#Jorge strikes again | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

moonshynecybin · 5 months ago

Text

hiiiii i was gonna save this for their evil little joint bday week but i finished it and thought it would be fun to post... anyways around 2k of rosquez porn have fun i hope ya like it

“Are you Valentino Rossi?” Comes the question, sweet and eager, just to his right.

He looks over. The kid standing there is in a tight t-shirt and has a starstruck, too-big smile plastered across his handsome face. The kind of handsome Vale likes, dark hair, brown eyes, thick brows. It makes him shift on his stool, turning on the point of his elbow to face him, and open his legs a little.

“Allora, that’s what they tell me,”

“Well,” The kid’s mouth stretches wider once he realizes he’s got Vale’s attention. He's thrilled. Perfect. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Vale ignores the question. This guy’s Italian is clumsy, thick in his mouth, and they’re at Mugello, so this is a bit strange. He raises an eyebrow and tugs on his earring, surveying him.

“You’re Spanish, no? You weren’t rooting for Lorenzo, maybe?”

The kid shakes his head, too confident. “No no, when I was young I liked Pedrosa, I wanted to be just like him.”

“Ah, Dani,” He says knowingly. This guy is short and Spanish, so that makes sense.

“Him, and you.” He adds on, and flushes prettily, pink on his cheeks, looking at Vale with a clean, incongruous sort of intensity.

“Me, huh?” He stretches back and lets his eyes go half lidded, dragging up and down the kid’s body. “What's your name?”

“Marc,” he says, and brightens immediately, taking a seat next to Vale like he’s got permission, like he’s won something. He orders two shots of tequila without asking Vale what he likes. Jesus, he is young.

When he turns his pleased little face back to Vale, a curl of hair flops into his forehead, bolting dark and inky down his skin. Low light throws his cheekbones into sharp relief, and it’s striking. He's striking. Vale likes it. Marc licks his lips like it’s a habit. His hands are broad and his wrists are small, delicate, tapping jittery little patterns on the slab of the bar. His pinky is crooked, it matches Vale’s.

He takes him in.

“So, do you want to tell me why?” He asks.

“What?” Marc grins, surprised and confused and delighted.

“Tell me why.” Vale repeats, to watch the confusion deepen.

“Why, what?”

“Oh— why you like me, over Dani. And Jorge,” He adds like it’s an afterthought. It’s not.

“What, do you need an ego boost?” Marc replies, a burst of something behind his eyes, a little bit of a challenge. He laughs hard after he says it. Vale doubts he was fully joking.

He finds himself wanting to know how many different emotions Marc’s smile can actually be a cover for, wants to examine and catalog them, find out what he can say to crack the mask, break the seal.

He smile even wider, like he thought it was just as funny as Marc did, and makes it sleazy. It's a game, now. He loves games. Maybe Marc will be able to play.

“Ah, an insider secret for you—riding is a game of confidence. You say you’re a fan?” Marc nods fast. He leans forwards and watches Marc’s pupils blow out, more ink spilling. He wants to write a letter with it, wants to draw something. “Then of course you should want me to be confident, so I can win. You know, that would make me very happy.”

Marc holds his eyes for a moment. They spark. He bites at his lip again.

“Really? You want to know what I like about you?”

“I do.”

“Can you do me a favor first?” Marc knocks back his tequila, then looks at Vale through his lashes. Coy. He can play.

“Hm,” Vale refuses to commit. He's curious, though, in more ways than one.

Marc could ask for anything, and Vale could decide whether or not to give it to him.

“I have something for you to sign.”

That’s easy—perfect, even. Vale looks around, Marc’s hands are empty, “Where is it?”

Marc grins suddenly, flavored with victory. Vale wonders how it tastes.

“Back at my hotel room.”

Once Vale has finished laughing, they go.

Still eager, still young, Marc kisses him before the door is even closed. Bites at his lips while Vale tries to talk, hands hungry on his body as if Vale’s going to take off and leave in the middle of the fucking hookup. He hears a door slam and smoothly suppresses a flinch. Marc doesn't see, which is good. He has a part to play here.

“Hey hey hey, you know, I know you are not famous,” Marc chuffs out a belly laugh, jajajas against Vale’s neck at the joke. “But paparazzi, they do follow me. I don’t want my picture in the paper next to my one night stand, it could ah,” Marc nips at his earring, plays with it with his tongue, lets Vale squeeze the muscle of his ass. “Ruin my reputation.”

“Is that what I am?” Marc breaks off of the hickey he was working onto the skin behind Vale’s ear and hooks two fingers into his belt, hauling him into the room. He kicks the door shut. “A one night stand?”

“I fly out tomorrow,” Vale lies regretfully, and Marc smirks at him a little too knowingly, then drops to his knees.

“You asked me what I liked about you,” He says, working at Vale’s belt, his fly. Vale flips off his shirt, toes off his shoes.

“I did,” He starts, and Marc leans in.

When he’s got him out, he takes the head into his mouth, throat working in slick sounds as he slides further down, starts to work the base in his hand. Vale works not to moan, biting the inside of his cheek, and he thinks Marc cant tell, because he looks up at him like he would smile, if not for Vale’s cock in his mouth.

“I like that,” Marc says once he pulls off, wiping a little at his face in a prissy sort of movement. His lips are shining, a bruised, swollen red color, and there’s still some spit sloppy on his chin. He leans forward and licks at the blunt head, one broad, flat, long stroke that makes Vale’s toes curl from the power of the sensation, the vulnerability of it, and then he stays close. Speaks with his lips against the delicate, overheated skin of Vale’s dick. “Will that help you win?”

Vale catches his breath, blows out some air from his cheeks, loosely curling a hand in the mess of Marc’s curls. He feels out of sorts, off balance. Thrilled.

“Well, you know it cannot hurt,” Masking how eager he is with a joke, to lance the sensation, make it a little less keen. How bad he wants it. it’s not even new, he’s been in this position hundreds of times— it shouldn’t feel like it is. He shouldn’t need it like this, like if Marc walks out of the room he’d be taking a chunk of Vale with him.

“So, ah.” He covers, remembers what he should say. “What was it that you wanted me to sign?”

