#telemachus deserved better!

[katerinaaqu]

Epic Telemachus: Gonna sit here being a damsel in distress Disney princess in the stereotypical way, sing happy bubbly songs and have my ass handed to me at a fistfight even with Athena's help and be mostly watching in terror that monster chopping the heads of the men I hated off

Odyssey Telemachus: Depressed af hoping to escape the situation that almost have me cut my veins in here, with the help of Athena I travel to find information on my father and call upon the city council. Avoid an ambush thanks to Theoklymenos and come back to my mother and then help my father actively chop the heads off those damn suitors using the fighting skills I obviously have, hang 12 traitor slaves and help mutilating another one and standing by my father's side.

[xixovart]

can you draw Penelope and Telemachus?

used to sloanslone's designs bc i have yet to come up with my own THEY ARE SO AKJWNAKBDNQ

[oddyseye]

Imagine you’re Telemachus.

Go ahead, picture it. You’re a kid growing up on an island where your dad is literally a living legend, but he’s been MIA your entire life. Twenty years of being “the son of Odysseus’’ and having no idea what that even means. Your mother constantly compares you to a guy you’ve never met, the suitors trash your house, eat your food, and openly plan your mom’s wedding like you’re not even there. Your own people think you’re too green, too weak, too not your father to do anything about it. One day, Athena shows up in disguise (because gods love a good mask) and tells you to stop moping around and go find news of your father. So, you set sail with no real plan, no real power, and a whole lot of unresolved resentment. You brave the seas, deal with cryptic kings, and what do you find? Nothing concrete, just more stories about how amazing Odysseus is. And then, just when you’re starting to think you’ve wasted your time, he shows up. But he turns out to be a killing machine, and you’re in the middle of the bloodbath, trying to keep up while the suitors are out for your head. At one point, they literally use you as bait to corner the king. Your father.

The first words you hear him say? Not to you, but to his enemies: “My mercy has long since drowned. It died to bring me home.’’ Imagine, how does that sit with you? You’ve spent your whole life dreaming of this reunion, hoping for a lovely father, a protector, maybe even a friend. Instead, you get this: a stranger soaked in blood, declaring that mercy — the thing you’ve clung to, the thing your mother embodies — has no place in his world.

But then he turns to you.

And suddenly, everything shifts. He looks at you, really looks at you, and says, “Oh my boy, the sweetest joy I’ve known.’’ The walls he’s built, the hardness he’s worn like armor, crack just enough for you to see the man underneath. For the first time, he’s not Odysseus the warrior, or Odysseus, the son of Laertes. He’s your father. He is Odysseus, father of dear Telemachus.

It doesn’t erase the pain, the years of absence, or the violence you just witnessed. But for that moment, it doesn’t matter. Because for the first time in your life, the man who’s been a myth, a memory, and a mystery, is standing in front of you — and he’s calling you his joy.

[myblacknightworld]

Reading the Oresteia, being just on page 9 and talking about Iphigenia's sacrifice, and Agamemnon's making me cry. He was so sad 😭😭😭

[thefage]

I love the Epic The Musical soundtrack so much for so many different reasons. First, it feels really cyclical, the stories were originally told in poetic verse in the form of hymns, then written down, and now they're once again being told in poetic verse in the form of songs, and I think that's beautiful. Humans can't stop telling stories and making poetry and singing songs, and the musical honors the spirit of the original medium of telling the story really well but pots a modern twist on it. I also love the range of emotions the songs stir up. Each one inspires me to create or learn in a different way. Some songs make me want to ice skate, some make me want to learn more about various weaponry, some make me want to play the cello, and some make we want to draw. The only exception to this being Legendary, which, for the first half, makes me want to skate, but then there's the jarring transition to the second half, which just makes me feel like I've been body-checked by a bunch of hockey players, and then it's supposed to be followed by Little Wolf, which is a song that just generally makes me want to climb the walls and do stuff.

[geneticdriftwood]

telemachus be nice to your mom challenge

[minjeungsno1fan]

DRDT x EPIC (part one?)

design notes for the nerds like me v

DAVID

He is wearing a diadem, which is the crown worn by Ancient Greek kings, as he is the King of Ithaca in this AU.

