#Styx rambles

[fleetstreetpies]

Live action yaoi wherein the two guys are both borderline irredeemable monsters and regularly commit atrocities on main am I talking about NBC Hannibal (2013-2016) or Interview with the Vampire (1994)

[badzstyx]

sunday as a dating sim protag/mc has a lot of potential but at the same time i feel like he's the type of character who'd become self-aware near the end of the story?

at first, it would just be some inner musings that the player/reader can still read and consider as part of the script. something something, "a sense of contentment fills him at the sight of their relief, yet a thought nags at the back of his mind: what would happen if he had revealed the truth?" or "sirens blare in his ears despite the moment of tranquility. they're safe, snug underneath the blankets that shroud them. he saw it. he made sure of it. yet danger remains. chaos lurks somewhere - in this room, in this suite, in their home - yet he is glued to the mattress, the very sheets caging him from acting on a perceived threat." during a route when the player has already tried it before but got a bad end.

then comes the pov switches. only minimal, barely there. just a few "you"'s scattered throughout the text. if the dating sim's in a visual novel then it's the type of line that would appear momentarily before the usual lines of the script replace it. if the player has played the game enough times, he might even incorporate his own commentary into the code that will make it clear that he's aware that he's being played. he will still do the option the player picks for their will must be done, but they can't guarantee that he'll be happy about it. i feel like once you're nearing bad ends (or once you've picked choices that are precursors for a bad end), sunday might deliberately manipulate his choices to avoid such endings. if you make him experience tragedy far too many times consecutively (i.e. replay different saves of bad ends) i can also see him just not letting the player access the game for a few hours.

(crossposted from twitter)

[kiss0fstyx]

Professor: send me a message/email if you have any questions! here's my hours/days, I'll respond during these times <3!!!

*sends message/email within specified hours/days*

Professor for the next week:

[fleetstreetpies]

Can a person be transmasc and transfem simultaneously??

I’m genderfluid and intersex and im sick with a fever and have no filter and i need to know this shit because i have a fucked up relationship with sex and gender and if im feeling more adjacent to a specific binary gender (i almost never experience full binary male or female gender for some reason) then DOES THAT MAKE ME TRANSMASC/TRANSFEM (depending on the specific gender) or what does this do??

Like??? Is this shit even possible??? Or have i just transcended sex and gender so thoroughly that i genuinely exist outside of what humanity considers possible???

[badzstyx]

all the games i'm obsessed with playing but only the demo versions have been released.

[laritamiauu]

I am really vouching for Stories from Styx cause istg if I see another media that portrays Hades as THE SATAN OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY I'm going to LOSE IT

HE IS ONE OF THE MOST CHILL GODS IN ALL OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY, HE IS LITERALLY JUST AN OVERWORKED OLD MAN WHO LOVES HIS WIFE

I mean he is very chill partially because the Greeks feared death so they wouldn't make a lot of myths about him BUT REGARDLESS

Stop demonizing Hades (sometimes even literally) he is SO chill, at least compared to all of the gods, SPECIALLY his siblings

[wuekka]

Stories from the styx art pieces I found breathtaking in the premiere...

[restlesskeychains]

I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone I love Hades and Persephone

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

I wanted to do something to combat the negativity that's been in the fandom recently, so if you're a fan of Epic and/or Stories From Styx, please reblog this with your favorite moment from the animatics by @anniflamma @mircsy @ns2dstudios @elianzis @gigizetz and any other artists you want to gush about! (I hope it's okay that I tagged y'all, I wanted you to be able to go through the reblogs and see some nice things!)

I'll go first...

This isn't one moment exactly, but I love love love how AnniFlamma depicts Penelope in her animatic of The Challenge! One of my favorite things about Penelope in Epic is her anger, and you see it so clearly in Anni's portrayal, in everything from her expression to like- the way her hair falls. (That's probably my favorite thing about her part in There is No Name too. The absolute rawness of the way she portrayed Demeter gets me every time).

