about how convincing he is, or how willing she was to drop some of her defenses. Carefully carefree. She can do it. 

They share a laugh, finishing their luke-warm cocoa together and talking until the sun is high in the sky and the temperature rises too high for them to ignore any longer. This time, the drive home is less quiet. She meets his gaze when he looks over at her from the driver’s seat, she hums along to the sound of the radio, it's nice. Comfortable. 

Just like last time, Eddie hastens to run around the van and open her door for her. He extends a hand to help her down and out, and they stay connected on the short journey to her apartment’s front door. Eddie watches while she digs the keys out of her purse, unlocking the door and leading the both of them inside for a drink. He kicks his shoes off by the welcome mat, and they look like they belong there. 

It is the beginning of Spring when Eddie Munson permanently plants himself in her life, a steadfast source of comfort and nourishment. It is hard for her, and it takes longer than most for her to truly open up. To show him all the nooks and crannies of her mind. He takes it all in stride - her overthinking, her quirks and neuroses. He shows her that it is entirely impossible to trust someone enough to take part in the watering and flowering - that it's not a weight she has to hold alone. She can bloom.

__

if you enjoyed this story please like and reblog!!

[harufluff]

things they would say

warnings - none

genre - fluff, comfort, dialogue, txt x gn!reader, established relationship au

reblogs and comments are highly appreciated.

bolded is reader. enha version

choi soobin

"can we just like...stay like this? just for a little bit i promise"

"i like your face. it's my favorite face"

"i love you" "more than odi...?" "...your tied for first"

"it feels like ages since i've seen you!" "we just hung out yesterday..." "that was too long ago"

"am i aloud to look at you for this long...?"

"gimme a kiss riiiiiiight...here" *points to cheek*

choi yeonjun

"i can do whatever i want. im your boyfriend"

"i couldn't stop missing you if i tried"

"hold my hand, ok?"

"do you expire?" "im not ramen" "oh my god if you were i would love you even more." *gets punched in the arm* "OW WHAT THE HECK. I WAS JOKING CMON"

"i hope you know your stuck with me forever."

choi beomgyu

"wake up. its time for the day" "no"

"whatever, whenever, whoever. ill always be here"

"can i braid your hair...?" "why" "cause its pretty"

"I'LL KISS IT TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER"

"i'm dying!! you're to cute!!!"

"is there anyway you would leave me for someone else...?" "thats a stupid question." "why?" "because there is no possible way that i would leave your side in any universe."

kang taehyun

"did anyone hurt you? ill kill them"

"why do you smell like coffee? did you have a long night?"

"your smile makes my whole world better." "where did you find that...?" "google"

"why does everyone think youre scary. your like a cute little bunny" "i am scary." alternative "PEOPLE THINK IM SCARY???"

"can you do that again?"

"you need to stop smiling." "why?" "because my heart is beating too fast. so choose, hospital or no smiling"

"love you, sweets"

huening kai

"I COULD JUST EAT YOU!! YOU'RE SO CUTE"

"everything you do is perfect. don't change"

"uhm...do you want to hug one of my plushies?"

"why can't we sleep forever?" "i mean...technically we can..."

"does anyone else make you this happy...?" "hmm...i dont think so?" "ok good. thats my job now"

"i don't know how well me cooking will end, but i'll do it if your too tired."

let me know for an enha version.

©Harufluff 2023 | Do not copy, repost or claim any of my works.

[taeiun]

just a little sick with love.

synopsis: it spills out too fast; hard to contain this blurted confession about you (in other words, txt when asked about you during an interview)

who: txt's choi line x gn!reader

categories: a little smth extra fluffy, interview style scenarios

warnings: might be ooc here? reader is referred to as "pretty" and "beautiful" a few times (not in a physical appearance context really), love and babe and jagiya are used as petnames, use of "yn" in the fic, mentions of food and drinks

word count: 0.9k

interviewer: ...but, while we’re on the topic of romance, i’ve heard through the grapevine that you’re currently in a relationship. now, i’m just dying to know, and i’m sure the viewers are too, about who you’ve been seeing so, what can you tell us about them?

✧ YEONJUN !

yeonjun: well to start, they’re the love of my life. [he laughs and runs a hand through his hair with a hum] they understand me in ways no one else would, not even the other members. i can be choi yeonjun with them, you know? not just an idol on stage, not just yeonjun of tomorrow x together. being with them… it’s like walking into a cold room after being out in the sun all day. 

interviewer: aw, that’s sweet! how did you get to meet them? 

yeonjun: i spilt my drink on them. [he smiles sheepishly] i was in a rush and wasn’t looking where i was going. we bumped into each other and i ruined their shirt. i offered to pay for a new one but the thing about yn is that they’re stubborn. they refused so i asked if could take them out lunch instead. things kind of went from there.

yeonjun: now, they send me tiktoks and reels that remind them of me when we’re away on tour. they surprise me with roses after a show win and always welcome me with a smile, no matter how tired they are. yn is the best thing that’s happened to me and i can’t see myself without them. 

interviewer: wow sounds like i might need to sweep them off their feet for myself! [the interviewer laughs]

yeonjun: [he lets out a tense chuckle that ends in a sigh] ah… yeah no, tough luck buddy. they’re mine and always will be.

