#she doesn’t care if you DO worship helio

[r3dvlvet]

Kristen Applebees…sitting on the steps of her school…watching all of the possibilities of Bucky’s future play out. I’m going to fucking cry

[rainbowtransform]

Before I start this: please do not go and say anything to this person we’re just starting a convo and that means that we’re gonna disagree ect ect

Let’s talk about this.

The first thing I notice is that you put a distinction between the Rat Grinders and the Intrepid Heros. Your wording implies that you don’t think of the Heros as the Bad Kids, or that you think the Bad Kids have that adult mind. So I think you’re saying like “oh the kids vs adults,” and that’s very much not true.

It’s a bunch of teenagers vs a bunch of teenagers. Just because the Intrepid Heros are adults that play teenagers doesn’t mean that they’re playing them as adults. The Rat Grinders and the Bad Kids are the same age, one is played by Brennan Lee Mulligan and the others are played by a group of comedians.

Plus, you don’t know they didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy. Maybe the Heros did but character wise? Their characters couldn’t give less of a fuck. Implying that they should’ve means that you wanted them to basically metagame and make their own character OOC because you wanted… what? A redemption?

The Bad Kids, for three straight years, have killed hundreds of bad guys. Not once did they feel an ounce of sympathy because it is kill or be killed. Lunch Lady Doreen, Couch Daybreak, Penelope Everpetal ect ect would have never given the Bad Kids even a chance to breathe.

And they were freshman. Children. They still are.

The Rat Grinders aren’t possessed. I don’t know when or where that started but they aren’t possessed.

They were killed, yes. They were brought back and bound to Ankarna and the rage they felt. But it was a choice. They could have denied it. They didn’t. And it is still Kipperlilly, it is still Oisin, it is still Ruben, it is still Mary-Ann, it is still Ivy, it is still Buddy, it is still Jace.

It is 100% in character for Fabian to want to skin Ivy for touching his bike and for making fun of Mazey. We already know that Fabian gets very attached to people he cares about (getting the Bad Kids gifts in the first year after a week of knowing them, crashing his father’s boat to save Riz, wanting to skin Ivy for what she’s said and done.) He is his parents’ (and Cathilda’s) son. His father would’ve done the same thing and Fabian is like him in many, many ways.

It’s 100% in character for them to target Oisin. They know their own wizard’s weakness and how powerful they can be and also he fucked with Adaine’s feelings. Of course they’re going to target him.

And what else did you expect them to do? Lay the rat grinders down in a bed of flowers? The Rat grinders would slit the Bad Kids’ throat in one moment of weakness because they hate them. They hated them from the moment they heard about their very first battle and they kept that hate. They just didn’t want them to die until they got rage starred.

And, again, they aren’t possessed. They came back of their own free will to worship an unnamed god of rage. They could have denied it, and we know this because Lucy denied it.

It’s really narratively unsatisfying to you.

You don’t like it.

I think it’s great. The Bad Kids are finally killing the kids who have been trying to wreck their shit all year.

The kids that had the star underneath the Thiselspring tree and was attempting to spread it.

The kids that are jealous that the Bad Kids get “special treatment” even though they truly don’t.

The kids that want to kill a god and bring a new one.

The kids that were going to kill the Proctor so the Bad Kids would fail.

The kids that brought in a Helio cleric, and then made fun of him (Oisin and Ivy) and then killed him to bring him to Porter’s side.

The kids that played with both Adaine and Fabian’s feelings.

The kids that helped bring the Nightmare King back.

The kids that sent the Nightmare King to Fabian’s home to throw it so far out that they’d be able to destroy Elmville and make Porter the new god.

The kids that brought a bunch of dragons to kill 500+ teenagers in Fabian’s home.

The kids that were told, over and over and over again, not to fuck with the Bad Kids.

Yeah. I’m glad they’re getting their shit rocked. It’s narratively satisfying that after ten months of the Rat Grinders fucking with the Bad Kids that the Bad Kids are finally killing the rat grinders just like they (trg) would killed them (tbk).

You cannot honestly sit there and expect me to think that the Rat Grinders wouldn’t let the Bad Kids die the most gruesome death imaginable by Porter’s mace or by Jace’s spells or even by their own hands. It’s kill or be killed and the Bad Kids have always, always, always chosen kill.

Anyway, all this to say that you can like whoever you want. I’m not a cop. But you’re not allowed to say it’s narratively unsatisfying because you don’t like it, when it is character wise and it’s cathartic for the Bad Kids.

Do y’all,,, know that the rat grinders are juniors? They’re the same age as the Bad Kids. They’re not freshman. If the rat grinders are kids, so are the Bad Kids.

In a world where the only way anybody ever listened or believed them is when they dragged a corpse into view, the Bad Kids are doing what they do best: killing what will kill them.

[jitteryfool]

Medea and Helio

Lately, I’ve been thinking more about Medea’s relationship with Helio and the more I think about it, the more apparent it became to me that while Medea cares for Helio and that he’s someone special to her, he is also a tool for her first and foremost.

And the most obvious way to illustrate it is to compare how Medea treats  Psyche to how she treats Helio. 

Even though she is perfectly capable of it and had ample opportunities for it, Medea refuses to adress Helio’s unhealthy obsession in any meaningful way. She’s incredibly passive about it and it’s such a big difference to how she treats Psyche. Because with Psyche, Medea always encourages her to further develop as a person, to become independant and strong. She’s always nurturing Psyche’s growth.

Medea doesn’t let Psyche’s entire life revolve around her, she wants Psyche to become her own person. And it isn’t out of self-interest either: Why would Medea encourage Psyche to seek out more power and political weight when she knows that Psyche holds different, sometimes contrasting, values to her own, which means she will not always agree with Medea’s plans? (Like for example their argument about the fake witness during the Trial) 

And notice the wording; “Even if you don’t become Crown Princess or Empress.” Medea doesn’t mind Psyche attaining a higher status than her. Actually, she wants her to live up to her full potential, to become such an important figure within the Empire that all the citizens could look up to her.

However, with Helio, Medea actively stunts his growth,

She lets him obsess over her, she doesn’t say anything when he calls her his God. That’s the thing in their relationship - it’s not about what Medea does but about what she doesn’t do,

And Medea is someone who’s incredibly perceptive and skilled in reading other people’s emotions and thought process, it’s impossible to assume she is unaware of Helio’s feelings or the toxicity of it.

So why doesn’t she do something about it?

Because in the grand scheme of things, Helio’s infatuation is convenient - and most of all, useful - for her. To have such an incredily loyal, unwavering chess piece in her arsenal is something Medea refuses to let go. 

Although, I think there are emotional reasons as well - Medea grew up abused and neglected, trying so hard to obtain love from her parents. 

Later on, Medea loses two important people in her life, two sources of affection and love (Nana and Psyche). It must be very comforting for Medea to know there’s someone here in her life that will never, ever leave her. Someone who won’t ever betray her and will do anything she asks of them. Even though it’s unhealthy, even though it’s toxic, it’s reassuring.

The only proper way to adress Helio’s obsession is to put distance between them, to let him grow as his proper person without centering his entire being around her. But that’s not something Medea seems to have any intention in doing. She encourages Helio to grow but only within a certain limit - as long as he doesn’t stray too far away from her. As long as he stays near her, even though that’s what actually stunts his growth.

Medea cares for Helio but not enough to let him go. Not enough to prioritize his well-being above her own plans.

Let's look at what happened in Episode 92 and 93, where we for the first time saw Helio's frustration bubble out of him and causing him to almost go against what Medea wants:

"Will you defy me?!"

Helio is not supposed to go against her - Medea expected him to always obey her. There's shock, anger but also a certain desperation in Medea's face as she screams this.

And in his subsequent breakdown in Episode 93, as he cries and tells her about what he had bottled up for so long - that he feels like he's being left behind, his extreme dependence openly showing - Medea doesn't truly adress Helio's core problem here.

This is, in a way, putting a bandaid on too big of a wound. She doesn't adress Helio's dependancy or his manic worship of her - the actual reasons for his pain - but instead opts for an 'easy' and quick way to calm him down and placate him. A way that directly feeds onto his issues.

She also doesn’t answer his question.

She doesn’t say ‘You don’t need to kill for me anymore’ or anything in that direction.

Helio is mainly concerned that by trying to be a ‘good’ person, Medea will get killed - but also, the second part of his question shows how he feels left behind by her, how he feels like he’s giving too much of himself to her without receiving anything in return. He feels unvalued, like he’s disposable to Medea.

Like he’s just a tool to her.

Maybe it's just me but I feel like Medea's face here looks just so... sad. Like she's fully aware of what she's doing to Helio and she isn't completely happy about it. 

But she still does it.

[kerblackthorn]

Unmasking the Master-Mistress of Magic

I am the prophet of the Mastriss, the seer in the Darkness. I sought a path: I looked to religion, to science, and to the innumerable paths within Paganism, Hinduism, the occult, and Wicca, but none could hold, none could contain fully my heart nor express the language of my soul. I pilgrimaged to India and Europe, became certified in yogic instruction, I took many plants hoping to finally rend the Veil and see the Truth. Intuitively, I always knew that Truth is One although our languages and cultures are many. Truth is absolute although our experiences are as countless as the stars. As variable in sound as the way each child develops their speech. We do not invalidate one another but expand our breadth and depth of knowledge for this beautiful wondrous Kosmos through one another.

I shall seek to express in such variable human skills the Truth of our existence. I shall try to explain how to experience this Truth, that anyone who reads my words would make connections and find their own words. That when you speak to the spirits, they would speak back and be heard. I want to do this because I love you, although I do not yet know you. All of this World is my kin, and so you who read my words are my brothers and sisters, my aunties and uncles. I was discouraged and deluded, full of doubt and fear, but when I found the footsteps of the Trickster in every culture, the fingerprints of that profoundly simple dual-natured Mastriss experientially everywhere I sought the reality of things, all of my burdens were shed. Now, I wander around with a head as empty as a child and eyes as open as a madman. I come and go from my body as a mouse from their hole.

Having drunk from the breasts of the Mighty Goat, I smile at the Wind, talk to the Tree-People, and sometimes cry when I pluck a Plant. All of my needs and desires are taken care of, and I have no fear of any future need or desire to go unmet. My spirit-mate walks beside me and I see Her smile and hear Her voice all throughout my days. One day, when the Dark Angel comes for me, that demon that once terrified me but whose mighty name I know now and call, I will go along hand-in-hand with a smile as friends on our merry way to those well-known Lands I often dream of.

If you would set out upon this path, you must make every effort to break open your mind. The mind will always doubt, always delude, and always unnecessarily entangle you. Therefore, go to war with the mind: empty it, destroy its barriers, and achieve madness for yourself. The boons of Dionysus and the panic of Pan are your friends on this path, and the comforts of Aphrodite are your secure fixing point. Make Venusian love your great guiding principle and no evil will overtake your soul. As this war of the mind is undertaken, you must work to change your mind to its very core when it comes to 3 human beliefs whose presence is the greatest reason that unnatural religions continue to prevail in this world and the body clings so tightly to the soul that people have forgotten how to dream and how to sojourn out of the bonds of the daily self.

