#like i know that the vengeance saga just came out

[justsmth2]

*in penelope's costume* this is my husband

[elementalwriter67]

So fun fact about me that you all may not know, but may suspect given my recent reblogs, but I was a Percy Jackson kid growing up. I found the book series in elementary school, fell in love with it and greek mythology in general. The reason I say this is because after having listened to the Epic the Musical (on repeat) I now have a personal headcannon that the Apollo cabin in PJO has it down bad for Epic the Musical and are also listening to it on repeat using the cabin stereo system.

Like it started out small with some of them finding it when the first saga was released and then it snowballed from there until the entire cabin was listening to it by the time the vengeance saga came around. And I can guarantee you that in my headcannon when the Ithaca Saga came out they used the Hermes cabin to get access to wifi so they could watch the livestream premiere. They all cried during it. The Hermes kids had no idea what was going on or why the entire Apollo cabin were having a fucking break down but they were rolling with it.

I also headcannon that since they started listening to it on repeat they have begun singing different songs from the different sagas during campfire night. Some of their offerings at dinner now go to Jorge even though he's not a god but Apollo allows it because he's also started listening to the musical because literally all his kids are obsessed with it and he's got to admit that it's a banger. The Apollo kids have now also started saying things like; "Odysseus would never," when they hear the tea coming from the Aphrodite cabin. They also say "guys that's not very open arms of you."

They've also unanimously created a code phrase that is used both on and off the battlefield and during capture the flag. The code phrase? 600 strike! Which triggers the Apollo cabin like sleeper agents to all close ranks and attack the attacker of who ever called out 600 strike. This has been used in capture the flag before to the utter confusion of both teams but mainly of Percy who was the one it was called on and could not understand why the entirety of the Apollo cabin was now coming at him like he had broken one of their instruments again.

Apollo absolutely, on more than one occasion, come down from olympus while his kids are listening to Epic during the "I can't help but wonder" song just to act out the scene where Odysseus goes "Son, I'm finally home" to have all of his kids there at the time tackle him to the ground. Chiron was concerned when this first happened wondering who pissed who off but after the tenth time that month he's over it and is just letting them do their thing. It's safer that way.

[saixria]

I’m not usually opposed to hcs but this “Ares used dark quick thought to help Odysseus in 600 strike” and other divine intervention theories are getting OUT OF HAND ITS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE (TLDR at the end)

To start, Vengeance saga hit as hard as it did because Odysseus is all alone. Just listen to the intro of dangerous, the pause where the crew should’ve sung in response like in Full Speed Ahead. Because of all the choices he’s made, he’s fully alone now, and this is the first time he’s ever had to fight without his crew. Charybdis being a mortal facing up against a huge unsurvivable monster AND WINNING is what makes it so POWERFUL, and same goes with GITW/ 600 Strike. It’s the most impactful as a 1v1, Odysseus facing the cause of all his grief throughout the musical, he himself delivering every blow onto Poseidon on behalf of his dead crew. It’s CATHARTIC for him, and for us as the audience, because it’s a perfect ending to what Poseidon started in Ruthlessness when he taught Odysseus to be ruthless.

Dark Quick Thought also just kinda. Cheapens his character development. Dark quick thought inherently causes rage according to Jorge, basically making them more ruthless. If we relegate the reason Odysseus was so enraged and ruthless in straight up torturing Poseidon to Ares’ Dark Quick Thought, that just makes all the build up of Odysseus learning to use ruthlessness and to be a monster worthless. Dark QT isn’t why he’s acting so cold and ruthless; it’s all that he’s endured, forcing him to transform into a monster that disregards all morals just to get home, just to survive. It was Odysseus’ own decision to become a monster, like he literally said “I’m gonna use ruthlessness” in the song Dangerous, not because of any Dark QT influence. The fact that all his rage is coming only from himself, from his grief and exhaustion, and not Dark QT makes this moment all the more haunting.

The fact that this is the climax of his transformation is, and I’m not joking when I say this, illustrated by the line “next to my wife”. The whole musical “sleeplessness” (lol) has always been an indicator of guilt. E.g. “until it is said I cannot rest” “I no longer dream only nightmares of those who died” “I could sleep at night” etc. Even in LiP he was still haunted by guilt, since he’s trapped in Ogygia it feels like all he’s sacrificed has been completely worthless — he killed his whole crew for nothing. His response to Poseidon asking him how he’d sleep at night was “next to my wife”, showing he’s truly “thrown his guilt away” all to get home to see his wife — the only thing he cares about now.

Last thing, the gods just don’t like directly interfering in each others business. Hermes gave Odysseus a windbag and advice but that was it, hes still on his own at the end of the day. There’s a reason for why Athena didn’t ask Zeus to tell Poseidon to chill, why Hermes didn’t directly beat Zeus up for Odysseus. That helps make God Games MORE IMPACTFUL, because here are the gods, stubborn and set in their ways against directly helping mortals, and here’s Athena going through the trouble to request divine intervention ANYWAY, all for her friend. It makes no sense for any other god to randomly come and help Odysseus when they don’t even know the man.

I have no problem with people having fun imagining what would happen if the gods had helped Odysseus fight Poseidon, I’m just really frustrated bc I see so many people say this is “what actually happened” or “what should’ve happened” instead of being a fun hypothetical. There is no proof at all that any other gods came to help Odysseus in 600 Strike; the red eyes in the animatic is literally just symbolic and acts as contrast to Poseidon’s blue glowing gills on his shirt during the darkened torture scene.

TLDR: Direct divine intervention in 600 strike makes Odysseus’ isolation less impactful, cheapens his transformation into a ruthless monster and is just not realistic for the gods to do since they don’t interfere with each others business much.

[hecates-corner]

THE VENGEANCE SAGA

🌊 SPOILERS AHEAD 🌊

PLUS, MENTIONS OF S.A.

🔱 NOT SORRY FOR LOVING YOU

Even though Calypso’s actions infuriate me, her actress’ voice (Barbara Wangui) is incredible and so compelling. She sounds like a lotus flower, and just that notion is marvelous, now that I say that. She is the island of the lotus eaters, and I do really like that she isn’t blindly in love with Odysseus.

She can see she hurt him, but she still believes she was in the right. She’s sorry she did all she did, but she wouldn’t take a single moment back. Calypso only admits she’s wrong for “pushing” him. This allusion only shows that she regrets the pain she caused him when she forced him into bed with her, for several years. But does she regret the action?

It’s so well written, an apologist song to make excuses for her. But still, it’s only meant to toy with your emotions. And yet, she doesn’t play the “one song character”, the “tiny plot point”. Jorge gave her pain, and anguish, and loss. He made her seem human, while still holding the godlike apathy and blamelessness.

🔱 DANGEROUS

And onto my favorite song, for the reason alone that it’s a crazy banger with HERMES IN IT! I knew half of this song when it came out, and can lip sync this in my sleep. By the gods, it’s incredible.

Ahem. Right, the analysis. Okay.

Odysseus’ first four of lament in the beginning hurt extra hard when the silence plays out. The crew would have responded… had they lived.

(Anyone else getting nostalgia for last winter from this?? How fast time goes! We have one saga left, and— shoot, right. Ahem ahem.)

And then, the beloved Trickster Lord comes whirling into frame. Dancing. I can just FEEL the light-up floor, the disco ball… you’d think he and Hera would be good friends, huh?

This gives us a little glimpse into Hermes’ lordly self. That he is great with instructions, that he’s almost prophetic with them. He’s not specific, he’s vague, but looking back, you can only go, “OHHHH!” Hermes is a cunning god, and aside from that, he lifts Odysseus’ spirits. He really is Odysseus’ friend.

And then the parallels. To Wouldn’t You Like, to Keep Your Friends Close. Ouch. No, wow. No, scratch that— both.

It makes me wonder if Odysseus “Danger is my middle name” of Ithaca will ever figure out that Athena rooted for him, in the end. Makes me wonder if we’ll hear from Athena again.

🔱 CHARYBDIS

GYATT DAMN. TALK ABOUT INCREDIBLE?!

THIS might be my favorite song, for the typical reasons. You can hear the actions, and when I watched the animatics, it only showed me what I pictured. Perfectly portrayed.

I avoided spoilers for this song, not knowing how good it would be. Damn, am I glad.

Storm parallels, of course. And then, the sheer terror and turn of relief, when suddenly you realize he’s not as close as he thought he was. One last obstacle.

Love the fact that when he sings, “So if you don’t have much to say,” you realize Charybdis won’t be singing. I adored that. This song shows off how smart Odysseus really is.

🔱 GET IN THE WATER

This song is just plain terrifying. It’s scary. It’s cold.

The screaming shakes me to my core. At first, I hadn’t been fully on board (haha) with the choice of Poseidon’s voice actor, and then I took a few more listens to Ruthlessness, and reevaluated that thought. Besides that, he’s quite literally perfect for this song, specifically.

Let me tell you that Steven Rodriguez understood the assignment when he was told to say, “I can’t,” “No,” and “Ruthlessness is … mercy upon … ourselves … DIE!”

Realizing that the line about “gouging [his] son’s eyes” is a cheeky revenge for Polyphemus is incredible. You know what’s funny? Poseidon and Odysseus aren’t so different from each other.

Especially now.

Besides that, oh god, the memories of his loved ones singing into his “final moments” is painful. Thought we’d heard the last of Polites, Jorge? REMEMBER, JORGE?

It’s a double entendre, too. They’re singing to him, telling him to keep going, and yet, they’re telling him that they’re waiting for him, too. Now… some for better, and some for worse.

Will they forgive him the same way he’s forgotten how to do, when he dies?

🔱 SIX HUNDRED STRIKE

Aka, Poseidon discovers the indomitable human spirit.

Let me tell you, hearing the guitar made me gasp. Missed that riff, in all its glory and power, let me tell you. Plus, the wind bag’s theme, too!

This is a boss battle. That’s it. I swear to god, put the instrumental of this banger in Hades by Supergiant.

The screaming in this really made the song. The voice acting. The change of tone. The change of Odysseus’ tone. He’s never been afraid to talk back to gods, has he?

I was only miffed that there was blood on the trident in the animation, and not ichor. But that’s what you get when you’ve been devoted to Greek mythology all of your life, you become an accuracy snob. All in all though, I ADORED that animation. Like… holy shit. Holy FUCKING SHIT!!!

Then, the stabbing and gasping. Poseidon attempting to make him feel bad, second-guess himself, by screaming and calling him a monster.

“Look what you’ve turned me into! Look what we’ve become!” Odysseus KNOWS that he and Poseidon are similar. Fathers willing to defend their honor, and the honor of their sons. However, Poseidon was always defending his own honor, and Odysseus was always protecting the lives of those involved.

And the CHOKING NOISES from POSEIDON??

