Lord Hades, Queen Persephone and the ever faithful Kerberos by Karl Friedrich Schinkel 1827.

🏛💀

Look what I found!!

Announcing the shop's theme for April: Spring Equinox!

FYI: If you've been looking to get a PDF of The Sixth Equinox, now's your chance!

Drop ends 14th April.

Check out the shop here!

Thoughts On: The Good Counselor

So I finally got around to reading The Good Counselor.

@therkalexander, turn on your location! I just wanna talk!

In all seriousness, as a whole, I love this series and I'm hoping that'll continue as the series goes on, mostly because Hades is actually allowed to be flawed rather than just being a perfect spouse at best or a romanticized prick at worst and this carries over into the next book wonderfully (but seriously Hades, you really should've told Persephone about the plan, wtf)! And this goes for the series in general, but as someone who doesn't read explicit books often (the only other one being MXTX's novels), I like how the intimacy isn't just included for the sake of it.

Out of all the gods, I was actually surprised to find just how much I enjoyed Aphrodite. I already liked her portrayal, how she's technically a foreigner despite the seafoam story, and even now, still doesn't really fit in with most of the Hellenic gods, but is still so unapologetically her. But now? Seeing just how far she's willing to go to get Dumuzi back just made me like her as a character even more! And I cannot wait to see Persephone's reaction if/when she finds out that one of her best friends has had ulterior motives this entire time, especially when keeping the whole Adonis incident in mind.

And really, I love how this series handles the theme of gods willing to go through extreme lengths for their loved ones in general, from Demeter's destruction after Persephone was kidnapped to even Apollo being desperate to save Asklepios, silver lyre aside. Even Hera gets a tiny bit of this regarding the oath and what it means for her children and their birthright.

And speaking of children, I already knew full well that Zagreus wasn't going to live long since that's what happens according to the myth anyway and I also knew that Hera would have a hand in it. How it happens, though, was just cruel, even for Hera! I've always been a fan of the Beware the Nice Ones and Beware the Quiet Ones tropes, so having Hestia of all gods be the one was punish her was really cathartic! I also wasn't expecting to see Makaria and Melinoe be born at the end, let alone be twins, (I actually thought one or both of them were going to be born in the next book), so that's cool!

Other favorite scenes include Persephone calling out Aidon after she finds out about Zagreus being reincarnated and Athena threatening Zeus. Seeing Demeter be more supportive of her daughter was also nice. As for favorite characters, besides Aphrodite, that would go to Orpheus and Eurydice. I loved them the moment they appeared, especially Eurydice, and that was when I knew I wasn't going to be in for a good time, but I'm glad they're together again in death! Also, if anyone can make a cover of Orpheus' songs, that'd be great!

i do unironically think the best artists of our generation are posting to get 20 notes and 3 reblogs btw. that fanfic with like 45 kudos is some of the best stuff ever written. those OCs you carry around have some of the richest backstories and worldbuilding someone has ever seen. please do not think that reaching only a few people when you post means your art isn't worth celebrating.

not to be controversial bc I know this is like…not in line with shifting opinions on fanfic comment culture but if there’s a glaring typo in my work I will NOT be offended by pointing it out. if ao3 fucks up the formatting…I will also not be offended by having this pointed out…

‘looking forward to the next update’ and ‘I hope you update soon!’ are different vibes than a demand, and should be read in good faith because a reader is finding their way to tell you how much they love it. I will not be mad at this.

‘I don’t usually like this ship but this fic made me feel something’ is also incredibly high praise. I’m not going to get mad at this.

even ‘I love this fic but I’m curious about why you made [x] choice’ is just another way a reader is engaging in and putting thought into your work.

I just feel like a lot of authors take any comment that’s not perfectly articulated glowing praise in the exact manner they’re hoping to receive it in bad faith.

fic engagement has been dropping across the board over the last several years, and yes it’s frustrating but it isn’t as though I can’t see how it happens. comment anxiety can be a real thing. the last thing anyone wants to do is offend an author they love, and that means sometimes people default to silence.

idk where I’m going with this I guess aside from saying unless a comment is outright attacking me I’m never going to get mad at it, and I think a lot of authors should feel the same way. ESPECIALLY TYPOS PLZ GOD POINT OUT MY TYPOS.

heiress eternal

while i get where this comes from and it’s true to an extent, i reeeaaaally don’t like how people try to explain “trans men don’t [necessarily] have male privilege” with things like “some trans men don’t pass”.

like sure that’s the most obvious example (someone who is seen as a woman won’t have the privilege that comes with being seen a man) but you’re still acting like being a passing trans man is just a free opt-in to male privilege which is………kinda the issue.

What drives me even more insane about this scene is how you'd expect Gojo to imagine High school era! Geto in the crowd. Or at least not the cult leader, worst of all the curse users Geto Suguru. But no, it's the cult leader Geto. It's Geto as Gojo last remembered him. As Geto last was. Whatever choices Geto made, wherever his choices led him and them, however he was, whoever he was, traumas and messed up ideas and bad choices and ill reputations and scorns and all. Gojo wanted Geto Suguru there. Not any ideal version. Not any "what if" version. Not any "at some point in time before things went downhill" version. Not any "when your hands weren't stained with innocent blood" version. He knew very well what he wanted. And he wanted it all the same. He wanted Geto Suguru. However he was. He just wanted him to be there. He just wanted him to be.

And he didn't want him to help him, he didn't want him to fight with him even if they were strongest together and always fought together for a while. He just wanted him to be there in the crowd and cheer him on. He just wanted him to stand there and give him one of his sweet, heartwarming smiles that shaped his eyes into crescent moons. He just wanted him to be. Then even if Gojo had died in the end anyway, he would have been satisfied. It would have been worth it. Only if Geto was there.

Too many people talking abt Will Sad Gayboy Byers being heartbroken by his unrequited crush on his best friend and not enough of you talking abt how his big brother clocked it immediately and then gave him an impassioned speech abt how he loves him unconditionally and nothing will ever (meaningful eyecontact) ever change that and Will smiling and softly weeping as they hug bc he knows that no matter what he'll always have his brother.

Hen IS Hades 🏛🏺😳😳

Just signed a few more copies of The Good Counselor today, so if you ordered one recently from Coastside Books, it’s on its way!

Why the fuck did I have an mpreg dream and why do I think to blame you somehow

because I draw punkish pregnant femboys sometimes

Alright.

.

guess my favourite p5 character challenge

happy bday to this thing. i redrew it cuz i was unsatisfied