Fic: and they called it peace (Greek Mythology; written for raedbard)
Title: and they called it peace
Author: Drea (bluerosefairy/d_generate_girlRating: PG. Seriously, there is nothing offensive in here, unless you're offended by mixing religions, in which case, you probably shouldn't be in this comm ( Read more... )
Author: Drea (bluerosefairy/d_generate_girlRating: PG. Seriously, there is nothing offensive in here, unless you're offended by mixing religions, in which case, you probably shouldn't be in this comm ( Read more... )
it really accentuated Hades' inevitability, his stability as compared to the other gods' very human, very capricious natures.
That's definitely something I was shooting for - the idea of Hades as very much a seperate entity from the other gods. He never meddles with the humans, never gets himself embroiled in any drama (except with Persephone), because he's something completely different from them. He's most certainly not human, and not even very divine. I have to admit to being very influenced by another not-quite-divine divinity - Neil Gaiman's Dream from Sandman. I think Lord McEmoPants Morpheus and Hades McBroods-A-Lot would get along rather well - and do, probably.
The transformation of the Hellenistic Pagan to the Christian conceptualization of the Underworld was particularly poignant.
Honestly, I did NOT know that was coming, or that it would unfold quite like that. But then I started pondering all the Lethe myths, which lead me to forgetfulness and fading away, and then there I was, pulling a Marion Zimmer Bradley (although I sincerely hope my writing is less evocative of her and more Gaimanesque).
I always wondered how she came to be an apparently willing monarch after her abduction and rape, and you tell here what mythology doesn't--I wouldn't call it 'love', either, but he is devoted to her.
Oh, absolutely. And the killer thing is, he's a god. The concept of rape just doesn't compute - why wouldn't she want him? And it's not her pain that finally stops him, it's Demeter's, his sister. Family, he understands. As crazy and twistedly sexual as that is, he understands that his actions are hurting his sister. Persephone is just the conduit. As for his devotion, by all accounts, they did manage to co-rule almost-happily for many years - I imagine she found something in him other than her jailer. Plus, I am a sucker for unorthodox partnerships with strong women, and I fell as much in love with Persephone as Hades did (well, maybe not quite).
Your opening and closing portrayal of hell as a psychological, more than a physical, space was particularly brilliant (I find myself reminded of Milton's "Paradise Lost").
*makes squeaky bat-noises* YOU. LOVE. I cannot believe you'd compare my writing to Milton, but omg *hearts you*
I'm about a third of the way through the beta for "Spinning", and in SO MUCH FANNISH LOVE.
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"...he's something completely different from them."
It's true; his disposition is very different. But then, as you pointed out, he doesn't need to struggle to make the petty conquests the other gods do: everyone comes to him in the end. And yes, you did achieve a lovely Gaiman-esque note: very subtle, pensive, a little dark, a little eerie, but all in absolutely the best possible way.
"Honestly, I did NOT know that was coming, or that it would unfold quite like that."
Generally, the things we don't expect to happen (in my experience, anyway) are some of the strongest parts of the story--and the connection between the changing Underworld and the nature of the Lethe seems a very natural one. I'd never have known it wasn't planned, because it was beautifully executed.
"Family, he understands."
And it's very easy sometimes, amidst all the drama, to forget that the Olympians are related so closely--but yes, Hades would understand family, with all its associated loyalties and obligations. I loved those closing lines about his being willing to compromise for her sake--and also the altered context of the pomegranate seeds. Here they're a coming-of-age symbol, a willing sacrifice; not consumed furtively out of simple hunger. It makes Persephone infinitely more powerful than she would have been otherwise.
"I cannot believe you'd compare my writing to Milton..."
Well, you did hit on a fairly prominent theme, so why not draw the comparison? Anyway--and I am absolutely sincere in this--this piece reads like literature. I read it twice, and will definitely be coming back (when I finally have the time) to spend a happy hour or so picking the language apart.
"I'm about a third of the way through the beta for "Spinning"..."
I'm delighted you're enjoying it, and look forward to receiving the beta-ed piece and discussing where pertinent.
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