#i was really looking forward to seeing odysseus and penelope together.

[nikoisme]

What's your opinion on how Hades 2 handled OdyPen ? Personally, if the snippets are canon and not misleading, I'm very disappointed. I like the games, but they went with the worst possible outcome (Ody being a willing cheater)

Yeah, i'm not really happy with it based on the snippets. I guess we'll see how it all plays out, but so far i'm not a big fan. I believe that pretty much everyone voiced their opinions on it, so i don't think there's much for me to add.

[greekmythcomix]

How-Odysseus-met-Penelope headcanon

Odysseus is a headstrong fellow as we know. His success with the boar and the pride of his grandfather has established his name in the local area, and, frankly, he’s enjoying that fame and finding out who he really is and he neglects getting married. His parents despair of him, because they need their heir to have an heir to prevent them getting usurped by some nobler, richer king from the mainland should a power vacuum emerge, but their boy is getting older and much more interested in gallivanting and hunting with his slave pal Eumaeus, telling great stories in drinking sessions with the other young nobles of the island, and getting into scrapes than he is settling down and providing the grandchildren. Women long-term just don’t interest him. What can a much younger, uneducated, unadventurous partner possibly have to interest him, aside from moments of physical gratification?

 When the hand of Helen is up for grabs, Odysseus reluctantly goes along with all the other Greek kings. He knows he doesn’t have a chance really – he’s the prince of a backwater island and there are kings of literal cities here. But he goes because it’s a chance to meet people, and he does: Lycomedes of Crete, the Amythaonides  Thoas, Podarkes and Protesilaos, Menestheus and Elephenor[1], Ajax, and the Atreides, Menelaus and Agamemnon, who has also come without intention to marry – he’s already married to Clytaemnestra, sister of Helen - but to support his little brother and, presumably, throw his weight around.

 But he does meet someone. Leaning on a pillar near the back of the Megaron of Tyndareus, watching the other suitors argue in front of the king about who has brought the best gifts, he realises a girl is standing next to him, copying his bored recline and crossed arms. He is surprised. Moreso when she nudges him with her shoulder – how forward – motions towards the other suitors and shakes her head in silent laughter. I gather you’re not really here for her, she says. I bet you’re here for no one, she says, though it looks like, for a loner, you’ve made some friends? Odysseus looks to where she’s pointing and sees auburn-haired Menelaus smiling over and giving a little wave.

 He's alright, Odysseus replies, definitely a bit lovestruck but a good sort. I hope he wins. Otherwise he’ll be insufferable.

Hmm, says the girl. Odysseus is instantly intrigued.

What do you think Helen wants? Odysseus asks. Oh, says the girl, after the narrow escapes she’s had already, all she wants is protection, and someone nice to look at. I warned her that might get dull, but she’s adamant. Mostly, I think she wants to be somewhere where she’s not being gawped at all the time, but I’m worried she’s not thinking about the long term.

What about you though? He asks. He speaks without thinking, because, for the first time, it doesn’t occur to him to do so.

 She shrugs. They’re all the same, she says, looking for a prize. I’d rather have a conversation.

 Days later, Odysseus approaches Tyndareus with his plan to protect Helen and her choice of husband from future reprisals from those rebuffed: an oath, to be sworn on the dissected corpse of one of Sparta’s famous horses, joining the suitors together in blood. He’s quite proud of the idea: it’s simple, but looks dramatic and piety will keep it in place. He might have had some inside help with choosing the animal victim that is the symbolic centre of the oath to be made, and now Odysseus has a price of his own for this help: Tyndareus must speak with his brother, Icarius, on behalf of this prince of a backwater island, so that Odysseus might just also return home with a wife.

[1] From the papyrus BKT V.1 28-30 (P. 9739 R) ttps://berlpap.smb.museum/die-freier-der-schoenen-helena/?lang=en#:~:text=The%20surviving%20fragment%20deals%20with,and%20Protesilaos%2C%20Menestheus%20and%20Elephenor.

[amazingmsme]

(Telemachus Anon)

Anyways here's a small idea I got for a some Telemachus angst.

It's along the lines of a "traumatized" Odysseus and a "yearning for a connection" Telemachus. I like your idea on Penelope giving them a nudge to bond but it's not working. One time, Telemachus was looking for Odysseus so they all could have lunch together. He found him sleeping at the garden sleeping. He watches him and the man looks peaceful. Hair ruffled and messy curls. It was like staring at a weird mirror. He couldn’t help himself from reaching forward slightly just to brush his father’s bangs out. He may be a bit older, but having a father that just came back out of nowhere feels like reverting to your younger self back and being a curious child. When he thought that a simple touch would be enough to sate his curiosity, his father suddenly woke up and grabs Telemachus’ wrist. Almost like crushing. It was instinct. Odysseus' trauma and alertness from both the war and his long journey home gave him this auto fight or flight response.

Telemachus was terrified. It felt like the suitors all over again. Those eyes that he's seeing were ready for a kill. Telemachus tries to yank his arm away and that's when Odysseus realizes what he did. He realses his grip and apologizes. His son reluctantly accepts it, tells him that the meals were ready, and then leaves.

Odysseus facepalms himself internally (or literally). He's gotta try harder to be the father of what Telemachus always wanted and needed.

BRO I LITERALLY THINK OF THINGS LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME THIS IS RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!!!

Odysseus has so much ptsd after everything, & that’s something that wasn’t really understood back then, so he’d probably feel so confused & isolated on top of everything. But he reacts on instinct, & instinct tells him that everything is out to get him, that he still isn’t safe. & Telemachus just wants to be with & know who his father is. But sadly, he will never get the chance to know who he truly was, he only knows who he became

[dootznbootz]

Hiiiiiii I just saw the character ask thing :))))

Can you tell me about your NOTP, random headcanon and unpopular opinion about Helen of Sparta?

Thank you so much!!!

I'll save the one that'll get me crucified last! 👍

Random headcanon: Both Odysseus and Penelope were given a "photographic memory" by Athena. When Athena had "forsaken" Odysseus it was taken away. Makes it nice because a lot of the more fucked up parts of the Odyssey are a bit more "fuzzy" for him. And he hates feeling "so out of sorts". He gets it back though.

Also Athena technically took Penelope under her "wing" like, one month before Odysseus.