Marc giggles and stands, shucking off his clothes as he does. Smooth skin, built thighs, compact body full of muscle and scar tissue. Vale looks hungrily. His cock is hard and big, hanging between his legs.

Oblivious to Vale's eyes or pretending to be, Marc sits on the bed and gestures to his body, twirls the marker between his fingers. “Could you?” He asks sweetly, and Vale realizes that what Marc wants him to sign is himself.

His dick throbs. This kid.

“Where?” He asks, smoothing a smooth hand over Marc’s shoulder and gently pushing him back against the bed. Marc arranges himself against the pillows easily, boyish smile huge on his face.

“Wherever you want,” And Vale kneels over him, sits back on the solid shape of his torso so he can feel Marc’s big dick twitch against him, get that feedback. Vale settles, surveys, palms himself. Marc swallows.

“I think here,” He muses, splaying his fingers like a frame and holding them above Marc’s right nipple.

“Does that look right to you?”

“Yeah,” Marc breathes.

He plucks the marker from Marc’s fingers, asks, “Is there anyone I should make out the message too?”

His brown eyes are wide, bottom eyelashes spiky against his cheek. Butter wouldn’t melt. “No,”

“No one? No boyfriend? Girlfriend?” He's trailing his other hand over Marc’s pecs now, pinching at his nipple to see him squirm, tease him a little. Hips buck up, rubbing his erection against Vale’s ass and blurting a wet streak of pre-come there.

“There is someone— an older guy from around here, but we haven’t slept together yet so I don’t know if he’s, how do you say it in Italian— leading me on,” Marc says impatiently, still trying to fuck up against Vale, and Vale laughs, spits, and starts to work himself in his hand.

“Okay, okay,” He uncaps the marker with his mouth and positions his other hand over the smooth skin of Marc’s chest. He signs his name, Valentino Rossi, in silver against golden skin, and Marc shudders, a full body tremor, as the nib drags over his skin in a practiced stroke. His mouth drops open, still pink from Vale’s cock, and Vale presses his thumb hard against the nipple when he finishes, and throws the marker on the floor.

"God," is dragged out of Marc like he cant help it. Vale doesn't know if he's talking to him or not. He fists himself from tip to base.

His hand picks up its pace, fixes on the shine of his name on Marc, the way he’s whining now, small noises as his he moves in little abortive thrusts against Vale’s thigh. He grinds down, braces his free hand on Marc’s tit, framing it, and runs his mouth, mindless, says Marc’s name over and over until it's all he can think, all he can think.

“Marc, Marc,” He murmurs, and his dick kicks in his hand, and he comes, stunned, all over his name splashed across Marc’s chest. He makes a noise, one he can't help, and finds that he barely minds.

Marc doesn't let him recover, his hips still shoving upward, his hands an urgent grip on Vale’s thigh.

“Vale,” He whines, demanding, and without really thinking Vale scoots backward, bending down and sucking Marc into his mouth, working him over hard, until he can hear Marc make a noise and twist his fingers into the fabric of the sheets. He looks up at his face, at the color high on his face and the furrow of his brow as he pants. He wants to see it happen. Wants to make sure.

One suck, two sucks, and then a flood— Marc tensing and twisting, thighs coming up to Vale’s temples, and it’s over, Marc twitching and gasping through the aftershocks, the silver of the marker and Vale’s come shiny on his chest.

“That was fun,” He says dreamily, and Vale hums, feels a little dizzy. He wants to bite at Marc’s thigh, so he does. He'd rather taste sweat than come. Rather mark him in more ways than one, than two. Wants it any way that he can have it.

Marc pets his head lazily, rucking up the sweaty curls in a familiar motion, and then reaches over to the nightstand and puts on his wedding ring, twisting it down his finger.

“We should do that again,” He sits up to grab his phone— probably checking messages from Álex. Vale crawls up to flop next to him, leaning over the bed and grabbing a t-shirt to mop up the mess on Marc’s chest. He doesn’t like to be sticky for too long.

“Yes, yes we should,” He agrees.

Marc hums.

“Next time, I get to be the rider, I think.”

“Really? Eight time champion Marc Marquez picking up fans in bars? I could tell the papers.” He tosses the shirt over his shoulder.

Marc shoots him a look over his phone, then reaches, hand catching at Vale’s wrist and hauling him back close.

“Oh, but I thought I was not famous.”

Vale grins, collapses in to hear Marc grunt at the crush of his weight, to press his face against the soft skin of Marc’s armpit. He traces his name, and then traces Marc's scar.

“Caught that, did you?”

Marc winds an arm around his back. Keeps him there.

“Hm, yeah I did.”

“I was getting into character.”

“The character is you.”

“Yes, and I am a funny guy.” Vale says, and then he reaches up to turn off the light.

#callie speaks #rosquez #my fic #mgp

145 notes · View notes

toxinoire · 6 months ago

Text

The craziest thing about Epic is that it didn't need Ody's canon to The Odyssey SA to show that Odysseus has lost his own autonomy anyway.

He embraces his side as "the monster" until you question, is he really? Or did he really have no choice?

Looking at the line of "I am not your kind and gentle husband" makes me think back to Just A Man.

It is shown that Odysseus really hates being soldier. He had no choice but to kill the infant because Zeus told him to. And Troy? If we look at The Iliad, he didn't want to go to war from the beginning. And this is the first real time he loses a part of him; his kindness makes him argue with Zeus, his gentleness makes him willing to raise the boy. But he couldn't defy the King of The Gods.

And then Polites tries to bring those parts back, even unintentionally. But Athena tries to tell him he can't do that--his mentor contributes to losing those aspects of himself.

Next is when Polites dies, and well, that's self explanatory.

Another is when Polyphemus kills some of his crew. Part of his identity is being a captain, a king. He knows how to lead people. But then shit went down and he slowly fails to be captain anymore.

And then Poseidon adds onto making Odysseus lose that side of himself more by killing majority of his men.

Circe's Island made him hold onto the scraps of being a captain he has left in him. But even so, Circe tried to lust him so she could kill him, which itself is bad. Though Circe lets them go, even though Ody was unaware of Circe almost killing him, that itself made him hold onto the husband part of him more. That's what got him out of it.