The chain holding his glove on is made of silver, which is the same material Min’s armour is made of.

His cape was a gift from Teruko (Penelope) that she gave him before he left to go to war.

After Survive, he takes Eden’s gem and uses it as the clip holding his cape on.

After My Goodbye, he loses his gloves as he no longer has connection to Min.

After Ruthlessness, Xander gives him his bandana.

After Monster, he loses his diadem as he is no longer the merciful King of Ithaca that left for war all those years ago.

EDEN

She is holding a lotus fruit, which she got when she and David went to the island of the lotus-eaters.

David takes the gem on her belt when she dies and replaces the star on his cape with it.

She’s the only mortal character with non-fingerless gloves.

XANDER

He actually still has his eye (until Mutiny, when David pulls it out during their fight), he wears the eyepatch to help him see better out of his other eye while fighting.

He’s the only mortal character to always hold a weapon to foreshadow him leading the mutiny against David.

He gives David his bandana after Ruthlessness as a silent apology for opening the bag.

MIN

She’s the only character who only wears silver armour/accessories to separate her from the mortal characters.

After We’ll Be Fine, she adds a wolf pin to her cape to symbolise her friendship with Nico (Telemachus).

She’s glowing because she is a goddess.

Her spear is made of gold as it is a more precious metal than bronze, and gods deserve the best of the best.

Her arm-guard have feathers engraved in them.

The type of owl she’s specifically based on is the tawny owl, which are brown and white/silver.

During the time dive in Love in Paradise, her cape turns into a functional pair of wings. She also uses this while arguing for David’s sake in God Games.

Her hair is not actually pink, it’s just glowing.

[katerinaaqu]

Take a moment to cry at how incredibly depressed Menelaus was. He admits that Telemachus is a spitting image of his father (noting his arms etc even the expression in his eyes being identical), he knew the guy for decades (from their youth from the Oath of Tyndareus till the 10 years of war at Troy) and yet he didn't recognize Telemachus 😭😭😭

Homer could have written Menelaus mistaking Telemachus for Odysseus and rushing at him or something but no! He did something better!

Menelaus was so depressed and sad for thinking Odysseus perished or imprisoned by Calypso that he looked Telemachus in the eye, spoke to him and STILL didn't see Odysseus in him and he needed Helen to point out the family resemblance! That level of depression is just amazingly written! 😭😭😭

Menelaus deserves more love and analysis!

[vyunok-obyknovenniy]

(From Fagles' translation) Book 17 Stranger at the Gates <...> Now, as they talked on, a dog that lay there lifted up his muzzle, pricked his ears … It was Argos, long-enduring Odysseus’ dog he trained as a puppy once, but little joy he got since all too soon he shipped to sacred Troy. In the old days young hunters loved to set him coursing after the wild goats and deer and hares. But now with his master gone he lay there, castaway, on piles of dung from mules and cattle, heaps collecting out before the gates till Odysseus’ serving-men could cart it off to manure the king’s estates. Infested with ticks, half-dead from neglect, here lay the hound, old Argos. But the moment he sensed Odysseus standing by he thumped his tail, nuzzling low, and his ears dropped, though he had no strength to drag himself an inch toward his master. Odysseus glanced to the side and flicked away a tear, hiding it from Eumaeus, diverting his friend in a hasty, offhand way: “Strange, Eumaeus, look, a dog like this, lying here on a dung-hill … what handsome lines! But I can’t say for sure if he had the running speed to match his looks or he was only the sort that gentry spoil at table, show-dogs masters pamper for their points.”

You told the stranger, Eumaeus, loyal swineherd, “Here—it’s all too true—here’s the dog of a man who died in foreign parts. But if he had now the form and flair he had in his glory days— as Odysseus left him, sailing off to Troy— you’d be amazed to see such speed, such strength. No quarry he chased in the deepest, darkest woods could ever slip this hound. A champion tracker too! Ah, but he’s run out of luck now, poor fellow … his master’s dead and gone, so far from home, and the heartless women tend him not at all. Slaves, with their lords no longer there to crack the whip, lose all zest to perform their duties well. Zeus, the Old Thunderer, robs a man of half his virtue the day the yoke clamps down around his neck.” With that he entered the well-constructed palace, strode through the halls and joined the proud suitors. But the dark shadow of death closed down on Argos’ eyes the instant he saw Odysseus, twenty years away. <...>

one last job

[xixovart]

even before the wisdom saga and the love in paradise moment, i always thought that odysseus claiming he’d die for penelope and/or telemachus was kind of. yk. far off? not that he wouldn’t die for them, because he would, that just doesn’t mean much coming from him.