Unpopular Helen Opinion: In MY FICS, (It's okay if you don't agree!) She is built like Rose Quartz from Steven Universe. She doesn't have a perfect "hourglass figure". She's got some pudge on her tummy. Girl is TALL (Demigod) and CHUBBY. One of the important components of Helen and Menelaus' relationship is that they are both strong enough to lift each other. Also she's the most beautiful woman in the world and chubby women are hot af lskdjf She also SUCKS at singing. She's good at wrestling and spear work. (Sparta. I also love athletic women. Plenty of chubby women are also athletic af. If you think otherwise, literally look up women's Olympic sports participants.)

Homies, know that my NOTP can be YOUR OTP and that's okay! We can still love each other and be friends! Ignore the rest if you just don't want to see that, but know that while it kind of will be in my fics, it's probably not in the way you want it to be.

Please don't hate me and know I don't hate you or think I'm "correct"!

It's OdyDio.

These are the reasons why so avoid them if you don't want to read that! :'D This is the only time I will ever be on the "Odysseus hate train" because he's such an asshole to Diomedes.

I feel so bad about it. 😭 I'm a freak who likes Odysseus/Menelaus (Big BROTP) I think it's because Odysseus is just... SO MEAN to Diomedes. And when he's not mean, he's just neutral. There is not really any "Diomedes, you're the best guy!". Especially when have Sthenelus and Diomedes saying I love you to each other To ME, they are like co-workers who work GREAT together on the battlefield and on missions, but never do anything outside of that.

When Diomedes asks for help, Odysseus sprints away from battle. When Diomedes compliments him before the night raid, Odysseus literally is like "Dude, you're not the only person who knows I'm good at stealing. Let's go."

Odysseus, that long-suffering, godlike man, replied: “Son of Tydeus, don’t over-praise me, or censure me. You’re speaking to the Argives,                           who know everything about me. Let’s go. Night is passing quickly. Dawn approaches. The stars have shifted forward. Most of the night                   has passed, two thirds of it, with one third left.”

(Ian Johnston, Book 10)

Odysseus is an asshole but he's still so mean to Diomedes! 😭 ESPECIALLY WHEN DIOMEDES IS SO FUCKING NICE TO ODYSSEUS!!! I know that's what probably makes them so compelling to so many lovely folks but I love fluff BECAUSE I'm so tired of toxic relationships irl. I don't...I don't see how I can make OdyDio fluffy 😥 With OdyDio, I feel like I'm watching my bestie (Diomedes) get back with their toxic ex who mistreats them (Odysseus). Diomedes is actually quite polite to the others. Even when Agamemnon scolds him, he tells Sthenelus to think nothing of it. He compliments Odysseus! He listens to the gods when they tell him "Hey stop fighting!" and listens to Athena! Like he's violent and a killing machine but he's respectful! He's a traumatized, respectful, killing machine! He bitches at Paris but everyone has done that! That's something everyone partakes in /j

It bothers me even more because when Odysseus is with Penelope, he's so wonderful and loving? And that the Odyssey, literally Odysseus' story/Epic, doesn't even really mention Diomedes? That goes to show how little Diomedes means to Odysseus.

And since Odysseus runs away from Diomedes when he asks for help, it boggles my mind that books earlier, he goes into a rage when his friend gets killed!

[...]but hit Leucus, a brave companion of Odysseus, in the groin,                                           as he was dragging Simoeisius away. His hands let go. He fell down on the corpse. Enraged at Leucus’ slaughter, Odysseus strode up, through the front ranks, armed in gleaming bronze. Going in close, he took his stand. Looking round, he hurled his glittering spear. As he threw, Trojans moved back, but the spear found a mark. It hit Democoön, Priam’s bastard son, who had come from Abydos, where he bred horses for their speed.                                    Angry for his friend, Odysseus speared him in the temple.

(Ian Johnston, Book 4)

Odysseus, you prick!!! You go on a rampage when your buddy gets killed but sprint away when your STILL ALIVE BUDDY asks you for help?! ASSHOLE

They ARE kind of friends/frenemies during the end of the war but it's a weird thing where Diomedes cares about Odysseus but Odysseus tolerates him. Like he left him to die. I love Odysseus. He's my special little guy but he treats Diomedes, another special little guy, like shit 😞

They also have a fairly large agegap, (Odysseus being one of the older kings while Diomedes is the youngest. If you bring up pederasty, you will be smited.) and have very little in common other than them both being Athena's pets. Odysseus is a fucked up lil warrior trickster who loves his wife and child more than life itself while Diomedes is a young child soldier boy who is incredibly duty bound and war is where he feels most comfortable.

Also just...Most of anything about OdyDio (fanart/fanfic/etc.) it's of them fighting or bickering or betraying each other or being very sexual. Even OdyPenDio STILL feels very "OdyDio... + Penelope in the footnotes". I already plan to write Odysseus (and Penelope) as Aspec CODED and so I...just really don't care for that??? There's barely ANYTHING of them being soft. BECAUSE THEM TWO TOGETHER just aren't soft... I personally don't like couples that are mean to each other 😭 (I'm not even including the whole "betrayal with the Pallidium" because it makes me sad to think about. I don't consider it canon.)

Menelaus though?

I have plans 😌 These two bring me comfort and are a special brotp

[akwolfgrl]

The matchmakers match

Vivi!”

“Nami!”

Sanji watched as Nami and Vivi embraced as if they hadn't seen each other in years and not a few hours, like long lost loves. Like Odysseus seeing his beloved Penelope after twenty long years. It was sweet, if not a little painful. He yearned for a love like that. They were always like this, Sanji could vividly recall the way Nami mooned after Vivi when she would leave. It was like watching the sun vanish behind the clouds. This was before they even started dating.

Vivi and Nami, along with Usopp and Kaya, were his first matches. All he had to do was give them a nudge in the right direction, but the feeling of helping people find love stuck with him. It wasn't long after he started to work with Eros. He had been doing his own personal practice for only six months and had assumed he'd go down the kitchen witch route like Zeff. He probably could do both if he wanted to.

“Happy Birthday, Sanji,” Vivi parted from her wife to give him a hug.

“Oh thank you so much, Vivi darling,” Sanji happily hugged the blue haired woman back.

“Happy birthday, Sanji!” Usopp cheered, sliping into the both with his soom to be wife.

“Are you looking forward to tomorrow?” Kaya asked him, sweet as always.