✧ SOOBIN !

soobin: hmm [he takes a moment to choose his words carefully] where do i begin? [the interviewers laughs] yn is my other half. i don’t really know how else to explain it other than that. they’re effortlessly kind and the nicest person i’ve ever met. they never fail to cheer me up after a long day and are so understanding of my needs. sometimes i think they know me better than i know myself. [he laughs]

interviewer: when did you know they were the one?

soobin: i think i knew we were going to work out for sure when the group and i first went on tour. yn took care of odi for me and sent me video updates. they don’t like recording their voice so i asked them why they sent videos instead of pictures and messages. they replied, “because i know you can’t sleep soundly without hearing my voice, soobin.” i was already in love before then but i think that only grew after hearing those words. 

interviewer: if you had to pick between your partner and your career, which would you choose?

soobin: i think that’s an unrealistic question to ask. yn made it clear that they’d never make me pick between our relationship and my idol life. they said i deserved to be happy, to receive the good things in life. for the longest time, i thought i could only have one or the other, a relationship or a successful career, and it wasn’t until i met them that i realized those things could coexist. they’re my biggest supporter and i couldn’t be more grateful for that.

✧ BEOMGYU !

beomgyu: oh, y/nnie! [he visibly brightens] it’s crazy. even though we’ve been dating for a while now, sometimes i wake up and i’m like [beep]... i’m actually dating them. they’re so sweet to me. i’m starting to get cavities from just how kind they are. [he and the interviewer laugh]

interviewer: why them? what is it about your partner that caught your eye?

beomgyu: oh it had to have been their smile. they have the prettiest smile i’ve ever seen and their eyes crinkle in the corners when they do. their laugh is the most beautiful thing i’ve heard. i’d play it on loop twenty four seven if i could. their happiness is infectious. i’ll let you in on a little secret [he leans in, forearms resting on his thighs as he moves to fake whisper to the interviewer] sometimes, they’ll dance and sing around the kitchen when they think im not watching. [he laughs, leaning back in his seat] they probably have way more blackmail on me though. 

interviewer: would you say you’re happy?

beomgyu: i’m the happiest i’ve ever been. yn… they make everything i do worth it. i don’t know what i’d do without them. i wish they could see themselves through my own eyes because i think they’re the most stunning and beautiful, in every meaning of that word, person on the planet.

bonus:

interviewer: is there anything you’d like to say to your partner back home?

yeonjun: hey, babe! i hope you haven’t forgotten about our one year anniversary coming up. [he says in a teasing voice] you better be taking care of yourself properly while i’ve been gone. [he smiles warmly] i miss you. tour is almost done, love. i’ll be seeing you very soon. 

soobin: i hope you’re doing well, love. you better be asleep when this program is airing and i don’t want to see a single text message from you until it’s morning in your time zone. you can get more work done when you’re well-rested. [he smiles] just a little longer, dear. i’ll be home soon.

beomgyu: yn! i can’t wait to see you again, jagiya. there’s so much to tell you and i miss stealing the blanket from you when we sleep. [his expression drops to a serious, but playful one] i’m cashing in that cuddling coupon you gave me for my birthday last year when i get back and expect top tier service.

^ . _ . ^ !? hehe was inspired by a couple cute insta reels that came up on my for you. next txt post will be for ot5 hopefully as long as i have the time

© taeiun 2023. all rights reserved. do not copy, repost, translate, modify, or claim any of my writing as yours.

[homicidal-sheep]

I will defend Eurylochus to my dying breath because what the fuck yall, he is not the malicious monster people are making him out to be?? Like these characters are so morally grey its not even funny.

I love Ody with all my heart but the man did fuck up. He is human, and a plaything of the Gods, which is a very dangerous position to be in at the best of times.

I've seen people saying Eury has no moral high ground on the Scylla thing because he wanted to leave all the men at Circe's. Now firstly, I highly doubt a simple scouting mission would include all the men (see Cyclops saga, when only a fraction went). So they would be running to save what men remained, not ditching the entire army. Secondly, what exactly did you want them to do when facing Circe? They didn't know Hermes was there. All they knew was there was a magic lady who could turn people into pigs. So what, were they gonna ask really really nicely? Somehow I highly doubt that would work. Without the Gods intervention, I just don't see them winning. Eury was cutting their losses because from his POV, there was quite literally nothing they could do for the men. Best case scenario they snuck the men/pigs out and, idk, kept them as pets??

As for the wind bag, yeah it was a really dumb decision. But Ody is the one who decided not to trust his men, especially Eury. Ody has already given up on the crew, and they likely feel that distrust. Why should they put their blind faith in a man who refuses to clue them in? Why should they believe that he has whats best for them in their hearts? Ody's own guilt caused him to embrace an ideology that got a bunch of them killed. (remember when he said the only one who's lines he hasn't crossed were his own?) And we can see some of this growing resentment in Perimedes cut song. We as viewers have context the men simply do not.

Sidenote, people say Eury would have gotten them lotus'd. Yeah maybe. or maybe Ody would have recognized the fruit before they ate it, like he did with Polites. We cannot know.