One of my favorite Mircsy moments has to be the part in her Open Arms animatic where Odysseus is examining the lotus fruit and Polites is just frolicking around with the lotus eaters in the background. I was actually pretty neutral about Polites when I first listened to the musical, and then I watched the absolutely endearing way she portrayed him in Open Arms and got immediately attached

Speaking of Polites, I feel weird saying this is my favorite moment because I cry every time I watch it, but I really like how Gwendy depicted Polites's part in The Underworld. The way Odysseus trips and falls as he runs to him... I'm getting emotional just thinking about it

I love love love the snippet ElianZis did of Storm!! There's just something so visceral about it- you really feel how dire the storm is and how much it's wearing on the crew

And finally- I tried so hard to pick a favorite moment from Gigi's God Games, but it's literally impossible. I've been amazed by how smooth her animatics are right from the beginning, but then I saw God Games and was like, okay, I'm just watching a movie now. It's so impressive

[fleetstreetpies]

@liminal-librarian my fine comrade i think you’ve helped me realize that my church parish might have actually been a cult because they were very much about being perfect.

This parish and its members were like… basically a tiny sect branching off from Roman Catholicism (an already bizarre type of Christianity when you really think about it). They were kind and really trustworthy toward people outside, but once you were in they restricted who your friends could be. They were very quick to shun or excommunicate when possible. You Are Going To Hell If You Even Breathe Wrong type of shit. They were EXTREMELY restrictive about who joined and who did what and how. To do anything less than meet their impossible standards was to be damned eternally. Everyone had a really weird attachment to the priest in charge of the parish the entire time i went to church, like really really weird. They would get defensive (to the point of aggression) if even one of us stepped vaguely out of line by asking even a tiny harmless question.

I read in the Bible that Jesus was always hanging out with poor people, prostitutes, and social outcasts. People that I (a very autistic, mentally ill, disabled, and then-closeted queer person) could relate to. They were always asking questions and challenging the status quo, convincing people to be better by example, and especially questioning what motivated the two contemporary types of religious leaders to act in the ways they did.

Instead, the people i knew (which were people exclusively inside the parish) were hostile and aggressive toward people they deemed unworthy or untouchable due to the depth of their own sin or whatever. They wouldn’t attack anyone or anything. It was just… shunning. Verbal attacks and abuse.

And when they found out about my mental illness and disabilities, i got phased out too. It ended when they realized that i was queer. They kept me in the circle but it was clear that to them i was going to hell.

And if they read the same Bible i had to read, i don’t think they would have been that way. They wouldn’t discourage questions. They would be more open about having a diverse friend group. I mean i know some non-cult Christian groups are weird about it, but god damn this one was insane about it. And yet. And fucking yet. Apparently they did read the same Bible as me.

The “Christianity” i was taught was very much different from what you described, to the point where i wonder if what i went through was even Christianity at all. And that’s what made me leave. I ran. I ran far and fast. I’m in the same state and now i have friends again (mostly atheists or pagans, but friends no less), and they’re really helping in a lot of my religious deconstruction in order to start healing from whatever the fuck that situation was.

I don’t know, maybe im jaded about it because i need to heal first.

PS thank you for the explanation on angels!! I’d been wondering since nobody really bothered to explain when asked and i haven’t interacted much with religious folks since i left that situation.

hey uhhh but fr the concept of fallen angels existing but risen demons being an impossibility is kind of a great summary of sin in christianity

[fleetstreetpies]

Lestat du Lioncourt is a perfect depiction of a bisexual ex-catholic autistic guy with both bipolar and probably bpd at the same time tbqh

Source: im just him but nicer and a lesbian

[badzstyx]

holy shit i got jumpscared by my luka custom theme. gootbye.

[madwomanxx]

Thoughts on Storie from Styx musical

I want to start this off with a disclaimer

I'm going to be mostly talking about Persephone, Hades, and Demeter

This is just Act 1, and these three will take up most of my discussion

Don't tell me this is just inspired by ____it doesn't need to be accurate, because I agree with you!

It doesn't mean I can't compare or explain my thoughts on what works or doesn't work for me in comparison to the original myths

I mean NO hate, nor do I want to shame people, and I'm not saying you have to write anything a certain way

I change many things in my own writing of the gods, which I know a lot of people would hate

I talk about art out love for it or the vision, not out of malice

I also need everyone to know I LOVE these gods and the relationship between Hades and Persphone, so I'm not biased against any of them

Thoughts:

Praise:

1- I'll admit, I was skeptical of Casper's singing prior to the musical. I just didn't like the covers I heard from him, but here? Gorgeous! Amazing vocals that complement the music very well

2- Everyone's vocals are amazing and filled with emotions, the music chosen matches the tone perfectly

3- Hera joining Zeus was good characterization of her, the fact they only duet with each other is a nice touch

These two have a complicated relationship in the myths, and I'm glad to see Casper didn't make them hostile from the start. It's such a simple decision that I adore!