“Of course I am, my dear Kaya,” Sanji informed her. “I've been eager to try the Don Angie lasagna for myself, and anytime spent with my lover ladies and dear friends is a good time,”

“What's Zeff making?” Usopp asked.

“No idea, the old geezer wouldn't tell me,” Sanji admitted.

Nami giggled and smikered. “I know what he's making,”

“Oh Nami sweet plase tell me!” Sanji begged and pleaded reaching across the table hands claspsed together. “I'll happily pay any amount you wish me to!”

“Hmm tempting but nope,” Nami patted his head false remorse in her voice. “I'm sorry, Sanji-kun,” Sanji pouted as he sat back up.

Sanji shiged. “Well if Zeff entrusted the secret to a beautiful lady, I must respect it,” If it had been Usopp, he could have pushed further, Luffy would have told him. “Well I'm going to get a drink before Luffy shows up,” Sanji left his group and headed for the bar.

“Sanji!” A familiar voice greeted him as he approached the bra.

“Ace, I didn't know you worked at Ivas place,” Sanji remarked as he slid into an empty stool.

“I just started the last bar shut down after Pops died,” Ace explained, his eyes filled with sadness as he remembered the man that took him under his wing. “Well, I have a new job now, Ivas been great to me! So what can I get the birthday boy?”

“Hmm, surprise me. Oh! By the way, are you and Law still coming tomorrow?” Sanji asked.

“Yup! Law doesn't have any surgeries scheduled for tomorrow, I'll be bringing the alcohol Nami already gave me a list. Law said he'd take care of the gift.” Ace began pouring vairues liquids into a large shaker cup.

“Good to hear. I don't want the bloody rice I made this morning to go to waste, I haven't made it since we broke up,”

“Oh man he's gonna love that, you need to teach me how you make his onigiri one of these days,” Ace poured in ice, topped the cup with another cup and began to shake.

“It's really simple. You just take the normal amount of water and replace half of it with blood. Mix well before adding it to a rice cooker, unless you still don't know how to cook?” Sanji asked, watching Ace strain the liquid into a martini glass.

“Gilty, and here we go! I call this Mr. Prince,” Ace presented the glass with a flourish before topping it with a sugar flower. The drink was a bright blue, it smelled delicious, and Sanji knew it would be strong.

He took a sip. “Mmmm prefect,”

“Yes you are,” Ace told him with a flirty wink.

Sanji rolled his eyes fondly. “Save that for your boyfriend,” Ace laughed at him. There were no hard feelings between him and his ex boyfriends, Sanji had set the two of them up after all. He took a sip of the drink and hummed. “This is wonderful, Ace!”

“I am to please, now tell me about your newest client,”

Sanji happily talked about his newest clients as he drank the cocktail Ace made him.

[cloudshapedpatch]

any thoughts on the wisdom saga 😮😮😮😮

oh anon i have SO MANY thoughts!!!

admittedly i haven’t listened yet to the previous sagas, so i don’t really know the lore BUT i intend to sit down and listen to them all very soon. also as a fair warning i don’t know shit about mythology so if i don’t know people please go easy on me 🥹

Legendary: i love the beat so much and the chime-y melody! Telemachus just wants to save his mom, from who??? the lil high note, Miguel Veloso is SO TALENTED and i love him. amico forever <3 what a good introduction to his character

Little Wolf: is this the same guy that insulted Telemachus’ mother? and it seems Telemachus gets some powers from Athena! is he part wolf or is this a metaphor haha. the piano is very nice and Athena has such a beautiful powerful voice omg?? Is that Teagan? and again Miguel coming in with the range! I’m getting the idea that Telemachus is rather young and possibly was close to another great hero, and wants to live up to that

We’ll Be Fine: i had to listen to this twice cause DAMN i want to know who Athena’s old friend was! She very obviously feels guilty. the harmonies, the piano, the emotion from both Teagan and Miguel!! i’m so proud of Telemachus for defeating what i assume is the aforementioned guy from Little Wolf? I have to think Telemachus is very young “You’re a good kid.” “Thanks!” made me laugh he’s very adorable. it’s giving young hercules vibes when he defeated his first ‘bad guy’ lol! I love the way the music changed from Athena, strong and stoic and beautiful. To Telemachus, more cheerful and optimistic and almost sweeter in a childish way, and then the mix of them together, like he’s giving Athena hope. and again, Teagan and Miguel’s harmonies gave me chills oh my GOD

Love in Paradise: Athena with Odysseus??? He’s the one that turned bad??? The ocean ambience is so sweet, was that a dream sequence? And who’s Penelope??? WHO WASHED UP ON THE BEACH??? And WHAT IS CALYPSO DOINNN she fiending lmfao Penelope’s man (Odysseus?) must be hottt! The overlapping singing always gets me it’s so good every time. The ethereal vibe at the end, turning more unsettling, until he calls out for Athena? so good! AND SHE HEARD HIM??? omg omg

God Games: Athena asking for her dad’s help must be a big deal, and all to save Odysseus. so now Athena has to convince a bunch of other gods to save him. i’m enjoying how each god has their own motif and music style. Apollo’s is especially cute with the strings. Aphrodite’s actress has an amazingly sweet voice. Athena is MAD at Ares for bashing his name i seem to think she thinks of him as more than a friend… and Hera’s jam is so fun omg. Poor Athena did she get imprisoned or injured for trying to help Odysseus?? Is Telemachus going to assist her?? I NEED TO KNOWWW

All in all it’s very good, production is astounding and all the singers play their parts so well!!! I’m definitely looking forward to learning more about the plot, and i can’t wait to see what Telemachus does next <3

[theevilmaninyourcomputer]

Let's defeat capitalism with the power of love; explaining democracy with crayons. (Or, my book report that went off the fucking rails).

Originally, my summer reading novel was The Odyssey; but 50 pages in, I discovered that I had no patience for lengthy, gratuitous travel-logs. So naturally I opted for the next logical choice: Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. The irony of my decision didn't strike me until I sat down to write this commentary. And sure, Odysseus and Tom Joad are both vagrants, on a quest for 'home,' but the similarities end there. Odysseus is lost at sea, and finds direction in the promise of 'home', Penelope is his true North. The concept of 'home' is, to him, resolute. Home is a physical place to be sought out, home is the woman he loves, home is Ithaca. Tom on the other hand is DRIVEN from his birthland, but carries his 'home' with him as he undertakes the perilous journey to California. He, like Odysseus, searches for a home-only to realize that home is NOT a concrete place, but (and it has to be said), the friends we made along the way. 'Home' is "fambly." 