The other point I keep seeing, that I find absolutely baffling is "well they deserved to die for mutinying, they should have listened to their king and captain" I'm sorry when did we all become monarchists. Kings and captains can absolutely make bad decisions? We should not blindly trust authority?? Yeah Eury kept questioning the captain. He was second in command and the voice of the crew, not only is he voicing their discontent, I'd argue that a good king should have someone who is willing to disagree with them. While Ody is right, that in the middle of a dire situation isn't great, and it would have been better to address those issues in private, they are very legitimate worries. If your captain has admitted he would burn the world to see his son and wife, I think being a little worried is absolutely fair.

The Gods keep appearing and helping Ody but they are also incredibly dangerous beings who constantly play with the lives of mortals.

On to the cow thing. Ya it was fucking dumb. But I can understand why. The man is fucking tired. They don't see a way out and at that point, starving to death slowly, so desperately afraid, probably sounded like a terrifying fate. Better to get it over with.

And he still cares! Ody is his literal brother in law. They bandaged his wounds when they could have idk, sacrificed him to Posideon or something. What Ody did to them was 100% betrayal and I understand why they mutinied, with what information they had. For petes sake he kept singing "I need to get home", I, not we.

Again, I love Ody, but good lord, the man is the definition of an unreliable narrator. Let them all be complicated, tragic characters without labeling them as cookie cutter good guys and bad guys.

[quinton-reviews]

Garfield question I've been wondering about for a while, do we know if his hatred of Mondays is stronger, weaker, or equal to his love of lasagna? Specifically, would having lasagna on Monday cancel out the Monday blues and make it a good day, or would it be a net neutral?

If Garfield tried to eat Lasagna on a Monday something horrible would happen. The tray would flip perhaps, pouring the lasagna over Garfield. Odie would come in and lick Garfield, making it worse. Garfield loves Lasagna - but Mondays will always drain what little joy life brings him.

[epicthemusical]

what are your thoughts on how the epic trio (odysseus, eurylochus, polites) becoming friends? like how old were they when they met & what sparked the friendship?

hmm interesting question. I like to believe Polites was a lower status just a commoner that befriend Ody first and Ody eventually made him his Therapon while Polites is also his philos. If you don't know Therapon is basically an ancient Greek version of a knight. They are people royalty chooses( mostly princes) when they are fairly young and the role of a Therapon is to provide support, protection, and aid whenever it is needed. Their council and guard that will forever follow the one they are sworn to. Philos just means a very close and dear friend. Eury comes into the picture later after his father goes to meet with Ody father to negotiate and that's when they meet. The often see each other since the two kingdoms have a good relationship and they quickly become close friends. Of course they become even closer once Eury starts courting Ctimene, Ody sister.

I hope this rambling is fun to read and if you have any other questions feel free to ask! Also I don't really have specific ages for when they become friends so sorry about that lol

[dootznbootz]

Can i be honest. I don't get it when people try to use Antigone as a feminist icon or something, or that "She literally died because she didn't listen to man! That's just like us!" Because it's not and we're not living in the 16th century.

And these people are acting like Creon wouldn't have killed her if he was a man. Or that Creon wouldn't have killed her if he was a woman. Like guys, I'm sorry but "Girlboss" feminism is soo annoying.

I saw a post where it's like "Greek mythology male characters: 'He seems chill... Oh he's being a douche to women. Female Greek mythology characters: 'She seem cool... Oh she's getting revenge on the men that wronged her. She's so cool!!"

And in the tags they were hating on Ody for killing the slave girl and calling Medea an icon. Even though Medea killed her two young children just because she was salty at Jason... double standards at their finest, people

Real.

Also people better be mad at Penelope as well if they're mad at Odysseus for the slave girls. She hated them just as much.

Wise Penelope heard his words and rebuked Melantho, saying: “You can be sure, you bold and brazen bitch, that I have seen your shameless acts. You’ll wipe away the stain with your own head. You clearly know full well, because you heard me say it—I’m planning to ask this stranger in my halls some questions about my husband, since I feel such grief.”

(Book 19, Johnston)

People just literally turn a blind eye when the woman also does violence against other women. (Same with Clytemnestra. like sure, she killed Agamemnon but she also screwed up her kids. (one a girl so a lot of these "girlboss" types ideals are contradictory))

And it's really really tough enjoying Medea only to see people "girlboss" her. I love the play. It made me feel so many things but NONE of them were GOOD feelings.

Old meme from a post I made a while back but it sums up my feelings lol.

I think it weirdly comes from this awful wave of "I hate children. Horrible beings. Hope they suffer. etc.etc." bullshit and the girlboss wave :'(

Also um, yeah, Creon would've killed ANYONE who would have buried Polyneices. I've always seen Antigone more as a story of honoring family and a family's love for one another, not so much of a "feminist story". As Creon is like, the opposite of Antigone in how he does not wish to honor his family no matter what and will even have family killed for honoring family.

I weirdly think there's this phenomenon of people seeing stories/myths that simply have women in them, especially if they are "center stage" and then decide that they're feminist regardless of the context.

Like I guess you could say that these stories simply having complex and driven women is feminist (I mean...moreso than most booktok/modern YA novels ;~; where many female leads are very...bland imo) which is very sad that feminism is just the bare minimum of "Hey a woman is a person who is complex."

