*honestly, the name has been the hardest part! We’re going to stick with ‘Classics’ to mean Ancient Greece and Rome until it gets replaced by something better. Although of course if you want to draw to include additional Ancient Mediterranean cultures that is awesome, as learning is what we’re here for and I particularly don’t know nearly enough outside of what I personally have to teach.
Most of the prompts are pretty open but some will be Greek/Latin terms (with translations obvs) and seeing equivalents will be very educational!
Hoping to see lots of interpretations of the prompts as history and myth and explorations of the themes! And in any medium – drawings, inks, digital, video, sculpture, photography…Can’t wait! Share online with the hashtag #ClassicsTober when you’re ready! (And it’s ok to skip days – pick what inspires you!)
Drawing prompts: copy the list below or download this PDF:
When Abi told me her just-completed PhD was entitled “Nature into Landscape: Pictorial and Poetic Landscape Representation in Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’ and Campanian Wall-Painting”, I got very excited and insisted on drawing her some images for the front cover of her individual copy of her work!
Many, many months later, I got round to it, just in time for Myth Dynamite’s 3rd season in fact!
I’ve previously experimented with drawing my Comix characters directly into photographic backgrounds, and this medium really seemed to suit Abi’s topic. I’ve kept them black and white to set off their backgrounds and also highlight the difference between the real and the mythological, like in my Comix from Crete series. Look out for the full series:
Actaeon
Polyphemus and Galatea
Narcissus and Echo
Orpheus
All of the images are against photographic backgrounds I’ve taken on my travels, some from Crete, one from the New Forest, and one from a secret little park in Islington! Which will be your favourite?
Cassie returns to her present, to find the future waiting for her, this week on the Tale. You can find the prior chapters here, here, here and here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. The part before this week’s is here. Truth requires one to accept it, no matter what may come from that decision. But knowing the truth also brings a…
Balancing Act
By TeraS
“Cassiopeia …”
She’d know that voice anywhere, even when it held that tone that said the owner wasn’t exactly pleased with her. She hadn’t heard that tone for a very long time, and, honestly, she wasn’t sure if it sounded as upset as Cassie expected. Looking to the right, the Temptress decided that it wasn’t good.
Standing in front of Keith’s desk was the Queen of the Realm in all her dominant glory. Her wild, ebon mane framed her piercing, so-green eyes, focused on the silver tail so very intently. The black dress trimmed in red proclaimed her power; her red tail arched over her shoulder while red horns glinted in the light of the room. The sound of her sharp, red heels clicking on the smooth wood floor sounded like thunder as she stalked the Temptress. Cassie shivered as the Queen gestured her black-gloved right hand towards her, then stopped.
It was clear that her Monarch wasn’t exactly sure how to continue. Was she angry, upset, displeased?
Before Tera could say a word, Cassie did: “I’m not sorry for what I’ve done. I’m not sorry for challenging you, making you leave the Realm and find Keith. I’m not sorry for going back and finding him. Not sorry for falling for him all over again. I’m especially not sorry for every word I said, including saying that I love him.” She’d turned to face her dearest friend, not backing down as she told her truths: “I am sorry that I was so stupid for so long. I’m sorry for not realizing what Keith was trying to tell me. I’m especially sorry that I wasn’t as part of your lives as I should have been.”
The canvas bag slipped off her shoulder easily and she reached inside: “I didn’t do this for me. I didn’t do it for you and Keith.” She knew that didn’t make any sense to Tera, but she kept going: “I had to go, it all had to happen like you and Keith remembered.” Cassie thrust the silver framed picture at Tera: “That’s why. Tell me it wasn’t worth it. Explain to me why it doesn’t matter. Convince me that you wouldn’t have done the same thing.”
She watched the Monarch of the Realm, her dearest friend, the soul she loved, hold the frame. So-green eyes, the eyes that Cassie adored, held the picture. Those same eyes that began to tear, becoming wet.
Those eyes rose to meet Cassie’s: “You know I would.”
The Temptress gently took the frame from her Monarch and set it on the couch with the canvas bag: “It all comes to that, doesn’t it?”
The red-tail had a wistful smile: “Perhaps … perhaps not.”
The silver-tail sighed: “You know, that’s where this all started.”
The Monarch of the Realm gave way to her red-tailed friend and lover as Tera closed the distance between them, tails twining, fingers lacing together: “Yes, it did. But it didn’t end there did it?”
