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primatechnosynthpop · 3 years

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It's A Sad Webisode, But We Film It Anyway

(Aka, the things I write when I should be doing schoolwork...)

It was a cold, gray morning. The coldness was due mainly to the fact that Neil had left his bedroom window open the previous night, and the grayness was due to the fact that he hadn't cleaned the house in a while, leading to his walls being covered in a gray film of dust. Both those oversights were due in part to his natural aversion to housework, but also to the deep depression that was hanging over him lately, much like motes of dust. And that particular morning, his cold gray surroundings provided the perfect backdrop to his sullen morning routine.

It had been a whole week already. That was hard to believe. The sound of screams still rang in his ears sometimes when he closed his eyes, and he couldn't pass by that old house without shuddering (that much was already true beforehand, but now it was a deeper shudder, often accompanied by the prick of tears in his eyes). Worse still, he was hit with an overwhelming sadness every time his gaze landed on that urn… which happened often, because the urn was sitting right there on the kitchen table. He would have put it away somewhere where he didn't have to see it as often, but that would feel disrespectful. It was so weird to think that the little pile of dirt inside that urn had once been one of his best friends. It seemed like too small a container to fit someone so brave, so kind-hearted, so loyal. But there it was--all that was left of the true-blue American hero.

Neil heaved a weary sigh which turned into a yawn halfway through as he trudged into the kitchen. He rubbed sleep out of his eyes and pushed his bedraggled bangs out of his face, but his vision remained slightly blurry, so he took off his glasses and winced at the realization of how smudged they'd gotten. That wasn't even related to him being depressed about Kevin; he was just a mess that morning for no particular reason. But after wiping his glasses off on his pajama top and splashing some cold tap water on his face, he was all fired up for another day of wallowing in grief… just as soon as he had a nourishing bowl of stale cereal that just didn't taste as sweet these days.

As he was pouring his cereal into the bowl, though, something unusual fell out of the box--a little rectangle of shiny paper. Neil blinked, befuddled. His first thought was, did I just win a prize? He checked his cereal box for anything mentioning prizes or contests, but all he could find were nutrition fact charts. In fact, after tilting the box every which way, he finally found a line of text on the inside flap reading There are no fun prizes in here, just cereal. Eyebrows knitting together, Neil looked back at the scrap of paper tucked neatly amongst his cereal. Well, either the box was lying, or this piece of paper was something else altogether. Something like…

"It's a message from the studio!"

Neil's eyes were startlingly bright, and he had a grin to match. He was illuminated in the doorway by the rising sun behind him, which was just beginning to crest over the horizon. Did he usually get up and about so early in the morning? Moreover…

"They want us to make another webisode?" Ryan frowned as he examined the piece of paper Neil was shoving in his face. "Can we do that? I mean, you know, without…"

He trailed off, gaze dropping. Neil, naturally knowing exactly what he meant, sighed and scuffed his shoes against the porch. A moment of silence passed between them, during which they both thought of the missing member of their team. Making webisodes would be a lot different without Kevin, and probably not in a good way.

Then Neil suddenly brightened again. He stepped across the threshold into Ryan's house without an invitation--he didn't immediately object to it, so it was fine, probably--and shut the door behind him, not wanting anybody to listen in.

"Yeah, they want us to make a Greek mythology inspired webisode this time." He cleared his throat, adjusted his glasses, and read out the note he'd received:

Dear New Kids on the Rock, sorry for your loss. We will be sending in a new team member to replace James sometime in the next month. In the meantime, you need to continue making movies if you want to keep getting paid. For your next webisode, we'd like you to make an adaptation of a Greek myth.

Sincerely, Plymouth Rock Studios.

"I see…" Ryan stroked his beard, eyebrows raising. "Perhaps we could adapt the myth of Erysichthon eating himself to death, or Lycurgus of Thrace being cursed with madness and mistaking his son for a plant, or…"

"No, no, don't you get it?" Neil interjected, shaking the paper furiously in Ryan's face. "This is our chance! We can do the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and that way--"

Ryan realized what Neil was getting at just in time for them to exclaim it in unison:

"We can get Kevin back!!"

"You go fetch the filmmaking equipment," Ryan told Neil. "I'll open a portal to the underworld."

"Alright!" Neil enthused. "Be right back!"

He scampered off, grinning wider than he had all week--which wasn't a high bar to clear, because he hadn't smiled whatsoever all week, except for in the fleeting moments when he forgot what had happened to Kevin, only for that momentary forgetfulness to come crashing down and plunge him back into misery at the sight of the urn on the table. But that was all going to change now. Heck, he may as well just throw out that dusty old urn, because he wouldn't be needing it anymore after this mission.

Somewhere far below the aboveground realm of the living, in a dark field of ash that stretched forever, a soul wandered amidst countless others. He couldn't remember who he was when he was alive. He couldn't even remember his name. And worst of all, he couldn't see a thing. In fact, the only reason he knew he was in a dark field of ash was because all the other souls kept moaning about it.

Time here didn't flow the same way it did in the living world. He could have been there for an hour or for a century. It felt like the latter. But he had no way of checking, because even if there were any clocks around in this barren field, he wouldn't be able to see them. And he couldn't hear any ticking, so probably no clocks. But hey, on the plus side, no ticking meant no pipe bombs either. At the very least, he didn't have to worry about dying a second time.

And he was definitely dead. That was the one thing about himself that he was sure of. The one scrap of memory that lingered in his mind was the sensation of a tentacle piercing through him, severing his major arteries. Although he couldn't look down at himself to be sure, it didn't feel like this hole was still there when he patted himself. But he didn't have a pulse either, so… yeah. Definitely dead.

He'd like to say it wasn't so bad, really. He had all those other souls for company, right? But all of them were a drag to talk to. Most of them could only moan and groan, and those he encountered who could actually speak were too caught up in emotional turmoil to carry on much of a conversation with. So it was just an eternity of wandering blind and aimless through a desolate field of his fellow ghosts, then. Great.

"Geez, this place is giving me the creeps," Neil muttered, trying and failing to suppress a shiver as he surveyed the barren wasteland. "It's so… ghost-y."

Ryan flicked a clump of ash out of his hair with a disgruntled huff. "I'll say. Who would have thought the land of the dead would be so dull and gloomy?"

"Yeah, our webisode isn't going to turn out very visually appealing…" Neil shrugged. "Oh, well, I guess we can edit it in post."

They lapsed back into silence then, with the only sounds being the ash crunching under their shoes and the low moaning of the pale ghostly figures that weaved here and there around them. Then, after a little more walking, Neil stopped, struck with a realization that was accompanied by a pang of dismay.

"Wait. How do we know which of these guys--" He gestured at the countless ghosts milling around them, all featureless save for the vague outlines of indistinguishable faces-- "is Kevin?"

"Oh, yeah…" Ryan turned to look back the way they'd come. Keeping the portal between worlds open was expending a lot of his energy, so he hadn't been paying much attention to all the ghosts… "Maybe we even walked past him already and didn't notice."

"W-well, he'd recognize us, wouldn't he? I mean…" Neil shook his head, unwilling to even consider the possibility that they could encounter their friend and have him not know who they were. That was the kind of thing that happened in movies when people got brainwashed, and it usually led to some kind of big fight. He didn't think he'd be able to take Kevin in a fistfight.

Ryan prodded Neil to snap him out of his troubled thoughts. "Hey, maybe you could get his attention by playing a song."

"Oh, that's right!" Neil held up his trusty keytar, which he'd been carrying with him the whole time. "That is how the myth goes, isn't it? Let's see…"

He ran his fingers along the keys, playing a scale. A cold wind stirred in the previously stagnant air, blowing clouds of ash around--Ryan coughed and swatted the dust away from his face--but most of the ghosts didn't seem to notice, with only a couple of them slightly raising their heads before carrying on their aimless trudging. Still, Neil was encouraged. He kept playing, eventually branching away from scales and into the basic pop song chords.

According to the myth they were adapting, that was how it was supposed to go: someone goes down into the underworld, plays a song, finds the person they came for, and then they leave. At least that was the gist of it. Neil was too eager about this mission to bother poring through any dusty old tomes of mythology beforehand. He knew the basics, and that was the important part; everything else he could just make up as he went along.

Ryan nodded, satisfied with this development. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and took out the video camera that he'd also been carrying with him the whole time, and started filming Neil playing his song.

"You're doing great," he called in encouragement when Neil's playing faltered. "Keep it up, and we'll lure Kevin out in no time!"

"I don't know…" Neil sighed, shoulders slumping. Looking around, he still didn't see any ghosts that looked like they might have been Kevin. "If this is where everyone goes when they die, then there must be hundreds of souls here--maybe even thousands. Do you really think we'll find him?"

"I'm sure we will," Ryan replied, but only because he knew that was what Neil wanted to hear. Truth be told, he was pretty skeptical about the prospect of them actually finding Kevin. And even if they did, he just had a bad feeling about this whole mission… he couldn't shake the feeling that there was some important factor they were forgetting.

Neil could sense Ryan's thinly-concealed pessimism, and it put a damper on his spirits, which were already pretty damp to begin with. Still, he wasn't ready to give up just yet. If nothing else, they had to complete their webisode so they could get paid. And so he straightened up, looked into the video camera, and launched into a bona-fide performance.

After an indeterminable amount of time spent trudging aimlessly around the void, music rang out through the ash-crusted air.

It was a rhythmic keytar beat, reminiscent of 80's synth pop. Surprisingly catchy. The lost soul raised his head and turned to face the direction the sound was coming from, and although he couldn't see, an image flashed through his mind. The mental image vanished before he could pin down what it was, but it left him with a sense of inner warmth--a sharp contrast to the desolate cold of the field. The music was good, then. He should go toward it.

At as brisk a pace as he could manage while maneuvering around the countless other wandering souls, he followed the source of the sound. A palpable excitement began to thrum through him as he ran. Somehow, this felt like coming home.

As he grew nearer, a voice spoke over the music--not singing, but a whisper edged with what sounded like concern.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep that portal open. Maybe we should leave."

Panic spiked through the lost soul, not unlike the phantom sensation of the tentacle piercing his body. Another mental image flashed through his mind: two men turning their backs on him and walking away.

"N-no!" he cried. "Don't leave me here!"

As soon as he spoke up, the music stopped. Disoriented by the silence, the soul staggered to a halt. If he still had a beating heart, he was sure it would be pounding frantically, and if he had lungs he'd be panting to catch his breath. As it was, he just stood still, staring sightlessly ahead and praying that he hadn't just been abandoned.

Then another voice spoke, quiet and shaky as though with disbelief.

"…Kevin?"

Well, you sure wouldn't know it was Kevin just by looking at him. He looked no different from any of the other countless translucent gray figures wandering around the field. The only notable difference was in his behaviour. Unlike all the other souls, only a few of whom displayed the slightest interest in Neil's keytar performance, this one was standing stock-still and appeared to be staring right at them.

"Is that… me?" The soul's voice was low and distorted. It didn't sound exactly like Kevin. But it didn't sound like someone completely different either. "Am I Kevin?"

Neil and Ryan exchanged an anxious look. What were they supposed to say to a question like that? After a moment, Ryan cautiously stepped toward the ghostly figure.

"I don't know… are you?"

"You…" The soul shook his head, his transparent outline of a face twisting into a pained grimace. "I know you, don't I?"

Looking at him up closer, Ryan noticed one physical difference that set this apparition apart from the others. Where all the other souls had the pale outlines of eyes, this one did not. Pulse picking up in excitement, Ryan glanced over his shoulder at Neil and waved him over.

"I think it's him."

"Really?" Neil made his way over to the soul and tried to pat it on the arm, but his hand just phased through it. "How can you tell?"

"Its eyes are missing, see?" Ryan poked his fingers through the empty part of the soul's face where eyes would normally be. "Just like what happened to Kevin."

"Oh, yeah…" Neil shuddered at the memory, which he'd spent the past week trying to put out of his mind. "Well, if it is him, then we should get him a new pair of eyes. He'll need them if we're supposed to keep making webisodes."

Throughout this exchange, the soul took in the achingly familiar sound of those two voices. He knew them, he knew he did! A series of mental images flashed through his head in quick succession, each vanishing before he could properly take them in. He clutched his head and shook it with a growl of frustration.

Then that last word stuck in his head. Webisodes… Yes, that was a familiar term. Another image flashed through his mind, and this time it lingered just long enough for him to identify it: two men--no, three men, himself included--hunched over a laptop, watching a little progress bar labeled "uploading…" tick slowly forward. He remembered drumming his fingers against the arm of the couch they were sitting on, chewing his lip, anxiously awaiting their newly made video to finish uploading to a certain website…

"H-hey, guys," he said slowly, incorporeal body trembling with the weight of the question, "What's that website called again?"

Eyes widening, Neil immediately snapped to attention, and began instinctively rattling it off.

"Http://--"

And suddenly the lost soul remembered, with the force of a tidal wave crashing over him, who he was. The three of them shouted it out together, in perfect unison.

"Hollywoodeasttv.com!!"

"Kevin," Neil gasped, tears of joy welling up in his eyes, "It really is you!"

"Yeah," he replied in a shaky voice, breaking into a grin. "It's me."

He flung his arms around Neil and Ryan, and although his ghostly form just phased right through them, he could feel their warmth, and it made him feel warm and alive as well. They stayed like that for a moment, huddled in a tearful quasi-embrace, until Ryan gasped and pulled back.

"Guys, the portal is closing. We've gotta run!"

Neil grabbed at Kevin's wrist. When that obviously failed, he got another idea. "C'mon, Kev, follow the sound of my instrument. We're gonna get you out of here."

They took off at an urgent pace, heading back the way they came. Ryan walked in front; Neil walked close behind, playing an improvised melody on his keytar; and Kevin took up the lead, only occasionally stumbling over one of the other spirits before righting his course and hurrying to catch up. When they got to the portal, it was still most of the way open, with easily enough room for them all to walk through. On the other side of that portal was the familiar interior of their clubhouse. Just a few more steps, and…

Ryan suddenly stopped walking, causing Neil to bump into him. At the sudden pause of the sound of his friends' footsteps, Kevin stopped as well. Neil prodded Ryan in the back with a puzzled frown.

"Hey, why'd you stop? We're almost out, we just have to--"

"…But that's not how the story goes."

"What?"

"We're adapting the myth of Orpheus, aren't we? He doesn't get Eurydice out of the underworld," Ryan said. Although he kept his voice level, a sharp pang of remorse squeezed at his heart as he spoke. "If we don't adapt the myth correctly, the studio won't be happy."

"Oh…" Neil gulped. "You don't think they'd fire us, do you?"

"I don't know, but we probably wouldn't get paid."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kevin asked, putting his hands on his hips. From his position a few feet behind them, he couldn't hear all of what they were saying over the groaning of the other spirits, but judging by their tones of voice, it couldn't be good.

Neil, beset by guilt at the prospect of leaving his friend behind, tried to glance over his shoulder at Kevin, but Ryan grabbed his head and twisted it back in place. If Kevin saw Neil looking at him with those plaintive puppy-dog eyes, he'd know something was up.

"Oh, nothing," Ryan said way too quickly and loudly. "Just saying how great it's going to be, you know, when all three of us are back in the world of the living…" He leaned in to whisper to Neil. "Listen, I don't like this any more than you do, but we can't take him back with us."

"But we came all this way," Neil objected. "Can't we just turn the video camera off now and edit it in post?"

"Are you talking about the video we're making this week?" Kevin interjected, walking up closer so he could hear them better. "What's it about?"

"It's, um," Neil stammered, "it's a--an inspiring sports movie?"

"Well, it's a good thing you guys came to get me, then," Kevin replied cheerfully. He slung an arm over Neil's shoulders, or performed as close an approximation to such a gesture as he could when he was still incorporeal. "What've you got so far?"

