abookishdreamer

[abookishdreamer]

Your story is still worth writing even if it veers off from what you planned originally.

It’s still worth writing even if you aren’t feeling it right now.

It’s still worth writing even if it’s fanfiction.

It’s still worth writing even if you don’t think anyone else would ever want to read it.

It’s still worth writing even if it doesn’t get published.

It’s still worth writing even if it doesn’t get adapted into a huge blockbuster movie.

It’s still worth writing even if you can’t have fancy illustrations at the beginning of chapters or a map of the world at the beginning.

It’s still worth writing even if someone you trusted told you to stop.

It’s still worth writing if you just rolled your eyes at me.

It’s still worth writing, SO WRITE IT.

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Lucina (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Baby by her mother

Lulu by Koalemos

Lucia by her schoolmates

Age- 15 (immortal)

Location- Hearthwood neighborhood, New Olympus

Personality- Lucina is a true individualist! Despite her naivete, she's caring, playful, intuitive, & determined. While others may think of certain "traits" as hindrances or something to overcome, she views them as her strengths.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. As the goddess of babies & children her other powers/abilities include limited vitakinesis (healing), being able to communicate with babies, as well as being able to make others fall asleep temporarily by singing a lullaby.

Lucina is wholly fluent in Old Greek and can surprisingly write in Old Greek calligraphy too. Lucina is currently learning GSL (Greek sign language).

It's often said that she gives off a scent of soap & warm milk- a similar scent to that of a newborn baby.

A notable physical feature is her height, almost standing at 5’’10! She also has a dimple on each side of her cheek. 

What’s not seen by the naked eye is her voice, which is high pitched.

Lucina is the only child of Thilasmós (goddess of nursing).

She & her mom reside in a large farmhouse style home in the Hearthwood neighborhood, situated on Kettle Road. There’s a wide array of cuddly pets like cats, dogs, hamsters, and guinea pigs. Lucina has recently acquired three lizards which she has named Rainbow, Delilah, & Pea.

Her bedroom has a kidcore aesthetic, with the walls being painted in bright colors. It’s covered in various posters and drawings. The flooring is a soft pastel pink mink carpeting. Lucina’s trundle bed is covered with various pillows & stuffed animals. There’s a glitter lava lamp situated on top of her bedside drawer- which gives off various different colors of light at night. There’s also a few plush bean bag chairs in her room along with a Talos Core gaming system. Aside from her main closet which houses her clothes & shoes, there’s a second closet that’s filled with many board games, puzzles, dolls, coloring books, crafts, crayons, paints, lanyard, knitting yarn, and markers. 

Her favorite flowers are orchids and sunflowers. Lucina also likes blowing the soft white puffs of a dandelion. 

A go-to drink for her is fruit punch juice. She also likes lemonade, iced tea, large soda floats & rainbow slushies from The Frozen Spoon, strawberry milk, orange juice, chocolate milk, lychee juice, sparkling water, cola, lemon-lime soda, medium lychee bubble tea from Nature’s Nectar, coconut milk, in addition to strawberry flavored DASH energy drinks. A usual from The Roasted Bean is a large iced mocha frappuccino with extra whipped cream.

Lucina likes listening to pop and electronic music. She’s a fan of the girl group M9 (The Muses), Apollo (god of the sun,, music, poetry, healing, medicine, archery, plague, light, & knowledge), Summerstar, as well as the electropop artist Solara Vee, a nephelai. Solara Vee’s hit song “Dreams in Neon” is her smartphone’s ringtone.

Her and her mom are very close. It was said that Thilasmós breastfed Lucina until she was four years old. Her mom’s bountiful chest still gives her comfort whenever they’re cuddled up on the couch in the living room or in her bed watching TV. Lucina likes the fact that her mom doesn’t baby her or talk down to her the way some other adults do. 

Her other current household members are twin aurai ten year old boys named Caelus & Ouro. Lucina’s mom is a licensed foster parent. Lucina can tell the difference between them by their personalities. Caelus is more stoic & closed-mouthed while Ouro is more extroverted and friendlier. She likes hanging out with them- whether it’s playing video games with them both, going to the Skatewave indoor roller rink with Ouro, or going to the library with Caelus. She knows that they’re worried about their mom who’s currently in a rehab facility, even though they don’t talk about it.

Her personal fashion style is also related to the kidcore aesthetic- different fabrics/materials, bold & pastel colors and patterns, high tops, embellished & glittered crop tops, denim overalls, mini skirts, baggy high waisted jeans, rompers, puffy sleeves, and baseball tees. Lucina's favorite fashion brand Kaleidoscope Lab contains many of these elements!

She’ll often wear her long hair in ultra high ponytails, buns, and pigtails. Lucina will also compliment her hair with hair accessories like clips, barrettes, hair bows, rhinestone hair stickers, & colorful clip-on extensions. A go-to product is the Olmorfia cotton candy scented hairspray in addition to the Hairology coconut & vanilla 2-in-1 shampoo-conditioner.

When it comes to makeup, Lucina likes pastel hued eyeshadow, facial rhinestones, in addition to glittery lip gloss. Her favorite lipgloss shade to wear is Olmorfia's "Enchanted Candy", a light glittery pink color.

Some of her favorite things to eat for breakfast include eggs sunny side up with hash browns, chocolate chip pancakes (drizzled in chocolate syrup & topped with whipped cream), strawberry french toast, as well as her mom’s breakfast pizza- which is topped with scrambled eggs, peppers, home fries, cheddar cheese, sausage, bacon, and sausage gravy.

On a school day, Lucina will eat an apple along with a few slices of toast topped with strawberry jam or a bowl of cereal. She likes Grains of Olympus, Omega Lightning Flakes, Lucky Bits, and the Golly Grains cinnamon crunch.

She cries every time a foster child leaves her & her mom. Lucina wants her mom to formally adopt "an entire army of siblings."

One of Lucina’s favorite thing she likes using is her deep teal colored weighted blanket, a gift from one of her mom’s friends Hestia (goddess of the earth). When she's feeling sad or having a bad day, Lucina finds comfort in her blanket while her mom massages her scalp.

In addition to her childlike mannerisms & proclivities, she's also dyslexic. Oftentimes, Lucina has difficulty spelling as well as mixing up words when writing & reading, though she can read and write in Old Greek perfectly. At school, she has a specialized speech class added onto her schedule. Afterschool, Lucina also has a tutor- a mortal woman named Ms. Xydis.

Certain tools that have helped Lucina tremendously with her dyslexia include the use of audiobooks when reading as well as text-to-speech software on her laptop & tablet. She’s also given extra time during quizzes and tests. 

She, at times, finds it difficult to connect with her peers which is one of the reasons why Lucina feels a kinship towards children. Through babysitting, she feels like she's not putting on a facade- that she can authentically be herself without judgement.

Some of her favorite treats include gummy bears, strawberry licorice twists, sour gummy worms, and jumbo lollipops. Twice a week, Lucina frequents Confetti Candy Co., the candy shop owned by Iris (goddess of the rainbow).

She also likes the strawberries n’ cream gourmet popcorn from Confection Carousel, the business owned by Záchari (god of confectionery). Lucina also likes the ultra fizzy bubblegum flavored soda there too!

Lucina loves watching animated films & television shows as well as Metaxý ton Selídon, the educational children's TV show created and hosted by Logos (god of stories).

Her favorite frozen treats include a cherry dip ice cream cone, a chipwich ice cream sandwich, as well as a neapolitan ice cream sundae- topped with extra maraschino cherries, chocolate chips, hot fudge, & whipped cream. 

Lucina is one of the few neurodivergent deities in the Olympian Pantheon. Others include her best friend & fellow schoolmate Koalemos (god of foolishness) and Techne (goddess of arts, crafts, & invention). She's proud of not fitting the mold for a "typical being" or deity.

Her favorite piece of jewelry to wear is the gummy bear necklace from Kaleidoscope Lab.

At home, she’s fond of making marshmallow rice squares.

Two of her guilty pleasures are pepperoni pizza as well as rainbow rolls from The Ocean Roll, a popular sushi restaurant owned by Poseidon (god of the sea & earthquakes).

Lucina is a student at Olympion High, an esteemed high school in the city. Aside from her and Koalemos, other godly students include Eileithyia (Ella) (goddess of childbirth), Circe (goddess of sorcery), Theodon (god of reality, uncertainty, & faith), Eirene (goddess of peace), Telesphorus (Rusty) (god of rehabilitation), Eunomia (goddess of law & legislation), Cedalion (demi-god of smithing ore), Dysnomia (goddess of anarchy & lawlessness), Eleos (Ellie) (goddess of mercy, pity, & compassion), Philautia (goddess of self love), Heirmarmene (Marnie (goddess of shared fate), and Eiresione (Ren) (goddess of offerings).

Marnie, Philautia, Ellie, & Dysnomia often say hi to her. 

At school, her locker is decorated with a variety of glitter stickers!

Lucina’s other friends are some of her classmates in speech class- a harpy named Avarine, a hearing impaired gorgon named Velissara, and an anthousai named Irielle.

Her speech teacher, a nephelai named Mrs. Aitheris is her favorite!

She almost always spends her lunch with Koalemos and they get along great. Lucina is one of the few deities he feels comfortable speaking with, while he remains quiet with others. Lucina and Koalemos hang out outside of school too- whether it’s getting a burger from Olympic Chef, a cup of shaved ice from a Frosty Delights truck, or doing their homework at her place or his house. Lately, their friendship has taken some… interesting turns. 

In school, Lucina is a member of the cheerleading team, impressing the team’s captain, a nephelai named Hyale Aeridon at the tryouts with her vibrant energy, surprisingly flexibility, cartwheels, & flips. Lucina thinks that her cheerleading uniform is cute, which are in the school’s colors of silver, white, & gold. 

Her favorite thing to order from Olympic Chef is a cheeseburger with large crinkle cut fries and a large strawberry soda. She'll also sometimes order the kid's meal, just to get the toy!

Lucina has a “job” of sorts. She’s a babysitter and a damn good one at that! The only condition (set by her mom) is that she can't babysit no longer than 10 pm on weeknights. Lucina can babysit until midnight on weekends. Most of the money, she has saved in her pegasus-shaped ceramic piggy bank. Lucina has treated herself too- whether it was hanging out with Koalemos at Gods O’ Fun, buying a candy shaped jeweled Diamond Ave. clutch, or buying makeup at an Olmorfia store. 

She can change a diaper in ten seconds flat!

Lucina is well equipped in first aid and CPR. She even knows how to properly use a rectal thermometer, which is often used with children under the age of three.

Frequent clients are Myrízei (god of smell & gases), Paidia (goddess of play & amusement), Mneme (goddess of remembrance), and her older sister Melete (goddess of thought & meditation). 

At a babysitting job, she will usually bring a "kid kit" with her- which includes board games, crayons, markers, craft materials, and coloring books.

Her all time favorite dessert from Hollyhock's Bakery is the neapolitan cake.

In the pantheon Lucina really likes her mom’s best friend Apheleia (goddess of simplicity), who’s also Koalemos’ mother. She also likes Leto (Titaness of demurity & motherhood), Thalia (muse of comedy); is a fan of her Comic Relief comic book series, Eudaimonia (goddess of happiness), as well as Elpis (goddess of hope). 

Lucina has a little crush on Apólafsi (god of enjoyment).

A few weeks ago at a sleepover at Koalemos’ house, Lucina comforted him while it was storming outside. The flashes of lightning and booming claps of thunder made him jittery and anxious. They were laying on an air mattress in the living room. To calm him, Lucina laid Koalemos’ head on her chest as she quietly sang a lullaby. As Koalemos drifted to sleep, she felt something hard against her inner thigh. Lucina read enough sex ed books in addition to “the talk” she had with her mom to know it was a boner. She didn’t bring it up to him the next morning. Lucina wasn’t even sure if Koalemos was aware of it happening. 

After performing at a school’s basketball championship game, Lucina & the other cheerleaders were giddy chatting with one another while changing their clothes in the locker room. Hyale was putting on a simple white tank top when a guy, a nephelai named Skylar Petraies came up from behind her, shouting “Boo!,” while wrapping his arms around her waist. Hyale giggled while she turned around. They started kissing and Lucina couldn’t help but stare for a bit before turning away, her cheeks flushed red. 

A few days later at school as Lucina was walking in the staircase to make it to her algebra class, she noticed Koalemos walking downstairs. “Koko!,” she exclaimed. Koalemos turned, removing the earbuds from his ears. “Hey Lulu,” he whispered. “Are you cutting class again?,” Lucina asked as she raised one of her eyebrows. Koalemos shook his head. “No. I’m going to the main office. My schedule’s been changed and I don’t know why. I now have two study hall periods.” “Oh,” Lucina answered, suddenly nervous. She’s always been curious about kissing before, but it never came to the surface until seeing Hyale & Skylar in the locker room. Lucina even practiced on one of her stuffed animals, but she wanted to know what it was like for real. Would it feel like how they showed it in the movies and TV shows? Would it feel like how it’s been described in the romance books her mom read? She had to know for herself.

“Could you come here for a sec?,” she asked, motioning her hand. The squeaks of Koalemos’ high tops sounded against the stairs as he made his way to her. The light from the window made his curly blond hair look more golden than usual. His teeth grazed against his slightly fuller bottom lip as his blue eyes stared at her in confusion. “We’re friends, right?,” Lucina asked. Koalemos nodded his head. “And you trust me?,” she added. “Yeah,” Koalemos whispered. She swallowed before blowing out a breath. Lucina took Koalemos’ hands in hers. “Could you kiss me?” His eyes widened as he sucked in a shaky breath. “Kiss you?,” Koalemos repeated. “Why?” “Just one kiss. I…I…I just want to know what it��s like and if I’m going to have my first kiss, I want it to be with you,” Lucina whispered as she squished her lips to the side. “But if you don’t want to, I-” she was cut off as Koalemos squished his lips against hers. Koalemos was eager and sloppy, like a puppy as their lips moved against each other. Lucina pressed herself closer to his body, her hands trembling as they found his shoulders. A weird grumble sounded from Koalemos’ throat as his hands wrapped around Lucina’s waist. She could taste the salt and vinegar chips he no doubt ate this morning on his way to school. Koalemos kissed like he was hungry, starved, as though he’d been holding this in for far too long. Lucina softly moaned, as she felt a similar hardness against her inner thigh. This wasn’t like the books or movies. This was better. Suddenly, she could feel Koalemos rub himself against her as her back hit the wall. Lucina felt a weird sensation from between her legs and as Koalemos moved faster, it got more and more intense. She liked it as she pressed herself even closer against his body- the fabric of Koalemos’ denim jeans rubbing against her tulle mini skirt. Lucina matched his rhythm, moving against Koalemos as well. Suddenly, she felt his body quake as he loudly gasped. They both pulled away, their lips noticeably swollen. “I’m sorry. That was only supposed to be one kiss,” Lucina finally said, her voice breathless. Koalemos lowered eyes, shaking his head. “What’s wrong?,” she asked, her brows furrowed. Lucina looked down, noticing a wet stain on the front of Koalemos’ jeans. “Um, I… I have to go,” he said quickly as he rushed down the stairs, without even saying goodbye. At lunch, Lucina didn’t even see him where they usually sat, so she ended up having lunch with Avarine, Velissara, and Irielle.

Koalemos apologized to her a couple of days later while he and his mom came over to her house for dinner. As their moms were watching TV in the living room, Lucina was cleaning the dishes in the sink. “Can I help?,” Koalemos asked. She nodded her head, handing him a sponge. “I didn’t mean to ignore you at school. I just… I didn’t know what to say,” he whispered. Lucina sighed. “You really hurt my feelings.” “I know and I’m sorry. I just want things to go back to normal, like how it was before,” Koalemos said as he shook off the water from a ceramic plate. “Me too. I don’t want to lose you Koko.” “Me too.” Lucina turned to face him. “We don’t have to talk about it. We can go back to being friends again. Ok?,” she said, holding out her hand. Koalemos wiped his hands on his shirt before pulling her in for a hug. “Friends,” he whispered. 

Her favorite baseball team is the New Olympus Griffins.

Lucina’s favorite holidays are the Summer Solstice, Thanksgiving, & Christmas.

