#it all gets even more complicated for both Hera and Leto

[my-name-is-apollo]

Why is Hera so hostile to Leto in a manner that she isn't with the other lovers of Zeus? I can't think of any other woman who was targeted so much by Hera. One could say she didn't want Leto to give birth because her children would be a competition to Hera's children, but why bother her even after she had already given birth? Is it because Leto herself is also a threat to Hera?

Sort of I guess?

I don't think Leto would ever be a threat to Hera's role as the queen of the gods but Hera might see her as a competitor for Zeus' affection, even though I think Zeus would not marry someone else and replace Hera.

The twins are definitely a big reason why Hera begrudged Leto - it is outright stated in the Callimachus Hymn to Delos that the reason Hera especially targeted Leto was because she was told that Apollo would be dearer to Zeus than Ares is. Zeus is very proud of Artemis as well. As he himself puts it, he doesn't mind facing Hera's wrath for children like her.

But the continued hatred even after the birth of the twins (like sending Tityus to rape Leto) could have been for different reasons. This wasn't like one of those affairs Zeus would have with mortal women where he'd leave them behind once the child is conceived. Neither could Hera, despite her many attempts, get rid of Leto like she did with the other lovers. Not only did Leto give Zeus children that he loves dearly, she also stayed on Olympus despite Hera's hatred towards her (which isn't directed to any of Zeus' other divine mistresses, btw). It might have also been because Leto herself is dear to Zeus, if the way she's treated on Olympus is any proof. In the Homeric hymn to Apollo, Leto stands next to Zeus - in the Olympian assembly - to welcome their son. Hera is completely absent from the scene, as if Leto had taken her place even if temporarily. Now you could say this is because Apollo himself is such a powerful and glorious son in a way that no other son of Zeus is, so of course Leto would get such an honor (the hymn itself presents it this way).

But here's another instance - in the Iliad, when Hera goes to seduce Zeus, he is obviously very smitten but before getting into the action, he lists some of his lovers (I believe these were his favorite lovers, as a lot of others are not mentioned):

"for never has such desire for goddess or mortal woman so gripped and overwhelmed my heart, not even when I was seized by love for Ixion’s wife, who gave birth to Peirithous the gods’ rival in wisdom; or for Acrisius’ daughter, slim-ankled Danaë, who bore Perseus, greatest of warriors; or for the far-famed daughter of Phoenix, who gave me Minos and godlike Rhadamanthus; or for Semele mother of Dionysus, who brings men joy; or for Alcmene at Thebes, whose son was lion-hearted Heracles; or for Demeter of the lovely tresses; or for glorious Leto; or even for you yourself, as this love and sweet desire for you grips me now.’ (Book 14, trans. A. T. Murray)

Notice how when talking about most of them, he also mentions the children they bore to him but when Demeter and Leto are mentioned, he doesn't bring up their children at all despite them being some of the most accomplished kids of his. What's more, he takes Leto's name just before Hera's. I mean, this is an interpretation but it looks like not only did Zeus love Leto the most out of all his mistresses - giving her a place second to that of his wife, but also his love for her wasn't necessarily only because she gave him two amazing children.

Nonnus does something similar in the Dionysiaca (but this time Zeus is enamored with Persephone instead of Hera) but more notably, when Typhoeus attacks Olympus and Zeus is discouraged, Nike takes the form of Leto to encourage him and it's pretty telling of what Leto meant to Zeus.

One interesting similarity between Hera and Leto is that they both had a giant try to rape them. Porphyrion tried to violate Hera (Zeus inspired him to do this) and Tityus tried to violate Leto (upon Hera's order). Though both of them were killed, only Tityus got an eternal punishment in Tartarus of having his liver/heart eaten out by vultures so Zeus seems to have taken a greater offense at Tityus trying to assault Leto.

Again, I don't think Zeus would ever take anyone other than Hera as his permanent wife - she is irreplaceable to him. There's an entire myth about Hera leaving him and Zeus winning her back. Their relationship is obviously complex and involves all kinds of emotions including love and hate. But Leto is continually dear to him as well and that's something Hera can't do much about.

[sarafangirlart]

Debunking some misinformation about Hephaestus and Aphrodite’s Marriage

I’m so sick and tired so I’m making a thread, enjoy. I’ll break it down into several points.

1. Hephaestus demanded Aphrodite’s hand in marriage in exchange for Hera’s freedom and Aphrodite was forced into the marriage

You’d be surprised by how this isn’t even attested in ancient sources, rather it’s just a theory made by modern scholars bc of how spotty and limited our knowledge about this marriage is, let’s look at the actual sources:

Notice how Aphrodite isn’t even mentioned mentioned as the “prize”? Hephaestus does ask for a goddess in exchange for freeing Hera, but it’s not Aphrodite, it’s Athena. The usual course of events is this:

Hephaestus is angry at Hera for her mistreatment and sends a golden throne that traps her

The other gods try to persuade him to free her but he refuses

Dionysus convinces him by getting him drunk

Again the theory that Aphrodite was the prize for whoever gets Hephaestus to Olympus is just that, a theory. Not a really good one either bc wouldn’t Aphrodite be married to Dionysus instead? It’s a really shallow portrayal of all figures involved tbh, why would Ares only be interested in freeing his mother if it meant he gets to marry Aphrodite? Why would anyone on Olympus not be worried about their queen being chained up? Believe it or not but Hera isn’t as disliked as one would think lol

Now even if Aphrodite wasn’t a prize how did she end up marrying Hephaestus? And was she forced into doing it? No actually (Lucian’s Dialogue of the gods):

That’s not to say this wasn’t an arranged marriage (it most likely was) but arranged marriage and forced marriage are not the same thing. If you think this is a forced marriage then what about Cadmus and Harmonia? Heracles and Hebe? Both these marriages were arranged by Zeus but no one would claim they’re forced marriages.

2. Aphrodite hated Hephaestus

Now this is more open to interpretation, after all love is subjective, but to say they outright hated each other would be incorrect, there is this myth that Aphrodite cursed Lemnos to have the men abandon their wives and female family members, usually bc they neglected on worshipping her (tho a late Latin source says it’s revenge for exposing her affair).

Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica:

However this bit seems to be rather… genuine? Almost as if she might have truly felt bad for what she did and wanted to reconcile, sounds like someone with a deeply messy and complicated relationship with their partner, but not outright hate.

Also there is this moment in Lucian’s Dialogue of the Gods which is pretty funny:

3. Hephaestus only saw Aphrodite as property

Ok I don’t like using the “it was a different time” card but like… it really does apply here lol

Now we’ve already established that Aphrodite was never a prize for Hephaestus to begin with so what about the betrothal gifts he gave to Zeus? Obviously that means he was buying Aphrodite right?