So the Underworld. He hears the screams of his men, and their last thoughts blaming him. Their last thoughts being "Captain, why would you let the Cyclops live when ruthlessness is mercy-" is them blaming Odysseus for their deaths. This makes him lose more of his captain side.

Then he sees Polites, and then his mom. He breaks down again after we last saw him do so in Troy.

And then Tiresias shows him his fate, which he misinterprets. Why? We all know the man is him, but why did he not think it was him? He was holding onto the husband part of him the most, so much that it blinded him.

So here comes song 20.

And in the Thunder Saga, we see him lose more of his gentleness and kindness. He's also barely holding onto being a captain by a thread.

Scylla is the entire explanation.

Mutiny is the last bit of that thread and it finally snapped during Thunder Bringer. He lost his leadership, he's no longer a captain. And quite frankly, it traumatized him so much already.

Calypso's island, though this version makes Calypso naive, she, like Jorge said, is ruthless in her own way. He was trapped. He was probably still holding onto the husband aspect of him subconsciously, as to why he never slept with her. But it was buried pretty deep.

"All I hear are screams" Who's to say he hadn't been hearing this for the past seven years, but that day he was so close to losing to those screams. He lost his side of being a captain, he lost his side of being a friend, he lost his side of being gentle and kind.

So his side as a husband is all he could hold onto anymore in The Vengeance Saga. During Full Speed Ahead, we see his king aspect through the lyric "Ithaca's waiting, my kingdom is waiting" but in Dangerous, he has no more king aspect. It's just him wanting to be home to his family at this point.

And then he loses himself more in Six Hundred Strike, as he lost his last bits of mercy when Poseidon offered him none. All that's left of him is wanting to be with Penelope, and his hopes of finally seeing his son.

The suitors' plans had been horrible. But honestly, he would have killed them anway even if they hadn't planned shit. He lost his patience for threats, he lost his mercy, his gentlessness. He is still cunning, but he's gone. Odysseus, King of Ithaca, is gone. "Old king" He's still king by title, but can he really manage a whole kingdom anymore? Like he used to since he was thirteen?

If it had not been for Penelope, he never would have embraced that he, no matter what, is still just a man, no matter how monstrous. But he lost so much of himself, and he knows. He lost his own autonomy, he lost what he knew of himself.

Finally holding his son and his wife yelling at him made him understand that he's still human, but post Epic/The Odyssey the man is already so traumatized, that he most likely forgot so many things of himself. He lost what made him Odysseus, King of Ithaca, which is a BIG part of him. Odysseus, husband of Penelope, father lof Telemachus, is all that's left of him. While those may be the most important parts of him, he's still traumatized, and only knows of himself as a monster now.

He is, quite frankly, no longer him.

#epic the musical #epic the musical analysis #epic troy saga #epic cyclops saga #epic ocean saga #epic circe saga #epic underworld saga #epic thunder saga #epic wisdom saga #epic vengeance saga #epic ithaca saga #odysseus #epic odyssey #epic odysseus #odysseus of ithaca

142 notes · View notes

star--anon · 3 months ago

Text

a Minho who's not healed from WCKD

not in the fun, angsty way

in the way that he watches and learns and pretends to be healed

always a soldier. Ever calculating

Paradise's best psychologist works day and night with him to get him to say a single word

well, the less he talks, the more those idiot doctors chatter

and the more he understands the role he's meant to play

"We're chalking it up to stress."

"He's been done a number on by WCKD."

"Look at the burns on his back."

"Minho? It's me, Thomas. It's okay. You're safe now. I promise."

"A7. I am your assigned psychologist. You have been released from WCKD facility. You have returned to your civilian life, and I'm happy to return your name to you."

So he plays along and pretends to be confused

eats his pudding like a good patient and sometimes he pretends to go berserk and try stabbing his eyes out with the spoon

sometimes that scared little boy inside him tries to succeed. Thinks it'd be easier that way

he's gotten very good at beating him down

"I... I don't remember anything," he whispers. He chews his lower lip like he's trying to stop it from trembling

When Thomas keeps making visits to him, he goes quiet again

there's something too nervous, too worried, too caring about the boy to be normal.

Minho stays quiet and tries to pick up what Thomas wants him to act like

his abrupt return to silence worries the doctors, who immediately cut meetings with Thomas

after Minho plays up the part of fully healing, he's released from the hospital with grinning doctors and a relieved Thomas

"We really thought it'd take more than this," Jorge murmurs as he helps Thomas carry a fake-limping Minho back to Thomas' tent. "I guess even WCKD's best scientists can't break you."

Minho puts out a tired but cocky smile that he knows will reassure Jorge

Thomas is a nervous wreck their first few days living together

awkwardly inviting him to sleep in one bed

asking him if he still likes his coffee with milk

trying to tease him and crack jokes, and then falling quiet and shuffling away when Minho doesn't respond

Minho has to take it slowly, otherwise it'll look suspicious

so he acts up the part of slowly loosening his soldier shell

Yes, he would prefer to be alone right now. But Thomas can be the exception

Yes, he hates being touched on his back. But Thomas can touch his scars because Minho smiles softly when Thomas' hands are on him

Yes, he will flinch violently when Thomas moves his hands a little too quickly near his face. But he'll catch Thomas' hands in his with a reassuring smile, then quickly yank his hands away like he didn't notice his intimate motion

Minho trains himself to wake up at random periods of the night, and then jerks out of bed screaming so Thomas can catch him in his arms and press kisses against his cheeks

when they're invited to help Frypan in the kitchen, Minho dabs whipped cream on his nose so Thomas can teasingly kiss it off

Minho wears thin shirts because Thomas blushes at the sight of his massive arms

Minho stops frowning so much. Stops shutting down and going quiet when he's confused. Lets himself cry when the nightmares of WCKD's training program come back instead of steeling his face and screaming quietly inside. Seeks Thomas' attention. Craves Thomas' touch.

and one day, he realizes he doesn't want to study Thomas and wait for the perfect times to strike

he doesn't want to beat Thomas into a bloody pulp and hold whatever's left as a hostage

he wants to be the Minho that Thomas thinks he is

Minho, whose soldierly calculations aren't going towards researching Thomas' weak points. What scars still hurt. What fighting techniques he can no longer do after the injuries he sustained

instead, he's noting Thomas' favorite cookie

what kind of scented candle he likes

that he loves the sound of wind chimes

his passion for a warm cup of tea on a rainy day

his distaste for Minho's pretend drinking problem

his adoration for budding flowers and small dogs

his awkwardness as he tries to figure Minho out

his goofy, idiot smile when he spots Minho in a crowd

I'm poisoning myself.

