#of course it's a myth

[starcurtain]

I wish Hoyo would carry their own ideas through sometimes...

I know everyone is really focused on Mydei's current predicament and misery, but I can't stop thinking about his past and how insane the first half of his life would have been, if you take the plot seriously.

Spoilers for Mydei's leaked character stories(!!) and voice lines, but:

Just... imagine if Hoyo treated this backstory with actual weight for a second.

Mydei was thrown into the sea as an infant. He was young enough to have no memories of life on land--or even life with other human beings at all. He would have no one to teach him to walk, to speak, to function like a human being... He would essentially be an entirely feral creature, probably not even able to recognize a connection between himself and the idea of living on land.

Even after coming ashore at last, if this plot were treated realistically, learning to adapt to a human life would have taken time--he would have to learn the entire concept of language, let alone how to speak, read, and write... Fire, warmth, trusting others enough to allow them into one's vicinity--totally foreign concepts to him. He would have to learn how to walk upright after literally spending his entire life previously floating weightless in the sea.

We know from the leaked story that he rescued sailors lost at sea, indicating that his inherent nature is gentle:

But if he was able to save fisherman from the sea, why did it take him nine years to save himself? Why not just go with the fishermen and escape the sea earlier?

Because, applying logic again, a child with no exposure to other humans might not even recognize them as his own kind. He may react the same way a wild animal would to humans--with curiosity, but also with caution. Are they prey? Are they predators? Why do they look so similar but drown when they fall in the water, while he always, always, always returns? What are those noises they're making at him?

Given Tribbie's animation, it seems to me that it was Tribbie's star in the sky that finally coaxed Mydei from the water--but even if she had given a letter to him, he could never have read it back then.

Think of how disorienting it would be to go from a life of complete and abject loneliness, where you are the only one of your own kind, where every moment of your life is kill-or-be-killed, a constant battle of predation in the depths, to a life where suddenly you're among flocks of people, people who teach you to communicate with more than your claws and teeth, who tell you that you're not only one of them, you're the best of them, who expect you to lead them when you can barely even conceive of yourself as a human being at all...

And it's just right back into another war. It's nothing but the sea all over again, fighting fighting fighting fighting--

Then you finally find refuge, finally find a place that promises you a moment's rest... but the people who claim to be offering you sanctuary call you a savage, a beast, and treat you like you never got civilized in the first place. They won't let you call their city home. They won't accept you, no matter how hard you try to be human... Why have left the sea at all if no one will ever see you as anything other than a monster?

To still be kind after a life of cruelty. To still be gentle. To still be willing to give even more of yourself after clawing back from loss after loss after loss... To know even more pain and suffering are coming and to simply accept this as your lot in life, to have nothing to look forward to and to still be able to tell someone else not to let bitterness be all he knows...

What an agonizing tragedy. What an incredible character. Mydei, the man that you are!!!

[lylahammar]

Queen of the underworld 🌾

[ciel-bell]

Happy March 5th!

[my-name-is-apollo]

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

Sort of I guess?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[redbootsindoriath]

Oh look what day it is again!

Happy Hobbit Day to all who celebrate! Here's a rushed doodle to assure you guys that I am in fact still out there somewhere on earth.

[kleioscanvas]

I See You

[aroaceleovaldez]

i stand by that a better, more sensible, and more intriguing plot for TSATS would have been, instead of retconning literally everything:

Bob is dead (because he was very explicitly absorbed/killed by Tartarus Himself in House of Hades, alongside Damasen), and nobody is going into Tartarus to save him. He made his sacrifice and is gone. However. Remember how the Titans, including Bob, were just kind of kicking around for several years? Particularly. On a cruise ship full of mortals. And Bob happened to be kicking around in general for an extra year versus all the other Titans. And he mythologically sometimes has a mortal demigod son who partook in the Calydonian Boar Hunt (Dryas of Calydon). Yeah.

So turns out, Bob/Iapetus leaves behind a demigod (demititan?) child. And because Nico was pretty much his only friend, he named Nico his child's godfather. And while he's not being left in charge of the child, as a son of Hades and godfather to this kid, Nico is duty-bound to fulfill Bob's last will and go find this like 2 year old to make sure they're safe. So Nico has to undertake this very unusual quest (that raises many questions, such as "demititans are a thing?" and "DOES THIS MEAN THERE'S POTENTIALLY MORE-?!" and "SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS?") and is kind of freaking out because. He's the son of Hades! He's notoriously bad with living things, and animals, and definitely small children! Even if he does find this kid and assure they're safe, he is the last person who should be undergoing any kind of quest involving even potentially having to babysit. Fortunately, his boyfriend is the human embodiment of sunshine and calmness and good vibes, and also once helped a nymph give birth, so he feels Marginally More Confident in theoretical demititan babysitting and offers to come along on this Epic Journey of Figuring Out What In Hades' Name Is Up With This Demititan Baby Business.

