#but Orpheus has lost that completely

[yourmusicmuse]

Muse Overanalyzing Hadestown #1:

In the intro Wait For Me Reprise, when Hermes asks Orpheus and Eurydice if they trust each other, it is an immediate "we do", but when he asks if they can do this whole thing (walking out of the Underground), there is a pause before they say "we can". Orpheus and Eurydice love and trust each other more than anything, but that does not void the uncertainty they have about this journey.

#and honestly it just gets worse in doubt comes in #because Eurydice has gained that certainty and hope that they'll make it! #but Orpheus has lost that completely #and we know where that leads them... :(( #orphydice #hadestown orpheus #orpheus #hadestown broadway #Hadestown #eurydice #hadestown eurydice #orpheus and eurydice #wait for me #wait for me reprise #hadestown analysis #reeve carney #eva noblezada #hadestown musical #hermes #hadestown hermes

[sinizade]

B'ella, the Pale Child (Dark Urges Redeemed)

Class: Warlock (Barbarian subclass)

Romance: Bae'Zel

Besties: Scratch / Owlbear / Wyll / Gale / Karlach

One extra egg among all those eggs wouldn't make a difference, nor would they complain about having two extra hands to fight for the "glory" of their queen. This way, the hatching of this egg surprised the elders of that Creche a little, a child as pale as the moon and with eyes as red as blood that possessed a fury worthy of a demon, certainly that child had something inside it, but the Githyanki wouldn't get rid of a healthy child just because of surpestitions based on one of the babies' appearance... But should they?

B'ella was obedient, precise, deadly, her teachers could see and feel the almost insane pleasure she felt every time she beat her opponents in training, every time she made them bleed and beg... Something so... Sadistic... Even for a Githyanki child, it was unusual to have such an appreciation for death and the ways of killing, but then again, they weren't going to get rid of such a dedicated and useful fighter like her just out of superstition.

Her adulthood was only accompanied by an insatiable hunger, B'ella could have had her uses in combat, an animal, a monster, but when her abilities began to affect other Githyanki they finally realized that having her there was no longer safe or suitable for Creche, so in a clear desperate act they tried to contain B'ella, they tried to tame the monster inside her... The Slayer, but that obviously didn't go as they expected and her sadistic, cruel and psychotic fury spread to everyone in that Creche. Every teacher, every warrior, doctor, student, child, egg, all murdered, torn apart in a bloody dance that spread throughout each hall and that was when she heard a voice, a small creature that praised her... A praise that she never found she was going to receive, told her that there was a place where she could be who she really was, where she could know what it was like to have a family that truly admired her for what she did...

That male human, that Enver Gortash, intelligent man. Tasting Gortash, subduing him to her whims was satisfying, but her devotion was only to her creator, to her god, to her father, Bhaal... But everything had been thrown into the trash with the betrayal of that insolent child, that damned and jealous changeling who took her rightful place.

Waking up on a ghaik ship with no memories left her disconcerted, but her focus now was to get out of there and return to her people and achieve purification. Having someone as adept in battle as Lae'Zel made it easier since the rest of her companions with the exception of Karlach left the pale gith with disgust in her mouth regarding combat.

It wasn't so bad being around that bunch of big noses, they entertained her, they seemed to care about her dark desires, not just for them, but also for her? This was new, not even she remembered the last time she received any kind of help (literally)

Lae'Zel... Zhak vo'n'fynh duj... B'ella could barely understand what she felt, she could barely know what she felt, she didn't know or remember that feeling, but with Lae'Zel everything was clear. .. She was her world, her sword, her flame, the source of her joy...

Finding out that she wasn't a child of Gith broke her, even if she managed to hide it well, it destroyed her completely inside, knowing that the years she spent in her Creche, that her "egg", that her life, was a fake life designed by her "father". That wasn't for her, even if it once had been, now it wasn't... B'ella would no longer be a Bhaalspawn, now she would be a child of Gith and follow Orpheus and her beloved Lae'zel into battle against Vlaakith's tyranny

Some extra information about B'ella

Her memory was "reset" to her times at Creche as soon as she lost her memories, before her dark impulses took over.

She has a strange habit of keeping a lock of her enemies' hair for no reason, she just likes to have a memory of good battles, but when the enemy wasn't good enough she just crushes its head (She has a lock of hair with her from the hair of Minthara/ Ketheric/ Raphael)

Even though she appears to be reserved and cold, B'ella is considered TOO romantic when she is with Lae'Zel and only Lae'Zel, only her source of joy can see B'ella that way

#baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate fanart #baldurs gate tav #baldurs gate dark urge #dark urge #bg3 durge #durgetash #durge #laezel #lae'zel #drawing #drawings #characterdesign #draw #sketch #digital drawing #character #drawn #sketchbook #laezel x tav #githyanki #gith tav #bg3 gith #B'ella

[reegis]

What do you think is Johnnys (devil not the writers) reasoning for loathing Orpheus so much? It just feels so strong yet I can't pin down an exact reasoning

I feel like narratively Jonny and Orpheus are complete opposites;

Jonny’s whole persona is openly, aggressively (& frequently homicidally) detached from any sort of sentimentality. Has to kill his dad? who cares, he totally wasn’t effected by that. Doc is gone? couldn’t give less of a shit, no emotional turmoil there. All of the people he’s lost, and the painful deaths he’s suffered over uncountable centuries as an immortal? dust in the wind, couldn’t matter less.

Meanwhile Orpheus is sentimental to the point of being boarderline useless without his lady love. He tried Absolutely EVERYTHING to reach her again, from requesting to speak to her mind in the achaeron, to unsuccessfully attempting unaliving himself, to stockpiling HIGHLY ILLEGAL BRAIN MELTING ACID as a backup plan, and then eventually asking Hades for help and joining the UDAD plot as we know it. He’s a loverboy through and through and wears his heart on his sleeve.

To me i think that Jonny is, at heart (lmao ironic), much more similar to Orpheus than he would like any of us to believe- and there are definitely moments where I personally feel that you can see glimpses of that. but he has spent eons creating this untouchable, unaffected “captain” persona (that absolutely None of the mechs are buying btw but he is trying so lets all give him some points for effort) and seeing someone living that life so openly and authentically without any subterfuge is bound to strike a nerve.

#the mechanisms #jonny d’ville #udad #disclaimer i am 100% talking out of my ass #and maybe projecting #tldr jonny cant cope with anyone experiencing genuine emotions bc he cant cope w his own #in my onion #asks

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

Puppeteer’s Marionette

Based on a dream I had of a hunter!Matthias lol it just an idea i wanted to write idk

Rated Mature | Warnings: Matty kinda mean (affectionate), reader is from modern times

Wires, rods, hooks, puppets. Performance gloves, replacement parts, and tools to paint the puppet.

Matthias has shown you plenty of times how he works to create a puppet, often he is surprised you can sit there for hours watching him— Then again, anything dealing with him, you tend to hyperfocus on. Weirdo, he would say but never mean it… Gentle sweet you who falls asleep a few hours into watching him work, sharing the same space as him is often enough for you.

Thinking of him while looking at the poster on the wall of this theater, The Puppet With No Strings: Louis!

Or you think that is what it says… You cannot read French.

The theater map is big like Golden Cave, with three levels, and two exits and no one has seen the dungeon. You currently are in the front where the exit is after getting lost. The closest cipher is upstairs but the hunter is up there with Mind’s Eye. 

… She is the last survivor with you… Only two ciphers were completed but again no clue where the dungeon is.

The hunter has been flawless in taking out the survivors, trapping them before downing each one. Magician and Acrobat both got caught only two out of five ciphers in.

Witness the Fantastical Louis, this poster is in English.

You stand there reading the walls covered with posters, a hand touching the paper with Louis’ face… The smile is designed to look friendly and entertaining.

“Yup, still scary.” Shaking your head as you finish sightseeing to go find the dungeon upstairs after Mind’s Eye used the walkie-talkie to ping the hunter is nearby downstairs in the theater section. If she gets chaired, that is it. Upstairs the theater balcony and equipment rooms.

More posters of Louis but there are other posters of Louis.

No dungeon so far.

When you go to the balcony, you see the hunter on the stage— Finally, you see it fully rather than an outline.