Those familial bonds; and beyond that, human connection, PEOPLE unified together as one honest-to-god democratic body are STRONGER than the system they have created (Steinbeck seems to write, with Rousseouian sincerity).

So I am sorry to report that...the title of this paper is a misnomer. While I, too, have often daydreamed about "defeating late stage Capitalism with the power of love," I've also pulled my head out of my ass long enough to realize that "the power of love" is not a viable weapon. Or, not the only weapon, at least. Through Steinbeck's eyes, the system rests on the backs of the people, and is held-up by "The Man" (school of rock)-the wealthy few, who lord over the penniless masses.

To be clear, this is not a revolutionary take. I think most people feel dissatisfied with late-stage capitalism. Steinbeck has faith in the inevitability of human progress, "This you may say of man-when theories change and crash, when schools, philosophies, when dark narrow alleys of thought grow and disintegrate, man reaches, stumbles forward...if the stumbling forward ache were not alive, the bombs would not fall, the throats would not be curt...fear the time when Manself will not suffer and die for a concept, for this one quality is the foundation of Manself..." (Steinbeck 150-151). But I am a young person living in America, and lately, human progress doesn't feel inexorable.

I mean, speaking candidly, what the hell am I supposed to do? The planet's burning down, the country's on the brink of civil war. Retirement is as much a pipe dream as buying a house. Everywhere I look, people are dying, and I can't do a godamned thing about it. Except, hold up a picket sign once and a while. I had to SEE Trump's blood on live TV to believe that he had a heart. And now that I have, I understand: these systems we've built aren't working anymore, but WE built them. We have every right to deconstruct them if they aren't serving us. When push comes to shove-we all bleed the same, we all die the same, and THAT is democracy. Death is democracy, and we are united under her. These institutions only exist because we allow them to. The state may be the beating heart of America, but we ARE the state. We are the blood in the arteries; pumping the oxygen, feeding the macine. 

I'm doing my best to come off as optimistic. In actuality, I'm jaded. I want the future I was promised by the country that prides itself on justice. Where was that justice for Sonya Massey? Where was that justice for Nex Benedict? I want to stand by my unwavering belief in the inherent goodness of the human spirit, but we keep HURTING each other.

The media has misinterpreted anarchy (to its detriment). Anarchy has become synonymous with rebellion, 'burning it down,' but really, Anarchy falls closer to pure libertarianism on the axis of leftist extremism. See, in the absence of a government, Anarchists are forced to rely on the kindness of their neighbors. In the words of Andreas Wittel, "Anarchism is a process whereby authority and domination is being replaced with non-hierarchical, horizontal structures, with voluntary associations between human beings. It is a form of social organisation with a set of key principles, such as self-organisation, voluntary association, freedom, autonomy, solidarity, direct democracy, egalitarianism and mutual aid" (The Conversation). So, you stay on your lawn, I stay on my lawn-we respect each other, and we work together when we need to, because selfishness serves no one. This idea is so basic, it was more or less taught on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. Share your crayons, don't hit your friends-THAT is anarchy-kindergarten law. The issue is, we have to abolish the system to get there. Which, is where the "burning it down" thing comes in to play. 

Bobby and Sam are coloring, Bobby takes the entire box of crayons, leaving none for Sam. Sam asks if he could have a few back; Bobby spits on him and takes his paper. The teacher sees this interaction and chooses not to intervene, because Bobby is the principal's son. Now, Bobby and Sam could split the crayons equally, but that would mean Sam WILLINGLY giving a handful up. How do we resolve this conflict? Well, we get a new teacher, who stands for ALL of their students. A teacher who recognizes the injustice in one child hoarding all the art supplies.

I bring this up to evidence my point-as it stands, something's got to give. We aren't afraid of anarchy, we're afraid of the road to systemic change-ANY systemic change. Because to make substantial progress, we have to organize and...for lack of a better phrase, 'burn it down.' 

But hey, it's not about the journey, it's about the destination. Or, maybe it's the other way around. Just ask Tom Joad.

[fourangers]

Thanks for your answer, Fourangers!!!!

And honestly, I was really extremely amazed by two things from your posts. You were spot-on with your predictions.

What is the ideal endgame scenario you can imagine for the two of them?

Realistic response: Naruto will give Sasuke Konoha’s headband. Then they smile and there’s the last phrase narrating about them looking forward to the future and will be the next promising generation to build the ninja world.

You were a visionary!!!! Because you answered this, way before the Manga ended and this was exactly how it ended in chapter 699... I was really astounded and went super crazyyy about your prediction.

And the Best of All Time goes to....

Your reaction if SasuSaku happens?

A mixture of this:

Well, I guess for once I'd see every SS shipper claiming "canon canon!" Which would annoy me at first but I would giggle inwardly.

I mean. Seriously. Be honest. Do you really think that even if Sasuke somehow decides to be with Sakura, he'd be the lovey dovey husband that treats her like a princess and attends to her every wish and whim?

I fully believe that SasuSaku is the prime example of "be careful with what you're wishing for". Do you seriously believe that once Sasuke 'chooses' Sakura, he'd be the perfect gentleman, doting husband and gentle father they are fantasizing of? The guy who would soothe your sadness and daintily wipe your tears with his thum--GAHAHAHAHA, I can't even WRITE this with a straight face.

You have no idea how this response made me cackle like a mad girl for a good 10 minutes. It's just how SasuSaku ended up as... LOL.

And you predicted it way back when it was just 2013.... A year before the Manga was about to be completed.

A Million Kudos to you!!!!!

Anyways, with all this being said, I don't know whether you follow Boruto nonsense or not....

I just want your prediction about How SNS will end in Boruto???

We all theorize among ourselves that they will die at the same time just like Naruto promised Under the Bridge. I seriously can't imagine One of them living a normal life if the other dies.

So, What do you think???

Whoa, I didn't even remember answer these questions, it was a good way to refresh my memory lmaooooo. It's so sad that I was correct and incorrect at the same time. 698 happened but 700 also happened and man...it'd be great if 698 ended there.

Honestly, my positive expectations was Naruto noticing that he needed to destroy the current ninja system and not needing to become Hokage. Alas, what happened happened.