But it's also like, these women and their meaningful and HUMAN stories are LOST because they're just painted as "girlboss".

I think Antigone would be more like "I mean...I was just trying to bury my brother because I care about him and didn't want to see him left to rot. I would have done it no matter WHAT told me not to." and less about "YASSSS queen SLAY!" shit.

[dancingaura925]

I think it's really interesting how pride is shown throughout Epic. Like with the conflict between ruthlessness and mercy, the idea of pride itself is also fought over within the musical. While it allows for the men to fight through the war (as seen in The Horse and the Infant) by showcasing how they aren't going to die laying down. Pride, in a sense, gives people the will to fight and in some cases, the self-dignity to stand up for what they believe in, it also provides the question of when is pride too much? For example, I feel like I can argue that the reason for Odysseus basically DOXING himself was due to his pride being wounded. Even though the cyclops would've had to think about that day regardless or not he knew Odysseus's real name, Ody still yelled out their name. Why? Because his pride was wounded for losing his men. This was an act of vengeance, the "aha, I have bested you" kind of moment. And Ody wanted the cyclops to know that. It could also be seen as an act of rebellion against Athena, because while Ody is still believing in mercy whenever possible, I kinda don't think Polites meant to spill out all your personal information like that. In either case, Ody is letting his pride take over his rational functions. Again, pride is mentioned in Thunderbringer, pretty obviously too. I mean, "Pride is a damsel in distress" is a pretty banger opener. As useful or hurtful pride can be, it's an impermanent thing. After all, pride can be stripped down once you "apply all the pressure". Additionally, when Zeus asks Ody to choose, it's pretty obvious that Zeus, Ody, and even us the listeners know who Ody is going to choose. Why? Because Ody has said it time and time again: the reason for his fighting, the reason he continues to draw on his well of pride, the reason he is still standing is solely from the desire to see his son and wife again. Yet that pride that keeps him going is also being stripped away as Zeus talks to him like a misbehaving child. Unlike in the Trojan War, in front of Zeus, pride is nothing. I might just be rambling, but I find it fascinating how many nuances there are in Epic. Can pride be a good thing? When can it be a good thing? And how much pride does it take to cause your downfall? If you're still reading this, thanks so much lol. 11 more days until the Wisdom Saga!!

[mythica0]

Levity

🎂: Epic the musical

🧁: Odysseus

🍫: Hermes

Summary: Hermes decides to cause a little mischief in the most fun way he knows how.

A/N: FUCK IT IM WRITING FOR EPIC. I am obsessed with Hermes and also very lee for him. Like there is a primal need within me to be wrecked by this man. This was very fueled by my lee mood and said desire to be wrecked by Hermes. (I basically just wrote what I wanted but happening to Odysseus haha) Hope yall enjoy this very self indulgent thing I wrote! :D

Cw for some pretty intense tickles

(P.S don’t question how Hermes does stuff it’s God Magic)

Levity

Hermes was bored. He had nothing to do, and he wasn’t the type to just sit around. No, he wanted to cause chaos. He wanted to spread mischief and jokes and make someone laugh or groan or smile, or even better, all of the above.

He decided to target his great grandson, and also his friend, Odysseus.

Ody had been on a journey after the Trojan war to get home, it’s been a month or so, and they were still just sailing. Hermes decided that the captain could use a little levity, a break from the monotony of daily life.

So he flew over to the ship and snuck on, heading towards the captains quarters.

Odysseus was working on some sort of Nondescript Work. Sitting at his desk with a quill in hand.

It wasn’t fun, but it was necessary. He stayed up late into the night, gazing out at the moon and ocean outside.

He started to feel as though he was being watched. He gazed around the room, but after not seeing anything he brushed it off.

Meanwhile, Hermes was snuck in the corner and ready to begin to cause some trouble. He started by slowly and steadily raising the.. ahem.. sensitivities… of the captain.

At first it wasn’t noticeable, after all nothing was actively tickling him, so how would he know he was getting increasingly ticklish with each passing second?

But then- the motion of his clothes against his skin felt tingly. And then the air blowing past his neck made him want to scrunch up.

Eventually it got to a point where any sort of motion at all made him giggle, and at this point he knew something, or rather, someone was messing with him.

“Alrihihight who’s doing that.” He did his best not to move to much, as every motion sent waves of ticklishness through him.

Hermes flew out, showing himself.

“Hey there, Odysseus!” He giggled, smiling tauntingly.

“Ohof course it’s you, Hermes.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And whatever is that supposed to mean?”

“You like to cause trouble. This seheems on brand for you. Now can you please return me to normal? I’d appreciate being able to move without laughing.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Well, I mean, I can, I just don’t want to.”

Odysseus groaned.

“In fact, I think I’m going to take advantage of this~”

“What does that mean- HermeHEEHES!” He was cut off by his own laughter as the god flew over to him, scratching gently at his ribs.

Odysseus immediately knew this was going to suck. Hermes was barely touching him and yet he was already incapacitated by the sensation. It was so much stronger than it would’ve been normally.

“Hehermehehes cuhuhut ihit ohohout!”

