#hades and persephone are so much better at the end of the musical

[docholligay]

I have no idea how wild the fandom for Hadestown is. If you don’t know me, if we’ve never exchanged words, and you have BIG FEELINGS about Hadestown that any level of critique will set off, I very much encourage you to move it along. I can’t do Hamilton 2 or whatever. (If I know you I will give you more leeway FOR SURE. I just want to keep strange weirdos out) 

First, I have to provide a little bit of context: I got in on the ground floor with Hadestown. 

Yes Doc, I too, have been obsessed with it ever since it was in previews--no, I mean, i saw folk singer Anais Mitchell perform the whole thing like 15 years or whatever ago in a converted garage venue. 

I wasn’t even in town to SEE HER, I was in town to see a different artist and this was back when live music was a bigger thing and not a dying scene, and people just bought tickets to whatever was playing on a free night. I like folk music, I liked the idea of what was then being called a folk opera. It was instant love. Orpheus and Eurydice is one of my favorite myths, I am from a rural and exploited place, I loved everything I heard, some absolutely glorious poetry going on there. Bought the concept album, forced so so many people to listen to it all the way through. Forced jetty to listen to it on our road trip! Before the musical came out even!

I have been following this musical ever since then. I kind of thought it would never get made! I followed the original version, and then the broadway one. What I’m saying is, I have what now amounts to about fifteen or so years of history with this musical, and all the changes it has gone through, and all my individual feelings about each of those changes. My evaluation necessarily lives within that context. 

This was part of the reason it took me so long to see the Broadway! I wanted the emotional space to feel however I felt about it, even if that ended up being, “I fucking hated that” and it’s hard to have that when someone buys very expensive tickets and a trip for you to see something you’ve been following for years. Part of jetty’s gift of this was “And you can hate it!!” and I knew she meant it, because when you watch something move and be workshopped and change, you get a lot of feelings about it. 

So I can’t really go, “I liked Hadestown/I didn’t” I mean, I have loved hadestown for a very long time. If all you wanted to hear was , ‘Did you like it?” oh yes! But I have at least four versions sitting my head right now, and they are all next to each other for evaluation in a way that someone who has only experienced the broadway can’t have. 

I want to provide this knowledge because my thoughts about it go so far beyond what is currently being staged on Broadway. No, this is not going to be me saying, ‘Everything was better with the concept album!” no, some things are, but this isn’t that I promise. 

Everything below this is spoilery

So, originally Hadestown was a slightly different story and admittedly, one that spoke to me more than the story I saw last night. It was a lot more specific in its earliest days--it was about an impoverished mining town. Hadestown was the company town, underground, and there was basically no mention of Hades and Persephone being actual gods, anything was winked to, but it was mostly about how the holders of capital have all the accountability of gods. The whole thing had a much stronger anti-capitalist framework, and Orpheus and Eurydice were basically naive kids who thought they could avoid involvement with the mine. Obviously, this very much spoke to me. It was matching my freak exactly. 

It is not that now. And that’s both totally expected, and disappointing to me personally. The show now is much more of a, I’m trying to put this in a way that feels less insulting because I don’t mean to be, very Captial L Liberal. Audiences who can afford Broadway tickets will eat up the vague notions of wishing for a better tomorrow and ‘show the way the world could be’ and putting this back into the framework of a story of the gods instead of the utter lack of choices available to people, that the game is rigged from the start, and Orpheus even having this chance is both an exception and a test hades expects him to fail. I get why this happens. Literally every story that has ever been brought to Broadway has had to be made more palatable to a broader audience. The story it is now, is much much more broad, much more life affirming or whatever, and much more easy to hear. I think I would like it better if I didn’t know the story from the very first versions. 

But that was not a problem last night! That was a problem when i heard the previews out of Alberta! So I’ve had years to adjust to knowing that they were going to blame Orpheus a lot more. Which I love that the Broadway seems to have backed off of! The Alberta production really sort of LAID INTO THE BOY in a way I aggressively did not care for, because it was the antithesis of the story as I understood it. Love that they took that back a step. 

Anyway, so, things I loved about the musical last night:

The staging of Wait For Me fucked SO SEVERELY that honestly it makes me forgive like 90% of the things I don’t care for in the final Broadway version, that I thought were done better in other versions. I almost cried, it was EXACTLY what I would have pictured in my head after hearing it all those years ago. It was incredible. I wish I could see it again, and study it. I am thinking about it right now! It will live rent free in my head. Perfect. 

The gal who played Eurydice has clearly listened to Anais Mitchell albums, because she sounded SO MUCH like Anais that it even took me back for a moment. 

I’m not sure if this is praise or a criticism: 

I don’t know how I feel about having Hermes as an overall narrator! I go back and forth on it and have since the Alberta came out. If I were going to do it I would do it differently than it is currently staged. Jetty was talking about how she loves when the instrumentals are onstage, and I’m the exact opposite--I mostly find it crowds the stage while not bringing much interest for me. But in general, i both like it and do not like it, to give a very useful critique. I don’t hate it, for sure. I love the opener for Wait For Me II. But overall I will probably need to think about it for another 15 years. 

Frustrations I have:

 I think I have decided that even for the MASSIVE INSANE BUCKWILD flaw of seemingly blaming Orpheus for Eurydice’s decision, the Alberta is the best version. I think I prefer the concept album on a personal level for a lot of things, but I think the Alberta is, well for starters, definitely more complete--the concept album has some massive gaps in it that desperately needed filling--but it preserved a lot of the poetry that the Broadway version seems to have stripped out while being much more mass appealing. I was particularly GALLED by the rewrite of Epic III, one of the things in the Alberta version that made me say, ‘Wow I am prepared to forgive a lot of horseshit for this song, my god” 

NEVER FORGET WHAT THEY TOOK FROM YOU

They took out "The heart of a king who loves everything like the hammer loves the nail" imagine writing that line and scrapping it, are you HIGH, fuck me running.

And I think this summarizes a lot of my frustrations about the changes between the Alberta and the Broadway. It no longer sounds like a folk opera. It has lost a lot of the poetry of the original, folk music being very grounded in lyric and somewhat less in vocal theatrics. 

Also, and this might just be an actors thing, I did not get any sense that Persephone and Hades love each other…at all. Part of the appeal for human beings named Doc who are me is that they love each other, and they can’t stand each other, and I didn’t FEEL that at all. Like i said this could be an acting thing--I was not overly impressed by our persephone broadly. But taking out her part in Chant II I think also really contributes to this problem. 

This is both the Alberta and Broadway versions: I MISS THE FATES BEING A REALLY TIGHT 40s STYLE GIRL GROUP SOB SOB SOB. In the original, the fates were the only characters ‘outside’ the story, and this was indicated stylistically by the fact that everyone else was singing folk music, and they were singing in this very different style. The idea fifteen years ago was that they actually would be dressed all in that style, but yeah, none of this happens now and i find it SOOOOOO disappointing personally. I hate their stupid costumes I hate the ‘rougher’ style of vocals I hate it so much ahahahahha. If I was going to force Anais to change one thing it would actually be this, even though it is insanely petty and silly. 

The best version of when the chips are down:

I don’t know if literally any of this is what you were looking for but I somehow deeply suspect not. I am IN THE SHIT with Hadestown though, so if you have any specific things you wanted to ask about or have me talk about, let me know! I am just cutting this off now because it’s already at 1700 words and I’m not sure anyone cares that much about my journey with the only musical I can truly say I knew about when it was still a twinkle in someone’s eye. 

(Yeah Doc, I have a question: Do you have anything mean to say about the concept album? OH BOY DO I. Some of it is to be expected like, "Uh, Anais you need the rest of the story here girl." but a huge one is I fucking HATE that she got Justin Vernon, who you know better as Bon Iver, to do Orpheus. He SUCKS. He sounds bored the whole time because that is how that motherfucker sings. I have HATED it since day one. Reeve Carney is perfect and literally what I started my local women's prayer and casserole circle to petition the Lord for.)

[redrobin-detective]

So I've been listening to my two favorite songs from Hadestown, Wait For Me (Reprise) and Road to Hell (Reprise), on loop for a few days. And on my 400th listen something occurred to me.

Orpheus was writing his song to "make spring come again". He wanted to "fix what's wrong, take what's broken and make it whole." His entire purpose was to write "a song so beautiful it brings the whole world back into tune." (From Come Home with Me).

And he did. Using his love for Eurydice, he was able to finish his song, his masterpiece. But the cost of his dedication to his music meant his love went hungry and went to Hadestown for food and shelter.

He hoped his love and his music would be strong enough to save her, a task we know was ultimately futile but we still sing about it because maybe one day it will be different but also... He did make spring come again. He helped Hades be more secure in his love for Persephone so she could stay on Earth long enough for their to BE a spring. He did take a broken, strained marriage and help them communicate, make them whole. He did bring the whole world back into tune when he sang their song and another pair of distanced lovers began to dance after so long of arguing.