“After everything you’ve done… how will you sleep at night?”

“Next to my wife.”

AND I GASPED. AND I CHEERED!!!!!!!!!!!

On a much more hilarious note, I saw @justvea18 post a version of this meme as Poseidon. Was giggling my ass off. Go check it out, please.

[willoillo]

So, with the Vengeance Saga out and destroying my brain

I wanna just say that it confirmed something I thought back when the Thunder Saga came? Which is that Odysseus is spending MOST of the song of Suffering desperately trying to convince the Siren to leave them be

Like the entire chorus part is basically him all but telling the Siren as Penelope to leave him be. Why, do we really have to do this, you know I'll die, you should come onto the ship

Before giving up and committing to being the monster. He won't risk his crew or his journey home any longer. The things I'll do for you, Penelope...

I've felt this way for a while? But the way he deals with Poseidon confirmed it for me. Even the god who killed all his comrades and has hunted him for a decade deserves a chance to forgive.

Odysseus believed in kindness. He never wanted to be a monster, even after he realized he would have to be.

... That said. I think that part of him died on the rocks. But we'll see what's left of that man in the Ithaca saga.

[amazingmsme]

Restless ‘Til We Reach Home

Suffering So Endless (ch. 4)

AN: this one’s been locked & loaded for around 2 months, I’ve been keeping it in my back pocket cause I had a feeling there’d be another saga announcement & lo & behold here we are! Happy Halloween & happy vengeance saga release day! This might just be my favorite chapter so far, & I have big plans for what lays ahead! I’d been looking forward to writing this chapter ever since thunder saga, & I’m so excited to finally share it with y’all!

WARNINGS: unlike the previous chapters & my usual works, this chapter is fairly heavy. Trigger warnings for hallucinations, gore, body mutilation, possession & body horror. So again, happy Halloween!

Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 3.5 Ch. 5

Things were good. They were as good as they could be, given the circumstances. Most of the crew still avoided him, but that was okay. Odysseus finally accepted him, and that was all he really wanted.

He was much nicer than he had been, but Polites wouldn't go as far as to say he was being nice. Oh he was definitely kinder when addressing him, but he was nothing but bossy and dismissive to the rest of the crew. But he knew better than to call him out on it; he'd only just gotten back on his good side. Let Eurylochus handle it.

Eurylochus... didn't handle it. He was just as irritable as Odysseus, yet he seemed more on edge than usual.

"Hey there," Polites announced his presence as he floated up through the floor on his way to the upper deck. "Sorry, didn't mean to come through your room. I'm still trying to get used to these short cuts."

Eurylochus sat frozen at the foot of his bed, gripping the laces of his sandals tightly, relaxing as the initial fright began to fade. "It's alright. You know you're always welcomed to drop by."

"Thanks," he chirped, drifting closer. "So how've you been? You seem, I don't know, anxious."

Eurylochus heaved a deep, heavy sigh before he collapsed forward, burying his face in his hands.

"Are you alright? Eurylochus?" he called his name when he didn't respond to his question. Then, his shoulders began to shake, as if he were crying. Wait, he was crying.

"I did something awful, Polites."

He rushed over to sit beside him on his bed, and even though he wasn't fully there, the thin mattress still bowed beneath his "weight."

"Hey, it's okay. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not that bad."

Eurylochus shook his head frantically. "No, no you don't understand. We were almost home, none of this would've happened, it's all my fault," he confessed in a rush.

"Whoa, slow down. What do you mean you were almost home? I know it can feel that way, but I promise it's not."

"It is," Eurylochus wheezed in between sobs. He took a deep, stabilizing breath and began to explain. "After the cyclops, we were plagued with a storm the likes of which we'd never seen. We'd been fighting it for so long, and we finally reached the eye of the storm. As the clouds began to part, we could make out an island in the sky. We managed to anchor to it with some harpoons, and Odysseus went up to bargain with Aeolus." Polites listened on quietly, his brows knit together with a mix of concern, disappointment, and most confusingly, understanding.

He continued, "When he came back, the sky was clear and he held a large burlap sack. It looked heavy, so we asked what was inside, hoping it was something valuable. He snapped at us, warning that the bag held the storm. "It must remain closed at all times," he had said. We all thought he had gone mad. Truth be told, I don't know if anyone believed him. We were all blinded by greed and curiosity. No one thought the bag could actually hold the storm..."

"Oh Eurylochus, don't tell me you-"

He cut him off with a solum nod. "He didn't let that bag out of his sight for over a week. We were so close to home, we could see it on the horizon. But, Odysseus finally drifted off to sleep and I..." he trailed off, his head hung low. "I took the bag and looked inside."

Polites was shocked. He expected this kind of behavior from some of the other crew members, but Eurylochus? Calm, obedient, reasonable Eurylochus?

"Why didn't I just wait until we were home?"

"You didn't know," Polites said for his sake as much as his own.

"I betrayed him, and it cost us everything."

"So, I'm guessing you... haven't told him?"

He deflated at the question, staring at the floor. "No. I tried once, back on Circe's island, but... he was busy. He said whatever it was could wait. And, well, there hasn't really been a good time to do it since."

"There's never gonna be a good time to tell him."

"I know. But there is such a thing as a bad time, you know."

"I know," he said gently. When he didn't answer, Polites took his hand in his and gave it a comforting, reassuring squeeze. "Hey. You can't hide it forever." Eurylochus let out a sarcastic snort at that.

"Thanks, I wasn't planning to, smart ass," he teased, hoping to lift his own mood. It only halfway worked.

"Hey, I'm just saying what you're thinking," he quipped back. Eurylochus sighed, but it didn't sound as heavy as before.

"Thanks for that," he nodded. "For everything, honestly."

Polites offered a warm smile. "Of course! Anytime, okay?"

Eurylochus returned it with a half smile of his own. "Okay."

~~~

At this rate, they were never going to reach home. Any direct path on the open water was blocked by impassable storms and tidal waves, curtesy of the Sea God himself. They were forced to tread shallow waters and dodge massive rocks, taking every overlooked detour that might help them to evade Poseidon's watchful eye.

A thick fog rolled in, settling just above the choppy surface of the water lapping at the ship's hull. The fog continued to spread before them, concealing any obstacles in their path until they are dangerously close.

The men below deck rowed slow and steady, careful of the rocks on either side of the ship. The closed sails whipped and snapped against the mast as the wind caught the fabric. Odysseus steered the ship while Eurylochus stood on the look out for any incoming rocks.

A large shape took form in the distance, concealed by the fog. Eurylochus yelled for him to turn right, but as they grew closer, he realized what lay ahead.

"Captain! It's a ship!"

Odysseus grabbed the nearest soldier and handed them the wheel, making his way over to his first mate.

"What?"

"There, look," he pointed. Odysseus squinted as the large ship finally emerged from the mist. It rested on the surface, dangerously close to the rocks protruding from the water. Atop the deck, there were no signs of any life.

Odysseus held up a hand, stopping him from speaking further. "Something's off. This doesn't feel right."

"I agree, Sir. What do you suppose we do?" he asked genuinely. Odysseus shrugged.

"Come with me. We'll board the ship, and take what we need. It doesn't look like there's any survivors, but it doesn't hurt to check."

"No, no harm in looking," he agreed, purposefully avoiding his gaze. Odysseus didn't seem to notice.

"Polites? Polites, you there?"

It only took a moment before he appeared in front of them.

"Yeah, you need something?" he asked curiously. He caught Eurylochus looking his way before he turned back to look at the water.

"You're in charge of the ship while we're gone. Eurylochus, gear up. You and I are gonna check it out," Odysseus ordered. He stood up straight, giving a curt nod.

"Yes Sir." Eurylochus rushed off to grab his sword and armor, leaving the two of them alone.

"What's going on?" Polites asked, following the captain's line of sight.

"There's a ship by those rocks, but something doesn't feel right," Odysseus said, not taking his eyes off of it for even a second.

"Then is it a good idea to check it out?" he questioned, brows furrowed.

"We won't get answers if we don't look for them. Besides, there could still be someone left on that ship."

Polites smiled softly. "You have a good heart, Odysseus." He snorted in amusement at the comment, and Polites smacked the back of his head on instinct. "Don't laugh, I'm serious!"

Odysseus grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head even though it didn't hurt. "Yeah well, I'm glad someone still thinks so." Polites placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a comforting squeeze.

"It's the truth," he insisted.

Odysseus heaved a sigh, "If you say so."

Footsteps approached from behind, and they both turned to see Eurylochus returning. He wore his battle armor, save for his helmet, and his large sword was slung over his shoulder.

They grabbed a long plank, connecting the two ships. The crew had gathered on the upper deck, curious as to what was happening. Uneasy whispers murmured throughout the crowd.

"Alright everyone, we'll be back soon. Now, get back to work." When no one moved, he repeated himself louder, "I said get back to work!" That seemed to do the trick, and the crew dispersed amongst themselves.

"Be safe you two. And don't do anything stupid," Polites bid them farewell, chuckling at his own joke alongside Eurylochus.

"With this one? No promises," he said, shooting a wink.

"Okay smart ass," Odysseus rolled his eyes, grabbing Eurylochus by the arm and dragging him off. He looked back over his shoulder at Polites, and gave a solum nod.

His breath hitched and he returned the gesture, saying a silent prayer for the both of them.

~~~

Odysseus lead the way as they walked across the narrow plank between the ships. Dark, choppy water splashed against jagged rocks below, spelling certain doom if one were to slip.

He made it to the deck and jumped off, waiting for Eurylochus to follow suit. He landed with a heavy thud, kicking up a thin layer of dust. They shared a concerned look.

"Well that's not a good sign."

"No, it's not," the captain agreed. He scanned the ship with a harsh, skeptical gaze. "Come on, let's look around."

They carefully explored the abandoned ship, swords drawn and ready. It was eerily quiet. Too quiet. Odysseus called out, but received no response. He was walking along the railing when he suddenly stopped and held up a hand, signaling Eurylochus to do the same.

He knelt down, inspecting deep claw marks along the edge of the deck. The rails were broken and splintered, leaving wood shards scattered around the area. Eurylochus squatted down beside him, running his fingers over the scratches.

"What happened to them?"

"If I had to guess? Sirens," Odysseus answered. He stood abruptly, heading towards the stairs. Eurylochus grabbed his wrist.

"Where are you going?" he asked, voice tinged with concern.

"We should check if there's any food or supplies below deck. They're not using it."

He sighed in relief and let him go, nodding in agreement,  "Good idea." He followed close behind, making sure to keep the captain in sight at all times. This place was unsettling, and they didn't know for sure if anyone, or anything was still here.

While rummaging below, they were able to find a spare sail along with a mending kit, and a crate half full of spoiled food. Spare weapons were strewn about the ship haphazardly, indicating that they were willingly discarded.