"O-oh, yeah, um… hang on, I've got it somewhere…"

Ryan tugged on Neil's sleeve and motioned toward the portal, which was now gradually growing thinner. "We should go," he reminded him in an urgent hiss.

"…Right, yeah… um…" Biting his lip, Neil gave a shaky nod of acknowledgement in Kevin's general direction without turning to face him. He couldn't bear to look him in the eyes (or lack thereof) just then. "Well, it's been nice seeing you again, Kev."

"Wait, what? You guys aren't taking me with you?"

The confusion and distress in Kevin's voice brought tears to Neil's eyes. Ryan drew in a sharp breath and held his head upright, forcing himself to retain his composure despite the crushing feeling of guilt pressing down on him. They thought back to the way they'd lost Kevin in the first place: running away from the ghoul without stopping to look back, thinking only of preserving their own lives, not realizing Kevin wasn't with them until they'd made it halfway down the block away from the manor, and by then it was too late. If they had stopped and looked back then, and seen that they were inadvertently leaving their friend behind, would they have run back to save him? Well, probably not. That ghoul was pretty scary. But they had another chance to save him now, and… well, they'd be a couple of real jerks if they left him behind again, wouldn't they?

They exchanged a glance, and the agreement passed unspoken. So maybe we won't get paid by the studio this week, Neil thought. So what? It'll be worth it as long as we've got Kevin.

"Of course we're taking you with us," Ryan said, and this time he meant it. He turned to address Kevin as he made this declaration, and Neil concurrently turned to face him as well, no longer ashamed to look him in the weird transparent eyeless face. "We came all this way to get you, didn't we?"

But as soon as they laid eyes on Kevin, a magnetic force took hold of him and yanked him backward. He yelped in surprise and tried to tug himself free, but was powerless to resist the supernatural pull. That was the very important thing they had forgotten--the reason for Orpheus's mythological failure. You weren't supposed to stop and look back at the person you were taking out of the underworld.

Realizing what was happening, Neil sprung into quick-thinking mode. "Ryan, hand me the video camera!"

"Alright, but what are you going to--?"

Neil answered that question before Ryan could finish asking it. In a fluid, decisive motion, Neil reached into the camera and pulled out the long roll of film from within. The film was instantly ruined upon exposure to the ashen air, but that was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He hastily tied the film reel into a makeshift lasso and swung it forward with all his might. Kevin just barely managed to grab ahold of it.

But the forces of the underworld wouldn't loosen their hold on Kevin that easily. He continued to be pulled backward, and holding onto the film reel lasso caused Neil to get pulled along with him. Just before the force either dragged him away or forced him to let go of the film strip, Ryan grabbed Neil around the waist. Steadier on his feet now with his friend holding him in place, Neil began reeling Kevin back towards them.

With their combined efforts, the three of them managed to break free from the pull of the underworld. As soon as Neil had pulled Kevin in close enough that it looked like they'd be able to make it, Ryan released his grip on Neil and darted through the portal. A moment later, Neil slipped through it himself…

And then Kevin stumbled through, just milliseconds before the portal closed. In a reality-defying ripple, his flesh resolidified, ghastly blue-gray transforming into skin flushed with exertion, short messy dark hair, and the slightly rumpled clothes he'd been wearing when he died. He gasped, filling up his newly reformed lungs with fresh air.

Then his legs buckled with exhaustion after such an ordeal and he fell forward. Neil and Ryan were there to catch him before he hit the ground. Kevin sobbed at the sensation of their hands grabbing hold of him--no more phasing; he could feel them, solid and tangible. And they could feel him in just the same way. Driven by the sheer ecstasy of the moment, he lifted them off the ground--prompting a yelp of surprise from Neil--and swung them around in a clumsy circle before setting them back down.

"Oh, man," Kevin half-laughed, half-cried. "I missed you guys so much."

"Aw, gee, we missed you too," Neil replied, patting Kevin on the shoulder.

"Say, you won't be needing that urn anymore, will you?" Ryan asked. "Can I keep it?"

"Of course you can. In fact, I'll throw in an extra one, on the house."

With that declaration, he clutched his friends close to his chest and made a mental vow to never die again.

"So, how are the new eyes holding up?"

Kevin blinked and experimentally rolled his eyes up and down and from side to side. His vision was about as good as he remembered, and they were staying in their sockets securely, so…

"Pretty good," he said. "Thanks again, Ryan."

"Oh, it's no trouble. I'm just glad I was finally able to put some of the eyeballs I've been collecting to good use."

Neil wandered in just then, holding up a blank check. "Well, we didn't get paid by the studio," he announced with a sigh of resignation. He flipped the check over to show them the stern note scribbled on the back. "In fact, they're saying we'll rue the day we dared to defy their orders."

It was two days after their underworld rescue mission, and aside from the aforementioned threat from the studio, everything was going great. It was safe to say that the status quo had been effectively restored, and although the lack of payment was a drag, neither Neil or Ryan regretted their decision, at least not enough to go back on it. Having Kevin with them was worth more than one week's salary. And now that they were a trio again, they'd be able to make more movies in the future, unfettered by grief.

"Let me see that." Kevin walked over and took the paper out of Neil's hands. After giving the note a cursory glance, he crumpled it up with a dismissive scoff and tossed it over his shoulder. "Ah, who needs them?" he said, voicing what the others had just been thinking. "As long as we've got each other, we'll be fine."

And it was true: going forward, they all made more of a conscious effort to look out for each other, and through this newfound devotion, they persevered. After all, mortals were only allowed one free trip to the underworld. It was a good thing they didn't waste it.

#yes the title is a hadestown reference. no i never actually saw hadestown. we exist.#anyway as you can tell i was making more of an attempt to capture the vibe of the actual series with this one #instead of veering into epic depression moments #does that mean my mental health is improving? who knows. let me know what you think #anyway. yeah :3 #hey did you know that i write stuff sometimes?

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lepidotrichia · 4 years

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almagest

Summary

"So you know how life is made up of stardust? Like you and I both are made up of the same things that used to make up a star, right?" "Right." "And you know how people make wishes on stars?" "...Yes?" "What if someone ends up being made up of the stardust from one of those wishing stars?" Snorting, he said, "You calling me a dream come true?" "No. I'm a dream come true. You're probably made of the stardust of an evil sun that cursed every living thing around it." "Fuck off."

They were both laughing, music dancing through the night.

Characters

Noriaki Kakyoin, Jotaro Kujo, (BRIEF APPEARANCE) Joseph Joestar, Mohammad Avdul, Jean-Pierre Polnareff

Relationship(s)

Noriaki Kakyoin & Jotaro Kujo (If you wanna read it that way. Technically Pre-Relationship)

Themes, Motifs, and Additional Info

Stargazing, Constellations, Mention of Nightmare, Comfort

Takes place after the fight with Death 13

Word Count

2312

Story below the break! You can also read it here.

While collecting the stars, I connected the dots I don’t know who I am, but now I know who I’m not I’m just a curious speck that got caught up in orbit, in orbit Like a magnet it beckoned my metals toward it, toward it

Joseph’s snores sounded throughout the campsite, harmonizing with the crackling campfire. Jean, Mohammad, and Iggy were huddled nearby, the fire’s steady light dancing across their sleeping figures. A rock’s shadow loomed over the ground. Perched upon it were Jotaro and Noriaki, huddled in a blanket to keep out the January desert night’s chill.

The average seventeen-year-old isn’t equipped to fight a living god. Fear of what’s to come, of what failure would mean for the world, keeping them awake. Both of them were too proud to name that fear out loud, but they knew. Specters tearing apart everything and everyone they ever cared for haunted their dreams.

At times like this, the company of another was a small mercy.

“And that one,” Noriaki continued, pointing at the diagram Hierophant had drawn in the sand, “is Lyra. The one that looks like a parallelogram with the line sticking out of it.”

Hand pressed against his cheek, Jotaro mumbled, “What’s it supposed to be?”

“A lyre. Have you heard of it? It looks like a small harp, but its structure is more like a lute. It was commonly used during the Greek classical period.”

Jotaro carefully considered the sky etched into the ground. Noriaki had wanted to tell him about all the constellations they were missing out on since it wasn’t the right season to catch a glimpse of them in this hemisphere. Breathing out another cloud of smoke, he replied,“I don’t see it. All just looks like a bunch of dots to me.”

Noriaki shook his head. “You’re not looking hard enough. I mean, they are just “a bunch of dots, but humans always manage to find patterns. We find icons and symbols, make stories out of them.”

“What’s the story for this one?”

Noriaki grinned, “I’m glad you asked!”

Gazing into the peaceful darkness, Jotaro eased into his skin. He’d much rather be in a hotel room right now, but he had to admit, he was glad he was here to see the night sky. It looked so vibrant. He’d never seen the milky way in person like this. The city lights back home overwhelmed the stars’ distant glow, rendering them invisible. Here, there was no excess light or noise. Just the stars, the campfire, and Noriaki’s soft voice streaming bits of trivia.

“Do you know the story of Orpheus?" Noriaki toyed with his hair as he began. "Supposedly, he played the first lyre ever made. Legend has it, his music was so beautiful that it charmed even the sirens and the gods. When his lover, Eurydice, died, he went to the Underworld to beg the god of the dead, Hades, to bring her back to life. Can you guess how he got Hades to say yes?"

Without waiting for a reply, he answered, "By playing for him on his Lyre! Thus, Eurydice was allowed to leave the Underworld under one condition." Noriaki leaned in, the dim glow of the campfire casting a shadow on his face. "Orpheus couldn’t look at her until they were back to the land of the living.”

Taking a breath, he continued, “Of course, like most of these stories, it ends with a tragedy. Orpheus couldn’t help himself. He’d missed Eurydice so much. He just couldn’t believe that they’d be together again. And you know, it’s hard not to want to reach out towards someone you’d loved and lost. So Orpheus ended up looking back at Eurydice as they were leaving the Underworld, despite Hades’ warning."

Noriaki leaned back on his hands, tone turning nonchalant as he finished. "So Eurydice was sent back, never to return to the land of the living. Orpheus would spend the rest of his life wandering around aimlessly while playing his lyre, and no one lived happily ever after. The end."

Jotaro’s mouth twitched into a frown, “That’s stupid. If I was Orpheus, I just wouldn’t have looked back.”

“Wouldn’t you?” Noriaki inclined his head as if to say "really now?".

“No. I mean, why would I go through all that trouble just to fuck up and do the one thing I wasn’t supposed to do? What’s the point?"

“Well, it’s a story in the end.”

“Hmph, dumb story."

“It was probably a rhetorical question—” Jotaro nodded, “but the point of the story is to talk about how death is absolute. At least, that’s what I think. No matter how much Orpheus and Eurydice loved each other, love alone wasn’t enough to overcome death.”

Jotaro furrowed his brows. “But it was Orpheus’s fault.”

“Was it?" Noriaki rebutted. "Gods are supposed to be omnipotent. See, I think Hades knew that Orpheus wouldn’t be able to resist looking back, so he gave him this impossible condition to follow. He was humoring the funny little man with his pretty-sounding lyre. I mean," his hands were animated now as he spoke excitedly, "how are you just going to waltz into the realm of the god of the dead demanding your lover be brought back to life just because you miss her? Hades was never actually going to bring Eurydice back to life.”

Bringing his hands back down behind him, skin pressing into stone, Noriaki gave Jotaro a sad smile and said, “No matter how brutal it is to have someone you love ripped away, the universe doesn’t grant any favors.”

The two sat in contemplative silence. Hierophant’s tendrils shifted beneath the sand, mapping out their surroundings out of habit.

“I still wouldn’t have turned around”, Jotaro broke the silence.

“Hmm?”

Turning to face Noriaki, he continued, “I wouldn’t have turned around. Orpheus was thinking about how much he missed Eurydice. That’s why he turned around. That was his mistake.”

Noriaki tilted his head, a teasing gleam in his eyes, “You’re saying Orpheus was being selfish?”

“I’m saying he cared more about how much he missed her than actually bringing her back to life.”

“You’re telling me he deserved to be punished for missing someone?”

Jotaro sighed irritably, “I’m saying he put his wants before someone else’s needs. His feelings shouldn’t matter when someone’s life is on the line.”

Noriaki hummed. “Impressive, Jotaro. You know, Mr. Abdul told me how you locked yourself up in jail after you found out you had a Stand because you were afraid you’d hurt someone." He reached out to sweep aside a curl resting uncomfortably on Jotaro's left eye. "Something about an “evil spirit”? Did you have the same mindset when you did that?

Jotaro pulled back. “Fuck off”, he dismissed, stubbing his cigarette against the rock’s side, dropping it into the sand below. Noriaki winced as the cigarette landed on a part of Hierophant, ashes burning into their tendrils. Hierophant quickly withdrew themself.

“Shit", he breathed in sharply." Fuck, sorry.”

“You’re fine you’re fine", waving the incident away. Stifling a yawn, Noriaki closed his eyes, chin dropping. His loose curls fell against the side of his face, the red of his hair burning bright against his silhouette. Basking in the faint warmth of the fire, he spoke slowly, apologizing, “Not much I can tell you about the sky right now. I’m only really familiar with the summertime constellations.”

Pressing his face into his palm more, Jotaro stared at him, jaw tensed in quiet worry. “Kakyoin.

"Yeah?"

"Go sleep.”

“What?" Noriaki opened his eyes, sitting back up. "No, I’m fine.” Jotaro gave him a side-eye. “Dude, I’m wide awake.”

A wicked grin took over, as Noriaki pressed, “Is it that you’re tired, Jotaro? Is it past your bedtime? I know Ms. Kujo wouldn’t want her baby boy up so late—”

“Oh my god, I’m going to kick your ass”, Jotaro complained, shoving at Noriaki. There was no hiding the smile growing on his face. Noriaki’s laugh carried in the air as he pushed himself back to lean into Jotaro, the latter dissolving into silent, shaky laughter himself.

After some time, the two caught their breath. Below a sky full of stars, they sat resting against each other. Noriaki spoke gently, “Are you worried about her?”

Jotaro huffed, “Don’t ask stupid questions.”

“We’re going to win, you know. We’ll save her.” Noriaki squeezed the other’s arm, “You hear me, Jojo?”

"Yeah.” He was quieter now.

“I promise.”

Hiding below the brim of his hat, he mumbled, “Thanks, Kakyoin.”

“Do you wanna play a game?” Noriaki poked up at the hat’s brim so he could see Jotaro’s eyes again. “Let’s make up our own constellations.”

“That sounds stupid.”

“Exactly. Haven’t you ever tried to do something stupid to cope with something serious? It’ll be fun.”

Sighing, he gave in, “Fine.”

“You first?”

“What? Why? I don’t even want to pl—”

“You’re older, so you go first.”

“That’s so stupid. This is so stupid.”

“If you complain or say “stupid” one more time, I’m going to have Hierophant pour sand down your uniform.”

“You’re one evil bastard.” Noriaki grinned as if he’d just been complimented. “Fine. Okay um”, Jotaro squinted at the sky before him. “That one looks like a cat stretching.”

“Really? It looks more like a horse to me. See, its face is too long to be a cat’s.”

Jotaro sneered, “Hey, it’s my constellation. I’m the one who says what it is.”

“Okay okay!” Noriaki laughed, raising his hands in surrender. “What’s its story?

“Fuck, I don’t know. It’s just a cat. Does it have to have one?”

“It’s more fun if it does.”

“I think our definitions of “fun” are very fucking different, Kakyoin.”

“Fine! You’re taking too long anyways.” Noriaki scanned the scene before him. “That one looks like someone asking for a dance.”

“How do you even see that?”

“See? That’s his arm and it’s outstretched. He’s in a dancer's pose, and anyways, it’s my constellation. I’m the one who says—”

“You’re so annoying.”

“So I think his story is that he was this great dancer, so great that he could never find a dance partner. He always performed alone. No one could ever understand him because no one could ever keep up with him. One day, during one of his performances, he was suddenly overcome with so much grief that he danced himself to death. So now he dances in the stars.”

