hi, i know the episode came out weeks ago, but i wanted to talk about ep 277 and your essay on it. i thought it was very well thought out and had brought up lots of concerns abt apollo's other victims and the harm persephone caused to others that i just. hadn't really thought about myself because honestly this webcomic is a BLUR to me LOL. thank you for writing these insights and putting them online for others to read ! i think you manage to keep a respectful distance to rachel [1/]

Yeah, regarding how the SA was handled...

I think Rachel did exactly as well as anyone might have expected someone like her to write a plotline like that.

Honestly if Rachel really did want to do the arrow thing, I think it would have worked WAY better if she had used the arrow of hate. First of all, because it had already been established back in S2 when it was shot at him by Psyche, but ALSO because making it an arrow of love confirmed that Eros literally did what Apollo asked despite the fact that he's Persephone's best friend and should have been more suspicious of what he was going to use it for. Why not just do a bait & switch where Apollo is under the impression that it's an arrow of love but Persephone trusts in her friend and pieces it together that it's probably an arrow of hate? It would also payoff the whole "news crew being nearby" thing (as well as all the other gods that just randomly showed up) because uh oh now they all see his true nature and he can't hide behind his lies anymore!

After all, as I mentioned in my previous post about this (the one I believe you're referring to) it's not like there wasn't already foreshadowing that Apollo was going to fall on his own sword the way of Mr Waternoose from Monster's Inc, he was already showing signs of cracking under the guilt that he was feeling towards how he treated Persephone/Eris/Hermes/etc. so why did it have to be Persephone taking a massive risk by sticking him with an arrow of love that still doesn't fully explain why he would even suddenly be a changed man? Loads of people like Apollo think they're in love / define their infatuation as love so I don't see how an arrow of love would suddenly make him empathetic to her pain. Especially when, again, he still begs her not to make him confess, so the guilt he's feeling is still completely empty and unmotivated.

I will leave this with one final thing that I saw the other day that very much reminded me of the Apollo SA plotline and I think it rings very true for the misdirected conclusion of the plot itself:

One of the biggest issues of the Apollo SA plotline, at least in my opinion, is that it never really gets to the root of why people like Apollo exist. There absolutely were strong foundations for this - he's the son of a guy who's known for being a serial cheater, he's popular and egotistical and is used to women wanting him, etc. - but all of those foundations kind of fell to the wayside in favor of turning Apollo into just another boogeyman, especially to lift Hades up as a "good man" by comparison (when Hades himself also falls on this spectrum). But many people like Apollo aren't just random guys in an alleyway or conspiring with some "higher power" that's manipulating them, they're men who fundamentally do not understand consent and assault on the varying spectrums in which it exists from "SA just exists, oh well" passiveness to "I'm an actual monster who gets pleasure out of victimizing women" aggressiveness. I think there's a lot to discuss about how people like Apollo exist WITHOUT sympathizing with them, but LO manages to do neither - not only does it give us uncomfortable and unnecessary looks into the rapist's POV more than we get the victims, but it does it in a way that doesn't actually address the issue of how people like Apollo come to be, it's just "Apollo is the big evil boogeyman who raped Persephone". Not only does it not actually put enough focus on the victims, but it reduces the societal and cultural complexities of where Apollo's brand of egotistical entitlement comes from to just "some guys just be evil like that". Guys like Apollo don't just come out of the womb like that, they're often shaped into what they are by a society that both excuses them for awful behavior towards girls ("Boys will be boys!") and enables - if not outright encourages - them to objectify women as trophies that they're entitled to. Even the seemingly innocent and sentimental practice of "giving away a bride" at a wedding is rooted in these patriarchal systems, with the belief that a woman first "belongs" to her father before being "given to" her husband.

It's the part of feminism that often gets overlooked - it's not just about uplifting female voices and helping survivors speak up about and heal from SA, it's also about deconstructing and challenging the patriarchal systems that lead to SA victims being created in the first place. Sure, Apollo got sentenced to building temples in the Mortal Realm, but what is that actually doing to address the bigger topic of how men like him come to exist in the first place? Especially when it was also treated as a good thing for TGOEM to be disbanded, instead of, idk... reworking it into a women's support group for survivors like Persephone?

IDK, it's a very complicated subject that you can approach from a million different angles, I don't think that my criticizing it should outweigh the opinions of those who were satisfied with the punishment that was given to Apollo (my saying the SA plotline sucked doesn't mean you're not allowed to find your own validation in it) but I do think that, at best, Rachel ended the SA plotline the only way she could because she herself is just not equipped to tackle such broad subjects that require a lot more education, experience, and nuance than what she's capable of writing. There are definitely 1298423108 better ways that plotline could have been resolved, but not with Rachel Smythe at the helm.

And that's my many cents on that.