“No way! This is so much fun! Dont you agree~?”

“Absohoholuhuhutely nohoHOT.” He lied between loud fits of laughter. It was so BAD and he was barely touching him! His increased sensitivity was extremely apparent, his nerves lighting up and firing rapidly at the smallest touch. But despite that- it was kinda.. fun? He couldn’t understand why, but the unbelievably ticklish feelings plaguing his nervous system felt good. It felt nice to just let go and laugh his head off, unable to do anything to stop it.

“I don’t think that’s the truth~ you seem to be having a good time to me~.”

“NohohoHo IHIM NOHOT- EEHEEHAAHA” peals of laughter echoed from him as he tried to protest, even though he didn’t really mean it.

Hermes moved up, starting to tickle the underarms of the king. This was a much worse spot for him, and his laughter became louder. He couldn’t breathe, but yet it felt so nice. He was giddy with the feeling, pounding his fists on his desk to try and expel some of the happy, ticklish energy building up within him.

“Tickle tickle tickle~ aren’t you such a ticklish little thing~ yes you are, yes you are!” Hermes teased, giggling with him.

Odysseus blushed furiously, and covered his face, but was unable to form words through his laughter. Hermes saw that he was struggling to breathe, so he lowered his ticklishness back down. Not fully to its normal levels, but enough so that he could get a good breath in.

“HErmehehehes plehehehease stohohop! I cahahant Tahahake ihihit!” Tears of joy had formed in his eyes, and he was struggling to not let them fall.

“Aww, don’t say that, I believe in you! And you better hope I’m right~, cause I don’t plan on stopping aaaanytime soon~” the trickster moved his hands to Odysseus’ tummy, squeezing gently.

“Uhughh, yohohoure a jeheherk!”

Hermes scoffed in mock offense. “Uh! You have the audacity to call a god a jerk? I come in here to provide some levity and I get called a jerk?! I cannot let that slide.”

“Yohou cahame hehere fohor ehentertahainmehent ahand yohou knohow ihit!”

“Yeah, I did. I also came here because I wanted to see some laughter, is that such a crime? And your sass is unwarranted. I’m turning your sensitivity back up-“

“Whahahait dohohont- ihihim sohorhorry!” The phrase ended in a squealing laugh as Hermes made good on his promise, turning his ticklishness up extremely.

“Are you actually sorry or are you just saying that so I’ll stop? Cause I have a feeling it’s the second one. And that’s fine- it just means I’ll have to tickle and tickle and tickle until you mean it! Doesn’t that sound like fun~”

Any protests the captain tried to make were consumed by his booming laughter, unable to form coherent thoughts, let alone sentences. His nerves were on fire in the best way, every bone in his body telling him to laugh. He felt as though the tickling sensation was at his very core, going deep into his body and mind.

Floods of dopamine hit his systems, overwhelmed by the tickles. He couldn’t stop laughing, he couldn’t stop smiling, and as much as he hated to admit it, it felt amazing. It was unbearable in such a good way, shocking his nerves over and over with light, bubbly, happy feelings. Tears had long since fallen, the overwhelming happiness and laughter forming as droplets.

All the while Hermes kept teasing, his lilting voice so flustering. Hermes was also having the time of his life, seeing someone who was usually so sad and stoic broken down into heavy fits of laughter, wide smile splitting his face.

Just then the playful god had an idea for a game, he stopped for a moment, allowing Odysseus to catch his breath.

The laughter died down into smaller giggles, perpetuated by the phantom sensations left behind.

“Hey, Odysseus~ how about we play a game, hmm~?”

“Oho gohoodnehess.. hehermes plehehease, I cahahant!”

“All you have to do is laugh~ and you’re already doing great! All I’m going to do is harvest some of the delicious laughter that’s all over this farmland~” he taunted, scooping up Odysseus and plopping him on his bed on his back, and then straddling him.

“Whahahahat? EHeehAHa!” His laughter increased in intensity once more as Hermes began to pinch at his sides and ribs.

“There’s some little laughs here~ gotta get those.” He spoke playfully.

Odysseus was slightly confused, but he couldn’t bother to wonder about it, his brain turned to mush. Laughter and giggles still echoed from him.

“Ope, this one’s being a little stubborn~” Hermes lilted, pinching repeatedly at a spot he’d found was particularly bad.

“Hermehehehes, plehehehease stohohohop!”

“Nah, I’m not done yet~ don’t worry~ I’ll stop once you really need me too.” As a god who loved to tickle others(I mean, he might as well be the god of tickling too at this point.) he had a knack for knowing when someone truly couldn’t take anymore, and Odysseus had not yet reached that point. He still seemed to be enjoying himself, no true panic behind his eyes.

“Hey, there’s a really big laugh here! Let me get it!” He acted as though he was an excited farmer, harvesting his crops. But it mostly wasn’t pretend, he was, in fact, excited to be doing this. Happy to spread laughter and joy, and a little bit of chaos along the way. He dug into Odysseus belly, with the exact pressure to make it agonizingly ticklish.

Odysseus was dying, (figuratively, of course) it tickled so much, and he couldn’t do anything about it! He felt as though he was at the gates of tickle heaven, joyful tears streaming from his eyes from the force of his laughter. It was a great workout, that’s for sure, with his stomach and face sore from the effort but in a way that was sort of pleasent.