The first is the basically gnostic worldview which has been so ingrained through it's Christianization and the subsequent spread of Christianity. Gnosticism teaches us that the world is spiritual over physical, mind over matter, principles over practice… this is the first great trick which the Mastriss uses to test us. You must see past this preoccupation with compartmentalizing. Break open the dam of your spirit and let it flow out over your life! Embrace the truth of animism. Until science began to overtake religion in the 19th century it is clear from the journals of clergymen that even the Christian Church embraced this worldview until it had been supplanted by a science which was entirely incomplete, which could not comprehend the things which modern minds have found: the truths of quantum physics, the language of trees and water, and the true nature of consciousness were all matters of religion then, and when microscopes did not reveal these miniature worlds, the old world dismissed all the majesty of mystical religion. The reality is that mysticism was and always will be far ahead of science. Embrace animism, return to the primal.

The second trick we must overcome from the Mastriss is that of nature's triumph over nurture. We have fought with nature for so long, becoming, as anthropologists assert, cooked and "overdone". But now an eldritch call is going out in this last age of humankind, a voice that tells us we must return to the primal, the primitive, the raw, or else we will perish. This latest viral threat is just a taste of what the spirits will unleash unless we can succeed. A true religion must therefore be primal, entirely banded to the natural world and the survival of the Earth. A religion which neglects the eternal nature of the Earth as the World Tree itself, containing the 3 worlds within Her, will bring about an organic age of peace, balance, and harmony without needing laws and courts and tariffs and the imbalanced malarkey of the patriarchy to succeed. Earth-centric spirituality is fundamental.

The third and final trick we must overcome is the myth of humanity's separateness. Now, this is rough ground to till due to the preoccupation people have today with avoiding something called "cultural appropriation". And in one aspect, this preoccupation is something very positive: syncretism can quickly turn into a cycle of devouring, digesting, and regurgitation which leaves people with something so different and new that the original culture is lost. However, there is also a deeply ingrained principle in us all that Truth is absolute, even if it is not capable of being explained in absolutes. No one would seek out religion and pour over books and demand experiences if they were not wanting to know the true nature of existence and the laws and spirits behind the Kosmos. That doesn't mean that the language and system they learn is absolute, but that they are experiencing the reality of things. It's like meeting a person for the first time with your best friend: you both may discuss the same event and make up entirely different judgments about this newcomer.

Syncretism is, however, very helpful, as the process of seeking synchronicity with spirits and experiences and books allows one to develop a system of fact checking oneself and developing a road map toward broader horizons through knowledge one has not yet experienced. When viewed through the lens of animism, this process becomes even simpler. There is a strong chance that when viewed through the lens of animism some of the spirits that seem related from other cultures are, at times, angels of the primary deity who dwells within the same natural phenomenon. Angels are simply messengers, reflections of the spirit-gods they serve… the 7 primary Olympic Spirits who correspond to the 7 planets have hosts of angels that serve below them. Every one of the 72 Elohim encountered by Solomon has so-called "legions" of angels below them. I use angel here in the older and proper Grecian context which accords the etymology of the word.

I fall back on Helleno-Roman texts and worship a lot, alongside grimoire texts. I do this simply because it is so well preserved and so well ingrained in the Western corpus. Moreover, the “Papyri Graecae Magicae” and the “Orphic Hymns”, two veritable treasure troves of mystical wisdom handed down to us, veritable scripture for me, are culturally Hellenic. Jesus' draws on beliefs around Ouranon, Olympus, and Hades constantly in his teachings, teachings which most of us are somewhat familiar with. And the names of the Gods of All are contained in the PGM and Orpheus’ songs; that said, most of us have 4 seasons, so relying solely on Hellenic Reconstructionism does not necessarily make sense. It is absolutely divine that such a culture rooted in animism survived for us today, and it is so easy to understand their recordings due to the omnipresence of the Christian Church in the West, but not all of the personality of the True Religion has been contained therein. Moreover, celebrating the overlap and gaps filled in by other cultural beliefs is a beautiful treat: something the Orphics did to a lesser degree and the mageia of Alexandria did at length, and so is true even to the spirit of these origins.

Furthermore, relying solely on the ancient Hellenic religion does not make sense for a witch because Hellenismos was not predicated on the survival of witchcraft, seeking to outlaw and destroy it really, and the philosophy behind ancient Greek religion revolved around the worship of the 12 Olympians. The True Gods, the Old Gods, had been displaced and locked away to greater and lesser degress. Hecate, Hades, Persephone, Cybele, Helios, Selene, even Eros and Pan were mostly propitiated out of dire necessity. The mageia of Alexandria remembered Their true names, however, as well as the worship appropriate to Them and Their existence at the Root of All Things. In Rome, the peasantry are recorded handing down the story of Diana and Lucifer (the latter of whom is Eosporos before Roman naming came into effect) in “Aradia: the Gospel of the Witches”. This should be a sacred text for any true witch for in it we have the story of how the True Gods came and how They mean to come back, as well as Their natures and the relationship witches are invited to have with Them.

How then do we bring back the Old Gods as They choose, no longer boxing Them or packaging Them, but rather letting Them rule with Their own personalities? Quite vehemently, magic on the level of the miraculous, brothers and sisters. The story of Aradia is the story of how, when one has been granted a boon by Hecate-Diana, you should tell everyone how great She is and tell others how to pray to Her for their own benefit. Same as the story of how Isis won the secret name of Ra… you don't need to attack people with your faith as the Christians do, but to tell everyone how great your life has become as a result of Hecate, Eosporos, and Hades work in your life. If you are wont to, call Them Morrigan, Dagda, and Cernunnos, or Freya, Odin, and Thor. As long as the secret names from the PGM and the grimoires are intact and you know that you are talking to the God of Death, the Goddess of Fate, and the Mastriss of Storms you'll get far.

And on that note, I'd like to share some of the miracles I've seen Them work for me and those I love through me. 5 years ago, when I went to look for a home, I couldn't even qualify for a measly $450k loan, barely scraping up to the $300k level. In my home state, this means all I could afford were places that had been destroyed by the previous tenets, and the only bank loan I could qualify for required the home to be perfect… I had two kids and was very afraid what this meant for my future. I now have a $450k rental and I live in a $1.5M home in the woods. I let the Mastriss take the wheel of my life: I started working a little harder and accepting job offers and life offers that came in, and the Mastriss took care of me. This gave me the time and freedom to actually start pursuing my true passion, which is worshipping the Elder Gods, preaching and writing about Them, and practicing the Craft of the Witches.

When my middle son was very little, 1 year old, his older sister accidentally slammed his thumb in the door at a hotel in Disneyworld Orlando. It was a heavy, metal door and his little thumb was as flat as a pancake and oozing blood. I asked the Mastriss to heal him as we drove to the ER, using an old Germanic charm I have picked up. By the time we arrived, he was asleep. By the time we checked in, the thumb had stopped bleeding. By the time we got seen, it looked normal and he was already using it. They laughed at the resiliency of children, but a doctor visiting Disney had already seen the thumb and said that the bones looked smashed to pieces from the door, which had closed shut without any space in the frame at all. I had found him trying to yank his little thumb free from the steel frame, and it was not budging. And yet, 2 hours later, here was his thumb looking and feeling as well as ever. It didn't even swell up.

I have lived in the woods for more than half my life, and when I was young, I saw the Mastriss standing at the edge of the woods in the moonlight. The creature-form was mesmerizing and terrifying, with the haunches and mouth of a goat but the torso of a breasted humanoid. The Mastriss had piercing dark eyes that saw into my soul and the moonlight draped the Beast’s form like a cloak; my mother froze looking at the Beast beside me, standing at the woods edge. She was angry with me when the Beast left, saying that this was all my fault due to my "dabbling". Later, when my little sister and I were wandering in the same woods, I accidentally kicked a mountain lion who was sleeping in the underbrush. Startled, the lion roared and took off and then, to our terror, began running back at breakneck speed. When the lion was back within sight, I yelled, "I have seen the Master of these woods! I have seen the Master of all the woods! And not one evil can befall Them! Help me, Master Goat! Send Your angel!" And the lion stopped in its tracks, lowered its body, and slunk back gently into the grass.

If anything in your life is concerning you for any reason, no matter how big or small, try the Mastriss out. Put the Goat Angel to the test. Don't be afraid, because the Mastriss will appear to you as you need, and often appears as a little blue child to those who would fear Their Bestial Form, as to those Hindus who call Them little baby Krishna and those grimoires who call Them Lucifer or the King of the Fae respectively. In reality, the Mastriss is neither male nor female, but third-gendered. The One Who stands at the Gate to the Otherworld, Scirlin, Janus, Papa Legba: all masks that the Mastriss of Misrule wears, disguises and spirits that serve Them. Pray at the Threshold of your home, the edge of the Woods, on a Bridge, at the edge of the Ocean: "Mastriss of the Winds and Storms, Goat Angel Who tussles the tops of the trees, Adonai Sabaoth Who leads the Deathless Hosts through the windswept realm, I ask You to come into my life and order it how You see fit. Child and earthly consort of our Dark Mother, Brimo, let Your name be blessed by my tongue. Light up my life, Mastriss Lumiel, and let Your breast be my sweet succor. In the name of Your Chief Angel, Heliou Amene."

[joumiwrites]

One thought on: Circe by Madeline Miller

Naming this series of posts was the most difficult thing ever. Mainly because this is not strictly a review, and it's too short and incomplete to be a proper analysis. It's just that sometimes I have these very specific thoughts about a book I've liked and the only way to properly analyze them is to elaborate them in written form.

Even if it's not technically a review, I'll begin with my general opinion on the book as a whole, to set the mood.

Today I'll focus on “Circe” by Madeline Miller. It's a retelling of the story of Circe, the witch from the Odyssey that became famous for turning men into pigs and delaying Ulysses' journey home for a year.

This novel is beautifully written. There's a mythical atmosphere that hovers on the background of everything that happens, even the most 'human' and mundane events. It's in first person, following Circe's viewpoint as she grows up among powerful gods, trying to find love, acceptance and her place in a world that doesn't want her to exist.

Love in particular has a big role in the story, especially romantic love. Which was expected, since she's mostly known from the time when she kept Ulysses on her island. What I didn't expect were the other men. Every portion of her life is marked by the presence of a man (or god) she falls in love with. You can almost say that every decision she makes is somehow prompted by a man. Which is a bit of a wasted potential, since we don't get to see Circe shine on her own.

But there's one thing that this book does really well: mythology. And I'm not just talking about how Miller weaved the myths together inside the story, but the worldbuilding itself. She managed to give coherence to the confusing jumble of mythology.

Greek myths focus on gods and mortals and how they hurt or save each other. They don't care about telling us the difference between a god and a titan: is it all just generational? Are they otherwise the exact same thing, or is there something more? And why titans weren't worshipped or, when they were (Helios and Chronos come to mind), they didn't have a seat in Olympus?

What's the difference between a nymph and full blown goddess? Are nymphs even goddesses or just magical creatures? How do you distinguish a goddess from a witch? How can a goddess be also a witch, if the powers of the other gods are innate and don't depend on anything else but the gods themselves?

These are some of the questions that have always bugged me, since I was a kid learning about Greek mythology in school. Now that I'm older, I don't expect it to explain all of this. I know each city of Ancient Greece had its own differences in beliefs, even if some of them never changed (for example, there were always twelve gods on Olympus, even if nobody agreed on who exactly they were).