Arms not fully attached to the body, transparent, fingers moving the way you have seen Matthias move his went doing puppetry, wooden designed. The hunter is tall, as to be expected for most except Robbie, they are wearing those showmen-type outfits though parts of them look burned… The most unsettling part is the parts that look like puppet attachments connected to key parts of the body… They specifically left the side of the body…

You are no Orpheus but in this case, the writing's on the wall who you are up against.

There are few in the manor with hunter counterparts, all of them a twisted funhouse mirror of them, a reminder of possibilities and the follies, yet Hastur once told you it can also be a way to face one's demons (he used a human term for you to understand).

You doubt the Baron cares about helping anyone process their trauma via being chased down by it…

“Helena watch out!” Shouting from above as one of the wooden ghostly hands moves and throws what seems to be glowing green wires. She barely avoids them but now the creature turns its gaze to you.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Running away when it starts moving, switching targets.

It will take a minute for the hunter to get up here unless it has teleport… Which it fucking does as the second you leave the balcony, the monster is there at a cipher on that same floor.

There it stands gazing down at you… Quiet. You can clearly see the parts that are human and the parts that are puppet. It is as if Matthias is using Louis to cover his scars or flaws.

“(Name).” The silence is broken by his voice that sounds off… Two-toned like Nightmare's voice. He steps forward and you step back. “You should run.” You see in his puppet hand is a pair of scissors.

“Matthias…” Standing there, “You look like a mini-boss from Bloodborne.”

Silence. Silence. Eyes narrow.

“I am trying to kill you and you're making jokes!?” Yelling at you, “Now is not the time to be joking!” Running at you thus making you run away.

You are the better kiter between Mind's Eye and yourself, you hope at least you can pull a three cipher kite as there are only three left. You ping Focus on decoding and are given a response of a cipher percentage ping.

Though you cracked a joke, one you know he does not understand, when you looked upon Puppeteer’s counterpart; you wonder if this is everything he despises in this creature, part puppet, part man, all wrong.

Two ciphers left. You need to shift the chase to downstairs where there is more room.

She went into the basement as two ciphers were down there and you survived jumping down from the balcony to the lower half of the theater audience section.

The Puppeteer threw something though before you landed and you feel and see wires tighten around your arms and legs.

Shit. You try moving but something is stopping you keeping you in place. The only thing you can move is your head which you turn to look around to see where the hunter went. He vaulted and his movement was slow enough that whatever he did to you lasted only a few seconds.

In this game, every second counts. Despite the delay, he still was able to strike you causing you now to kite wounded.

One cipher left. The percentage is five. Well if you go down it won't be too bad, you tried given the circumstances.

Your heart is racing, you swallow down your fear, you have to keep going! The backstage gives you better opportunities to try to palette stun or block. The only problem is Puppeteer can put wires to hinder you and do that weird trick.

Tight spaces, lots of things to throw at him— Which you did— And two ways out if you can make it.

The percentage is twenty-six, damn being wounded is slowing down the speed!

You need to buy time… Well… At least this is with Matthias.

He is behind you when he corners you, there you stand looking at him, wires closing off any way out without you getting caught. Both staring at one another.

“What is the plan now?”

“Not sure,” Shrugging, “Thought we could stand here staring at each other longingly.”

An eye roll, “No.”

“I could kiss you.”

“(Name)—”

“You should know I like kissing you a lot.” Point that out to him, “Come here!” Winking as you move forward only to realize you cannot move… “Oh, come on, Matty.” He hates that nickname. You see the thin strings wrapped around your arms and feel it squeeze around your neck, nothing painful just frim.

“You should learn to pay attention to the hands, not my face.”

That is true… The last cipher is at sixty percent… He can chair or bleed you out to go after the other survivor to get a complete win. Dropping your head in defeat.

His puppet hands’ fingers dance for a second making you lift your arms above your head, slightly bending them so it will not be too uncomfortable.

“You should have run for the dungeon,” Scolding you, “Running me around was stupid of you,” He leaned down, his gloved hand grabbing your chin and tilting your head up, “For once you had to be selfish,” Annoyed, “…You are always running towards me even when it could hurt you.” Sad as he examines your face, “(Name).” Saying your name mournfully.

Hastur says counterparts are far more in touch with the emotions of those they are the counter of, most are negative. Fool’s Gold's lack of morals, Nightmare's isolationism, Smiley’s obsessiveness, and Evil Reptilian's lack of restraint.

This counterpart seems… Sad? Still scary but with you he just seems sad.

“Matthias.” You try to move your arms wishing to comfort him but hiss in pain when the strings cut into your arms for trying to move against his wishes.

“Don't.” Turning your face to the left and right, “For once don’t try to chase me.”

You frown as he lets go of your face, again you try moving even as it hurts as you try breaking free. He releases you and for a moment you think you can reach out but then— Your body goes stiff, arms at your side as you stand up straight with no control of your limbs.

“Stop trying to reach for something not here.” Rolling his eyes as the extra pair of hands are the ones controlling the strings connected to you, “...” Raising an eyebrow at the way you are not looking at him while your lips are pressed together. “Seriously!?” Snapping at you.

“Sorry.” The loss of anatomical control and his stern tone with you is kinda hot.

“Tsk,” Clicking his tongue, “Do you do this with other hunters?” You shake your head at the question, “Would explain why it takes so long for you to return to the manor.”

You are shaking a bit not in anger but because you like it when he is a bit mean to you.

“How wet are you if I check?” Click of shifting wood makes your body stand with open legs, “(Name).” Accusing.

“This isn't fair.”

“I know.”

#idv #identity v x reader #idv x reader #identity v #identity v x you #idv puppeteer #reader insert #matthias czernin #puppeteer x you #puppeteer x reader #matthias czernin x reader #matthias czernin x you #idv x you

[gabessquishytum]

this one was loosely inspired by that "hob cheats on orpheus w morpheus" post/fic thats been doing rounds rn

university!morpheus is dating robyn, hes a little timid about having sex with him (haha loser virgin everybody point and laugh), but robyn assures him its fine, he's willing to wait and be patient, morpheus gets to set the pace and he'll follow his lead. and things go well for a while, morpheus even meets robyns family! his boyfriends' dad being morpheus' university professor was a bit of a surprise, but considering that dr gadling has never been anything but kind and helpful to him, it's a welcome one.

but, one night, after their semi-regular family dinners, morpheus excuses himself to leave the room and get some fresh air. hob follows him outside and asks if everything's been alright-- he's noticed that morpheus has been in a strange mood lately and wanted to check up on him to make sure everything was alright between him and his son, or maybe he was struggling with his schoolwork and needed some help. but it turns out, it hasnt been alright; morpheus confesses that he's discovered (desire found out about it and immediately rubbed it in dream's face that he's unloveable) that robyn's been cheating on him. he isn't angry, more than anything he's disappointed and betrayed. he's especially annoyed because he can't quite seem to find the right time to talk about it with his boyfriend-- morpheus "shitty communicator" d'endeles, par for the course. any anger is rooted in him feeling disrespected and lied to. hob, trying to seem relatable, mentions that he was cheated on when he was around morpheus' age, and he got revenge by filling his partner's gas tank with sugar. morpheus doesn't want to cause property damage, but revenge sounds enticing.

he comes up with a plan to cheat back; plus, that way, he can lose his virginity and rub it in robyn's face that his "patience" didn't even pay off. so, at first, when dr gadling comes onto him one night, he's worried his plans have been foiled-- but when he's come so many times he's lost count and is nothing more than a puddle on his boyfriends' fathers' mattress, he realizes that maybe this is the exact revenge he needed. especially if he does sleep with robyn later on just to compare father and son, and maybe taunt him a bit for how much better his dad is.....

Hhhhnhnggg daddy Hob 😳😳

Look, if Robyn is cheating, then he definitely doesn't have the moral highground. But fucking his dad may have been a liiiittle skeezy of Morpheus. Not that I blame him......