Well, no actually this is a normal part of Ancient Greek marriage (obviously it varied between cities and time periods but it usually goes something like this), the father of the bride and the groom exchange gifts with each other to establish a bond between the two, the bride herself wasn’t the “gift” Zeus’s gift to Hephaestus was most likely his place on Olympus.

To say that Hephaestus bought Aphrodite would mean that Odysseus bought Penelope, or Hector bought Andromache, both are ludicrous claims.

4. Hephaestus is an incel and Ares is this big feminist icon

No, just… no.

Ares was never considered “the protector of women” in Ancient Greece that’s tumblr fanfiction and plenty of other ppl have made posts debunking this (including me) so I won’t repeat that here. Now about Hephaestus being an “incel” all the male Olympians have at least one story where they harm an innocent/defenseless woman, all of them, yes including Ares who persecuted Leto while she was heavily pregnant by Hera’s orders.

5. Aphrodite cheated to “regain her sexuality”

No Patrick, cheating on your disabled spouse with his brother in the bed and palace he made for you is not a girlboss move it’s being an asshole (all the gods are flawed, how thought provoking). Hell, even Zeus wouldn’t pull shit like this with Hera.

Aphrodite and Ares most likely did this hoping it would be the last place anyone would suspect an affair, since Aphrodite could’ve had sex with Ares in his own place or some meadow somewhere but that might cause ppl to be too suspicious.

6. Ares is a big dumb brute who can’t take a hint and only saw Aphrodite for her beauty

Believe it or not, just bc I criticize Aphrodite and Ares doesn’t mean I hate them lol. Now look, all the gods care deeply about looks but that’s not the only thing that Ares and Aphrodite love about each other. Here is Ares being a total simp and actually listening to her:

Iliad book 5

Thebaid book 3

7. Aphrodite felt neglected by Hephaestus bc he’s too busy at the forge

No lol, she straight up works with him at the forge, why wouldn’t she? If anything this claim makes Aphrodite even more shallow than she actually is.

8. Aphrodite and Ares didn’t care about being humiliated in the golden net and Ares straight up brags about cucking his brother

Yes I’ve heard such claims and no Ares and Aphrodite are actually capable of feeling shame lol, almost as if they were in the wrong. Also why would Ares actively antagonize the guy who makes all his stuff? Maybe that’s why Athena keeps beating his ass, bc Hephaestus purposely gives Ares shitty weapons and armor lol

Anyways umm… I think that’s it? Maybe I missed a few things bc I’m frustrated af rn

Just so y’all know, I’m not a scholar I’m just autistic and read a lot lol. I hope I didn’t miss something or get anything wrong.

Have a good day (or night).

[thequeer07puss]

Apollo, Leto, Hera and Zeus: a story of dragons, families, reputation and politics

The Homeric Hymn to Pythian Apollo presents a pretty cool story about the Most Greek of the Greek Gods, He who shoots the Silver Bow, the god Apollo, whose birth is recounted in the hymn whose main characters act in a complicated theological, familial and political web. The gods and the monster are part of the complex game of politics and wit that the chief gods like to play, and each one of them has their set of cards to play.

Leto and Apollo: Devoted Mother and Beloved Son

Apollo is chronologically Leto’s second child, born on the island of Delos, which is (depending on who you ask) also the body of her sister Asteria, who turned into an island to escape the advances of the King of the gods. The place of birth of the baby god places Leto’s delivery under a strictly familial context and the protection of every matron figures in his life, since even his sister Artemis is said to have helped to bring him to the light. Leto did everything she could in order to be able to give birth to her children, travelling to every island of mainland Greece to look for a suitable place. The relationship between Leto and her son is one of deep love and devotion, the same one that brought him into the world, and the one that he would defend with all his divine strength.

Apollo and Zeus: Mirrored lineages and Decked Destinies

Apollo’s story is almost a perfect mirror of Zeus. Their stories are eerily similar when put in juxtaposition. Both of them are the sons of the almighty ruler of the universe, born in difficult circumstances, with Zeus being born at risk of being eaten by Kronos and Apollo being born under Hera’s restriction, who grow up to have a large number of both male and female lovers and become beloved by the Ancient Greeks who build them a lot of temples, one of them being famous for an oracle (Dodona for Zeus, Delphi for Apollo). These two gods cement their power by defeating a monster with whom the goddess Hera has a link with (Typhon and the Dragoness to whom Hera have Typhon to be raised by, as well as to chase the pregnant Leto). However, one element is missing from this almost perfect copy of the King of the gods: Apollo never succeeds his father by the classic overthrowing myth of the succession cycle, both because of the fact that Zeus reigns supreme over the universe and is its definitive leader, but also because of Hera’s meddling (I’ll discuss that later). As a result, Apollo is an imperfect mirror of his father, a reflection but not a twin of Zeus, and as such he does not get to make decrees over the whims of fate like Zeus Moiragetes, but instead merely speaks his prophetic will and gets most of his prophetic powers from him.

Hera and Leto: Political Rivals in the Succession Game

Leto was Zeus’s sixth wife, the one that came just before Hera, yet she conceived her children after her separation from Zeus, a feat which would make any former queen proud that she had not been left behind and is still desirable enough for the king to grant her favour, and would allow her a special place within his heart, a place special enough for her to get privileges and share some of them for her children. This almost concubinal relationship between Zeus and Leto is a direct threat to Hera’s rank as sole queen and equal of Zeus, which led her to prevent Leto from getting the privileges she could get if she ever had children, as it would tie her to Zeus’s household forever, as well as make him feel more kindly towards any children they may sire by forbidding her from giving birth anywhere in mainland Greece, making the relationship between Hera and Leto seem to be more akin to political rivalry and defense of her title than just plain jealousy which people usually associate with Hera.

Hera and Apollo: Branded Forevermore

Apollo, the mirror of Zeus, the beloved son of Leto, was born from a loophole in Hera’s decree, and probably the best possible god to designate as an heir for Zeus. However, the birth of this very important and powerful deity is a direct threat to Hera’s position, as Zeus may choose to look more kindly upon him and his mother than her and her children, which is the exact same reason as to which she cursed Leto in the first place. Through the trial and humiliation of being rejected by every place on earth attached to the sea floor and having the previous wife of Zeus give birth on a barren rocky island while simultaneously being ruthlessly chased by a monster, Leto is publicly declared obsolete by Hera and any children that may come by her and Zeus is immediately branded as illegitimate, a blazing and painful reminder of the one whom Zeus chose to share his bed with and of the definitive queen with divine prerogatives that entitle her to declare who enters Olympus or not. Apollo enters Olympus eventually, but not before slaying the monster sent by Hera to hunt down his mother and raise the dreaded Typhon who would serve as the ultimate challenge to Zeus’s rule, effectively taking revenge on him for the transgression that was the lone birth of Athena, and reaffirming his power in that special way only she knows.