You're poisoning me.

Minho wasn't trained in this.

Minho can remove a bullet from his abdomen with no pain killers. Minho can operate a handgun with five broken bones in each hand. Minho can plank for half an hour while withstanding hot iron brandings on his back.

Minho can take a mouthguard without spitting in a scientists' face, and Minho can have his brain electrocuted without crying.

Minho can't take whatever Thomas is.

"I don't remember the Glade." He says it so quietly because he's so terrified. He's never been terrified before.

Thomas doesn't catch it. "You don't what?" he mumbles as he sinks his teeth gently into the soft skin of Minho's left shoulder. Minho's entire collarbone is littered with his lovebites.

It's the first pain Minho's ever enjoyed. And willingly sought out

"I'm not a Glader."

Thomas pulls off him, and his shoulder feels cold without that heat. His waist feels could without Thomas' arms wrapped around him, his lap feels cold with Thomas' legs resting him them

"Minho," Thomas tries to say in a soft tone.

"We should go to the hospital."

"Why?" Thomas rakes his eyes over Minho's body, concerned.

"I need to speak to my psychiatrist."

"Have you had another one of your attacks?" Thomas asks, suddenly urgent. He puts a gentle hand on Minho's, ready to do anything Minho wants him to do.

It breaks Minho. Completely.

Thomas holds him so, so gently as he sobs into his chest.

"I'm sorry," he tries to say, but Thomas just shushes him and kisses him sweet.

#science fair trip means I get to procrastinate and write silly stuff #tmr thomas #tmr minho #thominho #headcanons #the maze runner #rambles #I don't take constructive criticism because I'm not wrong #tmr fandom #death cure #soldier au minho #soldier au #wckd

57 notes · View notes

gotstabbedbyapen · 8 months ago

Text

I have very complicated feelings for the Vengeance Saga (after the first listen)

Disclaimer: I will only criticize Epic the Vengeance Saga as a work on its own, not for its inaccuracy or deviation from mythology and The Odyssey. There are more knowledgable people who can point out and analyze the changes in Epic the Musical, but that is not what I'll be tackling here.

To put it bluntly, I'm not being angsty about it as I should. The whole saga just... didn't feel right with me.

Now, first off all, I'm a big fan of Epic and had been following it since the Cyclops saga (first version). I've been in love with many songs and hyperfixed it for months on end. But when the Vengeance saga came along, I didn't feel that same bubbling love rise in me.

Even as a fan, this isn't my first time having peeves with Epic. I didn't jam with the re-release sagas for a while, I'm underwhelmed with the Circe VS Odysseus fight and other issues, very unpopular opinion but "Monster" wasn't too impactful to me, and also the God Games (especially Zeus' attack).

The Vengeance Saga though? Well, they say we gotta do the Bun-Meat-Bun (or whatever the hell its name really is) technique when giving criticism, so I'll start with the good parts.

I love that Odysseus looked so done with Calypso in "Not Sorry For Loving You". They're basically this meme:

Like sorry you're a sad but you're still an abuser 😒

Then Odysseus starts singing the reprise for "Full Speed Ahead" but there's no one to back him up. That one hits me hard. To whoever on Tumblr said that after the Thunder Saga we will never hear the crew's back-up again and Odysseus' singing will be answered with silence, Apollo really blessed you with the red ball.

Hermes and the Winions' part was really cool too! I really like them being mischievous helper! The warning about the wind bag and the changing scene of Odysseus fighting off sea monsters while Hermes just vibing with the beats is 👌👌👌

But after that the hype started to sizzle out for me. You might want to skip this part if you're not comfortable with harsh criticism because I WON'T hold back.

It's really backward but I like the Odysseus VS Charybdis draft more than the final production. Charybdis' roars and music are somehow less intimidating, which is a shame because I thought this would be one of the biggest struggles Odysseus will face. Even with awesome illustrative animatics, the scene wasn't as thrilling as I've expected.

The other songs got massive improvement from its draft version (on top of my mind I can think of "Thunder Bringer", "There Are Other Ways", "Little Wolf"), but I don't get why "Charybdis" didn't get up-graded as much like them. It's like a cake that was throughly baked but half decorated and it just didn't taste as good as I've hoped.

Then we have the Odysseus VS Poseidon part in "Get In The Water" and "Six Hundred Strikes". The first thought I had for GITW is this song sounds like all the draft snippets were mashed together without a smooth transition/connection between them. Jorge and Steven's performance is great, but there's not enough tension for me to dread for Odysseus. When Poseidon first met Odysseus in "Ruthlessness", the whole opening was terrifyingly good! And we didn't even have any illustration animatic back then! (that's not to say the GITW animatics were bad, they just can't salvage much when the song itself was already weak)

I wasn't impressed with Poseidon's Shatter The Ocean move either. It's supposed to be the Strongest AttackTM but it's less scary than when he and the Laestrygonians destroyed Odysseus' eleven ships with probably 1% of their power. It didn't even help when Poseidon looked like he's having a seizure with lights pouring out of his eyes and mouth during the transformation.

Odysseus being literally on the brink of death with the souls of his loved ones pulling him into the abyss is a gem in the rough, but because we've seen Odysseus almost drowning before in the end of the Thunder Saga, it's not as shocking as it should be. Furthermore, Poseidon could have instant-killed Odysseus right then and there but didn't really annoyed me. But I guess he just wanted Odysseus to slowly suffer while dying.

Right when I thought the progress will get better, it... gets down. I can go with Odysseus using wind to escape the water, but him wearing it like a jetpack is so comical it ruined the drastic of the situation. And I'm officially let down when Odysseus FUCKING ATTACKED Poseidon in "Six Hundred Strike".

What? Just... why with that choice?