How SNS will end in Boruto???

I have no ideaaaaa lmao. Yeah, I don't follow the manga. I heard rumors about Naruto and Sasuke dying, but I highly doubt it. They are still very popular and needed to maintain Boruto (the series) alive. It'd be awesome though. Dying together, and then Hinata and Sakura would realize that they need to continue the work and become badasses. Hinata would become Hokage enterim and then pass the baton to S*arada. Sakura would then join the crew to avenge the death of her best friends. Oh yeah THAT would never happened. It's sad but the sexism continues.

Idk, honestly I can see only Naruto doing the passing ceremony to S*rada as she become Hokage. Sasuke I HIGHLY doubt he'd settle down, or maybe they'd just imply him settling down. But I'm sure he'll come up with another bullshit excuse for him to roam around the world, and then once Naruto retires, I'm sure he'll join Sasuke in those trips while their wives patiently wait à la Penelope in the Greek Romance Odysseus.

And yes, I chose an over millenia old story to use as comparison to B*ruto to show how absurd is this idea about women waiting while men go on adventures. We're currently living in the 21st century right?

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Anonymous asked: What poem would you want to be read at your funeral and why?

Surprisingly I don’t find this a morbid question at all. It is a question I haven’t given much thought to in a long time because when do we ever really question our mortality?

I suspect the younger we are the further we push it away. That is until a freak crisis of some sort hits us. I can think of a few occasions when perhaps I have thought about it momentarily. I have found myself in some freak situations where I thought I was going to die - like a mountaineering accident or when I had a parachute accident. But in those situations a poem to be read at your funeral is the last thing that you dwell on in your mind!

The only other conscious times I have thought about it was when I was going through Sandhurst as an army officer cadet. Towards the end of Week 8 or so the junior cadets have to visit Brookwood Military Cemetery to see the fallen - the visit is done by all cadets and it’s done not just as an act of remembrance but also a reminder that the fate of real lives could depend on the decisions you take as an officer. I can’t articulate the feelings that coarse through you as you read the youthful inscriptions of those who died in battle (past and present) and reflect it back upon your own sense of fragile mortality.

Surprisingly I didn’t think too much about poems or eulogies when I was out serving in Afghanistan. There simply wasn’t time to think too much. It’s hard to explain but there is simply too much going on both in and out of the heat of battle: the amount of work to be done between missions as well as the tiredness, lack of sleep, and exhaustion to manage whilst also doing anything - from playing silly pranks, playing sports, reading, writing, doing laundry etc - to take your mind far away from dark thoughts.

I think about my mortality more when I meet very old veterans on their last legs or when I attend solemn commemorative services.

I can think of many poems that I would love to be read at my funeral so it’s hard to decide. I especially like ‘Ithaka’ by Cavafy for instance. But I’ll go with Alfred Lord Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses’.

The last part of the poem especially resonates for me:

Come, my friends, 'T is not too late to seek a newer world. Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die. It may be that the gulfs will wash us down: It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, And see the great Achilles, whom we knew. Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho' We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

The full poem itself reveals Ulysses (Odysseus from Homer's Odyssey)  the ageing king who, having returned from the Trojan war, yearns to don his armour again and ride off in search of battle, glory, and adventure (leaving his poor wife Penelope behind). The poem ends with Ulysses triumphantly announcing his intention to sail off again on yet more adventures. After being away from home for ten years while fighting in the Trojan War, and then taking ten years to get back home to the island of Ithaca to his family, Ulysses feels ill at ease at home. The civilian’s life is not for him: he is made for battle and adventure and voyaging (even though, in the Odyssey, he manifestly hates travelling on the sea), and will never be content to be the stay-at-home king with a wife and son, living out the rest of his years on Ithaca and enjoying ‘the quiet life’.

Tennyson of course drew upon Homer's Odyssey but also drew upon Dante's Inferno, Canto XXVI, in which Dante is led by the Roman epic poet Virgil to meet Ulysses and hear his tale. In Homer, Odysseus is told by the blind prophet Tiresias that he will return home to Ithaca but will then make one more journey to a land far away from home. In Dante, this part of the story is fleshed out. Ulysses gathers his men together to prepare for the journey and exhorts them not to waste their time left on earth. He dies on this journey, which is why he is in Dante’s hell. Tennyson's character is somewhere in between these literary predecessors, as Ulysses knows he will set off on a last journey but has not done so yet. Critics also note the influence of Shakespeare, particularly his Troilus and Cressida, which also includes Ulysses.

Ulysses knows he is famous for his great deeds, but this is not what motivates him. Unlike Achilles, glory was never the goal of Ulysses, it was the spirit of adventure.

Indeed what I love about this poem is Ulysses’ inquisitive spirit is to be always looking forward. He has seen much and has seen a great variety of cultures, but this is all in the past. Experiences have made him who he is, but what matters is passing through the “arch” to the “untravell’d world” and constantly moving toward the ever-escaping horizon.

In addition to the arch, Ulysses uses another metaphor here, calling himself a sword that must “shine in use” rather than “rust unburnish’d.” Yet, at home he feels bored and useless, yearning to truly engage with what’s left of his life. He is impatient for new experiences, lamenting every hour and every day that he does not seek “something more.”

Ulysses’ quest for adventure and fulfilment, like the goal of Goethe's Faust, is defined by the pursuit of new and unique knowledge “beyond the utmost bound of human thought.” Adventurer isn’t just about experience it’s about knowledge and, one hopes, wisdom.

Tennyson wrote this poem just after the death of his friend, Arthur Henry Hallam in 1833. Tennyson found himself thrust into the role of Ulysses. Confronted by the death of his friend, Tennyson noticed a sudden urge to drive forwards in life and not settle for the commonplace. As stated in the poem, ‘death closes all,’ enlightening the poet to the need to make the most of his life before it escapes him.

The poem’s final line is the most famous. The need ‘to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield’ fits into the Victorian urge to escape the tedious nature of day-to-day life, to achieve a level of mythical fame reached by the classical heroes, to travel ‘beyond the sunset, and the baths of all the western stars.’ Tennyson doesn’t want to conform, he wants to challenge himself, and he wants to break new ground before his inevitable death. Just like Ulysses, Tennyson wants to go out adventuring rather than settle for regular life.