[godsofhumanity]

Could you please do a Hera hc with other Olympians too and please elaborate on Zeus

lol, at this point i'm just doing the whole damn pantheon hey ahahahaha!!!!!!!

ZEUS

i've written LOADS about Hera x Zeus, but somehow i don't have a single "pure" Zeus x Hera hc list. so, i'll save that for if i ever get a Zeus x Hera ask by itself, because i think that'll be cleaner and easier to read. i'll summarise here though.

the short of it: Zeus and Hera do love each other.

the long of it: their relationship is like, the most complicated thing ever.

now, this is about Hera, so i'm not gonna write about why i think Zeus does what Zeus does, but from Hera's perspective, i hc that she's always known that this is what her marriage would be like.

i don't think she got married to Zeus and then "suddenly" he just started having "affairs"--- both were very crystal clear that this would be the case.

but love is a bit complicated, and i believe Hera and Zeus had enough faith in each other that they believed they could make it work (and they do. sort of. with a few a casualties).

one thing about Hera that i feel is incredibly important to her character is that she forgives. not everyone, but those she loves. i hc that she has a HUGE heart-- i've said before that i believe she inherits this from Rhea-- and i believe that she does forgive Zeus every time he goes "out" because, as Queen of Olympus, she knows there's a much bigger plan out there.

POSEIDON

i've always felt that Hera's best friend, most trusted confidant, would be Amphitrite. not only are they sister-in-laws, but they're both Queens, and both wives to cheaters. so i feel like they have a lot of common ground-- a lot to bond over.

as such, i feel that Amphitrite and Hera would hang around a lot, so i think, by extension, Poseidon and Zeus would hang around a lot.

i don't really know if Amphitrite loves Poseidon, i mean she probably does considering that she stays with him, but i honestly don't know for sure... in any case, she does tolerate him, and i think by that fact, Hera also tolerates him.

now, i don't really feel like the elder Olympians maintain a sibling relationship the way other god-families do-- like, Leto, Artemis and Apollo are tight as hell and literally kill for each other-- i think Prometheus, Epimetheus, and that whole titan generation are also incredibly tight. but, between Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hera, i don't think they're that close-- this is likely because they never grew up with each other. Kronos prevented that. they sort of all just appeared fully-grown, and that's not really the same as actually growing from childhood to adulthood together.

that's why i don't think Hera is that close with Poseidon-- they're brother and sister on paper, and they would consider each other brother and sister for sure, but i just don't think they're that close.

also, like i was saying before, since Amphitrite and Hera are very close (and by choice, too), i think that, if not for Amphitrite, Hera would be a bit more distant from Poseidon on account of him being so similar to Zeus in terms of behaviour... now with Zeus, i think his behaviour is explained by his role as King and Father of the gods, but Poseidon doesn't really have that same rank so i think Hera would be less forgiving.

anyways, even so. in the myths, there are a few times when Poseidon supports Hera in her rebellions against Zeus, so that's not to say they're hostile towards each other-- they're friendly, but not close.

DEMETER

see here

tl;dr -- they're besties.

HESTIA

i think Hestia and Zeus would be the only ones who are actually able to maintain proper relationships with their siblings.

Hestia, like i said before, is the older sister. and i do think she helps out all her siblings when she can, even if that's mostly just providing a listening ear and shoulder to cry on.

Hera, obviously, has a lot of crying moments. i think Hestia would be one of the few characters she'd be feel comfortable crying in front of.

i can imagine Hestia doing a lot of baking <33 Hera seems like a sweet-tooth, so i think Hestia would bake her a lot of sweet treats-- pastries, and biscuits, and cakes.

HADES

i think in a similar vein to Poseidon, Hera's relationship would be good but not really all that close.

i suspect that after Hades and Persephone's marriage, Hera and Hades would actually become closer because i think Hera would make it a point to help Persephone navigate the ways of being a ruler, so they would see each other more often.

PERSEPHONE

see here

tl;dr -- they're good.

ATHENA

see here

tl;dr -- they're good.

ARTEMIS

see here

tl;dr -- they hate each other. they do not interact if they can help it.

APOLLO

i think they're on better terms than Artemis and Hera, but still-- Apollo definitely does not like Hera due to the python incident, and Hera definitely does not like Apollo because she perceives him to be far too arrogant.

nonetheless,, i do believe that Apollo, at the very least, doesn't really go out of his way to be rude to Hera. i mean, i could see Artemis being intentionally unhelpful, but Apollo, if Hera asked a favour of him, i think he would do it, albeit, if only to have her owe him one.

one pretty pivotal incident to me is when Hephaestus loses his leg- i mentioned previously that i think Hephaestus, as a child, accidentally walks in on Hera and Zeus arguing, and Zeus, mistaking Hephaestus for a servant, tells him to gtfo and shoots him with a lightning bolt-- now, Zeus' lightning can melt the very heavens and rip through the fabric of time, so it delivers pretty permanent damage to Hephaestus' leg. still, i think Apollo is the first one who Hera and Zeus summon, and though he can't do anything to fix the damage, he can at least reduce the pain for Hephaestus, and i do think Hera remembers that.

furthermore, Apollo retains a good rapport with all of her children, so that puts him Hera's good books.

Eileithyia, Hera's eldest child, was the original goddess of childbirth until Artemis was born and also became associated with it-- while i don't think Artemis and Eileithyia are close, i like the idea of Apollo and Eileithyia being good friends. he's a healer, she's a healer (for women during childbirth especially), so they get along well. and importantly, i don't think Apollo tries to make her feel insignificant; it's the opposite. so Hera can respect Apollo because of that.

otherwise, yeah. they simply tolerate each other.

HERMES

Hermes, Persephone, and Athena, are the three children of Zeus not mothered by Hera, but still "loved" by her.

like i said a billion times before, Hermes has this very playful, childish, innocent attitude that makes him very cute and annoyingly adorable, and people can't help but like him. Hera is no exception.