“That’s dark. How did he end up in the stars?”

“Even though he always felt lonely, the people around him admired him a lot. They loved to see him, even if they didn’t really understand him. So although he lived as this untouchable being, he still left a mark on his admirers’ lives. So now he dances with the stars for the whole world to see.”

“That’s depressing.”

Noriaki grumbled, “Come up with a cheerier story then.”

“I’m not good at storytelling.” After searching for a moment, Jotoro said, “That one looks like a fish.”

“No story?”

“No…but I can tell you what kind of fish it is.”

“How do you know about the kinds of fish?” Noriaki questioned curiously.

Jotaro shrugged, “I’m getting into marine biology. Anyways, we’re near the Red Sea, so I’ll say it’s a Bigeye Houndshark.”

“Why a shark?”

“I like sharks.”

“I learn something new about you every day”, Noriaki nudged him with a smile, pulling the blanket tighter around them. “One more?”

“Sure.”

“Hierophant”, Noriaki called out. Hierophant materialized before them, starting at the two. Messages seemed to pass between the Stand and their user, and, after a moment, Hierophant chirped affirmingly. Floating higher up, they unraveled themself, aligning their tendrils to match what the boys saw as the position of the stars. Jotaro blinked at Hierophant as they settled themself in, seemingly pleased with their work.

“What’s this supposed to be?”

Noriaki smiled and replied, “If I remembered it right, it’s supposed to be a map of our journey so far. See that bright star near Hierophant’s head? I recognize it. Polaris, I think. People used to use it to navigate.”

"What’s it supposed to stand for now?”

“Cairo, or our end goal in general. The story of this “constellation” is the story of our crusade, I guess.”

Jotaro stared for a moment longer, trying to think of something to say. A certain feeling tugged at his chest, and in his rush to beat it down, he was rendered speechless.

“We’re awfully close to figuring out how this story ends, don’t you think?”

Jotaro scanned the distance between Hierophant’s head to Polaris. They weren’t all that far from the end now, were they. “Yeah.”

“Are you ready?”

Their eyes met. Jotoro shook his head.

“Me neither”, Noriaki sighed as he called Hierophant back in. “We’ll get there when we get there I suppose.”

“Kakyoin.”

“Mhm?”

“We’ll win. Promise.”

Noriaki stared in surprise before softening his eyes. Smiling, he replied, “Thanks, Jojo.”

"Do you want to stay up a little longer?” It was Jotaro who pulled the blanket around them tighter this time, silently voicing his own answer.

"Please.”

"Alright.”

The campfire crackled, sharing in the warmth of its company, both asleep and awake. The Red Sea’s coast was only a few kilometers away. The group's 50 days and 50 nights were drawing to an end. Maybe no one else would witness their efforts to save the world, but the stars above have burned on longer than any human life. Joining together, they form constellations. They are the archivists of times long passed, stories mapped out in the heavens. They are the storytellers of histories long forgotten. They are the witnesses of the things that happen in the dark, hope carried through dots of light.

Make my messes matter Make this chaos count Let every little fracture in me Shatter out loud

Author’s Note

If you were wondering, the constellations they're referencing in their game are:

Monoceros

Orion

Pisces

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jojoba #jjba #stardust crusaders #jotakak #<-- cringing #jotaro kujo #kakyoin noriaki #kakyoin tenmei #kujo jotaro #jotaro #kakyoin #mywriting #jojo part 3

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seduceme-lovestruck-thearcana · 3 years

Text

The Girl in The Blue Dress

Chapter 17: The Past Continues to Haunt

Hehe >:))) @megatraven and @aallotarenunelma. Next chapter of Rose and Apollo😌💙.

Rose has Adonia in her grasp and the knife is almost pressed directly against her throat.

“Now, what do we have here?” Her voice was dark and the grip on her dagger was tight. Apollo could see her hand shaking slightly from her grip.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Dagger?” Adonia’s voice was dark and had venom clearly in it, but turned to a wince when Rose pulled her hands farther and tighter behind her back.

“What are you doing here? Why are you cornering my friend?”

Adonia didn’t say anything at first, but he could see that she genuinely was becoming afraid. “It’s just mercenary business. You know that,” she said with her words rushing out.

At her response, Rose’s face went slightly pale. He could tell thoughts were rushing through her head, but she didn’t focus on them long. She helped Adonia up and shoved her away. “Go.” That was all she said, and she took it as a threat.

She turned around with a huff and began to walk away from them. When she was out of sight, Rose let out a sigh and turned to Apollo with a worried look. She got closer to him and began to reach out but pulled her hand back to her side.

“Did she do anything to you?” Her voice was monotone and her face went blank.

“No. She just gave me a little fright,” he said with a small laugh, trying to cheer her up with a joke. However, it didn’t help. He then noticed her eyes weren’t looking at him, but all over his body. She looked up and down his arms, around his neck, over his face, and down his toga, trying to find any rips or tears. His heart ached at the worry she was trying to hide.

She reached out her hand and finally looked him back in the eye. “We need to leave. Now.” Her tone was demanding and he couldn’t say no to her. He grabbed her hand and let her lead him back to the ship.

As they walked, her hand was gripping onto his as if he was going to slip away from her grasp, as if she would never see him again. He noticed she was walking pretty fast, ignoring others when they waved or tried to talk to her. He knew she was out of it and that she needs comfort and he’s willing to give if she will accept it, but he waits till they’re back on the boat to say anything.

Once they’re back on the boat, he changes into the clothes he got from the crew and went to knock on Rose’s door. He heard shuffling and the door opened to reveal her in a short, navy colored toga. The toga went down to above her knees, the top part of it was only wrapped around her left shoulder, and both of her arms were exposed.

“Hi, Andy. Did you need anything?” Her voice was professional and distant.

“I was wondering if you’d like to talk a little stroll with me?” He got straight to the point and saw her lift an eyebrow with a smirk.

“My, my, my! Asking the boss out?” Her tone was teasing, suddenly different from before, and she leaned forward with her arms crossed. “Is that adrenaline still in you?” He felt a little blush run across his face but didn’t let her distract him.

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. “Well, I guess you could call it that. But I really just want to chat. Friend to friend.”

She was ready to accept his offer, but then remembered that she was wearing barely anything. She thought of changing, and gave an annoyed sigh. “I’m not changing. My other clothes take too long to put on and I’m tired,” she said with a pout.

“You look good in everything, so go with what you’re comfortable with,” he said in a loving tone.

“Now flirting with the boss! You sure are making your moves,” she said with a smirk on her face.

He shook his head with a fond smile. “Well, shall we go?” She smiled back at him. “We shall.” Before they left, she made sure to tell her mother she was leaving for a moment and made sure someone was watching her mother.

They then walked side by side as they exited the ship and walked around the dock. They walked for awhile, looking around at the people and how they still thrived at night. “They are beautiful, no?” He looked over at her as she looked at the people around her.

“They really are,” he said with a nod. Many of the young ones were running around, some sitting in a row on the ground and listening to stories told by their parents, some people still working hard into the night for their families or for themselves, and guards patrolling to protect said people. They all lived their own lives, yet were together at the same time.

They eventually ended up at the shore of the beach, a littles away from the ship. Rose crossed her arms and he held his behind his back. They were both silent and listened to the comforting sounds of the waves. He realized that he began to feel calm around the waves, and he felt like this was the perfect place to talk to Rose. He assumed she had been surrounded by the ocean all her life, so she found it comforting and beautiful, and he began to see it from her perspective now. He listened to the waves and the wind for awhile, and eventually looked over at Rose.

“Do you want to hear a story, Rose?” He broke the silence and she jumped at the sudden question and gave him a serious look.

“What kind of story?”

He looked over at her and gave a crooked smile. “Hopefully a happy one.”

She tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean ‘hopefully’?”

He shrugged in response. “I know many stories, but not many happy ones,” he said truthfully. There were many terrible stories of the Gods he’s heard of, he’s remembered almost all of them over the years, but he thought he could find a happy one somewhere. Well, he hoped he could.

“I only like the sad ones. I have a few favorite ones too.” She said, going against his entire idea.

“You like the sad ones?” He said, shock in his voice. She was always a girl of peace and calm, and she never liked sadness.

She gave him a smile and nodded. “The sad ones always give me emotions, and isn’t that what makes a good story? It’s supposed to make you feel big emotions!” Her voice was now slightly loud with happiness, and it caused him to laugh.

“You find comfort in sadness?”

“Yeah,” she said with her voice winding down, “I’m used to feeling sad sometimes. And sometimes I like to imagine a happy ending. Why don’t I try and tell you one?” She moved to be closer to him and he could smell the wine from the party still on her, and it was sweet just like her.

“Why don’t you do that for me? I’ve heard your voice is lovely when telling stories,” he said with his voice sounding a tad bit sultry. He couldn’t help but flirt with her, his love spilling out of him like it always did.

She gave him a smirk and pulled away from him. She rubbed her hands together as she thought.

“Why don’t I tell you the story of Eurydice and Orpheus?”

Her eyes had a certain glint in them, her smile was brighter, and she looked truly excited. It was one of his favorite looks to see on her. To see her passionate and happy.

“I’d love to hear it.”

“And then, the ending is so...tragic,” she said with her voice getting softer after every word. She finally reached the end of the story, and she was very emotional. She was right when she said a good story is one that messes with your emotions, and hearing it in her voice made it sadder to him.

“What’s the ending?”

“I can’t remember the entire ending, but I remember that there are different versions, but all very tragic. One was saying that Orpheus made it out of the Underworld and turned around to see his wife, happiness spreading on his face, only to see her not there. Then, he remembered that they both needed to be out for her to be safe, but she wasn’t.”

He saw tears welling in her eyes and his vision was getting blurrier as well. This story was really tragic to him, and his heart ached for Orpheus.

“What was the other version?”

“I can’t remember the quote exactly, but it was talking about how when Orpheus turned around because he thought she fell, and he saw Eurydice, but she faded away. The deal was broken, he failed her, but she wasn’t angry. How could she be angry when she was loved?”

He looked her in the eye after that question and he saw sadness in those blue eyes, and he knew there was a pain there. Pain from this life...and from the others. She’s lived three lives so far, this one the fourth, and they all were unfair. First, killed by poison from a lover. Second, killed by her own body covered in sickness. Third, thrown into war desperate for peace, only to die at his hands. It’s like she was becoming her own myth. However, this one didn’t have an ending.

Yet.

After looking at each other for a few moments, Rose was the first one to break the gaze. She looked back down at the sand and sighed.

“Well, it’s getting pretty late. Will you be coming back to the ship with me?”

He thought about it and looked up at the sky. The stars were out tonight, and he admired them. They always shone so bright while others suffer down here. It made his mind wander to Olympus, and he decided to visit in the morning.

“Always,” he said in response to her. She gave him a tired smile and began to walk back to ship with him following behind her, and as he watched her wish the little ones goodnight, wish the fisher and guards and parents goodnight, he fell deeper in love with her. No matter the lifetime, no matter the place, her kindness could never be contained.

“You’re back again?”

He arrived at Olympus in the early morning hours and met Aphrodite at her domain. It was beautiful in the morning time, so they walked together.

He let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, I’ve been missing you all.”

“How is Miss Rose?” She was always curious about Rose, always asking questions whenever he came back up. He let out a loving sigh and she laughed.

“She’s a mercenary this time and she lives on a boat and she’s amazing at fighting! She takes care of kids, people...but something is wrong,” he said starting with joy and ending with concern. “There’s a woman named Adonia who is threatening Rose and everyone she cares for.”

Aphrodite hummed in response and things went silent as they walked. They eventually ended up at a lake and were surprised to see another person there.

“Hi, Hera!”

Hera was looking at her reflection at the edge of the lake. When she hears Aphrodite call out to her, she looks up and smiles at them.

“Hello, Aphrodite. And Apollo!” Her smile was bright and their mood became lighter.

“How have you been, Apollo?” He smiles at her and thinks of a response.

“Good. Just been spending more time around the surface and other people.” He avoided the topic of Rose, but he knew that she knew, but didn’t say anything about her.

“That’s great. I haven’t been able to get close to you in awhile!” She put on a pout and it caused them all to let out a small laugh. “Why don’t we walk?”

Apollo looked at Aphrodite, asking if she was alright with him leaving, and she gave them a nod and bid them goodbye. He and Hera continued to walk around the lake with a comfortable silence.

“Something’s bothering you,” she whispered out.

“I’m okay, Hera,” he said as he ran his hands through his hair.

“No, you’re not. You’re tense and have been coming up here a lot longer. Not saying that that’s not okay, but still,” she said with worry yet firmness in her voice.

He crossed his arms and sighed. “I’ve just been having weird dreams and such.”

“You’re still seeing that woman?”

He looked at her and had a look of shock on his face. “How do you know about her?”

She gave him a guilty smile in response. “Well, you know how Aphrodite likes to talk sometimes!”

He chuckled softly and nodded. “Yes she does.”

They walked for awhile and took in the atmosphere. Aphrodite’s domain was surely one of the most gorgeous domains. They both looked around, but then he noticed when she looked over at a path with her eyes wide. She stopped in front of the path and tilted her head towards it.

“Let me show you something.”

He felt confused at the way her voice switched to monotone within a second, but nodded and followed her. As they walked, he took in the sudden new sights and he realized where he was.

This is the place where he first saw the woman.

He passed a field of flowers all the same color he saw in his dream and the forest right behind it was the same. However, this time he could see a temple appear in front of them as they walked, and the woman and baby were nowhere to be seen.

She brought him to the temple and he read the words carved atop the door. “The Lost,” was written in the old Greek language and he was confused as to what it meant. He looked over at Hera and she was staring at the words and her expression was sad. Her mouth wasn’t in a still line like it usually was, it was in a frown and her fists were clenched at her sides.

“Whats gotten you so scared?” He said with a small laugh, confused as to why she was like this. However, she didn’t look at him and it was like she didn’t hear him at all. He tapped her on her shoulder and she finally looked at him and gave a weak smile.

“It’s nothing. This is a hard place to visit.”

She pushed open the door and they walked in together. He looked around the room and saw statues of the other Gods and Goddesses, and he remembers their names, remembers what they represented, and realizes that they haven’t been around in a long time.

“They’re all dead, aren’t they?”

Hera doesn’t answer his question, and her eyes are flicking to every statue, and he heard her counting under her breath. However, when they got to the back of the temple, there wasn’t a statue. There was a simple grave and it had words written on it, but the name was crossed out. It was as if someone wrote all over the name, crossing it out as if this person didn’t exist anymore. Or like they didn’t want them to exist anymore.

They both stood in front of the grave and he took in other details. The main one was that there were many flower crowns surrounding the grave and flowers in general. There were vines wrapped around the grave and flowers sprouting from them. It all looked...beautiful. It was like life was blooming from the grave, as if it was offering space for anything to grow. It was accepting life. But why didn’t it have a name?

“Apollo,” Hera started, her voice shaking. “You know that we never die. We get lost sometimes, and this Goddess has been lost for a very...very long time,” she said with her voice cutting off from emotion. It sounded like she was about to cry or even break down, and he pulled her into a side hug to calm her down. She rested her forehead against his shoulder. The tears she tried to hold back fell down her cheeks, and he felt awful for her.

Hera collected herself after a few moments and let out a sigh. “This goddess deserved better. She didn’t deserve to die like she did.”

He looked over at her and tilted his head. “How did she die?” He hesitated before he asked the question, concerned about her emotions and feelings in this moment, but his curiosity got the best of him. She was silent and more tears slid down her face as her emotions were riled up again. She opened her mouth multiple times to respond, but no words came out.

She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat and started to say, “I-” but cut herself off. “No, I do know. It was a human who killed her.”

His eyes widened in shock and he was confused. ‘A human kill a Goddess? It would be extremely difficult for that to happen,’ he told himself. “How did a human do it? Wouldn’t that be difficult?”

