#jorge youre amazing | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

leah-lover · 1 month ago

Text

Second chances.

Alexia putellas x coach!reader.

Part 1. Part 2

Summary : what happened that night.

4 years ago

“ stop staring at me and focus on the meeting.” you subtly text your girlfriend from across the room. You were sitting behind the computer so that you can control the slides and she was sitting with the rest of the team. You shoot each other a quick smile and redirect your focus towards the presentation. Once the meeting is over you grab your laptop and head towards the entrance. You were then stopped by Jorge vilda. “ As a part of my coaching staff I expect you to be present at my meetings not just with your body but also with your mind.” you look at him confused. “ giggling and smiling at your phone while I was talking is not acceptable.”

“ sir it was just one text.” you try to justify yourself. “ Well tell your boyfriend that while you are in camp this team is your number 1 priority.” you didn't have a chance to say anythiçng because he left as soon as he finished talking. You brush off his comments and text your girlfriend about her whereabouts. You then head to her room as she instructed you. When you enter you put your laptop on the table and find your usual place next to her body. You nuzzle on her chest and just lay there as she strokes your hair.

“ tough day?” she asked alexia.

“ something like that.” you respond. You then turn around so that you can face her.

“ Your free kicks were amazing today at practice. You might even be the number 1 in the upcoming games. your reaction time is also over the charts. It's near perfect.”

“ This is becoming my favorite thing in camp.”

“ what me telling you about how good you are?”

“ no, you sharing the bed with me.”

“ You know I can't stay for long. If he finds out about us we both are out of jobs.”

“ how would he know? Please just tonight and I won't ask you again. I really need you.” Once alexia asked something of you you couldn't say no. Besides, you really missed her. “ okay but just for tonight.” you then kiss her and cuddle with her for the rest of the night. *

Since you didn't come back to your room your phone died. So as soon as you sneaked out of alexia’s room, headed to yours and plugged it in. Once you got out of the shower you unlocked it to find 10 missed calls, and 6 messages from none other than vilda. You panic as you open the messages.

Why are you not answering? Why are you not in your room? Where are you? I can't keep looking for you all night? Fine if you don't answer i will go look for answers myself?

Your heartbeat was faster than it had ever been. You take a deep breath change out of your robe and pick up your phone to call him.

“ conference room now.” he says as soon as he picks up leaving you no room for debate.

Once you go to the conference room in which you were alone with him. He pointed to a chair so you sit there he doesn't though he kept standing. You found yourself speechless.

“ I employ you with my team because I trust you. I think you have good judgment. But you failed me.” you feel a lump form in your through. “ You failed me not only with your choice of lifestyle but also who you choose to corrupt and involve with you in this messed up situation. .” you close your eyes so that you won't cry while he still stands in front of you. “ I gave you a job, a good one. I thought you were my right hand and that you would replace me when i decide to leave. But forming an indecent relationship with one of my players is off limits.” you feel a knife jam in your heart and a tear leaves your eye. “ Your relationship is wrong and shouldnt have happened. You are lucky I like you so I am gonna give you a chance to change. Break up with her and apologize to me and you can keep your job and she won't be called up anymore.

His last sentences changed your stance from scared to angry.

“ Who the hell do you think you are?” you snap.

“ I am the one who gave you two jobs and I am the one who can take it away from you. Plus I am trying to correct your choice of lifestyle because it is wrong.”

“ choice of lifestyle. You have to be fucking kidding me. I love alexia putellas, i love a woman. Does it bother you that I love her? Well go fuck yourself because nothing will tear us apart. And if you take this job away from me I will sue you even if it's the last thing I will do in life.” you were angry and furious.

“ Nobody wants you here. The players feel uncomfortable because of your new relationship as confessed by the captain last night. So sue me if you want you won't win. Now hand over your badge, get your stuff and leave. You are fired." His blast words left you lifeless. “ as confessed by the captain last night” last night you were sleeping with alexia so it had to irene. You move on autopilot and almost break her door as you knock so hard. Once she stood in front of you you didn't find it in you to scream or fight.

“ why?” you ask, sounding defeated.

“ He asked me where you were and he threatened to kick me out of the team.” she said calmly.

“ So you rat me and your friend out. You couldn't have told him I went for a run. We are friend irene. I didn't think you would betray me like that. I trusted you with the thing I love most in life and you took it away from me so that you could protect yourself. You could have lied.” you say crying.

“ It was all bound to be exposed with time.”

“ Is that what you are going to tell yourself so that you can sleep at night? You didn't have to tell him that my relationship made you uncomfortable. You didn't have to tell him anything. You ruined my life irene. I lost my job because of you. I will never forgive you for that. never. “ you turned your back and left. You went to Alexia's room after. Once she saw your red eyes she took you in for a hug. In her warmth you cried. You cried because of Irene's betrayal. You cried because you lost your job. You cried because you lost everything.

“ I love you. I love so much amor.” the way alexia said it felt weird to you so you got out of her hold and looked at her. She wiped the tears from your cheeks and took your lips for a searing kiss. She kissed you with so much passion and hunger it left your lips red.

“ Alexia, what's wrong?” you ask concerned.

“ He talked to me and asked me to choose between you and the team and I chose the team.” she said with tears in her eyes.

“ why is it that everybody say things so calmly like its nothing? Is my love for you worth nothing?”

“ My whole family, my father’s legacy, everyone depends on me to make them proud. I need to stay in the team for them.”

“ And what about me? Is everything we dreamt about gone in the wind?”

“ This is more painful than I could have ever imagined. I never thought we would have to leave each other. But my family comes first.”

Her words cut through your heart and left nothing behind. You kiss her again for the last time; go to your room, collect your things and leave the hotel without talking to anyone. You felt your heart turn to stone as you saw the hotel in your rearview mirror. That day you lost your job, your life, your dream, your purpose, your love and also your heart. That day destroyed you without mercy.

#woso #woso community #woso fanfics #woso imagine #woso x reader #alexia putellas angst #alexia putellas fic #alexia putellas x reader #alexia putellas imagine #alexia x reader #alexia putellas #espwnt

401 notes · View notes

bruhnze · 3 months ago

Text

Apple tarts and tiramisu - Part 9

Summary ''Apple tarts and tiramisu'': Lucy just moved to Barcelona, you offer to teach her Spanish. Reader gets into a relationship with Lucy Bronze who she met while she served her an apple tart.

Other parts: masterlist

SMUT - MINORS DNI

Wordcount: 6k, decided to put the rest of the story in part 10.

Thank you for the ideas: anon, lb2-supporter, anon

Apple tarts and tiramisu - Part 9

October and November had been good months. You had took up going to the gym quite seriously and with yfs/n as your self-claimed coach, you were actually starting to get lean, you never had been really chubby but you just didn’t have any muscle, but right now your muscles were getting way more definition and you scolded yourself for not excepting your best friends advise earlier.

The coffee shop and bakery had had more customers and your mother had even been in the newspaper with her pastries.

Lucy had had her birthday just before her family had come and you had spent a lovely day and a half together at a beach house just outside Barcelona with Narla. It had been a tight schedule so unfortunately you had not been able to plan it as a surprise and Lucy had insisted on paying when you were booking but in the end you had persuaded her by saying that it would be her present.

But of course that wasn't just it, you had bought some presents and your parents had also written a card for her which you had taken with you and of course your mother had baked a cake which you took with you.

The trip had been amazing.

The meeting with Lucy's family went perfectly, you got complimented on your English and you actually got along really well with everyone.

Lucy hadn't like it when you and Jorge, Lucy's brother, had been a team together in a game. Lucy's father and she were a team and Jorge's wife and Lucy's mother were a team. The children were already in bed but it got louder and louder as the game went on, when Jorge and you celebrated that you almost won with a certain set Lucy said so loudly ´´no´´ ´´not at all´´ ´´just wait´´ that her nephew came in with his cuddly toy to ask what was going on.

The group had laughed and Jorge had taken him on his lap: "You can watch how aunt y/n and I are going to beat up aunt Lucy."

One evening during their stay you had a dinner at your parents’ with the whole group. Your father had talked to Joaquin the whole evening, which went surprisingly well, he spoke in Spanish and Lucy's father in Portuguese.

Diane and Jorge's wife had been in the kitchen with your mother the whole time, helping her with the food, and they had given her so many compliments that you were sure your mother would love to have them visit more often.

Dessert had been tiramisu, of course, and you and Lucy had told the story of your meeting together and your first date.

Now it was December, just before everyone went to their families for Christmas, Lucy's club wanted to celebrate it together.

You had seen her teammates a few times now, after matches you had attended and once when you went with her when she had a media event at the club after which you were going to eat at friends of yours, so it had been more efficient to come along right away.

Mapi and Ingrid had once visited the coffee shop with Lucy.

Mariona, or Mario, as Lucy calls her, had once eaten at your house. Mariona had a girlfriend in England, Lucy had told her and when he was in Spain 'Mario' had invited you to eat at her house.

There had also once been a dinner at Paños' house, her name was Sandra but Lucy called her Paños. It had been very nice and Paños' girlfriend was there too.

The one you saw most often was Kiera, she was super nice, when you had dropped off the dog with Lucy on a Monday a few weeks back, she had invited you two in and for tea with her and her girlfriend, Laura.

Everyone you had properly met had been nothing but nice to you, but you still felt a bit nervous to formally meet the whole team.

The dinner was planned to be in the Barca complex itself and all the players and staff were invited with their partners.

Lucy had texted you if you were ready a while ago, even though you hadn’t been completely ready you had said you were, as you knew it always took her some time to get to your house when she came with her car. It was way quicker to walk the distance between your apartments then to drive, but as you two had to go somewhere, there was no other option then to go by car.

You had gone for an elegant black dress and wore tights underneath that were a bit thicker then the ones you wore teaching. When you were standing outside with your coat and your bag ready for Lucy you were happy with your choice because it was very chilly.

You were just about to call her when you saw her black car turn the corner.

She stopped and when you wanted to walk to the car to open the door but she shook her head no and she got out to quickly open the door for you.

Lucy had been doing this the whole time, you had been together for three months now, but it seemed like you were falling more and more in love.

''good evening beautiful'' Lucy said as she held the door open for you.

Lucy was wearing black suit pants with a crisp white blouse, it was wrinkle-free, probably because it was a new one, cause you were sure Lucy had never heard of properly ironed.

You gave her a kiss ‘’you look hot’’ you said as you climbed in the car.

‘’you look cold’’ she chuckled before closing your door.

When she sat back in the car you replied ‘’it is cold, I can’t grasp the fact you’re walking here in a blouse’’.

‘’my jacket hangs in the back, can’t have it wrinkled’’ she looked at you ‘’you know I’m part English right, I don’t like the cold, but I can deal with it’’.

‘’since when are you so concerned about wrinkles’’ you laugh ‘’you don’t even own an iron’’.

‘’it’s a special occasion’’.

‘’pre-Christmas dinner?’’.

‘’yeah, and everyone meeting you, I cant look like a potato bag, people wouldn’t understand how I bagged you’’ she grinned.

‘’bagged me’’ you reply repeating her words slowly.

‘’well, yeah, uhm you know, got you to date me’’

‘’oh!’’ you chuckle, you knew what she had meant ‘’I know, I just thought it was the other way around, I bagged you’’.

Lucy looked away from the road a second to look at you with disbelieve.

‘’I offered you Spanish lessons’’ you refreshed her memory.

‘’I took your phone number to actually set it up and changed it to a dinner’’.

You sighed not knowing how to fire back.

Lucy put her hand on your thigh and rubbed her thumb along the covered skin ‘’it’s okay baby’’ you could hear in her voice she was grinning ‘’you’re my little princess’’.

‘’I said I love you first’’ you pouted.

‘’on accident’’ Lucy laughed.

‘’yeah but after that I said it again because you wanted me to say it first’’.