She loves playing the video games Hit the Beat! & Bubble Burst. She also likes playing Strimméno.

When Lucina becomes a fully realized deity, she wants to go to University to get a degree in children’s education.

Some of her favorite meals include her mom’s creamy mac n’ cheese, Hestia’s lemon honey glazed fried chicken, Apheleia’s moussaka, and ultra cheesy ravioli casserole. 

In her free time Lucina enjoys bike riding, gardening with her mom, going to the arcade, knitting, doing lanyard, basketball, going to museums, football (soccer), yoga, baseball,  going to the park, drawing, bowling, doing various crafts projects, painting (her favorite being watercolor), indoor rock climbing, laser tag, going to amusement parks, chess, and horseback riding.

“Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies. Nobody that matters, that is.”

[abookishdreamer]

List of 400+ Dialogue Tags

Below is a full (but not exhaustive) and updated list of dialogue tags. Dialogue tags are a widely debated topic for writers, some saying you should only use said, others arguing the opposite. You will get no opinion for me—only a list to use as you wish :D

Some words may differ in categories based on context.

Expressing Agreement or Confirmation

Acknowledged, Admitted, Affirmed, Agreed, Apologized, Confirmed, Conceded, Gibed, Professed, Reassured, Verified, Vouched

Initiating or Continuing Conversation

Added, Began, Chimed In, Commented, Continued, Conversed, Discussed, Elaborated, Greeted, Interjected, Offered, Proposed, Remarked, Went On

Making a Declaration or Announcement

Announced, Attested, Declared, Decreed, Emphasized, Enunciated, Proclaimed, Revealed, Stated, Voiced

Formal or Deliberate Communication

Chanted, Concurred, Observed, Postulated, Preached, Put Forth, Reasoned, Surmised, Testified

Indirect Communication 

Digressed, Hinted, Implied, Insinuated 

Providing Information, Explanation or Speculation

Alleged, Articulated, Asserted, Clarified, Doubted, Equivocated, Explained, Guessed, Imparted, Informed, Lectured, Noted, Predicted, Quoted, Recited, Reported, Theorized

Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty

Doubted, Faltered, Guessed, Hesitated, Pondered, Questioned, Speculated, Wondered, Ventured

Seeking or Giving Advice

Advised, Coaxed, Proposed, Recommended, Remonstrated, Suggested, Supposed, Urged

Animalistic

Barked, Croaked, Growled, Hissed, Hooted, Howled, Hummed, Roared, Snarled 

Expressing Discontent or Frustration

Complained, Fretted, Grumbled, Protested, Ranted

Demonstrating Authority or Command

Avowed, Commanded, Crowed, Decided, Demanded, Dictated, Directed, Insisted, Instructed, Maintained, Ordered, Pressed, Proclaimed, Reprimanded

Displaying Confidence or Assertiveness

Asserted, Assured, Boasted, Bragged, Claimed, Piped Up, Pledged, Spoke Up, Told, Vowed

Exhibiting Anger or Aggression

Accused, Bristled, Challenged, Cursed, Erupted, Exasperated, Fumed, Groaned, Huffed, Raged, Seethed, Snapped, Spat, Stormed, Swore, Threatened, Whinged

Displaying Sadness or Despair

Anguished, Bawled, Bemoaned, Blubbered, Cried, Despaired, Grieved, Lamented, Mourned, Sobbed, Wept, Whimpered, Worried

Persuasiveness 

Appealed, Begged, Cajoled, Convinced, Persuaded, Petitioned, Pleaded, Prayed

Conveying Fear or Worry

Cautioned, Entreated, Gasped, Quaked, Shuddered, Stressed, Trembled, Warned

Softly or Quietly

Breathed, Called, Crooned, Murmured, Mumbled, Muttered, Sighed, Whispered

Loudly or Forcefully

Bellowed, Boomed, Cried Out, Hollered, Screamed, Screeched, Shouted, Shrieked, Thundered, Wailed, Whooped, Yelled

Demonstrating Disgust or Disdain

Cringed, Gagged, Griped, Groused, Rasped, Scowled, Sneered, Snorted

Expressing Mockery, Disrespect or Sarcasm

Dared, Imitated, Insulted, Jeered, Mimicked, Mocked, Ribbed, Ridiculed, Scoffed, Snickered, Taunted 

Doing Annoyingly

Gloated, Goaded, Nagged, Pestered, Provoked, Sassed, Tattled

Emotional or Expressive Communication

Grunted, Mewled, Panted, Quavered, Sniffled, Snivelled, Squawked, Whined, Yowled

Showing Empathy or Comfort

Comforted, Consoled, Empathized, Soothed, Sympathized

Indicating Thoughtfulness or Reflection

Contemplated, Echoed, Mused, Pondered, Recalled, Reflected, Remembered, Reminded, Reminisced, Retorted, Reiterated

Expressing Humour or Amusement

Cackled, Chirped, Chuckled, Giggled, Guffawed, Jested, Joked, Laughed, Quipped

Revealing Information

Confessed, Confided, Divulged, Disclosed, Expressed, Hinted, Revealed, Shared, Spilled, Uttered

In a Flirtatious Way

Bantered, Cooed, Flirted, Joshed, Moaned, Purred, Teased

Demonstrating Surprise or Astonishment

Gasped, Marvelled, Yelped

Indicating Hesitation or Reluctance

Faltered, Hesitated, Stammered, Stuttered

Engaging in a Dispute or Argument

Argued, Bargained, Bickered, Contended, Debated, Disputed, Negotiates, Objected, Rebutted, Shot Back

Showing Enthusiasm or Excitement

Beamed, Blurted, Cheered, Exclaimed, Gushed, Raved, Rejoiced, Sang, Squealed, Trumpeted

Expressing Approval or Praise

Applauded, Complimented, Encouraged, Exhorted, Extolled, Lauded, Praised

Speaking in a Continuous or Repetitive Manner

Babbled, Chattered, Jabbered, Rambled, Rattled On, Repeated

Questions and Answers

Answered, Asked, Cross-examined, Inquired, Implored, Probed. Prodded, Prompted, Queried, Questioned, Quizzed, Requested

Expressing Criticism or Disagreement

Challenged, Chastised, Chided, Condemned, Corrected, Countered, Criticized, Deflected, Demurred, Denounced, Scolded

Negative or Deceptive Communication

Denied, Droned, Exaggerated, Interrupted, Lied

Finishing the Conversation 

Concluded, Finished, Thanked

Neutral or Miscellaneous

Admired, Consented, Foretold, Invited, Mentioned, Mouthed, Pointed Out, Replied, Said, Sputtered, Volunteered

Don’t forget our Grand Opening Giveaway starts February 1st/24 on Tumblr, Instagram and slayingfiction.com! You don’t want to miss it!

Happy Writing!

[abookishdreamer]

Art by Igor Piwowarczyk

[abookishdreamer]

Day dreamer

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Panacea (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Ana by her family & friends

Goldie by Asclepius

Honey by Epione

Sunny by Podalirius

Age- 18 (immortal)

Location- Arcadia, Olympius

Personality- Panacea is definitely more sociable & approachable than her older sisters. She’s compassionate, knowledgeable, and resourceful. Aside from being personally health-conscious, she wants to empower other beings to take charge of their own health. She’s in a relationship.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. As the goddess of universal remedy her other powers/abilities include vitakinesis (healing), having an innate sense of a being’s medical history, limited photokinesis, being able to communicate with all species of lizards, pherokinesis (pheromone manipulation), internal body cleansing, as well as psychic operation.

Her natural scent is a mixture of lemon and sage.

Panacea is fluent in Latin.

The lizard is her sacred animal.

Panacea is the third oldest child of Epione (goddess of soothing pain) & Asclepius (god of medicine), a true middle child. Her elder siblings are Iaso (goddess of cures & remedies) and Hygieia (goddess of hygiene & cleanliness) while her younger siblings are Telesphorus (Rusty) (god of rehabilitation) and Aceso (goddess of healing).

Other members of her immediate family include her aunt, Aegle (goddess of good health) as well as her brother-in-law Machaon.

Notable physical features include her golden tan skin, heart shaped face, straight white teeth, crystal blue eyes, & long straight golden blonde hair.

Panacea lives in a beach house in the state of Arcadia. Inside, the primary color scheme is cream, baby blue, yellow, and green. She’s proud of the fact that she built the house on her own- with help from her aunt & parents. The house is particularly designed for water conservation, with low-flow fixtures. There are solar panels installed on the roof. Inside, all the electronics are energy- efficient. There’s linen & cotton furniture along with ceramic, wicker, and rattan furniture pieces. She has her own yoga studio in addition to a sunroom, where she goes for meditation in the mornings. There's a sizable garden in her backyard where she grows a wide variety of medicinal herbs & plants.

Panacea is an animal lover, through and through. She owns a mixture of geckos- crested & green. Their names are Ziggy, Jade, Ginger, Spot, and Peanut. She also owns a pomeranian named Freckles. 

A common accessory she always wears is her white gold iCHOR Tech touch screen smartwatch, which has health monitoring- like tracking blood pressure & heartbeat.

She primarily gets around Arcadia through use of her bright yellow electric convertible. When traveling out-of-state, like to Tricca to see her boyfriend, Panacea typically travels by ferry or plane.

Panacea loves listening to classical, island, pop, R&B, folk, and country music. She absolutely loves listening to Eurydice, the independent artist Orpheus, Apollo (god of the sun, music, poetry, healing, medicine, archery, plague, light, & knowledge), The Blue Coves, The Golden Dolls (The Hesperides), as well as M9 (The Muses). 

A go-to drink for her is a glass of orange & rosemary infused water, which she drinks every morning. She also likes pineapple juice, ginger ale, orange juice, chamomile tea, aloe vera juice, coconut water, lemon-lime soda, Strengthify tropical citrus water (buys a 10 pack from the supermarket), small creamsicle milkshakes from The Frozen Spoon, lemonade, and white wine. Usuals from The Roasted Bean include a small unsweetened iced green tea along with a medium chai latte. She also likes the lychee bubble tea from Nature’s Nectar, the juice bar owned by Pan (god of the wild, satyrs, shepherds, & rustic music). 

When Panacea travels to New Olympus, she'll either stay at the Grand Eaglepoint Hotel or with one of her friends.

A typical start to her day after meditating in the sunroom is a cool refreshing shower. After feeding her beloved geckos their meal of crickets, banana slices, pear pieces, & silkworms, Panacea goes for a run on the beach with Freckles happily tagging along. She’ll usually stop at a local farmer’s market, to buy some fresh fruit and a bouquet of flowers. 

Panacea is well aware of automatic standards placed on her as a child of the once celebrated “Great Healer.” She was born well after Asclepius’ famed accomplishments, like the opening of his medical school in Corinth and his excursions with the immortal centaur Chiron. Iaso was a fully realized Goddess by the time Panacea was born while Hygieia was just a few short years away from her induction ceremony. 

She had the luxury of growing up in a time of peace & prosperity in Olympius. Panacea was doted on by her parents, and often complimented on by others for her otherworldly beauty. Beings often remarked at how Panacea was “touched by the sun,” referring to her golden skin & locs. 

Time with her mother Epione were spent surfing at the beach and watching her heal many neighboring beings in the community while time with her father was spent in the lab he built in the family house in Kos. Observing Asclepius working through various different vaccines & medicines was like watching a painter working their magic on a blank canvas. 

A typical breakfast for her is a mandarin & granola yogurt parfait along with a few slices of toasted whole grain bread topped with butter and honey. She also likes poached eggs with avocado & turkey bacon. Panacea also likes cereal- both the Earthly Harvest and Golly Grains brands- enjoying the raisin crunch, fruit crystals, as well as the vanilla almond. She also likes her mom’s carrot cake pancakes- dusted with powdered sugar. 

She got her first taste of massive unwanted public attention when her father got arrested. Charges were brought against Asclepius for bringing the dead back to life by Thanatos (god of death) & Hades (god of the dead). Panacea along with the rest of her family traveled to every court appearance in the realm’s capital of New Olympus. They stayed in the city throughout the duration of the trial. Outside the courtroom, there were ardent supporters of Asclepius, shouting things like “You gave me more years with my family than I expected to have!” She was touched that for the most part, the general reception towards her father’s “crimes” were positive. 

Panacea’s heart broke when she finally saw her father enter the courtroom, looking despondent while shackled in Imperial Gold chains. Asclepius, to spare his family the process of a lengthy trial, immediately plead guilty. She sat just a few rows behind him with her mom & siblings. Aegle was the only one in the family that pleaded on his behalf, asking for mercy. With a firm swing of the gavel, Zeus (god of the sky, thunder, & lightning) declared that Asclepius would be stripped of his godly powers, except for his immortality. It was also ruled that he wasn’t allowed to legally practice medicine as a licensed doctor. 

Later that same night when the family returned back to Kos, Asclepius was dropped off by royal officers. Panacea ran into her father’s arms, hugging him, but he didn���t hug her back. Instead, he smiled sadly at her, putting on a brave face. “Thanks Goldie,” he managed to whisper as he stroked the side of Panacea’s face with his thumb. The feeling in the air was more like a funeral than like a reunion. 

Panacea’s personal fashion style is coastal chic. It’s no surprise, given that she lives on a private beach. Staples in her closet include denim shorts, bralette tops, crop tops, rompers, sundresses, maxi dresses, linen trousers, tank tops, sandals, tennis sneakers, ballet flats, flip flops, wide leg pants, as well as cover-ups, like sarongs & kimonos. 

She’s fond of accessories like cute baseball caps, sunglasses, wide brimmed hats, and straw bags.

When it comes to jewelry, Panacea loves layered bracelets & necklaces. She loves crystal rings in addition to gold. 

Her relationship with her mother has always been close, but it's more closer now since the separation. Panacea’s parents aren’t legally divorced, but for the time being, Asclepius is living in a rented cottage in the Hearthwood neighborhood of New Olympus. She checks in on her mom daily and visits her as often as possible. When Panacea spends time with Epione, she can briefly see the sadness & worry behind her mom’s happy mask. 

Panacea’s relationship with her father is now a bit distant, but she still checks on Asclepius from time to time, often bringing food. Oftentimes, her visit with her dad is spent watching nature documentaries while scarfing vanilla soy milk ice cream. He absolutely refuses to go out during the day. 

Her favorite desserts include the orange rolls from Hollyhock’s Bakery, Aceso’s macadamia nut granola bars, in addition to her mother’s carrot cake. 

She also likes getting a box of white chocolate covered strawberries from Salon du Sucre, the patisserie chain owned by Aphrodite (goddess of love & beauty). 

Panacea loves wearing her long golden blonde hair in loose waves. She’s a fan of the Glory’s Crown sunflower oil products along with the ambrosia honey hair gloss and texturizing sea salt spray.

She does wish that she were closer with her older sisters. Whenever Panacea is around Iaso or Hygieia, she gets the sense that they don’t like her, for whatever reason. The frostiness from both of them have subsided a bit since Iaso got married to this well-to-do surgeon named Machaon, a former student at Asclepius’ medical school.

At the beachside wedding ceremony, that’s where Panacea met Machaon’s younger brother Podalirius. She immediately thought that he was cute in the white linen floral pint shirt and khaki shorts he was wearing, his dark blond curls stopping at the nape of his neck. He was definitely the life of the party at the reception, which took place in the backyard of the family home in Kos. From a first glance, she instinctively knew that he had a bout of chicken pox as a toddler followed by having his appendix removed a few years later. Panacea also thought it was the sweetest thing when Podalirius danced with Aceso for a few songs. He actively chose to sit at the kids table, entertaining them with origami figures he made from the linen napkins. 

As Panacea was at the bar, getting another mimosa, she noticed him staring. Podalirius bowed his head dramatically, smiling, which made her giggle. During the garter toss, Podalirius caught it with his teeth as Machaon threw it, garnering roars & applause from the audience. Fifteen minutes before, Panacea caught Iaso’s bridal bouquet of white lilies. 

