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I won't start a new story I won't start a new story I wo-

This is an idea I've had for about seven years, a feminist Greek myth fantasy story with a romance between two goddesses who deal with the effects of Olympus' tangled social and political dynamics.

Originally, I waffled on the age category I wanted to write in and whether I wanted to add an additional POV besides Hedone's. Eventually, I decided on 18+ for the reasons below.

This story is based on Greek mythology, and it tackles darker issues in the myths. As any fan of mythology might know, Zeus is a jerk. He assaulted his sisters (Hera and Demeter) and multiple mortal women. He wasn't the only one. Poseidon, Apollo, and many of the demigods committed similar abuses. "The gods are dicks" is an apt summary of many of the Greek myths.

And, though it won't be lingered on, many of the married Greek my characters were related to one another. For example, Persephone is Zeus and Demeter's daughter, but they're also both her uncle and aunt, since they are siblings. Hades is Persephone's uncle. Things also get weird when there are character who were born of one parent, such as Athena (from Zeus' head) and Aphrodite (from Uranus', uh, nevermind). Other matters that come up: One of the main characters, who identifies as a woman, has both sexes because she is the daughter of Eros, who has a similar biology.

I want to explore the effects of misogyny, abuse, and sexual assault in Greek mythology. There will be no on-page depictions of rape, but the matter will come up because many characters in these old stories are survivors of that in one or more versions of their myths. I am a survivor of sexual assault and abuse and hope to present the complicated mindsets of survivors with tact.

That said, though my aim isn't to have gratuitous content, the subject matter alone makes this story 18+ for adults. Please read at your own discretion.

Here is a list of trigger warnings:

Misogyny and rape culture

References to past sexual assault

Incest (mentioned, not fetishized; the two main romances are not between close family members)

Emotional abuse and gaslighting

Self-harm (digging nails into skin)

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Non-Comprehensive Greek Myth Character List

Adonis: Beautiful mortal child turned into a god by Aphrodite. Went from her adoptive son to her lover when he was a man, while also visiting Persephone, who he was also romantically involved with. Chose to stay with Aphrodite for more time and was gored by a boar sent by a jealous Ares.

Aphrodite: Olympian. Goddess of love. Born when Uranus' castrated genitals fell into sea foam, making her older than the rest of the gods. Mother of Eros and Harmonia. Married to Hephaestus, former romantic partner of Ares.

Apollo: Olympian. God of the sun, poetry, and plagues. Son of Zeus and Metis.

Ares: Olympian. God of war. Son of Zeus and Hera. Father of Eros and Harmonia. Former romantic partner of Aphrodite.

Artemis: Olympian. Goddess of the hunt. Daughter of Zeus and Metis.

Athena: Olympian. Goddess of wisdom. Daughter of Zeus and Metis when Zeus turned his pregnant wife into a fly and ate her, birthing Athena from his head.

Cadmus: Former king of Thebes made immortal. King of the Mortal Court. Father of Ino, Polydorus, Autonoe, Agave, Semele, and Illyriu.

Caeneus: Esteemed warrior who was allegedly killed when centaurs pinned him down with a mountain of boulders.

Circe: Infamous witch exiled to an island after Zeus feared her power. Daughter of Hecate and Aeetes. Mother of four sons.

Demeter: Olympian. Goddess of the harvest. Mother of Persephone.

Dionysius: Olympian. God of wine, fertility, and madness. Son of Zeus and Semele.

Eros: God of erotic love. Son of Aphrodite and Ares. Married to Psyche. Father of Hedone.

Hades: God of the dead. Married to Persephone. Father of Melinoë. Cthtonic.

Harmonia "Onia": Queen of the Mortal Court. Daughter of Aphrodite and Ares. Mother of Ino, Polydorus, Autonoe, Agave, Semele, and Illyriu.

Hecate: Adviser to Hades and Persephone. Goddess of magic. Mother of Circe. Cthtonic.

Hedone: Goddess of hedonism. Daughter of Eros and Psyche.

Hephaestus: Olympian. God of blacksmithing. Son of Hera when, jealous of Zeus "birthing" Athena, she conceived him alone.

Hera: Olympian. Queen of Olympus. Married to Zeus. Mother of Ares and Hephaestus.

Hermes: Olympian. God of messages.

Melinoë: Goddess of ghosts and madness. Daughter of Hades and Persephone. Cthtonic.

Metis: First Titan wife of Zeus. Turned into a fly and swallowed by him when she threatened his power. Mother of Athena.

Persephone: Iron Queen of the Underworld. Goddess of spring. Married to Hades. Mother of Melinoë and Zagreus. Cthtonic.

Poseidon: Olympian. God of the sea.

Psyche: Former mortal princess changed into an immortal. Goddess of the psyche. Married to Eros. Mother of Hedone.

Semele: Daughter of Harmonia and Cadmus. Mother of Dionysius. Had an affair with Zeus, was tricked by Hera to have Zeus show her his true form, and was reduced to ashes by the sight of it, leaving only a fetus, which Zeus sewed into his thigh for gestation.

Zagreus: Son of Zeus and Persephone. Eaten by the Titans when Hera, angry at Zeus' unfaithfulness, let them in. Reborn as Dionysius.

Zeus: Olympian. King of Olympus. God of thunder and sky. Married to Hera. Father of Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Dionysius, Hermes, Persephone, etc., etc.

Also, I tried to make a family/relationship tree of the more central characters. Welcome to my nightmare.