Cassie couldn’t quite look her in the eyes: “Tera … What do we do? Keith is your Eternal. I gave him to you. Please … let me …”
“Cassie, you’ve been his Temptress eternally. I’ve never held that against you, never been upset when you’ve been with Keith, he’s never been upset when you’ve been with me.”
The Temptress smiled: “I still remember that time we tried to trick him, me looking exactly like you.”
Tera’s smile was naughty: “Of course, it didn’t work. He knows us too well for it to work.”
“But it was fun.”
“Yes, it was.” They both giggled.
Cassie sighed softly: “Still don’t know where this all takes us, Tera. I want you both, I want to be part of your lives. I don’t want to be watching from afar anymore.”
Tera’s smile became even more naughty, a shiver trickled its way from the tip of Cassie’s silver tail to her horns, making her gasp; “What …”
“I have a thought, but we need to ask for advice first.”
Cassie had no idea who Tera was talking about, and she didn’t give a hint or clue as they left Keith’s office together, Cassie carrying the canvas bag with its mystery within.
Wherever they were going, it didn’t seem to be too far away. The palace grounds receded behind them as they walked into the Realm proper. They’d passed a number of souls along the way, Tera waving to all of them, sharing an occasional hug with a few who came close. Cassie didn’t expect the greetings sent her way as well, however. She wasn’t part of Realm royalty, after all; it wasn’t her thing and she was quite happy to let Tera and Keith deal with it all. She couldn’t deny that returning a hug made her smile.
Eventually they entered a familiar cul de sac; the light red brick home at the very end sported a shrub trimmed into the shape of a hockey puck near the entrance, along with several others trimmed within an inch of their lives into other hockey related items. She still had no idea how the gardener in question had managed to make one look like a goalie mask. Still, she knew exactly whose home this was and was so very thankful she was wearing her silver best as Tera led them into the backyard.
A very familiar, gruff voice called out to them both as they passed under the awning that protected the patio: “Well, this is a surprise. What brings the most beautiful red and silver tails of the Realm to my humble abode?”
Tera stopped and put her hands on her hips: “You must be in a good mood, Uncle. Did your team win last night?”
The patio held a circular–red, of course–wooden table with four chairs placed around it. Seated there was an elderly soul, the only one in the Realm with shockingly white hair and a red tail. Formally known as an advisor to the Realm, he was, of course, their Uncle.
Uncle looked them both over, passing over his beloved niece’s comment about his hockey team–they’d lost. “Being formal today, are we? I don’t recall my nieces doing that before. I’d better go and change into something more proper .”
Cassie placed a hand on top of his, the one holding his cane, and shook her head: “Don’t you dare. You just stay there, Uncle.” She looked at Tera, who nodded: “Absolutely. This isn’t … formal … exactly.”
Uncle waved his free hand: “I’m not about to have a conversation with the two of you standing there. Now sit, the both of you.”
The chorus of “yes, Uncle” did bring a smile to the elderly red-tail. After his nieces had found their places, he continued: “Now, what brings you both here?”
It took a while to fill him in, to explain how they both loved Keith, which didn’t surprise him at all. Learning about what Cassie had done, the relationship she’d had with Keith before he’d met Tera, did. He’d never liked the idea of poking his tail into time, never would, but accepted that his silver-tailed goddaughter believed she was doing the right thing when she’d finished explaining her side of the story.
It was a bit more complicated to listen to his red-tailed niece as she told her side of things. He’d always known she adored Cassie; that was plain to see from the moment the two had met as children. The revelation that they’d fallen in love before Tera had met Keith was a surprise, but Tera was known for her love, and so loving Cassie made sense.
Both younger souls knew when their uncle was thinking. He had a habit of scraping the tip of his cane on the ground, and did so as Tera finished telling her story and they waited for him to collect his thoughts. His first comment, being a red-tail, wasn’t a surprise: “You both love him and each other. I don’t see the problem.” He watched them nod, then continued: “But it’s the Eternal problem that’s bothering you.”
Cassie was worrying her hands: “There’s only one Eternal for each of us.”
His eyes held them both: “What, exactly, tells you that?”
Cassie didn’t know how to answer that. It was clear from their lessons and the words of Goddess wasn’t it?
The wise red-tail continued: “The writings of Goddess state that there are Eternals for each soul. They don’t say how many. They don’t say there is only one for each of us. From the view of our kind, all of us in our Realm, you are both Eternals to Keith and you are Eternals to each other.”
Tera looked at Cassie: “I don’t have a problem.”
Cassie nodded: “I don’t, either.”