‘’because I asked you to be my girlfriend that night and I was a bit nervous’’. ‘’I bagged you and I’m the one punching’’ Lucy stated as if that was the end of it.

You frowned ‘’punching?’’ ‘’what is with your weird English, I get bagged but what do you mean with punching’’.

Lucy chuckled and caressed your knee ‘’just agree bub, it’s true anyways’’.

‘’no’’ you said as you grabbed Lucy’s phone and searched it up in Google

In relationships, “punching” describes someone dating out of their league. The phrase is most commonly used in the UK but has recently been picked up more widely thanks to reality TV.

‘’what the- Luce, you can’t possibly say I’m out of your league’’ you chuckled ‘’or you mean I’m punching’’.

''I don't know, every time I blink you look better and better, I just get wrinkles''.

''good thing I have a thing for old people'' you chuckle, knowing Lucy hates to get called old.

You watch her face as you see her jaw drop and she huffed out some air ‘’you can’t say that’’.

‘’you asked for it gr-’’ you grinned widely at her knowing she doesn’t like the name that will follow next.

She looked at you ‘’don’t you dare!’’ she said as she squeezed your leg.

‘’what?’’ you chuckled ‘’don’t worry, you’re the hottest granny I know’’.

‘’oh y/n you’re in deep shit’’.

‘’don’t beat me up because you’re punching’’ you chuckled at your pun.

She shook her head suppressing a laugh.

‘’come on Luce, you are hot, sexy, smart, the best footballer, ofcourse they understand you can get every girl, even though I don’t agree that I’m hotter then you, but there are literally maybe a hundred hot as fuck woman who would want to ‘get bagged’ by the Lucy Bronze’’ you say rubbing her leg ‘’why the insecurity all of a sudden?’’.

Lucy swallowed ‘’I don’t know, I have never introduced someone to the team’’.

‘’I’m nervous too, but it’ll be allright, right?’’.

Lucy sat a bit straighter up and took you hand from her leg to hold it ‘’god I’m an idiot, I haven’t even asked you how you feel’’.

‘’yeah well, I know a few people a little bit, but I don’t know most.. and meeting new people is always a bit.. nerve wracking.. especially your partner's colleagues’’.

''they'll love you'' ''and you look so beautiful baby'' Lucy said as she caressed your fingers with her thumb.

‘’will you stay by my side?’’ you ask carefully.

‘’ofcourse’’ Lucy nodded abundantly ‘’I’ll introduce you to everyone’’.

Lucy brought your hand to her mouth and pressed a few kisses to it ‘’and thank you for coming with me, I love you’’.

‘’I love you too Luce’’ you said as you leaned over to kiss her jaw ‘’I’ll always come with you’’.

You walked into the dining hall on Lucy's arm. Lucy had a hard time finding a spot for the car because she wanted to park near the door for you, every spot there was already taken, but in the end it worked out and the two of you hadn´t parked too far away.

First there would be a reception with drinks, but in about fifty minutes the food would already be served. A lot of people were there already, since the reception actually lasted two hours, but Lucy had said that Alexia had told her that the first hour was more something for the staff and was often a bit boring.

Speaking of Alexia, she came in with you and Lucy at the same time. You had greated Alexia and Olga, her girlfriend and the four of you were now doing a round of greeting Lucy and Alexia's teammates and Lucy introduced you to a few staff members too, like a physio guy that she had mentioned a few times at home.

After a while of sipping drinks and small talk someone, the head of Barcelona Femení, as Lucy filled you in, clinged a glass with his ring and announced that dinner would be served soon and asked everyone to start taking a seat at the long dinner table.

Alexia came up to Lucy and you heard her quietly ask if the two of you could join them because Olga wanted to sit next to you because she had learned you were a teacher too.

Lucy nudged you with her to follow Alexia and softly said to you that Alexia's girlfriend was interested to be friends with you.

Now you were seated next to Olga and Lucy, opposite was a woman who called herself Patri and next to her was Pina, a woman who was also on the team but Lucy had told you they were dating but keeping it quite low-key.

You had learned there were quite a few couples on the team, some were very open about it, like Mapi and Ingrid, who had visited the shop and you had followed them on social media after, seeing the had a few posts posing together. Other couples were only obvious if you knew, like Caroline and Marta or like the couple infront of you, Patri and Pina. But you knew as no other that the Spanish could be very touchy with eachother, so if you hadn't been told about the couples you would've probably never thought anything special about their interactions.

It is actually pretty fun at your section of the table, funny stories are shared, jokes are made but eventually the conversation inevitably turns to football. At that moment Olga and you start talking about teaching, you learn that she is a primary school teacher and you explain that you were an English teacher at a secondary school but since you stopped doing that you teach different ages English as a side job next to working at your moms coffee shop.

The topic went from teaching to dating an athlete, and just when Olga offered to exchange numbers to contact eachother to sit together in the stands next game, the table got louder.

''I just want to show her around''. Lucy said while laughing hard.

''Sure'' Pina laughed.

''I am going to show Pina the lockers too after dinner'' Patri chuckled.

''She already knows the way'' Alexia tuned in. ''I showed Olga around here too when we started dating''.

''Yeah'' Pina chuckled ''and it took multiple times appearently, i have seen you take her-

''Pina!''. Alexia scolded ''tanca la puta boca''. (shut the fuck up)

''Ale'' Olga said with wide eyes as she slapt her girlfriends arm.

''She was saying crazy stuff babe'' Alexia offered as she shot a murdering glance across the room ''algunes persones volen córrer moltes voltes després de les vacances de Nadal'' (some people want to run a lot of laps after Cristmas break).

''No-'' Pina said ''i'm sorry capi, we were joking''.

''What would y/n think of us right now, hm? pensa en el nostre nou convidats i sigues respectuós amb la Lucía i amb ella''. (think about our new guests and be respectful to Lucia and her).

You chuckled as the pair across from you got scolded.

Lucy tapped your leg ''What did she say?'' she whispered.

You whisper back ''Ale says Pina and Patri are going to run laps if they keep disrespecting people''.

Lucy chuckled.

''Anyways'' Ale says ''Olga and i will go with you Luce and y/n''.

''We want to come too''. Pina pouted.

''Bé'' (fine) Alexia shrugged.

''Nah Pin''. Patri said ''they're boring thirty year-olds, let's annoy Vicky and Salma after this''.

''No way y/n is 30'', Pina said ''quants anys tens?''. (how old are you anyways?)

''I'm 25'' you reply in English ''Sé que estic sortint amb un dinosaure, oi?'' you added in quick Catalan, chuckling. (i know im dating a dinosaur right?).

''Did you just call me a dinosaur?!''. Lucy said laughingly but offended.

''Uh nooo'' you say innocently ''i said i'm not a dinosaur''. you couldn't surpress your smile.

''Ale?''. Lucy tried as she leaned on the table to get Alexia's attention ''what did she say?''.

''No Lucia,'' Alexia chuckled ''i'm not getting inbetween you two, this is motivation for your language lessons''.

At the mean time Patri and Pina were laughing their heads off opposite of you and Olga was also quietly chuckling.

''Mkay'' Lucy sighed ''you are lucky you're cute'', she said while squeezing your thigh.

You looked away from smiling at Lucy to face the two women who were now making gagging noices.

''So down bad'' Pina chuckled, making Patri laugh even harder.

/Ding-ding-ding/ the offical took the floor again and announced that they had the fun idea to change seats again for dessert to have a chance talk to some other people.

Lucy pulled you along to Oshoala, Ingrid, Mapi, Cata and Frido.

''Heyy'' Mapi said as she took a chair out for you ''pastrie girl and her worshipper''.

You chuckled but Lucy didn't laugh as she got back with a chair ''shut it xerrameca''. (blabbermouth).

''Ey Catalan!''. you laugh.

''What she meant is -hi y/n-'', Ingrid corrected her girlfriend ''and hi Lucy''.

Oshoala chuckled ''No Maria is right, Lucy is so down bad for you, i assume you are the girl she sends all those selfies to hm?''. She said as she stuck out her hand ''hi, i'm Asisat''.

You stuck out your own hand to shake it ''i'm y/n''. but Oshoala didn't shake your hand, instead she brought it to her mouth to kiss the back of your hand.

''Allright Oshoala that's enough'' Lucy grumbled in a lightharded way.

Mapi sighed ''you have to start hitting on girls that are not taken'' she said as she rubbed ingrids thigh.

''Ah Maria, she's just being nice''. Ingrid chuckled.

''No!'' Lucy and Mapi said at same time, making you chuckle aswell.

''Yeah i'm just being nice'' Oshoala chuckled cheeckily.

''We have to find you a girlfriend then'' you said tapping Oshoala's shoulder.

Oshoala grinned ''yeah, do you have any pretty friends?''.

''No sadly all of them are taken or straight'' you chuckled ''don't you have like fans or something?''.

''Nahhh'' Oshoala laughed ''you can't date fans''.

You looked at Lucy who was nodding in agreement ''it's a bit weird'' she offered as she looked at your curious face.

''Why?''. you asked ''is that why there is so much dating within the team'' you grinned ''or is that because you guys have such difficult schedules''.

''Both'' Cata and Frido said, breaking the silence they had kept until now.

''I can't understand-'' you stopped yourself ''uhm''. and got quiet.

''Go on'' Mapi chuckled ''we can handle it, Oshoala has the biggest ego but she'll manage, what did you want to say?''.

''We love when people are honest to us'' Cata added.

Frido laughed ''did you want to make fun of us?''.

''No, no, god no, i was just thinking, like, everyone is just a person right, only difference is you guys are good at playing football, and that became your job, but everyone has something like that, like a talent''.

''I can see why you love her'' Ingrid said, turning to Lucy.

You turned to Lucy aswell and saw her looking at you smiling, you blushed a little ''sorry, maybe i should be more like'' you turned back again and mimicked a fan girl ''omg! im at the table with Asisat Oshoala''. choosing her name after Mapi had joked she had the biggest ego.

''See i kinda like that'' Oshoala grinned, deserving a slap from Lucy.

''I advise you to never fuck a fan'' Mapi grinned.

-Sorry- you mouthed to Lucy who looked at you with narrowed eyes.

At that Lucy smiled again.

''But why Maria?'' Cata asked ''i haven't heared that story''.

After Ingrid had shrugged Mapi enlightend the table with her detailed story.

A couple of very funny story's and one dessert later everyone scattered back to the section of the hall that the evening had started.

Everyone went around sipping drinks and changing conversation partners, and the two of you went around the room without Lucy ever leaving your side.

After about an hour Olga and Alexia joined you again.

''Ready for that tour'', Alexia asked Lucy.

Lucy looked at you, ´´ýeah ofcourse, excited to see where you guys work´��, you smile.

''It's nothing special'', Olga whispered to you as the two of you followed your girlfriends, ''just nod and be excited at every little thing, oh and definitly ask about the gym machines''.

You chuckled ''is Alexia just as gym-obsessed as Lucy is?''.

''I don't know how obsessed Lucia is with it, but Ale lives and breathes the gym'', Olga chuckled.

Lucy turned around ''what are you guys chatting about?'', she asked with a curious smile, making Alexia turn around too.

''Y/n says you like the gym as much as Ale does, or actually, we couldn't really come to an agreement because we don't know how much you guys-

''I squat way more'', Alexia scolds.

Lucy rolled her eyes, ''i bench twice as much as you''.

''i- Alexia thought about a comeback.

''leave it Ale, don't embarrass yourself'', Lucy grinned.

Alexia frowned and looked at Olga, then at you, before looking back at Lucy ''lets start our tour at the gym then''.

''This is how you do that'' Olga whispered, ''you're about to experience the best private show ever''. and quickly hopped to catch up with her girlfriend.

Lucy grinned as she swatted an arm around you when you had catched up with her, ''Don't make fun of Ale too hard later, i'm about to emberrass her big time''.