Everyone else got their happy ending but him and Eurydice.

He did not fail, he just not could not imagine that his song didn't have room for his own happiness. It's a reminder that for every triumph there is tragedy, every repaired relationship there is a breakup and that while it may be spring somewhere, somewhere else it is winter. I don't know, that idea of mixed blessing tragedies in the story intrigued me. Because someone's worst day may be someone's best. And that is why we must always sing these songs, to remember on the bright days and to get us through the darkness and to know, someday, spring will come again.

[trobeds]

the tears are neverending

[societysonlooker]

Cause for as much as hera hates her children with Zeus, she hates her husband's children with other women more, and Zeus treats them like shit to appease her

how come Apollo was punished for Octavian but Ares wasn't punished for helping Luke with the lighting bolt?

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Not a request, but definitely a scenario for you to consider: Astarion/Ace!Reader Hadestown!AU where Cazador manages to get hold of the reader and only agrees to let Astarion leave with them if he can lead them out of the Szarr Palace without turning around or using the tadpole to see if they’re following him.

Astarion x Evie (Ace!Tav) Masterlist

Definitely an interesting AU to contemplate considering Astarion very much does not fit the mold of Orpheus. Oddly enough I feel like the more powerful ending in this case would be for him to succeed.

Evie/Tav is a down on their luck bard who knows what it is to be cold and hungry

Astarion has just worked off his debt to Cazador vowing to never go back, even if the world above doesn’t seem much kinder

Astarion meets Evie/Tav when they’re playing at a local tavern their music bringing a light he hasn’t felt in years

Neither of them are naive to the ways of the world, but Evie/Tav has been able to keep a small candle of hope burning in their chest one they try to share with Astarion

For a little while things are good, summer arrives and there is food and plenty

They fall deeper in love as Astarion finally starts to accept that maybe he can finally rest his head some where bright and warm

But then winter comes and while they both have saved what they could the cold comes in

Astarion starts to wonder if it’s better to leave

Evie/Tav might be able to survive on their own, but not with him there stealing their warmth

He’s better on his own anyway, he’s survived worse

Evie/Tav feeling him start to pull away scrambles to find a solution

That’s when Cazador approaches offering them a deal to ensure Astarion’s comfort and safety in exchange for their life

Evie/Tav agrees

Astarion then wakes to find them gone

At first he thinks they abandoned him, he shouldn’t be surprised, how naive was he to think anyone could care for him

But then he catches wind of their deal

He doesn’t know why they went with Cazador and he has absolutely no plan, he just knows he can’t let them stay in that hell

So he travels down, maybe for the first time in years praying for somebody to help; the gods never answered his prayers before but maybe they will for Evie/Tav

Evie/Tav then starts to realize the mistake they made, while they try to hold onto hope, each moment brings a new torment they couldn’t have imagined

Astarion finally arrives finding Evie/Tav broken

He tries to get them out but Cazador refuses, citing the deal Evie/Tav made

This is where things get fuzzy, but I think Astarion proposes his own deal, Cazador likes causing pain, he’ll endure any torture he can conceive and if he succeeds he and Evie/Tav both walk out of there with their lives

Cazador agrees challenging Astarion to lead Evie/Tav out of the palace without looking back

The added challenge to this is that if Evie/Tav turns back on their own their years of service will be cut in half, if Astarion looks back their years of service will be doubled

Evie/Tav has had the hope taken out of them and Astarion must be their light

So Astarion starts to walk clinging to the hope that Evie/Tav trusts him to not look back, hoping that it isn’t a trick, hoping that just this once things will turn out

And hope hurts, it burns his chest strangles his throat, doubts and fears rush in but he keeps on walking because he has to try

He starts to sing the song Evie/Tav played what feels like years ago, the one that brought life back into his chest

He doesn’t stop until he’s well outside the palace walls collapsing to his knees and gasping for air

He still can’t hear Evie/Tav, but he doesn’t look back

Tears spill down his face as the hope that kept him going starts to drain out of him

It’s then he feels a hand on his back, soft and warm

Familiar arms wrap around him, clinging to him like a life line

“It’s you.” “It’s me.”

Bonus Hadestown AU consideration: Ascended!Astarion as Hades and Evie (Ace!Tav) as Persephone

[pls-let-me-out]

The Selection AU- 11th time’s the charm

Everybody knows Maria di Angelo. Everybody loves Maria di Angelo. And Nico, the only heir to all her messes, is sure he will forever live in her shadow.

When people look at Nico, they see Maria di Angelo’s son. And truly, there’s not much else to see. He sings beautiful songs, but hers were better-written. He does ballet, but her on-stage persona is impossible to replicate. He leads a lonely life, and people don’t know hers wasn’t much different.

Nico isn’t surprised when he’s called for Prince Will’s Selection. He half-expected it. So he goes to the Golden Palace where the Solaces live, and enters with his head held high. People don’t know who he is yet, all the feedback he’s received comes from the Academy of Arts, where he’s spent the last ten years of his life. He’s twenty now, and he will graduate in June. When he’s honest to himself, he admits to feeling scared of the future.

He isn’t the only student of the Academy who’s taking part in the Selection. There’s also Drew Tanaka, who used to be Nico’s best friend, in a time that feels very far away. They — Nico and Drew — aren’t the only students who had submitted to the process of the Selection, but they’re the only ones who have been chosen. It’s the Small Council who chooses the participant of the Selection, taking people from all across North America, which is partly ex-Canada and ex-US.

Nico sighs as he’s lead to his room. He feels weighted down, like someone’s placed an enormous rock over his shoulders. He should have known better than to let the Academy Headmistress, Alecto, submit him. His whole past will be brought up, he will be scrutinised in the worst of ways in front of the whole country.

Before he left the Academy — where he won’t return until Prince Will sends him home, or until the Selection finishes — Alecto gave him a letter from his father. Sitting on his bed, he turns it in his hands, without opening it. He hasn’t talked to Hades in almost a year, since his father went and moved to the Republic of Athens, on the other side of the world.

At the end, he doesn’t find the courage to open the letter. He places it in the nightstand and decides to undo his luggage. He’s doing great, until there’s a knock to the door. When it opens, a guy about as tall as Nico and with curly, brown hair stares back at him. He has brown skin, and a loopsided smile.

“Hi,” the boy says. “I’m Leo Valdez. It seems we’re suite-mates. I checked the other rooms, we’re the first to arrive.”

Nico gives the other a small smile. “I’m Nico.”

Leo raises an eyebrow, entering the room and closing the door behind himself. “Just Nico? I thought you’d have a surname. Are you a lord or something? You look kind of regal.”

Nico laughs. “I’m not. Di Angelo, by the way. That’s my surname.”

It’s the first time Nico has to introduce himself. Everybody knew who he was at the Academy, the same way as he knew everybody else.

Now, Leo raises both eyebrows. He has an expressive face. “As in Nico di Angelo the son of Maria di Angelo?” He lets out a low whistle. “That’s impressive.”

Nico shrugs, putting away one of his shirts. He had to buy clothes before coming, at the Academy he only ever wore his uniform and his dance-clothes.

“We’ll be meeting more impressive people,” he says.

Leo concedes. “True. What do you think he’ll be like? The prince, I mean. He always seems kind on the tv.”

Maria also seemed kind on the tv, and maybe she was, but Nico would always remember her screaming when Hades had to return to Persephone, his actual wife. Nico looks away. He can’t bear Leo’s hopeful eyes.

“I hope he will be,” Nico says.

On Sunday, all the contestants have arrived. Boys and girls alike, as per the prince’s preference. They are placed in the Tower of Dawn, in the east wing of the palace. At the ground-floor, there are the breakfast room, the music room and the relax hall, where they can simply spend their time doing whatever they prefer. There’s also a piano, which Nico approaches. He doesn’t have the time to brush his fingers on the keys, before Drew sweeps behind him.

“Di Angelo, spare me!” She says. “Not one of your depressed ballads again.”

A few people — who seem to have befriended Drew — snicker. A few others stare shocked after the revelation of his surname.

It’s not that Nico is ashamed of being a di Angelo. He just doesn’t go around telling everybody he is. But tonight, when they are presented at North America’s News with Piper McLean, the whole nation will know.

“You’re right, your sex-anthems are much better,” he replies.

Drew rolls her eyes. Truth is, Nico doesn’t mind Drew’s songs. He likes a few of them. Granted, none have been officially released, but the Academy is a small school, and everybody knows everybody’s work. Alecto even wants them to collaborate on something before they graduate.

“Don’t be a bigot,” Drew says, bringing Nico back to reality.

“So, you two know each other,” a girl named Annabeth will later tell Nico, once they’re having supper.

Nico almost scoffs. Know is too little a word to describe their relationship. Nico feels Drew like he feels his limbs, she’s been apart of him for the last ten years of his life. And Nico managed to throw it all away with a harsh decision.

“We go to the same school,” he replies instead.