She was now sitting by herself at a table, surveying the rest of the reception. Panacea was absent-mindedly picking off petals from the bouquet as a voice said “Hey.” She looked up. It was Podalirius standing in front of her, his hair tied away from his face. Panacea furrowed her eyebrows, smiling quizzically. “Oh, this look was done by your talented little sister,” he said, turning his head, revealing the garter tied around his hair like a scrunchie. Panacea shook her head, laughing. “Gods, I love her.” “Since I caught the garter and you caught the bouquet, it’s tradition that we dance.” She raised one of her eyebrows. “Says who?” “Look, I don’t want Hera haunting me in my sleep for not following the wedding traditions. C’mon,” Podalirius said with a smile, holding out his hand. Panacea sighed as she grabbed it, allowing him to lead them to the dancefloor. Her arms sat atop his shoulders as his arms settled on her lower back. They swayed to a slow romantic song that was now playing. “A dancer and good with children. Got any other talents?,” she asked, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. “You forgot to mention my killer looks and charm. But seriously, in a few months, I’m gonna be sitting in my first surgery. Open heart, I think,” Podalirius replied, chuckling. “Sounds bloody,” Panacea whispered. “It is, but I gotta learn in order to graduate. I’m not complaining, but I miss your father’s classes. He… he was remarkable,” he whispered. Panacea surveyed the room, spotting her parents talking with Iaso & Machaon. “Yeah. I know he misses it too. Since there’s some time between now and a few months, would you like to go out sometime? You can explain the process of open heart surgery,” Panacea said looking up. Podalirius chuckled, biting his bottom lip. “I’d love to, but I was already invited to the Wild Water Typhoon by Aceso. She made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” “Can a third party join in the fun?” “I think we can work something out.”

She, her baby sister, & Podalirius had a blast at the Wild Water Typhoon water park. They drank countless mermaid slushies. As they were being strapped into the Super Splash roller coaster, Panacea noticed Podalirius trembling. “C’mon. This is nothing. You’ve seen exposed shins and organs. This is like riding a bike, right Soso?,” she asked her baby sister. Aceso nodded in agreement, putting two thumbs up. Podalirius grabbed onto Panacea’s hand, smiling awkwardly. “Don’t let go,” he whispered. “I Pro-,” He pressed his lips onto hers, quickly pulling away. Panacea couldn’t even register what happened as the ride started to begin. 

After that day, they exchanged contact info and started texting each other. Podalirius would send pictures of himself in medical school. One funny one being of him pretending to dance with a skeleton figurine. It was a few weeks later when Podalirius invited Panacea to Tricca to go with him on the Wildflower Walk hiking trail, a popular trail in the state known for its vibrant wildflowers. She quickly jumped at the opportunity. 

The hiking trail was naturally gorgeous of course, totally serene. Panacea felt at peace for the first time since her father’s punishment. There were no courtrooms, no paparazzi. It was just her and Podalirius. She waited for him to reach the top as she admired the scene before her. The sky was a crisp blue, free of clouds. Panacea heard some huffing & puffing. She turned around and noticed it was Podalirius, finally caught up to her. “Took you long enough,” she joked. “Don’t make fun of a mortal,” he started to say. “Plus, I wanted to give you these.” Panacea didn’t notice that one of his hands was behind his back. Podalirius revealed it, a bouquet of wildflowers in shades of yellow, green, & blue. “You actually picked those for me?,” she asked, blushing. “Yeah. How’d I do? Put it on a scale, from one to ten,” Podalirius said, handing her the bouquet. Panacea smiled, squishing her lips to the side. “Uh, I’ll give you a seven,” she said as breathed in the fragrant smell of the flowers. He raised his eyebrows. “Is there any way I can get it to a ten? Fuck a ten, a twenty.” Podalirius purposely stepped closer to her, until the tips of his hiking boots touched her sneakers. Panacea looked up at him, feeling flutters in her stomach. “You’re a soon-to-be doctor. Figure it out,” she whispered. With that statement, Podalirius grabbed hold of Panacea’s waist, pulling her to him. He lowered his head, their lips making contact. While one hand tightly gripped the bouquet, the other was wrapped wound his neck, her fingers combing through his dark blond locks. Podalirius smelt like sweat, aftershave, & wildflowers and it was the sweetest thing Panacea ever smelt. 

Ever since that day, they’ve been together since. It was some time after Podalirius graduated medical school before they told their families about their relationship. True to form, Aceso was excited while Hygieia seemed not to care. Iaso raised her eyebrows in genuine surprise. “This should be an interesting story to tell the kids one day,” she replied, before returning her attention back to her glass of white wine. Epione has been more supportive than Asclepius. 

Her favorite frozen treat is her mom’s white grapefruit sorbet. Panacea loves sprinkling a bit of sea salt on top!

She hasn’t hung out with Rusty as much since the separation. Panacea misses the times when they’d ride their bikes through their old neighborhood or swim at the beach. There have been plans made for Rusty to go to Tricca for the weekend to hang out with Panacea and her boyfriend- mainly because Podalirius found an indie comic book shop he’s confident Rusty will like. 

A guilty pleasure for her is an order of air fried feta sticks from Garden Gatherings, a vegan restaurant owned by Pasithea (goddess of hallucinations & relaxation). She also likes a small caprese pizza (made with a cauliflower crust) from The Golden Oven, a popular restaurant chain. 

She also likes Podalirius’ veggie pitas, added with his extra homemade guacamole.

Panacea helps out with her mother’s pharmaceutical company. 

For other means of income, she also writes a wellness column for Kythereia magazine.

Panacea also models for/endorses Paloma, White Lily Gallery, Bow + Arrow, Persuasions, Museology (The Muses' makeup brand), No.3 & Co, and House of Muse.

Her official mentor was Paean (goddess of physicians), a family friend that once worked closely with her father Asclepius. 

The Summer Solstice is her favorite holiday. The most recent one was a beach bonfire hosted by Podalirius’ & Machaon’ parents. Panacea enjoyed the bourbon punch and roasted s’mores- which were made with vegan marshmallows! That same night, she and Podalirius almost made love at the guest room in the cabin house they were all staying in, but decided to stop. “When we make love, I don’t want an audience. I want it to be just us, ok?” Podalirius had whispered, smiling coyishly. Panacea had blushed, nodding her head. They fell asleep, spooning.

With her own personal business endeavors, she’s been thinking about starting a wellness camp for kids back in Arcadia. 

In the pantheon Panacea is friends with Méli (goddess of bees & honey), Peitho (goddess of persuasion & sensuality), Antheia (goddess of swamps, vegetation, & floral wreaths), Thallo (goddess of spring & new growth), The Graces, Carpo (goddess of autumn & fruits), The Muses, Auxo (goddess of summer, vegetation, & plants), Notus (god of the south wind), Philyra (goddess of perfume, paper, & beauty), Chloris (goddess of flowers), Paregoros (goddess of soothing words), and Eupraxia (goddess of well-being & success).

Aside from her mother, aunt, & mentor, she also admires Nymphe (goddess of self-care). 

Panacea & Podalirius are faithful watchers of the survivalist reality TV show Edge of Olympius. On her own, she’s become a fan of the florist competition show Big Bloom, the medical drama show The Black Code, as well as the soap opera Harmony Heights. 

She’s excited about the pre- Summer Solstice beach bonfire party Notus is gonna throw at his beach house. It’s gonna be a chance for all her good friends to meet Podalirius. 

One of her favorite pastimes is meal prepping. Some of her favorite meals to make include seared halibut with roasted potatoes & kale, a caprese salad topped with grilled flank steak, lemon white bean soup, ground turkey lettuce cups, as well as steamed brown rice and quinoa. 

She also likes her mom’s chicken noodle soup, her favorite comfort dish. 

In her free time Panacea enjoys an active lifestyle. She loves spending time outdoors whether it’s through tennis, surfing, football (soccer), volleyball, fishing, kayaking, birdwatching, & horseback riding. She also enjoys sunbathing, pottery, yoga, acupuncture, pilates, reading, aromatherapy, going to the spa, shopping, and gardening.

“Don’t find fault, find a remedy.”

[abookishdreamer]

Artist : https://x.com/feliahanakata

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Hygieia (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- The Clean Queen by Aphrodite

Neat Freak by Apollo

Gigi by Aceso

Dude by Rusty

Honey by Epione

Kid by Asclepius

Age- 20 (immortal)

Location- Skyline district, New Olympus

Personality- Hygieia is very type-A and extremely health conscious. Cleanliness & hygiene are the most important pillars of life. She does have a tendency towards germophobia in addition to hypochondria, which varies in intensity. She’s also secretly sensitive to criticism. She has never been in a relationship.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. As the goddess of hygiene, cleanliness, & health her other powers/abilities include having supersonic eyesight; to the point of being able to see microscopic germs, vitakinesis (healing), laser vision, soap generation/manipulation (sapoúnikinesis), being able to communicate with snakes; her father’s sacred animal, limited hydrokinesis, cleaning inducement, as well as having an innate sense of a being’s entire medical history. As a defensive attack, she’s able to radiate the smell of bleach from her body. This also happens if she’s experiencing intense emotions, like anger.

The chalice is her divine symbol.

The aloe, along with mint, eucalyptus, & chamomile are her sacred plants.

Hygieia is the second oldest child of her parents– Asclepius (god of medicine) & Epione (goddess of soothing pain).

Her older sister is Iaso (goddess of cures & remedies) while her younger siblings are Panacea (goddess of universal remedy), Telesphorus (Rusty) (god of rehabilitation), and Aceso (goddess of healing).

Other members of Hygieia's immediate family include her aunt, Aegle (goddess of good health) & her brother-in-law Machaon.

She’s fluent in Latin and Minoan.

Hygieia resides in a large cape cod style mansion in the Skyline district of New Olympus, in Kataibates Beach, an affluent suburb beachside section of the esteemed neighborhood. It’s one of the three adjacent beach towns along the southern portion of Olympion Bay. Still known as a tourist and resort town, Kataibates can boast of piers with fishing and amusements, a saltwater lagoon reminiscent of the old plunge, many fine food restaurants and hotels, and a beautiful harbor.

Her natural scent is that of hand sanitizer. 

The inside of Hygieia’s house has a bathhouse/spa aesthetic, with white being a MAJOR color. Everything from top to bottom is spotlessly clean. There are marble & chrome finishes in the bathroom in addition to advanced sanitation system installations. The tubs and showers have advanced filtration & purification systems. The mansion is equipped with smart home technology- for monitoring and optimizing environmental conditions, such as lighting, temperature, and air quality. There’s also a state-of-the-art central air purification system. There’s cotton and linen furniture along with glass, ceramic, & marble furniture pieces in the living room. The kitchen is fully modernized- complete with the latest touch screen iCHOR Tech kitchen appliances. The pantry is fully stocked with cleaning sprays, hand sanitizer, and antibacterial wipes. In the fridge, the food is labeled and organized. 

In the backyard, there’s an outdoor pool as well as a spacious garden- where Hygieia grows her own organic produce & medicinal herbs.

She doesn’t have any pets, believing that even the low-maintenance ones (like a goldfish), will lead to a mess for her to clean.

When Hygieia is entertaining guests, be it family or friends, they are required to remove their shoes, placing them in vacuum sealed bags. She then provides them with silicone slippers to wear. Hygieia also provides glass coasters for their drinks. 

A notable physical feature that she managed to get from her family is her pale skin. Other notable physical features of Hygieia include her long pale brown hair and her impressive height of 5”10! She’s the tallest member in her family, even towering over her father. 

She quite enjoys listening to classical, folk, indie, and traditional Greek music. Hygieia has curated playlists on Musify when she does her weekly cleaning in the house, particularly fond of string arrangements. Hygieia also likes the music of Aoide (goddess of voice & song), The Gypsy Belles, & Pale Blu (a nephelai pop artist). Though she’s not all too fond of Apollo (god of the sun, music, poetry, healing, medicine, archery, plague, light, & knowledge), Hygieia can’t deny his musical talent. She thinks that his album 1,000 Days of Sunlight is his magnum opus. She particularly likes the song “Death by Golden Cuts.”

A go-to drink for her is water. Hygieia starts her day with a full glass bottle of H2O and ends the day with one, keeping hydrated. She also likes diet lemon-lime soda, pineapple juice, ginger ale, orange juice, her homemade protein chai & almond milk smoothie, lemongrass green tea, pomegranate juice, white wine, as well as her homemade pressed “snake” juice- which is made with cucumbers, spinach, & spirulina. Usuals from The Roasted Bean include a medium coconut lychee splash and a large iced vanilla latte. 

Coming from a godly medical dynasty was a bit overwhelming for her, to say the least. Growing up, all Hygieia would hear about were the accomplishments of her father-  “The Great Healer,” “The Doctor of Olympius.” Asclepius wasn’t at home very much, so she was often left with her mother & older sister. Iaso was also off shadowing her father, so for a lot of the time, Hygieia was left to her own devices. One of the first friends she ever made as a godling was an albino ball python she noticed coiling around the shrubberies in the garden of the family home in Epidaurus. Hygieia marveled at the serpentine creature that was shedding its skin. It was as though the snake was being reborn, starting life anew. As the old skin casing dropped at her feet, she gently picked up the snake. Hygieia eventually named it Alba, the Latin word for white.

As a godling, she looked forward to when her mother wasn’t busy with official duties. Epione and Hygieia would spend their days at the beach, surfing or swimming or looking for seashells. She marveled at how the sunlight reflected on her mother’s long lustrous strawberry blonde hair. One such trip infamously ended with Hygieia getting a terrible sunburn, which left her in tears. Asclepius had just returned home from Corinth, where his first medical school was in the process of being built. He made a healing salve for Hygieia’s skin (which consisted of olive oil, clay, & jellyfish secretions), gently and painstakingly putting the paste all over his young daughter’s body. Though he was as gentle as possible, that didn’t stop Hygieia from crying out every time his hand made contact with her skin. After it was all done, she laid on the floor of the family home, still trembling with pain. “Please, don’t leave,” she whispered to her father. Asclepius sighed, setting a cushion on the floor, laying beside Hygieia. “I won’t, Kid. I promise,” he replied with a small smile.

The years between being a godling and becoming a fully realized Goddess were hectic and confusing for her. Hygieia’s body grew before she was ready, already towering over her parents & older sister. Navigating her new tall and gangly body proved challenging, becoming more uncoordinated than she was before. Every night, Hygieia would get on her knees, praying to The Great Mother, Gaia (goddess of the earth), wishing that she’d be born anew, just like Alba. That she’d awaken to having her mother’s peachy unburnt skin, luminous blue-green eyes, & noticeable cleavage. But every morning in the mirror, Hygieia was greeted with the same pale skin, clear blue eyes, long face, and pronounced front teeth. 

The family soon relocated to Kos, where more family members came into the fold. Hygieia knows that it wasn’t of ill or malicious intent, but she couldn’t help but feel jealous at how Epione doted on Panacea when she was first born. Beings constantly complimented Hygieia’s younger sister on her sunkissed skin, cherub cheeks, & golden blonde hair. Iaso was already living on her own, working at Asclepius’ medical school in Corinth. Hygieia felt like she was at a crossroads. Not just in her family, but in the world. How would she be received as an official deity? If she wasn’t smart like Iaso or beautiful like Panacea, then what was she?

When Hygieia showers or bathes, she does so with antibacterial treated water and a special deep cleansing soap, from her own brand. 

Her morning routine is the same. After brushing her teeth and showering, Hygieia goes for a swim in her pool before going on a walk through the community, taking in the simple quiet moments of silence as the sun peeks through the sky. It’s especially why she likes the laidback small-town feel of Kataibates Beach, a world away from Olympius.

She owns a private jet, nicknamed Skybound. Hygieia typically uses it when traveling out-of-state.

Her family has gone through some significant controversy. The main one is that her father Asclepius has been stripped of most of his godly abilities and is not able to legally practice medicine. The moniker “The Great Healer” took on a new meaning when he was able to bring beings back to life, stoking the wrath of Thanatos (god of death) & Hades (god of the dead). Zeus (god of the sky, thunder, & lightning) came into the fold, declaring that Olympius wasn’t an “immortal realm.” The way the paparazzi hounded the family for months after the ruling was sheer insanity.

Then, her father moved to New Olympus, after Epione kicked him out after an argument. Hygieia doesn’t know all the details, but she knows that it must’ve been pretty bad for Epione to file for legal separation. She has no idea if the separation will turn into an official divorce. Hygieia tries not to let the thoughts enter her mind. 