idk if i make sense, but what i mean is the threat of dying isn’t so heavy on odysseus as it is on everyone else. he doesn’t edge away from death. especially after thunder bringer, odysseus would welcome death with open arms (i didn’t realize tyat until i typed it i am so, so sorry. not gonna erase it though. it enhances my point.) it’s not something he fears, it’s something he longs for. he wants to let go. he wants to close his eyes and be done with all this. with the suffering and heartache. so saying he’d die for penelope and telemachus is hardly the sentiment it would be for most people.

now, saying he’d live, that’s another topic.

[wukyma]

yeeop hi, it’s me, the loser who’s writing fanfic for your ghost antinous au! i’ve got some vague and ideas and a decent amount of words done but i saw one of your posts saying you’re writing a document for the au?

i’m thinking i’ll be waiting for that before i make any other big writing decisions, i’m very excited for it :D

Ahhh sorry for the confusion, that was for another thing :'D

Regardless, I do have some ideas for ghost Antinous if you're interested!

(sorry for mentioning but u said u were interested too so @bb-bugspot)

Yappery under the cut 👇

You know that Hermes was also a guide for the dead? One of his "jobs" was bringing souls of mortals to the underworld – the 108 suitors as well, apparently, and whether they were buried appropriately or not doesn't really matter here

What happens? A certain ghosty someone (Antinous) spends the whole day trying to strangle both Odysseus and Telemachus (spoiler: he can't), missing Hermes' arrival to Ithaca like a loser ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ

Hermes bringing a hoard of souls to the underworld: let's see... One, two, three, four... ten......... nah I'm too lazy to do that, bye idiots *flies away*

Now we have Antinous, stuck in the mortal plane where no one can see him, having to watch the happy and thriving family, annoyed, jealous, and alone. Like he deserves tbh

And since I was leaning into comedy in the beginning, Telemachus starting to hear (and later even see; idk maybe Hermes' heritage activated or smth) him is a source of all kinds of moments where he has to act like ✨ everything is fine ✨ while there's an angry dude screaming in his ear "PAY ATTENTION TO ME"

If we sprinkle it with sad vibes then Antinous is pestering Telemachus for two reasons:

he hates him and has nothing better to do anyway

it's the closest thing to human interaction he has now lol

Basically talking to (read: pissing off) Telemachus is the only entertainment, and as time passes he just becomes something of a voice of conscience but diametrically opposed, and by that I mean:

"Who does this prick think he is?! Kick his ass Tele KICK HIS ASS"

"Wow, loser (Peisistratus probably idk) actually likes you, what a moron. You too btw"

Probably the first thing Telemachus sees in the morning too,, poor boy; maybe Antinous even tries to trip him up from time to time (they can't touch each other but small things like these work), invades his personal space, swipes off random objects from their designated surfaces, talks shit during family dinners (Telemachus actually thinks some of it is funny but he won't say that out loud, nuh uh) Penelope and Odysseus are a bit concerned about the strange expressions he makes XD

That dynamic goes on until the moment Antinous says a particularly foul joke and Telemachus slaps him (not really hoping for anything since every time he tried his hand just went through); the hit lands, both are like wtf just happened??? That puts an end to random chaos because (1) Telemachus is older now and will/can beat the shit out of him (2) Antinous just doesn't find the same satisfaction in annoying the prince like before, for some reason

So they just....... come to accept the situation and stick together like the weirdest pair of mismatched socks. END

(one more crumb of comedy material: Antinous now drops random objects on people's heads when they disrespect Telemachus or some similar thing)

That's it! There's one important thing I wanna say tho,, what I wrote is just my vision, if you had something else in mind and it doesn't align with this don't worry too much!! I want to know your ideas as well, and honestly, there wasn't a lot of thought put in cooking up an actual plot on my side; write whatever you feel like writing, I'm already happy those sketches inspired somebody X)

