#been kinda busy lately so this is just and origin story for achille

[sealrock]

decembhyur, day 16: journal

9th sun of the 1st umbral moon, 15XX

it was supposed to be a simple job: find the mark, take off her head as proof of the kill, bring it to these uppity inquisition people who'd rather eat chocobo shite than look me in the eye, leave with a sackful of gil. they had no clue she had a babe with her, and neither did I when I took this bounty. knowing this lot, they'd throw in an extra thousand if I got rid of the child. I've had my fill of killing women with children... why must the little children suffer unjustly? these people are no different than the corpse brigade, they just wear fancy robes and preach their holier than thou rubbish. I walked away empty-handed that day. well, not entirely. she said his name is achille.

when the woman—an elezen named tauvane—discovered my intentions, she looked... how can I say it? she was more savage than human, with her claws and brute strength. she put up quite a fight: she had the strength of damn near twenty men. she nearly ripped my face off before she slammed me into a nearby boulder to make her escape. I took note of unnatural black growths trailing along her arms and legs, much like a dragon's scales. her hair was matted and filthy, and her eyes screamed distrust and panic, like a wild animal backed into a corner. she was by the river with the babe; I managed to catch up with her just before she plunged him in the rushing water. whether it was a cruel act of survival or sparing her child from the hands of her homeland, I cannot say. she was dealt with an unfortunate hand in life, that much I can tell. whatever crime or crimes she committed had the inquisition desperate enough to seek outside help. but I couldn't go along with the plan. I pitied her, I pitied the child clutched to her chest and swaddled in tattered rags, his mewling cries muted by the driving rain. instead, I let her escape... but she left achille in my care. she said he'd be better off with me, and that she'll return for him 'when the time is right.' and just like that, she dashed away into the trees with a speed I never witnessed before. I couldn't stand there and gawk, however. I needed to find shelter. as I write this, achille is sound asleep on my bed. I found temporary respite in this hunting village called tailfeather, and I leave on the morrow. apparently tauvane stayed around these parts, but the locals were unaware of her bounty when they allowed her a safe haven before she gave birth. rhalgr's cock, I never expected to become a father again, not after... what happened in ala mhigo. he's not a replacement for the son I lost. I have too much blood on my hands as it is. the families I killed for the sake of the king, they torment me. I cannot pass this fate onto him. he's too young to be separated from his mother, she made a mistake. besides that... he's very ill. I don't have the proper medicines to help him. he may not make it by next sennight. maybe I should have put the two out of their misery when I had the chance. I'll leave him here in the village, there's a woman that's able to nurse him. he'll be better off here.

24th sun of the 1st umbral moon, 15XX

... I found myself unable to leave this child behind. it's been roughly a fortnight since tauvane entrusted her son to me, and she hasn't returned to tailfeather. I fear she must have perished in the storm. but to happy tidings: the healers here saved achille's life with their folk magicks. it was then that I learned he was half-blooded; his ears were barely pointed, meaning his father was a hyur like me. I'm ignorant of ishgardian politics, but if the whispers of the healers are true, then achille would've lead a difficult life in tauvane's homeland. to condemn a child just for the manner of his birth, it sickens me. I'm relieved that he'll pull through, but... I can't bear to hold him, much less look at him. he's not my son, I am but a stranger to him. just before I said my final goodbyes, when I took a glance at him, I found him staring back at me. his eyes were the same shade as his mother, a brilliant red hue that reminded me of blood. it matched his fuzzy crown of dark red hair. he was quiet for a long while before he broke out into a smile. he smiled at me, someone he doesn't know. I am not his mother. I couldn't leave him. I am not his father, I doubt he ever knew his father. but he chose me as his provider, his protector. when he's old enough I will take my leave of this place, I am sure that is what tauvane wished for me to do. as of now, he's a little menace, and I say that with affection. he's incredibly curious about my hair. he won't stop tugging at my beard and braids with his mighty grip. he's so small that I can carry him with one hand. but I know he will grow into a strong young man someday... he and tyro would've been like brothers, if tyro had lived. my poor tyro. he will not replace the one I lost. but nevertheless, I believe what was destroyed can be rebuilt. what was cut down can grow again.

[antiloreolympus]

12 Anti LO Asks

1. its victim blaming of hades to tell minthe its HER fault she "couldnt get over him". like? you lied to her! youre the one who blurred the lines to date her! you were just as toxic to her if not more so by controlling where she lives and her job, all while never defending her to your cruel family! you had all the power over her while she had nothing! you dumped her for a 19 year old and dont care she crippled minthe! i wont excuse minthe's actions, but hades is ultimately the worse of the two IMO

2. you know why fans claimed "Minthe should've reacted better"? since the first episode Rachel has been drilling into their heads Minthe is an irredeemable monster, and her not bending over backwards to H/P means she deserves the absolute worst. Minthe reacting how anyone logically would doesn't matter when LO is designed to coddle H/P, and anyone against them must suffer for it, even if the victim to H/P's actions. they never wanted her to be "redeemed", they want her head on a silver platter.