"Let's just gather what we can and leave," Odysseus ordered as he picked up a shield, slinging it over his shoulder. He turned to his first mate, noticing that he didn't move a muscle. "Eurylochus?"

He startled and snapped himself out of it, "Yes Captain?"

"You alright? Been pretty quiet," he noted, bending down to pick up a spear. "Y'know, this'll go a lot faster if you help," he teased. Eurylochus took a shaky breath, shoulders sagging in defeat. In shame.

"I need to tell you something."

"You can talk and work at the same time, can't you?"

"Ody, please." The nickname caught his attention, and he paused in his gathering. "I need you to listen."

His heart raced in his chest as Odysseus took a step closer. "I'm listening."

Eurylochus closed his eyes and looked away. He didn't even know where to start.

"I have a confession to make."

Odysseus felt himself grow tense. He steeled himself for whatever he was about to hear. A strong sense of dread boiled in the pit of his stomach: he prayed he was wrong about this.

"What is it?"

Eurylochus focused on his breathing. Inhale. Exhale. His chest heaved with each breath, and he could feel a thin layer of sweat gathering on his skin. Just relax.

"I'm the one who opened the bag," he forced it out in one breath. Best to get it over with. He heard a small gasp just as metal clanged on the floor. Both the spear and shield laid unceremoniously at the captain's feet. His eyes slowly trailed up to look Odysseus in the eyes, but he really wished he hadn't.

Odysseus wore a look of shock and complete and utter betrayal. His brows were knit together tightly, mouth slightly agape. He shook his head, taking a step back.

"No. Tell me it's not true."

Eurylochus was crushed under the full weight of what he'd done.

"I'm so sorry, I-"

Odysseus turned away, wanting to leave, to go anywhere that wasn't here.

"Wait! Don't go!"

Odysseus froze where he stood, but didn't turn around.

"I should've believed you, I should've trusted you. I should've made them trust you."

"Yeah, you should've." He drew in a deep, shuttering breath. "But you can't change the past. What's done is done."

"I really am sorry."

"I'm sure you are."

"I tried to tell you on Circe's island, but..."

"I wasn't ready to listen," Odysseus cut him off when it seemed he was at a loss for words.

"That's not what I was going to say."

"But it's the truth." They stood in a tense silence, Odysseus still with his back turned. "I think deep down, I knew. I didn't want to, but I did."

"Please," Eurylochus pleaded. Odysseus finally turned around and forced himself to look at his first mate, his brother, his dear friend. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Odysseus felt his heart ache. From the betrayal, from everything. He gave the only answer he could.

"I don't know." Odysseus turned away wordlessly, walking in a daze.

Eurylochus followed behind, desperate for his forgiveness. "Ody, please-"

The affectionate nickname stung like saltwater in a fresh wound. He reared back, marching up to Eurylochus as he yelled, "You don't get to call me that!"

Eurylochus backed away, a look of hurt and understanding in his tearful eyes. Odysseus held strong for all but a second before he deflated, "Not... not right now."

He supposed that was the best he could hope for.

Though his head hung in shame, a tremendous weight was lifted from his shoulders. He just wished he felt better about it all.

They looked around the empty vessel in a tense silence, interrupted by a hauntingly beautiful, drawn out note. A beckoning call.

Odysseus whipped around to look at him, panic clearly written on his face.

"We have to get back to the ship. Now!"

Eurylochus didn't need to be told twice.

~~~

Odysseus called an emergency meeting as soon as they made it back. He dispersed the newly acquired weapons while explaining the situation at hand. Then, he started giving orders.

They were to set a slow and steady course forward, and everyone was to stuff their ears with beeswax to block the siren's song. Everyone except-

"I'm going to ask them for directions. I'll need to hear what they're saying, so you'll need to tie me to the mast to make sure I don't jump overboard."

Eurylochus and Polites stared at him as if he grew a second head.

"I'm sorry, what?" Polites immediately questioned the same time Eurylochus muttered, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"We only have so much wax, I'd rather make sure that everyone else is safe," he reasoned.

"But what about your safety?" Polites asked, clearly concerned for his friend.

Odysseus barked out a laugh, brushing him off. "That's what the rope is for!"

"Rope can break."

"Not if you use enough of it," he argued. Polites threw his hands up in the air.

"You can't be serious!"

Odysseus didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed a coil of rope. Polites looked to Eurylochus for help.

"You're just gonna let this happen?"

He glanced nervously between his two best friends. "It's ultimately his decision. I personally advise against it, but..." he tilted his head in thought, "It could pay off."

"Have you both gone mad?"

"I think it's for the best. We'll never make it past Poseidon without their help. But they won't tell me if I don't play along."

"It's not playing along if you're hypnotized!"

"I'll keep my wits about me."

"You don't know that!"

"Captain-" Eurylochus spoke up, and the arguing pair turned to him, speaking in unison, "What?"

As they had been talking, the crew passed around the can of beeswax, stuffing their ears until they couldn't hear a thing. By the time it came around to them, it was almost completely empty. "There's barely enough left for one person."

Odysseus stared down at the last of the wax. "I figured as much," he sighed deeply. He picked up the large, heavy coil of rope from the deck and shoved it at Eurylochus. "Be sure to tie me up good and tight."

"Yes Sir," he nodded curtly and began securing Odysseus to the main mast. He started by binding his wrists together, pulling his arms back as far as they would comfortably go. Once he was confident that he wouldn't be able to pull his arms away, Eurylochus started wrapping the length of the rope around both Odysseus and the mast. He walked around in circles, stopping occasionally to pull the rope taught before continuing.

As Eurylochus worked, Elpenor and Perimedes stood on either side of him, taking the chance to annoy their captain while he couldn't fight back. Elpenor gave him a hard noogie, the wax blocking out his orders to stop. Perimedes chuckled and pinched his cheeks, squishing and stretching his face into funny expressions.

Any time Odysseus yelled at them or Eurylochus tried to chase them away, they only pointed at their ears, taunting them about how they "couldn't hear them" and "didn't know what they're saying." It was some much needed levity among the crew, and he didn't mind being the butt of the joke.

The ship continued cutting through the water, moving at a slow and steady pace. The fog rolled in thick and low above the water's surface, concealing what lurked below.

By now, everyone had returned to their stations. Odysseus stood at attention, his head on a swivel the longer they sailed. He began twitching in his bonds, shaking his head and gritting his teeth. They were close, and there was no turning back now.

~~~

Polites was scared. Not just for Odysseus, but oddly enough, for himself. Sure, he was already dead, but he had no idea how the sirens would affect him, or what they would do to a spirit like him- if they could do anything at all.

He was hiding below deck when he first heard it...

"La la la la la la..."

His head snapped up at the lilting, distant sound. "Eurydice?" he called out hopefully. She sounded so close, yet so far away. A flower sprouted between the floorboards, bright red and velvety soft. He bent over and picked it, bringing it up to his nose. He inhaled deeply, a light sweet scent filling his nostrils. The petals were thin and ruffled, and he swore it was growing in his hand.

When he looked up, there were lush vines hanging from the ceiling.

"La la la la la la..."

It was louder now, impossible to ignore. Without thinking, he floated up, through the thick foliage; through the wooden planks. Instead of seeing the crew navigating the ship, he stood beneath a massive pomegranate tree in the underworld.

No, he couldn't be here...

"Polites, over here!"

He turned to see Eurydice sitting on a nearby rock. She looked absolutely radiant, her short dark hair fluttered in the gentle breeze as she flashed a dazzling smile.

Voices danced around in his head.

"Eurydice."

"Eurydice."

"Don't you miss me?" she chirped, crawling closer along her rock.

He smiled, fighting back tears. "More than you know," he insisted, floating closer.

"Don't you wanna come greet me?" she asked as sat up on her knees, arms outstretched and awaiting a hug.

The illusion flickered, and for a moment, he was standing aboard the ship. Men frantically moved around him, distracting him before the illusion slipped back in place. He hesitated, "Eurydice, something isn't right. I know that you shouldn't be here-"

For a split second, anger flashed across her face as he questioned her. It was gone so quick, Polites thought he imagined it. "Relax, everything will be okay. Jump in the water and we can wash your fears away."

"Well I would, but I already died, and you know you did too."

"I would take the suffering from you." She leapt off the rock, almost freezing in the air before slipping beneath the surface. She emerged with a genuine grin, pushing wet hair away from her face.

Polites wanted nothing more than to jump in after her. And yet, he still floated at the edge of the railing. "As good as that sounds, it's just too good to be true."

"I can take the suffering from you." She spun around in the water, twirling in a tight circle as a water spout brought her up to his level.

"You stayed under ground, and we said our goodbyes." He tried to cling to logic and reasoning, but Eurydice reached out to him, cupping his face in her gentle hands.

"I will take the suffering from you." She pulled him in closer, pressing their foreheads together. She ran her fingers through his hair, holding him as if she was afraid he'd disappear. He hasn't been held like that in so long...

"I wish I could do the same for you," he said, reaching out to cup her face as tears filled his eyes.

"Won't you shelter us?" she belted, grabbing his hands and pulling him towards her. He took another step, walking through the air to follow. "Harbor me with your open arms, from the wind, the wind, the wind."

The wind. That's right; she had died in a terrible storm. The Gods themselves caught her in their wrath and tore her asunder. Poseidon wished to do the same, which was why they had sailed through such dangerous waters.

That's not her, no matter how much you wish it was.

"I-I'm sorry, I have to go..." he slipped free from her grasp, floating backwards to keep her in his sight. Her eyes filled with fear as she reached out for him, her hand phasing through his wrist this time.

"Don't leave me again!" she begged grabbing the railing to hoist herself up. She crawled towards him on the deck, the illusion beginning to fall apart around them, but she stayed the same. A perfect replica. "Wait for me! I'm comin'. Wait I'm comin' with you," she reached out, lacing their fingers together.

This wasn't right. This wasn't real. He took a step back, and she held on tighter, utter desperation clear in her voice, "I'm coming, wait for me! We hear the walls repeating!"

She wasn't real...

"The fallin' of our feet and it sounds like drummin'!"

Polites doubled over, hands over his ears as tears began to flow. He shook his head, "You're not her!"

"And we are not alone," she sang, her voice invading every thought. "You hear the rocks and stones, echoing our song!"