“Yes, it would be. But her heart was open to everyone, love filled her entire soul. And some people were trusted when they didn’t deserve it. Like us.”

She put her head down like she was ashamed. He heard guilt in her voice, but he was still confused. ‘Why have I never heard of this? Why doesn’t she have a statue?’ His thoughts were everywhere, and he found his gaze brought back to the grave. He closed his eyes and ducked his head down as well. It was silent for a moment, then memories began to fill his head.

He saw the back of the woman talking to Hera in front of her. They were in her own domain, sitting on a bench, and laughing. The world looked bright, and he found himself almost never wanting to open his eyes. Yet he did, and the grave was still here, still covered in flowers, and still nameless.

He wanted to ask about the memory when he looked at Hera, but she interrupted him. She took in a deep breath and let it out.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go.” Her voice was even shakier than before and he knew he couldn’t ask her to stay. It would just be cruel to make her face a past she wasn’t ready to see. She turned around and began to walk away, her heels clicking on the ground.

“Take care of yourself, Hera.”

She stopped when she heard him.

“And you take care of whats important to you, Apollo. Don’t make the same mistake we did long ago.”

She continued walking and he heard the door close behind him as she left. He kept looking at the grave as if it would give him the answers to everything, but he knew it wouldn’t. He rubbed at his eyes and sighed.

“No use in staring at it. It won’t help.”

He turned around to leave and he looked at all the statues as he passed them.

“Where did you all go? Why are you all gone?”

He reached the door and looked behind him one last time. He couldn’t see the grave anymore, but he knew it was still there.

“And who are you?”

OKAY SO!! This too awhile for wording and I like how it ended so far! Also, the Eurydice and Orpheus reference is a story I find so sad😭. I hope you both like it and I will say it again, I LOVE this timeline. There will be more surface content next chapter, I just wanted to involve Olympus a little more. The lore needs to be dropped at some point lol. There’s proofreading but if something is off/is wrong forgive me :’)

#my writing #the girl in the blue dress #uGH I LOVE this timeline. It’s an important one for lore droppings😌#and I just gotta say...Hera be acting pretty sus👀#ANYWAYS DBWBSB. LOve you both and I hope you both enjoyed this chapter🥺💙. I spaced it out and I hope it’s written better :)))))#and yh titles are hard-#I tried to make it reference to the Hera and the grave scene and that whole issue that’s being mentioned now-#BUT it could also be to Rose and Apollo and the way she’s lived multiple times and how he keeps remembering and how her pain #is always rising up from this life’s past that I will bring up a lot next chapter😌

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joyfulsongbird · 5 years

Text

Livin’ It Up On Top- 3/4

y’all this is like my favorite chapter, I’m in love with writing Seph, she’s the best

***

Eurydice isn’t a shy person, but spending time with Orpheus makes her feel like it. and it terrifies her. she keeps trying to bury the warmth that pools in her chest when she sees him, pushing it down until she can’t see it anymore. but it’s like plugging a faucet with your finger, the pressure builds and something is going to leak out, she’s going to blurt something out and ruin it. she knows Orpheus feels things for her, hell, he approached her with marriage first.

she convinces herself that staying with him, for just the one night can’t hurt anything, that sleeping on his couch while the cold passes over won’t do anything. he tried to get her to sleep on the bed, but she outright refused, she is just a tourist in these parts and this is his home, he has to sleep in his own bed. she’ll leave soon, she’ll leave and Orpheus will be heartbroken, and she’ll never see him again. good. Orpheus deserves someone... someone who isn’t like her, he deserves someone besides damaged goods. when summer comes, she’ll go, she’ll travel farther south where the winters aren’t as harsh and the summers are even more intense.

the problem is, when summer does arrive, she stays.

she watches the green come back, the train roll in, and her feet stay planted. she doesn’t even know Orpheus very well, all she’s done is sleep in his small home for a night and hear him sing a... beautiful melody. and yet, here she stands, long gone and staying.

she feels separated from this crowd of people, all of the members of this town are so close, having lived with each for so long. when the train rolls and the door opens, a cheer starts as a few claps and then a women in green appears and it rises to a roar. Eurydice has heard myths about this women: Lady Persephone, the women who used to bring spring to them but now only summer, married to the king of the underworld. she’s well known in all parts of the world, but she only visits certain places personally and it seems that this town is the jackpot. she had no idea when she arrived in the rusty, small village that she’d be heading into the unknown summertime hotspot.

Eurydice watches warily from the back of the crowd, sticking by Orpheus side, but not too close, just close enough so that she can’t lose sight of him. he’s grinning, straining to see over the many heads of the crowd. they watch as Persephone throws her arms around the silver suited man, who she now knows as Mister Hermes, Orpheus’ godfather. they embrace tightly, a familiarity to the both of them, like they’ve known each other their entire lives.

“they’re siblings you know.” Orpheus says, as if sensing her thoughts

“what?” she exclaims. “that’s not possible, she’s a goddess and he’s...”

“he’s not mortal, that’s for sure.” Orpheus shrugs, as if it’s the most casual thing to be given a drink on the house by a god, or to shake his hand and be introduced like you’re the important one. “c’mon, let’s go to the bar, before the crowd gets the idea first.”

“okay.” she agrees instantly, still in awe over what she’s seeing. green, everywhere. the birds suddenly come back from wherever they had migrated for the winter. they sing, and fly about the sky. flowers bloom under her heels and she’s walking across fields of them, the rolling hills around the town are aglow with the sunshine. she can feel Orpheus watching her as they walk, his face turned to hers. she keeps her face forward, lips pursed into thin lines to keep herself from smiling.

they arrive at the bar, and Orpheus gets to work, moving quickly to set everything up before the patrons arrive and the place becomes buzzing with life, distracting and inviting. he’s the bartender tonight, though he’d been forced to promise to grace them with his music later in the night. Eurydice looks forward to it. she’s only heard him a select few times and she yearns to hear it again.

“so this is... a big part of the year?” she asks, sitting atop the bar and watching him work. “this party and Persephone coming back? everyone seems to really be into it.”

“oh yeah,” Orpheus answers. “since we’re the place Lady Persephone spends most of her time, all the regular patrons prepare gifts even though she tells them not to and makes a big party to thank her.”

“so she’s friends with everyone? And Hermes is her brother, so you’ve gotta know her pretty well.”

“I wouldn’t say she raised me, but she... helped raise me, in the summer months.” he reaches up to grab a pitcher from a high cabinet, catching it between two fingers. the muscles under his shoulder blades become more prominent and she averts her eyes right away, unable to divulge in just looking at him. she’d get too caught up in that.

“she must be very kind.”

“she is.” he says, holding out the pitcher. “hold this please?”

“um... sure.” she gently takes it, turning it over in her hands. It’s a lovely glass pitcher, with engravings in the handle, flowers and symbols in a language she doesn’t understand. “what is it anyways?”

“Just her favorite piece that we have, mister Hermes always has be take it when she arrives so she can use it and we can set it out to be admired. A stupid tradition, I know, I’m not sure why we don’t just keep it out year round but- oh, here they come!”

Persephone is striding in front of the group, heading straight towards the two of them. she practically glows, lighting the entire place up even brighter.

“I see you’ve got my favorite piece, I promised my husband I’d bring it back this year!”

“I’ll miss it, Lady Persephone, it’s very beautiful.” Orpheus says, but he’s looking at Eurydice, still seated on top of the bar and holding the pitcher close to her stomach, to make sure she doesn’t drop something so important. she feels warmth lick at her cheeks that she tries to push down, but she can’t help that her pink cheeks easily light up. Persephone sees, her eyes flitting back and forth between the two of them, a knowing look dawning on her face.

“Ah- it is.” Persephone says, a mischievous glint in her eye. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around, miss. a new face?”

“Quite new, actually.” she extends one of her hands to shake Persephone’s. “I’m Eurydice.”

“nice to meet you, Eurydice. Thanks for holding onto my vase, I’ll take it now.” Eurydice gently hands the piece over to the women who unceremoniously places it in her bag without a thought. “Let me get you a drink, you look like you could use it.”

“oh, you don’t have to-”

“it’s summertime!” she yells, loud enough for the other patrons to hear, they all cheer. “indulge in life a little! live minute to minute for once! have a drink and come dance with me!”

she loops her arm through Eurydice’s and tugs her along, Eurydice gets one glance back at Orpheus. He’s laughing, a wonderful sound that she wishes she could record to play again and again. The bubbling noise of his laughter follows her, always twinkling in her ear and reminding her that there are good things in world. right before her, she has the embodiment of summertime cheering her on. And behind her, a boy filled with hope. miracles can happen if someone who’s been broken for this long can find solace in a random town, on a random night, on a day she meant to leave.

***

An hour or two and a couple drinks later, Eurydice has realized that this town is different than any of the others she’s been to before. they sing, they dance, and they welcome a runaway with open arms. she’s different from them, deep down she knows that, but right now, she feels one with summertime.

“c’mon songbird!” persephone shouts over the crowd. “come dance with me! show off those moves.”

“songbird?” eurydice laughs. “why songbird?”

“oh don’t ask me that!” Persephone grins at her. “the feathers in your hair, your skinny little legs, that pretty singsong voice you’ve got.”

“I guess I’ve been asking for it then.” Eurydice laughs. “but I am not- you can’t!”

Persephone drags her forward, into the center of the crowd, effectively parting it with just her ethereal presence. Eurydice’s laughing without even thinking about it, this is what she’s good at, she’s always been a natural mover. she can feel the energy of the crowd, seeping into her bones and warming her entire insides until she’s moving and dancing. this is nothing like how she’s had to dance before, with men watching her every move and with her mind screaming for help. this is freeing. this is what she always hopes for when she moves on to a another town, she hopes for these brief moments where she can breath. she feels the energy seeping from the crowd into her bones.

When she sways her hips, they cheer. when she spins, her dress fans out and she feels like a bird, with tailfeathers for all to see.

she stumbles over to the bar, where Orpheus still stands, smiling and clapping at the crowd of people.

“dance with me!” she shouts of the music and noise.

“what?” his eyes widen to huge saucers.

“you know what I said!” she grabs his wrist, pulling him around the bar.

“are you drunk?” he asks as she tugs him into the crowd.

“no,” she assures. “I’m completely sane.”

she’s always had a high tolerance for alcohol and now is no exception, she’s just high on the experience, on the energy of the room. she takes both of his hands in hers, swinging them back and forth to get a feel for the way they feel in hers. his hands are large, deft from all of his playing, calloused in a way that says he is a kind musician, not a fighter. with scars on his fingertips.

she laughs at how uncomfortable he is. “loosen up! I don’t bite.”

“I don’t know how to do this!” he laughs, his cheeks bright red.

“I’ll show you.” she takes his hand again, harder so that he’s sure that she’s leading. “it’s fun, just... dance. move around, this isn’t a waltz, Orpheus. be silly.”

as if to show him, she shakes her head, fanning her hair like a lion’s mane. he twirls her under his arm in the same movement, leaving her unbalanced at the sudden change.

“yeah! exactly like that!” she shouts, bouncing on the balls of her feet. it goes on like that for awhile, Eurydice jumps and twirls and Orpheus watches her, swaying the music, copying Eurydice’s movements here and there, moving with her. after a couple minutes, he gets up the courage to do something he’s been wanting to do for awhile, ever since he saw her starting to dance.

as the music begins to slow to something less high energy, he places both hands on her hips, gently so that she could pull away when she wanted. but to his surprise, she doesn’t, instead choosing to clasp her hands at the back of his neck. drawing the two of them even closer.

she’s even prettier close up, is what he thinks.

he’s even prettier up close, is what she thinks.

she could look into his eyes forever, she can see now that they are a wonderful hazel color, green and brown and deep.

they’re one of the only people left on the dance floor, everyone else’s lack of a partner and exhaustion got the better of them and they sit at nearby tables. the songbird and the poet can’t seem to hear the rest of the world, they’re too absorbed in their closeness to pay attention to everything else. the band keeps playing and that’s all that matters, is that the music should go on forever and they never stop dancing.

“I-” the band interrupts Orpheus just as he’s about to speak, his tone was soft and she actually wanted to hear what he was going to say but they strike up a fast tune again. they break apart, as people flood the dance floor again.

Eurydice wipes sweat off of her brow, her mind is in turmoil. she never meant for this to happen, she never meant to care for him. what is she doing? why is she still holding his hand? why is she standing so close to him? this is bad, bad, bad. she’s in too deep already and everything is screaming at her to run. all of her past experiences, her instincts that she always listened to, her physical body aches to escape. but whatever it is that’s holding to this poor boy is stronger than all of that.

“let’s go home.” Eurydice suggests quietly.

“okay.”

she allows for him to lead her out of the bar, across a field of daisies and back to his home.

This isn’t going to end well, she knows that. but despite her screaming mind, her body carries herself inside. and she’s long gone before the weather can change.

#hadestown #hadestown fic #orphydice #orphydice fic #orpheusxeuryduce #orpheusxeurydice fic #persephone & eurydice #the brotp #persephone is the frickin best #i love her with all my heart

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druid-for-hire · 5 years

Audio

HADESTOWN, BROADWAY, Apr 25th 2019

Reeve Carney as Orpheus; Eva Noblezada as Eurydice; Amber Gray as Persephone; Patrick Page as Hades; André de Shields as Hermes; Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzales-Nacer, Kay Trinidad as the Fates; Afra Hines, Timothy Hughes, John Krause, Kimberly Marable, Ahmad Simmons as Workers Chorus.

Liam Robinson as Conductor/on piano/accordion; Dana Lyn on violin; Marika Hughes on cello; Michael Chorney on guitar; Brian Drye on trombone/glockenspiel; Robinson Morse on double bass; Ben Perowsky on the drums/percussion.

Notes & lyrics:

(Note: these lyrics are directly transcribed out of the audio and i’m going off my memory, so there may be inaccuracies.)

[Hermes blows the whistle. The lights turn up. Persephone rushes to center stage.]

HERMES On the road to hell there was a railroad track

[The lights turn red and yellow; the ones lining the walls especially, making the walls appear to glow with heat. The Chorus is stirred. Orpheus and Eurydice hold on to each other at center downstage. Hades remains up on the balcony, turned away, reading the newspaper.]

WORKERS CHORUS Mmmmm...

PERSEPHONE (spoken) Oh, come on!

HERMES There was a train comin’ out from way down below

CHORUS Mmmmm...

PERSEPHONE (spoken) That was not six months!

FATES Better go get your suitcase packed Guess it’s time to go

[Smugly, one hands her her bag, and they start to gather up Persephone’s things.]

HERMES She’s gonna ride that train

CHORUS Ride that train

HERMES She’s gonna ride that train

CHORUS Ride that train

HERMES She’s gonna ride that train to the end of the line

CHORUS Mmmmm...

HERMES ‘Cause the king of the mine is coming to call Did you ever wonder what it’s like? On the underside

CHORUS Way down under

HERMES On the underside

CHORUS Way down under

HERMES On the other side of his wall Follow that dollar for a long way down Far away from the poor house door You either get to hell or to Hadestown Ain’t no difference anymore

Way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

[Persephone sort keels over; still standing, her front half folded over, hands to the floor. She slowly picks herself up just enough that her hands are off the floor.]

Hound dog howl and the whistle blow Train come a’rollin’, clickety-clack Everybody try’na get a ticket to go, but Those who go, they don’t come back, they goin’

HERMES & CHORUS Way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

[Persephone begins to dance, still bent over. The whole ensemble (save Orpheus and Eurydice) move to the rhythm. She straightens the moment before her line.]