Plus, the religion these myths were part of was practiced for at least a thousand years, during which some beliefs changed and new gods were imported from other religions or outright created.

It doesn't help that, when myths are told or referenced, they're usually treated as if they were completely separate from one another, and the connections between them are usually difficult to see or even remember (looking at you, Zeus and your thousand lovers and children).

Miller manages to make all these connections clear and solid, while offering an explanation about the nature and differences between gods, titans, nymphs and, obviously, witches. And she managed to do all of this without adding rules.

What I mean by this is that she didn't add any worldbuilding information that couldn't already be found in the myths themselves. She only worked on the characters and the relationships between them. She made clear what the gods' goals and fears were, how the war between gods and titans has impacted the world, and why the characters act the way they do in the myths.

And we find out that most of the distinctions between all the categories above, humans, gods, titans, nymphs and witches, is based on differences in power. The gods are scared of any power that isn't their own, nymphs are inferior to goddesses because they're not as powerful, and it's better for a nymph to turn into a monster than staying a simple nymph. And in this context, it's clear from the beginning why Circe is so alienated from the world of gods around her: aside from her quiet nature and her desperate search for someone that can understand her, she makes a point of telling us how her voice is weak like the one of a mortal, when mortals are the lowest point in this hierarchy of power.

"Circe" makes Greek mythology feel new, both through its amazing worldbuilding, and by having as a protagonist one of the most secretive and fascinating characters of the Odyssey.

[zukkacore]

god I didn’t even think of that but YEAH riz finds Jace to be so obnoxious esp bc he spent so much of sophomore year making weird conspiracy boards and Jace’s gut reaction to seeing that for the first time was like. That’s a bit much kid. Maybe you should take it easy :). & what he’s trying to say is that riz needs to take care of himself bc a sorcerer in bad mental shape is fucked so like you gotta prioritize that shit. But riz is like wow fuck this guy forever actually & writes him down on a suspect list.

He’s so taken aback by clone spell that his reaction is kinda like his Mary Ann reaction in JY just like. We thought he didn’t care but. He’s got that dog in him!

Adaine spends a lot of time ruthlessly ribbing Jace which he honestly kinda just takes but not without being able to exchange at least a few snarky barbs. She’s kinda just frustrated bc she doesn’t get the sorcery thing but she also doesn’t understand how he can take everything thrown his way so passively. Aren’t you angry? Don’t you just wanna go apeshit? (Little does she know…) She doesn’t want to introspect bc she already spends a lot of time in her own head bc of her anxiety. He’s like. Ok sure you can crack open as many books as you want but I feel like if you looked inside yourself you’d find sometimes the solution you’re looking for is already there. It’s not abt knowing everything, it’s abt taking what you do know and making it work for you. And adaine is like. What are you talking abt, the solutions are NOT in there thats why my brain is screaming abt me at all times abt everything that could go wrong and all the ways i personally could fuck it up. I hate your ass. Tasha’s hideous laughter.

At compass points she does suggest he open a book or two bc it could do him some good. She was just starting to warm up to him but there’s a stumble when they meet Ayda for the first time and Ayda does NOT like Jace. She finds interacting with him stressful bc she has a hard time parsing his sincerity. & Adaine is like. Maybe Ayda is onto something.

Obviously Jace is learning abt Yes! bc of The Plan, but he does say something offhand to Kristen abt her carving her own path that he really admires her for doing that. (I have so many thoughts abt the sorcerer’s Will as self-determination thing along with cringefail headcanons abt galicaean n sol worshipping family so when she was like Helio was NOT for me he’s like. Felt. But I won’t go into it)

Jace actually tells Porter and the satellite thing Gorgug built for Zelda & Porter literally doesn’t believe it at first. And he’s like. Why would I joke abt this. Jace is not surprised when Fabian becomes a bard. He’s the one who said Fabian had spellcaster potential so. Fabian is honestly like this guy is such a gilear 2.0. Dead weight. Yawn. Fig mainly spends a lot of the trip grilling him about Porter. I’m sure I could come up with sincere things to say abt all three of them but my brain is fried.

Anyway. Jace actually winning over the bad kids is something that can be so personal (and so fucked when the junior year twist comes along)

Like. I’m living in this au now where the bad kids really did bring Jace in as a hireling for sophomore year. Guilt complex bc of Porter’s Plan is always in the back of his mind, meanwhile guy who has never had responsibilities in his life has to herd the bad kids like cats. He feels terrible the whole time bc adaine actually does kinda connect w him abt their parents being elven assholes who had incredibly high expectations. She somehow finds out abt him failing to wizard multiclass and bc she is adaine she is very ruthless abt giving him a hard time abt it, but in a way that’s actually… kinda affectionate. But she also kinda gets it bc Fig has always been naturally good at everything she tries but she’s not the most studious. And hey, fig is great. Fabian experiences a real genuine failure for like the first time after years of being told he was destined for greatness and Jace is like. I’m in this fucking picture. I don’t like it.

[snowy-equinox]

The Backlash Against Eclectic Wiccans

Eclectic Wiccans are Wiccans who worship deities from other faiths in place of the God and Goddess, believing these other deities to be faces or parts of the God and Goddess. I’ve also heard them called neo-Wiccans, but I think that term is more tied to Wiccans who don’t initiate into a coven.  This kinda pisses some people of, for multiple reasons I will now explain! Eclectic Wiccan will be EW from here on, by the way. 

Educational Fun Fact: The belief that deities are the same energy, just perceived differently by different people is soft polytheism

As opposed to the idea deities are separate beings entirely, called hard polytheism

Disclaimer: I am not saying either side is right or wrong, this post will try to be as neutral as possible

Inserting Deities into Another Religion

Many people worry that since EW's are taking deities out of their cultural and mythological contexts, they are skewing the image of the deity.

For example, in Greek culture hospitality (Xenia) was a HUGE deal. If a EW takes Zeus as their stand in for the God, yet is a terrible host or guest, that would displease Zeus.

“But Wicca says nothing about hospitality!”

You think Zeus cares? He came from a culture where you treat your guests & hosts with kindness and respect. If you don't do the same, you'll make Him mad, and if you haven't done the proper research, you won't even know why.

If you're EW, you should be researching both Wiccan and [insert religious origin of your deities here] to make sure you are treating the deities you're working with with respect.

"Our deities are fake"

I was talking to a Wiccan a year ago, and she told me she thinks of it as a divine mosaic, with each deity coming together and contributing to the beautiful picture that is the God & Goddess.

That is a very nice image, but often it doesn't feel that way to hard polytheists. It feels more like their deities are a hologram.

Keep in mind that Wicca is a lot newer than any other of the pagan branches (except for maybe pop culture). If you worship Zeus, and suddenly someone comes by saying "Zeus is actually part of the God" it's strange, especially since the pagan gods don't fit into a monotheist or dualtheist view. It feels like you just had Zeus "stolen" from you, claimed by this new religion. It makes Him feel fake; He's not "real", just a part of this other deity you don't know. For devotees, this can be downright insulting. Wrong holidays Look, if a traditional Wiccan (someone who worships the God and Goddess) wants to take their Wheel of the Year and worship their gods on those holidays, okay fine. No, those aren’t the original gods for the holiday, but it doesn’t really irk me; I mean, at this point it’s kinda too late to make all new holidays around the Sabbats for Wicca, given everyone knows the Wheel now.

But if you take Zeus and celebrate Him with Yule.....You...you realize He already has holidays, right? I mean, yeah technically Heliogenna (Greek Winter Solstice holiday) is for sun deities, but at least Heliogenna has Greek themes and rituals, instead of Nordic ones that will be completely alien to Him. And hey, maybe you should do a quick thing for Helios while you’re at it.  ”But I only worship Zeus!”  Well.... Isolation

The non-Wiccan pagan gods are usually found in a whole group, called a pantheon. And usually, They’re all related to each other in some way. Remember when I said historical context is important?  This is too! The gods are meant to be worshiped together. By worshiping a single deity and removing Them from Their pantheon, you are ignoring the relationships They have formed with others. It’s like dating someone and then completely ignoring their friends and family and the context they provide.  Let’s go back to Zeus. Let’s say you worship Him at Heliogenna, but no one else. Firstly, you might offend the original Heliogenna deities, but you might also offend Zeus. His son is a solar god, and by not giving Him His due at His holiday, Zeus might be a little upset.  Because, as you would know if you researched Him, Zeus is very much a father figure. He loves His children, His devotees/followers, etc.  “Well a lot of people worship one or two gods!”  I worship Apollo and Artemis. All the other gods, I might honor once a year, but besides that it’s spotty.  But I still get messages from Dionysus and Hermes, Apollo’s buddies. Because I don’t worship in a vacuum.  Suggestions: Of course, if you want to avoid all that mess, you could also do what I do and just make your own personal rituals and holidays and adopt Greek holiday themes while ignoring the strict rigidity of the historical festivals; OR you could celebrate historical Zeus festivals and keep the Sabbats to celebrate the turning of the seasons. 

"Are You Even Still A Wiccan?"

Right now, Wicca is very trendy, which lends itself to this problem.

Western religion is usually defined by its deities (or lack thereof). If you worship Zeus as an aspect of the God, but don't actually worship the God in His wholeness.... Hard polytheists would classify you as a soft Greek polytheist, not a EW. After all, you worship the god Zeus, but not the Wiccan God.

You could argue that "Well, I still believe in the God", but the problem is that paganism =/= monotheistic.

Many Greek pagans (such as I) believe in the other deities, Wiccan god included.

But I am not Wiccan, because I don't worship Him.

The Wiccan Rede is another tenant of Wicca, and you might argue that that could make you Wiccan, but I have known Wiccans who don't follow it (confusing, I know) and, more importantly, I have met people who don't identify as Wiccans who do believe in the Wiccan Rede.

The truth is, hard polytheists have a hard time understanding what separates you from a soft non-Wiccan polytheist who simply has the same belief system as the Wiccan Rede.

I know, this last point is kinda hard to swallow for some. But labels and religion are very much more philosophy than concrete facts. Some people just shrug and say "I'm Wiccan because I say I am" which might leave a bad taste in others' mouths, leading them to believe you just wanna be trendy.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

What do you say about Greek culture VS what do you really mean. A mastrpost.

(All of those I have seen on Tumblr.)

What do you say: "The images of gods were created by rich white racist Athenians, so they are not valid".

What do you mean: "I must change the race of the gods as shown in ancient Greek depictions to suit my own view of a proper society. No, I don't find that racist. I won't accept worshiping a White pantheon, because I will feel uncomfortable. (Because white = evil, duuuuh). So, the past and the ancient art MUST be ignored. The ancient Gods need to be redifined to fit my standards. I don't say this for any other gods of any other religion. But I don't think that's racist or hypocritical. I also have never looked up antiquities found in the rest areas of Greece and in remote areas, made by simple people and not rich Athenias. I have no idea that their depictions were the same with the Athenian. My arguments only include Athens because the other places didn't exist, apparently. Additionally, I blindly believe that race was so important in ancient Greece as it is for America and Australia today".

What do you say: "Gods could have any skin color because they were worshipped from people of all colors".