Hermes is ALWAYS in Zeus' palace because he's the messenger boy. but i can imagine him also doing trivial things for Hera like filling her cup, or getting her snacks. and realistically, he doesn't need to carry out these silly errands for her, but he does it anyways because-- i think Hermes actually does like Hera. she's not his step-mum, but idk. idk how to explain it. he just likes her and respects her.

i hc that Hermes is always complimenting her. like he'll deliver a message and say, "Oh, Queen Hera, is it just me or are you looking more radiant than ever today?" silly, suck-up things like that. and Hera knows that he's just trying to earn brownie points, but she secretly likes the effort he puts in.

Hermes does kill Argus, Hera's prized "knight", and i think she would have been majorly pissed off with Hermes because of that, but i like the idea of Hermes being very respectful of Hera, and not flaunting it in her face.

again, like with Apollo, Hermes maintains a very good relationship with all of Hera's children, so this works in his favour with her too.

anyhow; all in all, they have a pretty good relationship.

HEPHAESTUS

her son!!!!!!!!!!! i think she adores him very much.

she's always in awe of his works. i think she visits his forge very often, just to chat with him and keep him company.

i don't really know what else to say here because honestly, they're about as tight as a mother and child can get.

ARES

the problem child.

Hera, i think, has always seen how much of trouble Ares has had fitting in with the other Olympians. he's too brash, too loud, too violent. but he's still her son, and i think she loves him same as all her other children.

i think it's very difficult to see him get sidelined against the others, but is always immensely proud to see him stand up and do well.

i think the worst moment was when Zeus gave Athena shared rights to the war domain.. i think this would have infuriated Hera a lot-- i mean, she summons Typhon partly because of this moment.

while she's generally proud of Ares, i think they have a falling out over Aphrodite.

as the goddess of marriage, as the wife of a cheater, as a mother, she recognises immediately when Ares and Aphrodite start having an affair while Aphrodite is still married to Hephaestus, and i think it just breaks her heart into a million pieces.

here she is, a woman who has being married for hundreds of years to a man who sleeps with so many others and EVERYONE knows about it and knows about her pain.. Ares has grown up seeing all the bastard children Zeus brings back, and knows the pain and distress it has caused his mother, and STILL he decides to enable that behaviour...

and i think that's very complicated because she still loves Ares, and of course she loves Hephaestus-- and as a mother, what is she supposed to do? i do think she tells Ares immediately that he should stop because it's going to end really really badly (and Hera is right of course).

nonetheless, it is a huge relief to her when Ares and Hephaestus make amends to each other and move on with their lives.

DIONYSUS

again, i haven't fully characterised Dionysus in my head just yet so i'm not sure where he stands with Hera.

on one hand, Semele's death was so ghastly, i cannot imagine Hera ever liking Dionysus. on the other, Dionysus was raised a bit by Hermes and i think they're similar, so by extension, Hera should probably be ok with Dionysus.

but i don't really know.

i think Dionysus tends to stay out of Hera's way. i do like the idea that Dionysus is Zeus' successor-- he will be the King after Zeus, so i suppose he probably has managed to warm up to Hera.

also, i think Hera would be one of Dionysus' biggest customers in his little wine business hee hee

APHRODITE

Hera HATES herrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i don't think Aphrodite hates Hera, but Hera definitely hates Aphrodite. always has.

when Aphrodite first comes to Olympus, Hera's biggest fear is that Zeus will cheat on her with Aphrodite. it takes a lot of promising, and oath-swearing to assure Hera that that won't happen (and i don't believe it does because Aphrodite and Zeus aren't recorded as having children together).

but then, when Aphrodite marries Hephaestus, she cheats with Ares. and that's awful. Hera didn't want to get cheated on, and instead her son is the one getting cheated on. that's awful.

to be clear, i think the story is a bit more complicated and i don't think Hephaestus is blameless,, and i do think Ares and Aphrodite were more genuine than Aphrodite and Hephaestus, but it doesn't excuse it. and Hera knows that. and i don't she ever really forgive Aphrodite for what she "does" to her sons.

even though that's not entirely Aphrodite's fault-- i mean. it takes two to tango.

anyhow. Hera's relationship gets better when Aphrodite and Ares get married for real, and even better once Hephaestus marries Aglaea because it's like, yes, ok, both sons are doing well and have moved on. so that brings peace of mind to Hera.

like i said previously, Aphrodite doesn't hate Hera. i think she completely understands Hera's feelings towards her, and she simply accepts it, and does her best to show Hera that she really does love Ares, and that she isn't malicious or evil. and i think it partially works.

[antiloreolympus]

10 Anti LO Asks

1. Leto being the literal Goddess of Motherhood and yet being a villain is pretty on the nose as to why LO constantly shits on every good mother figure like her and Demeter, unless they can be used to to give Hades man-pain over.

2. so much of the fashion in LO is like ... anti drip. there are occasional good outfits but most of the time its the same generic white dresses or black suits and thats it, or its some weird dated fashion from the 80s or 60s. these are supposed to be powerful gods with all the riches in the world yet none of them have heard of patterns, color, or even basic accessories.

3. I think RS is genuinely convinced she's "making the Gods Realistic™️" when it's like? The Greek Gods? The pantheon that's been well known for being complicated beings with very human flaws since 900 BC? They're in need for some random Kiwi woman who is more knowledgable on 90s anime to "fix" mythology and make it "realistic"? RS making Hera a cheater, making them have divine racism/classism, making Apollo a r//pist, Persephone worthless w/o Hades etc etc only breaks the myths!

4. LO stans are genuinely such awful and obnoxious people. They argue that LO is a retelling so 'of course it's not going to be faithful to the myth!'  and when people, especially Greeks, say it's disrespecting their culture and gods, the stans get upset?? That their uwu shitty story is getting critiqued? By the people who it's profiting off of???

I literally saw someone reply to this point with 'then those people (greeks) can just choose not to read LO!' followed up with, and I kid you not, 'there's also bible fanfiction, just saying 🤷🏻‍♀️' like as if that somehow absolves LO and it's whole plot and characters.

Some also say that multiple other series based off of the Greek mythology don't get as much flak for being a retelling (like Percy Jackson and Hades game) and like idk what to tell y'all except these other series also get equally critiqued, as everything does, but the fact that it doesn't get as hugely lambasted as LO does means they're not half as offensive as it is. (it's also already been mentioned multiple times too that PJO's author tries his best to learn from his mistakes in the series)

I basically just hate how LO stans will defend RS and her story and think our valid concerns and critiques are just mindless attacks on her.

Casual LO fans are cool though, this isn't aimed at you guys cause I know some of y'all come here and actually like to discuss/talk about the series, flaws and all.