(And! Guys!! A bit of disclaimer: it's not like I'm sticking fingers in ears and going lalalalalala when it comes to Antinous' canon jerk behavior, or justify him – this whole au retains ✨funsies rights✨, don't take it too seriously please)

[blubun0309]

[TW // SA mention] + EPIC: The Musical Ithica Saga Spoilers

Can we talk about Odysseus real quick because, dear god, this song is so beautifully poetic

Let's start by addressing my favorite detail: the chorus. The chanting of "Odysseus" in the background. You know why this is important? When have we heard a name being chanted by the chorus in EPIC before? In the songs of GODS and MONSTERS. He's not any man walking in that palace, he's the one who BUILT IT. The man who's survived 20 years of war and bloodshed, the only man who came back alive from a troop of 600 men who fought against Troy and literal Gods. He's the KING of this palace, and they WILL chant his name, wether in fear of him or not.

Odysseus has learned from his journey and how he single-handedly takes down 108 men in a five minute song shows it. He's applying every tactic he learned. He traps them like the cyclops, attacks in his palace like Circe, aims for the torches like Scylla, using ruthlessness like Poseidon. He's become the monster they created.

And the vocal performance is impeccable. Jorge's voice is so amazing, you can HEAR the anger Odysseus has towards these men, who planned to hurt *his* boy, and touch *his* wife. He snarls, he kills, he has no mercy towards these pigs, his mercy has long since died.

And let's address that: He rejects open arms from one of the suitors. Open Arms had been a consistent melody in almost every saga I believe, every time it was something to keep Ody afloat, a melody that reminded him of his best friend, and he clinged onto it in his lowest points. It's not just the melody, it's what it represents. The ideology Polites and, at one point, Odysseus stood by. That they could change the world with kindness and forgiveness. But Ody has gone through enough, and in no situation where he tried to be kind did it work out for him, as he was met with bloodshed and anger. He has no forgiveness left towards the people who've wronged him. But from a different angle, you can see why he rejected open arms from the suitor. After they planned to kill his son and rape his wife, they want MERCY? No. Odysseus won't give them the mercy. They don't deserve it. Killing their leader is not enough, he knows better now. How DARE they use the words of a dead man, his best friend, to save their sorry asses? They have no right to do so.

Odysseus' rage is so powerful because he has had enough. He won't allow these men, ANYONE, to hurt his family, not after everything it took to come back to them. He'll die a cold death before he allows that to happen.

And the suitors, oh they KNOW they fucked up. They know the story of Odysseus, they know how tactical he is, they know. And that's why they *fear* him. That's why they beg for forgiveness they won't receive. It's either beg or die.

However, they have a strong point: Telemachus. Oh, Telemachus, you couldn't have arrived at a worse time. I think it's a bit difficult to catch, but Ody wasn't the one who left the armory unlocked, it was Telemachus. He went in there to get gear and didn't backpedal to close the door. And for that small mistake, they got the upper hand against him. They held down, beat, and hurt him, all to get Ody's attention. Even though Telemachus begs for them to spare him so Odysseus spares them, to have open arms, they still decide to strike. A foolish choice, because Odysseus won't stand for it. How DARE they... How DARE THEY HURT THE YOUNG MAN HE FINALLY GETS TO BE A FATHER TO.

Let me remind you, Odysseus killing all these men is Telemachus' first impression of his father. After 20 years, he's here. In front of him. But he's not the kind and gentle man his mother described him as, he's not the man who spares first. Odysseus is filled with rage, and he doesn't even hesitate as he kills the monsters who have tormented him and his mother for 20 years.

Odysseus is no longer the man he was, nor the monster they've all created. He is the final battle. His theme is the one of a leyend. He's become the final boss. His heart is filled with rage of torment the past 20 years have put him through. And no one will want to mess with the King of Ithica again.

[chadrickmd]

Waiting for the break down 😬 I've seen the animations

What a girl boss, the suitors are thirsty as hell. Anna Lea's voice is amazing though, wow. (Everyone in this is amazing)

I've been waiting for the full version of Hold Them Down forever. I hate Antinous, but my god Ayron Alexander is a great singer. Jesus, while Thunderbringer made me mildly uncomfortable, these lyrics scared me.