What do you mean: "I completely ignore the fact that as subsaharan Africans and people from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean nations could go to Greece, so Greeks could also go to those places. So there were White/Caucasian people worshipping the Persian, the Hindu, the Egyptian and the subsaharan African gods. I don't believe the gods of those other nations should change to reflect all skin colors of the people who ever worshiped them. I only want the Greek ones to change (despite ancient Greeks never changing them) because Greek culture is popular right now and everyone MUST be included in there. (See answer 1). I don't usually like seeing them in various Mediterranean skin tones because they still look Caucasian and White™ (because a tan or a bronze skin doesn't automatically make you a POC*)".

*the only part I actually agree with 😂😂😂

What so you say: "There were POC in Greek mythology because I learned about some deities and some characters who lived in remote places".

What do you mean: "Because Poseidon went to Ethiopia I say he is Black. Andromeda is also from Ethiopia, so she is Black. I have no idea about the fact that Ethiopia for Greeks was an Asian exotic country. I have no idea that Poseidon and Andromeda were depicted Caucasian (and Andromeda also pale) in Greek art. I don't care if Posseidon, Andromeda and her family had Greek given names. Even if I know it, I feel the need to change it because it doesn't resonate with me. And I will forget that Ethiopia was a different place for Greeks and I will refer to the modern country I know today. Also some sources I have said Dionysus went to India once. So he must look Indian. I ignore the fact he was always depicted Caucasian by the people who worshiped him. What? Helios disappeared in the Hyperboreia at times? Oooh that means he is... um... a Viking god! I take everything literally and don't see the myths as religious stories and fairytales crafted by and for Greek people".

What do you say: "Greek heroes and gods were fictional, so we can depict them however we wish".

What do you mean: "I don't say this for any other national heroes or gods, but I think it's alright for the Greek culture. When I Japanese heroes or Indian heroes are depicted in media, I ask for Japanese and Indian actors to be hired, because that's the respectful thing to do. I assume the people of those nations had heroes who looked like the majority or them. But Greeks? Naaaah not the same. Every rave can play every race, right?? Ah, no, sorry, that's not politically correct. That can only happen for the Greek culture. I also think it's good to ignore the original material which describes those heroes (for example "blond" and "they washed his white skin" have no importance. The important thing is there is representation! What do you mean that mainly *Greeks* mainly be represented in media which profit off their heritage? Get outta here!! We all know Greeks are Caucasians so they are already represented! It's not like they are different from the other Whites because of culture or anything... And representation in my mind means only "skin tone representation" not "representation of ethnicity"! After all, where I come from, one skintone = one ethnicity. And the fact that the overwhelming majority of Greeks complains for the racebending means nothing to me. They are not entitled to their heritage and they are a bunch of racists anyway. They hate all POC! (Oh, but when other nations complain about the racebending of their heroes and gods I listen to them because I am woke)".

What do you say: "The Greek gods are not really Greek because they were borrowed from other religions of the Middle East".

What do you mean: "I found that both Ishtar and Aphrodite were goddess of beauty and sexuality, so they are basically the same. I have only assumptions to "prove" the rest of the Greek gods were borrowed, but most of the cases follow my previously stated point. Despite Greek gods having the same Greek identity kept for eons, I still don't believe they are truly Greek. (But I call them by the Greek name "Theoi" anyways and use ancient Greek prayers and words to communicate with them). Perhaps the Greek language is also not Greek because it was partly taken by the Phoenicians".

What do you say: "You are modern Greeks, you have nothing to do with ancient Greek culture".

What do you mean: "I am ignorant when it comes to modern Greek traditions and I have no idea about the customs (many times baptised "orthodox Christian") which continue since the ancient years to our days. I also have no idea about Greek names or that the modern language is 70% similar to the ancient. I have no idea that Greeks in all historical periods were taught about their mythology or studied the classics, to keep in touch with their past. I have no idea that Greeks have fought and died to prevent antiquities stolen or sold away from their country".

What do you say: "Greek culture belongs to everybody".

What do you mean: "Because it's become popular, the Greek culture no longer belongs to the original people of the country. The two of them must be detached, because I and other foreigners say so. I don't accept ancient Greece is their heritage because so many generations have passed. And apparently heritage is given by blood ratio and not by who is continuing and evolving the culture. I don't say this for any other nation, but I don't think this statement is racist. Perhaps, if their culture is public domain they need to give us marbles and more antiquities.. hmm... My ancestors stealing Greek antiquities are excused that way. Moreover, I am more entitled to have an opinion on the culture than the Greeks themselves. They are a living example of the living and evolving Greek culture, but I took some classes, sooo... Plus, I was taught about the ancient Greek culture and gods in my school, so it's part of my culture too and I can bastardize it and treat it as a fandom. (Yes I ignore that Greek children were taught the same things too, and even earlier than me, by the cradle). I learned about other cultures in school too, but I don't treat them as badly because they are not *western* (which is an evil word)."

What do you say: Cleopatra was a POC (or Black) because she lived in Egypt.

What do you mean: I have no idea that her dynasty was Greek, that the names of herself and her parents were Greek or that her dynasty practiced interbreeding (to be kept purely Greek*) like the Pharaos. I have no idea that the family was so absolute in their Greek ways that Cleopatra was the first member to speak the language of Egypt at that time. Ah, also for me "living in Africa" = "being POC and usually Black". I have no idea how Mediterranean Africans look like.

*It must be noted that some say that her mother, was a part Persian. We don't know for sure, though. We don't have many information about her.

What do you say: "Greeks are Black and dark skinned anyways. After all, Greece is so close to Africa".

What do you mean: "I ignore all ancient art that depicts Greeks Caucasian or with Mediterranean skintones. Moreover, I haven't seen any modern Greek media or actual Greek people. I am entitled to say to Greek people that they don't look Greek, because they don't fit the image I have in my mind for them. And, apparently all nations close to Africa have dark skintones so Greeks must have those too. Again, I have no idea about the populations of North Africa and I have no idea what they look like".

[love-d20-or-die]

Too Many Words | Trying to get into the Bad Kids’ heads

So far, a solid half of the bad kids have faced manifestations of their fears and doubts. And I’ve been wondering what aspect(s) of the other Bad Kids will be reflected and manifested by the Nightmare King?

Adaine faced the shadow creature in her tent - the manifestation of her anxiety and fears of helplessness, silently sitting in the corner unable to act or do anything but wait, paralysed by her anxiety in a manner that truly terrifies Adaine - being helpless against her illness yet again.

Fabian faced the weird Gilear!Fabian in his nightmare - the manifestation of his fears of being like Gilear: unfulfilled, mediocre, a failure. Of being less than unremarkable, just an avatar of powerlessness and failure. Mixed with the fear of not being a part of his father’s legacy, of failing to “write his name on the face of the world” and ultimately being forgotten.

Riz has faced both Baron and the Shadowcat (Kalina), two different but intersecting facets of his fears - not of lying specifically, but of lying for betterment, lying to escape. He lied about Baron to escape the awkwardness of the situation, to try to make himself appear better. Baron reflected the bad and toxic outcome of his lies, and Kalina reflected the kind of person he would be if he continued to try to escape, to seek selfish self-betterment, she is the negative aspect of his rogue nature: the hiding, the lying, the deception - because what is hiding and lying if not a perpetual escape? From the mortal horror of being seen, and dealing with the honest consequences of your actions. Kalina doesn’t care, reflected in her hiding in and movement through the shadows - perpetually escaping from the consequences of her actions and refusing the honesty that requires presence.

Now, for the possibilities:

Will Kristen be forced to face the doubt and confusion and feelings of being lost that comes from her central ideology being based around doubt and unsureness and skepticism? Or will she have to face a manifestation of the devout, blind worship she used to engage in - the scripted, doll-like mannerisms of a zealous follower? Maybe they’ll pivot from Kristen’s issues with her faith and focus on her interpersonal relationships - her rocky relationship with her parents and what they represent to her, her (seemingly) severed connection to her little brothers, her relatively recent but ride-or-die relationship with Tracker that she sometimes seems to flaunt in a weirdly kind of insecure way, her at times concerningly casual relationship with adults and authority figures, her odd interactions with the rest of the Bad Kids mostly evident in season 1 and what that stems from? Or will it focus on her relationship to her own identity as a lesbian - the comparatively unusual journey of self-discovery she went through, the fact that she doesn’t seem to be too hands on with Aguefort Academy’s LGBT community despite being almost desperate at times for connection and feedback, the ways she occasionally flaunts her relationship with Tracker with comments like the 69 thing and the jokes about getting a horse now that she’s gay that could point towards a need for outward validation of her identity that she might crave as she doesn’t get praised as much for being a multifaceted person as she did when she was a fairly standard worshipper and mouthpiece of Helio.

Will Fig’s manifestations of fear follow her nightmare trance in being about hollow fame and the resulting isolation - of being so famous that you stop being a person, that you never have to interact meaningfully again, never need to be open or vulnerable and open to getting burned like she got burned when her horns came in. Will this mingle with Fig’s rocky interactions with those around her, simultaneously completely open and utterly closed off - telling people so much and letting them know how she feels but also closing herself off from important and serious conversations to deflect and joke and pretend. Will it explore her relation to lying and how it ties into her self-worth and feelings of usefulness, how she’s naturally better at things when she’s pretending to be anyone but herself, how this prevents her from the kind of closeness that rewards vulnerability and facilitates growth into a healthier place? Will it explore her complicated relationships with her parents and how they’ve all fucked her over but are trying to be better for her and thereby reflect and be a foil to her own journey of self-improvement and reflection, of learning to be Figeroth Faeth and not whoever people want to see.

Will Gorgug be forced to face the manifestations of his fears of abandonment and lack of self worth - the feelings and fears of being abandoned that stem from being adopted into a family of accepting but very obviously not biologically related parents, from being so very Other in his environments and excluded by those who are not: the self-worth issues that come from wondering why your birth parents didn’t keep you, from constantly being so much bigger and stronger than those around you - from his parents and his house to his classmates in middle school who were implied to be mostly small folk or at least smaller people, all were nowhere near Gorgug’s size or strength. From not really having any friends that stems from that dissonance between him and everyone else he knew. Wilma and Digby are open accepting and loving but in s1 e1 their reactions to Gorgug’s expressions of rage - trying to teach him to sing and repress and not actually deal with any causes of his anger, fixing his bed but not teaching him how to fix it himself. They try to help but they don’t show him how to try to help himself, and so Gorgug often feels reliant on others and lesser than them because he relies on them as purely a berserker that pretty much only deals damage and his self esteem suffers. Will it explore how Gorgug’s desperation for parental validation and acknowledgement may have negatively impacted his perceptions of those around him and his own relationship with his parents, of how his relationship with Zelda seems to have moved pretty far for their shy natures in less than a year to be described as getting “regular [amount of] kisses” and how that may stem from his need for outside validation and reliance on others, and how his severance from this presence in his life has left him fairly sad and far more willing to do wild shenanigans in a reckless manner and how that’s not an entirely healthy response to maybe breaking up with your girlfriend.

Regardless of my attempts to psychoanalyse the Bad Kids at 1AM, I can’t wait to see what the D20 crew will do with this “facing manifestations of your fears and doubts” narrative.

[aubrey-plaza]

idk if youre still doing this but: staubrey greek gods au

hell yeah I’m still doing these!