Leo whistles, something he seems keen on doing, though it goes against palace etiquette. He probably doesn’t know, as Nico reasons.

“I bet her teenage years were a handful,” Leo says.

Nico grimaces. “So were mine. But it was fun.”

Partly fun, as he reminds himself. His teenage years are the ones in which he’s lost the most. He lost his Bianca. But they were also the years in which he ran up and down the halls of the Academy with Drew on one side and Rachel on the other, gossiping and sharing their deepest secrets and fears. Rachel is still friends with Drew, they’re still close. Nico wonders what they say about him.

A clap of hands, clearly to attract everybody’s attention. It works. Nico turns to the head of the table, to see a man on a wheelchair staring back at him, if only for a split second. Nico has a feeling he knows the man, thought he can’t place him.

“Good evening everybody,” the man says. “I am Chiron, and I will be your supervisor during your stay. Should you need anything, you come to me. I’m sure you’ve heard the rules already, but I will repeat the most important ones. If you abstain, you will be sent home. Number one: no getting physical with other contestants. By that I mean both fighting and having sexual intercourses.”

Nico blushes at Chiron’s words, looking away. He catches Drew’s eyes, who mouth at him, ‘Prude’. He clenches his fists, and brings his eyes back to Chiron.

“Number two: no relationship is allowed with the staff. By that I mean you cannot have physical or emotional attachments to any of the palace staff, guards included. Number three: what the prince wants, the prince gets. If what he wants is to send you home, you will be sent home. If he wishes to keep you here, you will be kept here. If he wishes to have time alone with you, he will have it.”

Nico’s ears start ringing. He’s sure Chiron lists other rules and explains how they will have to behave at the interview, but he’s not listening anymore. He can only think of rule number three: what the prince wants, the prince gets. Nico has never been put in a place where he couldn’t deny himself, but now he feels he’s faced with the harsh reality of life. Sometimes, there is simply no way out.

Dinner resumes, and dessert is brought to the table. Nico exists the room, leaving his new acquittances very confused. He needs air. He can’t breathe, and this damn shirt he’s wearing is too tight on the neck.

Finally, he reaches the glass doors to the gardens, but before he can even phantom what’s happening, his path is blocked by guards.

“You can’t go out at this time of the night, sir,” one says. He’s an Asian man, and for a moment Nico thinks of his father’s bodyguard, Frank.

“I need air—” Nico tries to explain. His voice is raspy, his eyes glassy. He doesn’t know how much longer he can resist.

“What you need is none of our problem,” the other guard, a woman, says. “We need to protect you. And that is what we’re doing.”

Nico opens his mouth again, but only a pained sound comes out.

“Let him through,” a voice comes from behind. “I order it.”

In his daze, Nico turns and vaguely recognises the figure he sees as Prince Will. He doesn’t care much, however.

The doors are pulled open and Nico steps outside. His lungs fill with air, more than he thought they could contain.

“I hope you’re doing better,” Prince Will says, evidently having followed Nico outside.

Nico startles. “I am. Your Highness. Thank you.”

His words come out robotic, but he means them. Without the prince, he would have probably ended up in the infirmary.

“You are the first contestant I meet,” the prince says, stepping closer.

Nico takes a step back, but all too soon his back meets a column’s marble. He’s trapped, and what the prince wants, the prince gets.

“Am I?” Nico says, more to himself than to anybody.

“Yes, I was wondering whether the quarters were of your—”

That is when Prince Will commits a mistake. He gets too close, too friendly, and Nico isn’t used to it. Alecto always told him: people will want to be you, or they will want to bed you. And Nico doesn’t want that at the moment, and there’s no other way out really. So he does the only logical thing: he knees Prince Will right between his legs.

[acourtofladydeath]

Thank you for the tags @kale-theteaqueen, @fieldofdaisiies, @chunkypossum!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 40 works!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 298,908

3. What fandoms do you write for? ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, The Song of Achilles and Greek Mythology currently, but I've also written for Dr. Who, Torchwood, and Spartacus.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? This list always surprises me, and I don't think it reflects my best or my favorite works at all. I always have to remind myself that kudos are just a number, and there's so many other ways to judge fics! But here's the list:

3 Jewels in the Hewn City

One Bed, One Bond, and a Pair of Wings

Enter: Uncle Autumn

All I Want for Solstice is You

Stairway Snoops

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes!!! I love interacting with everyone who reads my fics. My DM's and ask box are always open!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Definitely "All Things End."

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Probably "In Due Time," a fic I wrote for Nessian week 2023. Saying why gives away spoilers.

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? YUP. All sorts. I love writing all kinds of smut, but it has to have a point. My favorite kinds of smut to write are the kinds that make you really evaluate yourself, or that push boundaries in some way. I especially love smut with really deep, immersive plot. You can see this in my "To Become A Vanserra" series.

9. Do you write crossovers? I wrote a "The Song of Achilles" crossover with Hades & Persephone from Greek mythology; does that count? It's titled "A Place Eternal."

10. Have you ever had a fic translated? No.

11. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I used to roleplay with a friend from school, and I did ongoing worlds roleplays for a bit years ago, but that's the closest I've come to co-writing anything.

12. What is your all-time favorite ship? I'm not picking just one: Nessian, Nessriel, Azris, and Spirk.

13. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Lovers Live & Die Fortissimo. It's such a long fic, and there's so much to it; I'm not sure I could do the religious aspects of it justice. I really want to write it, but there are other brain worms that are calling to me first. Also shout out to my Nagron fic "That Days We thought We'd Never See," which got dropped like a hot potato when college hit the fan and I'd need to rewatch the whole show and possibly rewrite the whole thing if I were to ever attempt to finish it.

14. What are your writing strengths? I feel like I can write the dichotomy of beauty and pain really well. There's such a balance between the two, and being able to capture the small beautiful or peaceful pieces of something horrific is something I pride myself on.

15. What are your writing weaknesses?  Definitely the technical side of writing. There are some things that I feel like I don't understand yet grammar wise that I'm still trying to get a grasp on. This is a constant learning process, but I try and get better each time I post! I also sometimes struggle with follow through, but I chalk that up to life being hectic and this being a passion not a job.

16. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I think it's such an amazing idea, and I would love to do it if I ever had a language I felt I knew well enough I could properly engage with it. I never want to write something that is inaccurate out of respect, so I haven't written in another language yet. I also have never had a fic call for it yet. Maybe LL&DF would call for it thought, possibly some Yiddish or Arabic.

17. First fandom you wrote for? Spartacus, the Starz TV series.

18. Favorite fic you’ve written? Again, I refuse to pick just one. I love "All Things End" for everything it represents: the bittersweet nature of life and death, the relationships, the exploration of how music can influence reading fic and vice versa.

I love "Finding His Shadow: An Azris Peter Pan AU" because it was the first AU's I wrote, and it digs so deep into both source materials. I was giddy finding ways to merge the two worlds together.

And I love "Take These Broken Wings" because it combines fanfic with social impact and social awareness, using a world we know and love to explore important topics that exist both within canon and our society.

Tagging no one and everyone! If you'd like to play, join in and tag me! No pressure at all.

[iggy-gotthisaccountunderduress]

@pevensiechase and @deathofafangirl01 I watched Hadestown and it was lovely and beautiful and devastating 😭😭😭. thank you for the recommendation!

I typed up my reactions as I watched it if you’re interested:

My live-blogging as I watched Hadestown

ITS THE SONG!! ITS A SAD SONG ITS A TRAGEDY

Heyyy Orpheus I’ve heard of him!

Ok we’ve got haunting music cool cool

Damn Eurydice has a gorgeous voice

Oooo the fates are here that’s not good 😬

Is Orpheus making a paper flower right there on stage? He is!!

Liiiittle bit too strong, kid, take it back a few notches

I think I’m in love

These two kids better not die, ok? I love them too much and the story just started I’m scared for them

The choreographyyyyyy 🤩

I’m gonna cry and I’m only half an hour in. help

I love the 1920s? 30s? vibe they’ve got going on here

THIS WHOLE THING IS SO COOL

How are the actors not dizzy? I’m dizzy just watching them 😅

Oh crap Hades stay AWAY from Eurydice

Wow the actress for Eurydice is GOOD I really believed for a second that she did get stabbed in the back

Noooooooooo don’t leave!!!

Act 2, here we gooooooo!

Gosh I love Persephone

Shoot Eurydice is in big trouble

NO GET OUT OF THERE RUN

Yo is he starting a revolution? I hope so���

Oooooo Persephone was wearing green bc she was on earth, and black bc she’s in the underworld now.

What. The. Heck. Hades be like “here’s how you keep a woman… chain her up” The hell is this??

I’m so enchanted with this whole musical 😍

Wait I wasn’t paying attention what happened? Aaaaaahhhhh she’s gone help. Ah no. No no no this isn’t the end hellllp

SHES JUST GONE????