She sounded so desperate, so pleading, Polites could barely stand it. And then a blood curdling scream shattered what was left of the twisted mirage.

~~~

Polites was back on the deck. He supposed he always had been, but it had all felt so real... until it hadn't.

Eurylochus had stabbed a siren straight through the tail as it crawled towards Odysseus. It looked exactly like Penelope, yet he never so much as flinched when she was skewered right before his eyes.

The crew had caught the rest of the sirens in large nets and threw them on the deck carelessly. They writhed and flopped around, tangling themselves in the net and with each other. Elpenor wrenched the Eurydice siren away from him, despite his pleading protests.

"Whoever she is, it's not her! You're fucking dead and she still tried to kill you!" he hissed as he wrestled her down, allowing Perimedes to pin her to the deck with a spear through her tail.

"No wait!" he called out helplessly, but a voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.

"He has a point Polites," Odysseus said as Eurylochus cut him free with a swift slice at the mast. "They don't care if you're dead or alive; they only want one thing. Isn't that right?" he asked, addressing the Penelope siren and lifting her chin with the tip of his sword.

"We're sorry, we'll let you pass! Please spare us, and we can all be on our way!" she tried to bargain for their lives. Odysseus stood emotionless and unwavering.

"Why, so you can kill the next group of sailors who dare to pass by? Yeah, I don't think so," he said, stalking closer, his sword gripped tightly in his hand. "We saw what you did with the last crew. You would've killed every last one of us and stripped our bones clean."

"But that didn't happen! So just-"

"No, it didn't happen because I refused to let it," he spoke in a low, dark tone. Polites had never seen Odysseus look so determined and angry. And yet... there was a sick satisfaction underneath it all.

Odysseus stood up to his full height, yelling out for all to hear, "I'm done granting mercy to those who don't deserve it!" The crew burst into loud cheers, yelling out their agreement and support. "We're through suffering at the hands of monsters like you!" The war cries grew louder, they raising their swords in the air, beating their chests. Polites stood in shock, unable to move.

"This ends here and now!" The men whooped and hollered, and Odysseus had to raise his voice even louder to be heard over them. "Cut off their tails! Throw their bodies back in the water, let them drown," he ordered, and the sirens immediately began wailing and pleading.

"What? No, you can't! Odysseus, please don't do this!" Polites tried to reason with his friend, but he refused to listen.

"If I don't, they'll kill everyone. On our ship, and the next, and the next. I'm ending this now, whether you like it or not," he held firm in his decision as the slaughter began. Polites could only watch on in absolute horror at the scene before him.

"That's not your friend, that's not my wife, and that damn sure isn't my sister," he spat as he pointed to each imposter.

All Polites could hear were earth shattering screams and ear piercing shrieks. Swords swung through the air and came crashing down on the deck, sending blood splattering every direction. The sirens crawled over each other as they tried to escape, getting trapped in the nets and choking themselves as they tried to force their way to safety. They amputated their own limbs as they failed to squeeze through the nets, the rope cutting through their skin and flesh like water. Fully formed arms and hands splattered against the deck in a bloody shapeless mass. Their tails laid limp and gelatinous once severed from their bodies, and the sirens began to morph and loose form. Blood, as well as a clear, viscous liquid spilled from their wounds, and their bodies deflated and flopped around lifelessly, slowly becoming nothing more than vaguely human shaped water sacks.

"See Polites? They were never human," Odysseus spoke calmly, as if that would put him at ease; as if that was the point, as if any of that mattered.

The carnage spilled over the deck was inhuman, but that didn't make it any less wrong.

"You think that's the problem? That they weren't human?" Polites asked, barely above a whisper. He stared at the twitching, moaning blobs on the deck as his friends kicked and shoved their bodies into the ocean below. "That was brutal a-and cruel, and-"

"Justified."

Polites stared at his friend in horror. "Who are you?"

"The man who's going to get us home. No matter what the cost."

~~~

Polites was restless. He spent most of his time invisible and out of sight, but he paced constantly.

He couldn't stop thinking of the sirens.

Sure she might not have Eurydice, but she was her own person, with her own life. They all were. They probably had friends and family lurking below. What if they had been mothers. Even without a stomach, the thought made him sick.

He couldn't let himself spiral. Eurydice is safe in the underworld. She's safe and sound, underground. See? You still have a sense of humor. You're still you. And she's still safe, that wasn't her. It was someone else.

And yet, he couldn't let it go.

~~~

It was strange: no matter where he was, he could always tell when someone was looking for him. Regardless if he was on the opposite side of the ship, he could hear his name being called as clear as day. Which was why he knew Odysseus was wanting to talk to him.

"You called?"

"Yeah, I need your opinion on something," he said, eyes never leaving the map spread out before him.

"Sure. About what?" he asked, drifting over to the desk. He peered over his shoulder, scanning the path ahead. It looked like they were headed straight for...

"The sirens said the only way home was through the lair of Scylla," Odysseus confirmed his fears.

"And you believe them?" he questioned.

"They were about to kill me, they had no reason to lie."

"It's too dangerous!"

"Poseidon's worse! You weren't there, so you didn't see it first hand. But sailing on the open water would be a death sentence for every last one of us. Scylla... at least she's a gamble."

"Odysseus, I'm telling you, it's not worth the risk!"

"So you're saying I should test our luck with Charybdis?"

"No!"

"Then Scylla is our best bet. I don't know, maybe we could kill her if we just-"

"I'll do it."

"What? Polites, you can't-"

"I'm already dead, there's nothing I have to worry about. But she could kill you, or any one of our friends. And trust me, dying isn't fun!"

"I know that!"

"Then act like it!"

Odysseus gripped the edge of his desk, taking a deep breath. "I don't know what to do, and I'm scared Polites. I'm fucking terrified. That's why I need you to weigh in here."

"And I said I'll handle it!"

"Care to elaborate? 'Cause I don't like how vague that sounds."

Polites thought long and hard about the problem ahead. An idea suddenly came to him, but he didn't like it. But... it was the best chance they all had.

"Maybe I could... I don't know, posses her? And hold her off until you make it through," he suggested hesitantly. Odysseus stared at him in shock.

"You really think you could do that?"

"I possessed Eurylochus without even trying-"

"That's not the same thing!"

"I know it's not, but do you have any better ideas?"

Odysseus remained silent.

Polites let out a heavy sigh. "I know it's not... ideal. But you have to trust me on this, okay?"

"Okay," he said hesitantly, nodding slowly, "Okay," he was nodding faster now, seemingly more sure of himself and their plan. "Yeah, this could work."

Polites smiled and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, icy and cool to the touch: it felt relaxing. "It's going to."

~~~

They only had a day to prepare for Scylla. Odysseus told no one where they were going, knowing it would send them into a panic. He had considered warning Eurylochus, but after some heavy consideration, he decided against it.

Polites was nowhere to be seen, but that was pretty typical behavior now. Yet instead on remaining aboard the ship, he lurked deep below the waves. He'd recently discovered that he can travel through water as if it were air. He didn't have to worry about breathing, so he could stay for however long he wanted. But it was colder, much colder.

He was hunting. Not for food, mind you, he was hunting for something to practice on.

It took him a while, but he happened upon a great fish; slick gray with a mouth full of razors, and more than half the size of their boat. He "swam" behind it, observing it from above. Finally, he dove into it, seizing control of the massive body.

Confusion. Fear. Anger.

The shark thrashed about, dashing left to right and cutting tight circles through the water. He tried his best to calm it down and fight against the creature's natural instinct to force him out.

We just want to hunt. I'm not hurting you, we're just going to act natural. Take me where the fish are.

It seemed to listen, slowing down as its swimming pattern became less erratic. It silently guided him, and Polites sat in the back of the creatures mind, waiting to strike. Out of the vast endless blue, a shape took form. A large sword fish, chasing a school of mullet. Perfect.

Don't be scared.

Polites was in full control now, and he felt the rush as animalistic instincts kicked in. He flew through the water, striking the fish from behind. His vision went white and milky as teeth tore into flesh, ripping off a large hunk and letting the shark swallow its prey. Polites thrashed his head, biting over and over, becoming familiar with the act of possessing a beast. 

He made quick work of the swordfish.

As the feeding frenzy came to an end, Polites relinquished control, allowing the shark to regain its body and mind. It swam away in a panic, disappearing into the cobalt abyss. Polites shuddered at the thought of what other monsters lurked just beyond his sight.

~~~

They reached Scylla's lair just before noon the next day. The sky grew darker as they sailed closer, large black clouds looming overhead to block out any sunlight. Polites shared a look with Odysseus from across the deck, and the captain gave him a subtle nod. He returned the gesture and disappeared, slinking off the ship unnoticed. Being invisible was awesome.

On board the ship, Odysseus stood stoically at the wheel. He had already given out his orders, and they were to sail slow and steady straight ahead. He split the crew in half, sending one group to row while the rest of the men closed all the sails and prepared for a storm. He didn't know what they were about to face, but he knew they needed to be ready.

"You're quiet today," Eurylochus must have snuck up behind him while he was lost in thought.

"Not much to say," he answered with a shrug.

"Do you even know where we're going?"

Yes. "I'm pretty sure."

His first mate arched a brow. "Just pretty sure? That's not the Ody I know," he teased, throwing an arm around his shoulders to loosen him up a little. "You can relax, there hasn't been a storm all day. I think Poseidon has finally given up on us."

If only. "I think he's just taking the day off," Odysseus joked along. Eurylochus chuckled. Odysseus hesitated before asking, "Can you do something for me?"

"Anything," he complied.

"It's gonna be pretty dark through the passage way, and we need to see what's ahead. Light up six torches and pass them out."

"Yes Sir." He turned away to go do as he was asked. Odysseus heaved a tense sigh, gripping the wheel tightly. He closed his eyes, and for the first time in years, he sent a prayer to the gods.

He prayed to Athena- for her forgiveness, to grant them all her protection and strength. To Hermes for his good fortune and speed. And to Thanatos, to please spare them for another day, and if they weren't so lucky, to make it quick and painless. He didn't know if they were listening, or if they even cared. Hermes cared, or at least he thought he did. He seems like he genuinely wants to help, even if he has a funny way of showing it. Thanatos has always been an indifferent kind of God, and he doubted he cared about the outcome either way. But Athena... he had no idea where her head was at. They left on bad terms, she said things that cut deep, and he returned the favor in full. He didn't blame her if she hated him, if she never wanted to see him again. He knew he didn't deserve her help, and yet, here he was asking.

They entered the mouth of the cave, and with each passing second, the remaining light slipped away. Soon, the torches offered the only light by which to see.

~~~

Polites had found Scylla a while ago, and she's just as monstrous as they all say. Even asleep, she was a ghastly sight: her face was gaunt and sunken with wet, stringy black hair fanned out around her. Six other heads protruded from her neck, her back, stretching and morphing itself into sickening blobs of flesh where they connected to her body. The heads themselves were sharp, almost angular in shape and resembled eels. Polites hated eels. Where she should have legs, slithering tentacles writhed amongst themselves, and from her lower stomach grew the heads of wolves, fur fusing with sickly gray scales, morphing into each other and with her.

She had no clue he was there, and he needed to keep it that way up until the last second.