But where most people have misunderstood the poem is in that final line. They tend to only focus on the last line at the expense of what comles before. So “‘To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield’ is meremy seen as a monumental pronouncement for unbridled success and arrogant pride disguised as optimism. But it’s one that is isolated from its context within the poem as a whole. Indeed in doing so it robs Tennyson’s poetry of its fragile nuance. People forget to think about the last line within the context of the two lines above, “ One equal temper of heroic hearts/Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will.”

Despite being stoic and leading a life of meaningful purpose (heroic even), life still leaves us room with doubt and equivocation. As Tennyson himself suggested, confidence and doubt are equal elements of his poem’s meaning: he said that it ‘was written under the sense of loss and that all had gone by, but that still life must be fought out to the end’.

The struggle between the sense of loss and the desire to fight life out to the end remains unresolved at the end of the poem. I think this titanic struggle remains true even if one has religious faith and a belief of resurrection of an after-life. As a believing Christian I see no tension in this other than the ones being pulled on the human heart and the divine soul.

In the end Ulysses' enduring challenge to himself, is a challenge to us, to push ahead with energy and strength of will no matter how old or weak our bodies are. To yield to age or weakness is to be less than fully human and yet paradoxically when our bodies give out and we fail it’s also very human. As honourable as it may be to live a peaceful life without risk, we miss the most exciting aspects of life if we do not venture out, at least a little bit, into the unknown. For me as a Christian, the unknown (or as Donald Rumsfeld would put it ‘a known unknown’) is of course the ‘undiscovered country’ beyond life, the eternal life in the presence of Christ. As such Tennyson’s poem - as I like to think about my life - is not one of past lament but one of future hope.

Thanks for your question.

[takaraphoenix]

Imagine a Shared Cinematic Greek Mythology Universe

Franchises are a huge thing these days. Everyone wants one. Marvel did it best, DC is... trying to get the hang of it and Universal, honestly I don’t know what that mess is supposed to be at the end of the day.

Comics offer this kind of thing. And what else offers it would be mythology. I have never seen a good movie about Greek mythology. And there are so many different tales to tale and so many different heroes to introduce.

Now, let me propose to you a 13 movie shared cinematic universe for Greek mythology.

Herakles: Birth of a Hero

Of course, we’d kickstart our shared universe with the household name of Herakles. Because everyone knows that name, knows that hero. He can get butts in seats to pique the interest of the people.

But I want more than just the average tale. I want some focus on his backstory too. I mean, holy Hades the fact that he literally has a twin-brother and that Herakles is just a title and not his actual name - born Alcaeus, thank you very much - are so easily forgotten and just ignored. Do it right. Do it rich and detailed.

A simple origin story as the beginning, of Alcaeus, growing up with his big sister Laonome and his twin-brother Iphicles, listening to the heroic tales of his great-grandfather/half-brother Perseus. Dreaming to be like him. Setting out to become the great Herakles.

We cover some of his labors, after all he does have twelve of them and all twelve in one movie is just gonna overcrowd it with plot. So have a slow set-up and let’s go with maybe three or four labors. Because this is a franchise, so we can divide his tales into like a trilogy.

We know there are 12 labors to finish, but this movie ends semi-rounded up. He found one of his various lovers - let’s go with Megara, because she is the most famous and does for a great set-up for the second movie - he seems ready to settle down and be happy.

In the post-credit scene, we see a vicious Hera, watching from above - teasing that she’s not going to stand for his happiness.

Theseus: The daughters of Zeus

Theseus is up next. I also see that one as a trilogy - though, of course, as with the MCU we do not just dash all three of them out one after the other.

First movie in the franchise sees Theseus teaming up with his best friend Pirithous, son of Zeus. They got up to some shit together in the myths, among other, trying to abduct “daughters of Zeus”.

They went to the underworld to abduct Persephone and they also tried to steal Helen of Troy, being fought off by Helen’s brothers Castor and Pollux (cameo back-door introduction of Helen, Castor and Pollux and set-up for the Trojan war movie later down the line).

I think this would be a really fun way to do some world-building, by giving characters that will be important in the future already small cameos. And you get to explore a whole new world in the underworld.

Just a buddy hero movie of two friends getting up to shenanigans.

And, here’s where we get our first little crossover, because when Pirithous and Theseus ventured into the underworld, they got stuck there and then were saved by Herakles who was down there for his twelve labors. So we also have him give a very tiny cameo - really jut one scene, five to ten minutes, he’s not supposed to steal the movie but to establish that yes, these worlds are shared.

Herakles 2: The Labors of Herakles

This movie would be set up in a post-credit scene of Theseus, where after Theseus and Pirithous left the underworld, we see Herakles wrestling the three-headed guard-dog of the underworld. Zerberus, the reason he was in the underworld to begin with.

But that’s his last labor and more of a tease, really.

We start off with the whole driven mad by Hera and killing Megara thing first. And yes, I’m taking liberties with the myths a liiittle here because technically all of Herakles’ labors were given to him by Hera to appease her and to repent for “his” crimes. But as mentioned before, 12 labors in one movie is going to cram it and we do want some action in the first one already.

We cover the other left-over labors he didn’t accomplish in the first movie now. Lots of action, lots of monsters, lots of fighting - and another cameo, because labor number 9 features Herakles going to the Amazons and stealing Queen Hippolyta’s girdle. So we meet the Amazons.

Theseus 2: The Labors of Theseus

Okay, after the origin-esque first Theseus movie, we move on to the one about his more famous heroics - the whole bandit-killing, sow-slaying, wrestling and all that jazz.

The six labors of Theseus.

Throw in Theseus meeting the Amazons too, meaning Hippolyta and her little sister Melanippe get a reoccuring appearance and crossing over between the Herakles and the Theseus franchises. Because the most fun thing about a shared universe is the shared part.

Jason and the Argonauts

Whoop, time for the Avengers/Justice League! Time for the first team-up movie!

Jason assembles a team to go on a long-ass journey to find the Golden Fleece.

Including both Castor and Pollux, as well as Herakles. Among many, many others.

Like the twin sons of Hermes Eurytus and Echion, who I picture as the Weasleys of this universe. Because every good franchise needs two fun brothers.

Then there are Zetes and Calais, the sons of wind-god Boreas.

And Calais’ lover Orpheus, the son of Apollo, who will set up his own stand-alone movie in this.

