rate_review Reviews

So, since the harpies are a mixture of human and avian features, does this technically count as a furry story?

Joking aside, it's cool to see what is essentially Greek mythology fanfiction, in this case the story of Jason and the Argonauts (the original myth, though, not the film).  I'm not sure if you actually looked this up or if the idea of sexy harpies was just the basis for the summary, but the first mention of Ocypete and Aello, in Hesiod's Theogony circa 700 BC, actually does seem to indicate that they are beautiful, and it's not until Aeschylus starts writing the better part of two centuries later that they get described as hideous.

The story also raises a rather interesting question: are sentient instruments of divine punishment necessarily on board with what they're doing?  Traditionally, one might assume Ocypete and Aello were just monsters Zeus sicced on Phineus, but I like the idea that they didn't necessarily enjoy what they were doing.  The Greek Gods have kind of a record of being dicks, after all, so it's hard to say it's out of character for Zeus.

Considering the limited word count allowed, the sex is still pretty erotic, and the sisters' avian characteristics (trilling, for instance) aren't so pronounced as to be offputting.

Finally, the Bio major in me wanted to rebel against the idea that human had impregnated harpies...but then I remembered that this is Greek mythology, where the Minotaur was produced when Pasiphae had sex with a bull.  Granted, it was a magic bull, bit still, this is just how things go in these myths.

Dropping a note to say I read this one! It says written for a prompt, and it seems less inspired than usual for you - very little depth into the motivations, short, somewhat lacking in details - but I enjoyed it anyway. Greek mythology lends well to any coupling becoming plausible, what with every Greek figure getting it on with pretty much anyone. I was curious how you'd handle the setting.

favorite lines:

"a simple cloth covered his empty sockets" - that seals the image pretty well.

"batting playfully at each other’s talon tipped fingers to snatch him from one to the other while their songs rose in pitch and intensity." - talon tipped fingers (maybe a hyphen should be there) and snatch behaves like onomatopoeia with the "tch" sounds.

 

Wow. Just... wow. I'm absolutely amazed by this one, JD. Seriously, this is probably one of the finest short works I've ever read. There's a timeless feeling to the night, and the passions are so raw, and so tender at the same time. Phineus captivated me, and the Harpies are magnificent, all their fury spent to leave room for something even more primal. And the ending... that was simply the perfect touch.

You know, I actually forgot I was reading a prompt response. You used the words so effortlessly, and that's a hallmark of your skill as a writer. Gorgeous, start to finish.

Wonderful writing, it was just like being there. The King came across really well, and you nailed that sense of haughty nobility in him. There was a good fantastical atmosphere. I really liked the description of the noises the sisters made, and the feel of the feathers. I'm not sure you met the requirement of 'horrific' though, I think you probably surpassed it. It's more a feeling of dark unease that grows in you, even after you've finished reading, because you wrote it so well, I neglected to notice how unnatural it really is. Until you mentioned the eggs, of course. Well done!

Nicely done. I never would have thought that Phineus would harbor lust for the creatures who forced him to starve for all those years. But then again, the early stories said the harpies were attractive (presumably the parts that had lady parts) and so... why not?

On a personal notes, I could never use Aello in a story such as this, because, well... "Aello" makes me think of Danny Aiello, and the image of a creature that is half bird/half Danny Aiello is too horrible to contemplate!