Polites could see the outline of the ship come into view. One of the long necks rose into the air, taking a few long, deep sniffs. He watched as the head grew frantic, awaking Scylla and the other heads. She focused her large, black eyes on the ship and smiled. Her face nearly split in half, revealing rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth. Her skin began to crack and her hair finally fell over her shoulders, concealing herself behind a curtain of black. She silently slipped into the water and Polites followed suit.

~~~

Odysseus stood as still as a statue, eyes scanning the water for any sign of Scylla, but all he could see were shapes in the darkness moving across the deck. Six held torches.

Eurylochus stood watch at the front of the ship, holding his torch higher when he thought he saw something moving in the water. The firelight reflected off the surface as he leaned over the railing, watching as something sleek and slithering dipped below the gentle lapping waves. He turned to look over his shoulder, calling out, "Captain! Something approaches..."

Before he can continue, he hears Perimedes speak up from beside him, and the utter horror in his voice makes his blood run cold. "What the fuck?"

Eurylochus whips around to face whatever it was and drops the torch in sheer terror.

"Hello."

Her voice is raspy, unnatural, like it's more than just her talking. Her massive black eyes flash white as she bares her teeth, and her neck stretches out to its full length, completely towering over the ship as the rest of the heads grow.

Odysseus stared on with a cold gaze. Now.

"Row for your lives!" he screamed the command as loud as he could, hoping to snap them out of their fear so they could get out as fast as possible.

This was the gamble of a lifetime.

One of the heads dove straight for a torch, and the deck ignites with the screams of men. But before it can clamp its jaws around anyone, it makes a sharp right turn and lunges at another head that was headed straight toward Eurylochus. He snapped out of it and picked up his torch, running away.

Huge, powerful jaws snap down on its own throat as Scylla and the affected head let out a piercing shriek.

~~~

Polites has never been more afraid. Even when he was fighting the cyclops, it wasn't as bad as this. He was dead, and yet he didn't know what she'd do to him if she ripped him out of her body. But all of that paled in comparison to the fear he had for his brothers.

The extra head was mostly thoughtless, focusing solely on an insatiable thirst for blood. Even its confusion over his presence was vague.

He saw its twin set its sights on Eurylochus and he shot forward, mouth open wide. He felt his teeth, far too many, pierce through thick, armored skin. An ungodly noise ripped free from the beast as both heads screamed. She began to writhe and squirm, and Polites felt a hand grab him by the neck, desperately clawing at him to pull him away.

"Who are you?"

Polites clamped down harder, hot blood gushing down his throat and pouring out of the sides of the monster's mouth. As the head got a taste of the blood it craved, it ripped more ferociously, guzzling the hot, thick liquid with a desperation Polites had never seen before.

When Scylla was successful in pulling him away, he jumped to the injured head and began attacking the one still in her grasp. Another painful wail echoed off the cave walls as she stumbled in the water, creating large waves. The ship struggled to navigate them without slamming against the cave walls or submerged stalagmites.

This head wasn't much different, but it had an insatiable hunger for flesh. Polites gave it exactly what it wanted, ripping off large, meaty chunks and swallowing them whole. He tore into it until he felt his teeth scraping bone. With each bite and thrust, his own wounds throbbed and oozed more blood. He grew hungrier as the beast grew weaker. When he left, it let out a gurgling death rattle and fell limp. Scylla's screams shook the cave, and rocks began falling.

He possessed the next head that tried to grab Leander, attacking another that had cornered Perimedes.

"What are you? Get out!" She was trying to tear him away by the base of her neck. Long, sharp claws dug into her own skin as she frantically tore deep, bloody gashes into herself.

Thirst.

The monstrous instinct took over and teeth puncture through scales and arteries to drink its fill, making sure to shred its prey to pieces in the process.

Hunger.

This one acts completely starved, slashing through thick muscle and bone with ease. It shook its head ferociously as it devoured its brother until its dying breath.

The other two heads were circling the boat as Scylla cried out in pain. The wolves grew anxious and angry, snarling and howling in sync with their mother's mournful wails.

Bloodlust.

It was easier by now. He knew what to expect as hot blood burst beneath the pressure of his jaws, splattering on the deck with a satisfying wet slap.

Feast.

He bit and ripped with everything he had, swallowing chunks of meat bigger than he was. Large hunks fell to the deck with disgustingly heavy thuds while others still hung on by a thick strand of tissue.

"Stop! Let go!" she commanded, but she sounded scared, frantic. The wolves sensed her unease and began fighting amongst themselves, baring their teeth and nipping at each other, until one finally tore into her own stomach. Then, they all dug in.

She screeched so loudly, the Gods themselves could hear her pain. And somewhere on her island, Circe smiled.

Polites wasn't even doing that... Okay maybe he was the first to bite her, but he didn't expect for them all to turn like that.

Tears trailed down Scylla's face and blood gurgled inside her throat as she tried to speak. Red began to drip past her lips as she struggled and gasped for air. "W-what are you?"

The question made him feel sick.

Who was she to be so horrified of him?

Finally, he slipped inside her mind to answer her question. I'm just a man protecting my friends.

"And I-I'm just trying to survive," it sounded painful for her to talk. "But... I'm tired of that. So tired." Her breath was shallow and raspy.

Polites was bombarded with glimpses of a beautiful young girl, with a rich, fulfilling life of her own. One with family and friends... a deep love and a wicked curse born from jealousy.

An immense guilt began to drown him.

She looked up at him with dull, hollow eyes, pleading, "Please... finish it. Let me rest."