''Hm i don't know'', you tease, squeezing her bicep, ''she looks pretty strong too, and Olga said she's in the gym a lot''.

''Oh yeah'' Lucy grumbled, ''why don't you go touch her biceps then, if they're so much better''.

You kissed her neck softly before whispering in her ear, ''i said pretty strong, not as strong as you Luce, you're the strongest''. After one more peck you said, ''no bicep could beat yours''.

''Lucia!'', Alexia called out, ''stop drooling and get over here''.

Lucy grinned, keeping the same slow pace to walk down to the backdoor.

''Your not scared, are you?'', Alexia prevoked, ''feble'' (weakling).

Lucy narrowed her eyes, ''what did she call me''.

''She called you weak'' you chuckled, farely enjoying this theater.

The four of you ended up in the other building, now standing in a hall with various gym equipement. Conveniently enough Alexia had a master key to the complex, being the Captain she could enter all the Barca buildings. You had praised her how cool it was after the woman had mentioned it for the third time, which resulted in a laugh and a wink from Olga.

Olga and you now shared an inside joke about how easily the athletes could get riled up by a few strategic comments, or on the other hand completely blossom, with just a few praises.

Alexia and Lucy put some weights on a iron bar, ''you first'', Alexia commanded, ''we'll up the weight until one fails''.

''We're benching after this'', Lucy said without leaving room for discussion.

Alexia sighed ''okay, sí''. ''but pushups after''.

''Fair'', Lucy shrugged, ''three competitions so no chance of a draw''.

''I don't care, 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0, it's never a un empat'' (a draw) Alexia grinned, ''you just gave me more to beat you in''.

''Yeah keep talking big Putellas, or maybe let's see what those chicken arms are worth first''.

''Ohhh Bronze! just so you know, if you're not tall enough to reach the bar, the point also goes to me''.

''You're the same heigth as me!''.

Alexia chuckled, ''oh no, i am 173 and you are 171''.

''Oh so you're obsessed with me?'', Lucy grinned, ''want me to write you an autograph?''.

Alexia grinned back ''I might give you mine when i've beat you'', she turned around to look at you ''and ofcourse y/n will get one too''.

Lucy put her hand over Alexia's eyes and turned her to the bench, ''you wanted me to go first hm? watch me ace this than''.

You couldn't decide if it looked more hot or more rediculous, the dressed up women glistening with sweat as they riled eachother up and had kept upping the weights again and again, even making you fear for their backs at one point.

Alexia had won the squatting, Lucy the benching, now it was time for some push-ups.

Lucy was a sight, she had thrown her jacket on one of the weight racks at the moment they had entered this room but after one set of squatting she had also rolled up her sleeves. When they had moved on to benching she had undone the top 2 buttons of her blouse, giving you a perfect view of her necklaces on her clammy skin.

Just like you, Olga was also eating this show up, her eyes hadn't left her girlfriend once.

You got pulled from your thoughts as you heared her whisper something to you ''tindré un bon sexe aquesta nit''. (i'm going to have such good sex tonight).

With a couple of blinks you looked up at her, sceptical if you had heared her right.

''I like it the most when they lose a game'', Olga confided to you quietly, ''but never tell Ale''.

You chuckled but attention got pulled away by grunts you knew all to well.

''47-48-49, babe you're looking right, 50,51'' Lucy grunted.

''Ofcourse, you're doing so good'' you swooned ''let's go Bronzey''.

''Yeah Bronzey'' Alexia mocked, ''go on until you get tired, are your arms tired?''.

''67-68-69''. with that Lucy sat up, ''that's a good number to stop on, i want to leave some energy in my arms and ofcourse give you atleast a little chance to beat me'', with that last she slapped Alexia's shoulder, ''your turn beanstalk''.

''the what?''.

Lucy grinned, ''don't worry about it, get on the floor''.

''beanstack?'', Alexia muttered as she got on the floor.

You can't help but comment, ''she called you tall''.

Alexia looked up and grinned, ''ah, ofcourse, thank you Lucía, now count for me''.

''No'' Lucy frowned ''i counted myself!''.

''We never said you had too'', Alexia looked at Olga ''you count for me babe?''.

''Ofcourse'' Olga purred, ''should i start at 70 and count down''.

''hm'', Alexia said as her grin grew impossibly bigger, ''yeah start at 71 for me guapa''.

At 36 she started shaking, you couldn't countain your chuckling when she almost couldn't push herself up anymore at 31 and slapped your hand infront of your mouth.

Lucy shot a smug wink at you. ''Struggeling Putellas?''.

''N-n-no'' She groaned, ''30 to go''.

''You can stop to safe your arms'', Olga offered as she eyed her trembling girlfriend.

''keep c-counting babe'' Alexia said, barely getting the words out.

After one more push-up she collapsed on the ground.

''Ayyeee'', Lucy screetched ''kiss for the winning lady?'' she asked looking at you.

''Ofcourse'' you grinned, being weirdly proud at your girlfriend, and walked towards her.

''and another reward later'' you whispered quietly in her ear before kissing her.

''Fuck'' you moaned as Lucy pinned you against the mattress.

She hummed as she littered your neck and chest with kisses and tender bites.

''I was rewarding you right'' you said, chuckling when she reached a ticklish spot.

She sat up, her hips straddling yours, ''oh but this is a reward'' she groaned, reaching down to massage your boobs.

Your hands closed around her wrists, trying to keep her hands on you.

Gently she started rocking against you, you saw her brows furrow lightly as she grinded down, positioning herself exactly against your clit.

''Get my panties off'', you sigh desperatly, wanting to feel all of her against you, ''and yours too''.

She quickly helped you out of them and then shuffled her own briefs clumsily down her legs, before throwing them besides the bed and climbing back on top of you.

You cup the back of her neck to pull her in for another kiss.

Softly she took your bottom lip in between her teeth and getly tugged on it before releasing it and going in for the kiss.

During the slow make out she tentatively started moving her hips again.

When a small moan of yours escaped in to her mouth she pulled back to look at you, ''does this feel good?'' she carefully asked.

''mhm'' you said, closing your eyes to focus even better on the way your bodies were melting together.

''Good'' she said as she kept looking at your face while gently steering your limbs in a little more open position.

Your eyes shot open again when you could feel even more of her, hear even more of her.

''Still good?''.

You groan as she kept rutting against you, or rather, along you.

Her face was adorable, holding so much concentration as she moved in a way that make the both of you feel amazing.

''Fuck'', she breathes out ''i'm going to cum like this'' she said as she increased her pace.

You reach up to touch her breasts, stimulating her nipples. ''You feel so good Luce, keep going''.

She groaned.

''Come against me''.

Another groan.

''You looked so hot beating her in the gym, you're so fucking strong''.

Lucy's head dropped in her neck, her chin pointing to the ceiling.

''I couldn't take my eyes off of you''.

''Lifting weights in your blouse''.

''You're so sexy''.

With that Lucy came, she panted hard as she rode herself through her high against you, slowely coming to a stop and plopping on the bed, laying besides you.

''Fuck'', she gasped as her chest was heaving up and down, ''you didn't-

''Sshh'' you chuckled, ''that was amazing''.

After a few minutes of stroking eachothers skin, Lucy seemed to have come back down to the here and now and started kissing you again.

It started fairly soft and slow, but her intentions quickly revealed as she worked her way down your body sloppily.

You moaned hard as she flattened her tongue to your core.

She looked up at you from between your legs, a sight you loved to see.

She stared intensely at you while she was working her mouth and brought two fingers up, gently pushing them inside you.

When your jaw slacked and your eyes rolled she knew she found the right spot, your head dropped on the pillow as you felt your orgasm approaching again.

It didn't take long for you to come undone.

When she helped you through it, you felt in complete ecstasy.

Only when it became too much did you gently push her away.

You smiled at her when she crawled on top of you to reach for a kiss.

With two hands you reached up to frame her face, she kissed the palm of one of your hands and you felt the clammy skin of her chin.

''Was that first thing we did okay?'', she asked hesitantly.

You looked at her slightly confused, ''yeah it felt really good, we should do that more often'' you say, petting her face.

''But you didn't-

You chuckled, making her frown.

''what?''.

''Oh Luce'', you laugh ''is this the first time that happened to you or something?''.

''maybe, i just..

''it felt really good'', you say ''and it was our first time doing that Luce''.

''i came too fast''.

''i take that as a compliment actually'' you chuckled, ''and it was your reward after all'' you say, moving your hands from her face to her shoulders to end at her biceps.

''Hmmm'' Lucy groaned, ''i guess it was'' she said as leaned in to kiss you.

...

It was a couple of days later, the Christmas days had been spent with the Bronze's family visiting Barcelona.

Your family's had meet up again and there had been eaten a lot of good food.

Lucy had opened up her apartment for her family again, just like last time, only this time her nephew did spent a night sleeping over at yours.

It had been really cute seeing Lucy with the kids, although she was a bit of a rough wrestler with them, she was always gentle.

Now it was time for your annual new years trip. You had the tradition to spent Christmas with the family and new years with the friends.

Often years it had just been celebrated at the friend with the biggest house, but in recent years it had grown out to a 3-day trip in a rented air-bnb.

As soon as Lucy had heared about it she'd agreed to come, excited to join your friends along your side, knowing you had never had a new years kiss before.

''but what are the vibesss'', Lucy whined, hovering over her empty suitcase.

You were at her place, your suitcase was packed and ready, laying in the trunk of your car.

Right now you were helping Lucy pack, you were at Lucy's to sleep there and the next morning you'd drop off Narla at Keira's, who just got back from England, and then the two of you had a 3 hour drive to the rented property.

A few friends had already arrived today, inspecting the place and setting everything up.

They'd sent pictures, it was a cute house, pretty big, enough rooms for everyone.

Everyone of the friendgroup had a partner now, even your bestfriend, yfs/n, she had started dating a guy recently, you thought he was nice but you didn't really have a connection with the man. Lucy on the other hand, she had spent hours talking with him at the dinners either your bestfriend or you had hosted. It worked out perfectly for double dates, you had yfs/n and Lucy could talk to Marc.

''Why are you so hessitant'' you chuckled rubbing her back, ''booze and games, the vibes are booze and games i think, and sweaters, pack enough clothes because it is cold''.

''How is the sleeping situation?'' Lucy asked as she turned around and pulled you against her, ''d'we get any privacy?''.

You grinned ''it's just 3 days, everyone sleeps next to eachother in one long dormitory'' ''oh, did i mention bunkbeds''.

Lucy groaned, ''why do i love you so much that i do this happily for you''.

You bursted out in laughing ''no we have our own rooms with regular double beds, every couple has an own room, that's why we have to drive a bit further this year, Ale searched the best house''.

''Hmm'' Lucy hummed kissing your neck ''great''.

''We have to pack your bag Luce'' you groan as she licks along your sensitive skin.

''Our last private night'' she said inbetween kisses, ''might aswell make the best of it''.

''I just told you we have our own room'', you chuckled.

She slightly pulled away from you and you saw a dumb smile on her face ''i don't know, if the walls are thin i ain't doing anything'', she grinned ''you have a hard time keeping quiet sometimes''.

''I'm sure you can think of a way to keep me quiet'' you say while a small blush crept on you cheeks.

''No way'', ''what if yfs/n is in the room next to us''.

You shrugged ''it's not like she wouldn't- you stopped yourself, ''yeah we'll manage not doing anything for three days right'' you hurried to say.

''What?'' Lucy said chuckling

''Nothing'' you say, trying to distract her with a kiss.

''No i'm thinking you we're about to say she already knows what you sound like''.

Your eyes screwed shut and you quickly shook your head, ''No, ew''.

''Well go on then'', she urged.

''It's just that we tell eachother everything'' you say carefully, ''i was going to say, it's not like she wouldn't know the cause of what she'd hear'' you blushed furiously.