PERSEPHONE Winter’s nigh and summer’s o’er Hear that high and lonesome sound Of my husband comin’ for To bring me home, to Hadestown

PERSEPHONE & CHORUS Way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

PERSEPHONE Down there, it’s a bunch of stiffs Brother, I’ll be bored to death Gonna have to import some stuff Just to entertain my self Give me morphine in a tin Give me a crate o’ the fruit of the vine Takes a lot of medicine To make it through the wintertime

[Hermes hands Persephone her bag and fan. Hermes has got an umbrella, and they link arms; they move off to the side for the Fates.]

PERSEPHONE & CHORUS Way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

[The Fates enter center stage.]

FATES Every little penny in the wishing well Every little nickel on the drum All them shiny little heads and tails Where you think they come from?

[The Fates back way as Hermes takes center stage.]

ALL They come from way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

HERMES Everybody hungry, everybody tired Everybody slaves by the sweat of his brow The wage is nothing and the work is hard It's a graveyard in Hadestown

ALL Way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

[Instrumental break as everyone dances, including Orpheus and Eurydice; the Chorus and Fates end up on stage left (our right) on the base platform as well as the others and on the stairs. Orpheus and Eurydice end up on stage right. Hermes and Persephone are close to center stage. Everyone faces Orpheus and Eurydice. Hades, still unlit, stands up, puts his things away, and beings to put on his coat, facing the wall.]

HERMES Mister Hades is a mean old boss

PERSEPHONE With a silver whistle and a golden scale

FATES & CHORUS An eye for an eye

HERMES And he weighs the cost

FATES & CHORUS A lie for a lie

HERMES And your soul for sale

FATES & CHORUS Sold!

PERSEPHONE To the king on the chromium throne

FATES & CHORUS Thrown!

PERSEPHONE To the bottom of a sing-sing cell

HERMES Where the little wheal squeal and the big wheel groan

PERSEPHONE And you better forget about your wishing well

ALL Way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

[Hermes blows the whistle; the spotlights flash and swirl. Hades descends the stairs. Persephone is given her coat, and she puts it on.]

HERMES (spoken) On the road to hell, there was a railroad car...

CHORUS Mmmmm...

HERMES (spoken) And the car door opened and a man stepped out.

[Hades crosses down the stairs to center stage.]

CHORUS Mmmmm...

HERMES (spoken) Everybody looked and everybody saw it was the same man they been singin’ about.

PERSEPHONE (spoken) You’re early.

HADES (spoken) I missed ya.

[He extends a hand. Persephone crosses over to him to center stage and takes his hand.]

FATES Mister Hades is a mighty king Must be making some mighty big deals Seems like he owns everything

EURYDICE Kinda makes you wonder how it feels...

[Hades and Persephone both look over at her; Hades peers at her over his sunglasses, a piercing gaze. Orpheus steps in front of her.]

HERMES (spoken) All aboard! A-one, a-two, a-one, two, three, four!

[The central platform descends into the Underworld. Hades and Persephone disappear from view. Persephone sends one last pained, longing look towards the sky, the last of the sunlight she’ll see for a while.]

ALL Way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

EURYDICE Way down...

ALL Way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

Way down, Hadestown Way down under the ground

Way down, under the...

[The Chorus steps forward, crowding around their side of the pit’s edge, leaning over it. The Fates stand behind Orpheus and Eurydice, menacing them.]

ground.

#audio #hadestown #hadestown song by song

263 notes · View notes

droughtofapathy · 5 years

Text

Hadestown Song-By-Song:

Notes: Hadestown is still in previews so things are still changing even now. We won’t have a definitive show until opening night. Even from the first preview to the second there were still changes. But yeah, this show now owns every single dollar I have. Other Broadway shows? What’s that?

Now buckle in, because this is long and I’m just going to give it to you.

Road To Hell I:

· We open on this gorgeous set that’s something akin to an old French balcony café (it’s the green door and iron staircase that really does it) and 1920s speakeasy. The band is onstage and nearly every one of them are the same people from the NYTW days. They have fantastic costumes too. No basic black here.

· The cast casually enters the stage and the applause was deafening both nights. There are five ensemble members and they are all so fucking ripped. Both women in the chorus can probably kill me and that’s totally okay.

· Also, on the first preview night the opening applause lasted 40 fucking seconds. Yes, I timed it. It was amazing, Amber was tearing up, I was almost crying. What a great start. Then, after a long silence, the applause started up again for another fifteen seconds or so.

· Such great opening trombone.

· So there’s been a bunch of significant lyric changes to this song. Hermes now gives the characters, including the “hardest working chorus in the goddamn world”, an official introduction. And there was uproarious applause for every single person.

· When Hermes calls the Fates old women they all simultaneously turn and give him the most attitude-laced look I’ve ever seen. Yes.

· Side note: the Tony Awards needs to create a category for best ensemble because these people are fantastic.

· Persephone has a wicker fan and bag and yeah I’m liking this costume more and more.

· They changed Orpheus’s characterization. He’s much less suave and cool now, and definitely reads on the spectrum. It fits Reeve better, I think. Now Orpheus is a gentle, good-natured bumbling sweetheart who is said to be “a little touched.”

· Eurydice is a firecracker. A jaded bitter little ball of attitude. Eva Noblezada is perfect.

Any Way the Wind Blows:

· I love the original lyrics to this song because it felt like a fantastic prologue. But now it’s more story-centered, and I love it. Eurydice and the Fates (and the Fates have the most beautiful harmonies I’ve heard in a long time).

· The Fates truly are the ones singing in the back of our minds. I love them. They could snap my life thread whenever they want.

· This song establishes more of why Eurydice is so bitter and used to being alone. She’s been fucked over by the weather and by people so much that she’s just fed up.

· Also, the Fates used to be three voice parts (I assume. I’m not an expert at all in this): soprano, mezzo, and alto. But now all three are much lower. I’d have to guess it’s a low mezzo, alto, and contralto because Jewelle Blackman’s voice transcends humanity. It is beautiful and impossible. Like, I know I advocate for Grace McLean as Hades one day, but like…Jewelle Blackman as Hades would be everything I’ve ever wanted.

· Orpheus takes a piece of paper and makes it into a flower, and in the first preview there’s a long moment of silence, but in the second preview Hermes narrates over it so it’s not a big long awkward silence.

· Also all the Fates are women of color in this production and I am in love.

Come Home With Me:

· So Hermes warns Orpheus not to come on to strong, and what is the first thing this idiot boy asks? Come home with me. And it’s fucking hilarious. Especially since he immediately follows up with how he’s going to marry her. Like, boy, calm down.

· Eurydice is decidedly unimpressed and borderline belligerent because she’s had enough of liars and players.

· When Orpheus says how his song will make spring come again, the chorus says the same thing and has a fantastic harmony.

· The plot now has Spring or Fall as something no one’s seen in a long time. It just goes from Winter to Summer because Hades keeps Persephone in the Underworld longer and longer.

· When Eurydice asks “what else you got?” it’s not passive. She’s mocking and aggressive and I love it.

Wedding Song:

· That mocking tone continues in her first verse in this song. She’s like, ‘you think you can change shit? Fucking prove it, bitch.’

· And Orpheus is an awkward noodle who sounds so earnest. In the NYTW version (especially since these songs were cut on the recording, but bless bootlegs) I don’t think we see much of how Orpheus gets Eurydice to fall in love with him. Here her journey is so much more clear. She starts out so skeptical, and goads him into singing his song to impress her.

· The La La La etc. part is now a huge motif. Orpheus sings this angelic medley and literally conjures up a red flower, and that’s how Eurydice starts to fall. She’s just in such awe that a voice could bring something to live.

· Now they’re singing together and it’s really quite cute. Eurydice is totally on board with this romance now.

Epic I:

· The La La La is a melody from long ago. And it comes back in a big way. Spoiler: it’s the song Hades sang to Persephone in the garden.

· Big lyric changes here. The Epics all have gone through major revisions and I’m not sure how to feel. Like this Epic is fine because it’s still in the works, but later…well, I’ll get to it.

Livin’ It Up On Top:

· We’ve now got an anticipation first verse about how everyone’s waiting on Persephone and Spring.

· And Amber just prances down the staircase in a huge fur coat. What a voice. So know how NYTW Persephone is very distinguished? Now she’s a disaster goddess who literally sings about how she’s just “doin’ the best she can.” Which is great.

· Mentions of Demeter. Yes.

· She’s got two bottles of wine and a circular flask and is perpetually adorably tipsy while up on top.

· Great dance break by the ensemble here. Brian Drye on the trombone comes to the center of the stage to play, and it’s a fantastic moment.

· Orpheus’s toast is awkward and earnest. Which is his entire personality to be honest. But when he says “to the world we dream about and the one we live in now” it’s said without any music accompaniment and it’s such a sobering moment the audience murmurs. Also because the entire cast turns to the audience during that point.

All I’ve Ever Known:

· Also Persephone, when she’s not singing, spends her time onstage almost constantly just draping herself on a step and watching the action. It’s a lot like what Hélène does in Great Comet, and Amber is so good at looking casually regal.

· Eurydice has her love epiphany. They both sing, and it’s such a good song. Eva’s delivery is delightfully vulnerable.

· We see the start of Orpheus’s insecurity about how Eurydice could ever love him, leading later to his paranoia as he exits the Underworld. It establishes more of his doubts because Hades preys on his very insecurities. And it’s some good characterization shit right there.

· There’s a very suggestive sensual sex thing going on. And Eurydice is a TOP. We all knew it, but now we’re validated.

· The wind’s never going to change? Think again bitch.

Way Down Hadestown:

· The whistle sounds and the train comes and you can see the pure dread and horror on Persephone’s face.

· And the Fates, these bitches, gleefully tell Persephone to pack and even help her get her suitcase. Persephone is not amused. What icons.

· Okay, so Amber has this amazing choreography here. She’s bent completely in two, and it’s like she has no limbs with the way she fluidly moves. Her spine must be otherworldly. Amber Gray for the Tony.

· Hermes now has a beaded umbrella and does some fantastic dancing with it. It’s huge. The exact extraness we need.

· Persephone now sings the “chromium throne” and all those lyrics with such vehement disgust.

· And here comes Hades. He has fucking those sunglasses. And his “I missed you” line is heavily laced with all of that.

· When Eurydice sings about how she wonders how it feels to have everything, Hades stares right at her over his sunglasses.

· When the floor drops down and Hades and Persephone descend into the underworld it is a beautiful and terrifying moment. For the first preview I sat in the mezzanine so I could look down into that pit and it’s great. Persephone looks near tears.

A Gathering Storm:

· What a great little addition. It establishes how Hades keeps coming sooner and sooner for Persephone and how winter comes faster and fiercer with each passing year.

· Now Eurydice snaps out of the honeymoon phase, and gets to work. You can see how she becomes more and more impatient with Orpheus as he works on a sing while they starve and freeze to death and doesn’t hear her when she calls at all. Eurydice deserves better, damnit.

· The Fates are so ominous here.

Epic II

· More Orpheus song workshop.

· Okay, so. I think Reeve has come a long way since the bootlegs I’ve listened to. The change in characterization really does him a lot of favors. We see more of his struggle to find the right melody.

· The Ensemble enters in their workers uniforms and it’s fantastic costuming. They’re all dressed the same regardless of gender. They have their leather overalls and tool belt, everyone’s head is wrapped, and everyone’s chest is bound. There is no gender down here. Everyone is the same and everyone is dead.

Chant:

· The music turns so fucking ominous. Hades and Persephone are on the middle turntable that elevates while the ensemble chants and surrounds them. And she just stares at these dead souls with a mix of morbid horror and fascination.

· She’s not fucking impressed with Hades and his desire.

· Meanwhile, Orpheus is struggling to find his La La La melody.

· The ensemble moves with perfect synchronization. And the lighting goes all orange and spooky.

· We see more of Eurydice’s futile efforts to keep herself and Orpheus from starving. And clearly Orpheus doesn’t understand the dangers they’re in. He keeps singing, and Hermes even tries to get him to come back to reality because there’s a storm coming and Eurydice is alone, but he’s just stuck in his song.

· The storm catches Eurydice. The Fates are the wind, and they gleefully tear her bag and coat from her and leave her with nothing. She calls to Orpheus with such terror but does he hear? Nope.

· Persephone’s verse now has a nod to the turmoil above and how the earth is in chaos as the oceans rise and temperatures heat up.

· She descends into the underworld alone, and it’s terrifyingly good how Amber can look that angry and scared and resigned all at once.

· Also, when Hades sings his final “think if it as my embrace of you” Persephone is now gone, so he’s staring right at Eurydice. And it’s a moment of blocking genius.

Hey, Little Songbird:

· This song highlights the wonders of Patrick Page’s voice perfectly. It’s basically the same song as NYTW because it was already perfection so why mess with it?

· And after seeing the terrifying storm Eurydice has just been caught with, it’s so understandable why she’d see this promise of a better life enticing. Orpheus is off doing whatever he does. He hasn’t come to help, he hasn’t heard her scream. But Hades has. We see the conflict in Eurydice. She doesn’t want to leave the man she loves, but the vipers and vultures (the Fates! Looking deliciously diabolical) will kill her. And he has a ticket with her name on it.

When The Chips Are Down:

· If ever it was possible to experience an auditory orgasm, it would be with these harmonies. Goddamnit this is a good song.

· This would be a dream role if I had any talent, which I don’t.

· And yeah, Hades was seductive and convincing, but the Fates are the ones who really get Eurydice to make her choice. Which, if these women wanted me to do anything and tried to convince me by singing like this? Yeah, I’d do it without question because I’m a weak lesbian and they’re so fucking good.

Gone, I’m Gone:

· Eva sings deep at one point and it’s so good. And down into the underworld she goes.

· Then the Fates come in and sing right to the audience basically saying ‘you can blame her all you want, but what happens if you’re in her shoes? Yeah, you’d do that too.’

· The line about having principles when you have a bellyful is so damn poignant.

Wait For It:

· Orpheus, this idiot, didn’t even know Eurydice was gone. So when Hermes breaks the news to him he’s devastated.

· And okay. This whole scene is the most visually magnificent thing I’ve seen, possibly in my entire life. There has never been a moment when I’ve been so awestruck by a set change and lighting that my jaw has dropped.

· So, Orpheus starts his long walk down. And the workers have headlights and are armed with those lights that hang from warehouse ceilings. And let me fucking tell you this whole thing is a theatrical masterpiece.

· The Fates stand at the gates and ask who Orpheus thinks he is to do this. But he sings and (yeah, Reeve was fine here) but it’s supposed to be such a beautiful song that the ceiling lifts and the walls literally crack open to reveal the Underworld. And holy shit it’s gorgeous. This is the best set change I’ve ever seen.

· The “ceiling” lifts to reveal the copper pipes and the ominous orange lighting and there’s smoke curling everywhere and holy shit it’s not something that can be described or captured in photo. You need to see this because Bradley King and Rachel Hauck deserve their Tonys right fucking now.

· The ensemble has their lights and they attach them to cables that come down from the ceiling. They take the lights and in perfect synchronism they swing them like pendulums and they move perfectly like physics was made exactly for this moment. And the harmonies as they do this. Yes.

· This scene is so visually gorgeous that there was a fucking forty-second round of applause that shattered the house. Oh my god. Just wow.

Why We Build The Wall:

· Hades is center stage. When the company sings about why they build the wall, it’s sang with such vehement belief in it that it’s terrifying because they’ve _all _been brainwashed by this man to believe it. Even Persephone sings the response with a hopeless sort of defeat. She doesn’t believe a word of this shit but what can she do?

· What a politically appropriate song. And yes, Anais Mitchell wrote this

· Eurydice enters. And suddenly there’s this world that promises her freedom and security. As they sing the final line, everyone has their finger up in some sort of salute that really just turns your stomach, and Eurydice sees it and joins in. Only Persephone, though she sings the words, does not make the sign. Everyone looks so proud and gleeful in their freedom but she’s horrified.

· Then Hades ascends the staircase to his office and Eurydice follows. And Persephone knows what is going to happen but she’s helpless to do anything. And goddamnit the music is ominous.