With shaky hands, Polites raised her arms up and cupped her face. He closed her eyes, and with one swift jerk, she fell completely still.

~~~

Every man stood on the deck, petrified with fear. Pieces of flesh the size of boulders littered the blood soaked deck. The men themselves were drenched red, some still trembling in shock. Eurylochus felt dizzy and he dropped to his knees. He caught himself, hands resting in a sticky puddle. He lifted an arm, and the blood dripped off in thick gooey strands. He tried to scramble back to his feet, but he kept slipping, and the more panicked, the more he fell. Asterios and Elpenor rushed to his side, helping to steady him.

Polites appeared on the deck, and everyone was staring at him just as they had that first day back. He pretended like it didn't hurt.

He looked at all of them, then looked at Odysseus, frozen in complete shock.

He thought of the sirens, how they begged for their lives, how he begged for their lives. How he had looked at all of them the way they were looking at him now. And then, he bowed.

"Polites, just what the hell was that? That wasn't what we talked about!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is excessive violence only okay when you're the ones doing it?"

[indiestsnake]

holy shit the vengeance saga tied the knot on all of epic the musical for me HOLY FUCK

I was always a big fan of epic since I found it. I found it decently early on, right before the Circe saga released, but only really got into it right after the thunder saga came out. And I always thought the music and use of motifs was really, really good, but the lyrics and writing came off a bit on-the-nose.

It was by no means a dealbreaker. The writing is good, the story is wonderful!! but the pacing and characters always felt a bit inconsistent to me, and overall it suffers from being a bit too fast moving at times. And a fanbase that is convinced grey morality is nonexistent and the whole odyssey was Eurylochus’s fault, despite the fact that Odysseus was the one who pissed off Poseidon. But regardless.

The vengeance saga makes it work.

It’s not flawless! I think its writing is wonky in some spots, like where Ody uses the wind bag as a jet pack to beat the god of the sea. But I can forgive. Because the end of six hundred strike makes it work.

Silly me! I thought ol’ quick witted Odysseus was gonna use his big ol’ brain to outsmart Poseidon’s storm, or maybe even convince him to chill out!

No.

He takes the god’s trident and impales him. To make him call it off.

And they hold on it.

For a while.

This isn’t some “raise the weapon, cut away” torture scene. This is Odysseus stabbing Poseidon with his own trident as he screams in agony. Over. And over. And over. He yells and shouts, “HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE HELPLESS?! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO KNOW PAIN?!”

“LOOK WHAT YOU TURNED ME INTO!!!”

He doesn’t even think about stopping when Poseidon begins to beg. He screams, “Stop, enough, stop!!!” And he doesn’t even flinch. If Poseidon hadn’t put his entire soul into that “ALRIGHT!”, I’m convinced Odysseus would’ve put the trident right through his skull.

This is a man mourning what he was, and hating what he is. This is a man who is broken. Who is convinced that ruthlessness truly is mercy, and there is no point in greeting anything with open arms. A man who is prepared to collapse into Penelope and never greet the world outside her with anything but a scowl, and spend his nights in hell as the ghosts of the people he’s murdered sob at his feet. It ties the Monster arc up better than Scylla or different beast ever could, and honestly now I doubt they were supposed to.

I don’t even think he believes Penelope can take the suffering anymore. I don’t think he believes she will make him alright.

He just has to see it through.

It makes everything that’s happened since monster work perfectly. The character arc is fucking magnificent. From a man dropping an infant from a wall to save his family…

To a man convinced there is no point in showing mercy to Poseidon.

Because… you know the line.

[twisted-dork]

One Piece x Obamitsu!Reader x EPIC Avenging Ace

So I have been listening nonstop to The Vengeance Saga after the livestream (as one Epic fan does when a new saga drops) mainly 600 strikes thinking of what Ctimene would do in ASFIAWIHBA when I start thinking what other characters would this work for?

At first Tanjiro/Nezuko vs Muzan came to mind (might make a TikTok about that if no one else does) then I remember what an old post that has been getting a bit of attention ObaMitsu!Reader then I think this is her Avenging Ace so here you go!

Warning: I haven’t seen one piece in like a year or two so I apologize if I get something wrong or if the characters are out of character. Also whipping with her katana (even though he deserves all the pain).

Context: In an AU where Ace didn’t survive in ObaMitsu!Reader’s universe she would hunt down Admiral Akainu to avenge her brother who she knew didn’t deserve to die despite being a pirate but she wouldn’t kill him.

*After fighting Admiral Akainu he was exhausted while ObaMistsu!Reader was standing as she glared at him*

Admiral Akainu: “You Idiot Can't you see? You sealed your fate just to beat me! You gave your brother’s location when you came! Giving away his entire crew! Now I’ll go after them, NEXT!

ObaMitsu!Reader: “…You're going to leave them alone.”

Admiral Akainu: “Or what? You won’t kill me.”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “I know” *unsheathes katana*

Admiral Akainu: “wait-WAIT!”

*ObaMitsu!Reader starts to strike him with her whip-like katana as she remembers Ace’s pain*

Admiral Akainu: “AAAHH—”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE HELPLESS?”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “HOW DOES IT FEEL TO KNOW PAIN?”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “I WATCHED MY BROTHER DIE IN HORROR”

(Admiral Akainu: “WHOAAH!!”)

ObaMitsu!Reader: “CRYING AS HE DIED IN VAIN.”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “I HEARD HIS FINAL MOMENTS, CALLING ME SISTER IN PAIN!”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “LOOK WHAT YOU’VE TURNED ME INTO!”

(Admiral Akainu: “HAAAHH!”)

ObaMitsu!Reader: “LOOK WHAT WE’VE BECOME!”

Admiral Akainu: “ENOUGH.”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “ALL OF THE PAIN THAT I’VE BEEN THROUGH-”

Admiral Akainu: “STOP!”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “HAVEN’T HE’S BEEN THOUGH ENOUGH?”

Admiral Akainu: “STOP!!”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “YOU DIDNT STOP WHEN I BEGGED YOU.”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “TOLD ME THE CLOSE MY HEART.”

Admiral Akainu: “YOU-”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “YOU SAID THIS WORLD WAS DARK!”

Admiral Akainu: “MONSTER!”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “DIDNT YOU SAY THAT RUTHLESSNESS IS MERCY UPON OUR—”

Admiral Akainu: “ALRIGHT!”

Admiral Akainu: “please.”

ObaMitsu looked at the admiral with disgust she had made sure that he wouldn’t be able to lift his arms for a while at a minimum he would have nerve damage. As she turned to leave to join her brother’s crew the admiral had the nerve to ask one last question that she decided to answer.

Admiral Akainu: “After everything you've done. How will you sleep at night?”

ObaMitsu!Reader: “Protecting my brother by his side.”

[beautifuldreamertwisteduntome]

Okay so I was listening to the vengeance saga and oooh boy that last song had me freaking out, and going back to listen to the songs just had me imagining that final part with Azul as Poseidon and Lilia as Odysseus.

Imagine, it’s been twenty years, he’s lost so much, he’s been away from home for so so long, missed his boy, his son, his Silver growing up, faced things that no other mortal could, and he lived. He lived goddamnit! He was so close and this bastard of a man, of a god, tried to keep him from home. He fought a god, he fought a god and won. So why is this bastard laughing, why is he laughing as though he is the victor.

“You idiot! Can’t you see? You sealed your fate just to beat me!” The god laughed as the wind roared around them, “You released my storm when you opened that bag!” He was laughing like a madman, and Lilia had met more than a few, “You blocked your one way home! Now you’ll never get back!”

Lilia felt something inside him snap, as though the last fiber of his rope of patience and mercy had finally snapped. He could hear the blood roaring, pounding in his ears. Lilia could only see red.

“You’re going to call off that storm.” Lilia asks, his voice calm, the kind of calm that hid a raging storm behind it, the kind of calm that made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. He turned to the god, hair plastered to his skin from the rain that beat down from above, slowly limping towards the injured cecaelia. He’d lost his favorite weapon, his magearm long ago. When? He nary had a clue. But you didn’t live as long as he did without being adaptable.

“Or what? You can’t kill me! You can’t kill a god!” Azul laughed at him, as though Lilia had any care in the world left. He might not be able to kill a god, but he could make one suffer.

Lilia picked up the gods fallen trident. It truly was a beautiful thing, flawless craftsmanship, a good weight to it, truly a weapon worthy of a god. But now, that same beautiful weapon would be used against the very god that wielded it.

“Exactly.” Was all Lilia said before tightening his grip on the trident, with all the rain, his hands and the staff were slippery, but he wouldn’t lose his grip. No, he’d hold it firmly, he wouldn’t lose his grip, not even for a second. As the general raised the trident, it seemed that Azul finally realized what would happen if he didn’t stop the storm as his laughter finally died down, eyes widening.

“Wait! WAIT!” But Lilia did not wait as he stabbed the god with his own weapon, ichor staining the weapon and Lilias skin, trailing down his body as the rain poured down from above.

“How does it feel to be helpless?!” Lilia demanded, stabbing the god again, ignoring the gods screams, “How does it feel to know pain?!” Ichor was beginning to stain the ground as Lilia stabbed him again and again, “I watched my friends die in horror!” Lilia screamed, remembering his fellow soldiers, his comrades, his brothers in arms, his friends, remembering their screams as this god drowned them with no mercy, “Crying as they were all slain!” He remembered the ghostly hands as he was sinking to the depths of the ocean, the voices, wanting him to join them, “I heard their final moments! Calling their captain in vain!”

Lilia took a shaky breath as he tore the trident out again from the gods bleeding body, tightening his grip once more, the rain and ichor making his hands slippery. But he wouldn’t let that stop him. He’d gouge out the cecaelia’s eyes with his bare hands, he’d rip him limb from limb, he’d tear out his organs with his teeth, he’d do anything to make this god regret crossing him.

With each stab he took at the gods body, he marked off the name of each man under his command, each friend he watched die, each year he was away from home, each year he was trapped with that damned goddess, each monster he had to fight, each person he had to kill with his own hands. He didn’t stop, even as the memories and images came to mind, even as the ground grew wet with golden ichor, even as it stained his skin and clothes, even as the god screamed below him, even as rain and thunder pounded on from above, he didn’t stop, not for a second. Lilia would make this god pay for stopping him from going home. He would bear the brunt of Lilias anger. Ruthlessness was mercy, for which Lilia had none left.

“Look what you turned me into!” Lilia yelled over the thunder, stabbing the god, over and over again. He knew that his son wouldn’t recognize him, how could he? His father had become a monster, and he’d gladly become one too. “Look what we’ve become!”

“Enough!” Azul yelled, trying to stop Lilia from piercing his body with the trident again, but Lilia didn’t listen. Why should he when Azul didn’t stop when he begged for mercy, when he apologized for his actions against the gods son. Azul didn’t stop, so neither will he.

“All the pain that I’ve been through!” Lilia screamed as lightning struck overhead, ignoring the god as he begged for the general to stop, “Haven’t I suffered enough?!” “Stop!” Azul cried out, pain clear in his voice as Lilia stabbed him again and again, rain and seawater mixing with golden ichor. “You didn’t stop when I begged you! You told me to close my heart!”

Azul tried to stop him from stabbing him again, fingers weakly grabbing at the trident, but his attempts were to no avail as the weapon pierced his skin over and over again, turning him into an immortal pincushion. “You…”

“You said the world was dark!” Lilia screamed at Azul, his voice hoarse. But no, he would keep screaming, keep stabbing and impaling until this bastard of a god stopped the storm so he could get home. “Monster!!” Azul yelled as though that would hurt him. Yes, Ashengrotto. He was a monster, one of his own creation. Thank you for noticing.

“Didn’t you say that ruthlessness is mercy upon our-“ before he could take another stab at the god, Azul held out a weak hand, trembling from the loss of ichor and his injuries. “Alright! Please…” the god begged for mercy as the storm slowly stopped around them. The winds began dying down, the clouds slowly began to dissipate, the rain slowing down before stopping, but the sun didn’t shine through. Fitting, why would the bright, golden sun, ever cast its bright, shining light upon a monster like him.

Lilia only dropped the trident, wet with its owners ichor, hands stained gold, proof of Azuls godhood. He turned, having nothing left to say to the god, not even a thank you.

“After everything that you’ve done,” Azul spat at the mortal, trying to sit up, “how will you sleep at night?” Now, it was Lilia's turn to laugh, a cold cold laugh, unlike Azul's manic laughter earlier. “Next to my wife.” Lilia said, barely even deigning to glance at the god before walking away.

[epic-kotlc-crossover]

Love In Paradise (Part I)

yes this is in 2 parts. im evil. enjoy!

@sombrathedragon @myfairkatiecat @bookwormgirl123 @justalunaticfangirl @ham-cheese-toastie