Lucy cringed a bit but chuckled ''are you sharing our private life with her?''.

''Sorry'' you say grimacing, ''it was just our habit and-

''For me it's Jordan'' Lucy stated, making you look up.

You looked at her questioning.

''-the person i overshare with'' Lucy chuckled, ''ofcourse you have someone you share everything with, it's good, i just- '', she chuckled, ''maybe i should've known about it sooner''.

''Why?''.

''Cus it's a bit akward isn't it?'' Lucy smiled, ''does she tell you about Marc and her too?''.

''yes'' you say scruncing your nose.

#woso smut #lucy bronze smut #woso fanfics #lucy bronze #lucy bronze x reader #woso #woso imagine #ona batlle smut #lucy bronze x ona batlle

132 notes · View notes

calliesmemes · 6 months ago

Text

EPIC: THE MUSICAL — ACT ONE

ASSORTED SENTENCE STARTERS featuring lyrics and dialogue pulled from EPIC: THE MUSICAL by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, a new concept album adapting the story of Homer’s Odyssey into a musical.

CHANGE gendered words and in-universe phrases as needed.

SPECIFY muse for multimuses.

❛ I know that I’m ready. ❜

❛ I don’t think that you’re ready. ❜

❛ Know that he will grow from a boy to an avenger. ❜

❛ I could raise him as my own. ❜

❛ Please don’t make me do this. ❜

❛ The blood on your hands is something you can’t lose — all you can choose is whose. ❜

❛ This is the will of the gods. ❜

❛ You’re as old as he was when I left for war. ❜

❛ Will these actions haunt my days? ❜

❛ Every man I’ve slain is the price I pay. ❜

❛ I would trade the world to see my son and wife. ❜

❛ When does a man become a monster? ❜

❛ When does a reason become the blame? ❜

❛ Six hundred men under my command. ❜

❛ The problem’s not the distance; it’s what lies in between. ❜

❛ My kingdom is waiting. ❜

❛ So Captain, what’s the plan? ❜

❛ Look! There, in the distance. I see an island. ❜

❛ I see a light that faintly glows. ❜

❛ Something feels off here. ❜

❛ I say we strike first; we don’t have time to waste. ❜

❛ We should try to find a way no one ends up dead. ❜

❛ You can relax, my friend. ❜

❛ I can tell that you’re getting nervous. ❜

❛ Is this how we are supposed to live? ❜

❛ Here we have a chance for some adjustment. ❜

❛ Give it a try, it's not that hard. ❜

❛ This life is amazing when you greet it with open arms. ❜

❛ Whatever we face, we'll be fine if we're leading from the heart. ❜

❛ Stay back, I'm warning you. ❜

❛ Kindness is brave. ❜

❛ Have you forgotten the lessons I taught you? ❜

❛ I see you changing from how I've designed you. ❜

❛ Have you forgotten your purpose? ❜

❛ My life has one mission. ❜

❛ We'll make a greater tomorrow. ❜

❛ Enlighten me, what's your name? ❜

❛ If you're looking for a mentor, I'll make sure your time's well spent. ❜

❛ If there's a problem, we'll have the answer. ❜

❛ I still intend to make sure you don't fall behind. ❜

❛ Don't forget that you're a warrior of a very special kind. ❜

❛ It’s almost too perfect, too good to be true. ❜

❛ Who are you? ❜

❛ We’re just travelers. We come in peace. ❜

❛ What gives you the right to deal a pain so deep? ❜

❛ Your life now is in my hands. ❜

❛ I’ll take from you like you took from me. ❜

❛ There’s been a misunderstanding. ❜

❛ Maybe you and I could make a deal. ❜

❛ I’m so glad we see eye to eye. ❜

❛ If we're defeated, they're good as dead. ❜

❛ No backup, no chance for support. ❜

❛ Our foe must be thwarted right here and now. ❜

❛ Show me how great is your will to survive. ❜

❛ Stand up and fight for your lives. ❜

❛ Defeat is not allowed. ❜

❛ We must live through this day, so fight! ❜

❛ You’ve hurt me enough. ❜

❛ You won’t live through this day. ❜

❛ We must move quickly, we don't have much time. ❜

❛ But captain, what'll we do with our fallen friends? ❜

❛ We are not to let them die in vain. ❜

❛ Our comrades will not die in vain. ❜

❛ Mercy is a skill more of this world could learn to use. ❜

❛ The blood we shed, it never dries. ❜

❛ I am neither man nor mythical. ❜

❛ You're a warrior meant to lead the rest. ❜

❛ That's just like you, why should I be surprised? Selfish and prideful and vain. ❜

❛ Every time someone dies I'm the one who is left to deal with the strain. ❜

❛ This way, you won't plague my life. ❜

❛ What a waste of effort spent. ❜

❛ At least I know what I'm fighting for. ❜

❛ Since you claim you're so much wiser, why’s your life spent all alone? ❜

❛ This day, you lost it all. ❜

❛ Is it nature or divine or a blessing in disguise? ❜

❛ Our home's in sight. ❜

❛ Brace for a storm, the likes of which we’ve never seen before. ❜

❛ I'll ensure that we prevail. ❜

❛ We're taking too much damage to survive. ❜

❛ At this rate, we won't make it out alive. ❜

❛ Please don't tell me you're about to do what I think you'll do. ❜

❛ You've heard the legends; this proves they're true. ❜

❛ Don't forget how dangerous the gods are. ❜

❛ How much longer til your luck runs out? ❜

❛ I still believe in goodness. ❜

❛ I just don't wanna see another life end. ❜

❛ You're like the brother I could never do without. ❜

❛ Don’t forget how much we’ve already faced. ❜

❛ I need to talk to you in private. ❜

❛ I can't have you planting seeds of doubt. ❜

❛ I ask for your assistance so we at last can go the distance. ❜

❛ Sounds too easy, what's the catch? ❜

❛ Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. ❜

❛ The end always justifies the means. ❜

❛ Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. ❜

❛ Time for me to be the father I never was. ❜

❛ Why are my eyes and my heart and my soul so heavy? ❜

❛ It isn't very often that I get pissed off. ❜

❛ I'm left without a choice. ❜

❛ I’ve gotta make you bleed. ❜

❛ I need to see you drown. ❜

❛ Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves. ❜

❛ You are far too nice. ❜

❛ I've got no mercy left to give. ❜

❛ The line between naïveté and hopefulness is almost invisible. ❜

❛ I am your darkest moment. ❜

❛ What have you done? ❜

❛ Any last words? ❜

❛ There's only so much left we can endure. ❜

❛ I'm not a player, I'm a puppeteer. ❜

❛ I can’t sleep now knowing everything we've done. ❜

❛ I must say what a brilliant speech you gave. ❜

❛ I don't know who you are nor why you're here. ❜

❛ One wrong move, then you're done for. ❜

❛ All I hear are screams, every time I dare to close my eyes. ❜

❛ I no longer dream, only nightmares of those who've died. ❜

❛ I am the prophet with the answers you seek. ❜

❛ I see a man who gets to make it home alive, but it's no longer you. ❜

❛ How has everything been turned against us? ❜

❛ How did suffering become so endless? ❜

❛ Do I need to change? ❜

❛ What if I'm the problem that's been hiding all along? ❜

❛ If I became the monster, and threw that guilt away — would that make us stronger? ❜

❛ I must become the monster. ❜

#askbox meme #askbox prompt #rp ask meme #ask box #roleplay sentence meme #sentence starters #roleplay prompts #roleplay sentence starters #rpc help #* sentence meme

184 notes · View notes

protagaster · 2 months ago

Text

Hello, all! My hyper-fixation and maladaptive daydreaming scenarios are currently centering around the fantastic EPIC! the Musical, created by the amazing Jorge Rivera-Herrans!

However, because I have a female main character bias, I tend to imagine the songs as if they were sung by my current best girl: Penelope.

Thankfully, two artists went ahead and drew this into reality: @vioofc and @too-much-flynnolium. Inspired by their works of perfection, I have gone and wrote the first of many vignettes based around this Warrior Penelope AU!

There is also a version on Ao3, if you prefer that platform over Tumblr!

EDIT (10/7):

Hello all! I'm in the process of heavily editing this AU in order to have it:

A) Make more sense

B) Fit the timeline better

You'll notice some changes here and there in the story! Some of the content was cut, but don't worry! I'm gonna add it into a fic of its own in the future, so look out for that! ;)

(Credit to @w3ndytheraccoon for an excellent idea of theirs I included in this AU! You'll see it towards the end!)

A King with no Queen (EPIC! Swap AU)

Odysseus is trying to cope with many things.

His failure forced his beloved Penelope to fight the Trojan war in his stead, leaving behind all she ever knew and what she thought herself to be. In turn, the King was left to run his kingdom and raise their daughter all by himself.

This is how things have been for the past 12 years. And now, to make things even harder, the first of his suitors have made themselves at home in his palace…

Odysseus is a rare kind of man.

In fact, it was not uncommon for the King of Ithaca to be compared to a single drachma coin. There seemed to be two completely opposing sides driving him:

On one end, Odysseus was the alluring, cunning, quick-witted man that achieved many impressive feats throughout his life.

He was deemed ready and crowned King of Ithaca at the young age of 13, despite his father being very much alive. He passed her challenge and was gifted the guidance of the Goddess of Wisdom herself, something he very much boasted to all who would listen.

He even fell in love with a Princess of Sparta!

And, despite the warnings of those closest to him, she too fell in love and accepted his hand, regardless of how small and lacking his humble Ithaca was compared to the grandiose and luxurious Spartan kingdom.

Yes, despite being relatively smaller and having considerably less strength when compared to his fellow Greek man, Odysseus was a warrior with an arguably more valuable and sought after prowess: a warrior of the mind.

So why, even with these innate talents and gifts of intellect, was it not enough to keep him from harm during that first year of war?

Why was it not enough to keep her, the only person whose life he desired more than his own, to have to pay for his hubris?

That was where the other side of Odysseus’ drachma came into view, a side of despair. A side of longing. A side that waited…

“Your Majesty…”

Eurylochus waited for a moment, staring at the king from the double-doors of his bedchamber balcony.

…

Nothing.

“Odysseus…” Eurylochus tried again, if not for a response then hoping for at least some form of acknowledgment.

…

Still nothing.

Eurylochus was unsure of what to do.

It was far too early for his liking; the sun was still in the oceans’ embrace, the sky a dark indigo with only a few streams of orange light penetrating its serenity.

The day was only just beginning. Any other morning Eurylochus would most likely still be asleep, albeit prepared to wake once the early light illuminated his dark and lonely bedroom.

However, this day was not like any other.

And so, with great reluctance for more than one reason, Eurylochus woke early to fetch his king. One of his best friends. His brother.

And this made him nervous.

Not to wake the other, mind, as Odysseus always woke within the first instances of Helios’ light.

No, Eurylochus was nervous because of what the day represented.

And so, in an act that could have been either futile avoidance, petty rebellion, or a sad mix of both, Eurylochus allowed his brother to have this one moment of disassociation.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the balcony, Odysseus continued to sit peacefully in his kline. He had chosen not to respond to the call of his name, despite knowing the urgency behind Eurylochus’ visit.

Instead, Odysseus chose to stay true to his personal morning ritual: sitting in silence with morning’s first light.

He had honored this custom for more than a decade; he did not want today to be the one time he disturbed his routine, nor did he want to leave the comfort the balcony’s kline brought him.

Every morning he sat in silence, waiting. Every morning he sat in his designated seat, the left side of the kline, soothed by what it represented.

After all, it was Penelope’s very first contribution when brought to her new home.

Odysseus remembered when the young couple had picked out the kline upon their first week of engagement, with Penelope first to declare that the right side belonged to her. Odysseus remembered laughing, saying that it made sense "considering she is always right".