5. -le me, watching witchtok on yt

-the video is "best of witchtok part 5" uploaded by "your witchy cousin", around the 7 minute mark

-witch with persephone as her patron, talking about how persephone is not to be messed with because she's a terrifying Goddess if needed be. proceeds to say "this is not lore olympus, people"

-me, putting my phone aside and crying in my room

i hate lore olympus so much it's unreal 

6. Rachel also clearly doesn't know mythology because how can Hecate be such a major character in this and yet has zero connection to Apollo or Artemis, who in mythology is her full blooded cousins? Apollo even had epithets making him as similar to Hecate (with some versions seeming to imply Hecate and Apollo were lovers, but w/e) and Hecate and Artemis both being maiden moon goddesses who were also divine midwives. How can she claim to be so well researched when these connections are missing?

7. Minthe isn't a nice character, but I find it so disturbing how RS, the fans, and even WT love just making fun of her trauma and watching her suffer for?? Reasons?? If anyone said Persephone was overreacting to how Demeter overprotects her, they'd say you're condoning abuse and an awful person, but it's a marketing tactic to mock Minthe for being cheated on, manipulated and used by Hades, and laughing that she's been phsyically crippled and left as a plant for the rest of her life. Like WTF?

8. Ok, so, wait, Persephone the 'Dread Queen" is perfectly fine to threaten and cripple nymphs and kill humans for her lack of control of her anger issues, but she shoots down the idea to punish her literal R//PIST? is this supposed to be some 'she's the bigger person here" thing? so random humans are supposed to die, but an actual sexual abuser is supposed to just get a slap on the wrist at best? why cant she be allowed to be angry and want revenge on him for that?  i dont understand.

9. IDK what you lot mean LO isn't good rep. I, as an NB person, am delighted the only NB rep in LO is the same person who made sure Hades can't have kids. I will happily take pride in the fact my own kin made sure that capitalist slave owner can never have his one dream realized.  Thank you for this, Rachel.

-----FP Spoilers/Mention-----

10. FP Spoilers Chapter 187: I can't stand how Hera shows not even a hint of remorse about having gone behind Demeter's back like she did. She's Demeter's sister for god's sake, she must have known how horrified Demeter was about Persephone potentially getting taken advantage of for her powers. Which, as we see in this very episode, was a very reasonable fear to have. And yet Hera still put Persephone into a prime positon to get groomed by Hades, helped cover up her disappearance and never challenged either Zeus or Hades about their treatment of her niece beyond some token scolding that gets brushed aside as easy as that. Demeter deserves a better sister.

[booksandwords]

Saffron Alley by A.J. Demas

Series: Sword Dance, #2 Read time: 3 Days Rating: 4/5

The quote: “He looks very nice—and I do mean very nice—but more importantly, Marzana had nothing but good to say about him. We just didn’t know you were … well. Quite frankly, we didn’t know you were in the market for handsome soldiers—but perhaps you didn’t know that yourself?” “I … I did and I didn’t.” — Chereia and Varazda

Saffron Alley has ties to Sword Dance. While you can maybe read them stand alone I would not recommend it. The case that Varazda is chasing in Sword Dance is still being dealt with in Saffron Alley. This picks up a month later the day Damiskos, referred to mostly as Dami in this book, is due to arrive in Boukos to see Varazda and his family. While Sword Dance was from Damiskos's perspective, Saffron Alley is from Varazda's. We get to meet his family and see the place he has made his home. His family are wonderful and not quite what I expected. They were freed by the Zash ambassador 7 years earlier, Ariston is now 21, Yazata's age isn't given but I suspect he's about the same age as Varazda. Yazata is a bit of an introvert, his life prior to being freed was ugly, he's a homebody. He feels the need to protect. His coding appears to be as an aroace. Ariston is more outgoing and an apprentice sculptor, a lot of his good adjustment is down to Varazda.  Much of the story revolves around him. Both Yaz and Ariston are suspicious of Dami and his reasons for being there, due to the closeness of their family bond they are all they have. Their houses are stunning, and I would love you see a visualisation of it, they have shared houses with knocked out walls communal spaces and huge practice space for Varazda. There were some guest appearances from the characters in One Night in Boukos Marzana and Chereia, I thought I remembered seeing Bedar's name as well but apparently not. I haven't read that book, and don't really have much of an interest. Marzana and Chereia are both lovely.

On the names in Saffron Alley. In Sword Dance, Varazda has two names, Varazda his Zash name and Pharastes his Pseuchaian name. That pattern of names continues in Saffron Alley with his family but with a complication. Yazata is also called Iasta by Pseuchaians. Remi is called Umit by Yazata, Ummi is her true name, I really appreciate the cultural aspect displayed there. The character that Varazda always referred to as Tash (Pseuchaian name was Tasos) now uses the name Ariston for everyone. Effectively meaning Varazda is deadnaming him. Personally, I like the choice to have Varazda deadname Ariston. It makes it interesting for a reader. We are in the head of someone who is truly trying to change their thought processes but its a long term habit. The change is recent even he is astounded when people call him by the right name at times, Damiskos studiously refers to Ariston as Ariston despite Yazata, Varazda and members of the community slipping and calling Ariston Tash. Remi is an angel she is so good with Ariston's name, Varazda's pronouns and Damiskos's appearance in her life.  Varazda is trying to change, trying to adjust through the book there is this interesting disconnect where he will call Ariston Ariston when it is spoken but think of him as Tash. It's imperfect and that is why I like it. Even though Ariston hasn't changed his gender, it's remains something to adjust to and he must be shown that respect but I can't imagine how hard it must be for families to be to adjust to a name they have used for a long time. It's not an instant switch for fiction to treat it as such is in a way disrespectful. On some Greek Mythological ties. There are a number of very clear mythological names in this. Kallisto struck me straight away. Mythologically she was one of Artemis's nymphs, seduced by Zeus and then cast out eventually meeting her end by either Hera or Artemis (depending on the version). Her father was Lycaon which is quite similar to Lykanos. Though Lycaon was a whole separate mess. Leto is a goddess of motherhood. I'm guessing there are others I missed. I suspect all the names are used in an ironical sense.

Random quote and annotation dump for this one.

“I think all that makes sense.” He’d been quiet because he was listening raptly to his friend and his lover finishing each other’s sentences. — This was Varazda about Dami and Marzana. It would be one thing to witness lovers complete each other's sentences, quite another to watch your fairly close friend and your lover.

“The Asteria is in honour of Kerialos.” “Oh, right, of course. The one where the women take over the city.” Varazda nodded. “And men are expected to stay home unless they have a chaperone.” “I’ve heard they can be quite strict about it.” After a moment, looking at Varazda thoughtfully, he said, “What do you do?” The question pleased Varazda. He liked that Dami didn’t take it for granted that he knew which side Varazda would fall on, when the city divided itself by sex. — The whole idea of Asteria is so much fun to me. The rules are great. This whole interaction made me smile and is a brilliant demonstration of Dami's attentiveness. Also Asteria, another Greek Goddess and titaness, sister to Leto, mother to Hecate.