I really hope Macaria gets her own Hades game, and if not here's some of my ideas

It's like the opposite of Hades 1

Mac has long brown hair that kinda looks like Persephones hairdo pre-underworld, yellow and white based clothes, two green eyes, and oh yeah white wings, all weapons kinda float on her back. Very nice, kind, and sweet. More of Hallyday, joyous, flowers and rainbow vibe game

Mac is trapped on the mortal world, raised by Persephone, because that curse is like the opposite for her, she can't live in the underworld, lives in Persephones old farm

Trained by Chiron, taking Skelemesus(how do you spell??) Role. Also Triptolemus is here, mortal turned God by Demeter during Persephones disappearance, and Cyrene, amazing Hunter and Shepherd princess/queen turned Naiad, lover of Apollo and Ares too

Plot: The Primordal gods and Titans are awaking, aka they were all, mostly, asleep before this and will wake up and choose violence

Mainly Gaia, who's upset about the Titan things. The Olympians can't help cause they gotta deal with Typhon, so Mac gets help from minor gods and some Titans- Hebe, fun cus, Asclepius, bless his soul, Triton, nervous cus, Iris, gossip girl/hermes job, Nike, probably challenges you like Nem in Hades 2, Tyche, the IDK, Eros, seductive but is married(put shoulerd guards because of THE INCIDENT), Psyche, distant, loss vibe, but a sweetheart, Aeolus, laying down on a couch looking cloud, baby girl, Prometheus, holds tourch thats all I ask for, Themis, blindfold looking straight at you with hands on sword in the ground, stoic.... probably others, comment below

For Nyx kids this time around, basically everyone's who left, but primarily Phil(Philotes) Friendship Incarnate, the bestie who's like Hypnos, never met him though, she doesn't hang out with her other family, except Hemera! Also here, like the opposite Nyx, kinda duh Day Incarnate, also you wake Aither, Light Incarnate, same vibe as giddy Hypnos kinda. But then gets the worst Nyx kids, Oizys, Distress Incarnate, pessimism pro, Momus, Satire Incarnate, ridicules you for everything, the worse, more annoying Hypnos greeter, Dolos and Apate, Fraud and Deceit Incarnate, makes your job harder and kills you half the time, Geras, grumpy old man, anddddd Achlys, Misery Incarnate, who I make Nyx AND Erebus kid because the Chaos and Nyx kid might be too weird... also Asleep Primordal... but awakes, very much like Charon, they are best friends, enemies, and closest siblings, both taught by Erebus and hisses/growls to speak, also will kill you UNLESSS you offer her stuff, dumb enough to fight Charon... but he's also dumb enough to fight her so...

Also Erebus is here, who I like to say is all their dad because I love him, defiantly loving father who's been denied fatherhood too many times

Wake during the fight with Tartarus, who also wakes. They have beef. Fought each other and put eachother to sleep, on the day Eris was born, when the Twins were barely a year old(the order is different for reasons). Basically Erebus is gonna visist his entire family, also favors Charon because he's the first kid who he could ACTUALLY RAISE- looks at Hemera, Aither, and the Fates- let's not talk about Moros, Nemesis, Geras, Phil, Hypnos, Than, Eris, and Momus

Also others you awake- Oceanus, Pontus, Ananke, Astreaus, Uranus(maybe), Gaia, and other primordals/Titans prob, comment below for ideas

Other characters: Hippolytus, hates his dad(Theseus) loves Artemis(as in a Motherly figure/best friend, depending on how you see em) also loves his actually mom, Jason and Perseus hanging out together(congrats if ya got that reference), Atalanta, challenge you in everything and likes to berate Jason, Hippolyta, hates her Ex loves her son, Otrera, person you fight because why not?, Keto(Ceto) goddess of Sea Monsters, person you fight because I want that design, Midas, like takes Charons job for most of the game, also Pasithea, with children, help her get to Hypnos, others I don't know GIVE IDEAS

Weapons: main Scythe, because yes, at one point gets dual Swords, one is Aspect of Erebus, because yes, throwing knives, Aspect of Oizys, idk feels right, some type of spear thing, Aspect of Iris and Nike for those, whip? Aspect of Megeara because I'm funny, shields, either Aspect of Heracles or Achlys, and one for Perseus and Athena, mirror shield plus Medusa head one, Hammer/Mace, a Hypnos Ascpet it's funny guys, probably Momus too, and I don't know... that's all I got

For Romance options, I feel like Phil because she's very like Mac, Oizys for that Nemesis/Melinoe type, maybe an Iris one? She shows up in person eventually after you get her fountain, and if you wanna be REALLY funny, Meg or Than depending what ya chose for the first game

Finally, you get a big quest known as Phil's Tea Party, basically everytime you god a minor god or Nyx kid to join her Tea Party, at the end get the whole family, please, Phil loves her family despite them not loving her

AND THATS IT???