He tapped his cane against a table leg: “The problem is that your Eternal was human. He has his sense of honour, and that tells him that Tera is his wife and Eternal. But he loves you, Cassiopeia. He loves you both but doesn’t want to upset Tera.”
Pulling at her hair, Tera sighed: “I’m not upset. We’ve talked about this; he knows that he’s wanted by Cassie, that, honestly, I’d love for them to be as close as Cassie and I are.”
He nodded, then turned his attention to his blonde niece: “Is it that important for others to recognize you as Keith’s Eternal?”
Cassie shook her head, her mane floating about her shoulders: “No. Everyone knows that I’m always tempting him, that I desire him. Being labeled by the Realm as his Eternal, I’ve come to realize, isn’t that important to me. What matters is being with Tera and Keith, that’s all.” She looked at her ebon-maned best friend: “He has one Eternal and that’s Tera.”
Their uncle allowed himself a chuckle: “Then I have a solution. But the Queen and her King will have to hold court.”
Tera sighed, which made Cassie giggle: “Uncle … Do I have to? Can’t I just sign something?”
“Not this time, dear niece. For this to work, we’ll have to have all the pomp and ceremony you dislike so much.”
Cassie giggled as her tail nudged Tera’s: “You have fun with that. I’ll watch from the balcony.”
His tail pointed in his blonde niece’s direction: “As for you, you’re going to be at the centre of this, Cassiopeia.” Cassie didn’t feel so pleased as he continued: “Things are going to be less fun for you. Are you absolutely sure?”
Her answer was to open the canvas bag she’d brought with her and hand the silver-framed picture to him. Like Tera, she’d always wanted her godfather’s approval of her. Tera was his niece by birth, she by her parents asking him. But that didn’t matter, he’d always been there for them both.
He held the picture for some time before returning it to her care: “I’m very proud of you.”
Hovertext: Just to be 100% clear this has nothing to do with any current event - it was written months ago and I suspect I can use it to whinge online for ever after.
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It’s that point in time that Cassie knew was coming this time on the Tale. You can find the prior chapters here, here, here and here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.. Last week’s part is here. We are told that the future will look after itself, but we might not see that fully, and so it can take an …
Act of Faith
By TeraS
They’d left for the park just after breakfast, Cassie driving her yellow convertible with Keith giving directions. The Temptress wished the drive would have taken longer, hoped that something might delay them, but it didn’t. The familiar sight of the park and the garage nearby soon came into view. She found a parking place on the lot of Keith’s garage.
Turning off the engine, they sat there for a while, not saying a word. It wasn’t that she didn’t have something to say; Goddess knew that there were millions of things she could tell him, but couldn’t. Cassie could tell he wanted to say something, but the words weren’t there. Finally, Keith opened the door and picked up his camera bag: “There’s something I want to do before everything happens.”
The walk to the park was as short as she remembered it, but this time she tried to remember every step, the feeling of Keith’s hand in her own, the laughter they shared as they ran across the street.
Confused, the silver-tail watched her love set a camera on his bag and position it towards the park bench. He took some time; Cassie eventually settled on the bench to wait for him to finish. Once he seemed satisfied with things, a button was pressed and he rushed over.
As her love took a place beside her, the curiosity overcame her: “What’s that for?”
“I don’t have one picture of us together.”
Her voice was surprised: “You never asked.”
His admission was heartfelt: “I thought there was more time.”
Cassie held his hand, rested her head against his shoulder. She delighted in the feeling of being with him. knowing so much more about him. A warm smile came as she sighed. The camera clicked and she knew that another part of the future was written. Someday that image would be placed in a silver frame, positioned just so on Keith’s office desk, where the silver-tail would be guided to discover it so many years later: the image of her Adored One and herself on a park bench … in love. So many pieces and parts of the past were calling out to the future, to her, and she’d never been aware enough to see them all.
They’d left the park afterwards, returning to Keith’s garage; he put the camera bag into his office before locking the place up again. Cassie looked at her yellow convertible in the parking lot. It took a moment to fish the keys out of her pocket and hand them to him: “I won’t be needing that. Will you look after it for me?”
He looked at the keys in his hand: “I’ll figure something out.”
Then it happened, Cassie felt Tera arrive, she always knew when her dearest friend was nearby: “Come on.”
It was a short walk to the alleyway that looked across to the park. Cassie didn’t explain why she was taking them there, there was no reason to. She’d told Keith this was the time he’d meet Tera. This was the place where the future would begin. Standing just inside the entrance from the street, they waited. There wasn’t anything to say, the Temptress thought, but her Adored One surprised her: “Cassie, thank you.”