Hob is just so much better than Robyn. He's got all of his son's good qualities and then more. He's solid, attractive, he smells good, he looks good... and his dick is thicker than anything Morpheus has ever seen. He knows what to do to make a man scream. Robyn isn't bad in bed, but his dad is just a genius. His mouth is unholy. He makes Morpheus beg for him, croons in his ear so sweetly - "go on, there's a good lad... say 'please, daddy'". And Morpheus does everything that Hob tells him. He bends himself in half, curls his legs over Hob’s shoulders and submits to being utterly taken apart. This is the kind of sex he wants. How can he possibly go back to placid, half hearted sex with men his own age? He's ruined.

And if he stopped to think, he'd wonder exactly how Hob could sleep with his own son's boyfriend without seeming to feel particularly guilty. Truth is, Hob is far from being perfect or morally better than Robyn. In fact, he's old enough to know better.

But he wants pale, pretty Morpheus. Wanted him since the day they met. And fucking him is so wonderful, so transcendent, he can't possibly feel bad about it. He loves his baby boy, his Morpheus, his darling. He loves knowing that he's ruining this beautiful young man and spoiling him completely, so that he'll never be satisfied with anything else.

Robyn will get over it. He's his father's son, after all... and it was Hob who encouraged him to cheat in the first place.

#the sandman #dreamling #nsft #cw age gap #cw cheating #cw daddy kink

[morglien]

immm sooooo fucking normal thinking about shadowheart having to say goodbye to lae'zel at the end of the game when she takes Orpheus' place to fight in the resistance against vlaakith. because i feel like for lae'zel it's a no brainer. she needs to be there for her people, she can fill those shoes to fix the wrongs. but shadowheart would feel such a bitter pain, she just lost everything. her parents, her past, her goddess, she is a completely different person than she was when she first started (not that lae'zel wasn't, but shads CHANGED CHANGED.) and having to deal with the fact that she has to say goodbye to who she opened her heart so full for. im so normal at both of them whom have just learned to love and be vulnerable with each other and having to say goodbye all too soon. and yes I Know that you can go with her if you want which is a pretty cool ending, BUT there's something about shads making a new life for herself in her nice little cottage and raising animals and then one day when vlaakith is defeated, lae'zel comes back from the astral plane to see how much shads has grown and vice versa...!! it's about the LONGING and the LOVE THEY'VE SHOWN EACH OTHER and they see the world with colors for the first time EVER and to come back to each other's embrace at the end of it all to tell them all about it.

#biting things. #shadowzel #lae'zel #shadowheart #bg3 #baldur's gate #baldur's gate 3

[empty-blog-for-lurking]

i dont know how to explain it but to me udad and hnoc are like opposites of each other. (Under read more, cause it is loooooonnnnng)

With udad the situation everyone is in is bonkers shit. The world they live in is absolutely shithole of a place that exploits everyone but the richest of the rich and the people there cant escape even after their death. Every single one of them is bitter and depressed and wronged and just wants to survive and they'll do anything to survive even if it meant killing the other one. All the natural part of that world is long dead and only thing exists is this cold dark metallic hellscape of a city that swallowed its own planet like a cancer. Almost all the songs are just how everyone was exploited, used, wronged, and discarded they were. Ulysses is a drunk fallen 'hero' completely guilt ridden by their role in Illium's fall. They had lost everyone and everything even before the album began. They spent so much of their throughout album getting their shit beat in. They, Heracles, and Orpheus go to Hades (Ashes) in hopes to be freed whether as a request, through theft, or through a deal. And Ashes all but set them all up to die for their own amusement (which btw very sexy of them <3 but that is besides the point). There seemed to be no hope for them.

And yet, despite everything the ending is so hopeful. We know that Ulysses would die, if it wasnt obvious from the title of the album itself it certainly becomes obvious when we learn how their world works. And yet they died a happier ending, they escaped the curse of their city and died reunited with their love. Ulysses died under an oak tree in a grassy fields, among nature which was thought to be dead since The City's takeover. Ulysses died being warmed by sunlight, a right denied to so many others like them. Ulysses died at dawn.

And then there is hnoc. Hnoc starts heroic. Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere take over Camelot from the corrupt Stone clan through their skills and teamwork. They turn it into a place of safety with all three of them incharge. Their lives are hard and filled with violence and hatred and fear and the world they live is harsh and unforgiving. But they still have each other, and they still care for the people around them. There is nature like scorpions and vultures despite it being a space station. The album has songs about love and being in love, about hope of peace, about power of faith. Everyone wants to survive and they are willing to work together to do it. Arthur is embittered by his "daughter's" death but still has his partners to keep him grounded and is ruler/sheriff of a powerful town with lots of knights working for him. What is more, the tragedy that hardened both Arthur and Gawain can be healed because the person they mourn isnt dead, he is Mordred and he is here to make amends. Arthur, Gawain, and Galahad go to Merlin (Brian) to seek aid, and he gives them advice that truly could have saved them, because Merlin really did wanted to save them and the entire station. There seemed to be hope for them.

And yet in the end it meant nothing. It was all for nothing. Alfred and Gawain did not listen to Brian's advice and ended up sealing theirs and everyone else's fate. Galahad did take Brian's advice and it destroyed him in a self sacrifice that ended up being for nothing. Mordred tried so hard for peace but at the end seeing the hatred and cruelty of his world hardened him to the core. Gawain's hatred turned peace talks into war and turned him into sawage barbaric monster he thought Saxons to be. Arthur's hardened core did not let him hope that his child could ever return to him and ended up not giving Mordred even a chance. What could have saved everyone Fort Gallfridian ended up turning into what destroyed Fort Gallfridian whether it be the GRAIL or Mordred. Almost all of them died a pointless avoidable death. And Arthur? Arthur lost everything. He lost his partners, he lost his chance to embrace his son, he lost his home, he lost his people. He may have survived but at the end he lost everything. High noon over Camelot. We didnt understand what it truly meant (all of them dying in the sun) until it was too late.

Ulysses shoots once, and it led to their happy ending. Gawain shoots once, and it led to everyone's tragedy. 3 shots all for Ulysses and it killed them. 3 shots for Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, and it hurt Arthur but never killed him. Ulysses was the only one who got to die under the sun, Arthur was the only one who didnt die in the sun.

#I dont know if last part with the sun is because sun represented both warm hope and scorching cruelty #Or because the band is british #ulysses dies at dawn #high noon over camelot #the mechanisms #ashes o'reilly #drumbot brian #udad ulysses #hnoc mordred #gawain hnoc #mordred hnoc #arthur hnoc #hnoc #guinevere hnoc #lancelot hnoc #galahad hnoc #the mechs #udad orpheus #udad #empty thoughts #I think similarly tbi and ouatis can also be said to be opposites

[le-panda-chocovore]

I don't know if someone already said it but I need to make this post.

I read something about Orpheus not so long ago and my first thought was oh, this is STSG. The metaphor isn't perfect, the parallels don't completely align, but you can see it, the codes are here.

We all know the story. Eurydice died and Orpheus went to the deepest level of hell to bring her back, and the moment before he reached the surface, he turned around and lost her again forever.

Maybe it's just me, maybe it's because I'm too deep in the analysis of their relationship, but something in this myth resonates with Geto and Gojo's story.

They loved each other, no one can deny that. They were young and passionate, and they inspired each other to become better. Eurydice was Orpheus' muse and Suguru was Satoru's blue spring. Their lives were so bright and pretty and colorful when they were together.

Then one of them left, leaving the other in a state of despair. Unable to grieve, Satoru worked so hard to find a way to Suguru, to build a world where his love could come back (despite knowing very well that nothing could bring Suguru back to him).

Fast forward 10 years and so many things happened. Satoru still dreams of him.

Satoru knows about the Prison Realm, he knows this is a trap, he knows he can't stay here, he knows that if he stop moving he'd lose. He's smart, he knows. He also knows that Suguru's dead and there's no hope of saving him now. But when he hears the voice, he can't help but turn around, and he doomed himself (and the world) by doing that, but he has to -he needs to look back. To see Suguru's face, to be sure it's him. Orpheus knew it was Eurydice and Satoru knew it wasn't Suguru but they needed to be sure, they had to see by themselves. They knew they'd lose everything, and they did it anyway. Because when you hear the breath, the voice, the steps of the only one you have ever loved behind you, you look back.