She was the kind of woman you might call “striking rather than beautiful.” — Not sure if this is intended as vaguely insulting. I think it's a pretty good descriptor.

“I think,” said Varazda slowly, “that maybe we should stop using the word ‘normal,’ because I’m no longer sure what it means—but falling in love with someone and wanting to be with them is pretty common. Even somebody older or younger—or the same age—or who has a strange job or comes from a different sort of family or any of that.” — I really think this is just good advice.

she was what a goddess of battle would really look like: naked and bloodied and powerful, with her hair down around her shoulders and weapons in each hand. — I mean yeah. She really does. The lady is an absolute badass when she needs to be.

But it can be useful, sometimes, to have a few imbeciles whom one can deploy when one does not want a job done well. — This is one of the best quotes I've read in quite a while. I laughed.

I'm not sure what sort of book this is in a way it isn't strictly plot-driven and it isn't driven by the characters. But the characters are why I came to it. I adore Damiskos and Varazda. Varazda is a wonderful enby who holds his family together by the power of his own will alone and through a terrifying amount of sacrifices. Which leads him to be willing to give up the one thing he has wanted for himself in a long time. During the Asteria festival, we get a look inside Varazda's head when she in a female mood. I found this whole section stunning. She rode the tide of exhilaration raised by the communal dance, the easy flow of it, the mixture of masculine and feminine that might have been made for her, but was really a high mystery of the Boukossian women’s festival. She looked for Dami on the benches, and there he was, watching her." Damiskos is gloriously attentive to Varazda at all times. While he is not quick to anger, he gets angry at the men that hurt Varazda in his past, and I personally find that highly romantic. He is more than willing to do what gives Varazda pleasure and always puts Varazda first. There is a repeated line ‘I like a lot of things.’ which is honestly one of my favourite lines when it is explained. Damiskos's willingness to respect Varazda's boundaries and limitations even when Varazda is drunk and begging him is something I really appreciated. When they first come back together they aren't sure how to behave reading them find their beat again was enjoyable. The great joy? Their chemistry as they perform together. Varazda as a dancer and Damiskos as his accompanist. That dance... I want to see it performed.

I found Saffron Alley really slow it start and slightly difficult to get into but it ends beautifully. There is a lot of happiness. I didn't really expect those players on those roles. For the endgame but it is effective. According to a reply by A.J. Demas in February 2020, there is a third book in the Sword Dance series, I did originally read this was a trilogy (somewhere). But I don't see where it goes from here. The story arc from Sword Dance itself and the arcs in this appear to be wrapped up. There is the option of Damiskos and Varazda going on a spy mission together (given their chemistry especially when they are performing) or maybe something in Zash. But at least in theory, Varazda can't go back to Zash without dire consequences. Just some things to keep in mind there is a scene of domestic abuse, deadnaming, enby-phobia. I think I'm missing something.

[olympivnshq]

congratulations clara! we’re thrilled for you to take on the god of war, ARES. your take on him is insightful and nuanced, from the complicated relationships he has with his family to the reckless abandon he experiences in battle. please join us once more with your first faceclaim choice: JASON MOMOA.

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ  OOC INFO.

Clara, 25+, GMT +11, she/her

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ  DEITY  —  GENDER. AGE RANGE.

Ares - Male, 38-42

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ MORTAL NAME. JOB/OCCUPATION. BOROUGH/NEIGHBORHOOD.

Aaron Griffiths, former MMA champion, now a fight promoter and owner of a gym. Also suspected to organise illicit fight nights on the side. Lives in the Bronx

☆ﾟ*・ HOW WOULD YOU PLAY THEM?

Ares loves war for its own sake. He has always revelled in battle and lusts for conflict and bloodshed. He feels most alive in the thick of it, in the red mist with a weapon in his hand. He has no need for tactics, and no patience for it. He is unpredictable and volatile with his loyalty, remaining true to himself and his own desires, switching sides as the mood takes him. He thinks nothing of promises, frequently breaking them as they become inconvenient. He is jealous and quick to anger, unable to ignore even the most benign of slights. A proud God, he demands respect for his prowess and is likely to lash out in anger when it is not granted. His pride and his recklessness have frequently been his downfall.

Aaron took to fighting at a young age. It was far more likely to find him with a black eye than without and broken bones were par for the course. He came from a good family, his concerned mother even putting him into therapy from a young age to try and stop his violent impulses. They even attempted to temper his anger by enrolling him in martial arts classes. While he excelled in the classes he did not limit his fighting to sanctioned fights and frequently brawled whenever he had the chance. As an adult he naturally took to professional fighting though he quickly earned a reputation for being too aggressive, his anger and temper as much a liability as an impetus to do well. Still he was popular with the crowds who knew whenever he entered the cage there would be a spectacle. Eventually his mortal body caught up with him, an injury putting an end to his professional career though it came much later than many would have expected. However he could not step away entirely and so became a fight promoter and opened his own gym where his best students get to train with him personally. He remains proud, impulsive, and impossibly dedicated to pursuing his own desires. He is, frankly, a bit of a dick and enjoys playing the part of antagonist.

answer these questions: 1. would you like your character to be entering the roleplay at this stage in the plot, with or without their memories?

I would like him to have had his memories for at least a little while. His two personalities are not so separate which would have helped him not fight the return of his memories, and I don’t think he would naturally seek out the other gods. He is generally humiliated in front of them and does not even seem particularly faithful to aphrodite. He would spend at least a little time enjoying the ‘worship’ he gets from his fans, especially given he was not particularly worshiped back in the day.  

2. are they more likely to stand with the pantheon or against it?  ( if you are choosing a god they may endeavour to dismantle it for whatever reason )

Ares will stand wherever he feels it will create the most conflict. He has no great love for the pantheon and especially not Zeus.

3. what is their stand on mortals?

Ares has little love for mortals. He might have his favourites, those who seek war or excel in killing, but he largely views them as disposable playthings, there to satiate his own desires. However he has something of an admiration for those who seek war and is as fond as he is capable of being towards those who worship him and seek glory on the battlefield.

☆ﾟ*・ ANYTHING ELSE?

could you elaborate more on ares' relationship with zeus & hera? both together and separately.

Ares’ relationship with his parents, like with much of his family, is complicated.