She rarely eats junk food, mostly opting for a clean, plant based diet. 

A typical breakfast for her is an egg white frittata along with a couple of slices of avocado toast. Hygieia also likes carrot cake waffles (topped with sugar-free maple syrup & cream cheese), plain oatmeal, or a bowl of Earthly Harvest multibran flakes topped with blueberries (with cold oat milk).

Hygieia’s fashion style is best described as “casual normcore.” She typically doesn’t dress to be noticed or gawked at. Staples in her closet consists of T-shirts, tank tops, high waisted pants & jeans, sweatpants, collared short sleeved shirts, leggings, sandals, halter tops, linen shorts, flats, simple belts, in addition to tennis sneakers. No look is complete without a cashmere wrap or denim jacket. 

She doesn’t like the impracticality of heels. 

Hygieia also typically doesn’t wear any makeup. The most she’ll wear is moisturizing lip balm. She keeps her skin hydrated and healthy with sunscreen & moisturizer.

She keeps her long pale brown hair straight. She maintains the upkeep by trimming it herself. From her own brand Hairology, Hygieia uses the 2-in-1 coconut & vanilla shampoo-conditioner. She also likes using the Glory's Crown green tea nourishing hair mask. She typically styles her hair either out, in low ponytails, buns, or in a single french braid running down her back. 

Hygieia loves snacking on sea salt covered pretzels & celery sticks.

When it comes to jewelry, she likes keeping it simple, her preferences being gold and white gold. A common accessory Hygieia always wears is a thin snake shaped cuff bracelet, a gift from her parents at her induction ceremony. 

There's always hand sanitizer, mints, as well as antibacterial sprays and wipes in her purse.

Hygieia prefers a clear base whenever she gets her biweekly mani-pedi at the nail salon. 

Despite never being close with her older sister, she was shocked when Iaso asked her to be the maid-of-honor or koumbara for her wedding. “Why?,” Hygieia had asked, chewing on her nails. “We don’t like each other.” Iaso sighed, rubbing at her temples. “True, but after everything this family has been through, who’s gonna be there for us other than each other? We have to look out for one another. Plus, it’ll make Mother happy.” 

Hygieia smiled awkwardly throughout the wedding ceremony, which took place on private beach in Kos. She couldn’t help but admit to herself that her big sister looked happy as she walked down the aisle, wearing a simple strapless ivory dress, her short straight brown hair adorned with a floral headband. Hygieia held Iaso’s bouquet as she watched her big sister & Machaon exchange vows. For the briefest moment, she wondered what it was like for someone to look at her that way.

During the reception, not one being asked her to dance. Hygieia watched in silent contemplation, running the rim of her wine glass with her slender pointer finger as Iaso danced with Machaon, Panacea danced with Podalirius, while even her parents shared a cute, albeit strained dance. “Come on Gigi!!,” her baby sister Aceso squealed, running up to Hygieia. She was the flower girl of course and she looked totally adorable in a bright orange babydoll satin dress- with her long red hair being in a curly ponytail. Hygieia chuckled a little, taking a hold of her baby sister’s hand. “Ok, ok.”

Her favorite frozen treats are the vanilla oat milk ice cream sandwiches she buys from the supermarket as well as her mom's white grapefruit sorbet.

The garden salad topped with air fried tofu sticks and a generous helping of lemon poppy seed dressing is her favorite thing to get at The Bread Box, a sandwich shop chain owned by Deipneus (god of cooking & breadmaking).

Hygieia has visited her dad a few times since the separation, often bringing over meals, since Asclepius doesn’t cook. Seeing her father for the first time was surprising. He seemed more skinner than normal while his red hair & beard appeared scraggly and unkempt. He also vaguely reeked of marijuana. Hygieia will often go on a jog with him late at night, the only time Asclepius feels comfortable going outside. 

Even though she deems herself as not being as smart as her older sister or beautiful like her younger sister, Hygieia takes great pride that in her family, she’s the most accomplished one. She was able to obtain a substantial net worth as a minor deity, compared to the likes of major ones- like Aphrodite (goddess of love & beauty), Hermes (god of roads, travelers, thieves, merchants, messengers, speed, trade, sports, borders, thoughts, communications, money, & luck), Athena (goddess of wisdom), and Hera (goddess of women & marriage).

Within the publication industry, she has a successful wellness magazine called Vital Essence.

Hygieia also has an official glamour doll collectible as well as a star on the Pantheon Walk of Fame.

When at home, she always brushes her teeth after she eats, even if it's a snack. If she's out, Hygieia will floss.

She has a brand of cleaning products called Pure Clean Co.- which contains no dyes, perfumes, or harsh chemicals. Hygieia was deliberate in the design of the products, having it in simple clear bottles & containers. 

There’s also a brand of feminine hygiene products called Clearial which includes menstrual cups, tampons (made from organic recycled cotton), pads, menstrual underwear, in addition to intimate washes & shaving cream. 

Hygieia also has a brand of deodorant called Peristéri.

Nationwide throughout Olympius, she owns laundromats called The Clean Spin, spas called The Vitality Lounge, yoga studios called Center on Air, as well as dry cleaning shops called The Crisp Closet.

Hygieia has a lip balm brand aptly called LipCalm, a mineral water brand called Pure H2O, a skincare brand called EverPure, a haircare brand called Hairology, as well as a vegan makeup brand called Apothecary- which is exclusively sold in all Olmorfia locations, the multirealm beauty retailer chain owned by Philyra (goddess of perfume, paper, & beauty). 

There’s also a brand of oral care products called Sparkling Smiles- which includes toothpaste, mouth wash, floss, & tooth whitening products. A popular product from Sparkling Smiles has been the rechargeable smart toothbrush made from titanium, coming with a nearly 3,000 drachma price tag!

She has fourteen million followers on Fatestagram.

Hygieia's favorite dessert are the white chocolate chip matcha cookies her mom makes. She also likes the carrot cake cupcakes from Hollyhock’s Bakery in addition to the honey glazed donuts- which she allows herself to have once a month.

She and her little brother Rusty are very close, even more so now since their parents’ separation. Since he attends school in New Olympus, he’ll often stay over at her place during the weekends when Epione allows it. Rusty will also stop by when he and Aceso have scheduled visitation with Asclepius. Hygieia will take her youngest siblings out to eat at Gods O’ Fun, mainly because Aceso likes it. While watching her little sister play with the other kids, Hygieia will order the safest thing from the menu- the mozzarella sticks. She has noticed that Rusty’s been more closed-mouthed than usual.

Her official mentor was her aunt Aegle. Their relationship has always been distant, but lately, Hygieia has been more receptive to hanging out with her whenever she visits her mom in Kos. She pretends not to eavesdrop on her aunt’s conversations with her mom Epione, especially when her dad comes up. Hygieia’s ears perked up when she heard Aegle talking about her… intimate activities with her boyfriend Nosos (god of illness, plague, & disease). 

A guilty pleasure for her is a large order of scallion noodles from Garden Gatherings, the vegan restaurant owned by one of her good friends, Pasithea (goddess of hallucinations & relaxation). She also likes the turkey burger along with a small order of waffle cut fries from Olympic Chef.

In the pantheon Hygieia is also friends with Diochetévo (goddess of sewers, garbage, & waste), Paregoros (goddess of soothing words), Eupraxia (goddess of well-being & success), Chione (goddess of snow), Eos (Titaness of dawn), Aether (god of the upper atmosphere, celestial bodies, & heavenly light), Epiphron (god of prudence), Dike (goddess of justice), Hemera (goddess of the day), Peitho (goddess of persuasion & sensuality), Arete (goddess of virtue, valor, & excellence) Ekecheiria (goddess of truce & armistice), as well as Homonoia (goddess of concord). 

Aside from her mother, she also looks up to Elpis (goddess of hope). 

She finds the new developments in Eos’ love life to be interesting. Hygieia was more than a bit surprised when she came to her, smiling and crying detailing how Astraeus (Titan god of dusk) proposed to her. She’s been sworn to secrecy about the engagement until Eos tells the queen. Hygieia finds it odd, considering the last time she saw Eos & Ares, they were heavily making out in the doorway of her house when Eos stayed for a sleepover. 

She absolutely hates getting caught up in the rain. Hygieia dislikes the damp muddy footprints that show up on the floors, prompting a deep clean and scrub.

Hygieia goes back and forth on whether she wants to date or have a relationship. If a stiff bore like Iaso could find true love, surely it might be possible for her? She’s never even had her first kiss, yet alone had sex, though she has masturbated quite frequently. The first instance was… interesting. Hygieia had just returned from her main offices, in desperate want of a cool refreshing shower. Looking out the window, she noticed the bedroom window of her next door neighbors, a young meliad couple. They were right in the middle of being intimate. The woman laid flat on the bed while the guy’s head was in between her legs. At first Hygieia thought the woman looked like she was writhing in pain, until she saw her smiling. Hygieia quickly closed the blinds to her windows, feeling her face get hot. While soaking in her porcelain tub, the image of the couple flashed in Hygieia’s mind. It was like she was observing herself outside her body, watching her hands slowly disappear under the soapy water till they made their way between her legs. The sensation felt weird at first, until it didn’t. Hygieia could feel something stirring inside her, getting more and more stronger, until… the sound of her smartphone ringing broke the illusion. She gasped as she stood up in the tub, quickly grabbing the plush white towel nearby to wrap it across her body. 

Hygieia pulled some strings in order to secure an invitation to the Olympian Gala, the most notable social event hosted by Clymene (Titaness of fame & renown). She wasn’t sure why she did it. Parties never really mattered to her, but Hygieia wanted to try something different. She wanted to be seen as more than just a daughter of The Great Healer. Hygieia wanted to be seen as beautiful, though she could settle for pretty. The Gala had the theme “Fashion in the Age of Black and White.”

She spent that day getting ready. First stopping by the office of a family friend Paean (goddess of physicians) for teeth whitening before going where no one in her family has gone before, a tanning studio. Hygieia then went to the Ambologêra Beauty Salon in the Chant du Cygne neighborhood to try out a new fashionable hairstyle. She finally settled on a half up, half down bouffant hairstyle. 

Hygieia looked sun-kissed and charming on the gold carpet wearing a little white Luxuria dress- complete with thin spaghetti straps, a plunging neckline, and an empire waist. Her bodice was tailored to her until the thigh-length skirt flared out in three ruffled layers. Each tier sparkled with pale pink and silver rhinestones in a scattered to concentrated ombré. Her sleeveless straps shimmered with the same clustered crystals. The only jewelry Hygieia wore were a pair of white gold snake shaped drop earrings (in tribute to her father) while she completed the look with a pair of strappy lucite heels. “Wow, Hygieia. Didn’t realize you could look so chic,” Aphrodite offered, nodding approvingly. “Damn girl, didn’t know your legs went up that high! They look fierce,” Ganymede (god of homosexual love & desire) exclaimed, snapping his fingers. The comments underneath one of the pictures she posted of the Gala on Fatestagram had Hygieia in a high for the rest of the night. She never saw so many heart eye emojis underneath any of her posts before. 

On TV, she often watches nature and medical themed documentaries. Hygieia is also a fan of the home improvement show Spíti & Estía, which is co-hosted by Ktesios (god of the household) and Hestia (goddess of the hearth). She also likes the medical drama show The Black Code as well as the dramedy series The Night of Girlfriends. Hygieia’s ears burn red in embarrassment every time a sex scene shows up. 

Aside from cleaning, another favorite pastime of hers is meal prepping. Some of her favorite meals to prepare and eat include chili lime quinoa-white bean salad, honey garlic grilled chicken with white rice, broccoli & tofu soup, as well as black olive stuffed zucchinis.

In her free time Hygieia also enjoys writing in her journal, bike riding, sunbathing, reading (loves literary fiction), acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, pilates, tennis, golf, hiking, meditating, & gardening. 

"Cleanliness is the first law of health."

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Aletheia (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Marshmallow by Sophrosyne

My Perfect Girl by her mother

Allie by her friends & sister

Age- 35 (immortal)

Location- Queenstown district, New Olympus

Personality- Aletheia is honest and sincere, fully committed to unveiling what’s real, even when it’s uncomfortable. She’s a force of clarity & authenticity- unafraid to speak truth to power. In addition to being a type-A perfectionist, she possesses a strong sense of justice with a desire for others to seek out clarity and discernment, even if it requires facing difficult realities. She’s currently single.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. As the goddess of truth, truthfulness, & sincerity her other powers/abilities include limited photokinesis, supersonic eyesight, truth inducement; in others (temporarily), as well as truth sense (being able to tell when someone is lying).

Aletheia is the eldest child of her mother Epistêmê (goddess of enlightenment). She also has a younger sister- Pistis (goddess of trust, reliability, & good faith).

She’s fluent in all the languages spoken in Olympius. Aletheia is also able to write in Old Greek calligraphy as well. 

The lamp & mirror are her divine symbols.

The white rose is her sacred plant/flower.

Aletheia resides in a Greek-revival style mansion in the Ómorfos Aéras section of the Queenstown district of New Olympus. Ómorfos Aéras is a ritzy residential enclave in the verdant foothills of the Santa Juno Mountains. Two stately entrance gates off Basileia Boulevard lead to winding streets lined with lavish mansions on large properties with lush vegetation. Popular with celebrities and entertainment industry elite, the neighborhood is home to the landmark Hotel Ómorfos Aéras, a longtime luxury hideaway, and the exclusive Ómorfos Aéras Country Club.

The architectural design of the mansion features simple, uncluttered lines, large windows to bring in natural sunlight and open floor plans. Outside, there’s a lush courtyard garden filled with white roses. Inside, the interior design is classic & minimalist with the color scheme being powder blue, cream, and white. The flooring is a glossy white marble. The walls are adorned in abstract and classical paintings along with photographs of her friends & family. Mirrors are also found throughout the place. There’s a terrace to the side of the kitchen that leads to a balcony along with white opal countertops and stainless steel appliances. Also in the living room, there’s cotton & linen furniture along with marble, glass, and ceramic furniture pieces. There are open kitchen and dining room areas- to the point where guests aren't sure where one starts & the other ends. A large crystal table with lucite chairs is designed to encourage conversation and connection. 

Aletheia has recently required a pet, a female griffin hatchling which she has named Gilda. She just thinks that Gilda is the sweetest thing she’s ever seen, from her cute little paws, soft feathers & fur, to the cutest sounding squeak Gilda mews. In just a few short years, Gilda will grow big enough for Aletheia to ride. 

Until then, she primarily gets around in the city through the use of her pastel pink stylish convertible. 

Aletheia enjoys listening to pop, classical, and alternative music. Her smartphone is filled with songs by Apollo (god of the sun music, poetry, healing, medicine, archery, plague, light, & knowledge), M9 (The Muses), Summerstar, Pale Blu (a nephelai pop singer), Orithyia (an oread singer), Eurydice (a dryad singer/rapper), as well as Alma, the noted oread vocalist. Lately, the song “The Stranger in my Head,” sung by Mania (goddess of insanity) has been a frequent repeat for her on Musify.

A go-to drink for her is a glass of her homemade coconut agua fresca. She also likes pineapple juice, peppermint tea, orange juice, iced tea, lemonade, sparkling water, medium marshmallow milkshakes from The Frozen Spoon, ginger ale, white wine, champagne, vodka tonics, coconut water, and vodka martinis (with a twist of lemon). Usuals from The Roasted Bean include cappuccinos, large iced vanilla lattes, as well as cafe au laits.

A typical start to her day is early, as she does some quick light cleaning before jumping into the shower. After playing with Gilda for a bit, Aletheia leaves for work, stopping by at a nearby Hearthside Diner for a couple of hash browns. 

As the eldest child of her mom, Aletheia grew up with expectations that she had to meet. Falling just a bit short of them was not an option. Epistêmê wasn’t abusive or anything. She just had standards that she wanted her daughters to exceed. Early in life it was drilled into her and Pistis that they had to work ten times as hard to receive half the respect that was automatically given to a major deity. “Our worth is not given. It must be made,” Epistêmê would tell her girls every chance she got. To this day, that quote still floats around inside Aletheia’s head, guiding & tormenting her.