Look, I'm not gonna fault Epic for making creative liberties from the source material (as said in the disclaimer), but I will criticize if that change contradict itself in the transformative work. And this is one of them.

Poseidon and the gods have been proven time and time again in the musical just how powerful they are. Their ominous and grandiose entrances, them striking fear and inferiority in our hearts just by singing. Even Circe, a low-level goddess, poses a constant threat to the crew and Odysseus had to get help from Hermes just to get a chance to corner her (and Hermes even joked that he can still die!)

Poseidon easily destroyed almost all of Odysseus' fleet. Odysseus was very avoidant of him, opting to go to the literal Underworld to find instruction on how to dodge him and sailing through Scylla's lair + willing to sacrifice six men for safe passage. And when Poseidon said he can drown all of Ithaca, it's not just bluffing, he would and could have done that. Yeah, the King of the Sea is THAT BIG of a threat.

So no, Odysseus isn't cool to attack Poseidon, he's being stupid. I'm not even cheering for him the whole time he fight, just groaning at how ridiculous the whole thing is. If Epic is more believable and sticks to WHAT IT HAD ESTABLISHED BEFORE, having a sudden burst of anger and choosing ruthlessness won't save Odysseus from one swipe of Poseidon's trident. Odysseus stood no chance against one of the most powerful deity, even if he's the protagonist and love his family.

Not only that, Poseidon didn't even defend himself and was wounded by a mere human! And he just sat there and took all the blows and insults from Odysseus??? And he actually begged Odysseus to stop and agree to quell the storm to let him get home??? I'm not buy that bullshit. I'm more upset that a literal Olympian god was nerfed down than Odysseus having a Gary Stu moment. Give me a break, that try-hard moment to be cool and edgy just show how badly written the scene is.

What's the fucking point of hyping up how dangerous the gods are if a human can take one down? Tell me this isn't some Wattpad-y Greek myth retelling fanfic where the teenage Y/N sass her way to defeat an entire pantheon. Epic really traded its opportunity to be better for some cheap and out-of-the-blue dramas in this saga, dare I say it's even worse than Zeus' OOC attack on Athena. I'm very disappointed with that decision.

On an end note, the saga did have one saving point with the "After everything you've done, how will you sleep at night?" - "Next to my wife" lines. Odysseus knew he could be the most horrendous man ever and Penelope would still choose his side, that just show how powerful their love and faith in each other are.

But not enough to excuse all the terrible cinematic choices.

#epic the musical #epic the vengeance saga #jorge rivera herrans #song analysis #song review #my reviews #my ramblings #Spotify #Youtube #The Pen explodes with ink #after being let down with Zeus and Poseidon's OOC thing #i now have lower hopes for the Ithaca Saga #i guess at least there aren't any more “evil gods” to be ruined #let's just see how it goes #but seriously what's happening to Epic??? it was so good until Love in Paradise #and i feel like the musical is now on a downward slope #am i expecting too much?!

115 notes · View notes

dysphanic-redshift · 8 months ago

Text

Epicposting again oops

So I've seen a very fun theory that Ares is helping Odysseus in 600 Strike. Here's my thoughts on that theory and how it could be reasonable (though I do love the interp of Ody's pure fucking rage just being that strong lmao)

Jorge has confirmed Ares has a Quick Thought equivalent, one that gives increased rage, strength, and minor invulnerability.

In the background music of 600 Strike, particularly the torture scene, Poseidon's trumpets (the only instrument present) seem to mimic strings. Ares' instrument is an erhu, which is a string instrument.

Athena is incapacitated, but I'm sure Ares remembers God Games, and her promise that Odysseus will bring bloodshed if he lives. He sure does, with both Poseidon, and in the future, the suitors. That's exactly what Ares wants, so ensuring Odysseus lives will fulfill Athena's promise.

600 Strike has backing vocals to Odysseus. Only gods have this. Ares' influence could have resulted in boosting Odysseus to temporary godhood, letting him summon the god choir.

The spawn of this theory, Odysseus having glowing red eyes throughout 600 Strike's official animation.

From my friend: At the very end of Get in the Water, when the ghosts come back, their lines are changed. Maybe Ares influenced that in some way to push Odysseus over the edge and into his personal Quick Thought--fulfilling Athena's promise of bloodshed.

Ctimene, Odysseus's sister, is Ares' warrior. By giving Odysseus the strength to keep fighting, Ctimene will have someone to reunite with--as Eurylochus is dead.

Edit addition: there's a snare drum in 600 Strike, I'm pretty sure. Ares' second instrument is a snare drum!

So yeha those are my thoughts abt the 600 Strike Ares theory

#epic the vengeance saga #epic the musical #epic six hundred strike #epic ares #epic odysseus

67 notes · View notes

lucyskywalker · 8 months ago

Text

This will be critical towards 600 strikes. Don't like, don't read.

"Oh, but Dyomedes stabbed a god..."

The last time I checked this story is not about Dyomedes and the God in question wasn't Poseidon.

The context and message behind the myth is completely different. Actually, the message behind Dyomedes duel with Ares and Aphrodite is the opposite. It's to establish one of the main themes of the epic: how human choices and efforts become insignificant when fate and immortals are in control.

Dyomedes myth only proofs that if Poseidon wanted Odysseus dead for good, he would be dead. End of the story.

Odysseus was punished by his Hubris. Like Lesser Ajax was before him, like Niobe and her children also were slain by Apollo and Artemis.

It wasn't just a torturing journey for some petty reason.

It was a lesson.

And when he learned that lesson, he went back home.

Using Dyomedes to defend what happend in 600 strikes is literally absurd.

"Oh, but Poseidon deserved it."

The fact you say that proofs u don't know shit about Greek Mythology and how it is deeply rooted in how this ancient society worked and worshipped those gods.

Poseidon didn't deserve any of this. Not within this myth.

Odysseus was the one who committed Hubris, over and over again during his journey.

Odysseus was the one who believed to be above the gods due his witty and cunning nature.

Odysseus was the one who put his crew in danger because of his own pride more than once.

Odysseus was the one to harm Poseidon's son and left him alive in an act of mockery during the Odyssey.

Even during the retelling of Jorge in Epic the musical, many things Odysseus have done are pretty much debatable and are the roots of all his problems.

