#see ya in 2025

[beauty-and-passion]

And finally... the Ithaca Saga

We did it. We reached the end.

And we did it this year, in 2024! I suppose the moral of the story is: if you're truly passionate about something (and have big plans), you can do anything.

And by "anything", I don't mean just "finishing the concept album": I mean fighting against weather, bad luck and probably the gods themselves, to do what you planned.

I imagined everything, except that Mr. Jorge's plan for the final stream of his entire album, was to go to the goddamn island of Ithaca and stream there.

But, you know, it was right. It felt right. It was a very poetic choice, to bring a modern version of the Odyssey back home. To let the musical reach its artistic birthplace. And it's even more impactful that it wasn't just Odysseus' voice to (figuratively) return home: it was the entire story, through the voices of all artists involved.

However, since it's the Odyssey we're talking about, the trip to Ithaca couldn't have been simple either: what kind of boring story would it be, if everything went smoothly from start to end?

Greece's weather is overall warm, even in winter. However, there are the occasional storms/typhoons/rainfalls that last for a couple days and drown or destroy parts of the cities. And Jorge faced them not at the end of his trip, not in the middle: at the beginning, just in time to stop him from reaching Ithaca too easily.

And I believe this is all Ithaca's influence, because something similar happened to my father and brother. Last summer, they were supposed to visit Ithaca as well, but first found no available ferries, then the rain started to pour down, their car died on the nearby island, there was no available mechanic and when they finally found one, their car got fixed just in time for my brother to go to Athens and get his flight back home.

Sooo... it looks like Ithaca doesn't want visitors at all, no matter if it's summer or winter, and it does everything to keep people away - or at least, to make them have a small personal Odyssey before reaching it. Also because, according to the last shorts from Jorge, it looks like the weather changed into the usual warm, greek temperatures now. And he seems to enjoy his stay too, so I suppose the true obstacle is just reaching the island.

But enough about Ithaca, let's talk about Ithaca: there were huge expectations for this Saga. This is the final one, this is supposed to wrap up Odysseus' story and the last loose threads.

And it does. It takes its time to wrap up the last characters and it does it organically and coherently. There are no OOC moments - and this is a huge point for me, because my main complaint in the last Saga was that Odysseus moved too quickly from "let's try to discuss" to "stabbing time": here you can see and understand why he gets so angry and he even takes a few lines to further clarify his emotions.

The pace of this Saga is good too: there are no dead moments and the songs move smoothly from one event to the next. It surely helps that they cover a period of 24 hours more or less, but still.

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The Challenge: this is the first time we actually hear Penelope. Not the one from Odysseus' memories, not a siren, not a vision, but the real one.

And the real one is truly the perfect woman for a clever man like Odysseus: she's intelligent, she's resourceful, she reads the signs and does the right things to buy more time. That's what she did in the Odyssey too, so it's nice to see this trait of her character here as well.

And even though the events here happen for slightly different reasons (in the Odyssey, the bow challenge was just another attempt to buy more time, while here it's something Penelope proposes right after the storm, as if she feels things are going to change very soon and her husband is coming back), it still doesn't sound forced or unnatural. It fits Epic's narrative, without damaging or going against the spirit of the original work. That's how you do a good rewrite.

One last thing about Penelope: I love how, with one single song, we can see her pride, her strength, her cleverness... and her love too. She herself says she didn't expect to end up like this, but for love, she's ready to do anything. Even waiting 20 years for a husband she doesn't even know if he's still alive, buying him time in every possible way and keeping on hold 108 dangerous, younger men who need just an excuse to rise against her and her family.

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Hold Them Down: what did I say about that excuse?

Jokes aside, this is some powerful villain song and I ADORE it. The rhythm? Great, majestic, terrifying. The drums and the chorus are chilling.

But even more than them, it's the entire song, to be terrifying. And not because of its themes: it's because of the details.

Antinous doesn't just say "We will kill Telemachus and rape Penelope": he describes step by step what he wants to do. He presents a clear, precise plan of what he wants to do and how he wants to do it.

That's what makes it so chilling: how careful he is with the details. How he pondered about everything. His willingness to do all the things he says, without an ounce of doubt or fear.

And what's even more terrifying, is how Antinous' words are welcomed by the chorus of the other Suitors. There is no coldness, no shock, no fear: there is this palpable, growing excitement, that grows stronger the more he describes his plan. The chorus accompanies his words, anticipates them eagerly: they cannot wait to hear what he wants to do next.

And when Antinous says Penelope will be at their mercy after Telemachus' death, silence drops for a moment and the line: "And then we'll" is welcomed by pure silence. This perfectly shows how all Suitors held their breath, for one second, waiting for Antinous to say it out loud, to push his plan further and say what they were all thinking: without a man in the house, they could've had access to the queen's bedroom and body. They were waiting to hear it. They wanted, needed to hear more.