“Man, it’s just not coming out! Maybe I should try eating it right from the vine, hmm~” he knew what that meant, and he was full of a giddy anticipation, waiting for the moment that Hermes would-

His thoughts were cut off by the sound of a raspberry right in the center of his tummy, followed by gentle nibbles. Odysseus was weak with laughter, pounding his fist on the bed below him and kicking his feet.

“Om nom nom nom! Wow! This laugh is really tasty! Let me find some more!”

He continued the game, pinching and digging at various points across Odysseus’ torso, occasionally nibbling and blowing raspberries, sometimes many in rapid succession.

All of Odysseus’ thoughts were taken up by the tickles. All that he could think of was how badly it tickled, how badly it made him want - no need- to laugh. He was reduced to nothing but a massive puddle of laughter.

Eventually, Hermes noticed Odysseus was done, and hopped off him, lowering his ticklishness back to normal.

Odysseus continued to giggle, breathing heavily in between the fits.

“Ohoho myhyhy gohoodnehess…. Thahat wahas soho bahad…. Hehehehaha.”

“How ya feeling~ happy?”

Odysseus was too giggle high to think of anything but the truth. “Ye..Yeahah. Ahand tihired..”

“Oh, good~ glad to have brought some joy. How about you get some sleep, hmm? You definitely need it after that.”

“Thahat… sounds lihike a good idea.” Odysseus agreed.

“Glad you had fun, Ody~” Hermes teased, honest with the words. As he turned to leave, he heard one last sleepy, giggly phrase.

“Thahank yohou Hermehes… I needed thahat.”

The god smiled fondly. “No problem, it was a blast for me too.” And then he flew off, leaving a dazed, sleepy and giggle high Odysseus behind.

———THE END————————————————

[viablemess]

Let Me Be Your- (Polites Centric Fanfic)

Before Polites’ was Odysseus’ reminder to greet the world with open arms, he was many other things to the King of Ithaca. This story explores what those things were.  Polites is my comfort character so naturally I must write about his history. Very rough draft drabble stage currently and may post it on AO3 soon, but wanted some initial feedback. Thanks!

Stranger (Chapter 1/6?)

The first time Polites met Odysseus, he did not even go by the name Polites. In fact, he remembered very little of the meeting itself. He remembered what he did not like, and how those factors were mitigated afterwards, but that meant little to him in the moment. 

All Polites remembered, really, was chaos. He did not even know what chaos as a word was, but he knew things were anything but normal. People were screaming, fleeing, and fighting–who was fighting who, the child was not even sure. He just knew to run. That was the last thing his parents had said, and so he listened. He was good at listening, good at doing what he was told, good at following orders. So, listen he did. He ran, and ran, and ran until his legs could not anymore. He ran away from the fires and the buildings, the screaming and the blood, until he reached a tiny camp surrounded by otherwise mundane plantlife. He stared, and before he could even think about his actions, he collapsed into the center of it, ignorant to the hollering questions off in the distance. 

When he woke up, it was to voices. They sounded annoyed. 

“What do we do with a child?”

“He’s the enemy, I think I know what-”

“You forgot that he’s a child, you dipshit-” 

“What’s even the difference?”

His eyes opened and he scrambled backwards, right into another body. This one was not like the others, not covered in armor and so much bigger. This boy was close to him in height and stature, and without thinking, he ran behind the other boy, grasping at his shoulders as if using him as a shield. 

“Unhand the prince-”

“No.” A commanding voice said, and he ducked down, behind the boy. The boy turned towards the new voice on instinct and without hesitation. “Odysseus, this boy is the same age as you. What would you do with him?”

The boy–Odysseus–took a deep breath. “What do you mean, father?”

“I mean would you spare him, or not? He is our enemy, and he is a child. I took you with me so you can learn more, and based on what you have learned, what would you do with him?” 

He let go of Odysseus as if burned, and ran backwards behind a nearby tree, but it felt as if there were soldiers everywhere now–all around him, limping and moaning back towards camp in a cacophony of reunification. He grabbed onto the bark of the tree with trembling fingers. 

“He hasn’t done anything wrong,” Odysseus said, looking between his father and him. “Right?”

He shook his head. How could he have done something wrong if his family was attacked for no reason? Or at least no reason that he could remember. He just remembered being told to run. “I–I have not.” 

“They all say that, kid,” said a voice from afar. The man told them to be silent. 

“I don’t even know what I could have done wrong,” he said, a tremble beginning in his voice. No, no–his parents told him to be strong, even in the face of powerful people, and a prince certainly was powerful, so if he wasn’t–then–then-

“He should be spared then,” said Odysseus, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. 

Odysseus’ father nodded. “Very well. I will respect your decision, Odysseus.” 

He said nothing. He simply held onto the tree, even as Odysseus approached him and reached out a hand. “Hi, I’m Ody. I can take you, if you want.” Not take care of you, but take you. He frowned. 

“What does that mean?”