3. i know this is not what she intended bc the only characterization rachel has of hxp is "the best over everything" but uh, does she know having hades control all the petroleum and gasses and whatever else is actively destroying the planet, right? like hes helping the very thing persephone draws her power from and what she's connected to be destroyed to appease hes need for wealth and power. its kinda gross hes being romanticized while he commits horrible acts like this for his bank account.

4. its not impossible to go opposite in their original myth personalities and still have it work. like in hades game, sisyphus is one of the most likable characters, achilles is gentle and kind, ares is calm and rational, etc, but it makes sense within the context of the story. LO in comparison goes "all these loving mothers are evil because i said so! this beloved god is now evil because i said so! minthe is evil because i said so!" and that's about it in terms of logic to these wild changes.

5. I can kinda get behind anon's theory about the flower nymphs looking like P to help her be undetected, the problem is there are also unrelated women in comic who are bright pink and look just like her, with hades even confusing them for her! if i had to bet the only reason they look like that is because rachel just wanted daphne to look like her to hammer home apollo is "obsessed" with P and to fake them as her "real family" over demeter. also just laziness in designing characters in general.

6. its weird hades and persephone are well aware what they're doing is bad even openly admitting it and yet the narrative is so hellbent on excusing their bad actions?? like hades being the major toxic factor in his relationship to minthe, persephone killing people, or hades wanting to bone an eternal 19 year old? like rachel you know thats not how character growth works, right? you cant show they have horrible flaws and leave them to never grow and learn from it, that's not good writing at all.

7. what i also dont get is the hierarchy makes no sense? like zeus is framed as the top god, but that would mean hades cant be the most important man ever so rachel also made him equal rank with zeus (and i guess poseidon too) so?? how does zeus have all that power over them then if theyre all equal? is it because zeus swallowed metis?  also how are the fertility goddess so powerful and rare yet so easily taken down? how are they overpowered and super weak at the same time? i just dont get it.

8. Re reading chapter 144 and other anon is right we do see the pomegranate pin on Hades outfit (so Hades gifts it to her)

But also some things to note

During the makeout session persy begins to disappear in butterfly form and hades is like "no don't leave!" And he grabs her, preventing her from leaving. Which is..kinda Ick considering they were on their way to having (public) sex and he doesn't want her to leave which seems like he's not really respecting her boundaries? (because if she does he'll "be lonely")

The pomegranate pin is Hades' to begin with so technically one of Persephones symbols is not hers (yes I know in the original myth she ate it in the underworld / was forced to eat it but still its supposed to be her symbol)

Hades notes that he "doesn't want to overstep his boundaries as host" because Persephone is a guest (too late for that)

Persephones main concern (after what a week or 2?) after being raped is when Hades wants to stop her reaction is "dont you want me anymore?"

Girl you aren't even dating ...??

Persy's literal one and only concern is that she thinks if she doesnt sleep with Hades right then or when/if he wants to that "she wont be able to give him what hes used to" ... Which is reinforcing that she went to therapy to get "over being blocked" in regards to having sex

Although Hades does mention that she shouldn't feel like she needs to please him and that a kiss can just be a kiss which would be nice

(And yet his thinking of marrying her amd he's known her for 2, 3 weeks? ... And he says "the beginning of a new relationship is exciting and scary" so hes basically indicating thay their dating at this point, I think?)

And later the nymphs in the store are like "do you wanna be the dominatrix of the bedroom?? Buy this lingerie!" And persy does. So??

Meanwhile Demeter is very worried for her daughter who is busy sitting in Hades lap in a pool. 

9. Can we talk about how anons are making fucking flow charts for the LO Timeline cause it's so ridiculously jumbled?

10. im not even against rushed relationships, ive known actual couples who met and were married all within the same year and it worked out great, the difference though is these were people who had their own lives and previous relationships. the issue with LO is RS designed it so Persephone can NEVER have relationships or a life outside of Hades, and if they did get married offscreen, it's framing their marriage in a toxic and unbalanced light. That's not a romance, it's a disaster waiting to happen.

11. i feel like there's a difference between drawing an interesting hooked/aquiline nose versus whatever the hell RS puts on Hades' face. It honestly looks like he's in between morphing into a bird half the time since it just looks like a beak over an actual facial feature.

12. are there shareholders or a board of advisors or something at underworld corp? because if there is id say they have more than enough reason to kick hades out and strip him of his titles/shares because of all the shit he's caused by being guided by his broken pp over thinking with his head. liking dating TWO employees? and getting one of them phsyically crippled by the other bc he can't be honest with either of them and she's a walking time bomb? he's a walking HR nightmare.