Wdym that’s the end. Wdym it’s a tragedy. Wdym it’s a sad song help 😭😭😭

I loved it and I’m devastated now goombye

[the-price-of-love]

i saw hadestown on broadway with my sister today and seeing as i haven't seen a live musical in... years (?) i really enjoyed the experience and wanted to document it into the void for future reference. tagging #hadestown not to throw this into the waters of the official tag but just for my own organizational purposes. anyways, rambles below the cut:

so first of all i didn't realize JORDAN FISHER (!) was going to be my orpheus (clearly i'm very new to this space hi) so my jaw did drop when i saw him on stage. and i did point him out and whisper "that's jordan fisher from MOVIES" to my sister when she asked who he was (she's younger). i also LOVED maia reficco as eurydice (she's so pretty and talented and does anyone else think she looks kind of like rachel zegler? especially in that costume/hairstyle?? just me???). i was sat up on the mezzanine because i thought it'd be better to see the whole stage but honestly the stage was pretty small so i regret not buying tickets down in the orchestra to see the actors' faces better. my favorite staging/lighting moment was during wait for me (which is SUCH a tune 10/10) when the hanging lights start swinging around in a circle and i was just. enchanted and entranced. generally though i loved so many of the lighting decisions in this show (especially when they played with the intensity, like when persephone asks why it's so bright down in hell and the stage lights go to a gazillion watts. chef's kiss, gorgeous, no notes, says the amateur fan who wouldn't be able to have notes anyway). also the moment when eurydice follows hades up the stairs to sign the contract and persephone puts her hand on her heart and looks after her sadly... ouch! when jordan fisher as orpheus turned around at the end (heartbreaking) my sister audibly gasped, and then when eurydice sank down into the floor i did start crying in the dark.

more general musical theatre-y thoughts/appreciation section: i had a LOT of fun sneaking glances at background actors who weren't the main focus of a scene just to see what they were up to (eg at the start when hades and persephone are having tea together silently despite the main action going on downstairs; also when orpheus and eurydice are in their lover era lying down hugging and kissing while singing/dancing occurs behind them. and towards the end orpheus/eurydice hug in the darkness for a whole song and i was so impressed at how still they were able to keep). and also just a general live show note: i LOVE how in plays/musicals they're able to make the entire story happen on just. one stage + one set of stairs + that upper balcony area. (i watched a bootleg of the west end production of next to normal recently and they had that same kind of stage set-up so i assume it's fairly standard for musicals?) but like—and this is especially true for relatively smaller stages—it just strikes me as such a fun creative challenge, and i'm always so impressed at how productions choose to utilize the limited stage space in new and interesting ways (like in hadestown the part in the stage that rotated as they walked? and the center circle that went up and down? the moment after the intermission when the steps on the side retreated and the stage just seemed to *expand*? SO fun. love love love.)

and finally i didn't know too much about this show going in so i didn't expect the whole worker's rights/immigration/capitalism subtext but i'd be sooo keen on reading analytical essays dissecting the way hadestown engages with and navigates these topics & themes. like i keep thinking about a version hadestown with illegal immigrants who are forced into unfair contracts w no legal protections... idk maybe there's something there? the parallels? i just think the same story and songs could be transplanted into so many different real-world settings and it'd be so interesting to see the implications play out!

also i can sense this is a very common opinion but i'll be so brave and say it again: queer hadestown would go soooo hard. when is somebody going to make that happen.

okay that's all! xx

[pamela-lntt]

please ramble to your heart's content on spiderbit and orpheus eurydice

Sorry for the late reply, I needed to get home first before I could properly write this all out xd

First of all, I wanna preface this by pointing out that this whole ramble will be based on putting qCellbit and qRoier in the position of musical Orpheus and Eurydice (to be more specific, the Broadway version of Hadestown since the character's personalities do vary on every album) and I've been a HUGE fan of Hadestown for years now (my first introduction to this musical was the live album, I heard it for the first time while at the airport but that's besides the point) and I connect basically anything I like to it in some way so I've given this a lot of thought and love.

Ramble under the "read more", I can't promise to be short:

Alright so, the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, as told through the musical, in short is: The seasons are off-balanced making summers short and winters long due to Hades and Persephone having a rocky marriage, Eurydice arrives to wherever Orpheus lives in search of warmth from the winter, Orpheus and Eurydice fall in love, Eurydice makes a deal with Hades in exchange for protection from the harsh weather aka she dies, Orpheus travels to Hadestown by foot instead of taking the train like others would to get Eurydice back, Orpheus convinces Persephone and the Workers to hear him out which leads to Hades hearing him out, Hades and Persephone's love gets re-ignited by Orpheus' song, Hades lets them leave with the condition that Orpheus can't look behind him to see Eurydice is coming with or else she'll stay in Hadestown, Doubt comes in and Orpheus turns around.

With just the plot in mind, people would immediately jump to qCellbit as Eurydice and qRoier as Orpheus because of what happened at the end of Purgatory (qCellbit staying on the island), but I see it as the other way around especially when taking into account Orpheus and Eurydice's backstories, personalities, and train-of-thoughts, in other words, why they chose to do what they did.

I'll justify both of them separately and at the end I'll weave them together on a nice little conclusion

qRoier as Eurydice

I'll start with qRoier since I'm more familiar with his character because I watch Roier's streams a lot.

Eurydice in the musical is introduced as "a lonely girl coming in from the cold" and her whole character has an emphasis on loneliness being a prominent constant in her life before meeting Orpheus alongside always being followed by The Fates (which is a more poetic way to say she is always on the brink of death due to her nomad lifestyle). I see qRoier as a survivalist, which is my way of saying that if he lived in this universe (the Hadestown universe) he'd definitely take a similar approach of survival as Eurydice especially if qSpreen and qQuackity's betrayal also occurs in this storyline: "People turn on you just like the wind / Everybody is a fair-weather friend / In the end you're better off alone / Any way the wind goes"

When it comes to meeting Orpheus, at first she jokes with him due to how upfront he was on proposing to her the moment they met, but ends up being wooed by him with the help of Hermes wing-manning a bit and Orpheus' song alongside Orpheus' positivity of the world and devotion to her. I'm positive qCellbit wouldn't have as much positivity as Orpheus does, but the devotion and the song is still there and the song was what sealed the deal for Eurydice because she was impressed and captivated by how a simple melody could create a flower out of thin air. Whenever I hear Eurydice's jokes in the song Come Home With Me I can totally see qRoier making the same jokes and playing along just like Eurydice did in Wedding Song.

Jumping ahead to Eurydice's decision to take Hades offer of going to the underworld, Eurydice has faith in Orpheus, faith that he'll finish the song and spring will indeed come again, but they still need to survive the winter. qRoier has faith on qCellbit, always has, even before they got married: "I can give you time, man, no worries. I can trust you, 100%, man." But, as the Fates say "You can have your principles when you've got a belly full / But hunger has a way with you / There's no telling what you're gonna do when the chips are down"

I'll talk about the rest of the story soon...

qCellbit as Orpheus

Like I mentioned before, I am positive that qCellbit doesn't have the same positivity Orpheus has, but the devotion is still there. He was the one who proposed to qRoier (thanks to some nudging from Richarlyson) and constantly brings up they are married. I'd even take into consideration that one clip of Cellbit telling Richarlyson that it was obvious they would get married by day 2 of them knowing each other, like Orpheus sings: "I don't know how or why / Or who am I that I should get to hold you / But when I saw you all alone against the sky / It's like I’d known you all along" Even his wedding vows are similar in meaning to something Orpheus sings to Eurydice: "I'm gonna hold you forever / The wind will never change on us / Long as we stay with each other" and both qRoier and qCellbit would 100% go to the ends of the Earth for each other.

But just like Orpheus, qCellbit can get engulfed in his work and not notice the things happening around him: "[...] Poor boy working on a song / [...] He did not see the storm coming on" which was ultimately what led to Eurydice's death, Orpheus was too preoccupied trying to finish his song that he didn't hear Eurydice's cry for help. And yet, if qCellbit found out qRoier was in trouble?: "Just how far would you go for her? | To the end of time / To the end of the earth" + " [...] But that ain't easy walkin', Jack / It ain't for the sensitive of soul / So do you really wanna go? | With all my heart"

I'd even consider Orpheus' ability to get Persephone and the Workers on his side something qCellbit is fully capable of doing as well, especially with the knowledge that in Quesadilla Island he's a pretty respected person due to his determination of taking down the Federation and leadership in The Order, a mindset similar to that of Orpheus towards Hades and his industrial empire: "And the ones who speak the words / Always say it is the last / And no answer will be heard / To the question no one asks / So I'm askin' if it's true / I'm askin' me and you / And you / And you / I believe our answer matters more than anything they say"

qCellbit & qRoier as Orpheus & Eurydice

From now on I'll focus more than anything on Orpheus and Eurydice's trip out of Hadestown and it's conclusion and how it fits with the actions qCellbit and qRoier would take in their respective roles.