Stacie is Aphrodite (of course she is) and Aubrey is Artemis

Aubrey is the daughter of Leto and Zeus, older twin sister to Apollo. She’s born on the floating island of Delos after her mother is banished by Zeus’ mad jealous wife Hera

Still, Zeus loves his twins something fierce and Aubrey quickly becomes his favourite, often sitting in his lap and demanding a long list of things (one of them being that he never force her into marriage)

She becomes a huntress goddess and lives in the mountains and woods. Pan has a mad crush on her so he gives her hounds for her hunting activities and when she goes to Cyclops, he makes her the most exquisite silver arrows to go with her bow

She’s hanging out in Olympus with some of the other Gods when they bring in Stacie

Stacie is the most beautiful woman any of them have ever laid their eyes on and all the guys spring up eagerly, begging to marry her before Zeus has even welcomed her

(of course he welcomes her to Olympus bc look at her)

When Zeus asks Stacie where she’s from there’s some story about how she floated to Cythera on water foam and was greeted by the Seasons

(and honestly, compared to Athena’s birth story, Aubrey isn’t even shocked that Stacie was formed by the sea and she’s starting to learn that her own (normal) birth is more the exception than the rule)

Stacie becomes the Goddess of Love and Aubrey doesn’t pay much attention to her for a while because she’s got things to do and Apollo to beat in archery

Aubrey quickly realises that Stacie isn’t as brain dead and beautiful as she’d first thought

Well, Stacie is beautiful and her only divine duty is to make love but she’s so much more than that. Women and men come from lands far away for her aid in easing their longing and she’s whip-smart because she knows that love isn’t just nice warm fluffy feelings, that it clouds your judgment and gnaws at you and just plain hurts

It’s why Stacie doesn’t do anything when Sappho starts writing her love letters and dedicating poems to her

Stacie has said over and over that she can indulge in infatuation but not love

Aubrey, in an effort to curb any feelings she might have for Stacie, decides to add more to her plate and tells her father that she wants to become the protectress of childbirth

(somewhere along the way Athena tricks her into staying a virgin goddess but Aubrey’s never really wanted a man anyway and their father already promised her that he would never force her to marry)

The problem with being the go-to gal for childbirth is that it brings her into constant contact with Stacie, because love comes in many forms, not just lustful or whorishness, but also between mother and child and Stacie has always been adamant about doing her job right and making sure everybody has love

“How’s the beautiful Goddess of Light doing today?” Stacie flirts one day and Aubrey rolls her eyes as she pretends to be unaffected

“You know that’s not what I am,” Aubrey answers

“Oh, I’m sorry, Aubrey,” Stacie says and the way she says her name shouldn’t make Aubrey feel as warm as she does. “How’s the beautiful Goddess of the Hunt and Archery, Protectress of Young Women and Childbirth and Bringer of Light doing today?”

“I’m doing fine. And you?”

“Better now that you’re here,” Stacie flirts and Aubrey needs to remind herself that this is how Stacie is and that she’s this way with everybody and that Aubrey isn’t special

Aubrey isn’t really sure why she’s the Protectress of Young Women (because Iphigenia is just one maiden and saving her does not necessarily mean becoming a patron to all women) but she starts receiving presents, specifically from young maidens

Stacie coos from over her shoulder when Aubrey unwraps a golden blanket and finds lingerie there with a note telling her that it’s the lingerie a virgin had worn on her wedding night and that it has been sent as a worship gift

“Is this why you’ve vowed never to marry a man?” Stacie whispers into her ear. “You’re holding out for a beautiful mortal maiden?”

In a moment of spark, emboldened by her worship gift, Aubrey turns her head, her lips brushing against Stacie’s cheek as she says, “She doesn’t have to be mortal or a maiden.”

Stacie looks impressed and impassioned by Aubrey’s words, and their flirtation picks up tenfold

Of course, nothing can ever go smoothly because the Venn diagram of ‘drama’ and ‘their lives’ is apparently a circle

Hera kicks Hephaestus out of Olympus, supposedly because he tried to strike Zeus but Demeter tells Aubrey that it’s because Hera is ashamed of Hephaestus’ deformities (#gossip)

Heph, in true spoiled sibling fashion, does not take it well. He fashions a throne out of gold and when Hera goes to see him (feeling guilty enough to visit him but not enough to let him back into Olympus), Heph shows her the throne and when she sits on it, it turns into a cage

Zeus is Mad™

(Aubrey rolls her eyes because, really, when is he not?)

But apparently he’s hella mad because he wants Hera back and he’s willing to do anything to get her back

Stacie, meanwhile, is the last remaining Olympian who isn’t married (besides Athena, Aubrey, and Hestia who have vowed a life of chastity) and Zeus decides to take advantage of that even though he has absolutely no right to

(for the first time Aubrey understands the hatred for her father)

Because Zeus is so desperate to get his wife back that he promises Stacie’s hand in marriage to whomever brings Hera back

Aubrey goes to Apollo and begs him to try to free Hera and when he asks her why she cares so much, Aubrey can’t get the words past her lips. Apollo loves his sister, though, so he tries. Aubrey will always wonder if he’d have tried harder had he known why, but that’s something she’ll never know. In any case, Apollo fails because he only has arrows of gold and they’re no match for Hephaestus caged throne because Heph is a master forger

Stacie burns with indignation at Zeus’ offer, and her rage leads her to Ares

Nobody fucking likes Ares but she needs his rage and she needs his strength and honestly she’d rather be married to Ares than some unknown second-rate demigod because at least she knows he’s great in bed

Before Ares can even get to Hephaestus and Hera, Dionysus gets involved. Dionysus is dumb as a bag of bricks because he’s always drunk and as a result, he misunderstands Zeus’ words

He gets Hephaestus drunk and Heph releases Hera himself. Technically, that means that Heph was the one to bring Hera back to Zeus and that means that he gets to marry Stacie

(honestly this is the worst thing ever and Stacie is angry af about it)

Nobody goes against Zeus’ wishes though so Stacie marries Hephaestus and she hates every minute of it

“Aubrey?”

“Yes?”

“Did you kill a hunter yesterday?” Stacie asks casually

“Yes.”

Stacie squints at her because even though Aubrey is strict and harsh with punishments for those who don’t meet her expectations, this is a new low. “Why?”

“He saw me bathing in the forest and didn’t have the respect to turn away.”

“So you killed him?”

“I turned him into a stag.”

“How did he die?”

“My hounds tore him to pieces.”

Stacie laughs sharply at that and it’s not what Aubrey’s expecting

“What?”

“You don’t find that a bit of an overreaction?” Stacie teases but Aubrey just scoffs

“He was a mortal man,” she answers with a dismissive wave of her hand

“So if it hadn’t been a mortal or a man, that person would not have met that same fate?” Stacie asks and Aubrey’s eyes snap to hers, the insinuation clear

“You’re married.”

“Eh,” Stacie says with a shrug. “Love has nothing to do with marriage.”

Nothing else happens but Aubrey can’t stop thinking about that word. Love. Because she’d known that Stacie had been infatuated with her, but she couldn’t have imagined that Stacie loves her because Stacie has always said that love is pain

(Aubrey should have known that being the Goddess of Love does not make one immune to its effects)

Aubrey sends Stacie flowers

Stacie sends Aubrey her lingerie

Aubrey sends Stacie gifts

Stacie sends Aubrey more of her lingerie

“Soon you’ll be left with no garments,” Aubrey flirts one day

“That’s the idea,” Stacie replies, trails her hand down Aubrey’s arm. “Then you’ll be forced to look at me in full nudity and hopefully you’ll do something about it then.”

Aubrey doesn’t wait until that day comes, instead appears at Stacie’s favourite love house and finds the Goddess lounging in a clam shell

“You’re such a cliché,” Aubrey says, announcing her arrival

Stacie grins and dismisses everybody from the room as she crawls out of the large shell. “I can’t believe you’re actually here.”

“I can’t either,” Aubrey answers even as she unfastens her chlamys

“I’m glad you are,” Stacie says as she leads Aubrey towards an alcove with a bed. Aubrey removes the last of her garments before reaching for Stacie’s chiton, untying it easily and when her gaze falls on the woman’s body, Aubrey is reminded of the feeling she had when she’d first seen Stacie

“This hasn’t all been a trick, right? To tempt me out of maidenhood?” Aubrey asks when their lips are a breath apart

“Aubrey, there have been many other but I love only you.”

Aubrey kisses Stacie then and Stacie urges her down onto the bed and Aubrey has never felt so loved and Stacie has never felt so happy

Their love affair lasts for a very long time, all without Hephaestus’ knowledge

Love clouds their judgment and they forget that not even the Gods can Mind Their Own Business™

Helios gets involved when he sees them through a window, making love in Hephaestus’ bed and Helios is a snitch who tattles to Hephaestus for the drama of it all

Hephaestus, pissed off like nothing, is a master craftsman, so he forges a trap

Aubrey and Stacie are in bed, naked and closely pressed together and whispering sweet nothings to each other when a golden net falls over them and Aubrey’s heart stops and Stacie is instantly on edge

Hephaestus, angry that Helios had been right and that his wife is not only being unfaithful to him, but being unfaithful with Aubrey, calls over all the other Gods to bear witness

“I’m sorry,” Stacie whispers over and over into Aubrey’s ear as the woman tries to shield herself from the shame

Zeus is extremely disappointed in his daughter and her broken promise and he’s ready to let Hephaestus do whatever he wants to the two when Poseidon steps in. He’s always had a soft spot for Stacie, because she’s technically a child of the sea and the water nymphs love her and he can’t afford to anger the water nymphs

“I don’t care what happens to them,” Zeus says as he walks away and Aubrey cries into Stacie’s shoulder because that’s almost worse

Hephaestus is angry that he doesn’t get to take revenge on and punish his wife and her lover so Poseidon offers him back his seat in Olympus and tells him in no uncertain terms that this is a deal that he has to take and Heph is too afraid of Poseidon to go against him so he lets them go

“I’m sorry,” Stacie says once they’re dressed but Aubrey won’t look at her anymore. “Aubrey, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Aubrey says through her tears. “I’m sorry.”

“Please,” Stacie pleads, crying as Aubrey turns away from her.

“I love you,” Aubrey whispers

“I love you too,” Stacie says and Aubrey kisses her, slowly and deeply and Stacie’s not sure why but she cries even harder when Aubrey pulls away.

“I love you so much,” Aubrey repeats, like a promise

Stacie’s heart breaks into a million pieces when Aubrey disappears into the woods

Falling from grace in Zeus’ eyes is not an easy position to be in, and Stacie understands. She understands it because she has the protection of her beauty and her love, but Aubrey doesn’t. Apollo is not as great a hunter as Aubrey, but it’s close enough, and there is still a Goddess of Childbirth, and there are even some minor deities who can protect women and Athena is Zeus’ new favourite and Zeus makes it absolutely clear that a broken vow is unforgivable, but it’s forgivable enough for Stacie because he needs her. Stacie’s irreplaceable.

Aubrey’s irreplaceable too, but only to Stacie.

Aubrey’s chair on Mount Olympus remains empty until the end of time.

EDIT: I made this into a fic with a part 2!

read it here

[jurakan]

On Gods and Belief in Fiction

Oh hey guys I’m thinking of putting more of my Saturday Notes from Facebook up on Tumblr. Let me know what you guyses think and I’ll consider posting more.