The kline was placed on the left side, on the farthest corner of their bedroom balcony. In this place the loveseat had a perfect view, with Ithaca’s beaches on one side and the villages of the common folk on the other. Penelope always loved this spot, for if she wanted she could see the sky kiss the ocean and embrace the beaches from above, or the hustle and bustle of her people, satisfied and content with their lives, down below.

At first Odysseus did not understand why Penelope would subject herself to wake so early in the morning simply to gaze upon the rising sun. Now, only after she had been forcefully sent away, did he understand how something as simple as the day’s first light could bring an instance of happiness to an otherwise age of despair.

And thus led to his daily ritual, one he has promised never interrupted no matter what.

Every sunrise for the past 12 years, starting from the moment he woke, the King of Ithaca would spend a few minutes staring at the various views outside his bedroom balcony; it was never too long, but the minutes always lingered with a heavy sense of despair and longing.

...

How long has it been, Odysseus couldn’t help but wonder, since he last saw his wife lounging in their kline. When was the last time she beckoned him to join her with a wave of her delicate hand, appreciating the open air whilst the kingdom was in a state of silent calm and peace.

Too long, Odysseus concluded to himself.

“Ody…”

Odysseus flinched, knowing the other only called him by that name when all other options failed.

Finally turning to acknowledge his visitor, Odysseus saw Eurylochus leaning against the door frame. His best friend, his brother, was watching him with a sad look in his eyes.

“It’s been 3 years,” Eurylochus' voice was sad, betraying the attempt of stoicism in his eyes. “They aren’t coming back-”

“You don’t know that.” Odysseus yelled out sternly. Unfortunately, he immediately regretted it when he saw Eurylochus let out a heavy sigh with his shoulders slumping in unison.

“Eury… I-I’m sorry-”

“It’s okay, Ody,” Eurylochus said with a smile that was not at all genuine. “I know.”

Odysseus wanted to kick himself. After all, he and Eurylochus were stuck in the same horrible situation.

Both men waited, longing for someone that was no longer by their side. Both men woke alone inside their isolated, dark, empty bedchambers, at one point naively unaware of how large a bed could be until that fateful day 12 years ago.

Both men waited, longing for the return of their wives: Queen Penelope of Ithaca and her best friend and second in command, Princess Ctimene.

It had been 13 years since the Trojan war officially began, a petty debate between the Gods leading to Helen’s abduction. Menelaus and Agamemnon drafted Helen’s suitors to help in her rescue, using Odysseus’ proposed oath to defend her husband against those who would dare to challenge him.

Odysseus had tried to avoid this draft through various means, but each attempt ended unsuccessfully. He was required to fight in this war, forced to take with him only the best of his Ithacan warriors. He remembered his tearful goodbyes to Penelope and Telemachas, filled to the brim with sorrow at having to leave his beautiful wife and newly-born daughter.

From then on, since he first set foot on Trojan soil and every subsequent battle thereafter, Odysseus would pray to the Gods to find a way to end his term in the war. Anything to return back to Ithaca as quickly as possible.

The Gods were quick to grant his wish.

That first year of war no one could have expected things to turn out as they did.

The men had secretly infiltrated the Palace of Troy using various spies, successfully sneaking Helen out and tucking her aboard the first ship back to Greece. Unfortunately, the Trojans were quick to discover her disappearance.

The Trojans took their revenge the next night. The Greek army, beyond ecstatic that their primary goal had been achieved, went to sleep that night with their bellies filled with meat and cups poured with more wine than water.

None of them noticed the dead quiet of the nature surrounding them.

The Trojans, with their own spies implanted in the Greek army, had found their hidden camps. Before the men of Greece realized it, they were too late. They were struck without mercy, the etiquettes of war no longer a priority.

The Greeks, despite their night of festivities, put up one hell of a fight. The battle took hours, lasting from the darkness of night up until the early crack of dawn.

The Trojans quickly retreated once early light hit. However, the damage was done.

In the struggle Menelaus and his closest brothers-in-arms were taken prisoner, held as a form of ransom. Odysseus was the only one in Menelaus' circle to avoid this capture, for Eurylochus and the rest of his Ithacan crew refused to allow the Trojans the glory of kidnapping their king whilst under their watch.

Though there were few deaths, the Greek men were maimed and damaged beyond repair.

The lucky ones had escaped the confrontation with more scars and wounds littering their bodies, though they were the ones likely to return to combat after a short time of recovery. The unlucky ones, the majority of the men, had been struck deep in the flesh. Their injuries sustained left no meager scars or wounds, but permanent physical hindrances to their limbs and muscles.

Odysseus was speared in his left shoulder. Though the gash had closed and relatively faded 12 years later, he could no longer maneuver his arm as easily as before. Without his weekly massages and leather brace, which he wore only when surrounded by those he trusted, he couldn’t even wield his bow as effortlessly as he once did.

Eurylochus was sliced in his left eye, leaving him permanently blind from that view. He had also been struck in his leg, though it was not as severe as his previous injury and had already come to a full recovery.

Regardless, the state of the current Greek army was too grave to ignore.

A few handfuls of the men, those deemed fit and well enough to continue combat, were left behind to hold down the front lines. The rest, consisting of practically their entire army, were sent back home to recover and sustain what little dignity they still had.

Though he had been permanently damaged, Odysseus couldn’t help but see a small silver lining. Even if it wasn’t how he expected, the Gods had granted his wish. Now, he was able to stay by Penelope’s side and raise their daughter together.

If only he had known then what he knew now.

Even though the men could no longer partake in battle, Greece still needed an army. And of course, for the sake of their own petty interests, this is when the Gods intervened.

Almost immediately after he had returned home, the God of War himself stood before them with his signature spear in hand. However, he was not there to speak with the King.

He was there to make a demand of the Queen.

Ares ordered his student, Penelope, and her unofficial sisters-in-arms, women trained in combat with the blessings of the God of War and Goddess of the Hunt, to fight in the war against Troy on his behalf. All of this was to “make up” with Hera, after first siding with the Trojans on Aphrodite’s request.

Odysseus remembered how he pleaded, begging to return to the battlefield in his wife’s place. Pride and flesh be damned!

Odysseus knew what Penelope’s life would look like in Troy, having experienced it himself for the past year. Even if she had sufficient knowledge in the art of combat, trained by her life as a Spartan and student of Ares, she was still a traditional woman who enjoyed traditional womanly activities. Fighting and killing in the name of the Gods as a woman had never been heard of before that point!

And then there was Telemachas, their beautiful baby girl who was only a single year old. What would her life look like, growing up without her mother to guide her through the trials of womanhood?

Unfortunately no amount of begging and pleading, nor the King’s friendship with Athena, could spare his wife of her mentor’s decree; neither could it spare the many other women trained in the art of defense.

Within the next two month a portion of Ithaca’s women, those of age and combat experience, boarded the ships to war.

The next 12 years consisted of a mixed flurry of emotions.

Of those 12 years it took 9 before the war came to an end. Helen, once nothing more than a damsel in distress, proved her strength to everyone with her contribution to the war. After rescuing Menelaus and the other captive men, the royalty of Troy were killed off to the last drop of blood. Rumors circulated within the Greek world that Penelope had a great hand to play in their victory, but the specificities were never clarified.

Eurylochus, along with the people of Ithaca, recalled the look of pure joy in their King’s eyes when the messenger gave them the news. Many thought their King’s happiness was due to his wife’s battle prowess being praised by all who could speak, but those closest to Odysseus knew the truth.

Odysseus was ecstatic that his wife was finally coming home.

Penelope would once again be inside his arms! Her warmth, her voice, her scent, they all would no longer be reduced to a distant memory. The people of Ithaca would once again have their Queen, and Telemachas could finally meet and learn from the mother she had heard so many wonderful stories about.

That’s how things should have been by now. And yet, 3 years after the war’s end, the wives and daughters of Ithaca had still not returned.

Many held out hope in the beginning, thinking that the womens’ delay was only a momentary setback. They believed it would not be much longer, that the women would return any day now.

However, days turned into months. And those months quickly became years.

With their hope dying alongside their wives and now presumed to now be widowers, the husbands and fathers of Ithaca reacted in very different ways. Many remarried, desperate to once again have their homes filled with the comfort of a wife and care of a mother. The rest could not bear the thought of remarriage, taking up vows of celibacy in honor of their fallen wives and praying to the Gods that their love alone would be good enough for their children.

The one thing they all had in common: they had lost hope of their wives ever returning to Ithaca.

This was where Odysseus differed from them all.

His people, Eurylochus, and now even Polites had tried telling him how likely it was that Penelope perished at sea. They reminded him that as the King of Ithaca it was his duty to find a new Queen. The kingdom needed a female role model alongside the male, to help him rule and lead their kingdom to prosperity. This was the standard procedure for royalty in Greece.

But Odysseus was never one to follow the standard procedure.

“Some of our… visitors… are making themselves at home in the throne room.” Eurylochus finally broke the silence once again, reminding Odysseus of the very thing he was trying to disassociate from. “They’re asking when you’ll go to see them.”

Odysseus couldn’t mask his frustration.

3 years. That’s all those selfish dogs had given him to “mourn” for the love of his life, for the mother Telemachas never had the chance to know.

And now that the 3 years were up, they expected him to move on just like that.

“Already?” Odysseus commented as he rose from his left seat, almost feeling impressed with the desperation of his so-called guests. “Helios hasn’t even finished placing the sun in its morning spot.”

“C’mon, you and I know human nature better than anyone.” Eurylochus scoffed, having to turn his head to get a proper view of the palace yards beginning to pack with various women and their guards. “Who would ever resist the chance to obtain more power?”

Odysseus let out a scoff of his own as he walked back inside his bedchamber, practically identical to Eurylochus’. Though his expression was quick to change into one of concern.

“What of Telemachas!? Is she-”

“She’s still sleeping. I went to check on her before coming to get you.” Eurylochus answered calmly to Odysseus’ growing anxiety. “I knew you’d ask, so I figured I’d get it out of the way.”

Odysseus let out a sigh of relief. Eurylochus was one of the very few people he trusted with the keys to his palace, which meant he was one of the only few with the ability to open the doors of the royal bedchambers.

If Telemachas was still asleep, then that meant she would be spared of the wrath and judgments of the “guests” below. For now.

He would have to check in on her later, for both their sakes.

Meanwhile, for the sake of maintaining peace, Odysseus had a duty to greet his guests and show them hospitality. Even if he didn't want to.

And he really, really didn't want to.

Odysseus, now wearing his royal chiton and elegant gold crown, walked down the halls of his palace with his head held high. Eurylochus walked by his side, hand strategically placed near the handle of his broadsword, ready to protect his King from strangers with ill intent.

It did not take long to make their way to the palace throne room. Given how small Ithaca was as a kingdom, it made sense for the royal palace to look smaller in comparison to neighboring palaces.

However, even with the relatively small structure, both men shouldn’t have been able to hear commotion within the throne room from 4 halls ahead. This was an immediate indication to Odysseus of how many women were already vying for his kingdom.

Once the two men stood close enough to the throne room’s closed doors they were able to hear the muffled voices from before much more clearly.

“What’s the hold up!?”

“We’ve been waiting for hours!”

“Why can’t we find the King ourselves?!”

They all sounded feminine. And very annoyed.

“Ladies, please!” A man's voice, Polites’, called out from the other side of the doors. “The King will arrive in just a moment! So, in the meantime, why don’t we all conduct ourselves in a polite, orderly fashion?”

A chorus of exasperated groans; if there were any words spoken then they were undecipherable due to the sheer loudness of the crowd.

Odysseus saw Eurylochus toss him a look, one that had “I told you so” written all over it.

Nevertheless Odysseus let out a deep breath, praying to the Gods above that he looked much more confident than he felt. With a nod to the other, Eurylochus made his way to the double doors of the throne room.