Squelch... (deserved)

Buh bye any sense of sanity Odysseus had...... kill those bastards. (Penelope is a lucky woman.) Why would they hurt Telemachus, that's such a bad idea, ĥaha they're fucked.

"MERCY!" AGHHHhhhhh, Odyssey might be my new favorite song.

2 more.. hope nothing happens

THE FUCKING WHIPLASH, I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IS SO SWEET COMPARED TO THE LAST ONE.

Hi, Athena.

Penelopeeeeeeeee, your husband is whippeddddddd.

She waited 20 years for you bro, what do you expect? For her to dump you now?

I get it girl, gotta make sure it's not a suitor in disguise, but man he sounds pissed (makes the song better honestly.)

Awwwwwwwww, how lovely (ignoring the bodies around the palace though).

It's over... 😟

Final thoughts? I FUCKING LOVED IT. I'm honestly so glad I waited till the Ithaca Saga to listen, because it was probably my favorite (not sure I'm mentally okay after it though). Unhinged Odysseus is the best lmao.

[superr-star]

Random EPIC (and just Greek myths in general) ships I like

Pt. 1 maybe?

I’m bored so here are some of my fav:

crackships | rarepairs | duos, trios, ect |

P = platonic

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

Circe x Hermes

Penelope x Ody

Perimedes x Polites

Perimedes x Elpenor

Tiresias x Hermes

P! Circe x Polites (I’d just think they would get along tbh)

P! Ody x Hermes

P! Telemachus x Hermes

Ctimene x Eurylochus (I LOVE THEM SM❤️)

Calypso x Antinous (ALSO LUV THEMM)

Poseidon x Amphitrite

Poseidon x Antinous (always bros before hoes-)

Aphrodite x Ares

Apollo x Hyacinthus

Apollo x Daphne

(Ok guys hear me out-) Apollo x Daphne x Hyacinthus (we’re gonna ignore that two out of three of them are dead)

Dionysus x Adrianne (did I spell her name right?)

P! Athena x Artemis (badass virgin besties😋)

Hades x Persephone

P! Hestia x Demeter

P! Hestia x Dionysus

P! Athena x Telemachus

Hera x Zeus (Hera lowk deserves better than Zeus)

P! Aeolus x Hermes

P! Artemis x Hermes x Ares (got this one from a myth with the three of them)

P! Artemis x Apollo

The muses x Apollo (I don’t know wether it to be platonic or not since I read somewhere that Apollo slept with all the Muses-)

Calypso x Circe

Eurylochus x Polites

P! Artemis x Aeolus

that’s all I could think of rn

[leynaeithnea]

I didnt get an ask for this BUT WE'RE BACK

my Wisdom saga reaction/analysis!!!!!

26. Legendary

TELEMACHUS MY BOYYYY

THE MELODY AT THE BEGINNING OF LEGENDARY IS SO COOL

the instruments aaah, lowkey obssessed

"its jus tme myself and i" perimedes would like u

"living in this world you left behind".........this song makes oyu think so much about what life has been in Ithica in those years since Odysseus had to leave, he was loved, he is *King*, AH

"dreaming of all these monster, that ill never to get to fight" better this way, u dont wanna end up like your daddy

"but boy i wish i could so i could bring the world some light" BABY BOY

"Cause I'm stuck with your stories, but no clue who you are And no idea if you're dead or just too far" his mother wouldve told him so many stories :aniTears:

"Somebody tell me, come and give me a sign if I fight those monsters, is it you I'll find?" PLS HE jusT WANTS TO FIND HIS DAD GIVE THIS MAN HIS FATHER

"If so, then give me sirens and a cyclops Give me giants and a hydra" hes just naming every monster he can think of of the myths he grew up with

"I know life and fate are scary but I wanna be legendary" U GO BOY; I LOVE YOU, also such a mood

"I'll fight the harpies and chimeras, the Minotaur, even Cerberus I know life and fate are scary but I wanna be l-l-l-l-legendary"....yea same like the two parts before, any monster he can think of, he gotta be one of us kids who read a lot

THEN The droppp in his voice, HE SOUNDS SO SCARED

"There are strangers in our halls" That must be TERRIFYING, just imagine that, dozens of men in your home just prying on your mother and youre too young to do anything rly