That appeared to bring Odysseus up short. “I mean, like a slave. I can take you, so you’re with someone your own age and not with who knows who. I will make sure you’re looked after and stuff.” Really, what more could he hope for? He still had his mother’s blood on him, Gods knew everything would come crashing down eventually. 

“Um,” He reached out and shook Odysseus’ hand. “Very well. Thank…” he did not know if he should look at the king or the Prince Odysseus. He tried to stand up straighter. “Thank you.” 

“What will you call him?” The man asked. 

Odysseus frowned. “What’s your-”

“No,” the man interjected. “You name him, Odysseus.” 

He stared and waited. Odysseus looked deep in contemplation. “You said that slaves are like how I learn to treat animals and tools, right? And that without animals and tools and goods a city isn’t worth much?”

A slightly exasperated sigh followed. “Not in those words, but perhaps.” 

“So… I should treat him like I treat any citizen. Any member of the polis. What do you think of Polites?”

He stared. “I’m sorry?”

“The name. Polites. What do you think?”

It wasn’t his, but it was a name–it was a sign they would keep him alive. “I like it,” he said, sounding the name on his tongue. 

“Good!” Odysseus beamed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Well then, Polites, it is good to meet you. I’m Odysseus of Ithaca.”

[sombrathedragon]

HI HI hyperfixation question time!!

I’ve never listened to EPIC, tell me a few reasons you love it (bc I wanna know if I should listen to it) and tell me your favorite song so I can go listen to it immediately :D

Ooo okay !! :D

let me give a summary first: EPIC is a musical adaptation about Homers Odyssey. It’s broken up into 9 sagas, with each saga being about 4-5 songs long. The sagas basically break up Odysseus’s journey into different parts: The Troy saga (Odysseus and his men winning the Trojan war and beginning to sail back home, we also get a introduction to Odysseus’s mentor, Athena here !!) The Cyclops saga (Ody and his men having some trouble in the Cyclopes cave) The Ocean saga (Ody and his men trying to sail back home to Ithaca through storms and troubles (spoiler alert they don’t make it)) The Circe Saga (Ody and his men landing on Circe’s island instead, with Ody having to convince Circe to give his men back. (Fun fact in the actual Odyssey Ody stays here for a year! I don’t think they do that in EPIC though!)) The Underworld saga (Ody and his men travel to the underworld and get a prophecy on what the rest of the journey is going to be like (‘nother spoiler Ody doesn’t like it, also this is the end of Act 1!!) the Thunder Saga (Ody and his men going through tricks, betrayal, and Zeus himself) the Wisdom saga (Perspective change we’re now back in Ithaca in the POV of Telemachus, Odys son!! Telemachus now being under the guidance of Athena, gets help from her to fight the suitors and convinces her to go help her old friend (cough cough HIS FATHER) who may or may not be stuck on a certain goddess island for 7 years (cough cough CALYPSOS ISLAND) another fun fact this is actually all the sagas released currently! There’s still 2 more in the works which are the Vengeance saga (Ody gets off of Calypsos island and actually sails home, but of course he encounters another monster and another god, that man can’t get a break!) and the Ithaca saga (We go back to Ithaca to see Penelope, his wife and the 108 suitors there, who don’t exactly treat Penelope and Telemachus the nicest.. but Odysseus is finally home and I won’t spoil much more but he does kill the suitors :] yayyy happy ending !!)

Anyways, actually answering your questions now !! Some of the reasons I love it are that the music is absolutely amazing, the callbacks with the instruments combined with the vocals are enough to make me bawl my eyes out sometimes :’) Same with the talented animators and artists in the fandom, who just make my jaw drop when I see their masterpieces. Also the community is just lovely, it sometimes gets toxic but overall it’s a relatively chill and peaceful fandom! but urghhh my favorite song? Ahhh they’re all so good !! I would have to say Little Wolf from the Wisdom Saga, it’s very catchy and very groovy, but I do also love The Challenge from the Ithaca saga as I love my girl Penelope !! (sadly it’s not released yet, how I listen to it is Jorge (creator of musical) sometimes puts out snippets of the songs, and wonderful fans combine them together so yeah :])

Anyways I DEFINITELY recommend it if you need a new musical to hear, it’s just perfect <3

[daonedaonlyskh]

sk wisdom saga thoughts

SPOILER WARNING FOR THE WISDOM SAGA

also these will not be coherent hardly at all btw

and why should you read this? bc I wanna hear your opinions too :)

also trigger warning for love in paradise, I briefly touch on suicide but it’s only a sentence or two

and this is significantly longer than I thought it was gonna be whoopsie

legendary - HOLYYYYYY SHITTTTTTT YES MICO GIVE US EVERYTHING RIGHT OFF THE BAT YESSSSSSSSSSSS I feel like I resonate with the song a lot about wanting to be better and living up to a certain standard and being willing to do just about anything to get there and not letting the world get ya down yk? ALSO WHATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT CHAMP? TOTALLY LIVED UP TO EXPECTATIONS JORGE WAS RIGHT THAT LINE WAS INCREDIBLE

little wolf - OKAY THE VIDEO GAME STYLE THINGY ANIMATIC ON THE STREAM?????? HOLY FUCK THAT WAS SO COOL!!!!!!!!!! When Antinous said “I’ll teach you all the lessons your daddy never could” ow. sir that hurt. But so glad we finally got a canon explanation of “quick thought” even if it came kinda late in the show. And Athena’s little “oooo guess I pushed him to hard” is so adorable to me and I can’t explain why. Same with the deadpan of “uppercut him. Now.” But I think the decision to keep the little question Tele asks at the end of the song in the song and not just have it all be in “we’ll be fine” is a little weird to me but idrc all that much. Overall I absolutely loved this song, the switch up from the negative of antinous absolutely destroying Tele, to the positive side where Athena is helping Tele is incredible.