And people keep accusing you for this ultimate mistake, they said you shouldn't have, they say they'd have acted differently, but it doesn't matter. Because if you acted differently, it would have meant that you didn't care about them.

Satoru turned back, and all the efforts he made to arrive here became vain.

This is a story doomed by love. Love is the twistest curse of all.

#yes I know i'm digging too much #i know i'm seeing things that aren't there #i know i'm making connection that doesn't need to be made #i know i know #but i'm heartbroken and i can't stop myself to think about them again and again #JJK is a story about love and love will be the end of all of them #they can't be saved because they can't stop themselves from loving. they're human. they will love even if it kills them. #they will love until it'll kill them. #okay imma stop the rambling now #geto suguru #gojo satoru #sugusato #stsg #gego #analysis #jjk meta #jujutsu kaisen #orpheus and eurydice #greek mythology #jjk

[jovenshires]

endless au edits: smosh theatre's seasonal lineup (1/4)

SMOSH'S SEASONAL LINEUP: A COMPLETE GUIDE by mac kahey smosh theatre, a musical theater company known for its diverse and inclusive productions, has just announced its show lineup for the year, and it is safe to say that fans are far from disappointed. starting off strong, the company kicked off its announcement with its winter showcase: a production of hadestown, led by stars damien haas and jacklyn uweh, and directed by none other than returning smosh co-founder, anthony padilla. padilla made his comeback to smosh a little over six months ago to collaborate with his fellow co-owner on their spring and summer musicals. this will be padilla's first solo show at the playhouse in nearly six years - and what a show to start off on. coupling this tragic tale of love lost with padilla's edgy direction style is a bold move, and fans are, rightfully, excited. the casting choices are also impeccable. the star-studded lineup includes previously-mentioned damien haas, an openly neurodivergent and queer actor making waves for representation everywhere. he'll be taking on the role of orpheus, a hopeless romantic, poet, and musician, and as someone who had the pleasure of sitting down with him for an interview last spring, all of these qualities describe haas to a t. this will be his first time leading a show with smosh in his near-six-year run at the company, and his first time working with padilla as a director. the actor shared the show to his instagram and expressed his excitement for the production, saying, "anthony is such a great director. it's been an honor to work with him and my amazing castmates." speaking of his castmates - his leading lady is none other than superstar jacklyn uweh. returning from her recent stint touring with the cast of spring awakening, she has rejoined the smosh cast for another performance that's sure to be amazing. the actress is known for advocating for women of color in theater spaces and never being afraid to speak her mind. she also, notably, has one of the most incredible singing voices of our generation. taking on the mysterious yet powerful role of eurydice will be no easy feat, but somehow, i think she has the power to manage it. just with this one casting, smosh has shown that when the perfect cast falls into their lap, they aren't foolish enough not to utilize it. the stacked cast doesn't stop there, though. playing hermes, the play's narrator and father figure to young orpheus, is ify nwadiwe, a booming comedic actor who has been known to feature in smosh productions. his fun-loving demeanor and natural swagger are sure to bring a natural carefree energy to this rendition of hadestown. he, too, spoke of the production fondly on social media, posting on x: "this is one of the greatest things i've ever been a part of. come see us next december to february at the smosh playhouse for one of the most incredible, f***ed up things we've ever done." long-time smosh player keith leak jr is taking on the role of hades, the rich, powerful, and egotistical king of the underworld, and his friend and partner in all things theater, olivia sui, will be beside him once more as persephone, hades's free-spirited yet suffering wife. watching these two together is always a delight, and i cannot wait for their dynamic to shine through the characters that they play. as far as the winter production is concerned, the community's shared high hopes for padilla's return may very well turn out to be grounded in reality. with an all-star cast and an incredible crew, such as returning stage head erin dougal, it is easy to see that padilla knows what he's doing. though only time will tell, i am confident that this production will be a huge success, and very well may be my favorite show of the year - although, i must mention the other productions first - because they all have incredible potential.

#smosh #damien haas #jackie uweh #anthony padilla #rpf #fic #edit #smosh au #mine* #aued* #au #anthony #erin #keith #olivia #ify #jackie #damien #theatre au #mOOOOOOOM katie's making a convoluted au again!!! #i needed to see them in musicals okay. sue me. also this was Too Good not to do you can fight me on it #i believe in queue! spring break!

[sinizade]

Qih'Za, The Demon Slayer

Class: Paladin fighter (Oath breaker)

Romance: Gale (no god Gale, only normal nerd Gale)

Besties: Lae'Zel / Karlach

Qih'Za was the last egg to hatch in her Creche which made some of the other older Githyanki think that she would be a weak child among the others, but they ended up very mistaken as ever since she was able to hold a sword for the first time, she has always shown a clear mastery of whatever battle or training she was in. The problem that always resulted in severe punishment for Qih' Za was her curiosity... Training outside her Creche, field missions, she always left the training of the youngest to find out what was more beyond what her eyes could see and this always caused irritation in the elders, her lack of obedience and discipline were irritating in their eyes.

During her teenage years, she was the proudest point of her Creche, the first Githyanki to kill a demon with her own hands. One of the Githyanki from their Creche was using his magic to try and summon little imps to use in combat and something went terribly wrong causing a flesh and blood demon to appear right in the middle of them killing and beheading everyone in sight no matter if they were children or teenagers. Qih'Za was quick, brutal, almost animalistic against that demon, cutting off its horns, wings, tail, she was hateful and dangerous, almost no longer controlling her body and it was from that day on that she became known as the Demon Slayer, but what was a source of pride and admiration for her Creche and other Githyanki outside of it, for Qih' Za it was a trigger for some kind of disorder in her mind, seeing all these children, seeing her friends and teachers get killed in such a brutal way caused her to have small tantrums throughout her life whenever she was in combat, useful against enemies, but she lost control and always ended up attacking allies and her superiors ignored this due to her usefulness in battle, which always left her with the blood of her brothers and sisters on her hands and even more trouble on her mind.

Against her will she became a dragon rider, it was a "gift" offered by the best and most honorable warrior in her Creche and she shouldn't dare refuse. Receiving her dragon seemed to bring her more comfort... It was strange at first, but she created a great bond with her dragon, her friend, her glorious Agynih. Her first battle with her dragon was something that would never leave her mind... Seeing her dragon, her friend being killed by an Ilith ship, having her body absorbed into that incubator against her will... She just wanted to get out of there, she needed to get out of there.

Even though she didn't have much attachment to magic and even a certain fear due to her trauma, the way Gale showed it seemed to be less scary and more "simple", even beautiful in her view, he was a good teacher, a very intelligent human, there were few big noses that Qih'Za met who actually managed to have her admiration and Gale aroused both admiration and attraction. Even though he wasn't very strong, he made up for it with his mind and spells, he was fast and lethal, his body was firm and concentrated that seemed to flex with each glow that came from his hands and staff. Qih'Za wanted to try him, not just that, she wanted to devour Gale completely, feel his skin against hers and submit him to her.

She stayed with Gale and traveled with him to Water Deep... Even though her mind told her to go with Lae' Zel to fight for the freedom of her people and fight to spread the words of her prince Orpheus, that was no longer life for Qih' Za and now her heart is with Gale... She had been through so much, felt so much... She knew well that Lae'Zel was more than capable of such a mission, that she would free her people and become a legend among all Githyanki. Her companion, her friand and her sister

Some extra information about Qih' Za

She's love chocolate ever since she stole one from a big nose she found sleeping near her Creche, so now that she's trying to find a way to get this parasite out of her mind, she always tries her best to find a few more chocolates.

She's afraid of Raphael and Mizora... Not just ordinary fear, but something that makes her vision blur to the point where she almost loses control of her body again.

She hasn't had a good night's sleep since she found out about Astarion... He wasn't trustworthy, he didn't seem trustworthy and he didn't even talk like someone trustworthy, if he hadn't been so helpful with locks she would have already ripped his head off.

She wanted to taste Wyll when she first saw him, a strong and brave human, strong body almost as if waiting to be touched, but finding out about Mizora made her hateful about him.