Just like I've mentioned that qRoier has a deep trust and faith on qCellbit, qCellbit does as well on qRoier, but qCellbit knows he himself is flawed, something he got reinforced with the whole situation with killing Abueloier and how everything went downhill between them after that only for them to pick up the pieces and try again. qCellbit told qRoier about his past, and qRoier accepted it and didn't love him any less for it and reassured qCellbit about it (even supporting him on his hunt for the Federation workers).

But, anyone would question if their lover trusts them the same way after betraying them, in a way. qCellbit, just like Orpheus, was unable to come to their lover's need which led to their death and they can't be sure if their lover even wants to go back with them after that. However, of course qRoier and Eurydice want to go back, their trust didn't waiver because they came looking for them, they came to get them back: "Are you sure you wanna go? | Take me home."

Nevertheless, that doesn't stop doubt from creeping in from the corners: "Every coward seems courageous in the safety of a crowd / Bravery can be contagious when the band is playing loud / Nothing makes a man so bold / As a woman's smile and a hand to hold / But all alone his blood runs thin / And doubt comes- doubt comes in"

qCellbit, just like Orpheus, would start questioning whether this is true, if the literal god of Hell actually allowed them to leave or if it's simply a trap, it's in his nature to question, after all: "Who am I? / Who am I against him? / Who am I? / Why would he let me win? / Why would he let her go? / Who am I to think that he wouldn't deceive me just to make me leave alone?" + "Is this a trap that's bein' laid for me? / Is this a trick that's bein' played on me?" And within that questioning would resurface the uncertainty of qRoier and Eurydice's trust towards them: "Who am I? / Where do I think I'm goin'? / Who am I? / Why am I all alone? / Who do I think I am? / Who am I to think that she would follow me into the cold and dark again?"

Meanwhile qRoier and Eurydice are right behind: "Orpheus / Are you listening? / I am right here / And I will be to the end" + "Orpheus / You are not alone / I am right behind you / And I have been all along"

In the end, qCellbit and Orpheus turn around, and lose qRoier and Eurydice forever, but qRoier and Eurydice's love for them never faltered.

"Think they'll make it?"

"I don't know"

"Hades, you let them go"

"I let them try"

(I hope this makes sense I tried to not write too much / ramble about Hadestown itself but I have a lot of feelings for this musical aaah)

[randoimago]

Hades for ask game

So freaking excited for Hades 2, ngl

Ask Game Here

3 male characters I love: Zagreus, Dionysus (those freaking thighs oof), Achilles

3 female characters I love: Artemis (I literally simp for her in the game. She gets all my nectar and I get nothing 🥰), Persephone (mommy sorry mommy sorry mommy--), Nyx (same thing as Persephone ngl)

3 romantic ships I love: Orpheus/Eurydice (the amount of nectar and time and love I spent to get them to sing together), Achilles/Patroclus (the amount of nectar and time and love I spent-), Zagreus/Thanatos/Meg (Hades 2 better have a poly as well is all I'm saying)

3 platonic dynamics I love: Zagreus/Minotaur (I really do love the convos and the mutual respect they have even with Theseus's bitch ass there), Skelly/Zagreus (the fact that it's the same voice actor still kills me every time, kind of like how I kill Skelly--),

3 favorite moments in canon:

Being tricked into thinking I had to fight Cerberus and feeling my heart break only for me to let out the biggest sigh (and then deal with the most annoying enemies in the game. They've killed me more then freaking Hades has)

First time hearing Orpheus sing and it's the same song Eurydice sang. The chills I got from his version and how unbelievably sad it sounded. I made a 3 part fic just because of this damn song and the different versions.

The record scratching and music completely stopping after stealing from Charon's shop. I just saw it and didn't even think about it. I barely saw that it said "Steal?" before I had already clicked it. It was just so fucking funny and I definitely let out an "Oh shit" and died to him the first time cause I was not ready.

3 favorite headcanons:

This is another series that I've done so many romantic headcanons for (and I ended up being swamped in requests too, fully expect that for Hades 2 as well)

Hypnos sharing his autograph book with Thanatos. He's just so proud and happy and saying things like, "Well, I got the Asterius's autograph" and Thanatos staying quiet even though he's definitely met Theseus and Asterius several times.

Persephone getting Hades and Zagreus a "Get Along" shirt. No way in hells would they wear it, but it would be such a funny thing for her to do and then she'd explain about the memes of the mortal world (which I can only imagine the memes of ancient greece)

Zagreus trying to teach Thanatos and Meg how to fish. Thanatos actually does a good job, but Meg gets frustrated a bit and scares off the fish (they all cheer when she does eventually catch one).

3 least favorite things about it:

Zeus is in it 😔 (yes I understand that Zeus would be in the game based on greek mythology, but anyone that's into greek mythology or knows a bit about it knows that Zeus is the literal worse).

Apollo isn't in it (I love sun daddy so much. I know he's going to be in Hades 2, but I really would've loved the interactions with Zagreus and choosing one sibling over the other. I just hope Hades 2 Apollo isn't like Lore Olympus Apollo)

I wish there was some more variations with the cast. Like I know there's different dps effects or you get more based on certain things, but I wish that it could have some aesthetic changes depending on which deity you have a boon from.

[superioritea-complex]

new ballets russes

ngl if i ever ended up with a ridiculous amount of money i'd probably found a ballet company, i'd wanna do something new and interesting like the ballets russes did back in the early 20th century- minus Diaghilev being a strange and quite frankly gross individual- I feel like so much of ballet has gotten repetitive, in the sense that we've focused to much on perfection we've forgotten that we are a performing art form- so often we get hung up on body proportions and things like hyper extension and body shape that we end up losing the emotion of the dance completely. I've recently watched dying swan- the og version with anna pavlova and now i can't help but feel newer versions are overly santized, like the concern is to look beautiful and not the real tragedy that is happening on stage. I think it's not only a disservice to audience members but to dancers as well as we are robbing them of developing their creative expression. That and it would also help with the fact that many ballets are quite frankly dated- for example the bolshoi black face scandal for their production of la bayadere (this happened in 2019 btw).

I would love to see a new fantastical adaptation with elaborate costumes, choreography, sets, and music- (bring back camp!!). Plus there are so many myths and cultural things to chose from a ballet could be done on Sappho's life, or on La Maupin (if you don't know who she is PLEASE look her up- she's unhinged and my hero), or even take from more myths like eros and psyche, or apollo and hyacinth, or a full length version of orpheus (i know balanchine did a short version with music by Stravinsky but imagine an entire set for the underworld- like fully fleshed out costumes for hades and persephone- it's actually a shame how minimalist balanchine's sets and costumes are given the inspo (bc they weren't originally!!- look at old apollo costumes vs the more recent ones- like bro HOW did we get here???) or we could start adapting Dostoevskyballet and Kafka like we've been adapting Shakespear (METAMORPHASIS BALLET GUYS- I MEAN COME. ON.) and these are just the ones off the top of my head.

I think now would be a good time to reinvigorate the artform especially with increased interest due to the overall ballet core trend- it could be a great way to bring in more people not only as those who take classes but also as viewers. Also ballet company's have shitty marketing- ofc if you only push the nutcracker for the entire year then you're only going to get people to watch the nutcracker and your other repertoire is gonna flop. duh. By investing a bit in marketing instead of lining the artistic director's pockets (be so fr do u really need a second vacation home?) the company would be more successful overall-( more people to come in and see shows, more artistic outreach, more outreach means more tickets means more money so hopefully better conditions for the dancers, etc. etc.)

tldr. people only say ballet is boring bc y'all have made ballet boring, the lack of artistic expression, lack of new creative sets and costumes, elitism, racism, homophobia, etc. etc. etc. are what have made people less engaged with the art form over the years NOT the actual style of dance itself.