· We’re left on such a heavy note, but then Persephone turns to us and asks us the real question: anybody wanna drink? And yeah. We fucking need a drink after that.

· Also I should mention, Persephone is now in her black costume which is identical to her other green dress in every detail save for the color. Her hair is now tucked up into a snood, and the flowers are now black.

Act II:

Our Lady of the Underground:

· Intermission just sort of fades out. The band reenters the stage and starts playing as the audience scrambles back into their seats. And it’s such a great song to open up an act.

· Persephone mocks her husband “step into my office” and she’s like two sips from drunk off her ass.

· It’s just her, the band, and Hermes on stage. This is just a song about getting blind drunk to forget the horrors of the world. She’s got her little flask and is chucking that shit all damn day.

· Side note: when she sings about having the wind right here in a jar she grabs her boob and jiggles it and it’s everything the gays want. Then she while she’s dancing up a storm she decides the best way to hold onto her flask is to tuck it in her bra and she gives the audience this playful coy look when she does it.

· The moment she sings about seeing the sky it’s so sobering and she’s on the edge of being devastated again, but then comes the crack in the wall and the alcohol and it’s all okay again.

· And yes, they kept the band introduction and I’m living for it. Everyone is the same from the NYTW days except we lost Jenny Shineman and gained Dana Lyn. But I’m so glad an orchestra is getting their fucking recognition. Deafening applause for everyone of them each night. It’s them who sings the “our lady of the underground” parts.

· They’ve changed “one at a time boys…” to “tell my husband to take his time” and it’s sung in a way where Persephone is trying to make light of her husband’s infidelity by pretending she’s okay with having this time to fuck around, but like she’s still afraid for the poor soul he’s with.

Way Down Hadestown II:

· Eurydice enters now dressed like every other worker. And the Fates order her onto the line. Gone is the enticing promise, and now they give a fuck about any illusion.

· Side note: in the program this and every other song that was once II is now (reprise) and I do not care for that shit at all.

· She joins the line and starts doing the workers’ movements. But now there’s a thing about how none of the workers will look her in the eye, and she’s a little terrified because they’re all just mindlessly working themselves to death.

· The Fates gladly inform her how she’s fucked herself over. The lyrics are now: “but why won’t they look at me? It’s like their eyes don’t see.” instead of “there must be some mistake…” and the Fates answer: “they don’t//it’s easier that way//and your eyes will look like that someday.” It’s a scary moment. That Eurydice, so full of vinegar and life, will become a dried husk.

· She tries to leave, but we visually see how the life begins to drain from her. We see her begin to die.

Flowers:

· This song is heartbreaking. Eva sings it so wonderfully.

· When she sings how she opens her mouth and nothing comes out it’s sung with such despair and terror. And the regret when she sings about how she turned away into the shade.

· She lies down and who should pop up? Orpheus.

Come Home with Me II:

· In the second preview he enters from the audience aisle. He’s all battered from his long long walk.

· So, lyrics: Eurydice says “I called your name” Orpheus: “I know” Eurydice: “you heard?” Orpheus: “no…” And what a good addition.

· This is where the tightening of the show really happens. Orpheus says how he’s going to sing them home again, but there’s no back and forth callback to Come Home With Me I. Instead, Eurydice tells him in a anguished voice that no, he can’t. And he doesn’t get it. And then Hades enters.

Papers:

· What a guy.

· Persephone tries to step in but Hades isn’t having it.

· In a moment of confidence, Orpheus tries to argue, and Eurydice can’t bring herself to tell him what she’s done. How she’s signed her name.

· And it’s a whole thing. Where he asks if it’s true, but oops. It’s fucking true. And this is where Eurydice says “I did…I do.” Which takes out the double marriage acceptance//signed life away meaning, but still. Okay.

· Fight scene is so well-choreographed. Reeve is just tossed around like a hackey sack and the ensemble beats his ass. In the first preview he has a visibly bloody lip that stays for most of the show, but in the second preview it’s toned down and I think it was the right move because it looked pretty ridiculous throughout the whole emotional bits.

Nothing Changes:

· The fighting freezes and the Fates come in to offer their message of ‘give the fuck up cause you ain’t shit’ and wow they just roast this boy. What an ultimate defeatist song.

If It’s True:

· Orpheus starts out echoing the Fates and their defeatism, but then…

· Just before he turns to go…the walls have ears. It’s the workers who hear his song in this production. And suddenly their perfect synchronization is broken as they start to wake up and it’s beautiful. It’s their spark of something that gets Orpheus to stop in his tracks.

· “Brother who are they to say?...Cause the ones who tell the lies…” His entire mood and tune changes. This is a rebellion in the making. Suddenly he turns and asks Hades how the fuck he is to tell the many what is true. It could have been more powerful, I think. And it was better in the second preview.

How Long?:

· So things were changed in this song. Persephone is now much more angry and accusatory. They took out the lines about ‘looking at other girls now and then’ and instead it’s Persephone getting fucking pissed off and saying how Orpheus and Eurydice have the love they once did.

· And Hades at one point tells her to basically calm down and have a drink, which is not the fucking right thing to say my man. She responds by saying she’s “had enough” which is an incredible character development moment because thus far we’ve seen her fucking wasted, but she’s also saying how she’s had enough of everything that’s been going on.

· So when Amber sings “Hades my light” she does the exact same movement she does in Great Comet’s Charming when she sings “oh, how she blushes…” You know, that thing where she bends her knees and extends her arms in presentation. And that is some good shit.

· The song is now less about an old couple trying to reminisce and shit and now about Persephone being fucking done. There’s some good back and forth here. They’re standing opposite on the stage, with the pit between them and a bit of smoke and it’s great blocking.

· The question is how long they can stay married like this. And the answer is: not very.”

Chant II:

· So the platform rises back up and the ensemble workers are surrounding Orpheus asking is it true? They’re no longer mechanically working. There’s a spark of life again, and Hades is not having this.

· So when Patrick Page says “It’s the boy!” he does a great delivery but it kind of sounds a bit Disney villain to me, I don’t know.

· There’s a steam whistle on stage and I want one.

· Now the workers are working, but there’s something different. A recognition of what they’ve become.

· The verses in this song have gone through some big changes. I’d recommend listening instead of me trying to relay.

· But what there is in this song is some fantastic usage of turn tables spinning in different directions. Hades and Persephone stand completely opposite, and as they walk in different directions of the tables they’re stationary. But then there are moments when the pause and are whisked around. And always opposite. Then Persephone sings to Eurydice and they’re opposite because she hops onto the middle turntable and it’s some amazing choreography and blocking here.

· The part in this song marks the first time the chorus sings as individuals. Some of them get solo lines that are echoes of Orpheus and Eurydice “If I raise my head…if I change my voice…” and it’s a sign of them waking up and remembering themselves as individuals. Now they’re out of sync, and they fucking start to question everything. They question the wall and why they can’t even look at each other if they’re supposedly free.

· Persephone is really fucking at her breaking point in this relationship.

· I like the additions of the workers verses because holy shit that’s fucking great. I’m not sure about Hades and Persephone’s verse changes yet. And they’re still being developed I think, because there are some very subtle differences from first preview to second.

· But yeah, the Electric City line is still a jaw-dropping moment. When he sings it, to prove it, the lights all blow out. And it’s great.

· Hermes hands Hades a stool that he dramatically slams down and sits on as he demands Orpheus sing for him,

Epic III:

· Alright, so this is why I’m not sure the lyric changes work. The first preview night, Reeve’s singing didn’t convince me that it would be able to evoke such a viscerally emotional response out of stoic Hades. It was just eh. For the second preview, I don’t know if it was the developed lyrics, or if Reeve just stepped it up and did a better job, but I was more open to believing he could convince the king of the underworld.

· Also, side note: when Orpheus sings his opening line about “Hades is king of the underworld” Hades chuckles and says “oh, it’s about me” and almost preens and both nights the audience can’t handle it and erupts in two rounds of raucous laughter. It’s such comedy gold.

· When Orpheus sings the la la la melody, Hades is ready to kill him right there, but Persephone is not having it.

· The La La La is fully established as the Song Hades Sung to Persephone and suddenly everyone, the chorus, the Fates, Persephone they’re all echoing this symbol of Hades’ forgotten love. And wow. Vocally stunning.

· Here is where Orpheus makes Hades realize that Persephone is one step away from leaving him entirely. And he’ll lose her if he keeps this shit up.

· And Hades tentatively sings is melody, and Persephone is so damn happy about it. She gives him this just soft wistful look and it’s so cute. And and when Hades sings he conjures up a fucking red carnation and what a fucking moment.

· There’s some really adorable dancing between Hades and Persephone to some ethereal orchestration. And they end up embracing and staying like that for a long ass time. Like throughout Promises.

· And yeah, Orpheus breaks the tranquil moment by being a clueless idiot who asks Eurydice what he does now.

Promises:

· They moved Promises up and changed it up so now it’s less the two lovers being scornful about how they haven’t kept their promises and more about how they don’t give a fuck about promises as long as they have each other and a few basic needs.

· They don’t need fair skies, or kind roads. They just need each other.

· And god fucking damnit. Goddamnit. It’s so fucking hopeful, and Eurydice even says the workers can make the journey too, that everyone is filled with anticipation and just for one fucking second you believe that maybe it’ll be alright. Maybe, just fucking maybe, everyone will be okay. And you know it can’t end like that, but damnit if it doesn’t make you believe it.

· But then Orpheus asks if they can go, and Hades says “I don’t know.” And let me tell you, I’ve never seen a woman pull away from a man with such horror and disgust on her face in my life than Persephone in that moment. She practically staggers across the whole stage to get away fast enough.

Word to the Wise:

· And then the Fates come swooping in to offer their two cents. What icons. What a song. Hell fucking yes. What taunting bitches. They’re the real orchestrators of these events, literally.

· And such good voices all converging to bring us a masterpiece we’re unworthy of.

· Question: can the tony award go to all three women? Is that a thing?

His Kiss, the Riot:

· Now Hades has to make a choice. He’s got to do something to keep his wife from never acknowledging his presence again, and he’s got to keep his reputation.

· How does someone sing this deeply? How is this possible?

· He has his little epiphany and shares it with his pal Hermes.

Wait For Me:

· When Hermes relays the news that they can go, everyone is given this little jolt of hope before he rips it away as he lays out the terms.

· And here is where Orpheus is convinced it’s a trap, even though Hermes tells him it’s a trial, not a trick. So they start.

· What a great arrangement of a song. The workers chorus sound so hopeful, so excited to be shown the way the world can be. “If you can do it so can she, if she can do it so can we.”

· And yes, Hades and Persephone will try again next fall. They’ll wait for each other.

· It’s such a triumphant moment, but then the Fates come in and start asking Orpheus who he thinks he is to be able to lead anyone out of anything.

· The turntables are going, and Eurydice is right behind him singing joyously to “wait for me.” It just sounds so beautiful and lifts us up like yes, they can fucking do this. They can do it.

Doubt Comes In:

· But then it grows dark and terrifying, and Eurydice slips out of view. And who should be two steps behind Orpheus? Our favorite Fates.

· These bitches come out of the smoke and darkness with their lanterns and they’re circling and slipping into shadows and turning their lights on and off and whispering into Orpheus’s ear. What diabolical voices. Where is she? They ask and taunt and Orpheus’s La La La melody fades out as he’s overcome with doubt.

· But Eurydice is right fucking there. She’s right fucking there singing about the coldest night. Offering her encouragement even though he can’t hear her. He can’t hear her and that’s why they’re in this fucking mess.

· And yes, it’s a valid paranoia, but come on. Just keep going. Just keep walking, damnit.

· The workers are there too, and they’re all ready to go.

· And as Eurydice sings her last verse, where she sounds so joyous to finally be able to see the sun, Orpheus stumbles up the last few steps to the beacon of light.

· And he fucking turns around. He fucking turns around and the entire audience knows it’s coming because they warned us, but damnit if we don’t all gasp anyway.

· “Orpheus.” “It’s you.” “It’s me” and she says it with such anguish and heartbreak, like yes, ‘it’s me I’m right here, we were right there, we almost made it. All of us,” and then he reaches for her, but she’s on the turntable that drops, and she’s dragged back down to the underworld. And everyone is in tears because they were so fucking close.

Road To Hell II:

· The opening song starts up again, but so much sadder. As if the joy has gone from the world, but it’s time to start up again.

· Such devastation. Such anguish. But we sing it again.

· The lyric changes emphasis how this is very much a circular story that will continue to go around and around forever. We are right back where we started, but we know how it ends. That is how it ends.

· “It’s a sad song. It’s a sad tale. It’s a tragedy. It’s a sad song. But we sing it anyway. Cause here’s the thing. To know how it ends and still to begin to sing it again as if it might turn out this time. I learned that from a friend of mine. See Orpheus was a poor boy…”

· And right then Eurydice reenters asking for a match just like she did in the beginning of the show. Full circle.

· “Oh a sunny day there was a railroad car.” And the turntable rises once more with Persephone in her green dress reclining on the speakeasy tables. Spring is back. Again.

· The lyrics focus more on the old song and how they sing it again and again, and the echoing harmonies are so good.

· They cut out “it’s a tale of a love that never dies…it’s a love song about someone who tries” and instead repeat the again and again.

Bows:

· Standing ovations, deafening applause and cheering. What a fucking great show.

I Raise My Cup:

· The program says nothing about this song, but it’s still fucking here bitches.

· I was skeptical about having it after bows, but not a single person even attempted to leave. The music started, and we all instantly shut up to see what beautiful thing would happen next.

· Everyone has their cup, and Orpheus starts strumming his guitar (which by the way looks a bit too shiny and new to be in character, but sure). Amber does the bulk of the singing, but Eva joins in and the chorus harmonizes and it’s good.

Final notes: This is basically just me talking Tonys and I’m not an expert on anything so don’t take what I say too seriously because I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about.

· I’m excited to see the final product. Will definitely be going again, and again, and again.

· What a stellar cast. And yeah, I was hesitant about Reeve Carney, but he was fine. Wasn’t exactly blown away, but it’s adequate. He did well, and I saw major improvement from one night to the next to the next so hopefully it’ll just keep getting better and better.

· I’m living for Eva’s Eurydice characterization. The embodiment of “looks like a cinnamon roll but could kill you.”

· Amber Gray needs a Tony right fucking now.

· I’ve seen a number of the new shows this Broadway season and if this doesn’t win what it deserves to win I will riot.

· Okay, I really enjoyed The Prom. It was a fun, heartwarming, touching show. Especially since I’m a lesbian who grew up in a small town and is now in her twenties and has since gotten out of that. I loved it, and I believe it really deserves recognition and I want it to get it…But Hadestown is just better. It has a stronger book, score, and overall presentation.

· I saw The Cher Show, and it’s a great production of a jukebox/biography musical. I thought Stephanie J. Block did a phenomenal job. I’m sure this show is likely in the top running for costumes purely because they’re so flashy and hell, Cher’s actual designer did them. But I kind of want a more nuanced designer to win than just whoever has the most zazz.

· I know Be More Chill is really relatable for the young people out there, and I think that’s great we’re getting a bigger audience demographic than just old white people (which is mostly what the theater is filled with regardless, however) but I’m not convinced it can come even close in terms of Best Book. And DEH aside (I’m still fucking bitter about that show winning over Great Comet or even Come From Away, and I’ll never not be) we’ve seen musicals geared towards that generation with that sort of message not get awards, which is probably not right. Legally Blonde didn’t win because it was too “pink” and “pink” musicals don’t win. And in this case Be More Chill should not win over a better show.

· And it’s kind of down to just a few musicals realistically to win Best Musical. A lot of shows that opened this year are either for only limited runs (look if Oklahoma or Kiss Me Kate do really well, they might extend them, but if they’re just doing alright it wouldn’t be profitable to give it more awards than necessary. It’s strange how the revivals aren’t open runs) or are already closed. Head Over Heels was a fun riot of a time, but since it’s closed (like Torch Song, Choir Boy, Getting’ the Band Back Together) it wouldn’t be profitable to give them anything.