#githyanki #Qih'Za #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #bg3 gale #gale x tav #baldurs gate gale #baldurs gate #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate fanart #baldurs gate tav #drawing #drawings #characterdesign #draw #sketch #digital drawing #character #drawn #sketchbook #Qui'Za

[ashes-in-a-jar]

In my head, you’re a Magnus Archives blog. I mean, I know you obviously listen to other things, but In my mind it’s things like Welcome to Nightvale, Malevolent, Hello from the Hallowoods, The Sheridan Tapes, things like that, horror and supernatural.

So I had to do a double-take when I saw a Dungeons and Daddies post from you, I really didn’t know you listened to it. Then I see you reblog a Fawx and Stallion post, and now I’m just wondering how many podcasts you’ve listened to that I’ve also listened to.

Hahaha yes this blog has been mainly for tma stuff for years now, I still feel like I'm new to the fandom but honestly I've been here through a lot of it since the beginning of season 5

Buuuuut in the past few months I've stopped going into the tma tag regularly and been feeling a little detached from it, at least as opposed to before. My listen to tmagp has been way less interactive and I hardly reblog content anymore (which is something I like doing but because of various bad experiences on the internet recently I have yet to recover from I feel safer posting my own original posts rather than reblogging)

And that freed up a space in my mind to realize I've actually been listening to a lot of podcasts besides tma and it's honestly a shame not to talk about them more with others

I do listen to a lot of horror fantasy supernatural and science fiction podcasts! I also love a lot of dnd and ttrpg podcasts, I also love everything dropout and wish I could get into critical role but it's so big I don't think I'll manage it

I put under the cut a (quite long) list of the podcasts I have listened to and/or have notifications turned on

Anyone following me, you're welcome to send me an ask about one of them if you like them as well or want to hear about them!

I also put a list of podcasts on my to listen to list. Feel free to drop a recommendation for which them to listen to first!

-------------

Podcasts I'm caught up on (the lists are long so it's alphabetical without "the")

Ongoing podcasts

The Amelia project

Ask your father

A voice from darkness

Black box

Brimstone valley mall

Camlann

The cellar letters

Death by dying

Derelict

Eeler's choice

Ethics town

Fawx and stallion

Hello from the Hallowoods

The hundred handed

Levian

Lost terminal

The Magnus protocol

Malevolent

Midnight burger

The mistholme museum of mystery morbidity and mortality

Neon inkwell

New years day

Not quite dead

Old gods of Appalachia

The penumbra podcast

The program

Red valley

The Sheridan Tapes

The silt verses

The sound museum

Super suits

Tell no tales

Tiny terrors

Traveling light

Unseen

The vesta clinic

Victoriocity

The white vault

Completed podcasts

Absolutely no adventures

Archive 81

Borrasca

The bright sessions

Camp here and there

Descendants

Give me away

I am in eskew

Monstrous agonies

Parkdale haunt

The Magnus archives

Re: dracula

The secret of st kilda

Spirit box radio

Steal the stars

Time:bombs

We know none

Wolf 359

Wooden overcoats

Ttrpgs

The adventure zone

Campaign skyjacks

Chapter and multiverse

Dark dice

Dice shame

Dimension 20 (not a podcast but I listen to it like one)

Dungeons and daddies

Not another d&d podcast

Rusty Quill gaming

Worlds beyond number

Podcast on my listen next list:

The Alexandria archives

Alice isn't dead

Ars paradoxica

Believer

The Black tapes

Blackwood

The box

The bridge

Carrier

Counterbalance

The cryptid keeper

Darkest night

The darkroom

The dark tome

The deca tapes

The deep vault

Dreamboy (this one is nsfw so it makes me nervous lol)

Duggan Hill

The earth collective

Either

The far meridian

The fountain road files

The glass canon

Jar of rebuke

Kings fall am (I started but heard not great things about it)

Knifepoint horror

Kollok 1991

Less is morgue

The leviathan chronicles

Liberty

Limetown

The lost cat

Mabel

Maeltopia

Marscorp

Mirrors

Mockery manor

Next stop

The no sleep podcast

The orphans

The Orpheus protocol

Out of place

Paired

Palimpsest

The phone booth

Point mystic

Pseudopod

Rabbits

The right left game

Shadows at the door

Spines

Stellar firma

The storage papers

Stories from among the stars

Super ordinary

Superstition

Tanis

Tides

Unwell

Vast horizon

Victoria's lift

Video palace

Welcome to night Vale (I listen to this one very sporadically lol)

We're alive

Within the wires

Woe begone (I started but got stuck on episode 20ish but want to continue)

Wrong station

Ttrpgs

BomBARDded

Critical role (it's sooo long tho)

Dames and dragons

Dragon friends

Join the party

The lucky die

Queens of adventure

Realms of pearl and glory

Rude tales of magic

Skyjacks courier call

Three black halflings

#i should definitely update my blog description lol #podcasts #ask #mine #oh man thats alot of podcasts xD #hmmm i think i might main tag this so tma people will listen to more podcasts #tma #the magnus archives

[scalefeathers]

I’m only partway through Act III but i want to talk about what seems to me to be primary theme of this game: agency. (Spoilers ahead)

On a micro level, all of the main characters have had their agency stripped from them in some way. Astarion and Karlach were enslaved against their will; Wyll was coerced into selling his soul to Mizora; Shadowheart and Lae’zel grew up in a death cult and a fascist dictatorship respectively. Even Gale has lost control of his own body and his connection to the Weave, although admittedly more through his own pride than through the actions of others.

Then you have the mindflayers, whose entire society (and biology!) is based on destroying the agency (and identity, personality, and individuality) of everyone they meet; the very first image shown in the game is a stone relief showing a multitude of thralls bowing in submission to an elder brain. And of course, even the elder brain is, ultimately, a slave to an even higher power (and boy howdy, is it not happy about that!). And of course, there’s the Emperor and Orpheus, which even based on what little I’ve seen is a whole essay in itself: a messianic figure whose very existence returns agency to those who have lost it, but whose own agency has been suborned (in part by someone who had once been enslaved more completely than any of the party members, even, and who seems willing to do anything in their power to hang onto the autonomy they’ve managed to claw back).

And the player character isn’t immune from this either. Before the game even starts you’ve already been kidnapped and imprisoned, and the very first thing that happens to you—the insertion of the tadpole—is a horrific violation of body and mind. (I can think of many instances where games take away the player’s agency during cutscenes in ways that are frustrating and immersion-breaking, but this time it actually gets you more invested in your character and in the story, I love it so much.)

It’s just such a compelling theme to base your game around, and it’s so well done on so many levels. Not only is this a game where your choices really do matter, it’s a game about having the freedom to make choices at all. It’s such an incredible feat of storytelling and game design, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

#bg3 #baldur’s gate 3 #bg3 spoilers #baldur’s gate spoilers #I have so many feelings about the emperor you guys #anyone who knows me will be SHOCKED by this I’m sure #I don’t love what he’s doing but I absolutely understand why he’s doing it #I want there to be a way for both him and Orpheus to have the freedom they deserve #I just hope I’m capable of finding it

[gabessquishytum]

Droit du seigneur!! Droit du seigneur!! https://tinyurl.com/RightofFirstNight

It can be dark, or dark adjacent, or fluffy-ish, but King Dream saw Hob Gadling as she worked as lady's maid for one of his sisters. She was glorious - brash and learned and she rode horses astride (Dream even thinks he's seen her in pants!)

Dream wants her, and if given a true chance he knows she would want him too, but every time he get close to her in any thing close to private she rebuffs him to stay pure and unsullied. Dream hates it.

Now Hob is being forced to marry some local waste of a man; someone who will be allowed to touch her but probably won't even know how to pleasure her. Dream will do the only thing he can think to do - invoke first night and at least have her first, give her so much pleasure that the touch of her *sneer* husband will pale always in comparison. If Dream is lucky, he will put his child in her as well.

And if Dream does rock Hob's world, breed her/knock her up (Hob's little Robin looks just like his older brother Orpheus and her King), and have her gagging for more,,,,,,,that's Hob's business with Dream, screw her cuckold husband.

Hob has never wanted to get married! She's always found men irritating and boring, and even the king himself hasn't been able to tempt her. She just wants her freedom to enjoy life. Alas, she finds herself roped into an unwanted marriage with a man she has no interest in. To add insult to injury, the king apparently wants his way with her as well! Hob is determined: she will NOT enjoy herself.