Even in Jorge's retelling, he stablishs angering the gods is not a good idea. Like in the song Munity, when Eurylochos kills Apollo's cows (or Hellio's).

Even before it, he established that not hearing them or going against them is not smart choice.

My Goodbye and Remember Me.

Odysseus tought he was wiser than Athena for showing mercy. But the fact is... he wasn't and he paid the price for believing such thing. Which can also be depicted as a consequence of Hubris.

It happend again during his entire journey later on. Odysseus choose to go to the underworld to avoid Poseidon. He choose to sacrifice six of his remaining men to not face Poseidon.

Because Poseidon is that much of a threat. It is a force of nature so powerfull, Odysseus cannot expect to face it.

Later, in Thunder Bringer, once again we are reminded of how powerfull, mighty and terrifying the gods truly are

Making some kind of final battle between Odysseus and one of the eldest gods, where he ends not only torturing Poseidon, but also commanding him, and somehow gets out alive, not only goes against all his journey lessons and everything the Odyssey is about, but it is also extreamly ooc of Jorge's own writing.

Odysseus never rellied on strength and a face to face battle to win.

Actually, he is "a warrior of the mind". He rellies on strategies and deceptions. He was never meant to be like Herakles nor Achilles.

And be helped by the ghosts of his dead crew? When he is pretty much the reason why they are, uk, dead? Even if they were willing to help, how did they left the Underworld? By a bus of ghosts?

What is Hades doing? Throwing a party?

I'm not even going to debate the jetpack stuff.

You can say whatever you want to apologize the writing be it "the fates wanted that way, so it doesnt matter", "he won because of Ares's blessing".

Whatever. You just crossed the line of an adaptation to a straigh up fanfiction.

Study the classics about the tale you so claim to love instead of saying so many things with no basis with so much pride.

#juli rumbles #if dyonisus murdered an entire crew of pirates who dared trying enslaving him #you can bet Poseidon would make Ithaca become the second Atlantis after being tortured and commanded by a mortal #im salty about it #process me #specially towards the fandom disrespecting poseidon #epic the vengeance saga #epic the musical #it is critical be warned #but it is not hatred #i loved the songs #but like an adaptation? nah. it doesnt work #and the arguments to justify it are - with all honesty - straigh up bullshit

57 notes · View notes

kikiofthevast · 3 months ago

Text

Monstrosity in Epic: An Analysis of Odysseus in "Odysseus" (Song 38)

Disclaimer: Almost all of my analysis is based in information the audience receives from the musical itself and very little of it is based in information from Jorge Rivera-Herrans on tiktok or yt. If he has spoken about this song in videos, I have not seen them, and will not be basing my analysis off this information.

Note: The song "Odysseus" will be referred to with quotation marks in order to differentiate it from discussion of Odysseus the character.

Songs Referenced in this Analysis: "Done For", "Monster", "Different Beast", "Legendary", "Six Hundred Strike", "Hold Them Down", "Odysseus" (these songs are the ones with lyrics pulled from them)

Setup:

This song technically begins at the end of the previous song, "Hold Them Down", with the death of Antinous, the leader of the suitors. This calls the suitors' attention to him, and while it is never directly stated, it is heavily implied based on the previous two songs and the events as they occur in the Odyssey that the bow Odysseus is using is the one that Penelope introduces in "The Challenge".

The purpose of this analysis is to unravel the motifs and parallels that Odysseus shares with every antagonist up until the Ithaca Saga, and the overlap between this song and the others that lead into it. I will be drawing on sections of previous songs and going lyric-by-lyric through "Odysseus".

If I get anything wrong, or you disagree with my interpretation, I'm very willing to have a (respectful) discussion about the show! It's very fun but even as I learn more and more I still feel like I find something new with every listen.

With that out of the way,

The Opening:

The song begins quietly, with the same lead-in as "The Horse and the Infant" and "Monster", though unlike the former, it doesn't transition into Odysseus's leitmotif, and the latter only transitions into a simple riff for "Monster". Here we start with a simple melody on the guitar...

For twenty years I've suffered every punishment and pain From the wrath of gods and monsters To the screams of comrades slain

...which as it builds, gains the choral staccato from "The Underworld" (at least that's what Genius says).

I come back and find my palace desecrated, sacked like Troy Worst of all, I hear you dare to touch my wife and hurt my boy!

This opening is very short, but it gives us an idea of Odysseus's current mindset. It also gives us the CORRECT amount of years that have passed, and we already see mentions of the gods who have gotten in his way (Zeus, Poseidon) and the monsters who have held him up (Polyphemus, the sirens, Scylla, Charybdis). We also see a textual reference to "The Underworld" here (the reason it's not on the list at the top is that it's literally the only time this song is relevant and it's a small relevance). It also calls back to "Six Hundred Strike" here:

I watched my friends die in horror Crying as they were all slain I heard their final moments Calling their captain in vain

Odysseus is back in Ithaca completely alone with family he hasn't seen in 20 years under siege by men who feel entitled to the crown and throne just because he's been absent for all this time. Here again, Odysseus references "Hold Them Down", implying that he's been listening for some time before now and he has been lingering in the darkness in order to make his next move at the most opportune time, a trend we see again later in the song.

We also get, from this couplet, the parallel with Circe, but we'll expand on the exact parallel later on when we get to a Specific Section.

I have had enough

This is where the electric guitar kicks in! As does the choir!

The electric guitar representing Odysseus, as far as I have noticed, first appears in "Survive" in the background. The first time it truly appears as a representation of Odysseus's specific cunning/violence is in "Remember Them".

We also see another parallel to "Survive" here in the choir chanting Odysseus's name as they do with Polyphemus.

The Song:

In the heat of battle at the edge of the unknown Somewhere in the shadows lurks an agile deadly foe We have the advantage, we've the numbers and the might No, you don't understand it, this man plans for every fight

I don't believe that this particular verse contains a leitmotif, but it does contain an important parallel that I'll expand on later.

This song does something very compelling, as does the rest of the Ithaca Saga, in that it focuses on Ithaca in the way the Odyssey itself does. We begin with a song from Penelope, then a song from the suitors, and then this song is also focused primarily on the suitors, and does not follow Odysseus's perspective. The only time we get his perspective is at the end of "I Can't Help But Wonder".