Ares has a somewhat combative relationship with his father. Zeus dislikes Ares because of his violent and destructive nature, but it’s not like Ares has not invited his father’s ire. He doesn’t follow orders very well and when his temper is up will even try to go against Zeus (as seen in the Trojan war where, after the death of his son, Zeus called back the gods but it was Athena who had to restrain Ares). I don’t think he would lead a revolt against Zeus (let’s face it, he’s not usually the brains of any technical operation), but I do think he would join one. I think Zeus referring to him as the most hateful of all Gods would not be something that he would let go of easily being as proud as he is.

He is definitely more of a mummy’s boy. Through the myths he has done various tasks for Hera (including fighting Hephaestus in an effort to release her and chasing after Leto to prevent the birth of Artemis and Apollo). I’ve seen it hypothesised that Hera likes Ares’ God of War status and supported him against Athena because Athena was born of just Zeus whereas Ares was Hera’s son, but I’ve equally seen it said that Hera disliked Ares. It’s possible that both are true. I tend to think that Ares would stand beside his mother over his father (including to spite his father), and is happy to please her provided that what she wants aligns with his own goals.

[reignofolympus]

i’ve always wanted to do a breakdown of all of zeus’ commonly listed lovers / fathers of his children and what the significance of them was to him, considering versions vary and his relationships / victims are important in developing his story. also this is my blog and my idea of it is different. this is all from ZEUS’ perspective, and i’d like that to remain clear.  i don’t condone any of his actions in any way, nor am i trying to excuse them.

Metis: we all know she was his first wife, LIKELY the first person he ever slept with, and the first person he fell in love with. she was his guide in nearly every aspect ; his intelligence, his morality, his steps taken during the war, his leap into ‘manhood’. i think his feelings for her were strongly based on the fact she saved him and shaped him into who he was, and was one of the first women in his life. also, it’s really common for younger men to grow extremely attached to the first person they sleep with, so that’s an assisting factor, too.  he DID love her, a lot.  and her loss was devastating -- he still hasn’t forgiven himself.  paranoia, ptsd, and a general bad constitution for stress made of him a monster and he lost his first love because of it.

Themis: a lot of sources say he married her before he did hera, but i tend to consider this just another fling before he ‘settled’ down with hera.  she was likely a rebound from metis’ death, not to mention, a powerful titan who influenced him as a god of justice and law. a pretty lowkey relationship, with not a lot of feelings on zeus’ side.

Mnemosyne: similar to themis, more of a rebound than an actual love interest. ( really good at sex, obviously... given the NINE TIMES thing but anyway ).  was probably a little too intimidated by her to ever really consider her a potential wife. 

Hera: zeus wanted what he couldn’t have, and that was hera. she was gorgeous, first of all. she was fierce, and confident, and totally uninterested in him, so obviously that meant she was the one. i think my idea of this relationship is pretty clear; rocky, obviously, but still full of love all these years later. it took a lot of convincing on his part, but he finally won her over.  they compliment each other really well, and despite the one great flaw of their relationship ( monogamous vs non-monogamous ), zeus loves her SO much and never wants to hurt her intentionally. still the love of his life.

Leto: i’d love to imagine this one having a slow-build, a lot of flirting and coy smiles, joking back and forth, and there’s so much sexual tension there but neither of them make a move for a long time. i don’t know if i’d go as far as to say zeus was in love with her, but he definitely had a soft spot, and cared about her a lot. her pregnancy was a source of joy for him, even if the strife following was not. after what happened with hera, i doubt she wanted much to do with him, and he doesn’t blame her!

Demeter: this was one hundred percent a really bright-burning, short term fling.  probably quite shortly after zeus married hera tbh -- or before, up to the demeter. it was super passionate, they were both into each other, cared a lot about one another; but when dem got pregnant with persephone, she knew she had to think of her baby’s safety first and foremost, shutting zeus and the shitty people on olympus, out. lowkey broke his heart, still some bitterness there, but zeus mostly feels it’s his fault anyway so!

Semele: aside from hera, i don’t think zeus has loved anyone more.  he beat himself up for ages over his mistake, and it was pretty obvious the lengths he was willing to go to protect their child.  i don’t want to over-complicate this; zeus was in love with her, as i’d like to think she was too, and it got her killed.  he was devastated.

Ganymede: this one is super complicated; because while evidence ( to me ) suggests that zeus did end up falling quite hard for ganymedes, enough for me to comfortably say zeus loved him, it’s still really fucked up, and not at all a healthy relationship.  my theory is that ganymedes was the first male that zeus felt anything towards, and that’s a little complicated, considering the expected relationship between a young man and an older man -- something zeus wasn’t exactly looking for, but took on anyway. probably really one-sided.

Europa: there was nothing consensual about this, and was not at all a matter of emotions.

Io: ^^ditto. him trying to ‘save’ her was just to cover his own guilt at getting caught.

Callisto: honestly, just really fucking gross and manipulative.

Persephone:  no. not on this blog. no fuckin’ way.

Danae: purely rape, unfortunately.

[godsofhumanity]

Do you mind writing about Artemis's relationship with the Olympians?

haHA!! fine. only because you asked nicely :)

ZEUS

i'm aware of interpretations where Artemis is considered to be one of Zeus' favourite children,, but personally, i don't really see this as being the case.

i think Zeus loves Artemis (and Apollo) the way he loves all of his children, and maybe he gives Artemis a little extra as tribute to Leto-- this is related to my hc that Leto breaks things off with Zeus because she knows that Hera is meant to be with Zeus, not her. so like, its compensation kinda.

one thing about Zeus is that he respects all the decisions of his children; so like, Artemis choosing to go chaste and solo is not something he ever questions about, or tries to get her to change her mind about-- he's just like, "yep ok sweetie, that's cool with me", and i think he actively tells the rest of the gods, "my daughter is off limits".

i think Zeus is probably one of the first people Artemis runs to when she's in trouble.. i guess she's a bit of a daddy's girl.

HERA

they hate each other.

Hera hates how "not like other girls" Artemis tends to come across, and Artemis hates Hera because of how she dislikes Leto and sent Python to attack them.

after Zeus brought Artemis and Apollo to Olympus as Olympians, Hera kinda isn't really able to actively pursue them, but she still glares at them a lot.

Apollo, at least, isn't actively rude to Hera, so she kinda tolerates him.. but Artemis will straight up ignore Hera or just be incredibly curt.

it's always awkward.

DEMETER

ah. you'd think that since both women choose to live outside Olympus on their own, they'd have a lot more in common.

but honestly? i don't think they do. this is probably partly because Demeter and Hera are so close.. i can't imagine that Demeter is over the moon about Artemis, or Leto for that matter.

they're not rude to each other, but i don't think they interact much.