This is how you make a great villain song. This is how you build a terrifying villain: it's not just Antinous, who can stir up an entire crowd, by pushing on their primordial instincts. But it's the crowd itself, that welcomes the terrible images he proposes, because they were already in their minds. They were already thinking all of that: all they needed was someone to propose it out loud.

Of course Odysseus goes into full rampage mode after that: who wouldn't?

One last detail I appreciated a lot: the allusion about how the prince was on a diplomatic mission. Sure he was, that's how Odyssey starts: Telemachus leaves Ithaca to search for more news about his father, visits Sparta, Menelaus tells him about the Troyan horse and so on. It was a nice reference.

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Odysseus: a song better known as "Odysseus cleans his house from 20 years of filth".

I've already talked about the first lines and I appreciate them a lot, not just because they further clarify Odysseus' thoughts and actions, but also because they imply he spent some time in Ithaca before this moment, enough to see how the Suitors treated his palace. There's a huge lack of Argo, the only dog who lived something like 20+ years and died right after seeing his owner one last time, but I suppose that his dog's death would've sent him into ultraviolence mode instantly.

I lovelovelove the ensemble chanting Odysseus' name. It's solemn, it's ineluctable, it reminds me of old church hymns and I am a sucker for that stuff.

But I am also a very bad person, so when I listen to Eurymachus saying "hey, what if you spare us and welcome the world with open arms instead" and he gets slaughtered with a "no" as a reply, I laugh.

Yes, I am a bad person.

Okay, fine, we can acknowledge how this wasn't what Polites meant with open arms and how no one has been able to fully understand his mentality... but also, it works perfectly to show how Odysseus changed. In the past, he would've been tricked by these words - and it would've led to him losing more people he loves.

But after going through so much shit, he's not willing to trust others anymore. The time of open arms is gone forever. As he says, "And as long as you're around / My family's fate is left unknown".

And so, it's ruthlessness time. Because, as Poseidon told him, ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves. And Odysseus would find peace, only if he gets rid of all the dangers around.

Because come on, we know the Suitors would've found a way to still try to kill or hurt him and/or his family. They don't play fair, they said themselves. Sparing them would've only hurt Odysseus in the long run.

And if we consider the time period, killing all the opponents was all Odysseus could do, to regain control over Ithaca.

Think about it: he has been away for 20 years, leaving the island without an adult male ruler. Of course this led all other, younger men to become restless and prideful and do things they would never do, without a strong leader: like trashing the leader's palace or trying to hurt his family.

Odysseus' only way to regain control was to show everyone he was still the strongest. And the only way he could do it, was to get rid of all the people who were undermining his authority. This way, he got rid of the dangerous ones and taught everyone else a lesson: do not even try to oppose my authority again, because I am still the strongest man of this land - and therefore, the only leader.

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I Can't Help but Wonder: so, right after showing everyone he was still the ruler and the stronger and so ruthless, Odysseus takes his time to softly listen to his son and tell him how much he loves him.

No, I am not crying, I got this song stuck in my eye.

But seriously: the softness, the love, the affection he holds for his son. And how this is all beautifully portrayed through Jorge's voice.

I know others already said it, but the way he modulates his voice is incredible. He really sounds older here, an old man talking to this young boy who is so confused and full of doubts about his own strength... and like the father figure Telemachus always wanted, Odysseus reassures him: he's sure his son is strong, he understands his pain and the troubles he experienced. And he loves him, with the unconditional love a father has for his child.

I said I am not crying.

The Athena part has been a surprise: honestly, I feared Jorge forgot and we would never see a closure for them, but we actually got it!

And it was a very good one: Athena asks if there is a world where empathy is stronger than fighting. A world where people can understand each other more and not always resort to violence and ruthlessness.

There's an implicit invitation in her words: would Odysseus help her pursue this world? Would he still be her warrior and work for this new, greater tomorrow?

And Odysseus refuses. He's too old, too tired. This world is too far beyond his reach. We are still trying to reach it and we are getting glimpses of it in our everyday lives.

Athena, thanks to her immortality, can live long enough to see this far-away future, but Odysseus? Maybe in the past, when he was younger, he would've loved to see it. Now he's had enough of adventures. All he wants is to finally see his wife again.

And Athena proves her growth, by that simple "very well". You can hear a smile in her tone. She's not angry at him, she's not resentful: Odysseus made his choice and she's okay with it. Their paths divide forever, not with bitterness but with understanding.

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Would You Fall in Love with Me Again: better known as "I am not crying, I said I am not, I just got the Odyssey stuck in my eye".