For that reason, as godlings, Aletheia was the first to arise in the mornings and the first student to show up to school. After school. She spent hours practicing her Old Greek and calligraphy, making sure each stroke of the ink-dipped quill pen was exactly right. If there was a minute error, Aletheia would crumple up the paper, starting all over again. 

She was so caught up in her studies, that her relationship with her younger sister greatly suffered. Aletheia couldn’t understand why Pistis would snap at her every time she tried offering help with studies or extracurriculars. “I don’t need you coming in to save the day. I’m quite capable of handling things myself,” Pistis declared, a defiant expression on her face. 

Her & her younger sister traveled with their mother throughout the realm a few times over, witnessing the reveals of temples built for revered deities like Gaia (goddess of the hearth) and her “controversial” grandson, Zeus (god of the sky, thunder, & lightning). Over time, temples were seen as “ancient” & “outdated,” which later paved the way for the Pantheon Walk of Fame. Aletheia was one of the few minor deities to achieve such a feat. Her mother and sister were there at the official unveiling of the star. Aletheia noticed tears brimming the edges of Epistêmê’s eyes. She could tell it meant a lot to her mother that in the eyes of society, she was at least on equal footing with some of the most recognized and revered Gods in the Olympian Pantheon.

Aletheia typically styles her long lustrous light caramel brown hair in soft waves, but she is also fond of sleek blowouts, ponytails, & tight chignons. She’s a ritualistic user of the Glory’s Crown ambrosia honey hair products. 

She dresses her plus size body in form-fitting minimalist/sophisticated clothing, with white being a major color- followed by beige & cream with pops of gold. Staples in her closet include tailored linen pants, shawl style blouses, midi skirts, as well as tea dresses. At work, Aletheia keeps it simple and structured with a pant suit, which is worn underneath the gold trimmed white robe. 

When it comes to jewelry, Aletheia likes it clean and simple, preferring gold & diamond. There’s a pair of flawless cut diamond stud earrings she always wears, a gift from her mother. 

Her relationship with her mother is just as close as it was when Aletheia was younger. She contacts Epistêmê daily, either through video call or text. She also visits her mom during the holiday season, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s in Olympia or celebrating the Summer Solstice on her mom’s property in the state of Delphi. Aletheia knows that her mother means well, but feels at times that Epistêmê’s comments border on the cusp of overcriticalness. Whether it’s suggesting a different wine brand at dinner, offering an “healthier” alternative for a meal (alluding to Aletheia’s weight), or constantly showering her with praise, beaming “My perfect girl,” while flashing her straight white teeth as she runs her fingers through Aletheia’s hair. She doesn’t say anything except for, “You’re right mother. You’re always right.”

Aletheia’s relationship with Pistis has always been distant, but ever since becoming fully realized Goddesses, they’ve been perfect strangers. Except for the times she’d see Pistis during the holidays or at the Grand Olympian Court building, they don’t really talk except for surface level pleasantries. Aletheia has since stopped trying to invite Pistis for a girl’s night out. Aletheia was devastated when Pistis had originally accepted plans for them to attend a book reading by one of her younger sister’s famous romance writers, an anthousai named Verveine De Fleur at The Ripped Bodice, a romance bookstore in the Chant du Cygne neighborhood. She stood outside the bookstore for close to forty minutes, but Pistis never showed. Aletheia made the long walk to Pistis’ townhouse, seething. Knocking on the door, she was ready to spew out every single curse word in her repertoire, but stopped herself when she saw Pistis’ face, which was etched with worry. Through the crack in the door, Aletheia could see her sister’s best friend Eusebeia (goddess of piety, loyalty, duty, & filial respect) silently weeping on the couch. “Look, I’ll call you later. Now’s not a good time,” Pistis whispered before closing the door shut. 

Now, she considers Sophrosyne (goddess of moderation, temperance, & restraint) to be her honorary sister. Not bound by ichor, but bound by love. Aletheia quickly respected the fact that Rosy didn’t act high & mighty, being the offspring of the most esteemed chthonic couple- Nyx (goddess of the night) & Erebus (god of darkness). She also admired the confidence Rosy had, to leave her home and realm, to pave her own way in Olympius. Aletheia especially loves her best friend’s smothered chicken with rice and gravy. There’s no way she’d ever eat it in front of Epistêmê, who would more than certainly gawk at the caloric content.

Her first trip to the Underworld was made with Sophrosyne. Aletheia stayed at a luxury hotel called The Midnight Manor and even had dinner at her bestie’s parents’ place, the Mansion of Night. To say that Aletheia was overwhelmed with the colorful cast of siblings is putting it mildly, but she enjoyed her time there. Nyx’s black mushroom rice and Erebus’ bourbon barbeque ribs were simply divine. Aletheia was even invited to tag along to the family’s ice hockey game at Frostfell Park. She was mainly a spectator, till Hypnos (god of sleep) grabbed her hand, pulling her onto the rink. “No, I’m a terrible skater. I’m gonna make your team lose,” Aletheia whispered. He shrugged his shoulders, offering a polite smile. “It doesn’t matter. I would tell you that it’s all about the fun of the game, but that’d be strixshit. I can’t promise that Nemesis won’t make fun of you, but it’s a good time all the same. C’mon.” Aletheia noticed Rosy standing by the goal, nodding her head, mouthing “Come in.” She blew out a breath. “Sure, why not?” Aletheia fell on her ass more times she could count that day, evident by the large dark purplish bruise on her left ass cheek, but she enjoyed the brief freedom from being perfect. She had unfiltered fun. 

Her primary job is being a justice on the Grand Olympian Court. Aside from the king, her other fellow justices include Athena (goddess of wisdom), Soter (god of safety), Dike (goddess of justice), Themis (Titaness of justice), Nomos (god of laws), as well as Praxidike (goddess of judicial punishment). The Furies (Alecto, Megaera, & Tisiphone) along with Nemesis (goddess of retribution) serve as alternate justices. 

Epistêmê was floored by the news of course when traveled to the city for a visit. “My perfect girl, I knew you could do it. You were always destined for greatness!,” she exclaimed as they clinked their glasses of white wine. Aletheia thought it was a bit much when her mother decided to throw a “grand fête” to commemorate the occasion. The party was held at her mother’s primary estate in Olympia. The guests were required to wear white and it was first class all the way. Even the servers’ uniforms were crisp & white. It was nice to see some close family friends like Loquise (goddess of eloquence), but Aletheia felt anxiety creep up her skin whenever her mother would boast about “her perfect girl’s” accomplishments. The fireworks at the end of the party were a bit too ostentatious for her tastes. The only respite offered to Aletheia at the party was when she shared a cigarette with one of the servers, a young meliad guy named Aurelio. His unmistakable golden blond hair was slicked back and the first few buttons of his crisp white shirt were undone, revealing his defined chest. She liked that he didn’t talk to her like some revered deity. Aurelio conversed with her like she was just a normal being. “Hey! More crates just came in! We need you!,” a voice shouted from outside. Aurelio smiled as Aletheia handed him the cigarette. Taking one final drag, he put the cigarette out, tossing it into the trash bin. “Duty calls,” he said with a smile, fastening up the buttons of his shirt. “I normally don’t smoke, so if you could keep this between us…” Aletheia started to say, smiling a little. “It’ll be our dirty little secret,” Aurelio replied with a wink as he exited the kitchen through the sliding glass doors. Before leaving the kitchen, she popped a mint into her mouth, to mask the smell of the cigarette from her mother. 

A notable court case for her was when they all officially pardoned Atlas (Titan god of strength & endurance). 

A slice of vanilla bean cheesecake from Hollyhock’s Bakery is her all time favorite dessert. She also likes her mom’s pastelitos de coco, which Epistêmê will allow Aletheia to only have two.

Toasted marshmallow is her favorite ice cream flavor!

Aletheia has a great working relationship with most of the other justices (except for Zeus) in & outside the courtroom. She’s especially close with Nomos, as they’re similar in age. Aletheia was at the reception after he & Eusebeia got married. 

She doesn’t agree with Zeus’ punishment of Prometheus (Titan god of forethought). 

For her most recent birthday, Aletheia was gifted with a couple of Megaleio handbags from Sophrosyne..

She’s a supporter of the MGM movement, which was started by Pasithea (goddess of hallucinations & relaxation). 

A typical lunch for her is an order of garlic shrimp scampi along with breadsticks and garden salad from Il Sogno D'Oro, a popular pasta restaurant. She also likes the lemon orzo from The Parthenos Grill as well as a small pizza bianca pie from The Golden Oven, a popular pizzeria chain.

In the pantheon Aletheia is also good friends with Eikono (goddess of iconography & literature), Amphictyonis (Amy) (goddess of diplomacy), Spermo (goddess of grains), Pathos (goddess of emotion), Eudaimonia (goddess of happiness), Sophia (goddess of thought), Neicus (god of debate & appeal), Dimósia (goddess of debate), Axiótimos (god of honor), Peitharchia (goddess of obedience & discipline), Horkos (god of oaths), Kéfi (goddess of mirth), Favian (goddess of philosophy), Apólafsi (god of enjoyment), and Philotes (goddess of intimacy, friendship, & affection). 

She’s also cool with her best friend’s boyfriend Harpocrates (god of silence & discretion).

Of course Aletheia is happy for Rosy, but at times, Aletheia can’t help feeling the quiet creep of jealousy enter her body. Rosy and Harper are stinkingly cute, eating off each other’s forks at the times when Aletheia would be invited over dinner. 

She knows that her mother has a mental list of “appropriate suitors” for her, but Aletheia isn’t sure if she’s ready to throw in the towel, accept defeat, and not be alone by default through her mother’s matchmaking services. Aletheia has absolutely no idea what she wants in a partner. In a relationship. Most things in her life had been decided for her, so to now make a choice that will greatly impact her immortal & intimate life? The pressure’s too much.

In the pantheon, Aletheia dislikes Dolos (god of deception & treachery), Pseudologos (god of lies), and Apate (goddess of fraud & deception).

She’s currently in talks of possibly becoming a mentor towards Praxidike’s youngest daughter, Calocagathia (Aggie) (goddess of nobility & goodness). 

The “romance” in Aletheia’s life consists of TV and books. She’s no shrinking violet. Aletheia frequently pleasures herself on the weekends in the privacy of her bedroom with the cutest gold chrome vibrator she bought at the plaisir intime adult shop. 

Outside the courtroom, she’s done some charity work, particularly in brand authenticity consulting with well known businesses in the realm. Aletheia has a new role- wingwoman. One evening after work, as she was beginning to settle in with a bowl of white cheddar popcorn and a glass of white wine, a knock sounded at the door. It was Nomos, a look of defeat on his face. He crumpled onto the couch, pouring out about how his marriage had turned into a shitshow or “silent storm,” as he referred to it. Nomos’ main point was the wedding night that never happened. In not too subtle details, Aletheia came to learn that he & Eusebeia had not been intimate. She wasn’t sure what to say aside from the generic supportive friend comments, but Nomos begged & pleaded for her help, even resorting to contorting his face into a blubbering mess to get Aletheia to say yes. 

The next afternoon, she found herself at the entrance of the office of Eusebeia’s non-profit, The Pietas Foundation. Aletheia stepped inside, taking in just how white and clean the lobby was. She could see her reflection through the surface of the glossy marble white floors. Aletheia walked up to the receptionist’s desk, giving her a friendly smile. “I have an appointment with Mrs…” she started to say, but was cut off. “Yes!,” the receptionist exclaimed, looking up from her computer screen. “She’s in her office now. You can go in.” Aletheia blew out a breath as she knocked on the door. “Naí?,” Eusebeia’s unmistakable soft voice sounded. Aletheia turned the knob, opening the door, and walking inside. Eusebeia was standing over her desk, shifting through several papers & folders. “Hi!,” Aletheia exclaimed. She looked up from her papers, giving her a curt smile. “Hello. Forgive the mess, I’m just looking for an important permit which will allow the construction of a new temple to be built in Our Grace’s honor,” Eusebeia explained, no doubt referring to Hera (goddess of women & marriage). Aletheia nodded her head. “Of course. The reason I scheduled this meeting is because I was wondering if you’d like to hang out sometime.” Eusebeia furrowed her eyebrows. “You mean with you and your sister?,” she asked, referring to Pistis. “No, no. If it’s ok with you, I’d like it for it to be a girl’s day with just us,” Aletheia said. “Why? We’ve never socialized before. Forgive me if this all seems pretty… random,” Eusebeia replied, as she started to organize the papers in a neat stack. “Well, we’re already in each other’s lives because of Pistis. Even more so now because of Nomos. He’s one of my best buds. It’d be nice to get to know each other better,” Aletheia explained. Eusebeia just nodded her head. “How about a day of pampering at the Golden Lily Day Spa? My treat,” she offered. For a moment, Eusebeia remained silent as she chewed on the corner of her bottom lip. “Uh, sure,” she whispered. “It’d be nice to get out of the house.” “Great!,” Aletheia said, walking up to the desk with her hand held out. Eusebeia took it, giving it a firm but polite shake. 

A few days later, Aletheia met up with Eusebeia at the Golden Lily Day Spa. Instead of changing in the locker room, she noticed Eusebeia go into one of the private bathrooms, coming out with a plush white towel wrapped tightly around her body. Aletheia shook out her long hair. “Are you ready for ultimate relaxation?,” she asked. Eusebeia gave her a small smile, nodding. Aletheia opened the glass doors to the women's steam room as they both went inside. A hot mist of thick steam greeted them as they were trying to find a spot to lounge. This particular room already had a few women, some of them totally nude. Aletheia followed suit, dropping the towel she was wearing to her waist, exposing her chest. She heard Eusebeia audibly gasp as they found a small corner to sit in. “E–e-exposure like this is normal?,” she asked, clinging to her towel. Aletheia shrugged her shoulders. “We’re at a spa after all. Don’t worry. It’s totally private,” she explained, letting her head rest against the wall. “It’s really hot in here,” Eusebeia whispered, anxiously tugging at her hair which was in a ponytail. “Then remove your towel.” As a curvaceous nephelai woman with bouncy bountiful breasts entered the room, Eusebeia quickly stood up, like she was struck by lightning. “S-s-sorry. I’m not in the mood to relax anymore,” she said as she ran out of the steam room. Aletheia was confused as she ran after her. She saw Eusebeia sitting on one of the wooden benches in the locker room, her head between her legs. “Hey, is everything ok? What happened in there?,” Aletheia asked. Eusebeia raised her head, tears running down her face. One quick glance at Aletheia’s breasts and she scoffed. “Gods! Can you please put some clothes on!,” she huffed as she stood up, walking into the bathroom. 

At home on TV, she’s a fan of watching documentaries, true crime programs, as well as the drama series I Klironomiá. Aletheia also likes tuning into The Agnostic Network, finding the brutal honesty of the show’s creator and host Momus (god of mockery, satire, & ridicule) refreshing. 

Aletheia has five million followers on Fatestagram.

Her all time favorite meal is arroz junto, where she also adds sweet corn to it. 

She’s been going back & forth with the thought of signing up on a dating app. The success rate of FATED, the dating app created by Hermes (god of roads, travelers, thieves, merchants, messengers, speed, trade, sports, borders, thoughts, communications, money, & luck) have been tempting, but she knows that the success rate is the amount of hookups garnered from the app. She hopes to find a date in time for the wedding of Rosy’s older brother Moros (god of doom) and Oizys (goddess of anxiety, misery, & depression)- which Aletheia has been invited to.

In her free time Aletheia enjoys reading, tennis, golf, sunbathing, going to the beach, shopping, needle work, cooking, writing in her journal, going to the cinema, spending time with Glinda, pottery, yoga, jogging, bike riding, going to museums, and ballroom dancing. 

"Whether it's cracked or smudged, a mirror never lies."

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Pistis (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- The Reliable Miss by the people of Olympius

Age- 31 (immortal)

Location- Arcadia Heights, New Olympus

Personality- Pistis is unshakeable when it comes to her morals and beliefs. She’s incredibly loyal & trustworthy- not only in her work ethic, but also with the beings she holds dear in her life. She does have a tendency to be neurotic and overcritical at times, struggling to prioritize her own needs, potentially leading to burnout. She’s single.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. As the goddess of trust, reliability, & good faith her other powers/abilities include limited photokinesis, invisibility, truth sense, as well as being able to sense and manipulate the feelings of trust & loyalty in a being. 