Also featuring pilot Erginus, son of Poseidon, and Palaomonius, the bronze-smith and son of Hephaestus. Because there’s nothing more fun than a demigod team-up. And yes, I want them to actually use their powers.

And, of course, Jason’s lover the witch Medea (who is also the cousin of Ariadne, so there could be an Easter Egg name-dropping here).

And the most famous female Greek hero - Atalanta.

A wild fun ride follows as they search.

It also serves as a set-up for the Trojan War by re-introducing Castor and Pollux, a set-up for the stand-alone Orpheus movie and the second team-up movie led by Atalanta.

We’d also put a post-credit scene in here to tease Heracles 3, just showing Herakles happy in the arms of a woman.

Orpheus and Eurydice

Keeping it close time-wise, we tie in with the Orpheus stand-alone movie after Jason and the Argonauts.

Orpheus going to the underworld to bring back the love of his life Eurydice after she dies. Him charming Hades and Persephone, who get to make their third appearance after already encountering Herakles and Theseus, with his beautiful voice, but still failing.

Theseus 3: The Labyrinth of the Minotaur

Let’s break the flow a little and bring back Theseus for his third movie - and his most famous story.

Because just because something is the most well-known tale does not mean it has to be the first. That way, we always get stuck with the very same stories being told all the time, because most of the time it never gets past one movie. No. Let’s save Theseus’ most well-known tale to be the third in the franchise - because this is in my head and in my head, the franchise is allowed to expand this far and we do not need to worry about cancellation and such.

Theseus meeting Ariadne and Daedalus and slaying the Minotaur in the labyrinth. You know the story.

Atalanta: Huntress of Artemis

After we previously met Atalanta in Jason and the Argonauts, let’s give the greatest heroine her own stand-alone movie.

After all, she is a famous racer, a great hunter, an Argonaut, a huntress of Artemis and became a minor hunting goddess later on. She’s been busy and her story is worth telling.

In this, I’d like to focus on the huntress-aspect. Maybe include the tale of Artemis and Orion in here and tie that into how Atalanta joined the goddess’ hunt. Have her be trained by Artemis and befriend other huntresses.

Supporting cast would to me include the three daughrers of Boreas - Hekaerge, Loxo and Oupis, as well as Britomartis who’s the daughter of Zeus, and Phylonoe, who is actually not just a huntress but also a sister to Helen, Castor and Pollux.

Achilles: Hero of Sparta

Cue in Castor and Pollux again, after their small Theseus cameo and their supporting roles in Jason and the Argonauts, they are now back for the big story.

We start the story right though.

Eris, pulling a prank on the goddesses on Olympus with the golden apple for “the fairest of them all”. The goddesses pick Paris of Troy and make him chose. After he picks Aphrodite, she promises him the prettiest lady around - Helen of Sparta.

Castor and Pollux alone stand no chance. But they got friends.

Achilles, Patroclus, Odysseus, Francis Ajax and Phoenix.

The Trojan War ensues and in the end, sets up the Odyssey as our friends part ways and Odysseus claims to look forward to seeing his wife Penelope again.

Odysseus: Long Way Home

Taking place directly after Achilles: Hero of Sparta and featuring Odysseus’ ridiculous journey home. Seriously, that guy should have just asked for directions.

Visiting Circe and meeting Calypso and fighting off sirens. All the fun stuff that then pays off by the heartfelt reunion between two lovers long separated.

Atalanta 2: Hunt for the Calydonian Boar

After her supporting role in Jason and the Argonauts and her stand-alone movie, she’s now back to be the one to lead the second team-up movie.

The hunt for the Calydonian Boar was kind of a real big deal back in the day, you know. Everyone participated, everyone wanted to be the one to kill it.

And I mean everyone.

We see the return of not just Theseus but also his buddy Pirithous.

Atalanta’s fellow Argonauts Eurytus and Echion are going to bring all the fun as the comic-relief tricksters again.

Castor and Pollux are back for this one too!

And hey, even Phoenix from the Trojan war will be here.

Because the thing about those big franchises is that more characters need to cross over. If all those characters exist in the same world, how are they always so strictly separated? No. The characters who dabbled in multiple myths are also going to be recognizable crossover characters in this universe.

And in the end, of course, Atalanta was the one to kill it. That’s why this team-up movie is called Atalanta 2.

Herakles 3: God of Olympus

Because before the universe hits its finale, we need a pay-off for the man who started it all.

Last time we saw him, in a post-credit scene, he was holding his recent lover Deianira and being happy. Which, again, Hera does not like.

Deianira accidentally kinda kills him with the poisoned blood of Nessus.

He has to fight. Again. Has to prove himself. Again.

But at the end of this, there is an actual happy ending waiting for him as he is granted godhood and falls in love with the goddess Hebe to live happily ever after on Olympus.

Chiron: Trainer of Heroes

The third and maybe strongest of the team-up movies. The grand finale of the series, you could say. Also the only original idea I’m pitching here; all others are just the myths as they happened, put into a chronological order that would make for a cool movie-verse in my eyes.

The best place for this to start is Chiron.

Because the thing is, Chiron trained and raised most heroes.

Herakles, Theseus, Jason, Achilles, Patroclus, Phoenix, Ajax.

Let’s say the trainer of heroes got into a little trouble and his wife Chariclo - daughter of Apollo and mountain-nymph and also the one who did the whole raising of the heroes while Chiron only did the training because honestly everyone keeps forgetting that this centaur gets babies dumped in his lap and not teens and that it requires more than just hand-to-hand and sword training and that he had a wife who did all of that - assembles a team of the above named heroes to save their trainer, featuring cute flashbacks to them as kids during training.

[woozapooza]

Black Sails: The Verdict

not to be obvious but this was a really good show

If I try to get into all the things I want to say about this show I’ll be writing this post for the rest of my life so I’m just gonna touch on the most important things.

I’m not sure there’s ever been a show that had this much of an emotional impact on me. I woke up in the middle of the night last night thinking about the show. I guess I must have been dreaming about it and dreamed so hard I woke myself up. I’m sincerely hoping that the day is not far off when I can think about this show more calmly. I think I’ll be able to enjoy it more when the very thought of it doesn’t make me drown in feelings. I’m grateful for the BS humor videos on youtube that are helping me take the show less seriously.