· Pretty Women and King Kong aren’t doing so hot either. And we have to wait on Tootsie and Beetlejuice, but I can’t see any of them winning big.

· I’m interested to know what the American Theater Wing rules on Acting eligibility here. The rule is that if the name is below the title, they’re a featured actor, but if it’s above they’re leading. That’s why Yul Brenner didn’t get a best leading actor Tony in The King and I. The rules are a little bit more flexible these days, I think. And I know for the Prom, at least, even though some of them aren’t above the title, they’re still considered leads, but who knows?

· And like, who constitutes a definitive lead in this show? Eva probably does, but for Reeve it’s a little different. See he’s not exactly given any more or less stage time than, say, Hermes who is with us for the whole show but might somehow be more of a Featured Actor role. The five principle characters are all pretty solid leads (maybe Persephone a little less so but she’s still very much leading) so who knows? Not me. I have no understanding of how this works.

· Bottom Line: Give Amber Gray, Rachel Chavkin, and Anais Mitchell their fucking Tonys. If Rachel Chavkin doesn’t get the recognition she deserves I’ll riot.

· Bradley King for Lighting and Rachel Hauck for Scenic should be shoo-ins. Nothing I have seen this season will ever be this fantastic.

Edit: Alright, who wants an audio bootleg?

#hadestown #Hadestown reaction #Hadestown for the tony #Anais Mitchell gave us the show we needed

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nytwhadestown · 5 years

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Hadestown Broadway Reflection

Woo! Saw the show last Saturday and I have been Processing. Love love love and lots of thoughts. Like lots lots so under the cut:

"I don't know how I feel about Andre just because I'm so used to Chris' Hermes and they're so different and I think the adjustment will be hard-- MY MAN. JE VOUS

AIME." Andre really commands a stage. He is cool and suave and brings the audience right in. You're on Hermes' side right away. WOOT TWooT Shout out to the trombone player. It wasn't the usual guy but he was so good.

Loved the changes to Any Way The Wind Blows to make it abt specific climate issues. Loved how it introduced Eurydice, and the conflict of the world being out of tune.

I kind of miss the NYTW version because the fates play it so eerie. My ideal Hadestown has two versions of Any Way The Wind Blows just so I can get the best of both worlds I love this song.

"I know I'm not being fair at all, but I loved Damon Daunno's Orpheus so much that Reeve is going to have to work twice as hard to win me over" (leans over to my mom the second Orpheus and Eurydice see each other) "he won me over." He played such a sweet, honest and hopeful Orpheus. Really loved his portrayal. He's a good boy.

Honestly if it comes down to it I still prefer Damon (esp as a singer, his falsetto is stronger and his voice is clearer) but this isn’t a one or the other situation-

I just really love any and all Orpheuses. 10/10. He went SO goddamn heart eyes over her.

So did I!! Eva’s voice, her power.

When he gets everyone into the Epics, I would just get chills every time.

One thing I missed was the power behind Orpheus' idealism.

I did see a bit of it in "If It's True" when he started examining the corruption of the underworld, but I liked it better when he had something to say about it all along.

I think he still could have been a sweeter, more guileless Orpheus and kept the power of his idealism.

Ex. NYTW Orpheus had a few lines speaking out against Hades/capitalism/etc. which was fitting because he loves life, and therefore is a natural mouthpiece against Hades (=Death). I guess it makes sense that most of the complaints about Hadestown come from those who have been there, but I think Orpheus as a leader of the workers would have worked better if he still had a *little* bite to him.

Way Down slaps so much. Just a ton of fun. Always a favorite and I was just boppin in my seat. GHOD this show gives me so much joy.

I really liked it when they attributed the changes in weather and the coming of hard times to "the world being out of tune." Now, Orpheus isn't sitting on his ass rather than helping Eurydice. Instead, he is doing all he can think of- trying to get the whole world back in tune for her. It's a naive ideal, still, but he is doing everything he can to give her a better world. The whole world. So much better, this boy is trying so hard for her.

Hey Little Songbird was somehow terrifying and thrilling and a little hot.

When the Chips Are Down was a jam but also Eurydice's choice was so sad to watch. And how they kicked her into the choice. Interesting detail: the "ticket" to the Underworld is two silver coins. It occured to me when Eurydice held them in front of her eyes that they were a reference to the two silver coins the ancient greeks would place over the eyes of the dead to pay passage to the underworld. Loved the details in this show.

Don't want to give too much away but the set during Wait For Me is my favorite character.

...except for Persephone during Why We Build the Wall. My eyes were on her the whole time. Her soul looked so crushed it was heartbreaking. Truly Tony-Worthy.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO ACT TWO: Our Lady of the Underground. WEEEEEHAW.

Persephone gives Hermes a kiss on the cheek and I just gasped "god I wish that were me."

Way Down 2 as usual, underrated fave.

I liked the development of what I'd picked up on of the worker's souls and individual personalities fading away under the dehumanization of their labor. It was possibly my favorite blend of myth and anti-capitalist themes: the River Lethe/Loss of Identity.

It made Flowers clearer and without Flowers changing much if at all. And all the more heartbreaking for it.

EVA NOBLEZADA the emotion....the power. she really ripped my heart out.

Come Home With Me II was so :,( but I loved the immediate reconciliation of just clear and simple love and forgiveness.

Poor Orpheus was so roughed up it was hard to watch. Reeve acted through that really well.

I did like the call to arms that Orpheus did and how it roused the workers to action and to his side, but it felt sort of impersonal. I think his grief is too

important to his motivation. I almost wish it were more of a two parter- the grief and pain and then in another song maybe, the call to arms.

Amber Gray and Patrick Page acted the HELL out of How Long, which I've always loved for its subtle power and man did it hit me.

RIP Persephone's Verse in Chant

RIP me watching Patrick's expressions in Epic III and how he and Amber looked at each other in pain and dismay.

Honestly I was distraught and in an emotional puddle for the rest of the show so not many more specifics.

I love this show and all the joy and sorrow it has woven into it so well. Bravo Miss Mitchell, Bravo!

#long post #hadestown #broadway

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kenzierose53 · 4 years

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Promises (xv)

This morning I woke up and my story had 250 reads and by the time I posted this chapter I had reach 291 reads! Thank you everyone who has taken the time to reach my story!

- MaKenzie ❤️

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Sleep hasn't been coming to me over the past few nights. Every night I am haunted with images of him turning around. The broken look on his face as I was dragged away. There was only one petal left on my flower, tomorrow I would be going home. As excited I should be I also fear he will reject me when I get home. He didn't trust me enough to make it all the way home, he will probably think that I will just leave him again.

Persephone hasn't come to visit me since the last night she was here. Being left alone to try to process everything has been difficult. I have tried her meditation methods and writing things down as she said but it was all just too hard. My mind was racing with all of the emotions that I couldn't process.

I felt like I was losing my mind. Reality and my thoughts became so blurred I had a hard time distinguishing what is what. I felt like screaming even though no one would hear me. Part of me wishes that I never remembered anything, it's too overwhelming right now. But I know that I wouldn't change anything if it meant I could never remember him. If could never remember the poet, my love, Orpheus...I would just be a shell.

"Eurydice are you in there?" a soft voice called from beyond my door. I must have been so wrapped up in my thoughts I didn't hear the door. Instantly I perked up hearing her voice, I guess I missed her more than I thought. She stood on the other side of the door with a smile. "Hi dear!" she squealed pulling me into her arms.

Without thinking I blurted out, "I missed you!" She just laughed and pulled me in closer to her. I am so thankful that she came into my life. Who knows where I would be without her. Pulling back, she had the biggest smile on her face.

She rested one of her hands on my cheek. "Are you ready to go home?" I could feel my smile taking over my face at the thought of being in the arms of my poet. Persephone looked like a giddy teenager when I smiled. Slinging an arm around my shoulder she started to lead me out of my place, "We have a party to get to."

Mr. Hades was throwing one last party for his wife. Tomorrow morning, she would be back on her way to the Overworld. Tomorrow morning, I would be going home to see my poet! I still have no clue how she is planning on sneaking me on the train in front of her husband and everyone. "Hey, Persephone can I ask you something?" She just hummed back in response. "How exactly are you planning on getting me on the train tomorrow morning?"

She turned towards me with a sly smile, "You just leave that to me songbird. It will all become clear to you soon." Before I got the chance to ask any more questions we had reached the party. Persephone took off towards a table filled with cups. She came back and handed one to me. I accepted the cup gratefully, downing the liquid. Wine. It must be her last gift to those stuck in the Underworld.

We fell into a comfortable conversation. She told me about how she and Hades have talked about visits during her time in the Overworld. The smile on her face as she spoke of her husband made me smile. She was just so happy, I was envois. Keep your head up Eurydice, tomorrow we will be with the poet again.

After a few more drinks, I could feel the negative thoughts flood out of my mind. For the first time in a long time, I felt carefree. Persephone dragged me out to where everyone was dancing. I couldn't help but laugh at our moves, the alcohol making everything much more fun.

Suddenly the sound of a deep voice stopped the music, "Good evening everyone!" Mr. Hades stood holding a microphone, a slight smirk on his face. No one has ever seen him really smile but Persephone swears it's the most beautiful thing. "Tonight we are gathered here to celebrate my beautiful wife's last night here in the Underworld. Tomorrow morning I will bid her goodbye so she can bring life to the Overworld."

The crowd around us cheered. Memories of spring came to my mind. The flowers, the fresh air, the sun, all the things I can't wait to experience again. "I would like to take this time to dance with my beautiful wife. Everyone, please enjoy her gift to you in the form of fruit and wine while we dance and enjoy the night!" The crowd again erupted into cheers. Persephone pulled away from me towards her husband. The rust of us created a circle around them as a slower, folk song came on. Hades and Persephone glided across the room like they were floating on air. The happiness radiating off of them brought a smile to my face. My poet did this. Orpheus brought the world back into tune.

When the song ended, Hades dipped Persephone and kissed her. The action brought a tear to my eye oddly enough. Seeing someone that I consider family now so happy just warms my heart. The music picked up enough and Persephone turned towards me. Hades retreated as she brought me closer to her. We continued to drink and dance the night away. All of the worries I have for tomorrow were melted away. Right now I was free.

The sudden tapping on my shoulder brought Persephone and me to a halt. Turning I locked eyes with the stone-cold eyes of the King. Instantly I felt like I had sobered up, my hands started to shake. He sighed before holding his hand out. Persephone accepted his hand and stood next to him. "I think we all need to go speak in my office." My eyes widened at this. My anxiety started to skyrocket. He knows, doesn't he? I'm not gonna get to go home, am I?

Persephone tried to give me a reassuring smile but it only put me on edge more. The workers stared as I walked with the King and Queen. Some of them shot me sympathetic looks while others stared on with curiosity. I haven't been in the mines for nearly six months, my friends I made from there slowly fell out of touch.

Some of the workers I look at a bit differently, especially the ones that beat up my Orpheus. When I see them all I can picture is them nearly beating my love to death. I know I shouldn't hold that against them but it was still just burned into my brain...seeing Orpheus bleeding, struggling.

The farther away we got from the party the more nervous I got. The entire walk to Mr. Hades' office was quiet, it was unnerving. Last time I was called into his office I signed my life away. I felt like the walls were closing in on me as we descended the stairs. "Have a seat," his voice was too calm for my liking.

I took a seat while he and his wife sat on the other end of the desk. Persephone had the biggest smile on her face which calmed me a little bit. Hades sat stone-faced which got rid of any calm feeling that I had. The silence was just starting to freak me out more. "Hades stop torturing the poor girl," Persephone said lightly pushing his shoulder.

He just smiled at his wife before turning to me. Oh, he does smile. I noticed him fidgeting with a paper on his desk. "So I hear you have your memory back," that small sentence caused my blood to run cold.

I just opened and closed my mouth trying to find what to say. He raised his eyebrow at me as if he was waiting for an answer. "Yes sir," I squeaked out.

This caused both Hades and Persephone to burst out laughing. What is going on? Before I could ask any questions, Persephone cut me off, "You are not in trouble dear." Her voice was soothing, "I informed Hades about everything." She looked at her husband lovingly.

"Everything?" She told him that she was going to smuggle me home? There is no way I will be leaving here now.

I could feel tears start to come as I thought about never seeing the poet again. "Eurydice do you remember when you first came here?" Hades' voice interrupted my thoughts. I was unable to speak so I just shook my head. He lifted the paper in front of him, investigating it before looking back at me. "You signed this contract without hesitation," oh so he has my contract...why? "You came into my office looking for food and shelter and instead...you signed your life away."

Part of him sounded regretful, almost as if he is ashamed of tricking me into signing the contract. There is no way that he feels sorry for me though. I was ashamed at myself for signing the contract though. Hades stood from his desk, the contract still in hand, and walked over to where I was sitting. He strode straight past me to the fireplace.

In an instant, the place was aglow with the light from a fire. A hand was placed on my shoulder, Persephone. She nodded at her husband, giving him an encouraging smile. Hades closed his eyes before dropping the contract into the fire. A sudden rush of every memory ran through me, like a movie of my life was playing. I suddenly felt very much like my old self, I had control over my emotions.

Looking up at Persephone I wanted some confirmation that this wasn't a dream. She just smiled at me and gave me a nod. Tears came to my eyes when I heard Hades, "You're free." He freed me? Persephone ran over to him enveloping him in an embrace. How? Why? Am I really free? The feeling of being shackled I have felt ever since signing this contract was gone.

"I told you to trust me," Persephone's joyful voice rang through the room. She was still wrapped up in her husband's arms, smiling at me from by the fireplace.

Quickly I ran up and wrapped both of them in a hug. Hades stiffened underneath me but Persephone returned my warm embrace. "Thank you," I mumbled for what felt like a million times into the embrace.

I pulled back looking at the two who saved my life. Hades' eyes were wide which caused Persephone to laugh at his expression. A slight blush came on my face as I realized I just hugged the King of the Underworld. Persephone just laughed harder when she saw my expression.

We returned to our seats after she had finally calmed down. She started to explain how she spoke to her husband about everything that she had planned. It surprised me how accepting Hades was of everything that happened. Something tells me that there is more to the story but it's not my place to know.

"What are you going to tell everyone when they come to watch her board the train tomorrow and I board with her?" I was curious about what he was going to say to everyone. We all know that the reason he wouldn't just let us go a year ago was that he didn't want to seem like a spineless King.

Hades' face dropped slightly as did Persephone's. Although there was also a spark in her eyes, a look of excitement hidden. Hades looked sadly at his wife, pulling her close to him. She gave him a short kiss before turning to me, "That is something we need to talk about," her voice was quiet. My heart started to race, she sounded really sad. Am I not going to be able to ride the train? Oh no is he going to make me walk all the way?

Two whistles rang through the air.

"We are going to leave tonight."

#hadestown #hadestown fanfic #hadestown fanfiction #hadestown fic #Orpheus #orpheus and eurydice #eurydice #orphydice #hades #hermes #persephone #fanfiction #fanfic #promises

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fourteenacross · 5 years

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hadestown - 5/26/19, 3pm

We also saw Hadestown while we were in the city for Octet!

Sooooo, as I mentioned before, I saw Hadestown off-broadway at the NYTW in the spring of 2016. I had previously been familiar with the album, as Orpheus and Eurydice is a particular favorite myth of mine. I can't 100% remember, but I think that someone told me to listen to it when I was writing my X-Men Orpheus&Eurydice story? Either way, when we found out it was going to be playing while @pearlo was in town, we got tickets, along with @littledust and @anachronistique. And it was great!! I truly enjoyed it! I've been listening to bits of it regularly ever since! (Ish. There was like, a good eight months where all I listened to was podcasts, books, and Ghost Quartet.)