[rumpunch]

HIIII so… i finally got to see hadestown this weekend (the national tour production) w two of my best friends 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 i knew we were gonna see it for months but i didnt want to post abt it beforehand / acknowledge it in any way after making plans bc i was scared i would jinx it like what happened when i posted / talked abt seeing shows on the west end and then covid hit and sent me home lol. but i can’t believe i finally saw it!! it doesn’t feel real and honestly didn’t until right now as im writing this….. being in the theater was truly an out of body (and mind lol) experience for better or for worse. this was my first time seeing a show since covid and im soooo glad it was this one given how much it’s meant to me for all these years 🥹💗

i have a lot of thoughts on the production and also the plot / story so here they are lol:

production thoughts

for context ive never seen a hadestown 👢 before, i told myself that i wanted my first experience of seeing it to be actually seeing it in person. but ive listened to the obcr 5798673594 times over the last 3 years and the songs have become thoroughly woven into my life... so that made for a really weird experience where i knew every word but was watching it unfold for the first time and yet i knew what was coming for the most part. that also could be chalked up to the fact that ive seen so many gifsets and have read so many posts about other ppl seeing the show so i did know about some visual things.. but yeah it was just weird what i knew / expected and what i didnt lol

my friends and i sat in the back right corner of the mezzanine (like the LITERAL corner. no chairs behind us or next to us and the exit right next to us) and sadly the balcony in the set was cut off for us so we had to keep leaning across each other or scrunching our heads down to see the action up there :~/ but it was ok

i think bc of the above two bullet points + the fact that i really did not let myself believe that i was going to see the show bc i was scared of jinxing it + me having depression / possible derealization issues that i did not have when i first got into this show... i was kinda numb the entire time which sucks a little. i cried a couple times (happy / disbelieving tears in road to hell (persephone's entrance specifically for some reason, idk why it wasnt the "aight"s LOL) and any way the wind blows, sad tears in doubt comes in) but i didnt really... process anything in the moment or really experience the epic highs and lows of it while watching it. i just generally wasnt very moved! and im processing the show right now for the first time. and that kinda sucks and is unlike me and unlike what i thought seeing it was gonna be like. in a similar vein i found myself really focused on whoever was in the spotlight and im kinda mad at myself for that bc this is a show where SO many little details / context clues are communicated when ppl are in the background. but its fine i guess, i may be in a weird place mentally but i got to see it and maybe i'll see it again someday and be more moved

the cast was PHENOMENALLLLLL. j antonio rodriguez was our orpheus and he was the standout for me, his singing and acting as were breathtaking! i was frustrated about hannah whitley (eurydice) though bc like (and i feel bad for saying all of this)... nobody can be eva noblezada but hannah was missing a lot of notes / singing off key and kept like.. idk what the technical term for it is but she was kinda singing on her own beat and adding in a lot of pauses or rushing into things instead of staying on pace with the music and also she kept kinda revving up into the high notes and all of it grated on me. but i grew warmer to her singing in act 2 and i really appreciated her acting throughout! i didnt rly have many thoughts about hades (matthew patrick quinn), persephone (maria christina oliveras), or hermes (nathan lee graham) aside from ADORING all of their performances and what they brought to the roles compared to the obc! and the fates (dominique kempf, belén moyano, courtney lauster) / ensemble (kc dela cruz, colin lemoine, sean watkinson, shavey brown, raquel williams) / musicians were INCREDIBLE and had such amazing chemistry with and between each other :~D

antonio made for a bolder more charming orpheus and hannah made for a darker moodier more tortured eurydice which was interesting. but (and maybe this was just me dealing with the whole numbness / already knowing what to expect thing) i wasnt really convinced about their love story (specifically the early parts of it in act i as they were falling in love) or that orpheus in particular was insecure and vulnerable to the fates. but they did have some good chemistry in act ii especially and i was rooting for them so hard despite knowing wht was to come :~(

i knew that on broadway they have that little elevator in the center of the stage so i was curious about how it would work in the tour and... they had this giant oven box thing with moving doors! i actually really liked that, it made the whole idea of traveling to / from hadestown seem more sinister. that said i was kinda bothered by it during doubt comes in because orpheus and eurydice had to walk around the entire stage to make sure eurydice was positioned in front / inside of the oven and it kinda spoiled the ending in a way (even though we all know how that ends)... im guessing that on broadway its less exaggerated and you dont see it coming bc all eurydice has to do is just move over to the side a little. but idk i'll finally let myself watch a 👢 and see what the difference is

i couldnt take my eyes off of hades and persephone during promises. they started the song with hades kneeling with his head against persephone's stomach and then he stood up and they just hugged.... for a LONG time. like at least 3-5 minutes. and i was like god i wish that were me and i was thinking about what that mustve been like for the actors playing them.. like if thats a moment that they share and look forward to or whatever bc i know i would. it made me think about jenna's dear baby monologue in you matter to me LOLLLL

i saw from another post i read on here (as i was pregaming for the show by scrolling thru my hadestown tag LMAO) that orpheus runs through the audience at one point? and he didnt do that for us that i saw which i was bummed about. maybe thats just a broadway thing

i had no idea the set splits open during wait for me!!! it was so cool

i also didnt know / fully realize that hades produces a flower for persephone during epic iii 😭 the tears in my eyes... also speaking of epic iii hades singing the lalalalalalalaaaa got a LAUGH and i was so MAD!!!!! i get that its kinda funny because it just sounds so weird in his voice and its a startling moment... but that pissed me off bc the moment is supposed to be so tender and heartbreaking and the audience didnt appreciate that.. augh.

since its pride month the set was initially lit up with rainbow lights and in act ii hermes had little rainbow tassles on the ends of his sleeves!! :~D

plot / story thoughts

another context bullet point to kick us off: i discovered hadestown in the spring / summer of 2019 which was an INCREDIBLY formative time for me and so many aspects of the show (creative expression as a tool / forum for bringing about the world as it could be (and illuminating the possibilities in the world as it is), discovering that you have agency, love / loyalty / betrayal / sustenance, finding your purpose, etc.) were profoundly relevant to things that i was awakening to at that exact place and time in my own life. so i went into this experience hoping to have more insights like the kind i had when i first listened to the obcr... and i didnt really. i mean i had some but they didnt feel as profound i guess? and again that may just be me having mental health issues now that i didnt have then.. but that was a thing that i was aware of and kinda sad about. so yeah

that said... the main thing along those lines that i did take away (which really only hit me while watching epic iii / promises) is like... love is agency is love is agency is love.... or something like that. at least that they coexist and happen together. the oppressive conditions in hadestown and the poverty in the overworld strip the gods and humans alike of... their humanity (which is weird to apply to the gods but still)! their sense of self, and their love for each other and the world. the moment that became clear for me was in epic iii when the workers took off their goggles one by one and it was like.. they could See again! they could see themselves and each other, they were holding hands with each other and singing together. and they saw a future that they could create together. and hades was letting persephone dance and she kept spinning away from him with her arms outstretched like a bird but then coming back... idk. im not articulating this well and i need to think about it more and let it simmer for a bit and maybe watch a 👢 to get all the details. but it was like yeah... the opposite of capitalism imperialism etc etc is love and agency and they go together and they are the same thing.

another thing i need to think about more: orpheus went to hadestown all by himself to get eurydice! how come he was so confident then? he was LITERALLY alone. he didnt know where she went or if she would come back with him. and he didnt have the workers following him (though they were there in wait for me swinging the lamps, but i interpreted them as being like... part of the scenery i guess). he was completely alone and operating off of hope AND THE FATES TAUNTED HIM TOO and he was like... fine! so then in doubt comes in.. when he has all these people including eurydice following him... like idk. maybe its just because he'd confronted hades who couldnt fully be trusted and he knew that eurydice had turned her back on him and stuff... like maybe its just because on the journey back he'd experienced things that caused him to doubt / mistrust the people he was journeying with / from and that's what made him vulnerable, not so much the physical loneliness but the emotional loneliness that comes with a betrayal. which is something i just realized typing it out lol. but that kinda agitated me bc its like... he was FINE the way up so why did he crumble on the way back :~(

doubt comes in is such a fucking GUT PUNCH btw. i wanted to cry harder but didnt let myself bc i didnt want to be too loud or soil my mask. but i was so so scared to see it and it devastated me. its just so... SAD. and its so... like i relate to / identify with orpheus SO much yes in part because of the creative expression / seeing the two worlds thing but also because of doubt comes in specifically. its just so so so sad. he had all of these people including the person he loved most cheering him on and echoing to him. and he couldnt hear them. and he couldnt internalize how much they loved and believed and trusted in him. and he turned. that is so wrenchingly real. and it hurt so bad to see it playing out on the stage knowing what was about to happen and then WATCHING it in all the brilliant horror. like thats another insane thing the way the lights get so wildly bright. actually now that i mention that i think the lights are brighter in hadestown when bad things are happening. like hades saying I CONDUCT THE ELECTRIC CITY etc etc. that could be a whole post. someone should make that

im thinking a lot about The Song and whose song it is and actually WHICH song it is. bc if you think about it... so we're introduced to the lalalalalalalaaaa and whatever song that is which builds in the epics. and that song incites a lot of action like orpheus (quite literally!) tuning out eurydice which causes her to choose to go to hadestown, and hades realizing what love is and whatever. but another song that is equally if not more catalytic is.... IF IT'S TRUE!!!! bc thats the song that sparks the revolution among the workers and gives orpheus hope that he almost lost after learning about eurydice's betrayal and inspires eurydice to fight for something instead of succumbing to her fate. and in wait for me reprise when eurydice is singing "echoing OUR song" "the falling of OUR feet" ... like they're not alone as just the two of them, the workers are coming too!! so which song is she referring to! what if it's actually "if it's true" and the hopes that orpheus has stirred up about what the world could be?