we’ll be fine - I’m gonna be real this is my least favorite of all the songs. Not that I don’t like it or anything, it’s great, to me it just doesn’t compare to any of the others. I like that Athena and Tele get to have a real conversation, and the Odysseus references without Telemachus actually knowing who she’s talking about is really cool. And I like the parallel of “if I’ll never sleep at night” to “I could sleep at night.” But the part where Athena says “you’re a good kid” makes me wanna cry /pos.

love in paradise - CALYPSO WHEN I CATCH YOU CALYPSO!!!!!!!!!! I liked the time dive bit, I found that cool. Also the stream dying as soon as calypso saying that goddesses can’t die was absolutely fucking hilarious, so glad I was there for that. BUT THE END BIT HOLY FUCKING SHIT THE END OF THAT SONG UGHHGGGGGGGGAGAHSHDHSIAKSKDKDHSH. First of all, underworld saga drawback, second of all ody basically trying to kill himself or seriously injure himself was extremely unexpected to me when I first saw it, but now looking back that did not come out of nowhere at all, it just caught me off guard, third of all CALYPSO SAYING OPEN ARMS? GURL WHEN I CATCH YOU I SWEAR, fourth of all having polites in my left ear and having eurylochus in my right ear actually makes me physically hurt, fifth of all him screaming “Athena” at the end is so sad, calling out for the only possible person who you think would or could help you, even if you’ve been long out of their life, and left on bad terms? Absolutely heartbreaking, sixth of all the little “he needs my help” at the end of the song got me good. Also I listened to this song for the second time ever today as of typing this and I fucking cried, I didn’t cry when I heard it on stream since I think I was just too distraught over it, and was overall just extremely happy.

god games - I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY. YOU THOUGHT THE PREVIOUS BLURB YOU JUST READ WAS LONG? HA! Alrighty so in the beginning part, I like how Luke Holt says all the gods names in a different way, and they all feel like they make sense for the character. Moving on to the levels, I really like Apollo’s voice, idk who that is but whoever you are I love your voice. After figuring out that it was confirmed that the cows were Helios’s, I was extremely confused as to what Apollo’s argument would be, but was pleasantly surprised by the sirens, which wasn’t something I even thought about. Having Hephaestus be voiced by Jay’s dad is so cool, and now both of Jay’s parents are in epic and I just find that so sweet. His dad definitely gives Hephaestus vibes, and I think he sounds great, and I don’t really have any strong feelings on his argument. Moving in to Ares and Aphrodite, I already knew I was going to love them, and I still do! I’m gonna be honest, I actually really love Ares’s part lmao. His lyrics get stuck in my head really bad sometimes, and I love the rhythm of his part. I also think Athena basically just beating the shit out or just straight up judo flipping him in most of the animatics is really funny. Going on to Hera, the anniflamma animatic that played during the live stream was so, so silly. not Hera and Athena full on just having a fucking dance off. And yk what, it slays. Now last but most certainly not least, everything after that. 1st of all, beast mode Zeus is absolutely terrifying, just as it should be. Luke holt you’re absolutely incredible at your craft. 2nd, I was not expecting him to just like straight up blast Athena to fucking bits. 3rd, Ares you could at least try to make your “is she dead?” Sound at least a little bit sincere my guy, but that’s so silly goofy of you so I’ll let it slide. 4th, the little flashback scene with the soft instrumental warrior of the mind in the background makes me wanna cry /pos. 5th, when the instrumental picks up after the flashback, and Athena starts to push against Zeus’s lightning, getting severely hurt in the process? Absolute perfection, only criticism is that I wish she bled golden ichor in the animatic showed on stream but other than that minor thing I think it was absolutely perfect. 6th, the “let him go, please, let him go” with Athena basically just dying afterwards at the foot of Zeus? Peak emotional damage to my soul. The reach out of Athena to Zeus when she’s already been forced to the ground as she sings “let him go” as she looks up at him did something to me.

This saga aches in my soul. I wouldn’t want it any other way

I would also like to say that I am a singer, who is the kid of a very successful musician (my dad is a uni professor of music and still plays music at restaurants on the stuff on the side. his best friends know extremely famous musicians, and I know a few semi famous musicians too :3). And I feel like I can see epic from so many perspectives because of things, obviously because of this I have such a great appreciation for the music, but especially the vocals. I am also an okay writer, which gives me a deeper appreciation for the story telling aspects. And I’m a visual artist, so the animations and animatics that come out of epic are such an inspiration to me. All of epic is, everything that comes out of it inspires me, the music, the storytelling , the art, all of it. (but especially the music, since given what I said I think you could probably tell how important music as a whole is to me)