@thesfromhms

@ the people I'm forgetting im sorry its late and vengeance saga comes out soon.

Happy Halloween!!

7 YEARS AFTER THUNDER BRINGER

Athena looked down on Greece from her room on Mount Olympus when a distant memory came to the front of her mind.

Fitz. She couldn’t believe that she’d forgotten about her hero. Or… former hero. She hadn’t tried to contact him since the Cyclops battle. 

“Old friend… Let’s see where you’ve been,” she said softly. Her mind was flooded with scenes of his journey as she spoke. 

“Remember me! I am the infamous–”

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer–” the wind goddess warns.

“Ruthlessness is mercy upon–” Posiden shouts as Fitz’s crew drowns all around him

“If you make one wrong move then you’re done for–” Biana tells her brother, drawing her dagger.

“I see a song of your past romance, I see–” Jolie says, her eyes closed while Fitz’s face crumbles to hopelessness.

His soldiers shout, “We won’t take more suffering from you!” as they murder the sirens.

“Drown in your sorrows and fears–” Scylla murmurs while snatching up Fitz’s comrades in her massive jaws.

“Captain?”

“I…I have to see Sophie.”

“But we’ll die,” Keefe murmurs, tears streaming down his rain-soaked cheeks.

“I know….” Fitz replies, hanging his head.

“Fitz….Where did you go?” She asked as her eyes opened. Her hero had been through so much. Maybe it was time to help out.

7 YEARS EARLIER

FITZ’S POV

Fitz slowly opened his eyes, rubbing the sand out of them. 

“Morning sleepyhead,” said a playful voice from above him. The voice belonged to a beautiful woman, dressed in a sea-blue dress. Her curly brown hair was long enough to reach her back, and she wore a necklace of seashells. “You’ve been resting for a while. I could’ve sworn that you were dead when you washed up here. Did you know that you talk in your sleep? I’m curious, though, who is Sophie?”

“She’s my wife,” he said, standing and brushing the sand off of his tattered clothes. 

The woman paused, her face turning to pain for a moment before continuing. “Anyways, I’ve got all you could want or need here. It’s just you and me, stuck in paradise.”

“I’m not your man,” he warned. 

“Now till the time, you’re mine, all mine,” she said over him.

Fitz snorted. “Hell no! I could kill you where you stand. I’m not a pet, I’m a married man.” Fitz drew his sword, which had miraculously stayed on his belt since…. His memories were slowly returning, the sound of the thunder… the look in Keefe’s eyes as he was thrown overboard… Fitz shuddered, tears threatening to spill over. 

“Oh, handsome, you can try, but last I checked, goddesses can’t die,” she said, giggling. 

“Goddess?” Fitz said wearily. Why can’t I just go home?

She let out a bark of laughter, standing taller. “You’re adorable. I’m Linh–but don’t worry, I won’t harm you,” she added when she saw his sword.

Fitz had heard of this goddess before, the sole inhabitant of Ogygia. Her island was supposedly like “the in-between.” You’re not dead, but you couldn’t leave unless another god or goddess freed you. He sighed. 

“Please, I don’t belong here,” he said. “There’s no way. I won’t be drawn to love in paradise. Not till the end of time.”

[yallemagne]

So Ithaca Saga came out. Ody's finally home. I gotta say... edgy red-eyed Odysseus is not my favourite. In Odysseus, the song where he's just massacring the suitors, they really should have cut out all his soliloquizing about how his mercy was gone... it was just kinda kitschy and not intimidating at all. Even Athena was like "you need to tone it down."

The monologuing just takes me out of it. He shows up at the start and gives the suitors his wordy mission statement and you're telling me while he's calmly explaining that he's gonna kill all of them the several dozen suitors didn't think to bullrush him? In the animatic Jorge commissioned, he's not in the rafters or something he's just STANDING THERE.

It would have been way more intimidating for him to silently pick them off one by one and they have no clue who is doing it, they don't know the old king is back. From the clips release prior, I thought that's what they'd do! It would make the line about how they have the advantage because they know the layout of the palace actually make sense and him coming in to say "you don't think I know my palace? i built it" a big exciting twist! But since he comes out the gate telling them "btw i am the old king, that's my wife, that's my son, i'm gonna kill you now", there is zero tension.

And then also the lil thing of him stabbing people in the middle of them gloating or pleading got old immediately. Killing Antinous at the very end of Hold Them Down? THRILLING. Giving a speech directly after? Ehhh. And then he just kept stabbing people while they were talking and it wasn't a cool twist anymore ,just kinda cliché. And he kept. fucking. ranting. Just a massive case of falling into "tell, don't show". I don't NEED to hear him repeat how angry he is that they threatened to kill his son and rape his wife. I didn't even need to hear him say it the first time bc... duh.

And it's kinda my fault. I built this up in my head out of excitement. It's just like my disappointment with the Vengeance Saga: "Ohhh how is this literal guy gonna outwit one of the most powerful gods in the pantheon?" He didn't. There was absolutely no way he could have overpowered Poseidon, but he did anyway bc Jorge thought it was cool.

I feel like it would have been way better if they cut out most of his lines in Odysseus. Ironic bc the song is named after him, right? But this saga is like the Wisdom Saga in that it's not about him... until it is. If he had the single "I built it" line and was silent until his reunions with his son and Penelope? It would be cool, like showing that he's abandoned himself, and he's not the old king until the people he loves most bring him back from the darkness. But that's not what we got so 🤷

At least I got The Challenge, Hold Them Down, and Would You Fall in Love with Me Again. Not every song can be a banger.

[rin-sith]

So, the Ithaca saga and especially song 40 unfortunately disappointed me very much, and I am finally coherent enough to yap about it... I am not even gonna attempt to talk about song 38 and why I pretty much hated it yet; that's for later.

So yes, if you don't want to read about someone being disappointed in this saga, then please stop reading :3

First of all, the performances and the music in this saga were STELLAR. Absolutely breathtaking. Stunning. Second of all, the storytelling and lyricism were extremely weak. To the point where it felt like a betrayal of the brilliance that was the Vengeance saga, and technically also everything that came before.

Idk, maybe I'm dumb and/or missing something, but it felt like an enormous whiplash after everything else in Act 2 so far to the point where I genuinely don't know how to feel.

DISCLAIMER: ALL OF THESE THOUGHTS ARE KIND OF JUST MY CURRENT THOUGHTS AFTER A FEW LISTENS AND MAY SHIFT AND/OR CHANGE AFTER SOME TIME. Please don't come at me; just, I felt really let down by this saga, and I wanted to talk about it.

First, Penelope feels really underdeveloped as a character. Her song (The Challenge) is essentially just a narration of events that doesn't give us much insight into her internal world (the way that character intro songs like Legendary or Wouldn't You Like usually do.) The most personality actually comes out of Lea's stunning performance, but even that can't really salvage something that doesn't have any substance to begin with.

Hold Them Down was ... a positive surprise, somehow. I don't know why, but I genuinely loved that song. The atmosphere is on point, and the performance is easily Alexander's best in the musical.

Odysseus was ... a negative surprise, but also not really. I don't think I'm ready to talk about that song properly yet, but so far it's made me tear up and/or full on bawl every time I listen to it, especially the ending (I have never actually cried over EPIC before.) Do with that information what you will. All I know as of now is that it has to be some kind of disassociation and for some reason, a Polyphemus reprise (I can't even begin to wrap my head around why this, of all things.) I genuinely hate some of the scene- and/or dialogue choices in it; they feel really off. As someone who vibed very hard to both Different Beast and Six Hundred Strike, I disown this song, sorry. All it does is make me want to cry (not in a good way.)

On the other hand, I Can't Help but Wonder is easily my favorite song in the saga. Especially also compared to song 40, the Odysseus & Telemachus reunion felt so genuinely heartfelt. The fact that the transition between songs 38 and 39 is so seamless while also being a 180° tone shift probably means something ... And then there is the Athena return, which is easily my favorite moment in the saga. I was not expecting a WotM reprise, and it was the best surprise in the saga, and it made me very happy. Her "very well" (+ 3 second pause) also broke my heart, but we don't talk about that. The only thing that irritates me about this moment is what Odysseus actually replies to her. Idk how to elaborate on that, because on one hand, he would feel this way after all that he's been through; on the other hand, it's not actually true. Worse, it feels like one of the few thematically significant moments in the saga, but in a bad way somehow.

And then Would You Fall In Love With Me Agagin was ... easily the greatest disappointment of the saga. I want to talk about this one a little more, I think, because I have a lot of things to say.

Disclaimer: I actually ADORE the instrumentals in this song. @glisten-inthedark did some very good preliminary examinations of it, and I don't really have anything to add to that, so go check out her posts if you want. I also adored the vocal performances (but honestly, there is no bad vocal performance in all of EPIC.)

I am strictly going to talk about the lyrics and the storytelling and what kind of impression it gives of Penelope. I don't know, but to me, the whole song feels like he's trying to share with her the things that hurt him (describing them as monstrously as possible, because of course he would.)

Like, on one hand, it is really kind of her to not judge him and to accept him again so readily. On the other hand, the way she phrases it feels really dismissive of his pain ("You’re mine / Don’t tell me you’re not the same person / You’re always my husband")

To me, this sounds essentially like, "What are you talking about? You don't have any problems! Stop telling me you've changed! No matter what, you're still my husband; I love you." (Girl, you don't even know him anymore. I'm sorry, I had to.)

Honestly, I feel like he desperately needs someone to be rational about his deeds, the way that Athena was in God Games (I really wish that he could've heard that somehow ... or that she sits down with him to tell him all of those things in person and why they don't actually make him a monster.) Because while Penelope's unconditional acceptance may feel nice on the surface, I feel like it will only bury the issue and isn't actually going to help with his self-demonization.

And maybe it's just me, but the line "But all of that was to bring me back to you" icked me out. Like, yes, Odysseus would describe it as that; that's not my problem. My problem is that it is never brought back or examined again in the song, because it leaves the impression (at least to me) that all of his deeds are fine "because they were committed for love," which is wrong on so many levels. It actually does the whole story of EPIC a disservice, in my opinion, since so far it's been genuinely brilliant about honestly and rationally making all of his acts feel justified. But this saga deviates from that too, so I don't even know anymore.

I don't know; I am just really disappointed by this song (and technically the whole saga, even though it had some brilliant moments.) I feel like I could probably describe what I wanted out of it at a later point, but my brain isn't functioning enough for that yet.

Another thing that I am unsure of what exactly it implies yet, but it feels significant: Penelope never once calls Odysseus by his name, while he says hers a lot. Very few people in this musical use his name, so I feel like this matters somehow.

Honestly, besides just that song, my main problem is that this saga feels really empty, thematically. Where all of the sagas before have had really strong thematic threads, both in themselves as well as in the grand scheme, this one feels very disconnected and very ... almost undermining everything that Act 2 has built so far. I'm really confused by it, honestly.

Anyway, I am gonna shut up now and probably relisten to it a few more times before we get the actual visuals. Please ignore if you happen to have loved this saga, but I needed to get all of this out of my system.

[sugar-and-spite]

finally watched the vengeance saga and i am being so, so normal about this. spoiler rambles below the cut. i watched a bunch of different animatics for most of the songs so there will be comments about both the actual songs & official animatics, plus the other fan animatics i saw

not sorry for loving you

first off. CALYPSO. MY GIRL. i'm so glad jorge did her right with this song. i remember adoring calypso in the odyssey, and while epic definitely put her in a more manipulative and antagonistic role than i remember her having, she has a reason. i felt like love in paradise kind of rushed her entire character and i'm so glad she got fleshed out more here.

while she is being manipulative, i definitely don't agree with the people saying she's doing it on purpose. she's been alone for a hundred years, of course she'd be lonely. also like. she's literally never known any other people to know whether she's being manipulative or not, so

also i watched the most animatics for this one and calypso being skinny feels so weird to me, she's at least chubby imo

also extremely funny that jorge got gigi to animate for this one for the stream. gigi being known for having the best circe saga animatics and jorge is like "hm you know who i want to animate this other woman who's manipulating odysseus?" incredible.

and there's this which i said to my bf:

dangerous