btw speaking of orpheus tuning out eurydice... im sure this point has been made 5476463979 times but its rly interesting to think about how love languages (for lack of a better way to put it, ik that can be kinda reductive) work in this show. eurydice and orpheus both attempt to address the storm but the ways they choose to do it are different / dont align: eurydice tries to manage the short term by searching for food and firewood, while orpheus works on the song that will bring spring back and stop this kind of disaster from happening again. but iirc they dont talk about how they're going to take these two different but equally important strategies — eurydice at least interprets the song as being unimportant and orpheus just... straight up seems unaware of the food / firewood thing also being important. so theres a communication failure and eurydice interprets the silence as abandonment (for good reason, also relatable) and turns her back (ha!) on orpheus. and then with hades and persephone... hades does all these big flashy power gestures to show his love for persephone but it's the exact opposite of what she wants and they dont see eye to eye about how to express their love for each other either. yeah

speaking of eurydice making that choice... like yeah. sigh. betrayal is such a huge thing in this show. trust and betrayal. eurydice was (kind of) leading orpheus through the immediate short term danger of the storm and she turned on him. and the fact that she did was part of the reason orpheus turned on her. they made their vows in promises that they would walk side by side but he couldnt get over it (partially bc they literally weren’t allowed to physically walk as they planned but still). and eurydice said "im right behind you and i have been all along" and its like no you havent been thats the entire plot of the show lol (again for understandable reasons but still!)

another thing im sure has been analyzed 456456984 times but its interesting to think about hermes watching everything playing out while knowing how it will end and not choosing to intervene. idk what that means and my laptop is running out of battery so im not going to dig into it but im just thinking on it. BUT ALSO THAT GOES FOR US AS THE AUDIENCE like so many ppl probably know how it ends and maybe some ppl are seeing it multiple times and its like... anyone could intervene and change the story (within reason ofc). also goes for the other ppl on stage too like the musicians etc. its just interesting to think about the implications of that and what would happen if someone tried it both "in character" and "out of character" i guess

its interesting to think about the role walls play in the show too. like the wall hades is making the workers build to keep out the "enemy" and keep them (him) powerful and prosperous in their (his) isolation vs the walls repeating the falling of feet, echoing songs... letting people know theyre not alone. and the fact that that doesnt happen in doubt comes in even though orpheus is being followed by a whole crowd basically. idk. fascinating

ok those are all of my thoughts i think! i also saw some interesting posts / takes that im going to rb again bc theyre on my mind as i interpret the show but i dont want to put them in this post bc theyre not my original thoughts. ty for reading if you did :~D this is a glorious new era in rumpunch nation im so glad and grateful that i can finally say ive seen this beautiful show!

[helreginn]

♣ - miharu and hel aka hades and persephone, norse version ? idk man

send me ♣ + a ship and i’ll tell you…

who is the better dancer? Depends on the genre. Hel can eat up a ballroom dancefloor or a salsa/tango style dance. Structured movements. Miharu's probably better at the more modern flowy, feel the music and move type dances.

who likes the outdoors more and who likes the indoors more? 100% Hel. Wherever she is in all the worlds, her heart is still back home in the Iron Woods running with wolves.

who’s a cat person and who’s a dog person? Miharu, probably. Hel isn't the most keen on domestics.

who’s more social? Surprisingly, I think Hel. Because she speaks and deals with so many people all of the time.

who makes the bed every morning? Miharu. Hel does NOT care. It takes three seconds to pick the blanket up at night.

who likes to keep the house cold and who likes to keep the house warm? Both like it warm, apparently.

who takes longer getting ready? I will say Miharu mostly but when Hel's hair is getting long and it's wash day... Those braids take ten years.

who likes scary movies and who likes funny ones? Hel LOVES funny movies. She doesn't much care for simulated violence. She sees the real stuff all the time.

who screams when they see a bug and who ends up killing it? Miharu screams and Hel gets a cup and some cardboard to cart that sucker outside.

who is more technology challenged? I'd say they're both fairly up to date with technology..

who would be more likely to burn something in the oven? Hel. She's a hearth and stove girly. GIRL DINNNER.

who talks in their sleep? Both, but Hel only when she is having a nightmare.

who leaves the cap off the toothpaste? Neither, I would hope.

who likes getting dressed up more? Hel likes Miharu getting dressed up. She doesn't really care about dressing fancy. Though by default her clothes are all fairly formal.

who’s better at tying ties? Miharu.

who recorded the answering machine message on the house phone? Hel. She likes the way they collect ghosts.

who’s better at planning romantic things? Maybe Hel? She created an entire realm of oceans and gardens and citadels. A lavish picnic or glowworm skylight slow dance is pretty easily achieved. And even the mundane stuff like going to a restaurant she likes. She likes coordinating and reservations and such.

who takes up more space in the closet? Miharu. Hel is a cartoon character. She has a capsule wardrobe.

who has more of a sweet tooth? Miharu.

who drinks more often? Hel. They both drink but Hel is a functional alcoholic.

who is most likely to laugh during a serious situation? Depends on how serious. Hel is very good at keeping her composure when it comes to grim things but like, when she's fucking over the shit hand the nornir deal her? She will laugh just so she doesn't burn.

@vulpuslunae

[fleshgardens]

Get to know me better?

Tagged by @plavigmaz in the ‘9 people you’d like to get to know better’ game.

Thank you Plavi! I usually just post art and don't talk a lot, so this might be nice for a change! It makes me feel pretty nostalgic, games like this were going on all the time on deviantart 10+ years ago

1. Top 3 ships: Aside from my own OCs, Zagreus x Thanatos (Hades) might just be my favourite (Zagreus is almost as oblivious as me haha), other than that I really like the idea of Nyx x Persephone (also Hades). Also maybe Canach x Pact Commander? (GW2) Canach reminds me of my partner a LOT in some aspects so he has a special place in my heart

2. First ship: I can't remember for the life of me, my whole childhood is very foggy tbh

3. Last song: Reptile - Nine Inch Nails

4. Last movie: not 100% sure, I mostly watch series lately, last one I remember is Corpus Christi (2019)

5. Currently reading: Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984 by Simon Reynolds (actually re-reading it after like 9 years) I love postpunk as a whole and I'm a bit into modern music history, so I'm just really glad this book exists. Postpunk is very often neglected/forgotten when people write about music, and to have a well-written, accurate book written by someone who was there at the time and clearly cares about the subject is amazing!

6. Currently watching: Better Call Saul / Castlevania: Nocturne, only just started Castlevania, in love with the character designs , obsessed with Edouard already... I NEED him to get a happy ending ;_;

7. Currently consuming: Pumpkin gnocchi with spinach and garlic, recipe if anyone wants it! I sometimes sub the all-purpose floor for 1:1 mix of potato or tapioca starch and rice flour and it turns out great!

8. Currently craving: the coffee that my partner just brewed that is right there next to me but I will feel like crap if I drink too much

I have decaf too and it's still pretty good but it's not the same thing, even the best decaf tastes a bit flat compared to regular coffee :<

edit: guess I'm gonna feel like crap later today, coffee was delicious though

zero pressure, feel free to ignore! @friberchi @kaapora @diesvitae @sariannearies @astin-the-silent @ependasketchpad @tetraethyl @anna-yells-stuff @akuras-stash

[just-a-re-blog]

I Cannot Be Normal About @weathertheraine’s Hadestown!AU And Now I Have Extra Thoughts About My Own Version

I had never listened to Hadestown before, but I saw this AU and I needed to understand the parallels being drawn. Fast forward a week and I’ve consumed the album multiple times over and spent hours wrestling with thoughts on casting choices. I can’t explain to you how much time I spend in my document titled “The Big-Ass Doc Of Haikyuu!!AUs,” but I can promise you it’s a high number, and this scenario made it higher.

Anyway! Here are my thoughts because I just want to share them! For the anime-only fans, there’s some super vague and broad allusions to the remaining manga arcs, and I do use the names of the remaining arcs, but you’re safe from any huge and specific spoilers. Again, please check out my inspiration in @weathertheraine’s incredible takes!