This part sung by the suitors sets up an expectation for the song. Odysseus is unseen, by both the suitors and the audience. It creates both fear in the suitors and a sense of satisfaction in the audience. After the previous song, and even the Wisdom Saga, the audience wants to see the suitors gone. This is specifically designed to give the audience a sense of feral satisfaction at the collective deaths of the suitors while portraying Odysseus's ruthless monstrosity.

We also see another parallel with Polyphemus in "Survive" here where Polyphemus is only one creature, but he kills members of Odysseus's army because he is simply that powerful. Odysseus is only one man, but he is able to pick off the suitors one by one.

Then we get more of the chanting, as well as arrow shots represented by the sound effects. We still do not see Odysseus yet.

Where is he? Where is he? Keep your head down, he's aiming for the torches

Oh man. TWO different juicy things to talk about in just these two lines.

Firstly, we have the return of the suitors' leitmotif! First appearing in "Legendary", the suitors use this motif as a taunt against Penelope and Telemachus:

Where is he? Where is the man who'll have you to wife? Oh Where is he? Where is the man with whom you'll spend your life?

In "Odysseus", instead of a taunt, it's a fearful question. Because they can't see him. The suitors know that he is here, but they can't see him in the dark. A predator you can't see is always worse than one you can.

Also! Here we get the return of the danger motif on the cello! Specifically for the suitors this time, though in the past it's pretty exclusively been used to signal danger/potential danger to Odysseus and his crew. This time Odysseus is the danger, further emphasizing his parallels with Polyphemus, which is the first actual "monster" it appears for (previously appearing during the battle in Troy and in Warrior of the Mind when Odysseus is calling out to Athena).

The following line also introduces my favorite parallel and quite possibly the most obvious one in the entire show (at the end of Scylla she literally harmonizes with Odysseus on the line about how they're the same. It's right there) but this particular instance of it is a bit more subtle and may not catch everyone's eye as a connection.

Scylla's six heads aim for each of the torchbearers, and Odysseus, in turn, aims for the heads of those carrying torches trying to find him in the dark.

Our weapons, they're missing! He's using the darkness to hide his approaches We're empty handed up against an archer Our only chance is to strike him in the darkness We know these halls, the odds can be tilted

And of course, Odysseus has planned for this. The suitors are at a strong disadvantage not only due to Odysseus's armaments, but also because:

You don't think I know my own palace? I built it!

This is Odysseus's cave. This is his island. This is his lair. He knows every inch of this place, and these invaders may think they know something, but he built these halls and probably designed them too. He can navigate it easily even in the dark.

You know the drill for this part. More chanting. More death. Pain and hell on the suitors forever.

The Meat

Old king, our leader is dead You've destroyed the serpent's head Now the rest of us are no longer a threat Old king, forgive us instead So that no more blood is shed Let's have open arms instead-

One thing that's really always struck me about this stanza is that they're still simply referring to him as the old king. They don't offer to back down, they don't bow to him. They simply ask him to show mercy once they're at a disadvantage.

Perhaps if they'd addressed him as something like "my king", he might have considered for more than half a second!

Also, clearly this man has never heard of the Hydra.

Otherwise, there's a few other things to say here.

This is functionally a plea that, now that they're losing, they want to be shown mercy. Ofc we know what Odysseus has come to think of mercy as, but they don't.

Then of course, there's the final line. One of the most important motifs in this show just behind the Just a Man/Monster motifs for Odysseus himself. "Open Arms" is a song that forms the basis for Odysseus's mindset in act one, that problems can be solved simply by peaceful resolution.

We see this and how it is punished by the Cyclops, but we also see that Odysseus's attempt to convince someone else that peace is the way to go (albeit foolishly, violently, and hubristically) backfires in his face, and his attempt to show mercy is seen as a greater punishment than death by Poseidon because it means he has to get involved.

At this point, mercy is so far away as an idea to Odysseus, as are the open arms that Polites encouraged. We'll see more of this later.

We also see this succinctly summarized in his response:

No.

What I find so interesting about this is another parallel to Poseidon, actually.

Poseidon is obligated to kill Odysseus for the harm he caused his son. He has to retaliate, which reflects a lot of his words in Ruthlessness:

I'm left without a choice and without a doubt Guess the pack of wolves is swimming with the shark now I've gotta make you bleed, I need to see you drown

He's not as personally invested in this until Odysseus gets AWAY from him. He doesn't really care, and he's mostly just toying with them like any other mortals before Odysseus uses his cleverness to get away.

Poseidon still has a duty to kill him, and he's also been humiliated by his quick-thinking once. So he lies in wait at the island.

Odysseus is actually doing something similar here. He doesn't Truly hate the suitors, not personally, he hates them for what they represent. Just as Odysseus represents humiliation and hubris for Poseidon, these men represent the threat to his family that he has not been able to prevent from happening. He has a duty to keep his family safe.

Just like Poseidon.

This parallels "Get in the Water" a little bit where Odysseus asks Poseidon to stop, and he doesn't actually ask for mercy. He asks for Poseidon to forgive his slight, which he has apologized for previously.

Poseidon responds the same way as Ody does here, but the key difference is that this is a plea for mercy from one of the suitors simply to avoid being killed, whereas Odysseus attempts to reach out in a seemingly genuine attempt to reconcile.

Besides, Ody doesn't feel like he's on the back foot here. He may actually be, but he's still trying to stand up to Poseidon as an equal. The suitors KNOW they're on the back foot and this is an attempt to backpedal.

Damn, he's more cunning than I assumed While we were busy plotting He hid our weapons inside this room

This is one of the "laters" I mentioned earlier.

Odysseus uses the same strategy that he uses on the sirens here, though Antinous was unwittingly playing the same role he did in "Suffering". The distraction so that Odysseus can sabotage them.

Interestingly, Odysseus is paralleling himself here. Him as "the monster" in "Different Beast" who is luring in the sirens with the promise of food and trapping them while they're distracted. I just think that's kind of neat.