The silver-tail didn’t know what to say, then Cassie caught a flash of red in the distance: “She’s here.”
From the far side of the park, a woman with wild ebon hair and wearing a long red latex jacket entered. She seemed wrapped up in her thoughts, troubled by something. The park bench soon came into her view and she found a place there to rest.
It was Tera, there was no question. It was odd to not see her red tail or horns, but of course she couldn’t. Cassie’s adored one, Tera’s Eternal-to-be, mused: “She looks … right.”
Cassie smiled: “Seems to be what we say about each other.”
Keith squeezed her hand: “Cassie …”
The Temptress shook her head: “You need to be with her. Go.”
Keith’s so-blue eyes met her own green: “This isn’t goodbye.”
Cassie managed to hold back the tears: “We don’t say goodbye.”
“See you soon?”
The smile was the best she could do: “Count on it.”
The Temptress didn’t want to let go, didn’t want to allow his hands to fall away from her own, didn’t want to see him take a step back and then turn away … but she did. She watched him walk out of the alleyway, Tera framed in the park off in the distance. Cassie wanted him to just go … but didn’t, to be with Tera and have things begin … but wished it could wait.
She didn’t expect him to pause and turn to look back, to touch two fingers to his lips. The Temptress touched her heart, whispered one word: “Always” and then couldn’t look away as Keith crossed the street and entered the park.
Tera looked miserable, Cassie cursed her past self and at the same time was thankful for what she’d done now. She’d pushed Tera in the Realm and guided Keith to be here. She’d given both of them a reason to be in the same place at the same time. The silver-tail didn’t truly understand what she’d done until now. Until the moment when Keith crossed the park and stopped by the tall oak tree next to the bench where Tera rested.
From afar, she could see Keith speaking, Tera turning to look at him. She knew the words they said to each other, she could recite them by heart. Cassie wasn’t a red-tail, but—seeing Keith settle in with Tera, their eyes for each other, the first tentative touch of fingers that told more than the words could even if she could hear them—she wished she was.
The blonde thought it would hurt to feel Keith slipping away, that piece inside of herself becoming loose and falling out. It would be alright, losing peace for the sake of the Eternals. She stood there a long time waiting for the pain, the hurt, the loss … But it didn’t come.
She ached for them, more than she ever had before, but there wasn’t hurt in that ache. It was the ache of wanting to go home. The ache of needing to see them both once more as she knew them, as she wanted, needed them to be …
… to be part of their lives once more.
It was all worth it, she realized, carrying the truth in a silver frame held safely in the canvas bag slung over her shoulder. The future would come; it did matter. All of this was worth the secret the picture held.
Turning away she decided now was the time to go. A wave of her hand and the graffiti covered wall shimmered under the magic being cast. As the portal formed, Cassie’s clothing changed, the silver dress her Adored One loved—the look that proclaimed her to be his Temptress—forming. Her silver heels clicked on the pavement as she moved, a brush of fingers through her blond mane making it just so, the silver bracelet upon her wrist glinting in the magic energies.
Gripping the handle of the canvas bag tightly, the Temptress found she wasn’t afraid of what awaited her. What was meant to be … was. What would be … will. This portal was the future awaiting her. The past that made the future fulfilled, the future offering what it would. Tempted by the Eternals behind her, she had a passing thought to stay and watch what happened next. But she knew she had to go, to pass into their future and her present.
One silver heel passed through, followed by the Temptress, the last of her being her silver tail, the tip looking back at the Eternals holding hands for the first time before it, too, left the past behind.
The future arrived with Cassie’s silver heel touching polished wood floor, her eyes beholding Keith’s office as it formed around her.
The one voice she didn’t expect called out her name as the portal closed …
I've been getting a kick out of What If? on Disney+. The animation style took some getting used to, but now I think it's pretty cool. My favorite episode so far has been the Dr. Strange-centric one. Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher is so good that I hope he brings the role to live action in a future movie. I have a feeling we'll be seeing some of the characters and storyline in this show included in upcoming MCU films.
Looks like Kang's experiment with Batman from STF #2390 got a little out of hand, and now it's up to the Boy Wonder to make sense of things. I can't wait to see what shenanigans Kang gets into when he next appears in the MCU. From the end of the Loki series, it seems that he's already gotten started.
Kang battled the greatest Robin of all in STF #1744...
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