"six hundred men, six hundred dead under my command, 'cause i had one goal in mind... [silence]" OKAY YEAH I DIDN'T NEED MY HEART. FUCK.

HERMES IS BACK, BABY!

ximena natzel has the best hermes animatics, the official hermes is good but ximena's is better, if you haven't seen ximena's animatics for "wouldn't you like" and "dangerous" go watch them NOW

they canonized the fluffy winions, i'm not even sure who first came up with that design for them (mircsy was the first one i saw) but they're wonderful and amazing

hermes is just amazing and all of his songs are amazing and this is amazing (can you tell i have a favorite song from vengeance saga)

i love that they also included actual sirens in the official animatic!! the birds with women's faces, those are what sirens actually look like in the myths and mermaid-sirens are more common to see nowadays but it's not The Og, and i'm so so happy they used og sirens (this made me giddy in the same way all the "ruthlessness" animatics with horses in them made me giddy, little-known myth details my beloved)

the callbacks to "keep your friends close"! both musically and lyrically! and the callback to "wouldn't you like" with hermes going "don't thank me" and "good luck!" jorge is always on point with the callbacks

charybdis

took a couple listens for me to really vibe with this, it's kinda filler but that's fine they can't all be bangers

someone pointed out this is the only song we have so far that's 100% solo odysseus with no background vocals or other characters so that's neat

feels like this could've been longer? or fleshed out more? it feels kinda abrupt. but there's gotta be some losers they can't all be winners

get in the water

i need to hear this sung by a woman right now actually so i can be equally bisexual about the original and a female cover.

honestly i don't think i had a single thought in my head through the entire song besides damn. holy SHIT. holy shit this one is good. this is so fucking good.

i lied i had a singular coherent thought (on the second watch): it's subtle, but i think there's a musical callback to the end of "god games" during odysseus's part. when he's begging poseidon to let him go, the music is really similar to when athena begs zeus to let him go at the end of "god games."

six hundred strike

hoooooooly shit. oh my god. what the fuck. not to be bisexual but -

(hottest odysseus has ever been)

he has the power of (the wind) god and anime on his side

with the power of friendship and this jetpack he found -

the callbacks

"you can't kill me." "exactly." HOTTEST ODYSSEUS HAS EVER BEEN

NEXT TO MY WIFE

oh my god. holy fuck. oh my god

anyway this has been rey's (lack of) thoughts about the vengeance saga thanks for joining me i'm so, so normal about this musical

[mlepbean]

CHAT CHAT CHAT CHAT

THE VENGEANCE SAGA.

so i watched the watch party livestream, as you do, and OH MY GOD JESUS CHRIST I AM SCREAMING

i'm gonna yap about it so spoilers below the cut

OKAY. SO.

first song, not sorry for loving you. gorgeous amazing i love it, gigi's animatic for it was also so fun , could cry. barbara is an amazing vocalist and i love her. don't have too many notes for this one but it's gorgeous

second, dangerous. i heard the intro with odysseus alone and im like okay girlie we're sad today. then hermes came in and it's disco time. that song is so fun!!!! also when odysseus does a kinda remix of the chorus to prove to hermes that he's gonna be okay?? iconic. odysseus does need to get a single more brain cell to realize that athena is still on his side but whatever. i will say the animatics for this one were amazing, was not expecting a hermes twerk, but yknow, im not surprised

third, charbydis. i haven't heard much from this one, and its shorter so i don't have too many strong opinions but it's so fun. like go girlie go use your strategy!! the animatics were so good as well i fucking love action shots like that

fourth, get in the water. GOD. i've been so hyped for this one AND IT DELIVERED. steven fucking popped off dude, that vocal delivery was sick as hell. ALSO. THE FUCKING GOD POWER OR WHATEVER IT WAS CALLED TO SHATTER THE OCEAN?? COOLEST SHIT EVER. the ending made me sad. again. jorge why do you keep bringing back polites. like the souls of everyone he's lost fucking dragging him underwater so he can join them?? heartbreaking what the fuck dude.

fifth, 600 strike. GUYS. there is a reason we got nothing for this one. this is the coolest fucking shit i have ever seen. for one, the 3D animation??? was so cool??? odysseus literally got a jetpack from the windbag and used that and a knife to fucking beat up poseidon and get him weak enough so he's just chilling on an island, and then when poseidon calls him out saying the storm stops him from getting home, odysseus is like "not anymore bitch" and fucking stabs poseidon with his own trident, knowing he can't die, until he can't stand the pain anymore and calls off the storm. odysseus gives poseidon a taste of the pain he's caused him, and i love it. i mean hey, he did was poseidon told him to do, be ruthless, for after all, ruthlessness is mercy

"how will you sleep at night?"

"with my wife"

LIKE GOD. DUDE. SCREAMING. if it wasn't literally midnight i would have audibly screamed. physically my mouth was agape like oh my fucking god 600 strike.

anyways <3

those are my thoughts for now. i will be having more later, this show consumes my brain <3

[pinksilvace]

Back at you! Care to rank all Sagas?

oooh yay okay! I'm going to do this by order of preference

Cyclops Saga

Troy Saga

Thunder Saga

Underworld Saga

Ocean Saga

Wisdom Saga

Ithaca Saga

Circe Saga

Vengeance Saga

Cyclops - All around super strong. I get all of these songs stuck in my head frequently and they're all narratively fitting. Doesn't get me pumped as much as some of the others, but it's just so solidly good that I've got to give it first place. The pacing here also feels right.

Troy - REALLY strong opener. Those first few notes hit me and I knew IMMEDIATELY that I'd like this musical. I think all of the songs in here are strong but Just a Man is SO GOOD. Too good, honestly - almost none of the rest of the musical can stand up to it, which is an incredible boast for a second song.

Thunder - We talked about this a bit before, but it felt like a return to form when it came out. Suffering, Scylla, and Thunder Bringer are easily some of the best songs in the whole show, though I'm not really a fan of the others; they're a bit too on-the-nose for me.

Underworld - No Longer You CARRIES this album. Like, The Underworld is a very good song and Monster is... not for me, but I don't care because oh my GOSH does No Longer You slap. I need this to be the song every fandom adopts for animatics istg

Ocean - This placement was really difficult to decide. Let's be real, Ruthlessness completely outshines the rest of the songs, but everything in this saga feels like it needs to be present for the story Jorge wanted to tell. These songs are also each pretty unique and memorable... but Ruthlessness oh my GODS

Wisdom - My expectations for what I thought I'd like about this saga were completely inverted with what I actually like most from it. Love in Paradise is probably my favorite. God Games was a great idea, but I'm not sure it was given enough room to breathe; when convincing Circe to let his men go takes Odysseus four songs earlier on, having Athena convince six gods to end Odysseus' captivity in the span of five minutes felt... odd. Not saying I could handle it any better, but I think this plot point could have been adapted a bit differently. The Athena and Telemachus stuff is all really cute though!

Ithaca - I adore Penelope's voice. The Challenge is easily my favorite, but Hold Them Down is also really good. The rest... I have feelings about, due to how Odysseus' character was handled, which I'll touch on more at the end of this list. I think this saga in particular would gain a lot from actually being staged.

Circe - The more time that passes, the more I like this one, but I don't think these events needed to take up a whole saga when all it leads to is 1) Maybe kindness is good (something dismissed in the next saga), and 2) Here are the directions to your next location. Wouldn't You Like is my favorite song from this saga, but it could have easily been a line or two.

Vengeance - I don't think I've actually listened to this one again since it came out. The whole ramped-up anime battle thing doesn't really work for me. There are some other creative choices here I disliked that I'll elaborate on further down.

I definitely noticed myself enjoying these less as they went on, and I think it's because I've found Odysseus to be a much less compelling character since Thunder Bringer/Love in Paradise. What made Just a Man and No Longer You so great was Odysseus' internal battle between being a good soldier/leader and being a good man; I think that's a fantastic lens to look at this ancient story with. Then, once he chooses his own desires over everything else, he loses a lot of that complexity, which frustrates me because it could have been a cool modern interpretation if it felt like he faced any consequences. Polites' death had a much longer impact on him than all of the rest of his crew.

Those who've followed me for a while know that the Iliad is my favorite book; I reread it every year and have read four different translations so far. It's famously anti-war and filled with tragedy, and one of the most tragic aspects of it is the futility of it all; no matter how strong the heroes are, the tide of war shifts according to the gods' whims, and it's also up to the gods to decide who lives and who dies. This acts as both a way to point out how stupid the whole conflict is and shows a reflection of what indomitable forces the gods were (and are!) viewed as.

This in mind, I cannot understand how or why (Epic) Odysseus defeats Poseidon in a show of force. Beyond not making sense, it goes against Odysseus' character in the source material. In the Odyssey, this latter storm stirred up from Poseidon is one that Poseidon knows Odysseus is fated to survive; he just wants to make the journey harder, and Odysseus makes it through in a handful of pages at most. Odysseus' slaying of the suitors would have been seen as honorable; he'd have done it no matter how desperate he is when arriving at Ithaca's shores.

(Maybe my opinions wouldn't be so strong if he'd at least defeated Poseidon with a clever trick of some sort instead? Maybe the last saga needed a Monster reprise where Ody actually faces the reality of going home as he is. Idk.)

Overall though, I really enjoyed it and look forward to listening to the whole thing now that it's done!

[womanofwords]

Ghost Tricks

Due to the sudden traction to my fic Ghostly Vengeance and the new addition to ghost squad lore (both caused by @shyticklemonster), I wrote this on the fly. This is the newest addition to the saga.

“So . . . since you’re a ghost and all, what else can you do?” Keith asked. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

“What exactly do you mean?” Sebastian asked.

“Well, we know that you can possess people, but that can’t be the limit of your powers. What else can you do?” Elliot asked.

“Well, before you two came along, I would often levitate and telepathically control objects,” Sebastian replied. “Mostly out of boredom, but sometimes to scare off intruders. I don’t really do it as much now that I have friends to keep me occupied.” The boys were enthralled as Sebastian levitated a few dusty lampshades, making them spin. Doors opened and shut on their own and tables rattled towards them. Dishes flung themselves to their deaths to the sound of Keith and Elliot gleefully applauding.

“So cool!” Keith cheered.

“Well, I did spend a few decades as a vengeful poltergeist, so this is all par for the course,” Sebastian bragged. “I’m actually a little rusty, really. I remember the days when I used to move that grand piano.” The dilapidated piano seemed to sag with nostalgia, or maybe wood rot.

“So, what changed? What weakened you?” Elliot asked.

“Weakened?”

Elliot pressed on. “Well, sure. You used to be able to move the grand piano, so what changed?”

“Well, as I told you, I was a vengeful poltergeist. That means that I was full of rage and that gave me the strength I needed,” the teenage ghost explained.

“So . . . you’re just not angry enough to do anything meaningful any more? You ran out of juice, huh? Are you looking for inspiration? Maybe you’re just lazy.” Elliot was poking the bear, and he didn’t give a damn about anything. Not the twitch in Sebastian’s eyebrow, and certainly not the frantic nonverbal warnings of his best friend, who was begging him silently to stop digging this hole.

And then Sebastian struck.

Elliot let out a yelp as the discoloured and tattered curtain he was standing next to wrapped itself, on Sebastian’s instruction, around him. Due to how old the curtain was and how much Elliot was struggling, it ripped and now he was on the floor, writhing like a worm.

“Seb, what was that for?! I’m sorry, OK? I was trying to motivate you to achieve more, not be a jerk! I swear, I didn’t mean it like that!”

Sebastian shook his head and tutted. “Oh, silly Elliot. I thought you knew that provoking a ghost was bad. I guess I’ll have to re-teach you.”

“Will you be needing an assistant?” Keith asked. Elliot’s eyes widened with fear as Sebastian gestured for his own best friend to have first dibs.

Elliot hastily pleaded with the two of them. “No, no no no no no no no no. Keith, you don’t have to do this! Sebastian, I’m sorry!” His pleas fell on deaf ears as Keith advanced forward and his shoe’s laces were being untied and slipped off. Meanwhile, a good seven feet behind them, a hairbrush and a feather rose into the air, awaiting commands.

One hour later

Elliot howled with laughter as the feather sawed between his toes, the hairbrush scrubbed at the balls of his feet and Keith’s fingers burrowed into his ribs. “Gonna provoke anyone else, ‘Ghost Hunter Extraordinaire’?” Sebastian taunted.

“NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!” Elliot screamed.

Meanwhile, a couple walking heard the screams coming from the old mansion. “What the hell is going on there?” the taller one said.

“I’m not staying here to find out!” said the other one, and they both ran away in terror, holding each other and stumbling.

If they only knew.