I think it's very important to recognize that Odysseus has been present for the entire Ithaca Saga. He's probably present in "The Challenge", though we get only a faint call of Penelope's name as a confirmation, and we know he Must be present for "Hold Them Down" as he references it directly.

The suitors also continue to underestimate Odysseus even as he slaughters them. Hubris, the classic flaw.

I find it hard to believe that the sharpest of kings Left his armory unlocked

This is a major hint and a good lead-in to Telemachus's appearance. Odysseus's actions thus far don't line up with this instance.

So what? Now that we have armed ourselves Let's make the bastard rot Behind you!

I don't have much to say about these lines. Hubris cont.

But! I have something to say about the music here. because Telemachus's introduction doesn't even require his name due to the distinction of his and Athena's motifs here. We get the quick thought stutter followed by a modified line of the main hook of "Legendary", in a little triumphant riff.

Go Telemachus!

Throw down those weapons And I'll ensure you'll be spared

This I think is our main indication that Telemachus had no idea what was going on before he got here. He just came in and found blood and bodies everywhere. He's probably banking on his dad being noble and understanding and merciful. He is wrong. And that is followed up in the very next line.

Also! The trumpets during this part! Ruthlessness is mercy...and Odysseus has learned that well. The trumpets during Telemachus's lines contradicts his words. All the suitors can hear is the promise of violence.

After seeing what the king will do to us We wouldn't dare

Of course the suitors aren't just going to fucking. Lay down and take it. Odysseus is just going to kill them anyway, and they know it. They've seen what happened to everyone else.

I don't want to hurt you But trust me, I've come prepared

More trumpets! And we get more of Telemachus's pure naivete which is used against him and also contrasts him with his father, who is ruthless and jaded.

Ha! Your very presence has doomed the king, young prince We don't fight fair Stop!

And the suitors are also cunning and eager to exploit an advantage.

Brothers, we got company, and he's made a grave mistake Left the weapons room unlocked, and now they're ours to take Brothers, come and arm yourselves There's a chance for us to win We can still defeat the king if we all attack the prince!

This is I think another moment similar to Polyphemus's introduction in "Polyphemus". The suitors are making a racket, and Odysseus is drawn to it like all of them are. Still, he waits for his moment to strike, and we get a significant moment here:

Where is he? Where is he? Capture him, he's our greatest chance! Get off me! Get off me! Fight 'til the prince can barely stand!

We have the return of the suitors motif here! Telemachus is singing it because he's caught among them. His motif is mostly absent here because he's being physically overwhelmed.

Hold him down! Hold him down! Make the king obey our command Hold him down! Hold him down! 'Cause if he won't, I'll break the kid's hands Got him!

And the return of "Hold Them Down" here, echoing their wants to kill and use Telemachus to get to Penelope, or Odysseus in this case. He doesn't get to have his own motif because his bravado only lasts as long as he can actually exert power, which he does not have a lot of.

The music hits a tense note here, which is immediately undercut by the return of Odysseus's electric guitar accompanied by the Stab. It's not playing any particular tune, it's just a sharp descending riff. This is probably the best representation of Odysseus's rage in this whole song, and it symbolizes that he is no longer playing around.

Mer-merc-

And of course, the suitors plead for mercy when they're on the back foot.

The Part Where I Yap:

Here we get into the real juicy part of the song, with Odysseus's more subtle parallels:

Mercy? Mercy? My mercy's long since drowned It died to bring me home And as long as you're around My family's fate is left unknown You plotted to kill my son You planned to rape my wife! All of you are going to die!

Let's just cover this all at once. Line by line.

Firstly, he mocks the idea of showing mercy at all. The idea of sparing his foes has become alien to him. Especially foes that decide that they can just toss him around and toy with him. He hates the suitors as a conglomerate because of the threat they pose.

Secondly, another allusion to Poseidon. Poseidon literally drowned his crew as a punishment for his "mercy" of letting the Cyclops live. Not only that, but the symbol of his lack of mercy in "Different Beast is literally:

Cut off their tails! We're ending this now Throw their bodies back in the water Let them drown

It's a tangible representation of his change in mindset, and the double meaning here is significant.

Then we have the follow-up, cementing that this lack of mercy was what brought him home. He condemned his crew to death so he could live. He practically tortured Poseidon, and he also literally made the change to become a monster in order to get himself and the rest of his crew home.

The next two lines focus on my FAVORITE parallel, the one with Circe. Specifically, I'm thinking about this last part of "Done For":

My nymphs are like my daughters I protect them at all costs The last time we let strangers live We faced a heavy loss

Circe actively kills and transforms men specifically in order to prevent devastation to those she calls her family. In this case, Odysseus literally acknowledges it in "Monster":

When the witch turns men to pigs to protect her nymphs is she going insane? Or did she learn to be colder when she got older and now she saves them the pain?

Odysseus is willing to be anything if it means he can return to and protect his family. Even if it means becoming the monster, he will do anything for them. He will become as cold as is necessary and he will be whatever is needed.

Then we get the next two lines, the confirmation that he heard the suitors talking during "Hold Them Down" and the sheer rage in his voice truly carries this "verse". He also says the quiet part out loud.

Antinous speaks in innuendo throughout "Hold Them Down" as in this part here:

When the crown wonders where the prince is Only the ocean and I will know

He does talk more explicitly about killing Telemachus in the previous lines, but he never says the "dirty word" kill like Odysseus does here. Same with rape!

(Hold her down) while we share her spoils I will not let any part go to waste

Odysseus says what Antinous won't. Trying to make it sound powerful and flowery and Odysseus cuts right through with his swords and arrows.

And of course, his final line is not a threat, but a promise.

You filled my heart with hate All of you who've done me wrong This will be your fate!

Every single thing that has ever stopped Odysseus or hindered his journey has slowly pushed him to his breaking point. And he's finally snapped, upon learning the suitors' plans for his family, and he will kill everything that stands in the way of him returning home.

And then we go into "I Can't Help But Wonder" and we get a severe tone change!

I hope you enjoyed my analysis of this song. Perhaps drop a reblog if you read the whole thing, and feel free to vote in the poll for the next song:

#epic the musical #epic the ithaca saga #odysseus #epic odysseus #analysis #telemachus #polls

23 notes · View notes