I'm saying all of this because this review is...pretty critical? And I want to make it clear that I do love this music and enjoy this show and I had a good time and I would recommend it, probably! But I wasn't as in love with the production as I was with the NYTW production for a few reasons that I'll get into below the cut.

So, usually I go song by song, but I feel like the things I have to say are largely broader than that, so I guess I'm just going to jump right in.

The cast is largely excellent. Patrick Page and Amber Gray could murder me and I'd be okay with it, tee bee aitch. Patrick Page does a thing with his face that just makes me cry, I don't know how he does it. Sorcery, probably. And Amber Gray is an actual goddess, for reals, how is she even real?

I loved Eva Noblezada's take on Eurydice! She had this sharp, broken energy to her that was truly incredible. She was like...spunky. And it was excellent.

I loved Andre De Shields' energy. His movement was unreal. His voice didn't work for me in places, but that could have just been the sound design of the show--there were bits where it was really hard for me to make out what he was singing.

Jewelle Blackman is AMAZING, as are Yvette Gonzales-Nacer and Kay Trinidad. They've really turned the Fates into a more menacing presence, and while I ADORE Lulu Fall and Shaina Taub and missed seeing them, I didn't MISS them, if that makes sense.

Reeve Carney. Oh. My dude. You are certainly a white boy with a guitar.

And here's where it really starts to break down for me. I have two major issues with the show, and the first one is that I find absolutely nothing exceptional in Reeve Carney. I cannot understand why this cagey, feisty girl who's been hurt before would throw everything in with this weirdo, IMMEDIATELY POSSESSIVE kid who's singing her a song? Lisa framed it as, "She's nineteen and she's literally never met a nice man before," and I can kind of see it through that lens, but I also don't think that's the lens that the show wants me to see it through. It wants me to frame this as a beautiful, epic love story, but I don't buy that she's in love with him. Maybe I'm too gay for it or maybe it's the writing or maybe it's the acting, but it doesn't connect for me, and once that connection is broken, the whole show sort of falls apart.

I don't recall having this problem with the NYTW version. It could be that since that version started with the two of them already in love, it was easier to wave it off as some off-stage wooing that already happened and accept that there were reasons they were together. It could have been that Nabiyah Be's Eurydice was a little softer and more naive. It could have been that I empathized more with Damon Daunno's Orpheus. Whatever it was, I found it much easier to accept that they were in love, which made Orpheus' neglect feel so much more painful and Eurydice's choice so much more desperate and all that followed so much more heartbreaking.

Basically, most of the stakes stop being so high if you don't buy into their love, which I just...did not.

My other major issue, to get that out of the way up front, is the pacing is still not great. Although I didn't write up notes after Hadestown in 2016 (I saw it literally hours before I saw Hamilton for the first time), I remember talking with my friends about how the beginning is very tight and the middle-to-end are kind of a mess and bloated. I didn't follow the show closely while it was out of town and I guess I kind of hoped that it would have been tightened up more, but no. It was not. It still feels very over-full and there's now this number where Orpheus gets beat up by the Hadestown workers that's like...comically over the top. In my heart, I really feel like this could be a one act show, or at least a two act show with much shorter acts. "Wait for Me" is SUCH a good act one finale, but you lose some of that energy moving to "Why We Build the Wall," which I think would work just as well as an opening to act two, as much as I love the way "Our Lady of the Underground" is staged.

Anyway, all that being said, I still enjoyed it and still cried, so what do I know, right?

Road to Hell: I liked this as an introduction overall, and loved the little intros for all of the characters. It really sold me on Andre De Shields, too, esp because I loved Chris Sullivan so much.

Any Way the Wind Blows: This is such a great song and god, I loved the way Eva played Eurydice. The candle thing was a nice touch.

Come Home With Me: I can't believe I'm supposed to care about this kid.

Wedding Song: I liked the new twist on this, although I think I like it better a more earnest song. Still, Eurydice using this to sort of mock Orpheus about being a broke artist was a cool twist and Eva sold it.

Epic I: This was fine. It's explained either here or earlier that spring and fall have more-or-less disappeared because Persephone is being forced to spend more time in the Underworld and is being brought back down sooner. The implication, as we get further along in the story, is that Hades doesn't know how to connect to Persephone any longer and is keeping her around more both a) as a show of power and b) because he doesn't know how else to express himself to her.

Livin’ It Up On Top: I would absolutely kill for Amber Gray. This version of Persephone is drinking to cope. A LOT. It paints this sad, lovely picture of what she's been feeling.

All I've Ever Known: I just do not buy that they're in love, sorry.

Way Down Hadestown: The staging and set of the show are fantastic. There's a panel at the center of the stage that rises and lowers as needed and the visual of Persephone and Hades, stony faced both, sinking back into the underworld is perfect.

A Gathering Storm: The through line about the weather mostly works for me, but honestly, I was so distracted by how annoyed I was at Orpheus during this number that I was pulled out of the moment.

Hey, Little Songbird: Skipping ahead a little, Patrick Page is perfect, in case you were wondering. I tweeted something like that after NYTW and he clearly found it in a vanity search and replied very humbly, which I find quite charming. But yes, I adore him.

When the Chips are Down: This is one of my favorite songs in this show and the Fates kill it here. Their slightly more sinister characterization makes it more haunting than taunting and I'm into it.

Wait For Me: The lighting in this number deserves a Tony all on its own. Jesus Christ, that's art. The set is also incredible. As Orpheus moves down into Hadestown, the stage splits apart from an intimate cafe into a larger, more industrial space. Very cool.

Why We Build the Wall: Again, Patrick Page is excellent. This works really well to pull Eurydice in, as well. We see her slowly starting to accept this way of thinking as she listens to Hades. And, of course, Persephone's act-ending line is perfect.

Our Lady of the Underground: Amber! Gray! Is! Wonderful!

Flowers: My actual favorite song in this show. Eva nails it, it was beautiful and poignant, on the heels of her slow realization that this isn't what Hades said it would be at all, that she's forgetting her name and who she is as she slowly is sucked into the capitalist machine.

Then in here is some more Orpheus stuff, including the ridiculous fight scene where he’s beat up by the workers?

There’s also this subplot that the workers think that if Orpheus can get out, they can get out too, so he’s leading like, a whole little revolution? Except that isn’t really expanded on at all and kind of falls away. It also, imo, takes these weird steps towards turning it into a different story than it is. If you’re pushing that it’s a love story, a love song, so much and then at the last minute paste on this “also a revolution is happening????” and then drop it for the emotional climax like...what are you doing, why is this here?

But also, there's this bit where Hades says "Have a drink!" to Persephone and she says something like "I'm done with that" and it is a real (pun not intended) sobering moment for the two of them. Ugh, I just really love them and the complexities of their relationship.

Epic: Patrick Page's face is very good at acting. The rest of him, too, I guess, but even from the cheap seats, I got SO worked up over Hades' quiet slip into acknowledging the despair that he feels over his inability to connect with Persephone. The guy on Naomi's other side was full on crying, even more than me. It was honestly glorious.

(I have a lot of thoughts about Hades and Persephone, and, to be honest, they’re my main draw to this show. I’m fascinated by their relationship here and the way it’s broken in a way they’re not quite sure how to fix. Against all odds, I’m rooting for them, I want it to work for them, if only because they both seem to remember this time when they were in love and nothing else mattered. I think that’s part of why the parts of this incarnation that don’t work for me...don’t work for me. I’m already more invested in Hades and Persephone than Orpheus and Eurydice, so when I have to work ten times harder to feel for their relationship, it just doesn’t seem worth it, especially next to one that I’m sucked into almost against my will.)

Doubt Comes In: I will give Reeve Carney this--despite knowing how this story was going to end, I still felt the creeping tension and dread in those moments leading up to him turning around. A woman behind Lisa said, "Oh no!" out loud, even.

Road to Hell (Reprise): And this is the other place where I cried, of all things! This number ends up being about how we know that this is a sad story and we know how it ends, but we keep telling it anyway, because that's what stories are there to do. I got weepy, who knows!

I Raise My Cup: So they moved this to after the curtain call??? I....don't know if it works like that, tee bee aitch.

ANYWAY, those are my thoughts, mostly I'm tired of typing this and the deadlines that I started writing it to avoid are looming, SO. I enjoyed it a lot, despite the things that bothered me, but I would probably not spend $150 to see it again. Rush tickets, maybe.

#show notes #tag two #tag three #tag four #tag five #hadestown

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sandersgrey · 6 years

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Snow and Cold

AU in which Persephone is Patton, Hades is Logan, Orpheus is Roman and Virgil is Eurydice. In which they start to fall apart.

Part one. Part two. Part three. Part four. Part five. Part six. Part seven. Part eight is here. Part nine. Bonus. Part ten. Part eleven.

Word Count: 1,546

Ao3 link: here.

@ab-artist @astral-eclipse

Patton really, really loved his husband.

There was a reason why he came back every winter. He didn't need to. Patton knew very well that Logan wouldn't go after him if he stayed in the surface. He knew Logan would see that as a message by itself, would understand it, would step back. His husband loved him, too. And that's why he came back every six months: Because if he didn't, his husband wouldn't try to change his mind, and there was nowhere in the world like Logan's arms, no sight more beautiful than his true smile.

And yet there was a reason why he always left.

Yes, Patton missed the surface. He missed the sunlight, the texture of dead leaves and soil under his feet, the beautiful, infinite shades of green and brown. He missed flowers that weren't black. (He missed a singer's voice and smile. He wouldn't say that outloud. Not after his husband was so understanding). And he probably would have visited the surface anyway, but he probably wouldn't spend as much time there if it wasn't for the Underworld.

Here's the deal: It is a city. It is an industry. You can't see the sky (or what would be the sky) because of the smoke and fog of pollution. People with empty eyed dig deeper in the ground so that the city's beasts of steel and concrete can keep breathing. Patton could tolerate the lack of a true sky, could resign himself to missing the trees, but he would never stand for the pollution and how not natural the city was. Logan knew.

Logan also didn't seem to care.

"Tell me this city doesn't have more mines now than when I left", Patton said, glaring at the new additions in the edge of the town.

They were still in their room, the god of spring looking through a wall of glass and his husband still sitting on their bed with an unreadable expression. Patton didn't need to ask. He knew the answer. But he always tried to give Logan an out, a way to explain himself, despite knowing the man would never apologize.

"It has", Logan said calmly, just as Patton knew he would.

"Why?"

And the deity asked, just like Logan knew he would.

"I don't know how to explain to you that a city needs energy, love."

"Yes, but you- you know how I feel about all of it!", Patton gestured to the city under them. "It feels wrong. I love you, Logan, but it's just- you know!"

"I do know how you feel about it", Logan scowled. "And you know how I feel about many things, and yet here we are."

Virgil had been hungry many times in his life.

Most of it, to be honest. It was a painful emptiness that stole the strenght from his limbs, made him weak and shaking, unable to work or protect himself. It was terrifying. The coldness spread through his blood and bones until he almost forgot what it felt to be warm again. (He had known the warmth wouldn't last. He hadn't guessed it would be like this.)

Roman was out, probably perfoming for yet another ungrateful crown with no money. Virgil doubted he would bring home food when he came back. (If he came back.). (No, he had to. He promised). (He promised many things, though, and look at them now).

Virgil was used to hunger. He wasn't used to feel hungry when he was supposed to be safe.

He stood up so quickly from the bed when he heard the door opening that his knees almost buckled. He had to put his hand on the wall to regain his balance before slowly making his way to the kitchen. Roman was there. (So he did come back). He didn't seem to have anything with him but his instrument. (Just as he thought).

"Roman?", Virgil said.

"My darling", the singer smiled at him. He looked tired, hungry, but satisfied, as a creature of the forest that was happy just by existing. Well, he wouldn't keep existing for much longer if he kept that up.

The thought made Virgil's heart hurt in a way that had nothing to do with hunger.

(His blood boiled in something that felt like rage. But that couldn't be, could it? Even when he thought Roman would leave him, he had never been angry.)

(But he hadn't been starving then).

"What are you even doing?"

"What do you mean?", Patton stopped. He looked like an ancient, beautiful statue there, only iluminated by the pale light of the city in the dark room, not less because of the immobility that no mortal could ever try to achieve.

"I mean that you stay out of my city for half of the year. You have no right to ask me to stop."

"I'm your husband. I still live here for the other half of the year."

"I try not to say anything about your trips to the surface, couldn't you try not to say anything about my town?", Logan said, tired. Patton didn't notice the bags under the king's eyes. He didn't think he would. He never did.

"I don't bring you to the surface."

"And why would you do that?"

"Because I miss you?"

"That's new to me", Logan mumbled. Talking louder, he looked at his husband. "I'm the king. I couldn't leave."

"I know", Patton said. He tapped his fingers on the glass, frustrated. It annoyed Logan. He didn't say anything. (It was the melody of one of Roman's songs.)

"Love, I don't complain about your trips because I know how important they are for you. I don't blame you for- for falling in love with someone else", Logan's voice breaks. "I love you. I'm trying to make an effort. Couldn't you try, too?"

"This is different!"

"Different why, exactly? Because you, personally, don't like this? Guess what, Patton, it isn't all about you."

(The king tried to ignore the part of his heart that screamed that yes, it is.)

(His heart had always been meant to break anyway.)

"What do you mean?", Roman frowned.

"Did you even try to get some money so we could have food?", Virgil snapped. "Or did you just sing and dance and forgot you have someone waiting at home for you?"

Roman stepped back in shock. His expression changed as quickly as the wind, going from surprised to furious, a force of nature in himself. (Except that he wasn't, not really. The force of nature they had both known was far, far away now, and had taken part of their hearts with him.)

"That's really bold from someone who doesn't even go out of the house!"

"Because someone has to keep it clean and warm, you moron!", Virgil snarled. "Someone has to stay while you go god knows where- and does he know?"

Roman paled. "What do you mean?"

"Nevermind. You wouldn't hide it if he did. You're not subtle, you know?", Virgil smirked. It was as cold and sharp as a knife. "Your songs aren't going to feed us."

(Oh, wouldn't Roman love it, to not need to have his heart in two people's hands when one of them was as useless as dead leaves in the ground?)

"I never said that!", Virgil growled, because he was young and stupid and completely, hopelessly in love. "But we're starving, Roman, and it'll continue until you figure out that stupid songs won't help anyone!"

The singer's answer was a door slamming behind him.

"What do you even mean?", Patton said. His voice was cold as the snow that he knew kept falling somewhere in the surface. He always knew.

"I mean that I'm not the only one in this relationship", Logan didn't back down. He couldn't. This was worse than any fight they had ever had, he could feel the words he knew he would regret climbing his throat, ready to fall off his lips, and still he couldn't step down. Not again.

"I didn't say you are."

"You act like it", Logan snapped. "This is my kingdom, my city. You're my husband, yes, but you're not as attached to this place as I am. You have a say. You don't get the last word, not in this. It's not even as if I'm hurting people- they're all dead, anyway, and only the ones that commited serious crimes in life are sent to the mines. The ones that were good, or at least not bad, are comfortable. I made sure of that. I have a million souls to take care of, Patton, I cannot stop doing that just because you don't like it."

"This is the exact opposite of what I am!"

"Just like the roses in your garden are the exact opposite of what I am and I still let them there? Just like I, myself, am I the exact opposite of what you are? Do you want me to disappear?", he growled. "If you don't want this, if you don't want me, maybe I should find someone who does, just like you did!"

"Then go!"

And there it was. The words neither of them could take back.

(Keep your head low while the gods are fighting.)

(Or else you'll lose it.)

#alex wont shut up #my writing #fanfic #hadestown au #thomas sanders #sanders sides #patton sanders #logan sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #prinxiety #romantic prinxiety #logicality #romantic logicality #love triangles #love squares???#eventual happy ending #part eight #snow and cold

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