But Dream makes it VERY hard not to. He seduces Hob with words and touches and foreplay, and it's hours before he actually gets her into bed and takes his prize. Hob has never been with a man properly before and although she knew the basics... she didn't expect it to feel good. It doesn't hurt, like they warned her it would. The king makes her cum more times than she can count and when he really does fuck her, she finds herself begging for more. Her husband has no chance of outperforming Dream, and Hob goes to her marriage bed knowing exactly how good it can feel... Needless to say, her husband never matches up to that standard.

Not that it matters, because Hob gets to be with the king whenever he chooses to call on her. He fucks her all the way through her pregnancy and when Robin is born, he's immediately bestowed with a minor title. More or less declaring to the world that he's the King's child. Hob also noticed that her husband completely lost interest in sex with her while she was pregnant, so she's hoping that the king will knock her up again before too long. That way, she can relax and enjoy her time with Dream. And if her husband leaves her a widow sooner rather than later, well... no ones looking too closely, are they?

#the sandman #dreamling #nsft

[yourthymehascome]

The epic in Hadestown is representative of the hope, love, and trust between two people. Originally sung by Hades and Persephone.

They stopped singing because that was gone. Persephone has no hope, no trust, and even if there is love there, there’s a clear barrier.

And when Orpheus begins to sing it again, to develop the song and the tale, it represents his hope, trust, and love for the world and for Eurydice.

It’s first sung to Eurydice, as an example, a proof that he’s worthy in the Wedding Song. Then it’s developed in Epic I with Hermes. At first it’s a simple tale, but Epic II, then Chant, expresses the rocky relationship and inner feelings of the two gods before them.

He sings it again in Wait for Me as the Fates, which come to represent bad thoughts and doubt, and malice, begin to prod at his worth. The thoughts go away as he sings, completes the melody.

He displays the full song for Epic III expressing that Hades, like Orpheus, is a man in love, and no matter how much he tries to deny it or turn away, he still loves her. That his walls are simply a defense from vulnerability. He’s also singing for himself, for Eurydice. He’s singing for their love, their future.

And yet, as he’s on his way back, unable to hear or see Eurydice, he succumbs to the trap. In Doubt Comes In, when the Fates return, more insistent than ever, he’s unable to finish the tune. He’s always, before this, sung the tune in full, but this time, the final note is cut off.

He’s lost faith, in his lonesome. There’s no less love for Eurydice, but now that his purpose is fulfilled, he’s lost. There is no hope for the future, and no guarantee that an all powerful god wouldn’t simply trick him without consequence.

So, he turns.

#hadestown

[daydreaming-in-letters]

Earth & Fire

Chapter VII - In darkness

11/07/2023

Pairing: Hades (Hozier) x Anthea (OFC)

Word Count: 4,625

Warnings: language, fluff, fingering, loss of virginity, unprotected sex

Summary: With Orpheus gone from the Underworld, the darkness of night finally unveils what has yet been left unspoken between Anthea and Aidon.

A/N: I know it was a long wait, but I needed to get this right. I think you might understand.

Earth & Fire - Masterpost

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

If you like my story, you are very welcome to like, comment or reblog. Please don’t copy, repost or share my work on other platforms.

Anthea had no idea whether it had been mere minutes or hours since she had left the empty throne room behind and had begun to wander the endless corridors instead. To her astonishment, they were equally deserted. A fact that seemed strange after seeing the throne room bustle with creatures, almost bursting from the seams. Where had they all gone to and how could they have vanished so quickly? 

But those questions did not distract her for long before her mind wandered back to the one thought she tried so hard to avoid. And the one person she tried to avoid just the same. For how could she even be in the same room without giving herself away? It would not need any words from her mouth. She was sure he would see right through her, glimpse the very essence of her soul and with it the secret she was carrying inside ever since…their trip to the pond? Or the night before, when he had consoled her so very gently? Or even before that?

Anthea was not sure when exactly it had happened, but she could not deny any longer that it had. If only she knew what to do with that realisation. She had never felt anything even remotely similar to the feelings she now held for him. How did one speak of the things that are barely possible for the mind to grasp? 

Anthea had rounded just another corner when suddenly every thought was washed from her mind. And all that remained was the soft melody that wafted through the empty space between herself and a door at the far end of the corridor. It had been left ajar, just a tiny bit, probably unintentionally. Still the faint sheen of blue light seemed to lead the way. 

Heedlessly she followed its lure, pulling open the door just enough for her to fit through, and then another, without sparing her surroundings even the faintest of looks. All she wanted was to be close to that melody, to the soft vibration of strings and the soothing hum that accompanied it. 

It was only when her eyes fell on the familiar figure sitting on the ground that she knew where she was and the realisation made her stop in her tracks. He had not yet noticed her, far gone as he was, completely lost to the music. His eyes were closed as his face contorted in the most beautiful way, in tune with the notes he coaxed from the lyre in his arms. It was a fine instrument, though not as splendid as the one Orpheus called his own, but it was the last thing she could focus her attention on now. 

For he was magnificent, hypnotising her eyes to follow the movement of his hair as the half he had not tied back swished over his shoulders while he strummed the strings. One stray strand of wispy hair must have come loose and caressed his forehead now. Oh, how Anthea would have liked to brush it aside and feel its softness against her fingertips.

There was a certain fragility to him that once again made it easy to forget the power he actually wielded. The power of a god. 

Fates, she had been so foolish for coming here. What if he actually did see right through her the second he opened his eyes? What if it upset him? What if she angered yet another deity, and in consequence would lose not only his sympathy, but also the refuge he had offered?

To her horror, she realised that she was bound to find out this very instant, as the lyre fell silent and his eyes open to land directly on her petrified form. 

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out in her panic. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

But instead of anger or disgust or any other appalled expression Anthea had envisioned, the only thing she found was a soft smile on Aidon’s lips. “You’re not.”

It did not take more to calm her, the warmth of his smile and the honesty in his tone were all she needed. She even allowed herself to take a step forward instead of listening to her flight instinct. 

“I had no idea you could play the lyre. And so beautifully at that.”

“Ah, no, stop. It’s not that good.”

His cheeks had turned the colour of a ripe pomegranate even before he had finished his protest, but Anthea just shrugged as if she had not noticed.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s horrible. Almost made my ears bleed.”

Immediately his expression changed, that flustered little grin turning into the warmest, most heartfelt laughter she had ever heard and Anthea could not help herself but laugh along.

“It looks quite complicated though.”

“It’s not really.” Aidon looked down at the instrument in his hands with a fondness people usually held for a close friend or family member. Still, it was not long before his eyes found her again, and the almost childlike enthusiasm they reflected took her completely by surprise. “Would you like me to show you?”

“Mh-hm, yes,” she heard herself agree without even thinking about it.

“All right. Great.” His smile grew an impossible inch wider. “C’mere to me.”

His hand was warm and impossibly soft against her own as he helped her down. And before she knew what was happening, she found herself sitting on the floor, completely surrounded by him. His legs circled her own, his left hand still holding the lyre, while his right was reaching for hers to guide her fingers towards the instrument and along the strings. 

He was everywhere, his cheek lightly brushing along hers while she could feel his chest move against her back with every breath he drew in. She was tempted to close her eyes, to give herself to the moment fully, to enjoy leaving the world behind until it seemed to hold only the two of them.

“See, I told you. It’s easy,” his voice gently pulled her back, but only for an instant. An instant in which Anthea did not hear the soft music they created together, did not even feel the strings brush against her fingertips. All she felt was him. The soothing warmth of his body, the tenderness in his touch.

Between them stood nothing more but a heartbeat, one deep exhale that carried the last shreds of doubt. The rest came easy. A turn of her head, unhurried, and the music died away. A look that said more than a thousand words ever could have. And one last breath, not more than a sigh, before their lips met and they lost themselves in each other. 

She had pictured her first kiss a thousand times in her mind already, had envisioned every possible scenario, but this was so much more than she ever could have imagined. She could taste her beloved ocean on his lips, his breath on her skin like the warm breeze of a late summer afternoon, while his scent carried the familiar notes of dry earth—and she was home.