"Trying to win the heart of my mom, but she is standing tall" THAT VOCAL PERFORMANCE, W FOR PENELOPE; GIRLBOSS

"108 old faces of men who call me small" EW; 108 IS SO MANY BRO; SO MANY????? Also "old faces" ISJGSEIGJ "who call me small" boy, i feel so bad for you

"They keep taking space and it's not much longer we can stall" !!!! HES WORKING WITH HIS MOTHER TRYING TO HOLD THEM OFF; AH AAAAH, also fuck them, leave their home alone, god he must feel so unsafe in his own home :screams:

"'Cause they're getting impatient, dangerous too" oh no :( so scared lil boy

"And I would fight them if I was half as strong as you" HE LOOKS UP TO HIM SO MUCH AH

"Somebody help me, come and give me the strength Can I do whatever it takes to keep my mom safe?" HES ALSO A MOMMY BOY; AND HONESTLY GOOD FOR HIM; STAND BY HER SIDE; U GO BOY, 🥹

Chrous SLAPs

"Where is he? Where is the man who'll have you to wife? " bitch stay away (also cut song reference!)

"Where is he? Where is the man with whom you'll spend your life?" HE IS ON His WAY HOme SO STAY THE FUCK AWAYYYYYYYY ARGG ILL FIGHT U

"Cause it's been 20 years, 20 years" 20 FUCKING YEARS??? THATS AS OLD AS I AM (and telemachus for that measure, same age, yay!) BUT BRO IMAGINE WAITING FOR YOUR HUSBAND TO COME HOME FOR 20 YEARS; PENELOPE X ODY OTP; PENELOPE FIGHTING OFF 108 SUITORS FOR 20 YEARS AND ODY FIGHTING OF *GODS* Trying TO TRAP AND USE AND KEEP HIM, THEY DESERVE EACH OTHER

"And we still have no king" >:) >:) imagine an island without leader for 20 years oh boy h boy, the power vacuum, 108 people who want to take his place

"Give me a chance, a single opportunity and I'll overcome these obstacles and scrutiny and-" HE WANTS TO SO BADLY he juST DOESNT KNOW HOW AND WHEre TO START BC AH, also the music sounds like he just tries to sneak around his palace, to not get caught by the suitors, dodging and on guard, i can just imagine him ducking his head and looking at every corner for smth danger-

"Boy".......that slapped hard, FUCK YOU ANTINOUS (hi perimedes :) )

"When's your tramp of a mother gonna choose a new husband?" FUCK YOU STAY AWAY (the dELIVERY)

"OoooOOoh" we have a new choir! the crew is ded but we have the suitors now hah, ill take it, love me some choir responses

"Why don't you open her room so we can have fun with her?" THE AUDACITY? WHORE FUCKING BASTARD STAY THE FUCK AWAY

"Dont you dare, call my mother a tramp" U GO BOY; TELL HIM (be careful, dont get hurt) THE VOCAL DELIVERY OF THAT LINE IS SO gOOD

"OoooOOoh" chiorr

" I just did, Whatchu gonna do about it, champ?" FUCK OFF ANTINOUS, DONT BE SO SMUG FUCK U

"Somebody tell me, Come and give me a sign, If I fight this monster, Is it you I'll find?" u desrve your dad so much, he'll come home, promise...promise....hold on, be stronk, u got this boy, also "this monster" its none from your stories, no this is real, its worse its right infront of you AH

Sorry for the swearing :") AH I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH, ONE OF MY FAVS FOR SURE (...we'll come back after recency bias but i dont think itll change)

EDIT: DANGER MOTIF WHEN ANTINOUNS JOINS IN!!!!! (are there more? im new to this PLS TELL ME)

@lorethebookworm

[dasketcherz]