Pistis is the youngest child of Epistêmê (goddess of enlightenment). She’s the younger sister of Aletheia (goddess of truth).

She lives in a hip yet totally stylish two bedroom townhouse in the Arcadia Heights neighborhood of New Olympus, located in the Hare Hook section. 

Pistis is fluent in Old Greek, Latin, French, and Minoan.

Set against a backdrop of shipping yards and post-Titanomachy warehouses in the city, Hare Hook has a laid-back seaside village vibe. Young families and creative professionals make up a large part of the community. A mix of homey eateries & quirky bars, plus edgy art galleries and boutiques proliferate along Van Crocus Street- the main artery. Several indie distilleries and a winery offer tastings and tours.

The original contemporary farmhouse-style townhouse was redesigned to Pistis’ standards with custom finishes, a rooftop terrace, Imperial Gold counters & cupboards in the kitchen, oak chevron flooring, a floating white oak stairway, custom lit carpeted closets, as well as a beautifully designed master marble bathroom with gold finishes and radiant heat flooring. The furnishings are a perfect mix of classic & minimalist while the color scheme are neutral colors of white, cream, beige, and powder blue. 

Pistis has an animal companion, a she-dragon named Òrinda whose breathtaking pale silvery violet scales is often complimented on. Òrinda is typically her mode of transportation when traveling out-of-state, like to Delphi when visiting her mother. 

In the city, she primarily gets around in her sleek white car. 

White freesias are Pistis’ favorite flowers!

A go-to drink for her is a glass of coconut water, which she drinks every morning. She also likes aloe vera juice, mineral water, her homemade piña colada smoothies, ginger ale, pineapple juice, mint tea, lime agua fresca, white wine, vodka martinis, and vodka tonics- with a twist of lime. Usuals from The Roasted Bean are a cappuccino, a medium iced tea, a cafe au lait, in addition to a large pineapple lychee splash. 

Pistis enjoys listening to classical, traditional Greek, and pop music. She really loves the musical catalog of Pale Blu, Alma, and Aoide (goddess of voice & song). Pistis, thanks to her best friend in all the realms Eusebeia (goddess of piety, loyalty, duty, & filial respect), has been a fan of the inspirational rock band Ascension. She first listened to them at a performance at the Eleutherus Cathedral, the city’s largest church.

Coming up in a family with an esteemed Goddess and older sister who were just so perfect, Pistis had always felt she came up short regarding her mother’s expectations. Watching Epistêmê constantly shower Aletheia with praise for her intelligence and beauty chipped away at Pistis’ own self-worth and esteem for the longest time. “My perfect girl,” her mom would always beam at her older sister. If Aletheia wasn’t around, Pistis knew that she would be relegated to being invisible. She didn’t have to actually turn invisible for that to be possible. 

Moving to New Olympus some time after her induction ceremony was a new beginning for Pistis. A chance to stand on her own and pave her own way, for herself, by herself. She first met her BFF at a construction site in Corinth, where a new temple was being built in honor of Athena (goddess of wisdom). Eusebeia flashed her a kind polite smile and the two of them got to talking afterwards. It was then she noticed that there was something more underneath her righteous wholesome veneer. “There’s already a strike against us for being Goddesses. We’re dealt with another because we’re minor ones. No one is going to lay out a gold carpet for us. It’s up to us to be acknowledged by everyone,” Eusebeia had said, as they sipped cappuccinos in an outdoor cafe. Pistis nodded in agreement. “You’re absolutely right,” she replied. They ended that day giggling, their arms linked with each other. 

She likes to keep her nails short, neat, & french manicured.

Pistis wakes up every morning without fail at 7 AM, without the aid of an alarm clock. After brushing her teeth and showering, she makes herself a cup of tea before leaving for work. She puts a vanilla yogurt coated granola bar in her purse to eat on her way to work. 

She keeps her long golden caramel brown hair perfectly coiffed, frequenting the beauty salon every two weeks. When she does her hair at home, Pistis loves using the Luxuria volumizing hair spray along with the Glory’s Crown ambrosia honey hair gloss.

Pistis also frequents the royal palace on Mt. Olympus for teeth whitening at the medical office of Paean (goddess of physicians).

She dresses stylishly and conservatively, often a fan of monochromatic pieces in neutral shades like white, beige, light gray, & cream. Pistis is also a fan of crisp button downs, tailored pants & midi skirts as well as slingback heels. 

As a birthday gift, Eusebeia gave her a gold key charm necklace. It’s Pistis’ common jewelry accessory which she always wears. 

When it comes to makeup, she keeps it simple with a lightweight hydrating foundation, defining her eyebrows with a shimmering brown brow pencil, a peachy blush on the cheeks, along with a light matte lipstick on her lips. Pistis loves the Luxuria cosmetics.

Pistis’ relationship with her mother and sister is distant, the best possible description. She’s required by Epistêmê to check in every week- be it through text message or an actual phone call. She also begrudgingly travels to Olympia (where her mother primarily lives) during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s as well as to Delphi (where her mother owns a property) for the Summer Solstice.

She actually kind of finds it funny that Aletheia now wants to act like they’re the best of friends, when in truth, Pistis views her older sister like a total stranger. It also doesn’t help matters with the growing resentment brewing in Pistis after she was passed over for a position as a justice on the Grand Olympian Court, which went to Aletheia. Epistêmê, true to form, went all out celebrating the success of her “perfect girl.” Pistis was a miserable wreck at the all white party her mother threw for her older sister in Olympia. It was first class with everything, all the way. The servers wore white too, serving elegant hors d’oeuvres like mini tuna tartare cones, prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks, feta watermelon cubes, gougères, and caviar stuffed mushrooms. That was the only time in Pistis’ life where she drank more than a single glass of champagne & white wine. A display of gold fireworks in the sky topped off the night. Her mother’s good friend Louquise (goddess of eloquence) held Pistis’ hair back as she threw up in the bathroom sink. 

Pistis’ main job is being an advisor & assistant to Praxidike (goddess of judicial punishment), one of the justices on the Grand Olympian Court. She handles Praxidike’s day-to-day schedule, receiving a first hand look at the workload of cases the justices oversee often. Because of her job, Pistis also has untethered access to the criminal records of all the beings in Olympius. The only downside to her job is whenever her paths cross with Aletheia. Watching her perfect older sister look dignified and refined in the gold trimmed white robe the justices wear still gnaws at her insides.

She’s gotten to know Praxidike outside the courtroom, even being invited over for dinner with Praxidike’s husband Soter (god of safety) and their young daughter Calocagathia (Aggie) (goddess of nobility & goodness). Pistis really likes Praxidike’s vichyssoise.

There's this vanilla scented perfume from Olmorfia that she loves wearing.

For other means of income Pistis also models for/endorses White Lily Gallery, the minimalist jewelry brand of Praxidike’s eldest daughters- Arete (goddess of virtue, valor, & excellence) and Homonoia (goddess of concord).

Her absolute favorite dessert is the vanilla-white chocolate macarons from Hollyhock’s Bakery. At home and in the pantheon, Pistis is known for making her ultra sweet and creamy vanilla bean pots de creme, often topping them with ground cinnamon & crushed gingerbread cookies. 

She also likes the sugar cookie flavored gourmet popcorn at Confection Carousel, the business owned by Záchari (god of confectionery).

Pistis and Eusebeia are closer than ever since she got married to Nomos (god of laws). The news of their “coupling” was initially a shock to Pistis, but even after being explained the truth of the match, which was spearheaded by Hera (goddess of women & marriage), she still offered her best friend her support. Pistis was the witness at the wedding, did her best friend’s hair & makeup and even gave Eusebeia a wedding gift, a peasant sleeved nightgown for the wedding night, though she wasn’t sure if it was too sexy for Eusebeia’s tastes. 

Eusebeia has stopped by more frequently in addition staying over well late into the night. “He’s just a man, not a plague,” Pistis had told her best friend when Eusebeia came over for a visit. She gave Eusebeia a can of ginger ale while she sipped on her glass of white wine. Her best friend blinked incredulously, tucking away strands of her long golden brown hair behind her ear. “It’s just quiet at the house. Far too quiet. We barely say three words to each other.” Pistis sighed, raising one of her eyebrows. “That’s due to both of you. A marriage is between two people. There has to be effort on both sides.” “I know, but sometimes, it’s like I can read his mind. I can tell what he’s thinking. The way he looks at me, it’s like he’s undressing me,” Eusebeia whispered, covering her eyes with her hand as she lowered her head. Pistis rubbed her best friend’s arm comfortingly. “He’s a man, your husband no less. It’s only natural. Has Nomos been unkind to you?” Eusebeia looked up. “No.” “Does he treat you with respect?” “He’s tried,” Eusebeia replied. “There are marriages far worse off than your own, like the great matchmaker,” Pistis replied, referring to Hera. “Shhh!,” Eusebeia whispered, as though the queen was eavesdropping on their conversation. 

In truth, Pistis would trade places with her best friend in a heartbeat. Maybe not being married to Nomos, but having a marriage set up by the queen? Many beings don’t get the chance, and at this point in her life, she’s not all too sure that she’ll ever get married or have a proper love match. Pistis feels that the pool for eligible suitors for a Goddess is about as deep as a puddle. In that sense, she also feels as though she and Aletheia are on equal grounds, considering her older sister as far as she knows is single too. 

She likes the grilled chicken sandwich on ciabatta bread with a tofu and kale salad (with extra cilantro lime dressing) from The Bread Box. Oftentimes for lunch at work, she’ll frequent The Ocean Roll, the sushi restaurant chain owned by Poseidon (god of the sea & earthquakes) for an order of white dragon rolls with fried calamari along with a side order of miso soup. She also likes a medium order of scallion noodles from Garden Gatherings, the vegan restaurant owned by Pasithea (goddess of hallucinations & relaxation).

For other means of income, she’s also a freelance writer for The Oracle newspaper and O Dianooumenos.

Aside from Praxidike, in the pantheon Pistis is also good friends with her younger sister Amphictyonis (Amy) (goddess of diplomacy), Eudaimonia (goddess of happiness), Leto (Titaness of demurity & motherhood), Mesembria (Bria) (goddess of the afternoon), Eunostos (goddess of the flour mill), Hestia (goddess of the hearth), The Litae, Peitharchia (goddess of obedience & discipline), Penia (goddess of poverty), Axiótimos (god of honor), Mousika (goddess of studying & music), Eikono (goddess of iconography & literature), Dimósia (goddess of debate), Favian (god of philosophy), Philotes (goddess of intimacy, friendship, & affection), Sophia (goddess of thought), as well as Neicus (god of debate & appeal). 

She’s not close with her sister’s BFF, Sophrosyne (goddess of moderation, temperance, & restraint).

Pistis dislikes Dolos (god of deception & treachery), Apate (goddess of fraud & deception), Kakia (goddess of vice & moral wrongdoing), Hybris (goddess of insolence, hubris, & reckless pride), and Dyssebeia (goddess of ungodliness & impiety). 

She’s also a member of the esteemed book club of Mnemosyne (Titaness of memory & language). 

Pistis has a little over a million followers on Fatestagram. A lot of her posts consist of inspirational quotes. Her most recent post has been her essay on the MGM, minor god movement.

She’s an unabashed lover of historical romance. Every week, Pistis frequents The Ripped Bodice, a bookstore in the Chant du Cygne neighborhood that exclusively sells romance novels. She leaves the store with two cloth bags filled with mass market paperbacks- one for her, while the other is filled with inspirational romance books for Eusebeia. All the employees there know her by name now.

For her most recent birthday, she was gifted with a simple Diamond Ave. crystal embellished clutch from Praxidike. 

Pistis offered a place for Eusebeia to stay when she came crying to her one night. Her whole body was shaking like a leaf in the wind. “What’s the matter?,” she asked her best friend as she wrapped a cashmere blanket around Eusebeia’s shoulders. “It- it, it was horrible. Just disgusting.  H-h-he w-w-was touching himself! To the most repulsive thing I’ve ever seen!,” her best friend blubbered. Pistis couldn’t help but laugh at the reveal, prompting Eusebeia to cry even more. “I’m sorry! I’m not laughing at you, I swear, it’s just… I thought it was something more serious. Like he put his hands on you,” she explained. Eusebeia wiped her tears away with the blanket. “I never want him to touch me again, not after I discovered where his own hands have been,” she whispered. “A little pot calling the kettle, don’t you think?,” Pistis offered. “How do you mean?” “Don’t you wash yourself when you bathe? By your logic, he shouldn’t want you touching him either,” Pistis explained. “That’s not the same and you know it. This was supposed to be a proper marriage. A suitable man and wife. How am I supposed to feel about this?,” Eusebeia whispered, sighing. “Are you gonna condemn him to Tartarus?,” Pistis asked as she raised her eyebrows. “N-no, but-” “Then it shouldn’t matter. Look, it’s obvious even to a bling being that there’s a connection between you two. There just needs some work with intimacy and communication. But you don’t have to figure things out now. If this marriage matters to you and Nomos, both you will work at it. If not, just get a divorce. The queen can add this to her long list of failures,” Pistis said, half joking while also being serious. Eusebeia said nothing as she rested her head against her best friend’s shoulder, sniffling.

In a sense of desperation and a misguided sense of confidence, Pistis made a profile on FATED, the premier dating app created by Hermes (god of roads, travelers, thieves, merchants, messengers, speed, trade, sports, borders, thoughts, communications, money, & luck). She had professional pictures taken at a studio downtown for her profile so there would be no misleading with her intentions. Pistis is not looking to just date. She wants to be courted. 

The first few weeks consisted of her swiping left at all the profiles who liked her. The guys weren’t immortal for one and she did not consider a comment like “you have great tits” to be all that nice. One such profile was an oread guy named Aaron, a stereotypical musclehead, through and through. His profiles consisted of shirtless pictures of him at the gym along with other pictures & videos of him at concerts and sporting arenas. Pistis instinctively scrunched up her face at a picture of Aaron doing a body shot off of a half naked woman at a club. 

One lazy weekend as she was towel drying her damp hair, a notification sounded from her smartphone. A mutual match was made on FATED. Filled with hope, Pistis excitedly clicked on the app to see who it was. A sound she wasn’t even sure she was capable of making escaped her throat. It… It was Phonos (god of murder). She read the message he sent her at least ten times to reassure herself that it was actually real. 

“Greetings,” the message started. “If you’re reading this then it means I haven’t yet been blocked, which is a great feat for me. Anyway, I have tickets to The Raven’s Requiem at The Obsidian Theatre. It’s supposed to be good, according to a review I read in the paper. Your profile stated that you enjoyed the opera, so I figured it’d be the safest option. The performance is in a few weeks. If you decline, I’ll still enjoy the show on my own😆. Afterwards, we can go to Midnight Maki if you’re in the mood for sushi. Their unagi nigiri is to die for! Hope to see you there."

Pistis blinked as she tapped onto the icon, which led to his profile. Phonos’ ice cold stare in his main profile picture sent shivers down her spine. Her hands, still wet from her hair, loosened from her smartphone, which made a dive into her toilet. The rest of her day was spent at an iCHOR Tech support shop, her hair in a damp ponytail. After getting a replaced model (since she had insurance on her smartphone), Pistis has yet to accept Phonos’ invitation. Sure, his face looked like it was chiseled from the palest of marble, he dressed sharply, and there were no annoying gym selfies on his profile… but he’s so… so… morbid. A Chthonian-converted Olympian. 

Her favorite thing to watch on TV is the soap opera Harmony Heights. Pistis is desperately waiting for the episode where Cirra Skybourne chooses between the haughty Ventus Cirrus or the artistic, but humble poet Petrus Skyerling. She’s also a fan of the historical romance series Beneath a Scarlet Sky. She’ll also sometimes tune into the late night talk shows The Godly Hour, which is hosted by Pheme (goddess of fame) as well as The Agnostic Network, which is hosted by Momus (god of mockery, satire, & ridicule). 

On Thanksgiving, before traveling to the dinner with her mom and sister, Pistis volunteers at the Psomí & Zoí soup kitchen. 

She also participates at the annual canned food & clothing drives the church hosts. 

Her all time favorite meal is tostones (extra crispy) with salsa verde. She can’t help but also like her mother’s savory arroz junto.