On Gods and Belief in Fiction

There is an omnipresent concept in modern fantasy fiction, especially urban fantasy that wants to deal heavily with religion. It goes like this: mythological figures, especially gods, are reliant entirely on whether people believe in and/or worship them. If gods don’t get worship, or their amount of worshippers/believers wane, they lose power, and eventually fade away into nothingness to be replaced by other gods who have more belief from common people. Likewise, how these gods act is often tied to how they’re perceived; so a god doesn’t really get a choice in how he or she or it does, because they’re just fulfilling the beliefs of their worshippers anyway. There are a few stories that do this well; obviously Small Gods by the late great Sir Terry Pratchett, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennet. But I am frustrated that this system has become the default for how gods work in fantasy stories; now that everyone’s doing it, it’s no longer creative and if anything it’s rather stale and presents a self-centered view of the world.

So first, let’s ask: why do authors do it?

The first obvious answer is that it’s a way for an author to have several different pantheons present in the same fantasy setting. Using this system you could have different deities whose very nature contradict each other (like say, Helios, Ra and Sol, all three incarnations of the Sun) coexist. The author doesn’t have to explain how they could all be the sun, or the rain or the thunder or something, as they’re not really--they’re the people’s personifications of their beliefs of those things. And if you wanted to have different pantheons duke it out, an easy point of conflict could be that the gods are fighting over worshippers. This is one of the factors leading to conflict in the SMITE tie-in comics.

The second obvious answer is to make a statement about the changing natures of belief and religion. Religions, weirdly enough, come and go out of fashion like everything else. The differences between the religions that were and the religions that are can be transformed from figurative to literal by showing the gods of the old religions weaker and starving for belief, while the new ones are young and strong. American Gods has the old gods that immigrants brought over as hunting for belief or purpose wherever they can find it, while the new gods like Internet and Media are thriving. Though as the story goes on it’s shown that the newer gods are just as terrified about losing worshippers and becoming forgotten as the old gods, they’re just better at hiding it since they’re in power.

But as you can probably tell I’m not overly fond of the idea, in large part because it’s become sort of universally recognized as the way that gods work. The original planned ending of the God of War III was that Kratos slays the gods by making sure the world  no longer believed in them, so of course they just poofed away. When something in fantasy becomes universally accepted as a rule of the genre, we have an issue, because fantasy is about pushing past the expected. I don’t think there’s necessarily anything wrong with genre conventions, but if we’re going to get on fantasy authors’ cases for copying Tolkien’s elves and dwarves, we should also be on their cases for copying Gaiman and Pratchett with little diversity of thought.

But most of all, the thing that really gets to me about the concept is that by making the gods starving for the belief and worship of humans is that it makes the entire world revolve around us: we are the center of the universe as we are the ones on whom the gods owe existence. It is a perception that makes us the gods. Humanity literally becomes the most important thing in the world, and that’s rather troubling when applied to fantasy worlds where there are people other than humans walking around. It’s a very humanist way to look at the world, but also an incredibly arrogant one that decides that we’re the ones who decide who the gods are, even if unconsciously.

“The gods are great, but people are greater, for it is in their hearts that gods are born, and to their hearts that they return,” declares Mr. Ibis, the American incarnation of Thoth, in the American Gods television series.

If that’s not a promotion of self-worship, I don’t know what is. And it isn’t the kind of story I prefer to go for anyway.

I like the idea of humans not being the center of the universe in fiction. Lovecraft made his stories about the concept that there are powerful alien forces beyond our comprehension at work all around us. Mind you, he also was really morbid in the execution of it and made sure to exclude and shred of hope. In Lovecraft’s mythos, we are nothing in the grand scheme of things, and those cosmic forces will turn us mad or annihilate us without any consequences. I like hope in stories. So I prefer things like B.P.R.D. or The Dresden Files where cosmic forces still work around us, but humanity still has a fighting chance against the darkness when it comes.

That seems a more rational view of the universe to me. Reality can be huge and unforgiving and in the end maybe it doesn’t really care about us, but we can still make it through.

I know it’s tempting for a lot of authors to try to prop the gods as something that can be more easily punched out by human characters because belief, but I think that’s more of a strawman than an actual interesting character choice. Writers, if you’re going to depict gods, do something godly, and make a character that’s far beyond mortal comprehension. Don’t make them dependent on humans just to live, because that defeats the very purpose in the first place. You don’t have to portray them reverently or nicely or morally, but don’t make them so dependent on people, and especially don’t act like it’s a great twist on your take on religion.

[snappedsky]

Borderlands: Skies the Bodyguard 1

Roland goes missing and Skies and Wilhelm have a little fun. Previous! Next! 

--

Chapter 12

           “So, ol’ Rolly’s disappeared huh? It’s gotta be serious if even his little bandit buddies don’t know where he is.”

           Jack paced back and forth in front of his window, babbling about the missing Crimson Raiders leader, Roland. Apparently, he went on some kind of mission and hasn’t returned or called in and the Crimson Raiders were freaking out.

           Wilhelm and I watched Jack from the other side of his desk, standing dutifully.

           “What’s Roland like anyway?” I asked Wilhelm.

           “Traitorous, back-stabbing bandit scum,” he growled.

           “Uh right. I forgot Nisha said you guys have um history,” I said, “he a good fighter?”

           “He’s weak.”

           “Oookay. You’re clearly biased.”

           Jack giggled as he hopped into his chair and wheeled back to his computer. “Those Crimson Raiders dumbasses will fall apart without their precious leader.”

           His smile dropped as he watched his computer screen. I went around his desk to get a look.

           The Vault Hunters had left Sanctuary and were running around Frostburn Canyon. Jack rubbed his chin with contemplation as he watched them.

           “But if these morons spend too long searching for him, it could put a damper on my plan,” he mused, “we need to find Roland and get him out of the picture.”

           “What do you suggest?” I asked as I sat back down in my chair.

           Jack considered the question. “We’ll keep an eye on all ECHO communication waves. If anyone so much as says the word ‘Roland’ I wanna know about it. We’ll watch these ding dongs too and use any clues they find against them.”            “Which reminds me,” he grunted as he turned on his microphone. “You think the Firehawk’s got Roland, huh? Y’know, I heard the Firehawk liquefies bandits and drinks ‘em like flesh smoothies. But nah, I’m sure your bandit pal Roland’s just fine. Of course, if Roland hadn’t been such a dumbass in the first he- whoops. Almost spilled the secret.”

           He leaned back in his chair, grinning smugly.

           “Who’s the Firehawk?” I asked.

           “Eh some big, bad bandit with a thing for fire,” Jack replied, “guy’s got himself a fan club calling him the Firehawk. No idea what the guy looks like though. Don’t think anyone’s ever seen him.”

           “Huh,” I mused, “think he’s got Roland?”

           “If he does, then he’d already be dead. The Firehawk fancies himself better than other bandits and kills anyone who doesn’t worship him. Self-important prick.”

           I kept my mouth shut on the irony of that statement coming from Jack.

           We spent the next couple hours watching the Vault Hunters fight their way through Frostburn Canyon. Wilhelm stayed in the office, standing quietly in the corner. Every so often, Jack would call up the Vault Hunters to taunt them and try to lower their morale. I just enjoyed watching them shoot through groups of bandits and Psychos.

           Eventually the Vault Hunters seemed to be nearing the Firehawk’s lair. Jack and I both leaned forward expectantly, excited to see what would happen next.

           Then the door opened and Blake marched into the office.

           “Sir, you have a meeting with acquisitions soon,” he announced.

           Jack groaned loudly as he fell back into his chair. “But things are getting good. Postpone it.”

           “It’s your regularly scheduled meeting, sir,” Blake announced.

           He groaned again but stood up. “Fine. Hopefully they make it quick.”

           He pointed at me as he walked away. “Let me know if anything good happens.”

           “Yeah, yeah. I’ll keep your chair warm,” I said as I hopped over into his chair. I sighed happily as I leaned back and rested my feet on his desk.

           “Hey, Wilhelm. Why don’t you come watch with me?” I suggested, “you know, unless I’m interrupting your super important business.”

           “And what you’re doing is super important?” he retorted.

           “This was an actual task given to me by our boss,” I pointed out, “it’s better than you just standing around doing nothing.”          

           “I don’t have to keep myself constantly busy like you humans,” he argued, “I don’t even have to maintain my body or skills to be good at my job. Not that you do that anymore.”

           “Ex-squeeze me?” I scoffed, standing up. “Are you saying I’m rusty?”

           “I wouldn’t put it so nicely.”            “I was one of the best god damn mercenaries across the six galaxies. I’m probably even better now,” I snapped as I approached him.

           “Wouldn’t be able to keep up with me.”

           “Oh yeah? Well why don’t you put your gun where your mouth is.”

           Wilhelm looked at me incredulously.

           “Sorry that wasn’t supposed to sound like a suicide threat. It was like-put your money where your-,” I stammered the huffed, “I’m trying to challenge you.”

           “What’s the challenge?” he asked.

           “Let’s go to Lynchwood. There’s always tons of bandits running around there,” I replied, “we’ll see who can kill the most.”

           He hesitated. “Jack won’t like us just leaving.”

           “Don’t worry. His meeting will take an hour at least. That can be our time limit. And we’ll be back before he even notices.”            He looked unsure at first before smirking. “Alright, I’m in.”

           “Awesome,” I grinned and led the way out of Jack’s office to his fast travel station. I punched in the coordinates for Nisha’s place and stepped aside. “After you.”

           Wilhelm teleported away and I quickly followed him.

           Nisha was leaning against her kitchen table, a bottle of rakk ale in hand as she watched us incredulously.

           “The hell are you two doing here? Where’s Jack?” she asked.

           “Sorry, Nish. Probably should’ve called first,” I replied as I tried to get around Wilhelm. He was almost too big to fit in the little house and nearly took up half the room. “Um see Wilhelm and I have a little challenge going- would you move!”

           Wilhelm glared at me. “This little house is too small for my superior frame.”

           “It’s just cause you’re so freekin big,” I grunted as I squeezed under his legs to face Nisha. “Okay so Wilhelm and I want to see who the better fighter is so I thought we could come here and kill some bandits. Cool?”

           Nisha chuckled. “Sounds fun. But I can’t have you just murdering my townspeople. That’s my job. You can go over to the Grinders though. That place is always full of skag riders and rats. You’d actually be doing me a favour.”

           “Sweet,” I grinned and headed for the door. “Come on, big guy.”

           I opened the door and skipped off the porch and onto the street. Wilhelm followed me, literally smashing through the doorway and most of the porch’s roof.

           “God dammit, Wilhelm,” Nisha snapped.

           I laughed and we made our way to the Grinders, on the outskirts of Lynchwood.

           “Alright,” I boomed as we arrived. “We’ve lost a bit of time since Jack went for his meeting so let’s say the time limit is 45 minutes. That should give us plenty of time to get back.”

           “Fine. Let’s start already,” Wilhelm grunted as his shoulder gun fired, completely obliterating a group of unsuspecting rats.

           I nodded approvingly. “Impressive. My turn.”