CAST #1

Ukai

Hermes

So there’s an argument for it to be Takeda instead because he’s generally more of a caretaking figure than Ukai, but my thinking here is that season 2 moment when he chases Kageyama down to tell him he wants him to figure out how to toss in a new way to help Hinata fight in midair (y’know, aerial combat and whatnot); Ukai knows and supports Hinata in the way that Hermes is privy to Eurydice’s plights, but I don’t think the reverse is true for Takeda, who I don’t believe is ever shown to watch out for Kageyama in the ways Ukai is; and as a former setter himself, I think it makes sense for Ukai to be the one who is the caregiver of Orpheus!Kageyama

Kageyama

Orpheus

Now, I understand that this is kind of a CRAZY thing to say, ‘cuz Orpheus is supposed to be a ray of hope and sunshine trying to restore spring to a dying world—and that sounds so much more like Hinata than Kageyama; BUT! Hear me out here!; the end of the musical is the most convincing evidence that this can work because Kageyama canonically has abandonment and trust issues, plus trauma literally centered on not being able to trust that someone is behind him—so of course he’s gonna turn around to see if the one he loves has remained on his tail as he walks through fire and darkness

Hinata

Eurydice

So the fascinating thing about this casting is that while Hinata is a bona fide ray of sunshine and hope in a way that Eurydice is not, it is also canonically true that he is poorer and scrappier than Rich Boy Kageyama, which gives “Eurydice was a hungry young girl” better than Kageyama ever could imo; also, in line with the ending of the show, Eurydice never faltered in following Orpheus, and so too is it true that Hinata promised—and followed through on it—that he would always be at Kageyama’s back; also I don’t mean to give Hinata too much credit ‘cuz I’ve seen the analyses and I know any and everyone would turn around—but if anyone could manage to not turn around, it really is Mr. I-Spike-With-My-Eyes-Closed-Because-You-Told-Me-You-Would-Send-Me-The-Ball-And-I-Believed-You, and I want to honor that by not making Hinata the one who dooms the narrative

Oikawa

Hades

Now it hurts me to do this because Oikawa, for all his deep-seated issues and many flaws, is not a bad man or a villain, and he is, in fact, such a spring child in my head a la Persephone; BUT, if Hades cannot simply allow Orpheus and Eurydice to walk out of the Underworld because he fears losing power and control of his empire by capitulating to Orpheus’s request, then Oikawa—who canonically almost slapped a child out of fear of his own inferiority—is the only choice; I also have to love that Oikawa was supposed to be a mentor for Kageyama, and in a way it then makes sense that Kageyama would know in his heart the song that Oikawa had once sung

Iwaizumi

Persephone

There is literally only one choice for a Hades!Oikawa, I don’t even need to explain myself (“You’re early, Shittykawa”); but it’s also worth mentioning that Kageyama had a noticeably better relationship with Iwaizumi than Oikawa in much the same way that Orpheus and Persephone had a pretty chill relationship and Persephone even went to bat for Orpheus the way Iwa stopped Oikawa from hitting Kageyama

Kindaichi

Fate 1

So choosing The Fates for me is where things get SUPER interesting when you play around with who of KageHina is Orpheus and Eurydice; if we lean into the crux of Kageyama’s arc being him and Orpheus sharing this insatiable urge to look back because they simply cannot trust that the one they love has not abandoned them, then The 3 Fates who sing “Doubt Comes In” have to embody Kageyama’s times of deepest fear and doubt, which means Kindaichi—who turned away from Kageyama in middle school and literally tells Hinata that he should abandon Kageyama before Kageyama abandons him—MUST be included

Kunimi

Fate 2

Similar to Kindaichi, Kunimi is another representation of that middle school abandonment that fucked Kageyama up so badly, so we must include him as a voice of doubt

Tsukishima

Fate 3

And Tsukishima Kei, my beloathed boy whom I understand and love so deeply, is the most persistent external voice that rubs Kageyama’s abandonment in his face; the Karasuno kids by and large are content to let Kageyama’s past remain in the past—they trust who he can be to the team now; but Tsukki, damn him, was so INSISTENT on holding Tobio’s King of the Court title over his head, which is absolutely a way to keep doubt nagging at the back of one’s mind

CAST #2

*Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades, and Persephone are the same, but The Fates change

Hoshiumi

Fate 1

Now if we focus more on the general role of The Fates in the show rather than just “Doubt Comes In,” they’re actually far more tied into the narration and progression of Eurydice’s story, so this arrangement of Fates is people who interact with Kageyama and influence his growth but are actually deeply invested in Hinata; my friend @volleybuoys is the expert here, but I’ve actively listened to the preaching of the Hoshiumi (and HoshiHina) gospel, and it’s true to say that Hinata’s entire worldview on who he wanted to become shifted when he encountered Hoshiumi; and if that doesn’t make a man qualified to and worthy of singing another man’s life story, then I simply don’t know what could

Atsumu

Fate 2

‘Tsumu, my other beloathed (begrudgingly affectionate); from telling Kageyama he was a goody-goody at the All-Japan training camp—which set his self-concept upside down for a minute there—to pointing at Hinata across the court and declaring that he would one day set for him, much as I may hate to admit it, Atsumu is actually essential to the Haikyuu!! story from both Kageyama and Hinata’s perspectives, and as such, it sort of uniquely situates him for the role of a Fate

Tsukishima

Fate 3

This fucker (affectionate) stays in the lineup because as much as he antagonizes Kageyama, the Hinata & Tsukki sun-moon dynamic compliance is too powerful to not count him as a force in Hinata’s life; they really do fuel each other as quietly but explicitly declared rivals (second season training camp, fourth season training camp and the Brazil and Final Arcs all really proved to be paradigm shifts for their relationship)

CAST #3

Takeda

Hermes

Okay so I touched on this in my explanation of Hermes!Ukai for Orpheus!Kageyama, but every time I think too long about Takeda’s role in Hinata’s life from season four onward, I genuinely get a little verklempt—because the reason Takeda cares about volleyball in Hinata’s life is because he cares about Hinata; every piece of advice and moment of mentorship is about helping Hinata in life—it just happens to be through a volleyball lens; and the Brazil Arc shows us in no uncertain terms that those guiding principles are so deeply ingrained in Hinata’s heart; so although Ukai has been shown to foster Hinata’s volleyball development in HUGE and meaningful ways in seasons 2 and 4 and the Brazil Arc, if I want my Orpheus to be cared for, if I want his light and song to be supported and nurtured, there is no one more fitting or deserving of the role of Hermes than Takeda-sensei

Hinata

Orpheus

So, aside from the obvious of “He could make you see how the world could be, in spite of the way that it is,” there is, of course, Hinata’s steadfast determination to stay doggedly on Kageyama’s heels for ten straight years, which gives “Wait For Me” on a scale hitherto unseen and unachieved by Orpheus!Kageyama

Kageyama

Eurydice

Having been abandoned before, a Eurydice!Kageyama makes a lot of sense in that he would absolutely fear the changing of the winds sweeping him away from someone who turns out to be another fairweather friend full of empty promises of support and shelter; he knows cruelty in the world in a way that feels maybe a touch more real than Eurydice!Hinata

Tsukishima

Hades

Now this one was a really fun thought experiment and decision because you need someone who would oppose Orpheus!Hinata having the power to walk out of the Underworld freely with his beloved—which, given the number of people who fall in love with Hinata and wouldn’t necessarily bar him, is no easy task; but we’ve seen that Tsukki hates to lose to Hinata in particular, and I could see him being willing to lure a restless, desperate, lonely, and naive Kageyama who doesn’t know what kind treatment looks like down to The Underworld (I swear I don’t think badly of Tsukishima Kei, cross my heart)

Yamaguchi

Persephone

Aside from the natural match that a Hades!Tsukki implies, much like Persephone, Yamaguchi has spent time watching someone he loves turn into a crueler and crueler version of himself, and it’s getting harder and harder for him to stick by his side just waiting around and watching it happen; plus, if you’ve ever seen any of the astounding genderwarped and trans art of Yamaguchi that exists on the internet, you know that anything Persephone wears, Yamaguchi could slay in

Suga

Fate 1

Sugawara is another great example of someone with a vested interest in both Hinata and Kageyama; it feels like when he sings “Doubt Comes In,” it would be his own doubts that he was voicing rather than Hinata’s actual thoughts; this is pretty analogous to the first couple seasons when we see Hinata getting nervous before matches based on his interpretations and internalization of other people’s expectations—and perhaps the biggest argument for why Hinata would turn around and look back

Oikawa

Fate 2

Seasons 1 and 2 absolutely matter here, BUT THE HOLY AND SANCTIFIED ****** ARC MIGHT MATTER MOST (OiHina shippers, you KNOW what I’m talking about—we KNOW they danced the night away); anyway, Oikawa is a shining example of what could be for both Hinata and Kageyama in terms of pursuit of a dream and inspiration to a team; he supports Hinata in the most unlikely of places, and their friendship matters a lot to me; Hinata is even part of the reason for Oikawa’s eventual return (bless up for the bonus chapter); it’s also worth mentioning that while Oikawa always came from a place of more privilege than Hinata, his story is much more in line with Hinata’s in that he knows what it is to fight tooth and nail to live up to the expectations that being around a volleyball genius sets up; when Oikawa sings “Go ahead and lay the blame, talk of virtue, talk of sin—wouldn’t you have done the same in her shoes, in her skin?” it’s because he KNOWS firsthand the temptation of surrender

Atsumu

Fate 3

Same reasoning as Cast #2; bonus that The Fates are all Pretty Setter Squad this time

This was a long post!!! But I have a lot of thoughts, and this is honestly one of the shorter AUs that bounces around my head. I’ll probably post more of my ATLA!AU soon, but we’re starting with this Hadestown one!

Many thanks again to @teddy-takeda for the amazing material that my brain has been rotating endlessly the past week and to my homie @volleybuoys for sitting me down all those months ago to explain why Hoshiumi is one of the most vital yet underrated characters of the series!