He threw the doors open, attracting the attention of every guest within the throne room. Welcome or otherwise.

Eurylochus’ booming voice could be heard from every corner of the large room:

“Presenting His Majesty, Odysseus, King of Ithaca!”

Everyone within the throne room, friend, suitor, or guard, either kneeled or bowed at the sight of the luminous King of Ithaca.

Odysseus paid them no mind. He opted to stare straight ahead, looking at nothing in particular. He sat on the left throne, despite royal customs declaring he sit on the right. The right seat belonged to Penelope and Penelope only.

He would make sure every suitor in his palace remembered this.

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the room, while Odysseus prepared to address the crowd, Polites was slowly inching his way to Eurylochus’ side. Eurylochus did not notice the younger approaching him, only realizing when Polites had placed a hand on his shoulder.

Polites gestured to the third member of their friend group, mouthing a silent “Is he okay?”.

Eurylochus blanked, unsure of how he should answer, before opting to shrug his shoulders; Not necessarily disagreeing but not entirely agreeing either.

Polites understood. Odysseus was somehow both managing and not.

Polites couldn’t help but grow somber. He could sympathize, but never fully understand. He will never fully understand the pain his best friends shared when it came to the misfortune caused to them by the Trojan war.

Polites was one of the lucky few spared of permanent injury on that fateful battle 13 years ago. Any wounds and scars he attained had long since faded, their only proof of existence reduced to mere memory. Meanwhile, Odysseus and Eurylochus had sustained injuries that would affect them for the rest of their lives.

Odysseus and Eurylochus were also victims to the whims of the Gods, for the divine ordered their wives to war in their stead. How must it feel, to know the love of your life was forced to act as your replacement simply because you allowed yourself to be moved by premature pride?

Even though it was painful to Eurylochus, Polities knew it was pure agony to Odysseus. He had lost both his younger sister and wife due to a rash victory party…

Odysseus suddenly shot his best friends a look, silently indicating to them that he was ready for his speech.

Polites and Euylochus stood straight and gave him their undivided attention. They were ready to lend him their support, regardless of the difficult decision he made.

“Greetings, my friends.”

Odysseus took mental note of the amount of women littering his throne room. 32 in total, so far.

“I am delighted to see so many new, cordial faces in our humble kingdom on this day,”

The suitors weren’t stupid. They all knew Odysseus did not mean a word of what he was saying. He was just spouting flowery nonsense for the sake of appearances.

However, it mattered not what he felt. All that mattered was his submission to the expectations of Greek royalty.

That included his remarriage.

“Now, let’s not beat around the bush.” Odysseus gave everyone an easy, nonchalant smile. “You all want to know who I will take as my new Queen.”

That threw everyone for a loop.

Those who knew Odysseus, his guards, servants, and slaves, were surprised at how readily he addressed the issue he tried so desperately to avoid.

The suitors, along with their guards, were also shocked that he was willing to address the issue without hesitation. Were the rumors about him and his loyalty to his wife all false?

Polites and Eurylochus, who had known Odysseus for practically their entire lives, couldn’t help but feel a semblance of worry with his words. Odysseus was not one to just give up so easily, especially in matters concerning his heart.

Just what was he planning?

Odysseus, for his part, did not betray a single one of his thoughts with that easy smile of his. He stood still, waiting for the commotion to cease, before once again speaking to the crowd.

Polites and Eurylochus, along with one mysterious suitor, were the only ones to notice the mischievous glint in the King’s eyes.

“However, in respect of honoring the deceased, I regret to inform you all that I can no longer discuss the matter anytime soon.”

“WHAT!?”

A chorus of angry voices were quick to make themselves known at the end of his declaration. Two or four voices quickly became 31, each one demanding to know why he couldn’t choose a new wife right then and there.

Again only one of them was silent, leaning against the side of the wall with her arms crossed. She watched the King with an intense stare.

Odysseus raised a single hand, prompting the angry voices to silence themselves.

“As I was saying…” The King’s smile dropped, replaced with an expression of stoicism. “I plan to honor and respect my wife in death as I did in life. And so, in her memory, I will carve a wooden statue in the form of the late Queen. This will be done carefully and with precision, achieved by my hands and my hands only.”

Another chorus of annoyed and angered groans sounded from the women. They all knew it was bound to take a long time before the statue was even close to completed.

Eurylochus and Polities were a mixed bag of reactions, one impressed with the cunning of his friend and the other filled to the brim with worry. They both knew Odysseus was talented in the art of carving; As a symbol of his long-standing love to Penelope, he had made her a bridal bed from the inside of a long-lasting tree. However, that was before his injury to his arm. How long would it take, to carve out a wooden statue that could rightfully honor the beauty and grace of Penelope of Ithaca, all with a bad shoulder, a kingdom to run, and a child to raise?

It was the perfect plan.

Odysseus had been scheming ever since he heard talk of his “inevitable” remarriage. The king knew he had to delay choosing a new wife, if not for his fidelity and loyalty to Penelope then for the sake of his daughter.

Who knows what would happen to her if he remarries, for what Queen would allow the daughter of her predecessor to take the throne?

No, he needed to be smart and tactical about this. He needed to use the gifts of quick-thinking and feeling calm under pressure bestowed to him by Athena. Telemachas was already 13, well on her way to 14. All he had to do was keep his suitors at bay for a few more years, until the Princess was deemed ready to be Queen. Then Telemachas would be allowed to ascend to the throne without any complaints from his adversaries.

This statue was the perfect excuse. He will spend as much time as he needed carving it, forever if he had to.

He could do this. He will find a way. For himself. For Telemachas. For Penelope.

Odysseus was so caught up in his thoughts he didn’t notice how one of his suitors was looking at him. She stared at him quietly, intensely, glaring at him from the moment he walked into the throne room.

She couldn’t look away from his body. His tanned, toned, delicious body. She noticed the way Odysseus’ chiton stuck to his waist, showing off his firm, fit figure.

When he lifted his hand to silence the crowd, the fabric of his clothing was forced to rise up; his naked body, only briefly displayed, was shown to anyone standing at a certain angle. She was the one lucky enough to stand at this angle.

She could see his torso from where she stood. She saw his v-line fade into his abdomen, some single stray beads of sweat drip down in that path. She saw a set of prominent abs, mild but still very much there, that shuddered with each breath he took. And finally, before he lowered his arm and his torso was covered once more, she was able to see his pectorals in full view. They were flat, but still round; oh, what must it feel like to take a bite of that flesh, to watch as the man underneath was fully marked and claimed?

There was no doubt about it. He was beautiful. He was perfect.

He was hers.

Based on what he just declared, accompanied by rumors circulating the palace, it appeared that he planned to make his remarriage a difficult process for his suitors.

That was fine.

She can be patient.

No matter how long it took she’d find a way to force him to accept her, even if she had to hold him down and take him by force.

After all, she was blessed by Zeus himself. Though not his child, and by definition having no divine blood, one would be forgiven for assuming differently based on her ability to look forever young despite her age. The King of Gods gave her this gift, saying he knew her to be a kindred spirit.

The point was anything and everything she ever wanted would belong to her.

Ithaca.

The Right Throne.

Odysseus.

No matter what it took, no matter what she had to do, one day all of it will bear her name.

Calypso.

#epic the musical #the odyssey #swap au #warrior!penelope #telemachus is a girl #odysseus #eurylochus #polites #calypso #penelope (mentioned)#odysseus x penelope #tw: implied future rape #canon divergent au #canon rewrite #canon compliant #my fic

67 notes · View notes

hotvintagepoll · 8 months ago

Text

Propaganda

María Félix (Doña Barbara, La Mujer sin Alma, Rio Escondido, La Cucaracha)—Maria Felix is still possibly the most well-known Mexican film actress. She turned down multiple-roles in Hollywood and a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer in order to take roles in Mexico, France, and Argentine throughout the 1940s, 50s, 60s. She was so famous and so respected as a dramatic actress that she inspired painters, novelists and poets in their own art--she was painted by Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco, Bridget Tichenor. The novelist Carlos Fuentes used her as inspiration for his protagonist in Zona Sagrada. She inspired an entire collection by Hermes. In the late 1960s Cartier made her a custom collection of reptile themed jewels. She considered herself to be powerful challenger of morality and femininity in Mexico & worldwide--she routinely played powerful women in roles with challenging moral choices and free sexuality. But even still, years after he death, she is celebrated with Google Doodles, and appearances in the movie Coco, and holidays for the anniversary of her death.

Maureen O’Hara (The Parent Trap, The Quiet Man)—They called her the Queen of Technicolor. That right there should help introduce people to the fiery, wonderful, stunning Maureen O’Hara. She was from Ireland, born in 1920, and started in theater at the age of ten. At 15, she was winning drama awards, including one for her performance as Portia in the Merchant of Venice. At 16, she was the youngest pupil to graduate from the Guildhall School of Music. By 18, she transitioned to film, starting off with a bang alongside Charles Laughton in Hitchcock’s Jamaica Inn, and proceeded to work steadily up through the early 1970s. She was in adventures and comedies and romances, spent a lot of time in westerns giving merry hell to John Wayne (and less merry hell to the indomitable John Ford — she held her own even when he was verbally abusive and demeaning to her). She was in The Quiet Man, which was the first American-made film entirely filmed in a foreign country. She helped make American Christmas what it is with Miracle on 34th Street. She played a lineup of headstrong, forthright women second only, perhaps, to Katharine Hepburn. She was married three times, lived for a while with a boyfriend in Mexico, sued for custody of her daughter in the 1950s, AND sued a magazine for libel in the same era. After mostly retiring from acting, she edited a magazine. She eventually sold the magazine to spend more time with her grandson, but even then ran a ladies fashion store. She was an outspoken, brilliant, passionate lady, with amazing red hair, a career to envy, and — well — that face!

This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

María Félix:

She's Thee Hot Vintage Movie Woman of México. She's absolutely gorgeous and always looks like she's about to step on you. you WILL be thankful if she does.

"María Félix is a woman -- such a woman -- with the audacity to defy the ideas machos have constructed of what a woman should be. She's free like the wind, she disperses the clouds, or illuminates them with the lightning flash of her gaze." - Octavio Paz

María Félix is one of the most iconic actresses of the Golden Era of Mexican Cinema. La Doña, as she was lovingly nicknamed, only had one son, and when her first marriage ended in divorce her ex-husband stole her only child, so she vowed that one day she’d be more influential than her ex and she’d get her son back. AND SHE DID! María Félix rejected a Hollywood acting role to start her acting career in Mexico on her own terms with El Peñón de las Ánimas (The Rock of Souls) starring alongside actor, and future third husband, Jorge Negrete. She quickly rose to incredible heights both in Mexico and abroad, later on rejecting a Hollywood starring role (Duel in the Sun) as she was already committed to the movie Enamorada at the planned filming time. Of this snubbing she said, quote: “I will never regret saying no to Hollywood, because my career in Europe was focused in [high] quality cinema. [My] india* roles are made in my country, and [my] queen roles are abroad.” (Translator notes: here the “india” role means interpreting a lower-class Mexican woman, usually thought of indigenous/native/mixed descent —which she had interpreted and reinvented throughout her acting career in Mexico— and what abroad was typically considered the Mexican woman stereotype, with the braids, long simple skirts, and sandals. This also references the expectation of her possibly helping Hollywood in perpetuating this stereotype for American audiences that lack the cultural and historical contexts of this type of role which would undermine her own efforts against this type of Mexican stereotypes while working in Europe) She was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world of her time by international magazines like Life, París Match, and Esquire, and was a muse to a vast number of songwriters (including her second husband Agustin Lara,), artists, designers, and writers. Muralist Diego Rivera described her as “a monstrously perfect being. She’s an exemplary being that drives all other human beings to put as much effort as possible to be like her”. Playwriter Jean Cocteau, who worked with her in the Spanish film La Corona Negra (The Black Crown) said the following about her, “María, that woman is so beautiful it hurts”. Haute Couture houses like Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Hérmes, among others, designed and dressed her throughout her life. She died on her birthday, April 8, 2002, at 88 years old, in Mexico City. She was celebrated by a parade from her home to the Fine Arts Palace in the the city’s Historic Downtown, where a multitude of people paid tribute to her. Her filmography includes 47 movies from 1942 until 1970, and only two television acting roles in 1970. She has 2 music albums, one recorded with her second husband, Agustín Lara, in 1964 titled La Voz de María y la inspiración de Agustín «The voice of María and the inspiration of Augustín», and her solo album Enamorada «In Love» in 1998. Her bespoke Cartier jewelry is exhibited alongside Elizabeth Taylor’s, Grace Kelly’s and Gloria Swanson’s. In 2018, Film Director Martin Scorsese presented a restored and remastered version of her film Enamorada in the Cannes Classics section of the Cannes Festival and Google dedicated a doodle for her 104th birthday. On august 2023 Barbie added her doll to the Tribute Collection.