Odysseus reveals his wife all the awful things he did, he insists he's not the same man - Tiresias told him too, he's not the same kind and gentle husband he was and he will never be anymore: he's a man marked by hardships, by the war, by the world.

By saying it, he reminds me of the war veterans, the people who faced horrors and survived, to come back as changed people. Odysseus is one of them: the war left a mark on him and the following 20 years deepened that mark, made new ones, scars and terrors that will haunt him forever.

So of course he's not the same and he will never be: life and its hardships changed him too much to come back to the naive, younger man he was.

And yet, despite everything, Odysseus is still the same man. And Penelope proves it, through the bed trial. Again, I love how it has been used here: in the Odyssey, it was Penelope's way to be sure the weird beggar-looking guy who just killed everyone truly was her husband. Here it's her way to prove to him first that yes, he still is her husband. He may be rougher, more ruthless, filled with more regrets and anger than before... but he's still him. And she doesn't care what he did: all she cares about is that he's finally back.

Does that make Penelope a bad person too? Personally, I think it makes her more human. She spent 20 years imprisoned in her own house, with 108 possible predators trashing her place, desperately trying to buy more time for a husband she didn't even know if he was still alive, all while trying to hold the predators down as long as possible, so they wouldn't hurt her or Telemachus. Can we really blame her, if she doesn't care about what her husband did to come back, as long as he's finally back?

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A truly passionate project

Epic the musical is a project overflowing with love. Every artist, every voice, every song is filled with passions and emotions and they shine here, in the final Saga, more than ever. Jorge's voice has been incredible, the way he went from sounding like an old father, to a younger man again. How we shifted from love and affection, to anger.

Penelope? Amazing, brilliant, incredible. All female voices are A+ and she's no exception.

The instrumentals? Always on point, they highlight the emotions and the mood of every song perfectly.

All the artists? Incredibly fitting, superb voices. Each of them did an amazing job with their characters, each of them brought their own spin to it and made them iconic. I don't think we'll easily forget characters like Hermes, Circe, Calypso, Athena, Scylla, Tiresias or Zeus. I know I won't.

And yes, I will fondly keep this version of the Odyssey close to my chest. It's so hard to find good modern versions, now that I found one, I won't forget it so easily.

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The end?

The concept album is done, but that doesn't mean Epic is over. Jorge already said he wants to make videogames and, hopefully, give the musical some live adaptation.

So it's now right to say this is the end: this is the first step of a bright future for this series. And I personally can't wait for what it will bring.

In the meantime, as always, do not forget to stream the Ithaca Saga (and the whole musical for that matter), support Jorge and show love to all the people involved: they deserve it. Every last bit of love. It would be only fair, considering how much love and commitment they poured into this project.

That's why I would like to thank them all again for their hard job. It has been a truly wonderful journey and I can't wait for what 2025 will bring them - and us.

[munchmuppetyt]

An important announcement.

[ridethecyanide]

February 28, 1969: Happy 56th Birthday Robert Lawrence (Sean) Leonard

There are a few roles I want to play, but mostly I just want to keep doing a play every now and then, watch kids grow and eat cookies and drink tea. I love theatre, but filming is work. I've never made any claim to love it. I'm not working tomorrow, and I'm so excited. I'm going to get up, I'm going to read The New York Times on the beach, go for a run, read, and watch a Yankee game. Why would I choose to not do that over putting makeup on my face and pretending to be another person? I know a lot of people who find film acting fun. I feel blessed to do it, and I feel blessed to have the job. But when I'm doing theatre, I don't want a day off.

[weevmo]

Status: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

I am an exhausted but patient vulture continuing to circle this idea ! Corduroy Stew you will be mine.

[simphic]

#BumpOrNah?

Gotta include the other tl-universes cause... I love fun lol.

[aroaessidhe]

2025 reads / storygraph

The Undetectables

urban fantasy mystery

follows a young witch who formed a detective agency with her friends as teens, but they never managed to solve their first case (figuring out who killed the ghost who is now her best friend)

when they’re 20, the other witches have moved away and on with their lives, but she’s feeling stuck dealing with pain from her fibromyalgia

when they get a letter with a new case - the suspicious death of a human with seemingly no clues or evidence other than a haunting whistle, and they get back together to see if they can solve it this time

bi, lesbian, and gay MCs

[sainz100]

2024 Hungarian GP | x (edited)

[ollyafterdark]

some ranson nasties edited for tumblr (full images here)

[the-bi-space-ace]

I’m trying really really hard to be positive about stuff and focus on my hobbies and in the spirit of that I wanted to share something that I wrote for one of my new long fics for 2025 and maybe it’ll bring a little joy to your day.