HESTIA

a mother-type of figure to everyone. i think Hestia is just a supportive goddess on the side that everyone can kinda trust i guess.

of course, Artemis already has Leto for a mother, so yeah.

POSEIDON

they DON'T get along.

Poseidon has a baddd track record with women. i think everyone knows this. i can see Artemis keeping WELL away.

Poseidon doesn't really care about Artemis. she's just another one of Zeus' many kids... i don't think she sticks out too much to him.

HADES

again. they're civil. but not much interaction.

they actually do have a similar personality; particularly in that they can be silent and brooding and cold.

PERSEPHONE

a little hc i have is that, when Persephone comes to Olympus for the first time, and everyone's all excited that there's finally another young goddess BESIDES Artemis (Athena isn't born yet), Artemis immediately is like "you should join me and my hunters".

i think she's a little disappointed when Persephone very politely declines, but they remain very good friends.

ATHENA

like i said in the previous post, they get along well.

they have a similar personality, and i can't think of any myths where they're rivals.

APOLLO

WELL.

obviously they're tight as siblings. maybe a little too tight.

i like the idea that Apollo and Artemis keep each other in check.

Apollo knows how important it is that Artemis keeps true to her oaths of chastity and remain with her hunters.

things get complicated when Artemis meets Orion-- and Apollo is very aware of the danger he presents to the hunters.

so, i actually do like the idea that Apollo is the one who tricks Artemis into killing Orion.. or he sends the scorpion to kill Orion.. i can't decide.. but Apollo was definitely the instrument behind Orion's death.

and for the longest time, Artemis hates Apollo's guts for doing this. they don't talk, she doesn't even look in his direction.

but eventually, she comes to terms with it. she knows it was the wrong thing.

Artemis is also the one who kills Coronis when she cheats on Apollo... and i think Apollo would've been pretty distraught about that, but yeah. that's what they do.

so i think they "look out" for each other in that way-- it's always a bit dangerous when you love someone so much you'd kill for them, but i think that's the way their sibling-relationship is (do NOT read into that as romance please!!!!!!!!!!!).

HERMES

they get along nicely.

they have a pretty regular sibling relationship.. not to the extent that it is with Apollo, but you know.. they make fun of each other, they pull pranks on other people together. the usual.

ARES

many gods push Ares to the side. but i like the idea of Ares and Artemis being especially close.

she has a completely different fighting style to Ares- she's long range, he's short range. and i think this makes them a good fit.

i like the idea of Artemis and Ares going hunting together. even though Ares has a pretty lengthy list of lovers, his stories are never like Zeus' or Poseidon's or Dionysus'.. there's no trickery or deceit. and i think that makes Ares a little easier to trust.

he wouldn't hang out with Artemis' hunters, but i can see him participating in her hunt on occasion.

HEPHAESTUS

not much of a relationship. they're very cordial and polite, but most importantly- Hephaestus makes Artemis' hunting equipment.

i think there's also a version of Hephaestus' myth where Leto is one of the goddesses to help raise Hephaestus? i don't agree with that version, but in tribute to that relationship, i can see Hephaestus and Artemis getting along.

DIONYSUS

hm. i think it would be the same as with Hermes.

APHRODITE

surprisingly, i think they actually get along decently well.

i think this is because Ares and Artemis are close, so since Aphrodite is Ares' wife, they get along well.

i have a hc that when Aphrodite first came to Olympus, before she gets a grip on her domain and her role, she sees all the other young Olympians and how they can fight really well, and wants to learn to fight as well- and Artemis, at Apollo's recommendation, is the one who trains her.

so yeah, all in all, they get along well.

[antiloreolympus]

5 Anti LO Asks

1. you know what i noticed while skimming through the lo book at b&n? they didnt take the white buffer out (which is good for webtoons, its so single panels are the focus on a phone screen instead of jumbled or cramped) but when put into print it just makes it so theres an overwhelming lot of white space, which makes the panels look even tinier and cramped in. how did the designer not re-format this stuff?

2. Gotta love how Apollo and Hades are basically the same person in LO, but because RS says they aren't fans don't see it. I'd love to have that level of mind control over people.

3. I’ll say it, the beginning of LO was good enough for what it was. Art styles changes but it had a lot of personality, and that’s good for a comic. The story took a good turn from Hades kidnapping Persphone to driving her safely (i wouldn’t say it’s the best thing to do since he knew she was friends with Artemis and should have found her) but it worked out good for both characters. Like it was suppose to be just a over the top first meeting.

But then it got complicated. In the original pilot Minthe gets dumped pretty early and Hera tries to set hades and P up after a fight with Zeus and I forget what’s after that, but if she stuck with that I feel like it would have taken a lot of bs out.

Instead the story is built like a tower held on by glitter glue and rubber bands. Minthe and hades have their own problems that get worse with Persphones presence. Other female characters who don’t like the idea of Hades and P randomly try to push it but we see nothing that gives us real comfort that hades is good for Persphone or vice verse (even tho hades is with Minthe) persphone even admits to being a child about Hades and her feelings, but we don’t see her grow we just see the situation in her favor. She wants hades, hades breaks up with Minthe. The audience assumes it’s gone be the smack that does it, but they don’t even really talk about that, they talk about Persphone more and hades even sucks in that break up. Now all RS had to do was find a way to really get rid of Minthe without sacificing Hades’ “good guy” character. Which in my opinion went horribly.

There’s also just so many other elements in the story that just feels like Persphone is a passive main character, she’s thrown into her situations more often than doing something or learning a lesson. P falls for an guy in a relationship, she cries about and gets with him anyway. She gets an internship through Hera. And I know people might wanna argue Demeter made her that way, but now with flash backs P is just whatever character traits RS wants her to have for that chapter. The most I’ve seen her done for herself was telling Leto off, but honestly that scene was a little cringe. Like I get what they were trying to do, but why make a little humor pulling on the veil, when Leto could have been an actual scary villain.

With this trial arc also, persphone looks like hades spoiled rich daughter, which isn’t helping with the age gap. Like the story had an interring start, thought it was gonna be a basic drama but now it’s a hot mess

4. In terms of "style changes", the issue with that is that in most cases, it's the artist(s) getting a better grip on what works for them and evolving, with the art often improving. LO has had the exact opposite trajectory, especially with its high turnover rate within the art team who more often than not fail at emulating rachel's more boring style, much less her early more interesting one. You guys can admit the art isnt up to par with what it once was without making every excuse under the sun.

5. does rs not know or just not care that making her main character the most perfect person in the world who's better than everyone else on earth isn't good writing