4- I like using the Muses to tell the story, it reminds me of the Iliad beginning with a call for them to tell/sing the story of Achilles' rage

Again, very nice attention to detail!

5- The sound effect on the Muse's voice was explained to bridge between modern times and the mythic times- I believe Casper explained this previously??I love the idea!

I imagine the Muses in a pub singing this into a cheap mic to very lucky mortals

6- I'll get to Demeter later, but if you take her song without the Persephone verse and all the musical context, it's SO PERFECT

Like, I AGREE WITH YOU GIRL!! It just captures her and hell MY feelings too XD!

Everything else:

I'll get this out of the way before anyone comes at me—no, there's not a single version in myths, no Greek or Roman myth EVER says or even implies that Persephone went to Hades willingly, that she knew him in any capacity before he kidnapped her, or that there were any complications between her and Demeter

These are 100% fully modern changes with no basis in myths

Mythology is culture and history, our writings on it don't suddenly become mythology

It's literally a field of study, in college, do they study Madeline Miller's Circe? Or write academic papers on Circe as a source for that ancient civilization? No

The original myth is literally the most feminist thing a society that old ever made

I don't think people fully realize how empowering that myth is

Nor do they bother to think that many women in thirdworld countries still live that reality to an extent

In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Persephone is not feeling trapped or bothered by living on the surface with her mother

literally the opposite:

"She [Persephone] was having a good time, along with the daughters of Okeanos."

I FEEL LIKE I'M TRAPPED OH, I FEEL LIKE I'M FROZEN I FEEL LIKE I’LL NEVER BE THE CHOSEN I’LL NEVER BE THE ONE TO TAKE A STAND

More examples:

I’LL BE YOUR QUEEN, NOT SOME IDEAL FOR BEAUTY SHACKLED ME ABOVE, DOWN HERE, I’D LIKE TO BUILD A LOVE I’M ASKING YOU, DO YOU TRULY SEE ME?

"He seized her against her will, put her on his golden chariot And drove away as she wept. She cried with a piercing voice, calling upon her father [Zeus], the son of Kronos, the highest and the best. But not one of the immortal ones, or of human mortals, heard her voice."

The musical is slightly better than other adaptations of Demeter

she at least seems to be unaware of Persephone's unhappiness

Persephone even says:

MY INNOCENCE IS GUARDED YET MY DAD HAS ME DISCARDED THAT’S WHY A MOTHER’S LOVE’S MY SWORD AND SHIELD

The issue is that Demeter and Persephone don't have any of that. Persephone wasn't happy with Hades at first:

"He (Hermes) found the Lord inside his palace, seated on a funeral couch, along with his duly acquired bedmate, the one who was much under duress, yearning for her mother, and suffering from the unbearable things inflicted on her by the will of the blessed ones."

Then Hades gives a very sweet speech that he'll treat her well (recommend reading it), and you know what Persephone's reaction to it ?

"So he spoke. And high-minded Persephone rejoiced. Swiftly she set out, with joy, but he [Hādēs] gave her, stealthily, the honey-sweet berry of the pomegranate to eat, peering around him. He did not want her to stay for all time over there."

And this is Persephone retelling what happened herself to Demeter:

“So then, Mother, I shall tell you everything, without error. When the messenger came to me, the swift Argos-killer, with the news from my father, the son of Kronos, and from the other dwellers in the sky, that I should come from Erebos, so that you may see me with your own eyes and let go of your wrath and terrifying mēnis against the immortals, then I sprang up for joy, but he, stealthily, put into my hand the berry of the pomegranate, that honey-sweet food, and he compelled me by biē to eat of it."

I don't think I can make it clearer how close and loving they are, so instead :

Why it matters to keep their loving relationship and how it's empowering both

It is an arranged marriage, but both weren't made aware of it.

They were happy together

Persephone is taken

She screams for help

She screams so loud for her father or anyone to help

Nobody hears, and those who do, don't interfere

Her voice gets so loud her mom from far away finally hears

She comes running, Is her daughter going to get raped like she was?