Thoughts on Hugo & Varian as Odysseus + Penelope from Epic The Musical? (Not directly, but like, their songs at least. Especially "Would you fall in love with me again?") I APOLOGIZE FOR LONG INFODUMP </3 Like, which ones do you think would fit who? Imo, I believe both fit either side really well. Varian as Ody is basically him doing all the bad things he did in Corona and asking Hugo if he'll forgive him and love him, because at the time, he thought he had no choice but to do those things. Hugo never cared about what Varian did that deeply because he had his own qualms too, he was fine with waiting for him because he wasn't a monster, he was just a boy who was hurt. He was, and is, just Varian. They're both beautiful yet broken and Hugo's gonna help pick up those pieces. The "bow" that people would use for suitors is actually just a giant machine that one of them broke and if they're gonna get married to someone other than each other, then at least they can find a mechanically competent partner LOL (This goes both ways, no matter who is Ody or Penelope, thought I think it'd be fun if Hugo was Penelope, the bow would be switched out for a gun he made that nobody knew how it worked) Yet, imagine Varian as Penelope in a way. He's already gone through all of that pain before, he's just been waiting for love to find him. Waiting for Hugo. Hugo in "Would you fall in love with me again?" asking Varian if he'd still love him even if he made mistakes, did horrible things, things that he thought nobody would accept him doing even though he had no choice. Like growing up on the streets or doing dirty work for Donella. There was an inherent pyramid and where he stood was not high enough. I think Varian in Penelope's position would be exhausted (lovingly) waiting for Hugo for so long only for him to go "Would u still love me if I maybe did these bad things and there's POSSIBLYYY blood on my hands?? :c" to THE ALCHEMIST WHO RAMPAGED ACROSS CORONA FOR HIS DAD'S SAFETY!! Like... he knows what it's like to do that Hugo. Probs worse. You'll be okay.. <3 It would also be a fun parallel for Varian & Cass tbh. If he was Penelope he'd be waiting in a similar fashion to Cass. They're tired of waiting for something they want, they want it now, but it's just not possible unless something magICAL happens. Either way, they'll do what they need to do to keep it in their favor. For love or not. And finally, mildly unrelated topic, if we're taking the whole storyline out of context for Epic & just picking a song that fits them- Ofc "Would you fall in love with me again?" would be the Varigo song, but I ALSO PROPOSEEEE Varian & Cassandra's song to be "We'll Be Fine" with Cass as Athena talking about Raps & Varian as Telemachus. THAT IS ALL TY FOR READING!!

OH MY GOSH PLEASE DONT APOLOGIZE FOR THE LONG POST, THIS IS STELLAR OMG IT'S SUCH A PEAK DEEP DIVE AAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD AND SHARING IT WITH ME!!

Both alternate takes on the odysseus/penelope: varigo roles is so good!! And the talking points on why the roles can really work both ways is spot on!!

I think what's so fascinating about varigo's dynamic when it came to their misdeeds is how Hugo had stopped thinking too much about the crimes he committed because he grew up in an environment where everyone does it (to survive) hence it comes off like it's just a normal activity (that prbbly is not anywhere else) among ingvarrians (who are less fortunate) meanwhile Varian thinks about his a lot, like a constant shadow of his past that never left him and will constantly follow him no matter what path he takes in life.

So when Hugo begun to care for Varian... when Varian's opinions and how he sees him begun to matter to him—that's when he suddenly starts to genuinely reflect on his own past actions—because he wants to be good for Varian, wants to be someone worthy of his love, wants to be someone Varian deserves, wants to do better for Varian. But to Varian, he is good enough as he is, as just Hugo.

And when Varian confesses about his past, he still expects a shift to their relationship because he's afraid, afraid that he wont be accepted fully for both the good and the bad sides of himself. But Hugo doesn't let that change the way he thinks of him—because its all in the past, and he understands, like truly he gets it. And he is set on making sure Varian knows that, that he'll still love him all the same. Cuz like you said, he never saw him as a monster, he's just Varian—the silly, clumsy-prone, passionate, brilliant and kind person he came to know.

And they'll embrace each other wholeheartedly for who they are and it's just aghhh, god gay ppl man !! i cant stand them!! /VPOS

ALSO ouuughh the challenge being "figure out how this complicated mechanism that I created works" is just genius!! Like PLEEEASE they fucking would !! Its smart, its sneaky, its such a subtle way to say "fuck you im waiting for the love of my life to come back and thats not yall" and its so them-coded behavior, eating it up so hard

(and the We'll Be Fine as a Cass/Varian song is pretty fitting as well yeh! I can totally see that, I see the vision!)