I’ve been looking at other people’s reactions to the finale and two things are clearer than ever (and they were already pretty clear): 1. This is a very complex show where no one is ever totally right or wrong. 2. My standards for TV are a lot lower than many TV fans’. I’m impressed by people who are able to be like “here’s why such-and-such episode didn’t make sense/was dissatisfying” and I sort of envy people who are that good at watching TV but I’m a lot more willing than some people to accept what a show gives me and that’s just the way it is. So I understand some people’s complaints about various things about how the show ended, and I also understand the people who have the complete opposite points of view because this show is wicked complex and there are no right answers to a lot of the big questions about it. Anyway, the following are just my onions.

Ultimately I think my favorite character was Silver. I’ve never seen a character with development like his. I know his actions in the finale are very controversial and I’m trying not to take too hard a stance on them in one direction or the other, but I think what he did was ultimately right. He prevented a war that would have been devastating (because it’s a war) and that England probably would have won anyway. It’s not like the fact that the war got cut short means people aren’t going to keep resisting the bad things about the British empire. As for what he did to Flint, I’ve seen some people get very angry with Silver for essentially selling Flint into slavery, which okay yes, but…what was he supposed to do? If he wants to end the war, he has to sacrifice Flint. Flint’s whole identity was built around fighting civilization. If Silver wanted to end the war, he had to end Flint, and the only ways to do that were to kill him or “unmake” him, and what’s the best way to do that latter? By forcibly removing Flint from his life of piracy and reuniting him with the very thing whose loss turned James McGraw into Captain Flint in the first place: Thomas Hamilton. Flint’s life was basically miserable and I can’t see any way Silver could have found happiness for Flint except by reuniting him with the man he loved. It sucks that Flint is basically trapped on the plantation, but he hates the world anyway, so I’m not sure he’d be all that devastated about being shut off from the world for the rest of his life. Plus, it was repeatedly stressed that this is place as humane as it could be while still being what it is—I mean, no one got mad at Thomas for stopping work and hugging and kissing his lover—so it’s not like he’ll be treated terribly. I’m not trying to pretend that what Silver did was totally fine, but he gave Flint the happiest ending realistically possible. What else was he supposed to do?

I know some people suspect that Silver actually killed Flint and made up the story about sending him to the plantation, but not only is that needlessly depressing when the show is throwing a much happier option at us, it doesn’t even make sense. I mean, I don’t understand the logic of literally seeing something happen and then being like “well what if that didn’t happen!” Like, it’s a show, none of it really happened, but there is still a reality at the fictional level and if the show is clearly telling us that an event is part of that reality I don’t understand the impulse to reject that event as real.

It’s striking—and pleasing—that for such an angsty show, the ending was relatively happy. The world changes, civilization wins out, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s lives are over, that there’s no room for them to be happy going forward. Flint gets to “walk away from the sea and find some peace” with his true love. (Also note that he and Thomas were separated for approximately ten years, which is, well, half the time Odysseus and Penelope were separated? So the parallel sort of works. Half works.) Silver and Madi have gone through a very rough patch, but Madi returns to Silver and I have to believe that that means she’s come to see that his point of view is legitimate, that the issue of the war was an impossibly complicated one and the fact that they had different opinions on it doesn’t make either of them wrong, and that he really loves her. I know Silver has a wife in the book (which I CANNOT WAIT TO READ), so I assume we’re supposed to think he and Madi worked it out and got married. I’m more than willing to think that. Jack and Anne are still together (till they put us in the fucking ground!), still doin’ piracy, and Jack got another lesbian for his collection. (Hi, Mary Read!!!) Max is still running Nassau, happy, powerful, able to make the world a better place, and on good terms with Anne and Jack. Featherstone is governor! I love it! Everything sucks for Woodes Rogers, which, while I didn’t really like him, is not entirely fair, to be honest. He was no more a one-dimensional villain than Flint. Billy is, uh, marooned on Skeleton Island, I guess? Well, I know he can’t die yet because he’s in the book. Actually, let me start a new paragraph about Billy.

I know a lot of people ended up straight-up hating Billy, but I didn’t. I don’t want to go into too much detail because quite honestly I’m afraid I’m going to end up saying things that are just factually incorrect but I think Billy had good intentions that led him astray. It’s sad, really. His hatred of Flint was honestly totally justified but it led him to do things he shouldn’t have done, like going through with the raid on that one plantation. I don’t know, maybe I’m going too easy on him because he was so wonderful in the first three seasons, but maybe it’s not a bad thing that I choose to remember who Billy used to be and try to see that person in who he became.

I have a ton more things I want to say but those things will have to wait for other posts. Some of them I won’t be able to articulate unless I rewatch, and god knows when I’ll have the strength to do that. I’m just so fascinated by the theme of stories (one of my favorite themes for any show to have) in particular as it relates to my dear boys Flint and Silver. Both of them take on identities they didn’t start with—civilized lieutenant James McGraw becomes “the bloodthirstiest buccaneer that sailed,” Captain Flint, and tiny precious happy John Silver becomes Terrifying Indestructible Pirate Long John Silver—and we see the stories that spring up around both of those characters but we also see these guys for who they truly are underneath all the legends and ahhhhh I’m becoming inarticulate so I’m gonna just stop that thought here. In fact, I think it’s time to wrap up this post because if I even try to say more I’m gonna be here forever. Oh, but let me just say bless Jack Rackham for that beautiful speech about stories. Whenever a character in a show or movie makes a grand speech on that topic I’m GUARANTEED to just lose it emotionally.

Last thing: the reasons I wanted to watch this show in the first place were simply that it was a period drama about pirates that had quality gay/bi representation. I built it up so much in my head that I was apprehensive about watching it but guess what, it totally met my expectations! The representation was beautiful (I want to say more words on that topic but I’ll save that for another post) and, like, there were pirates. If I may end on a shallow note (which I may because it’s my blog and I’m in charge) anything with pirates is guaranteed to be awesome.

[aaronofithaca05]

SPOILER ALERT

This boils my blood.

How could they make the Telegony sounds better than this, how??!

What's your opinion on how Hades 2 handled OdyPen ? Personally, if the snippets are canon and not misleading, I'm very disappointed. I like the games, but they went with the worst possible outcome (Ody being a willing cheater)

Yeah, i'm not really happy with it based on the snippets. I guess we'll see how it all plays out, but so far i'm not a big fan. I believe that pretty much everyone voiced their opinions on it, so i don't think there's much for me to add.