Not many things can hurt gods, after all

She asks and walks the earth calling for Persephone, until finally, Hecate tells her she was taken, but she doesn't know who

They search together aimlessly until Helios, the sun itself, feels pity

He tells her who took Persephone, but he also tells her to give up... basically, suck it up.

Hades is powerful, and he makes for a far better husband than most others

Persephone could do worse

Worse could happen to Persephone

Really, this isn't that bad of an outcome

She won't accept it. The whole world will suffer the same grief the gods have caused her

If her daughter won't be free, then she'll hold the world hostage instead

And it works

Her daughter is back, safely in her arms again

Yet, she's bound to the Underworld for some time of the year

That's not so bad, is it? She won. THEY won

Persephone is free, even if it's only part of the year

But she's not fully trapped down there. She makes her own place. She embraces her darkness and title.

Hades treats her with respect and kindness

Sure, the marriage isn't ideal, but he doesn't just love her—he respects her

And maybe, she can learn to love him too

Gods have different standards, after all

One last thing

I didn't know where to add this so, here

in the musical, Persphone calls out Zeus for disregarding her before Hades even came to the picutre, I actually like this addition

It doesn't really have any basis in myths but it's a clever way of interpreting the lack of myths regarding her and Zeus ( or even her siblings you can argue )

That being why Demeter became her sword and shield

Everything about that verse's implications and set up I love and never saw anyone make something similar to it!

Which adds to my sadness that we're still painting Demeter as unreaonsable or at least doesn't hear her daughter out, Demeter seems like a none abusive version of Mother Gothel ?? this is best way I can describe my feelings

[fleetstreetpies]

Never trusting furry haters ever because they also tend to have some of The Worst Other Takes Imaginable and i ain’t a furry but I’ll be damned if people who hate people for enjoying a creative hobby (drawing, sewing, creating their own goddamn characters) are tolerated in my house.

Dear furries, I don’t understand your hobby at all but I can tell this all makes you happy and I love seeing your creativity and your enthusiasm shine!

Have fun, furries, and keep doing what you do!

Never trust a furry disliker

[alilcherrysramblings]

Was listening to There Is No Name from Stories From Styx (which kicked off Death’s Camellia) and immediately thought this suited her

[playingplayer2]

So I listened to "My Penelope" and "There Is No Name" from Stories from Styx: Hades and Persephone earlier. (I listened to all of it, actually, but this is specifically about those two songs)

And. I just-

Okay. Not only the difference between the line "My Persephone" in My Persephone and There Is No Name, one from a lover/partner, one from a mother- a grieving, devastated one at that- but also. Just the way it can be interpreted.

Persephone, like Perseus, Perses, Perseis, and Perse (forgive if I've missed a name), all mean the same thing. Destroyer, or, to destroy. Destruction. Ruination. Ravage. Devastate. However you want to interpret it.

With Hades, it could be like, "you've ruined me for anyone or anything else," "a destruction of who I was to make way for who I will be," or even just, "you could ruin me and I'd welcome it."

But with Demeter? By the gods is it different. Not only is it the shift from "Kore" to "Persephone" (pretty sure we don't hear her called "Kore" again afterwards) but it's also a cementation of Persephone separating her (sense of) self from her mother and Demeter utterly plunging the realm of mortals into a- seemingly- eternal winter. "My Persephone" is literally a cry of "my destruction" or "my ruin" perhaps even a "damnation" of the people.

The dissonance between the "maiden" Kore and the Queen "Persephone" both as herself and in her mother's eyes is fascinating imo. I mean the whole storyline in sfs: Hades and Persephone is showing the- one of several interpretations of the actual myths- narrative of a woman growing up, going from a girl to a woman, a daughter to a wife (in terms of assumed roles).

Parts of it even narrating Persephone's desire to be allowed to grow beyond the child her mother envisions. But there is also such tangible rage and grief in Demeter's lines; how Zeus dismissed her, that her daughter was taken, that she fears her daughter is unsafe, how she fears that she has lost her child, permanently at that.

Anyways. I've been thinking about this for like 12 hours now.

Just.

"you ruin me" is so neatly summed up into "my Persephone." At least in my opinion.

Anyways give Stories from Styx a listen. It's definitely interesting.