In her free time Pistis enjoys cycling, yoga, tai chi, embroidery, going to the spa (is a fan of the steam facials), reading, going to museums, chess, pottery, tennis, swimming, going to the opera, cooking, writing in her journal, sunbathing, as well as riding on dragonback.

"A broken trust is never wholly repaired."

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Nomos (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Mr. Rules by Aphrodite and Dione

Age- 38 (immortal)

Location- Queenstown neighborhood, New Olympus

Personality- Nomos embodies the rigid structure of established rules and the dynamic evolution of societal norms. He’s simultaneously a preserver or order as well as a force for progress- constantly adapting to changing circumstances while upholding fundamental principles of justice & fairness. He's newly married.

He has the standard abilities of a god except shapeshifting. As the god of laws, statues, & ordinances his other powers/abilities include having an innate knowledge of all the laws, bills, and legislation of the three realms, truth sense, in addition to archikinesis (law manipulation). 

The gavel is Nomos’ sacred symbol.

He’s fluent in all the languages spoken in Olympius. He can also write in Old Greek calligraphy too. Nomos takes pride in his neat, cursive penmanship.

He’s recently got married to Eusebeia (goddess of piety, loyalty, duty, & filial respect) some time ago. They reside in a townhouse in the Nympheuomenê Park section of the Queenstown neighborhood in New Olympus, the capital of Olympius and the country’s largest city. The furnishings were provided by the same being who arranged their union, Hera (goddess of women & marriage), the Queen of Olympius. 

Nomos has been sleeping in his “man cave,” which he has newly furnished since returning home while his lawfully wedded wife has been sleeping in the master bedroom. Nomos’ man cave is his safe space, a place where he can just relax and be himself. There’s a large black leather sofa that converts into a pull out bed along with a few leather armchairs. A 60 inch iCHOR Tech flat screen television is mounted on the wall along with abstract & classical style paintings. There’s a dark oak coffee table with a hidden storage space that holds his poker cards and dominoes. There’s also a few bookshelves filled with his book collection along with a Talos Core gaming system. 

He hasn’t said anything about his wife’s recently acquired animal companions- energetic golden retriever pups named Logan, Blanco, and Leo. At first, their incessant yapping & lack of bladder control proved annoying, but now since they’re a bit older, Nomos has warmed up to them. He sometimes fills their bowls with water and kibble, even roughhousing with them sometimes when he returns from work. Things between him & Eusebeia have been… quiet to say the least. 

A go-to drink for him is an espresso. Nomos likes the one from The Roasted Bean in addition to the ones he makes at home. He also likes Strengthify ionized water, earl grey tea, a scotch on the rocks, ginger ale, cranberry juice, red wine, and vodka martinis.

Nomos is classically trained at playing the piano.

He enjoys listening to classical, jazz, soul, & rap music. Nomos’ favorite rappers are Spectre and Veritas. There’s also some songs by the dryad artist Eurydice he’ll find himself bobbing his head to.

He primarily gets around the city in his vintage glossy brown hatchback. He’ll sometimes take the bus or subway.

Nomos is proud of the fact that he has never received a single traffic infraction- not even a parking or speeding ticket. 

Not much is known about Nomos’ origins or his life before the present time, but he’s old enough to remember the injustices every being felt during the reign of Kronos (Titan god of the harvest, time, & fate). The supposed “laws” the Mad Titan enacted during his tyrannical rule was nothing short of a farce. A warped disfigurement of true law & order. The placement of harpies in internment camps? The relocation of various woodland centaur tribes? The law that all books, texts, & tomes were to be destroyed? Shutting down schools? The sheer inhumanity of it all still fills Nomos’ body with rage, long since the Titanomachy has ended. He made a sacred vow to himself that he would never stand idle while someone with more power perverse justice. Even being a minor deity, Nomos would play his part in seeking out true justice for any and all beings. 

A typical start to his day starts with a cold shower followed by a jog throughout the neighborhood. On his way back home to dress for work, Nomos will stop by at an outdoor newsstand to pick up a few of his favorite readings- The Oracle newspaper, The Acropolis Street Ledger (a finance magazine), in addition to O Dianooumenos, a popular academic magazine. 

At home, a typical breakfast for him is a bowl of cereal. He likes Earthly Harvest’s raisin crunch cereal, but has been a slow growing fan of Golly Grains cinnamon crunch cereal. Nomos more often than not gets breakfast on his way to work, opting for sausage, egg, & cheese sandwich on toasted sourdough bread. On the weekends at home, he makes some of his favorites like tres golpes, yaniqueques, and rizogalo. Nomos always leaves some left over for Eusebeia, but she politely declines, instead making breakfast for herself.

His main job is being a justice of the Grand Olympian Court, the highest tribunal in the realm. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on questions of Olympian constitutional or federal law. Nomos works alongside his fellow justices- Praxidike (goddess of judicial punishment), Themis (Titaness of justice), Athena (goddess of wisdom), Zeus (god of the sky, thunder, & lightning), Soter (god of safety), Dike (goddess of justice), and Aletheia (goddess of truth). The Furies (Alecto, Megaera, & Tisiphone) as well as Nemesis (goddess of retribution) serve on the court as alternating justices. 

For the longest time, Nomos’ life was just filled with his work, pouring over cases that consumed his very being, with the most notable one being the court issuing an official pardon to Atlas (Titan god of strength & endurance) from his divine punishment, who was forced to carry the heavens on his back. 

He figured that love, marriage, or having a family on his own would be wistful thinking. Nomos immediately read the situation that was placed before him when he was called for a “private audience” with the queen. For several minutes, Hera waxed on about the decline in marriage rates with the uptick in out-of-wedlock births, displaying various charts & diagrams. He nodded along, pretending to listen, but they knew the cold truth. The king’s extracurricular activities were staining the spotless integrity of the Olympian Pantheon, unable to be hidden any longer. Hera slid Nomos a picture across the table. He lifted it up, noticing Eusebeia right away. Though they had never crossed paths, Nomos was aware of the work she did with her non-profit, The Pietas Foundation. He also knew that she was the one of the staunchest conservative deities in the pantheon, next to The Litae. “Are you sure this is a sustainable match?,” he asked the queen, unsure. Hera sighed, making her lips into a grim line. “I won’t lie to you. If this match doesn’t work out, the people will know that the Gods are liars too. They are in desperate need of a distraction. If they’re attention is drawn away from their current entertainment, I’d have done my job as queen. Marriage should be something that all our people should aspire for.” Just as Nomos was about to respond, the sound of the door opening stopped him. “Sorry I’m late,” a demure voice said. Just a few seats over, Eusebeia sat down, looking like a lost deer in the woods. 

He felt for her and Hera explained her proposition. A wedding for the ages. A marriage that will inspire the people to believe in true love. Nomos half expected Eusebeia to faint right on the table given the fright in her eyes. But instead, she nodded dutifully, agreeing to the match. Nomos had agreed earlier. If he wasn’t going to get married now, it would never come to pass. It helped that Eusebeia was pleasing on the eyes with her slender curves (which her bulky white suit didn’t do justice), pouty pink lips, & dark brown eyes. At the end of the meeting, Nomos could sense her fragility, like a porcelain tea kettle as they shook hands before bidding each other goodbye. 

So began their “courtship,” which consisted of perfectly curated outings where the paparazzi would no doubt show up. A snap of them enjoying frozen yogurt. A photo of them sharing a cappuccino at a coffee shop. A video of them riding their bikes through the park. All perfect & all staged. Nomos wrapped his arm around Eusebeia’s waist as they posed for photographs during the opening of his law firm in the Little Athens neighborhood. He soiled his pristine pressed khakis with dirt when they planted baby laurel and chaste trees in the garden of the Hearthwood Community Center. Nomos was glad to get away from the cameras & reporters when he spent time with Eusebeia at the royal palace, where they mainly played chess. During this time, their conversations graduated from surface level pleasantries into something with more substance. It took her a while to get into the rhythm of chess, but he secretly admired how fast Eusebeia picked up the rules of the game, garnering her fair share of checkmates. 

One evening, he combined work and pleasure when he took Eusebeia out to The Blue Cellar, his favorite jazz club in the city, located in the Lunar district. The paparazzi were there as expected, but Nomos was glad to be somewhere in his element. He even secretly hoped that Eusebeia would come to appreciate jazz music too. He alongside the other patrons of the club nodded their heads as the saxophone player began performing his solo. He looked across to where Eusebeia was sitting, her shirley temple drink clutched tightly in her hands. Nomos couldn’t tell if she was sad or bored. “Is something wrong?,” he asked her. She shook her head. “It’s just… there’s no throughline for a melody. The music is all over the place. How can you even understand it?,” Eusebeia asked. Nomos liked the fact that she was honest, even through their farce of a “love story.” He chuckled as he stood up, holding out his hand. “What?,” Eusebeia asked, bringing the glass to her chest. Nomos took a hold of her hand, bringing Eusebeia onto the floor where some other couples were dancing along to the music. “Let’s give them something new to publish,” he replied, referring to the photographers stationed outside the club. “I-I don’t know how to dance,” Eusebeia stammered as she scratched at her arm. “That’s one of the good things about jazz. The rhythm is all over the place where no one will ever notice,” Nomos offered, giving her a small smile. He took one of Eusebeia’s hands in his while the other rested on his shoulder. They stepped to the music, slowly, as his other hand made its way to her lower back. For a moment, Eusebeia’s gaze wasn't affixed to the floor. Her dark brown eyes met his. For the first time, Nomos could feel the walls that she had built around herself starting to crumble, stone by stone. All of a sudden, Eusebeia gasped as she accidentally stepped on Nomos’ foot. “I’m sorry!,” she exclaimed. “It’s ok,” he offered. She pulled away from him, her skin flushed. “I have to use the bathroom, excuse me.”

After that night, he thought he scared her away, but Nomos was surprised when Eusebeia had shown up at a charity basketball game he was playing in at a community center downtown. This was the first time he saw her dress casually, but still conservatively. Eusebeia’s hair was in a braided ponytail and she wore a simple light gray T-shirt, blue jeans, & white tennis sneakers. Though she garnered looks from the other attendees due to clapping every single time Nomos made a shot, he appreciated the gesture all the same. For a brief moment, it felt like he was in a normal couple.

The wedding was a small ceremony at New Olympus City Hall. Aside from Hera being in attendance, Eusebeia’s best friend Pistis (goddess of trust, reliability, & good faith) served as the witness. Nomos felt his body betray him, feeling his heart thump against his chest when he noticed his soon-to-be wife arrive. Eusebeia was a vision in white- in a strapless dress which did her body justice. They held their heads high as they went through the ceremony, with Naeus (god of weddings) officiating. Rings were exchanged, signatures were written, and a kiss was sealed. Nomos and Eusebeia were now husband & wife.

The reception was held in the royal palace, the only guests being the other justices. Nomos and his wife performed many of the wedding traditions- the first dance, feeding each other cake, as well as sharing wine from the Common Cup. As the night wore on, it became more & more clear that the wedding night was upon them.

Their honeymoon, an all expense paid trip to the state of Argos (flying on Zeus’ private jet) was a gift from the King & Queen. Nomos and Eusebeia also had the pleasure of staying at Hera’s beachside property. To make his wife feel more at ease as well as to set the mood, Nomos lit vanilla scented candles throughout the bedroom. He was almost lost in his own thoughts, looking out the terrace watching the last bit of sky fade from pink to blue as he heard Eusebeia enter the bedroom. Her hair flowed down her back in loose waves and she was dressed in a sheer white nightgown, which had peasant sleeves. She was the most beautiful thing Nomos had ever seen. He could feel her entire body trembling when he took a hold of Eusebeia’s hand, leading her to the bed. Nomos wanted to make sure that her first time was pleasurable, not just for him. He got on top of her, enveloping his mouth with her own. It was like her body naturally molded against his. Nomos could feel Eusebeia’s pert breasts against his chest. He lowered his hand to one of them, her nipple hard against his palm. Nomos noticed her gasp. It wasn’t like how she gasped in the jazz club. This was different. Eusebeia sounded as though she liked where his hand was. She moaned against him when Nomos slipped his tongue into her mouth as they continued to kiss. Her legs were initially rigid when he tried spreading them. Nomos assured her that he’d never hurt her as he removed his boxers. Even in the faint glow of the candles, he noticed her eyes widen as Eusebeia stared at his erect member. Maybe it wasn’t time to deflower her just yet. Nomos lowered his head between her legs as his lips and tongue made contact with her naked flesh. And nothing ever tasted so sweeter to him than his wife’s honey pot. Despite not arising from between Eusebeia’s legs, Nomos could tell that she liked it with the way Eusebeia moaned and gripped his head. Just as he was about to insert a finger into her wet entrance, she screamed at the top of her lungs, like she was being attacked. “STOP!”

Nomos arose from between her legs and the blanket, his eyebrows furrowed in worry and confusion. His mouth along with his facial hair was covered in Eusebeia’s… nectar. “Have I done something wrong?,” Nomos asked, his voice more guttural than usual. She quickly arose from the bed, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to do this,” Eusebeia replied as she walked onto the terrace. 

The next morning at breakfast, Nomos apologized on his behalf if he did anything that hurt her. When he tried asking Eusebeia how she was feeling about it, she mostly kept quiet, her eyes focused on her plate. “I really don’t want to talk about that,” she muttered, tearing apart a biscuit. Nomos didn’t want to push Eusebeia so he just sighed in response, dropping the issue. The rest of the honeymoon was spent separately, with Nomos frequenting the beach where he jogged & surfed while Eusebeia spent her time in the garden or tending after the queen’s farm, filled with cows and peacocks.

He foolishly thought that their return to the city would be a fresh start for them, but Eusebeia ignored them when they arrived home. Nomos didn’t want to make things more awkward, so he decided to sleep in one of the other rooms in their townhouse which would later become his man cave. Life returned to their new version of normal. Eusebeia continued her work with her non-profit while Nomos continued his work as a justice. To keep himself as busy as possible to arrive home as late as possible, he would go for a late workout at a Fit to be a God gym after work, sometimes with Soter, but usually by himself.

His favorite thing to get from The Bread Box is a roast beef sandwich.

A favorite frozen treat of Nomos is chocolate caramel ice cream.

Aside from being a justice and opening up his own law firm, he teaches the constitutional law class at the New Olympus School of Law. 

Nomos’ friendships with the justices outside the courtroom have been more than a respite to him since returning home. He has only ever divulged in the true state of his marriage with Aletheia and Soter. Nomos laughed out sarcastically at Soter’s suggestion that he & Eusebeia attend couples’ counseling during a game of poker. “The next coming of Kronos is a more likely outcome than that,” Nomos bitterly replied, blowing out a thick puff of smoke from a cigar. 

While sharing a glass of wine with Aletheia at her mansion, Nomos unloaded everything onto her. He truly wanted a female’s perspective on the situation. “I’m not sure I’m the right one to ask for advice. I’m not married,” Aletheia offered. “But you are a woman. Please, the silence in my house is deafening. I just want to talk to her,” Nomos said. Aletheia raised her eyebrows. “With the hope of being intimate with her?” He chuckled, biting his bottom lip. “Would that be too bad? Not to get too crass, but she was into what I was doing to her that night. Then all of a sudden, she stopped it. I wasn’t hurting her, at least I think I wasn’t.” Aletheia gave a small shrug of her shoulders. “I know society and culture have come a long way with the concepts of sex and virginity, but maybe it’s different for someone like Eusebeia.” “Can you talk to her? She can use another friend and maybe you can help the both of us. Please?,” Nomos whispered, playfully sticking out his bottom lip while batting his eyelashes. Aletheia rolled her eyes. “If it’ll get you to never ever make that face again, fine.”

His official mentor was Coeus (Titan god of foresight, intellect, & knowledge). Nomos is now friends with the esteemed Titan, even being a guest co-host for a while on Coeus’ Nocturnal Thoughts podcast.

The spicy buffalo chicken sandwich with large onion rings has been a guilty pleasure for him from Olympic Chef. He also likes Soter’s spanokopita and Aletheia’s tostones, whenever they bring them to work. 

Nomos became a first-time mentor, taking Epiphron (god of prudence) under his wing. He’s one of the few to know about Epiphron’s romantic involvement with Dike. As conservative as she is, he can’t help but wonder how the young couple navigates intimacy. Is it like his current shit-show?