Proceed with wholesome epic shenanigans quest of Nico and Will scurrying around trying to locate this random OP baby while Nico has an existential crisis about the nature of his powers because he doesn't want to let Bob down! Both for Hades Kid Honor Reasons and because Bob was his friend! But what if he's destined to fail this quest just because of who he is? Because he's simply not built for hanging out with the living/mortals? And Will reassuring him that He Will Probably Not Traumatize The Weird OP Titan Baby And It'll Be Fine, and simultaneously getting a peek into the weird other life Nico leads hanging out with immortals much more than the average demigod, which Nico considers his norm. Bonus shenanigans of both of them getting caught off-guard and culture shocked from where each other's respective worlds (Nico's mostly-immortal versus Will's mostly-mortal) cross over and learning to navigate those for each other - Nico finally starting to make some mortal connections and get glimpses at modern mortal American life, and Will trying not to get his brain literally incinerated while Nico's happily casually catching up with some of his old friends who happen to be literal gods.

[bugwolfsstuff]

Mr D and Thalia should start a 'Dad turned us into something instead of actually helping'* club

[mewguca]

Faded Memories

slivermoon pen doodle

[just-an-enby-lemon]

"Ruthlessness is mercy upon oruselfs."

But is classic Odysseus singing to Neoptolemus to explain to him why he should steal from an old man who was suffering with chronic pain after being bitten by the horrific chronic pain snake (Ody mentions but not on detail how he abandoned said old man alone in an isle to die).

[jathun]

So, I've been casually playing love & deepspace for funsies (the combat is nice and relaxing and the story is alright) but the discourse around the new character is goddamn hilarious as a long time otome player.

Caleb is tame. As far as yandere characters in otome games go, he is really goddamn tame.

And obviously, you don't have to like the character, or character type for that matter, but going around being enraged over it and accusing the character (a character who is based on an archetype which has been around as long as otome games as a whole have been) of being abusive or having committed SA against the heroine (with no basis in the text) is just really...bad.

Now, there's other parts of his character that I definitely have issues with (the siscon really is...ugh) but overall he's literally one of the most well written ones in the game. He's a character with an obessive personality put in an extreme situation (people keep forgetting that the characters in this game are constantly put in life and death situations and people don't tend to act perfectly rationally in those fml) who acts in an extreme way because the only person he loves, the only one he has left in his life, is being hunted like a dog by an organization that likely tortured the both of them as kids.

[gingermintpepper]

I know everyone knows the story of Actaeon and how he met a terrible fate by stumbling upon Artemis bathing in her forest but did you know that Actaeon was Apollo's grandson? That his father was Aristaeus, lord of the bees and the rustic arts and his mother was Autonoe, daughter of Cadmus and princess of Thebes?

Did you know he was trained by Chiron? That he was considered a hunter so skilled his talent was considered divine, that he was his parents' only child and that he was loved?

Did you know the grief that consumed the household when word of Actaeon's fate reached them? That Cadmus cut his hair, that Harmonia wept and was disconsolate and that his parents... well, Autonoe walked the length of the forest, keeping a sharp eye out for her son, but all she saw were the scattered bones of a fawn. Aristaeus too, had heard his son was torn apart and so fruitlessly, foolishly searched for the bones of a man. (There was none to be found)

Did you know that it was Actaeon's ghost, unhappy and unburied, trapped on the earth, who leaned over his sleeping father and told him of his fate? "You will not find me as you knew me, gather me as a stag." And Aristaeus immediately woke his wife and told her the truth, and together they grieved all the night long.

(Did you know that this is why Aristaeus abandons Boeotia? He could not stand the sight of it and so he went to Ceos. And there he slayed the dog-star. And there he became a healing wind. All in the name of his only son, that foolish, beloved Actaeon.)

[scarletardor]

cw suicide, spoilers for sylus’ myth, beyond cloudfall

i pretty much avoided talking about sylus’ myth at all due to how much i was grieving because of it, but i always wanted to touch on the ending because it’s just… so beyond fucking sad? it is something i barely mentioned before but i am of the belief that mc dies by suicide after cursing sylus and herself to be bound for eternity.

despite now having draconic features now, this is just so much pain and grief embodied in this ending if not both chapters 8-9. i can’t even imagine the emotions this girl was dealing with because despite her freeing sylus, what else was there to live for if she no longer had him around—the one thing that kept her alive and driven to live in this lifetime?

[shopwitchvamp]

My partner: "I'm gonna go play more Baldur's Gate! Btw I got a mod where I can get with EVERYBODY and NO ONE will get upset :D!"

Me: "..Hold on I gotta go make something very important right away."

[irisisawittywitch]

I'm an Iris devotee, of course I'm gonna be wearing colorful accessories!

I'm an Iris devotee, of course I'm gonna write letters to my friends even if they're next to me!

I'm an Iris devotee, of course I'm gonna scream when I see a rainbow!

I'm an Iris devotee, of course I draw with each and EVERY COLOUR!

I'm an Iris devotee, of course I randomly rant to the sky!

I'm an Iris devotee, of course when a couple argues I'm the one who does the communication for them! (Yay)

I'm an Iris devotee, of course my name IS Iris!

I'm an Iris devotee, OF COURSE I DONT KNOW ANYONE ELSE WHO WORSHIPS LADY IRIS!

I'm an Iris devotee, of course I pick Iris flowers when I see them!

(I'm an Iris devotee, of course I spent way too much time making each letter a different color)

[zyglavislover]

heheheh, found this cc meme redraw i did for a friend last week!

zyglavis (star crossed myth) & liz hart (wizardess heart) 💕💕 i wonder who they're talking about?