Maureen O'Hara:

I thought she was one of the most beautiful women in the world when I was a kid and I have yet to really change my mind. Always loved her temper and her red hair. Plus she was kind of a MILF in The Parent Trap

Haughty, red hair, hot.

I would have to give up my passport if I didn't submit Maureen O'Hara but also have you seen her? Not only did she look like that (she was called the Queen of Technicolor, though she wasn't a big fan of that sobriquet), she was also very funny and tough as nails. She faced off against Walt Disney in a contract dispute and the legend goes that when someone mentioned her at his deathbed, he sat up and said 'That bitch!'. Her comment on that story is "At least he didn't think of me and say, 'That wimp'." She struggled to get serious roles for a time, saying ""Hollywood would never allow my talent to triumph over my face," so she plays the sexy princess/pirate/harem girl in a LOT of early movies that she referred to as "Tits and Sand" films, she being the tits in question. She also turned down so many leading men and studio bosses (Errol Flynn and Howard Hughes are among her rejects) that there were rumours spread that she was a lesbian. Many egos were battered it seems. I'm including the infamous Lady Godiva scene in the photo propaganda for the sheer Moment of it [link] . It was a bit of a flop critically, but it was one of Clint Eastwood's first film appearances and she said he told her later that he was very glad of the money at the time.

She was a very proud Irish woman and when she went for her American citizenship they insisted on referring to her as British (the timeline of Irish independence is a bit wibbly wobbly, we won't get into it here). She refused to accept American citizenship under that condition and argued her way through every level of US immigration she could find, supposedly saying "I'm not responsible for your antiquated records here in Washington", until a judge finally gave up and said "Give her what she wants, just get her out of here". This made her the first ever person seeking US citizenship to be proclaimed Irish on the record!

The hair. The accent. The figure. The acting chops. The perfection.

#maureen o'hara #maría félix #hotvintagepoll #fuck that old woman #ladies 2

174 notes · View notes

hammyham-o-o · 1 month ago

Text

WOW thank you all for voting on the last poll! (I summoned the epic fandom YESSS)

The entire music is banger line after banger line really, so naturally I MADE ANOTHER ONE MUAHAHA

(Also there's extra Telemachus in this one bc I didn't have any of his lines in the last one, and we'll be fine is criminally underrated 💥)

Like last time suggest lines I missed in the comments!! I swear there are ENDLESS amazing ones Jorge is a genius fr

#epic #epic musical #epic the musical #muscial theatre #polls #poll #ody #odysseus #eurylochus #penelope #athena #telemachus #posiden #hephestus #the odyssey

73 notes · View notes

transbutchblues · 3 months ago

Note

could you please elaborate on your feelings on the gods' characterization in the wisdom saga? Not forcing you tho!

sure! keep in mind that i love EPIC and that even if i complain about things here, i totally respect the choices that Jorge makes. it’s his musical and i admire all the work put in the songs.

disclaimer : most of the time i try to dissociate EPIC from the Odyssey in my mind, because thinking of EPIC as an adaptation tends to make me upset due to how different it is. but it’s also amazing on its own! there are creative liberties that i deeply love (like having Odysseus know about Scylla but not telling anyone, and changing the context of the mutiny), others that i don’t like that much but that i can get behind, and others that i really dislike. i understand why everything is done the way it’s done, but i still have opinions.

before talking about the Wisdom Saga i’d like to explain how i felt about the gods in the other sagas. as a classics student and a hellenic polytheist i tend to dislike most modern portrayals of the gods, mostly because they’re usually flat and lack nuance. up until this saga, i had never been disappointed by any choice done regarding the gods in EPIC. they were all so interesting.

i loved Zeus in Thunder Bringer. it’s one of my favorite songs, and i found that Zeus was beautifully portrayed. he’s the villain, sure, he offers an awful choice (for the second time), but the situation was created by Odysseus and his men. i loved the lyrics and their double meaning.

this all fell apart in God Games, for me. it just didn’t feel like the same Zeus anymore. and as much as i try to dissociate EPIC from Homer’s epics, i love the Iliad and the Odyssey too much not to point out that Zeus would never be like that. in the Odyssey, Zeus immediately agrees with Athena on the fact that Odysseus must be freed from Calypso’s island. Poseidon is the only god who really wants to stop Odysseus, Zeus doesn’t exactly care about him. he knows Odysseus’ fate and he won’t go against it. besides, Athena is Zeus’ favorite daughter in Homer’s works. he loves her. he doesn’t like it when she defies her, that’s very clear in the Iliad, he even threatens her when she does that, but he loves her dearly and he gives her nearly everything she asks for. he would simply not strike her down like that. and Zeus has no reason to go against his own word. if he sets a challenge, he respects the terms. he’s a fair god, he’s a ruler, he’s all about divine justice. i don’t mind changes, but i dislike these ones.

and Athena… Athena was always the deity i felt the less sure about in EPIC. don’t get me wrong, i love her in the previous songs. but i never knew where exactly her character arc would bring her and i felt uneasy. now i know i was right to feel this way.

there had to be an explanation to the fact that Athena hadn’t helped Odysseus during the years he was imprisoned by Calypso. i understand why in EPIC, this explanation is that Odysseus and Athena fought and fell apart. in fact, i love My Goodbye. i think the way Odysseus is portrayed in the Cyclops Saga makes him way more of an asshole than he is in the Odyssey (and that’s alright by me!), because he’s stupid and hubristic and he refuses to listen to Athena. in the Odyssey, Athena never abandons Odysseus, she helps him during his entire journey. but if he had talked to her like he does in EPIC, she probably would have left him! i find their fight interesting, how cold Athena can be, how betrayed they both feel.

but! here comes the Wisdom Saga. and i love Athena in Little Wolf. i like her in God Games too. maybe even in Love in Paradise. but i can’t get over We’ll Be Fine, it just doesn’t sound right to me. i like Telemachus. but i hate that this is how Athena suddenly decides to go back to Odysseus. "i could sleep at night", really? why would she feel guilty about leaving a hero who refused to listen to her? i enjoyed how cold she was in My Goodbye, it was an interesting choice, and i would have liked for her to remain this way. or to change more slowly. the loneliness aspect could have been great if it had been explored more in depth (which i know wouldn’t have been possible since she doesn’t have enough songs to allow for slow character development). this just felt rushed and strange.

i would have liked for Athena not to reach out until Odysseus does. the moment where he cries out her name at the end of Love in Paradise is heart-wrenching, i love it. that’s when i would have loved for her to suddenly hear him and go back to him, instead of already being there. that would have been a moment where she could have decided to help him despite what he said and did, because she still cares about him and she sees him being so desperate. that could have been a moment where she feels guilty or lonely.

i know it’s done that way so that Telemachus saves Odysseus’ life by giving advice to Athena. it’s fine, it’s a nice idea. i understand why people like it, and i’m glad they do. it just feels off to me.

regarding the other gods: firstly, Calypso is great and i love her! now, on the other ones: i think instead of all this weird Zeus portrayal in God Games, it would have been nice to mention Poseidon. if there had to be a reason for Zeus not to want to release Odysseus, it could have been something to do with his brother. Apollo’s appearance felt unnecessary, his argument was weak, i’m still glad he was there but i didn’t love his portrayal. my opinion for Hephaestus is similar (though i liked his portrayal better, he just felt unnecessary), with another thought: i’m already starting to see more art of him and i really wish people would depict him as disabled, because not everybody does. i liked Aphrodite’s and Ares’ part, and Hera’s was fun. i don’t necessarily like the overall vibes of God Games but that’s just a matter of my music tastes, there are multiple songs in EPIC that i don’t really listen to because of that while still enjoying their role in the storyline.

obviously most people disagree with me, and i’m glad everyone seems to love that saga. some parts were just really not for me, namely, We’ll Be Fine, the beginning of Love in Paradise, and the end of God Games.

#epic the wisdom saga #epic the musical #the wisdom saga #epic the thunder saga #epic the cyclops saga #epic odysseus #odysseus #the odyssey #the iliad #zeus #athena #epic athena #epic zeus #jorge rivera herrans

69 notes · View notes

dangermousie · 11 months ago

Text

2023 End of Year Post - kdrama edition

Yes, we have a some of December left, and I want to check out Death's Game but whatever. I got time for this now and not sure if I will have later so here goes.

This is only going to cover kdramas that aired in 2023; if I watched it but it was made in a different year, it’s not on the list. This was an excellent kdrama year, the likes of which we hadn't had in a long time.

DRAMAS WATCHED

In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality so pls don't come for me, fans of some popular dramas that are on my nope list. Also, I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list.

33. The Escape of the Seven - this is so aggressively stupid and mean that it feels like the makers are playing a practical joke seeing how much their audience will take. This has a season 2 coming, so the answer is a lot.

32. Behind Your Touch - the FL gets superpowers by touching people's and animals' butts. Yes, you read this right. Do I really need to add anything?

31. King the Land - yes, it was a hit. Yes, it stars popular actors. I HATED IT LIKE IT TOUCHED MY BUTT TO GET SUPERPOWERS!!! Plastic people in paint by the numbers story, with about as much genuineness or retability as a barbie aisle in walmart. I never expect much from Yoona so whatever, but to have LJH go from The Red Sleeve to this boggles the mind.

30. Mrs Durian - this is so dumb that I think I lost a few IQ points watching this, but its insanity becomes entertaining - I mean what kdrama can you name where a daughter in law declares her love and lust for her mother in law at a family dinner?

29. The Matchmakers - there is nothing offensive about this drama at all. But there is nothing in the least interesting either. If elevator music took drama shape, it would be this show.

28. Destined with You - sorry, Rowoon, I am still fond of you, but you are two for two in drama duds department this year. This is a drama where I loved ep 1, liked ep 2, was indifferent to 3 and...you get the point. Each ep was worse than the one before, and I bailed before I was dragged into a cosmic singularity.

27. Oasis - great first two episodes. Unfortunately it was not a two ep show. The performances are solid but the story is just not there - the effect is like a fancy chef making an amazing sauce to put on pig slop.

26. Boyhood - it's not you, it's me in action. I can see why people would like it but a 34-year old playing a high schooler in a Weak Hero Class 1 Slapstick Edition is no go for me.

25. Castaway Diva - it's so precious and kooky in the most annoying ways, with the most well-adjusted abused castaway in history. I like magic realism when done by Jorge Amado, but this ain't Amado.

24. Island - it had a good concept, good cast and fun visuals but the execution deserved one of ML's swords through the neck.

23. The Worst of Evil - if I wanted an American show, I'd watch one. Very solid performances though.

22. Song of the Bandits - period edition of what I said about The Worst of Evil.

21. Welcome to Samdalri - and goodbye to any hope of emotional involvement.

20. Joseon Attorney - I have yet to like a single sageuk centered around a profession and this was not an exception. I guess it could be worse but it also could have been so much better.