There was no demand in the way his lips moved with hers. He did not claim her or sate his desires, instead he gave himself to her completely and she loved him all the more for it. 

For a long time, even after their lips had parted, they stayed exactly as they were, Anthea leaned against his body, her fingers playing with a lock of his hair as he kept on coaxing the most beautiful sounds from his lyre. The faint vibrations of his soft hums seeped into her skin, lulling her in until she felt nothing but peace, the kind that settled deep inside the bones and brought warmth from the inside.

Still, there was one thing that did not leave her be. A seed the God of Mischief had planted earlier, and that now stood very insistently between her and a state of utter bliss. That fucking Hermes. This would be the last time she would let him get into her head.

“Aidon, can I ask you something?”

He stopped humming immediately, but his fingers kept on playing.

“Anything.”

“What did you do to Minthe?”

The second the words had left her mouth, she knew she had messed up. They sounded all wrong and accusatory, designed to hurt, and when the music fell away, it was clear she had once again allowed herself to be nothing but a pawn in the cruel game of the gods. 

“What did I…? Why would you think I did anything to her?”

The pain in his voice was unmistakable, still he did not raise it at her or push her away.

“I know it is probably just one of his tricks again and in a moment I will look like a fool, but Hermes insinuated that you removed her from the palace.” Her eyes fell to the ground, the next words coming in a whisper, “and that it was my fault.”

For a moment there was silence, heavy and even more painful than the hurt in his voice had been. But then Aidon moved, slowly he set the lyre aside, before he turned his full attention to her. The warmth of his palm against her cheek almost made her close her eyes, but she knew that now was not the time to look away.

“It’s true. I did send her away from the palace for a while. But it’s not your fault. Nothing you have done has led to this situation. It’s entirely between Minthe and myself.”

His words should have relieved her, still his last remark, however careful he had phrased it, stung and Anthea had to avert her gaze.

“Oh, I see.”

Tender lips pressed to her forehead.

“No, I don’t think you do. Minthe is in love with me, she has been for quite a while now, I believe, and even though the feeling is not mutual, I did something stupid, and I hurt her, deeply. Everything else is just a consequence of my negligence and has nothing to do with you. You’re just…”

Aidon stopped, obviously reluctant to tell her. But Anthea would not have that. Not now.

“I’m just what, Aidon?”

She knew what he was about to say long before the words had left his mouth, and yet she was not prepared in the least for the might of their impact.

“You just happen to be the one I am actually in love with. But that also is not your fault.”

“I see.” She could hardly suppress the unbridled smile that wanted to break free. “Just as much as it isn’t your fault that I am in love with you.”

“Right.” At first there was no hint of any emotion her confession might have sparked. Anthea even began to wonder if he had heard her at all, when a tiny hitch in his breath finally gave him away.

“Right.”

Her voice had been nothing more but a mere whisper. It would have been impossible to speak up anyway, for he had been so close already and then leaned in further still, and by the time his lips met hers again, it seemed like a miracle she had even been able to form a full word after all.

The kiss was deeper this time, more passionate, and she could taste the same need for more on his tongue that she felt in her own heart. Soon he pulled her closer against his chest while her hands wove into his hair to feel him closer still. It was magic, a bliss she had never known before. 

He loved her. And she loved him. A truth so simple and yet so utterly unique. For what were the odds of finding someone who made you feel safe enough to give yourself to completely and for them to find in you the one person they felt the same about?

Anthea had no idea how much time had past. It did not matter. Nothing mattered as long as she felt his arms around her and heard the steady beating of his heart against her ear. 

“Are you tired, love?”

“No,” she protested immediately. A weak protest, judging from the slur in her voice, and a soft yawn betrayed her even further. “Well, I might be, just a little. But I really don’t want to leave.”

“Who says you have to leave?”

The loss of his soothing heat hurt and she was inclined to scowl up at his now standing form, when she found a hand already waiting for her to take it and a smile so balmy it almost made up for the absence of his body against hers.

They did not have to walk far before Anthea found herself inside a room that was incomparable to anything she had ever seen before. Stunned by its sheer magnificence, she could do nothing but stare openmouthed at the splendour in front of her. It was not that it was pompous, on the contrary. In fact, it held nothing but a bed, huge but rather plain. And still it was inviting her to rest her head on the large, black pillows after slipping underneath the equally black covers.

What really made it stand out against any other room in this palace however, was the myriad of tiny little stars floating above the bed, twinkling magnificently while drowning out the cold blue that illuminated the rest of the Underworld. 

“Do you think this will do?”

Would this do? It was perfect. Still she would have agreed to lie on the cold, hard ground if—

“If you’ll join me.”

Of course he did. And soon she found herself in the exact spot she had envisioned, her head gently resting on the fluffy pillow while Aidon held her close, limbs weaving together before they stopped moving altogether. Anthea could not remember a time when she had ever felt this complete, just existing. It was the last thought that crossed her mind before the world around her fell away and, like every night, she gave herself into the skilled hands of Hypnos. 

Her senses had caught on to his distress long before she had fully returned from Hypnos’ dominion. Still, by the time she woke, her heart was racing as fast as his own, and she jolted from her sleep. Aidon was sitting next to her, his laboured breaths coming out in violent huffs.

“What’s wrong, darling?” she asked while sitting up next to him, one hand reaching out for his cheek to make him face her.

“Eurydice.”

“What about her?”

“She has returned.”

“Returned? But I thought—”

His face darkened, contorting into a grimace she had never seen on him. And when he spoke again, she knew exactly what it was.

“I should never have granted him his wish. I merely gave him a chance to disappoint twice, allowed him to distress poor Eurydice’s soul even more than she already was.”

“Aidon, please, none of this is your fault. You couldn’t possibly have known that he would fail her.”

“Couldn’t I? I knew who he was when I allowed him to guide her out of my realm. And to claim now that I didn’t suspect he would let her down would be lying to both of us.”

Anthea kept silent for a moment. And Aidon was glad she did. He could not stand facing her disappointment in him when his own disappointment in himself was almost killing him. He had been so stupid, allowing that weaselly Hermes to play him once more, not giving a care in the world that he would harm an innocent soul in the process. 

He was surprised Anthea could even look at him. He had known it would come to this. Nothing good ever came from the line of the All-father. And still he had allowed it to happen anyway.

“What made you so sure he would fail her?”

Her voice made him look up again, the gentleness it still held, and that he now also found in the dark brown of her eyes. It almost made him blurt out the truth.

You did, he wanted to say, but he feared it would make him sound like a lunatic. Still it was true. He finally knew now what it meant to truly love someone and he was sure Orpheus would not have felt the need to turn if only he had loved his Eurydice the same way he loved Anthea.

But instead of telling her just that, he merely shrugged. “We all eventually do.”

Her eyes never once left his and he cold see her thoughts racing behind them. But then something about them changed. They were probing now, searching his own. For what, he could not tell yet.

“Will you fail me?”

He could not lie. Not to her. Not even if it meant that he would lose her forever. 

“I would love to say I won’t. But that’s a promise not even the gods can make.”

He would have understood if she wanted to leave now. But she did not. Instead she came closer, pulling him down gently until his forehead rested against hers.

“Then promise me you’ll be gentle in failing me.”

“I promise.”

He meant it, with all his heart. And even if the truth tasted bitter, it was all drowned out by the sweetness of his kiss. It held even more honesty than his words and Anthea knew that if he could help it, he would do everything in his power to avoid letting her down. 

With a sigh she sank back against the pillows, pulling him with her until she could feel the weight of his body against her own. Their lips never parted, not for a second, not even when their hands worked to free each other from the last barrier that stood between them. It was only the sensation of feeling him skin on skin that made her mouth fall open in a gasp.

“Aidon.”

“What is it, love? Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” she whined. Stopping was the last thing she wanted him to do. “It’s just…I’ve never…been with a man.” 

He said nothing, but the soft brush of his thumb against her cheek bone encouraged her to go on.

“Will it hurt?”

“It usually does the first time, yes. But I can take the pain away.”

His hand never left her face, so she could not see what exactly it was that he did, but she could feel it. All of a sudden she felt a little lightheaded, the fear that had befallen her heart moments ago cleared from her mind completely, just for an instant, before he pulled his hand away.