I don't know, love to hear ideas

AI Bracket — Round 4

Propaganda

Imogen (Stellar Firma):

#IMOGEN 💥💥💥💥💥 #she invented a guy to just put them in situations that she couldnt do herself bcs she is . an ai . #she gave this guy to the most horrific man known to anyone and the only help she gave him was . giving him almost the same rights as humans #not according to anyone else but to her yeah #shes an ai who didn't want to work for big evil human corp so she made a guy who could let her not do that #i love her sm #i cannot hear the words ' watch it buster ' without thinking of her #shes soooooo <33333 #man i should relisten to stellar firma i miss her

Eris (Wolf 359):

Basically a game show host but crueller. She puts you through psychological torment as a bonding exercise with your crew, and at the end you have to shoot her with a real actual gun. She is projected directly into your mind by interfacing with your nervous system and she will do something messed up. Her most recent iteration got blasted into space. Personally, I think she's lovely

A VR entity designed to do chaos psychological horror torture tests on Goddard employees. She's not malicious; that's simply her job. It's how she was made. (Maybe she can grow.)

She was in just one episode but so fucking interesting, evil/malicious AI. also a lesbian. Was shot the secound she became a bit too self aware

Guys is it just me or does Eri’s facepaint look kind of like Hoopa. Guys. Gu

They are forever in their honeymoon era 🫶

tw // injury, bruises, blood, degrading tattoos

276 days later - Eri the Orphan

Destiny + The Onion/Reductress Headlines

i love game set in ancient greece where you get shot at with a gun 200 times and explode

Eri: If you don't want me leaking the audio of you having sex with my sister you'll-

Miorine: Everyone has already heard us have sex because of that one incident at a party. Try again.

Eri:... If you don't want me leaking the audio of you admitting that you don't completely hate Delling and mom, you'll get me my own soundproof room and tv.

Miorine: You son of a bitch. You're lucky I love you, I'll do so later.

Eri: Thank you :3c

swifties’ beef with people who have supposedly wronged taylor is so funny to me cause it’s like on one end of the spectrum one dude stole her entire body of work and one dude emotionally manipulated her and their relationship when she was 19 and on the other end of the spectrum there’s her boyfriend of 6 years she parted amicably with and a girl who can’t even legally drink alcohol in the united states like it’s all so unserious be so fucking real

this is the tav i'm currently playing as! her name is eris, she's a deep gnome circle of the moon druid and i have been so engrossed by her save that unfortunately this is the only pic i have of her :'(

People being weird about Halsin while I'm over here unable to make myself turn him down. The way this man yearns, I swear. How can you not love it? 🖤

Baldur's Gate 3

oh i'm gonna be so annoying about this album..... i even took notes while listening to this just now...

I think Modern Au Suletta would be a Glass Child

Course Correct snippet

Tie yanked off his neck, folded careful enough to hide in an inner pocket without making a bump, Eris unbuttoned his collar and met her eyes in the mirror.   “Cunts across the water here yet?”   Nesta just lifted the glass of fruity, terrible wine to her lips. White for a garden party, Morrigan had purred, insisted, when Nesta tried to dodge. A perfumed headache in a glass.   Eris ran a hand through his already perfect hair, tousling the deep red. “We playing beard, Archeron?”   “No.” A slink across the room, a mean face that made Nesta despite herself, breathe. “Feyre wants a balanced table.”   “She learn that from Downton Abbey?”

“Be nice.”   He slipped the wine glass out of her hand instead, waving it beneath his nose with a moue of distaste. “Christ. Why do rich people spend so much money on fucking trash?”   “Taste?” Nesta offered, leaning back into the coolness of the wall. Marble, in place in exactly one location of this echoing, empty house: pretty, skylight studded bathrooms. Bone white nightmares, but at least they weren’t pretending to be comfortable or cozy.   Without bothering to check if she actually meant to drink it- he knew better- Eris poured what was probably an obscene value of white into the grey moss of a planter. Careless of  anemic looking ferns, lush orchids blooming colorlessly upward. Flipped the glass in his hand to dangle by the stem, hip propped against the slab that made the sink.   “How bad?”   Nesta shrugged. “She’s been tablescapping for two days. Freesia and bowls of oranges everywhere. Three cakes. Three different bakeries.”   Eris shook his head. “They’re going to eat her alive.”   A rainbow romper, flowers in her hair. Feyre was overflowing with enthusiasm. Brightness. Just because Rhys was following her around like an ink-dipped puppy didn’t mean the Lord Devlin was going to be equally charmed.   “What do you know?”   His thin mouth tipped, ever-present sharp expression rendered scathing. “Bunch of posh fucks who held onto their ancestral wealth and think they’re special for centuries of inbreeding. What do you know, Archeron?”   Nesta rolled her eyes. Smiled, unwilling. Pressed her shoulders to grounding stone one last time before straightening. “That you have an in with Nox.”   “Right, because I’d be working for my father’s firm if I had an in with”-   “Eris.”   He sighed. Crossed his arms. Light-catching brown eyes and unreal hair, he looked about as out of place as Nesta already felt, buried under this whole pale mausoleum.   “They don’t like Rhys.” A shrug, one thin shoulder rising. “Typical fucking racism. But they like money. That’s all I’ve got, unless you’d like to hear about the quality of cock Rhysand’s lawyer is walking around with.”