           I fired my arm laser at another group of rats and blew them to pieces. I looked back at Wilhelm, grinning. If he had eyes, I’m sure he would’ve been rolling them.

           “Not bad,” he grunted.

           I giggled and we both took off   .

           For the next half hour or so we both ran around the desert plain, destroying bandits, Psychos, skag riders, and rats. They never stood a chance. Almost none of them even saw us coming. I couldn’t help but smile the entire time and whenever I glanced at Wilhelm I could see him smiling too.

           After what seemed like no time at all, the alarm on my ECHO started going off, indicating our time was up. I turned it off and sighed as I walked over to Wilhelm.

           “Okay, so, I’m not gonna lie,” I said, “I stopped keeping track a long time ago.”      

           “Yeah, me too,” Wilhelm admitted, “I was enjoying myself too much.”

           I laughed. “Yeah, me too.”

           “If we proved anything it’s that cyborgs are always better than normal humans,” he declared.

           “Hell yeah,” I smirked and held up my right fist. “Cyborg fist bump.”            “I’m in too good mood to let your dorkiness ruin it,” he groaned by bumped my knuckles anyway.

           We quickly got back to Jack’s office- miraculously without Wilhelm destroying Nisha’s house anymore. But as we heading back into his office, the door opened up to Blake who glared at us accusingly.

           “Where have you been?” he barked.

           “Uh why? Is Jack back?” I asked, peeking over his shoulder to see if he was at his desk.

           “No, he’s still in his meeting,” Blake replied, “but we have been receiving multiple messages from the same unauthorized, unregistered ECHO communicator for the last hour.”

           “So what’s the big deal?”

           “They claim to have Roland!”

           “Well why did you freekin lead with that!” I snapped. I grabbed his arm and yanked him down the down the hall and through the lobby. As we entered the elevator, he pulled his arm out of my grip.

           “Don’t touch me. Where are we going?” Blake asked.

           “To Jack of course,” I replied.

           “But we can’t interrupt his meeting.”

           “Trust me. He’s going to love this.”

           We hurried through Helios to the acquisitions offices. Without wasting anytime, I burst through the door, dragging Blake in with me. Everyone looked up at us with surprise.

           “Uh e-excuse me.” A smartly dressed woman in front of a holographic screen looked at us with blatant offense. “We’re in the middle of a meetin-.”

           “Yeah, don’t care,” I snapped as I dragged Blake over to Jack. He was slouching in his seat but sat up expectantly as we approached. “You gotta hear this.”

           “Whatever it is, it’s gotta be more interesting than what these morons were blathering on about,” he grunted and stood up. “Meeting adjourned.”

           “Uh b-but, sir, we still have to go over-,” the woman tried to argue.

           “Meeting. Adjourned,” Jack emphasised before leaving, Blake and I close behind.

           “So what’s going on, Jimmy?” he asked as we marched through the halls.

           “Well, a…gentleman calling himself ‘Flanksteak’ has been trying to get a hold of us for a while,” Blake explained.

           “Blake, just tell him-,” I tried to say but he cut me off.

           “At first I ignored them because he’s using an unauthorized ECHO communicator but after a dozen messages I finally decided to listen to one and…a group of bandits called the Bloodshots have Roland.”

           “What?” Jack barked, “why didn’t you lead with that!”            “That’s what I said,” I groaned.

           “Uh uh they want to make a trade: Roland for a cash reward,” Blake added quickly.

           “Forward all messages directly to my personal ECHO communicator,” Jack ordered.

           “Yes, sir,” Blake sighed before scurrying away. I smirked after him before following Jack back to his office.

           “So what’s the plan?” I asked, “gonna make the deal?”

           “Pft, no,” Jack scoffed, ��Hyperion doesn’t make deals with bandit scum.”

           “Then what about Roland?” I asked.

           “Oh, we’ll get him,” he smirked as he sat down in his chair and I joined him in my mine. The Vault Hunters looked to be driving around some big desert. “Do they know about Roland?”

           “Um…” I mumbled.

           “Yes, sir,” Angel replied and I stifled a sigh of relief. “They caught wind of his capture after defeating the Firehawk.”

           “Excellent,” Jack grinned and activated his ECHO comm. “Blake, prepare to mobilize Hyperion troops and loader bots to the Bloodshot Stronghold. Oh and prepare the W4R-D3N.”

           “W four R - D three N?” I questioned.

           He smiled excitedly. “This is gonna be fun.”

[doppeldonger]

Conflagration

It starts out with a bus. The barren planes of the lonesome planet she's recently arrived on flying past, she observes the other passengers through a critical gaze: A silent Truxican lean and slick as the sniper rifle he carries on his back, wild like the huge bird perched atop his shoulder. A thick and tall wall of a man, too gentle for his size and loudness, with fists as big as bricks. A soldier so stiff and firm, his skin the color of the dark brown mountains lounging across the horizon.

She knows, without even bothering to catch their amazed gazes, that they're staring; she figures she would, too, if she were just a simple man who saw a powerful Siren for the first time in his life.

How wonderful, they think, awe inspiring. Beautiful like a statue emerging from the depths of marble. Fascinating and captivating like a Shahmaran. Dangerously interesting and interestingly dangerous. To their pondering gaze, she’s nothing but her enticing figure and terrifying powers, an animal behind bars, up for observation. She’s used to it by now, the hunger in people’s eyes; she can see past it into their lustful, greedy thoughts.

Yet, she remains. Despite the feeling of utter irritation, she persists. Nobody knows how lonesome it is, how she has to explore herself all by herself, how there is lack of guidance, lore.

So, she rocks along with the bus, sitting in the seat at the back and still watching the scenery for the sake of ignoring the inquisitive eyes. The dry wind caresses her hair, hiding her eyes behind red locks. She pulls them aside with a flick of her tattooed hand and breathes, deep and slow. She’s here to learn more about herself since no one seems intent on helping her out, maybe earn some money and find valuable loot, then she’ll be on her way, alone once again.

Days stretch into months, and they’re getting close to the fabled Vault, with the capital V because it’s that important and it’s that mythical. The bulky, dark-skinned soldier decides to ease his own solitude with her, and she doesn’t mind; she’s bored, and an occasional fling could work on both of their frayed nerves. The cold desert night reverberates with their pleased moans.

Turns out, there really is a Vault (multiple Vaults!), and this one comes with a disgustingly huge and ugly monster straight out of some long lost mythology. The fight is easy, the loot more than adequate, but she still can’t sate her hunger for knowledge with whatever the Vault has spewed and sputtered on them.

The soldier suggests a trip to Pandora’s moon, Elpis. She laughs, not that she finds his offer funny; she’s simply entertained by the idea of Hope existing so close to Pandora. Life is full of lies and shitty mythological references, she decides, and accepts his offer. Maybe Elpis can offer her the rumors and hope she needs.

Their little vacation is fun, the sex more than adequate, but she finds herself wrapped in ennui instead of the soldier’s sleek ebony arms.

Then there’s another chance to sate her insatiable curiosity, in the form of a gangly nerd of a man going by an everyman’s name, begging for their help as he’s stranded on the space station revolving around the moon revolving around a planet; Helios, the wondrously bright progeny of Hyperion.

She doesn’t mind, despite the ravenous inspection the programmer gives her, despite the feeling of something unholy and unwanted hanging in the air whenever they exist in the same room. She does mind, but she doesn’t care. She stopped caring long ago, bullied one too many times to find it in her calloused heart to notice the signs.

It’s all fun and games until the bossy programmer decides to throw a bunch of innocent scientists out the airlock right in front of her eyes. She realizes this was never about her self-exploration, that she was just a tool in the programmer’s finely-weaved con; so she decides to play double-agent along with the soldier from then on, working with the programmer’s ex. Her intentions seem no more real than her gracious bosom, but at least she doesn’t seem like a sociopath.

Their plan is simple. Her part in it is not. As she slips through the portal and into the Vault, she’s struck with the feeling of déjà vu; the colors are off, so are the Vault Hunters around her, but the gaze is the same. The loneliness is the same.

The electricity in the air, the gentle hum of the inside of the Vault kisses her hair that is seemingly aflame in the violet hues. She tugs it aside with a flick of her tattooed hand and breathes deep and slow. She struts forward with confidence in her quick steps, going unnoticed by the hysterical man lounging in his stony throne.

She smiles a sultry, pleased smile.

She throws a punch, her fist strong and sturdy.

There blooms a supernova of light and fire; the painful screams of the scarred man are only enjoyable for a short while, as she has to flee. That was the plan, after all. Once again, she’s alone, bereft of any knowledge she deserves to fondle.

She runs. There’s a madman after her and she has nobody to seek help in. She’s used to it by now, the mistrust people have in such a dangerously violent woman like her; she can see past it into their frightened, biased thoughts.

Bandits swarm her, worshipping her like a fearsome god of a forgotten religion. They call her the Firehawk, forming cult after cult after her name and burning themselves to crisp piles of bodies as sacrifice. Nobody knows who she is, but then again, she doesn’t know who she is, either.

Who are you?

                                                                                    Monster!

What a frigid bitch.

                                                                                    Psycho!

How much do you think a night with that tattooed chick would cost?

                                                                                    Whore!

A Siren? They don’t exist.

When she sheds the dark cloak of her Firehawk persona, it’s a great shock to many; but Ouranos in the golden crown remains calm and cool, never a good sign for a trigger happy tyrant.

He knows, just like she does.

They call her the Firehawk. She calls herself the Phoenix, reborn from her ashes, sacred like the Bennu of the sunny lands, and her comeback is just as grand.

Ouranos tests her patience, hunting after people who were seemingly close to her. She lets flames of fury consume her, only making her stronger; she’s not angry because of the Truxican’s dead bird or the brick wall of a man’s lost town. She was always alone under people’s observant gaze- because of mistrust, because of fear, because of underestimation. She doesn’t care about these people who killed and stole along with her, but she cares about the man trying to steal her spotlight.

Throughout the years, she learned to twist that hungry gaze to her own liking, letting it inflate her ego.

The way he murders the soldier stings a little, if she’s being honest with herself. She guesses the sudden shock that seizes her comes from the shared time she has (had) with him compared to the others.

What a mistake.

Ouranos chains the Phoenix like a wild animal, controlling her powers to his liking. But she’s not afraid, she knows her limits and her abilities. A lifelong solitude has ultimately made her depend only and only on herself; they can push her down, but they can’t keep her subdued.

She plays the Vault Hunters like Ouranos once did, a virtuoso pulling at all the right strings. Despite the chains weighing her down, she struggles, his voracious gaze never once leaving her.

They weaken him, making him run around while throwing weak threats. He summons his very own Cerberus, and it fits the hellish scenery. They slay it, opening the gates of the metaphorical underworld that is the Vault. She watches, this time her hungry gaze sweeping on others- what a magnificent change.

She scrutinizes him, her curious eyes settling upon the fallen god still screaming bloody murder. As she approaches him, slow as a prowling tiger, the others are watching her watching him.

Just like the first time she confronted him in a Vault in front of a group of Vault Hunters, she faces the man with a sultry smile on her cracked and swollen lips. Her tattooed hand frees her eyes from the curtain of crimson locks draping over them. She pulls back, widening and securing her stance. Ouranos sways on his sneakered feet, fresh blood bubbling from his downturned lips.