She was quick to grab it and bring it to her lips to press a tender kiss to his fingertips. “Make love to me, Aidon.”

And he did, love speaking from every single touch, from every kiss and every moan that fell from his lips as he explored her body. It was only later that she realised it had been just as much for her sake than for his own. But she had enjoyed it all the same, had basked in his rising passion, in the way his hands had tended to her breasts, his lips had pressed to her skin and tasted her soft flesh with the same urgency that surged through her veins. She wanted to acquaint herself with his body just as much, rake her fingers through his chest hair, let them glide along his stomach and real in the shiver that followed in their wake. It was addictive and she never wanted to stop, wanted more, all of him and then keep it forever. 

In her enraptured state, she had not felt his hand wander, but now that it slid in between her thighs, it was all she could concentrate on. He was careful but determined, venturing further until his fingers had found her womanhood. Softly he began to caress her, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Does that feel good?”

Good? Oh, fates, yes, it felt good. And so much more than that. But all she could muster was a silent nod, while wide eyes kept on holding his gaze. After a while she could feel moist heat collecting in her core, and her legs fell open with a needy moan. With every circle his fingers drew, he coaxed another heady sound of rapture from her mouth and soon they began to mix with his own as his head dipped down to steal a kiss from her slightly parted lips.

His touch was everything, almost overwhelming her inexperienced body, and yet it was not enough. For a while she tried to suppress the ardent wish that grew deep inside of her, tried to hold on and enjoy what he made her feel for just an instant longer, but she could not help it. She needed to feel him closer still, as close as he could get. She needed to be one with him. And from the way his hardened arousal pressed into her hip, she knew that he felt just the same. 

And so she reached for his wrist and stopped his sweet caress. She had expected the confusion she now found on his face, the bewildered wrinkle of his forehead that spoke of his concern, but it eased away just as swiftly as it had appeared when she smiled up at him.

“Please, Aidon, I need you.”

He moved without protest, settling in between her legs, his body hovering above hers. Anthea could feel her heart speeding up with the first press of his head against her entrance. She needed to see him, wanted to look into his beautiful eyes, but his face was almost veiled from her by a curtain of wild curls that surrounded it. And so she reached up, her hands cupping his cheeks and brushing away his hair. He was so beautiful, the placid smile on his lips, the slight gleam in his eyes, and she thought she could not love him more when he turned his head a little and pressed a sweet kiss to the inside of her wrist. 

Slowly he dove into the heat that awaited him. The unfamiliar stretch stung, but even before she could tell him, his hand was there, warm and soft against her stomach, and the pain subsided, leaving behind the insatiable desire to feel all of him. 

On instinct her legs closed around his hips and pulled him all the way inside of her. A loud moan rose from the depths of his chest, sending a violent shiver through her, but he stayed perfectly still. It took him a moment to collect himself and another to taste her lips again before he finally moved.

Anthea had never felt anything even remotely similar to the sensations that flooded her whole being now. She felt strange, light, as if her soul was about to leave her body. Was this what dying felt like? The soul being at peace while the body was in unmatched agony. The sweetest kind. 

It did not take long until the world around her was spiralling out of control. Or was it the world within her? Whichever it was, it was sending her into pure chaos, the same that had been before the beginning of all things. And like the cosmos, she emerged from the void, slowly, step by step, and then all at once, to be reborn in his arms.

Aidon felt the warm breeze of air crawling along his chest with every steady breath she took. She had fallen asleep in his arms a while ago, sated and blissed out, and he was sure that he had never seen anything more beautiful than her flushed face after they had both glimpsed Elysium together. 

He could not tell how long it had been since she had slipped away from the world of the conscious, but he knew exactly how often he had debated with himself to kill the lights and let her rest in peace since then, but as always, it seemed impossible. There was only one thing he disliked more than darkness, and that was to disrupt the serene state she was in.

So, with just a flick of his fingers, the stars above them went out, and time seemed to stop. Strangely he felt even closer to her now, so close that in the darkness he felt like melting into her. Even in her subconscious state, it was as if she could feel it too, her body moving until her heart touched his and they became one for the second time tonight.

Darkness. He had never known it could hold such magic. The very darkness he had dreaded all his life. Because it was all he knew. 

Like all beings, he had been eager to escape it on the day of his birth, to feel the sunlight touch his skin and fill him with its unmatched warmth, just to be confined to it again by the actions of his own father. After what had felt like a myriad of eternities, unable to even tell day and night apart, he had become sure that this was all his world would ever be. Darkness, and the distant voices of his siblings, wailing in despair and cursing their father for his cruelty. Then, as unexpectedly as it had come, the darkness had been split in two and the bright light that had fallen around his brother’s smirking face had almost blinded him. 

In that moment, he had promised himself that there would never be darkness again, not even when Helios vanished behind the horizon and Nyx and Erebus took over to let night fall across the mortal realm. There had not been a single night in which he had dared to blacken the artificial stars above his bed. Especially not since he had come here, devastated that he had drawn the lot he had dreaded most and thus inflicted darkness upon himself yet again, safe in the knowledge that this time, there would be no escape from it. 

From that moment on, he had had plenty of time to muse about it, and one day he had finally realised why darkness held such agonising power over him. It was because it heightened everything, isolated him, left him alone with himself until he came to see the very essence of himself. And that wasn’t always pleasant. 

But in this very moment, the horrors of gloom seemed long forgotten. Nothing but a vague memory of a former life. And with the heaviness of his trauma lifted off his shoulders, he felt light as a feather, soaring blissfully in the void it had left behind. Because choosing to lie in complete darkness with her was something entirely different to the darkness that had been forced upon him all his life. And for once, it was not the truth of his own self that was waiting in the blackness of night. It was hers, ready to be explored, and he was eager to venture even deeper into darkness if it meant he would find her there. 

He felt almost drunk from the absence of light now. Intoxicated to a point that it made him bold, more so with every passing moment, made him hungry for whatever it would reveal about her. He wanted to know it all, her light, her darkness, whatever it was that made her her. And once he knew, he would learn it by heart so that he would recognise every detail about her as if it was his own. Even in darkness. Even without turning to look at her.

Chapter 8

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#hades!hozier x ofc #hades!hozier #hozier #hozier fanfiction #greek mythology au #earth and fire

[attheendoftheline]

The way he fumbles and thrusts out his arm stiff as board while trying desperately to sound confident will never not be funny, but it also is a great show of the mind. He’s awkward, he’s wildly sincere and completely oblivious to how his honesty/behavior is odd to the world. He breathes like a child rescued from a well. The man is mortified and awestruck at the same time but genuine.

There’s never a moment you doubt his actions/words aren’t with a utmost sincerity. Absolutely lost with love. I call this out because we see the same thing not to long after only with a completely different context…

It is the same desperation, the same Longing , but a different fear…not of rejection but failure- of the journey- of not finding her.

He thrusts the carnation out in-front of him with a new intensity then he had the paper flower, their is a confidence to him unlike the other scene. Yet it’s thin— equally wracked with fear and partial grief (not full as he’s very much in the ‘denial’ stage.) The grip is as strong as his nerve. If there’s one thing to ever garner from Orpheus’s character it is that when he says I’m coming too, he means it.

It’s the way twice here he holds it out in-front of him with such intensity and only for/refering to Eurydice . Taking his heart right out of his chest and displaying it to her, for her. This is how much I love you, this is how much I’d do. The world is dead or dying there is little flowers to be had and he takes the time to make out out of a old flyer with a almost childish enjoyment— he had no real need but wanted a nice gesture. He later produces a real one after singing on her request— the flowers are his heart, his love, his promise that even if he is not always there he will find her again. And is that not what the story stresses itself? This has happened before and it will happen again and again and each time he will love her, and follow her into the cold and dark.

#hadestown #hadestown broadway #hadestown musical #orpheus hadestown #orpheus and eurydice #eurydice hadestown #i make myself cry with these I swear #orphydice #meta #reeve carney #body language #character study #symbolism #scene analysis #characterization #ship #Hadestown meta #analysis #themes #repetition #circular narrative #possible reincarnation