19. Twinkling Watermelon - everyone loved this drama. Everyone except for me. It's the kind of precious that sets my teeth on edge and I couldn't stand half the main characters we were supposed to root for. I guess I like my fruits to shine steadily.

18. Our Blooming Youth - probably the biggest disappointment on this list. This is not a bad drama by any means, but with that cast and that story (I loved the novel), I was hoping for a memorable sageuk not merely all right.

17. Vigilante - it has the emotional complexity and nuance of a punch to the throat but it gives us quasi-gay openly-murderous dudes going after psychos and Yoo Ji Tae holding feral Nam Joo Hyuk by his hoodie at his feet.

16. The Forbidden Marriage - expected nothing but it was a surprisingly enjoyable trifle of a costume drama that was also quite pretty.

15. Arthdal Chronicles: Sword of Aramun - a hot mess but such an entertaining epic one. And it gave us TWO Lee Jun Kis in period gear and who am I to cavil at the bounty of God?

14. The Story of Park's Marriage - it's a trifle, a souffle, so light it might blow away, but it keeps my attention and is so fun and sweet.

13. My Lovely Liar - a huge surprise, that manages to mix a murder mystery and a romcom, and shocked me by showing Hwang Minhyun can act.

12. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 - the original ToNT was my fave drama of its year and I did not think it needed a sequel. But this is not a sequel but more of a side-quel and is such a total delight with brotherly love, adventures, romance and hijinks. It's a joy.

11. Perfect Marriage Revenge - it's actually very hard to do a soap right but this slim 12 ep drama managed. So fun, so crazy, such a good ship!

10. My Lovely Boxer - not really about sports, but about two broken people finding salvation because of and in each other. Also, if you like age gap romances, this is delicious. Sort of loses steam by the end but c’est la vie.

9. The Secret Romantic Guesthouse - this was a sageuk that was not on my radar with a bunch of actors I was not familiar with but it took my heart away. A good plot that was perfectly paced, characters and ships I adored, a logical ending. This is one of the biggest positive surprises of the year for me.

8. Tell Me That You Love Me - a slice of life remake (sort of, it's more "inspired by") of my favorite jdrama of all time. It's not as good as the jdrama because nothing could be, but it's an aching lovely story with some incredible performances.

7. See You In My 19th Life - funny and romantic and haunting and hopeful and odd. This was one of my favorites of the year.

6. Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow - it's rare for me to like a (1) sequel (2) with FL actress change (3) that is a Hong Sisters drama. But this was such a gorgeous, surprisingly achy story of love and loss and love regained with some cool monster fighting in the middle. Between the two seasons, this is the first Hong Sisters' drama I enjoyed from beginning to end in well over a decade.

5. My Demon - so tropey (chaebols, supernaturals) but it proves that these tropes are popular for a reason. The chemistry is fire, the story is unpredictable and the whole thing is an addictive delight. A rare drama where I like each new ep more than the last one.

4. Goryeo Khitan War - an old school sageuk in every meaning of the term (no romance, no eye candy, lots of bearded men, battles and politics), this feels like watching an epic movie more than a drama. The vast cast all earns their place and the performances (mainly from character actors given a chance to shine) are incredible.

3. Call It Love - two very very damaged people finding love and healing with each other. This is a narrative very hard to do to my satisfaction but when it's done well, as here, there are few things that can hold a candle to it.

2. My Dearest - a masterpiece of cinematography, narrative, performances. This is an old-school epic romance in the best sense of the term. If it doesn't make you swoon or break your heart, there is something wrong with you. A story of two untraditional, strong-willed, flawed people who fall in love in the middle of the horrifying Qing invasion of Korea and have to deal with all that the world throws at them, this is a bona fide masterpiece.

1 - Moon in the Day - who knew my favorite kdrama of the year will star a store brand Domyoji from Extraordinary You and an actress I was never familiar with. But this part period/part modern fantasy tale of doomed cursed lovers is everything I knew I wanted and everything I didn't know I wanted but did. Two lovers where their love did not save them and in modern day it might not again, has got me obsessed the way I haven't been in years.

FAVORITE DRAMA

Moon in the Day - if there is such a thing as a drama made perfectly for me, this gorgeous, emotionally haunting, utterly romantic, twisty tale is it.

WORST DRAMA

The Escape of the Seven. This drama is proof that demons exist and not sexy ones like Song Kang but horrible nasty ones who delight in the torment this hot mess inflicted on its viewers.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Do Ha, Moon in the Day - a Silla general and a consummate killer who committed atrocities on the orders of his monster father and yearned to die for them, who found the meaning in life in loving his enemy but it did not make him better, a man so obsessed he literally was around for 1500 years of horrifying ghostly existence and still went "worth it" for a woman who killed him as long as he knew she loved him while she did it. He's intense and competent and beyond fucked up and has never had a normal day and I love him so so so very much from a safe distance.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Gil Chae, My Dearest - she starts out as vain and spoiled but the horrors that break so many others bring out all her fierce survivor potential and she becomes such a force of nature - capable of incredible love but also sacrifice and strength and compassion.

Runner Up: Shin Hye Sun's reincarnator in See You In My 19th Life - quirky, damaged, strong, so odd and so vulnerable at once.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

There are a lot of characters who fit that category (King Injo in My Dearest? My God) but the crown belongs to So Ri Bu from Moon in the Day. You think you've seen abusive parents but until you've seen a man abuse his son his whole life and then continue for 1500 years after his death, you ain't seen nothing!

FAVORITE SHIP

The doomed by the narrative OTP of Moon in The Day. Only thing that's better than enemies to lovers is enemies while lovers and their impossible relationship where her killing him is a supreme act of love and his refusing to let go is so strong that he stays around for 1500 years watching her, helpless as she dies over and over again, is everything you ever want.

Runner up: Jang Hyun/Gil Chae, My Dearest. They are so strong and so damaged and it takes them so long to figure out what they feel and what the other person feels but their love and sacrifice and complexities are perfect.

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Kim Shi Yeol/Hong Joo, The Secret Romantic Guesthouse - an assassin bodyguard pretending to be a carefree scholar and a widow of the man he killed to protect his king (and whose life was destroyed as a result.) I enjoyed the main OTP of this drama but I was utterly and completely unhinged for the secondary couple.

I'd have probably picked Rang and his mermaid from TotNT 1938 even over them, but they really were the main OTP of that drama.

NOTP

King the Land couple seems like an easy target but honestly, they are both so terribly bland and antiseptic and marketing by committee, they kinda deserve each other. So I am gonna go with Destined with You, one half of which thinks supernaturally roofying someone into loving them is cute and the other half thinks dating one woman while wooing another is totally a-ok. Ugh.

FAVORITE SCENE

There is no competition for the scene in the slave market in My Dearest, where Jang Hyun finds Gil Chae - the way he screams and tries to clutch the hem of her skirt will live in my head forever.

And the scene where he 'wins' that horrifying bet, or the scene where she finds him in a pile of bodies - they are as good also. Or when he fights off a squad to protect her even though he's sick. That whole drama is perfect.

Runner up: the scene of Do Ha executing Ri Ta's family, covered in blood, as she looks at him from the crowd in Moon in the Day.

Or the scene where he talks about how he cannot live as a person but at least maybe she will kill him and he will die as one. Or when her confession in the past intercuts with his walking in the present, or when he comes home in his bloodied armor and she finds he has a fever and it's the first tender touch he's probably ever known. Her murdering So Ri Bu saying she knows she's going against filial piety in loving her parents' murderer, the way they hug, both bloody, as he says "let's live." The way she says she can't go on as she's hit rock bottom and he replies she cannot quit because she must accompany him to his rock bottom now. Honestly, the drama is a font of amazingness.

Also, the opening scene of Goryeo Khitan War or the scene of Yang Gyu ordering to shoot the captives and having to do so himself.

The OTP meeting again at the intersection at the end of ep 1 of Tell Me That You Love Me. SHS comforting ABH as he's having a traumatic breakdown in 19th Life. The love-making scene in Call It Love. There were a lot of great scenes this year.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Lee Jang Hyun, My Dearest - is that even a competition? He's flawed - vain, often emotionally closed off, not great at processing emotions, lashing out when hurt. He is also incredibly heroic in a real, knows the cost but bears it, kind of way. Whatever he does, he commits utterly but it's never without understanding the cost. He felt both larger than life and utterly real. He went through hell and maintained his soul and the way he loved Gil Chae was breath-taking to behold.

Runner Up: Yang Gyu, Goryeo Khitan War - an experienced military commander who wins an impossible victory even as it ravages his soul. Competence is sexy as fuck.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Rang, Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 - 1938 really was Rang's chance to shine and he took it. For a character I started out disliking in the original, he really stole my entire heart in this drama. I am so glad he got his happy ending with his brother and his girl.

Runner Up: Crown Prince, My Dearest. He started out as a sheltered, spoiled aristocrat, convinced the world owed him for existing. He grew up slowly and painfully into an amazing man. And then was murdered for it and I cried.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

Arthdal - it leaves the story at a good stopping point but it's very much a "world in flux, adventures and conflicts continue" ending and I would love to see more of these characters. I know we won't but it would have been nice.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Behind Your Touch - should have been snipped at birth.

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Vigilante - I don't mean it had scissors taken to it because it's not cdrama and there is no NRTA, but this drama would have benefitted from being longer. I mean, I love fights and gay polycules as much as the next tumblr person but a bit more character development would not have come amiss. (ahaha - I said come. Leave me alone.)

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

I don't care about cops/doctors/trash collectors/whoever - workplace drama centering on their "cases" needs to die. I hate procedurals from any country and Korea is no exception.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Supernatural critter devoted to their OTP with all the power of their long life.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Our Blooming Youth - it was far from terrible but it was a giant meh. I was so excited to see Park Hyung Sik in a sageuk (that wasn't the hot mess that was Hwarang) and I adored the source novel. It actually started well and then...it's like Revenge of the Beige!

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

I want to say Moon in the Day but to be honest, I was excited by posters and trailers so it wasn't wholly a surprise despite not having much of an opinion on the actors before I saw them. So I am going to say My Demon. I was bored by the trailers, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a Kim Yoo Jung drama and before this year I would have said Song Kang was an incredibly limited actor in everything I've seen him in and not appealing to me at all. And here I am rabidly rabiding for this drama!

If I am not limiting myself to dramas but can use this for actors - Hwang Minhyun in My Lovely Liar. I genuinely did not think the man could act and then he gave such a pitch-perfect, nuanced performance out of nowhere!

2023 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

I have actually watched all the kdramas that aired this year that I wanted to check out except for Evilive. I am saving this for when I have time.

BEST NON-2023 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2023

I don't know if I'd say it's the best but Say You Love Me (2004) with Kim Rae Won as a quasi monk seduced away from his true love by an evil older woman was a hell of a ride.

MOST ANTICIPATED

Love Song for Illusion (Lady assassin falls for her royal target who has two personalities), Captivating the King (lady spy falls for her royal target who is tormented) - notice a theme? Also Flower that Blooms at Night because Honey Lee in a sageuk, The Life of Mrs Ock (Lim Ji Yeon in a sageuk), The Love Story of Chun Hwa (an "erotic" sageuk, hmmmm, what?!), Hong Rang (Lee Jae Wook in a super angst sageuk), Queen Woo (that cast and set in Goguryeo!), Wong Kyung (about Lee Bang Won's wife and I love the cast.) Basically, if it's period, I am there with bells on.

#kdrama #year in review #my dearest #moon in the day #call it love #tell me that you love me #goryeo khitan war #tale of the nine tailed 1938 #tale of the nine tailed: 1938 #The Secret Romantic Guesthouse #my demon #the story of park's marriage contract #perfect marriage revenge #Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow #see you in my 19th life #my lovely boxer

311 notes · View notes