She throws a punch, her fist strong and sturdy. He goes down, painful death looking smooth and easy. She looks down on the crumpled body of the fallen god, and she smiles a genuine smile.

The first woman who is equal to those around her, who became the subject of the hungry gaze, whom people hoped to subjugate. The woman who refused to bow to the imperious, who survived on her own, who was powerful to take on the universe.

Her name is Lilith, and she is the most powerful siren in the universe.

[positivelyamazonian]

Hello my dear friend/author. My question is about your sequel Golden Seal. I remember there were 7(?) religious symbols they encounter to, ehem do something. (Lets not give spoilers :D) What are they exactly and what are their connections with the Golden Seal on Kurtis' ring? Thank you so much for taking your time :D

Oh, wow, I love this ask! What an insightful question! :D I’m a bit sorry the answer might not be as detailed as you might expect, because The Golden Seal was my first fanfic, my first time trying to write a TR fan story, and as you know, back in those days I didn’t have Murti’s notes, and being my English language skills very limited, I wasn’t even awate of most of the information concerning the cancelled sequels.

So I had to create a complete background storyline almost from zero, being totally blind to information that was already accessible for the international fandom, and also, tothe most recent uncovered information, of course. So if you excuse me… concerning this, the storyline is pretty limited. But I’ll try to answer my best :)

So, you’re asking me about the Periapt. Or at least, my version of this artefact, which I developed just taking into reference the Periapt Shards (Fragmentos del Orbe, in Spanish) as crystal daggers carved from an original source. Looks like, according Murti’s notes, the Periapt(s) was not exactly an orb (Orbe, in Spanish) as I understood from the Spanish translation, but some kind of disc. Anyway, just a proof of how lost I was when writing this fanfic 10 years ago and how much I had to rely on just my own imagination.

The Periapt in my universe is, then, a crystal orb, big size, carved entirely in religious symbols - yeah I know the photo doesn’t fit, I’ve never drawn it because I suck at drawing. But the size fits, anyway. - You have to imagine it completely covered by those symbols, and they are little carvings as it have to fit all the cults a religions in the world - really, so big deal.

Some of the symbols are mentioned during the fanfic, but, of course… I don’t mention it all. I’d have been impossible, being preferable to leave it at the reader’s imagination :D But let’s stick to what I mention:

Lara caressed the Periapt while copying itssymbols on a piece of paper. They were neither letters nor hieroglyphics, justa messy map of signs with no relation between them: mystical, religious,natural… An Egyptian Ankh. An Isis’ Knot. Horus’ Eye. The Christian cross. The Muslim crescent. TheChinese Ying and Yang. The Lux Veritatis’ anchor. The symbols of the pagangods: Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury…the Jewish star. The Hindi Eye. TheIlluminati’s triangle. The swastika of the Celts. Lucifer’s pentacle.

The symbols were endless and different, such afascinating mixture that Lara felt puzzled. For the first time in her life shehad in her hands an artefact depicting the symbols of all religions, cults, andmyths ever existed on Earth.

THE GOLDEN SEAL, chapter 15, Putai

What Lara does basically during all the adventure, while fighting and travelling and running and exploring, is to copy all the symbols in papers and discard them one by one, as she finds out that the True Option consists in choosing the oldest symbol, the one which depicts the oldest cult/religion on Earth (yeah, I know, it lacks depth. But at that moment it’s all that came to my newbie’s mind.) 

“The True Option,” muttered Lara. “The motherof all religions.”

Sitting on the windowsill of her cell, not caring the least about thehuge abyss that was right next to her, the explorer crossed out symbols and letthe papers fall at her feet, forming a scattered pile of sheets.

Focused on the task, she barely heard Kurtis arriving and leaningagainst the door frame, watching her in silence. She was now used to hisdiscreet and reserved manners.

“Look at this,” she said, pointing to the sheetin which she was working. The last symbol left was the Cross. Lara crossed itout with a jerk of her pencil. “Bang. Goodbye Christianity. Centuries ofspirituality and faith destroyed in a second.”

“Don’t let the monks see you,” he said, lookingover his shoulder.

ُTHE GOLDEN SEAL, chapter 24, The Angel’s Oracle

In the end, she remains only with the Olympic gods and, after them, the Titans or which is the same, the basic elements/forces of nature.

Lara walked towards the altar and placed the Periapt in the hole. Aftera couple of steps back, she began to write the remaining symbols in the dustysteps, while she quoted one by one. “Aphrodite…Uranos…Poseidon…Gea…Helios…”

THE GOLDEN SEAL, chapter 27, The True Option

In the end, the True Option consists in the oldest of all them, the basic, primigenic force of nature, of creation itself, worshipped by mankind (let’s not gonna spoil this here, okay? ;) 

Why I choose those symbols? I’ve been fascinated by cults and religions since I was a child, being myself raised as a Catholic Christian. In a religion there are a lot of symbols who speak to you in so many ways, and when you move to other religions/cults to wide your horizons, the thing becames even more fascinating. I wanted to know them all to understand what I was seeing. And I guess from this enthusiasm come this little, clumsy tribute I made to them in The Golden Seal.

There are universal symbols, generally acknowledged as them. They can be called with several names, tracked down until several sources and origins, and collect several meanings or even taking variations depending on the culture/civilization or the historic period, but in the end, the symbol is what remains. So I limited myself to them, in a very basic level, and avoided to go further.

What’s fascinating about it? The Periapt is an artefact, in my universe, who belonged to the Lux Veritatis since the beginnings of the order - XII century - but it’s older, in fact. And despite being older, it has carved some symbols of cults/religions that DIDN’T exist in the moment the orb was supposedly carved - which is what amazes Lara so much. Together with its ability of not remaining shattered when destroyed ;)

“The Seal is not an artefact of your Order, noris the Periapt. It had been here since ancient times. Traditions state that itwas given by one of the four archangels to the first hegumenos of thecommunity, with the following words: Ifever the Light of Truth and the Fallen Angel clash and balance their forces sothat only one of them will prevail, this ring will lead the way. Today,nobody believes this. But indeed, the Seal has led you here, back to its home,after you knew Lady Loanna’s tragic story and she put the Periapt in yourhands.”

THE GOLDEN SEAL, chapter 23, The Seal’s Story

There seems to be a connection between the Golden Seal (Kurtis’ ring) and the Periapt, but this connection was ignored by Kurtis while being only known by his father, Konstantin Heissturm, and the community of Orthodox monks in Ayios Stefanos’ in Meteora. Apparently, the Periapt is not an earthly artefact. Of course, looks like it being delivered by one of the four Archangels (namely Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel) is just a legend… or maybe not? But in any case, the origins of the Periapt can’t be tracked.

Nor are the Seal’s ones.

“And how did the Seal come to my father’s hands?”

“I gave it to him. As I said, Eckhardt attackedour monastery and set it on fire. Then he began to kill our brothers, one byone, waiting for me to reveal where I was hiding the Seal. We would’ve alldied, and me the last of them, if your father hadn’t arrived then, confrontedthe Black Alchemist and defeated him, saving our lives. That’s why I gave himthe Seal. That’s why we saved your life. I thought he was the chosen one, thatthe Archangel was referring to him as the Light, and the Alchemist as theDarkness.” He looked down and caressed his long beard. “I was wrong. Evil wasn’t Eckhardt, but Karel.The last of the Lux Veritatis wasn’t Konstantin Heissturm…it was you. His onlyson.”

THE GOLDEN SEAL, chapter 23, The Seal’s Story

At the end of the day, both the Periapt and the Golden Seal were associated. Both were in Ayios’ Stefanos since the beginning, despite their real origins can’t be tracked. Both played a relevant role in defeating Karel, though Konstantin didn’t understand it totally when taking the Seal and then, giving it to Kurtis together with the Shards carved from the Periapt’s unbroken crystal. 

I think you can see the relation. The symbols? Sadly, I can’t tell there’s a direct link to the symbols with the ring itself. The symbols are a riddle, an enigma, a puzzle, which I designed for Lara, basically, to prove again she’s not just a shooter, nor just a killer or a tomb raider, but also a brain, a puzzle-solving mind adorned with a deep cultural and educated background. 

As for the rest, there are just a pile of coincidences which lead to the desired ending, apparently planned for higher forces, despite it could have been perfectly Karel the one to win, defeat Kurtis and then take Lara for his breeding project, as once Drakul tried to do with Loanna. Fortunately things went in the opposite direction ;)

And this is all I can say! Of course, reading the fanfic is something I always recommend if someone finds all this gibberish quite weird. I excuse myself again for the lack of depth of this storyline, but as I said previously, I had to write without any kind of reference and support, and I was totally a newbie in the fanfic world. Today I’d have done things differently, but quod scripsi scripsi… I won’t change a single word. This is what I wrote, this is what remains.

I hope I kinda solved your question and you find my answer satisfying. :)

[leidcr]

Circe      Madeline Miller

‘However gold he shines, do not forget his fire.’

Circe is in the same league as The Penelopiad and, of course, The song of Achilles, bringing more depth and development to characters and myths that are usually brushed over - it goes over Circe’s, being a daughter of Helios (in this telling), discovering magic and then being punished for it - it covers the cruelty of the gods and how proud they are even though they are covered in flaws they refuse to admit; she develops throughout the book, grows as a character from worshiping those titans and gods above her to realising they are no better than anything else, it’s about her story and her growth. There are some nice nods to TSOA when Odysseus shows up around half way through the book, mentions of Prometheus, Deadalus and other tales but it’s always from her perspective, her retelling.   

‘You cannot know how frightened gods are of pain. There is nothing more foreign to them, and so nothing they ache more deeply to see.’

Circe is not liked among her family, she’s young and naive at the start and thinks anything will fix something, she clings to love, she clings to vengeance, her life falls apart before her because she’s too young to see how everything works, that’s how it starts, but she get punished because she isn’t liked, she gets cast aside to live in solitude and that’s when she starts to grow, learns of life and the betrayal that comes with it, doesn’t trust those who are unworthy - Hermes shows up a few times but even he gets cast away eventually when she’s tired of his games. The story moves from everyone controlling Circe to her running the narrative, no longer a part of a tale but controlling it, changing it, defying everything because it is who she is, because she’s done it before so she can do it again, she gains power, stops searching for acceptance in those who will never give it but learns that there is good still out there, that there is love and hope.

‘I will not be like a bird bred in a cage, I thought, too dull to fly even when the door stands open.’

It’s filled with love, people Circe has fallen for time and again, one she changed into a god only to be turned away, another their stories did not quite match up, Odysseus she cares for but he leaves in the end until finally after grasping at people trying to find one that will stay with her, will grow with her instead of being trapped, it’s the end of the book and it’s a happy ending, after centuries of life she starts to live at the very end and goes on to live a life she wanted, one filled with the ever changing pace of the world she finally gets to join instead of staying on the outskirts only ever looking in.

‘He showed me his scars and in return he let me pretend I had none.’

It’s a great book to read especially if you like historical fiction - the only set back is the misogyny that riddles every part of Circe’s life but that’s obviously how it was back then and she over comes it - sets people in their place, you stay on her side even through the foolish mistakes and shortcomings because she’s a character, a tale and she grows and teaches those around her to grow too.

‘I thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but I see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging, and can hold nothing in their hands.’

10/10

[electing--net]

Electing 3

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