I hope you enjoy this sneak peak into the 'Batch Horror Fic' I keep talking about.

Echo stared out as evening fell over the chilled landscape. His mood had settled but it was still soured, still so wrapped up in his doubts. This mission wasn't as simple as the others, couldn't they see that? Tucking his hand under his arm to keep it warm he ignored the door behind him opening, already knowing it was Hunter by the way his steps crunched on the small buildup of snow on the porch. Hunter brushed against his shoulder, taking in the scenery in nearly the same way Echo had. Breath came out in short puffs, steam billowing into the air then disappearing upwards.

"You understand my decision, right?" Hunter asked. Can something really be a question if you already knew the answer?

"Understand or agree?" Echo asked back coolly. It drew a sigh from his sergeant who cupped his hands to warm them with his breath.

"I need you with me on this one." Hunter said. Echo tried not to roll his eyes but his face had always betrayed him, no matter how hard he tried to cover it up. Truthfully, he wasn't trying too hard in this instance, but still. "You may not see it but the rest of our squad looks to you as much as they look to me."

Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair were just returning from scouting out the area, barely even pretending that they hadn't given up on actually doing their jobs already. Half of Echo didn't blame them, seeing them chat as they traipsed through the snow covered yard.

"You are our sergeant." Echo let his eyes fall onto Hunter's, already softening to the pleading look behind them. He knew exactly how to tear through to Echo's soft side in what felt like a blink of an eye. Maybe it was skill, or his enhanced senses, or maybe Echo was always just that damn transparent. At this point he wasn't sure.

"And you are my second in command. I look to you as much as anyone else. I need you." Hunter's expression was so sincere, so determined. It was hard to say no to. Echo's shoulders slumped but he didn't get to respond, distracted by Wrecker's voice cutting through the cold.

"Hey, Cross, catch!" Wrecker called. Crosshair turned in time to get a snowball right to the side of the head, letting out a disgruntled yelp while Wrecker laughed maniacally. Crosshair practically growled, shooting a glare at the bigger man.

"You son of a-" Crosshair got a face full of snow for that one, this time courtesy of Tech, poorly suppressing a smile. Echo hid his amusement behind his hand.

"I believe Wrecker wishes to engage in play out of boredom and therefore I cannot allow name calling." Tech countered, making Hunter snort, trying to hide his amusement by tipping his chin towards his shoulder, eyes glinting in Echo's direction.

Crosshair shook snow off of his front, shaking off his hands then bending down to start forming his own method of attack. "Fine, then I guess this means war." Each of them darted towards the treeline to shield themselves, quickly forming snowballs in their hands to toss at each other in an attempt to win.

"Not seeming so bad right now, huh?" Hunter asked, eyes still shining. The sun set fast here, what was moments ago bathed in the setting sun now had an eerie blue glow about it. He didn't answer but shrugged begrudgingly. Couldn't let Hunter win that easily.

They stood and watched as the other three members of their squad battled, even discussed forming their own team for an offensive if it seemed too easy for them. Echo could admit that it was an unfair alliance from the get go. Tech and Wrecker were sure to win if neither of them assisted Crosshair but it was fun to watch them take him down even if the odds were stacked in their favor.

Doubt. It still wept inside him as if begging to be heard. Although, he could put it to rest for one night.

[elizakai]

god the burnout is real i’m so sorry.

i haven’t forgotten abt that dtiys tho i swear. ,:)

i’m having a…REALLY hard time picking winners for that, everyone’s drawings were so so lovely

i wanted to ask if yall are opposed to me doing a raffle for participants instead of picking a winner?? it would be randomized instead?

let me know how you feel about that /gen

[didhewinkback]

him being papped w luis multiple times in the last two months... that man is back to work baby

[skyblueartt]

I am nearly 23 years old in the year 2025 I am not going to make an ask blog on tumblr I’m not gonna do it I m notttt im . I want to :(

[bloodxhound]

hi ^_^

[aroaessidhe]

2025 reads / storygraph

The Underwood Tapes

YA supernatural/mystery

struggling with grief after losing her mother in a car crash 6 months ago, a girl goes to the Florida hometown her mother never returned to, trying to occupy herself with a summer job transcribing some old cassette tapes for the town’s historical society

a lot of the documents have to do with a mysterious group of hurricane-chasing teens from the 70s - who also have a connection to the boy recording the tapes in 1992

in a moment of loneliness, she records something onto the blank side of a cassette - and finds that somehow, he can hear her, and they start to talk to each other

as she tries to investigate more about the hurricane society and buried secrets of the town, they become friends across time, and she discovers the answers are closer than she expected

[kamenstrikerace]

[abloomingperiod]

one enlistment announcement and one album drop announcement in one day i honestly think these are the trenches