He doesn’t have much of a rapport with his wife’s best friend, except for polite pleasantries. Nomos is often greeted with Pistis in the living room when he returns home from work. If anything, he’s grateful that Eusebeia isn’t alone. That she has a true friend. 

The coffee cake from Hollyhock’s Bakery is his ultimate favorite dessert. He also liked the pastelitos de coco Eusebeia once made for him a few weeks ago. 

Olympius’ Independence Day is his favorite holiday.

In the pantheon Nomos is also friends with Sophrosyne (goddess of moderation, temperance, & restraint), Pathos (god of emotion), Aion (god of time, eternity, & the zodiacs), Hestia (goddess of the hearth), Alastor (god of blood feuds & vengeance), Neicus (god of debate & appeal), Eikono (goddess of iconography & literature), Astraeus (Titan god of dusk), Soteria (goddess of safety), Horkos (god of oaths), Perses (Titan god of destruction), Sophia (goddess of thought), Favian (god of philosophy), Momus (god of mockery, satire, & ridicule), Axiótimos (god of honor), Ktesios (god of the household), and Pallas (Titan god of battle & warcraft). 

Outside the pantheon, he’s also friends with Machaon, an esteemed surgeon and husband of Iaso (goddess of cures & remedies). 

After Eusebeia had made him those little treats, things seemed to get a little better around the house. Sure, they were still sleeping in separate rooms, but they were talking more now, instead of the usual “hi” & “bye.” Nomos and Eusebeia actually sat down and ate dinner together. 

One night, Nomos had trouble falling asleep. His mind drifted to his wedding night before it all went to shit. How soft Eusebeia’s full lips felt against his. The glimpse of her body through the sheer fabric of her nightgown. The sounds of her moans. The taste of her naked flesh. He also missed the intense chess games they’d used to play. Nomos felt the fabric of his pajama pants tightening, an all too familiar bulge present. “Gods, not now,” he sighed in defeat. Nomos had some options. He could take a cold shower or work out. Perhaps crack open one of the books in his collection he had yet to start reading. Nomos took the easy way out. He sat on one of the armchairs, logging into an adult website on his smartphone. Nomos pressed the first video he saw, a slender nephelai getting it on with a mortal man. He stroked himself as the nephelai’s small & perky breasts bounced up and down as she straddled the man. The way she moaned reminded him of how Eusebeia sounded that night, which made Nomos even harder. He couldn’t catch himself fast enough before he started moaning. A squeak made him stop. Nomos turned around, noticing Eusebeia standing in the doorway, her hand over her mouth. Before he could say anything, the sound of the master bedroom door slammed shut. 

He was surprised when he didn’t see her at the townhouse the following day. Nomos had a bouquet of white lilies, a peace offering. That night followed into the next day, which then became an entire week. Nomos called Eusebeia’s smartphone, leaving behind worried sounding voicemails. After the eighth day, he made the decision that he was going to the queen with the recent developments. Maybe Hera could help with locating Eusebeia’s whereabouts. Just as he was putting on a light jacket, a roar sounded from outside. The unmistakable sound of a dragon. Nomos opened the door, watching Pistis’ dragon land on the curb. Eusebeia stepped off, a carry-on bag slung across her shoulder, a worn look on her face. “Excuse me, you’re blocking the doorway,” she whispered. “You could’ve called. I was worried sick,” Nomos said. Eusebeia briefly looked at him, her eyes glazed. “I gave you the space to do whatever you wanted to do,” she replied as she walked in. Pistis gave him a curt smile before flying away.

On TV, he’s a fan of the crime drama show The Belladonnas. Nomos also likes watching historical documentaries in addition to true crime programs. He’ll also tune into The Agnostic Network from time to time. 

He’s recently received a wedding invitation in the mail, being invited to the upcoming union of Astraeus & Eos (Titaness of dawn). Nomos is not even sure if Eusebeia would want to come along.

He knows his way around the kitchen, his favorite meal being arroz con gandules with pollo guisado.

In his free time Nomos also enjoys tennis, reading, football (soccer), playing dominoes, going to museums, playing checkers, golf, doing crossword puzzles, and working out.

"If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable."

[abookishdreamer]

Quick editing tip: Passing time

Hey all, here’s a quick tip about showing the passage of short amounts of time in a scene. I see a lot of beats like this:

She hesitated

He paused

A few seconds later

There was a long silence

He waited for her to answer

She didn’t respond

Instead of telling us there’s a brief moment of silence or pause in your scene, try showing us by creating the feeling that time has passed through action, description, or inner monologue. Here are a few examples.

Before:

“Are you coming or not?”

He waited for her to answer, but she didn’t respond.

“Clare? Did you hear me?”

“Huh?”

After:

“Are you coming or not?”

Clare scrolled through her phone, her face illuminating with a eerie blue glow.

“Clare? Did you hear me?”

“Huh?”

Before:

Jared lingered at the suspect’s front gate. If this guy didn’t answer Jared’s questions, he was screwed.

“Hey you!” a voice shouted. “Get off my property!”

Jared hesitated. Finally, he turned to face the man. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

After:

Jared lingered at the suspect’s front gate. If this guy didn’t answer Jared’s questions, he was screwed.

“Hey you!” a voice shouted. “Get off my property!”

Jared patted his holster. He had a gun, but he certainly didn’t want to use it. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face the man. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

Not only does creating a pause instead of describing a pause allow your reader to feel the moment more vividly, it gives you a chance to explain what exactly that pause is about. People hesitate, pause, don’t respond, etc. for all kinds of reasons. Give us as much insight as you can into your weird quiet moment.

Of course, you don’t need to do this every single time. Sometimes it’s fine to say “he paused” or “the room was quiet for a moment”—it could be the best choice for that scene. But look back through your draft and see if you’ve used those “telling” descriptions more often than you needed to. If so, try to create the feeling of a pause—perhaps one that gives the reader a bit more information—using these techniques.

Hope this helps!

[abookishdreamer]

words to use when writing

Appetite:

craving, demand, gluttony, greed, hunger, inclination, insatiable, longing, lust, passion, ravenousness, relish, taste, thirst, urge, voracity, weakness, willingness, yearning, ardor, dedication, desire, devotion, enthusiasm, excitement, fervor, horny, intensity, keenness, wholeheartedness, zeal

Arouse:

agitate, awaken, electrify, enliven, excite, entice, foment, goad, incite, inflame, instigate, kindle, provoke, rally, rouse, spark, stimulate, stir, thrill, waken, warm, whet, attract, charm, coax, fire up, fuel, heat up, lure, produce, stir up, tantalize, tease, tempt, thrum, torment, wind up, work up

Assault:

attack, advancing, aggressive, assailing, charging, incursion, inundated, invasion, offensive, onset, onslaught, overwhelmed, ruinous, tempestuous, strike, violation, ambush, assail, barrage, bombard, bombardment, crackdown, wound

Beautiful: 

admirable, alluring, angelic, appealing, bewitching, charming, dazzling, delicate, delightful, divine, elegant, enticing, exquisite, fascinating, gorgeous, graceful, grand, magnificent, marvelous, pleasing, radiant, ravishing, resplendent, splendid, stunning, sublime, attractive, beguiling, captivating, enchanting, engaging, enthralling, eye-catching, fetching, fine, fine-looking, good-looking, handsome, inviting, lovely, mesmeric, mesmerizing, pretty, rakish, refined, striking, tantalizing, tempting

Brutal:

atrocious, barbarous, bloodthirsty, callous, cruel, feral, ferocious, hard, harsh, heartless, inhuman, merciless, murderous, pitiless, remorseless, rough, rude, ruthless, savage, severe, terrible, unmerciful, vicious, bestial, brute, brutish, cold-blooded, fierce, gory, nasty, rancorous, sadistic, uncompromising, unfeeling, unforgiving, unpitying, violent, wild

Burly:

able-bodied, athletic, beefy, big, brawny, broad-shouldered, bulky, dense, enormous, great, hard, hardy, hearty, heavily built, heavy, hefty, huge, husky, immense, large, massive, muscular, mighty, outsized, oversized, powerful, powerfully built, prodigious, robust, solid, stalwart, stocky, stout, strapping, strong, strongly built, sturdy, thick, thickset, tough, well-built, well-developed

Carnal:

animalistic, bodily, impure, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, libidinous, licentious, lustful, physical, prurient, salacious, sensuous, voluptuous, vulgar, wanton, , coarse, crude, dirty, raunchy, rough, unclean

Dangerous:

alarming, critical, fatal, formidable, impending, malignant, menacing, mortal, nasty, perilous, precarious, pressing, serious, terrible, threatening, treacherous, urgent, vulnerable, wicked, acute, damaging, deadly, death-defying, deathly, destructive, detrimental, explosive, grave, harmful, hazardous, injurious, lethal, life-threatening, noxious, poisonous, risky, severe, terrifying, toxic, unsafe, unstable, venomous

Dark:

atrocious, corrupt, forbidding, foul, infernal, midnight, morbid, ominous, sinful, sinister, somber, threatening, twilight, vile, wicked, abject, alarming, appalling, baleful, bizarre, bleak, bloodcurdling, boding evil, chilling, cold, condemned, creepy, damned, daunting, demented, desolate, dire, dismal, disturbing, doomed, dour, dread, dreary, dusk, eerie, fear, fearsome, frightening, ghastly, ghostly, ghoulish, gloom, gloomy, grave, grim, grisly, gruesome, hair-raising, haunted, hideous, hopeless, horrendous, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrifying, horror, ill-fated, ill-omened, ill-starred, inauspicious, inhospitable, looming, lost, macabre, malice, malignant, menacing, murky, mysterious, night, panic, pessimistic, petrifying, scary, shadows, shadowy, shade, shady, shocking, soul-destroying, sour, spine-chilling, spine-tingling, strange, terrifying, uncanny, unearthly, unlucky, unnatural, unnerving, weird, wretched

Delicious:

enticing, exquisite, luscious, lush, rich, savory, sweet, tasty, tempting, appetizing, delectable, flavorsome, full of flavor, juicy, lip-smacking, mouth-watering, piquant, relish, ripe, salty, spicy, scrummy, scrumptious, succulent, tangy, tart, tasty, yummy, zesty

Ecstasy:

delectation, delirium, elation, euphoria, fervor, frenzy, joy, rapture, transport, bliss, excitement, happiness, heaven, high, paradise, rhapsody, thrill, blissful, delighted, elated, extremely happy, in raptures (of delight), in seventh heaven, jubilant, on cloud nine, overexcited, overjoyed, rapturous, thrilled

Ecstatic:

delirious, enraptured, euphoric, fervent, frenzied, joyous, transported, wild

Erotic:

amatory, amorous, aphrodisiac, carnal, earthy, erogenous, fervid, filthy, hot, impassioned, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, raw, romantic, rousing, salacious, seductive, sensual, sexual, spicy, steamy, stimulating, suggestive, titillating, voluptuous, tantalizing

Gasp:

catch of breath, choke, gulp, heave, inhale, pant, puff, snort, wheeze, huff, rasp, sharp intake of air, short of breath, struggle for breath, swallow, winded 

Heated:

ardent, avid, excited, fervent, fervid, fierce, fiery, frenzied, furious, impassioned, intense, passionate, raging, scalding, scorched, stormy, tempestuous, vehement, violent, ablaze, aflame, all-consuming, blazing, blistering, burning, crazed, explosive, febrile, feverish, fired up, flaming, flushed, frantic, hot, hot-blooded, impatient, incensed, maddening, obsessed, possessed, randy, searing, sizzling, smoldering, sweltering, torrid, turbulent, volatile, worked up, zealous

Hunger:

appetite, ache, craving, gluttony, greed, longing, lust, mania, mouth-watering, ravenous, voracious, want, yearning, thirst

Hungry:

avid, carnivorous, covetous, craving, eager, greedy, hungered, rapacious, ravenous, starved, unsatisfied, voracious, avaricious, desirous, famished, grasping, insatiable, keen, longing, predatory, ravening, starving, thirsty, wanting

Intense:

forceful, severe, passionate, acute, agonizing, ardent, anxious, biting, bitter, burning, close, consuming, cutting, deep, eager, earnest, excessive, exquisite, extreme, fervent, fervid, fierce, forcible, great, harsh, impassioned, keen, marked, piercing, powerful, profound, severe, sharp, strong, vehement, violent, vivid, vigorous

Liquid:

damp, cream, creamy, dripping, ichorous, juicy, moist, luscious, melted, moist, pulpy, sappy, soaking, solvent, sopping, succulent, viscous, wet / aqueous, broth, elixir, extract, flux, juice, liquor, nectar, sap, sauce, secretion, solution, vitae, awash, moisture, boggy, dewy, drenched, drip, drop, droplet, drowning, flood, flooded, flowing, fountain, jewel, leaky, milky, overflowing, saturated, slick, slippery, soaked, sodden, soggy, stream, swamp, tear, teardrop, torrent, waterlogged, watery, weeping

Lithe:

agile, lean, pliant, slight, spare, sinewy, slender, supple, deft, fit, flexible, lanky, leggy, limber, lissom, lissome, nimble, sinuous, skinny, sleek, slender, slim, svelte, trim, thin, willowy, wiry

Moan:

beef, cry, gripe, grouse, grumble, lament, lamentation, plaint, sob, wail, whine, bemoan, bewail, carp, deplore, grieve, gripe, grouse, grumble, keen, lament, sigh, sob, wail, whine, mewl

Moving:

(exciting,) affecting, effective  arousing, awakening, breathless, dynamic, eloquent, emotional, emotive, expressive, fecund, far-out, felt in gut, grabbed by, gripping, heartbreaking, heartrending, impelling, impressive, inspirational, meaningful, mind-bending, mind-blowing, motivating, persuasive, poignant, propelling, provoking, quickening, rallying, rousing, significant, stimulating, simulative, stirring, stunning, touching, awe-inspiring, energizing, exhilarating, fascinating, heart pounding, heart stopping, inspiring, riveting, thrilling

Need:

compulsion, demand, desperate, devoir, extremity, impatient longing, must, urge, urgency / desire, appetite, avid, burn, craving, eagerness, fascination, greed, hunger, insatiable, longing, lust, taste, thirst, voracious, want, yearning, ache, addiction, aspiration, desire, fever, fixation, hankering, hope, impulse, inclination, infatuation, itch, obsession, passion, pining, wish, yen

Pain: 

ache, afflict, affliction, agony, agonize, anguish, bite, burn, chafe, distress, fever, grief, hurt, inflame, laceration, misery, pang, punish, sting, suffering, tenderness, throb, throe, torment, torture, smart

Painful:

aching, agonizing, arduous, awful, biting, burning, caustic, dire, distressing, dreadful, excruciating, extreme, grievous, inflamed, piercing, raw, sensitive, severe, sharp, tender, terrible, throbbing, tormenting, angry, bleeding, bloody, bruised, cutting, hurting, injured, irritated, prickly, skinned, smarting, sore, stinging, unbearable, uncomfortable, upsetting, wounded

Perverted: 

aberrant, abnormal, corrupt, debased, debauched, defiling, depraved, deviant, monstrous, tainted, twisted, vicious, warped, wicked, abhorrent, base, decadent, degenerate, degrading, dirty, disgusting, dissipated, dissolute, distasteful, hedonistic, immodest, immoral, indecent, indulgent, licentious, nasty, profligate, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, shameful, shameless, sickening, sinful, smutty, sordid, unscrupulous, vile 

Pleasurable:

charming, gratifying, luscious, satisfying, savory, agreeable, delicious, delightful, enjoyable, nice, pleasant, pleasing, soothing, succulent

Pleasure:

bliss, delight, gluttony, gratification, relish, satisfaction, thrill, adventure, amusement, buzz, contentment, delight, desire, ecstasy, enjoyment, excitement, fun, happiness, harmony, heaven, joy, kick, liking, paradise, seventh heaven 

Rapacious:

avaricious, ferocious, furious, greedy, predatory, ravening, ravenous, savage, voracious, aggressive, gluttonous, grasping, insatiable, marauding, plundering

Rapture:

bliss, ecstasy, elation, exaltation, glory, gratification, passion, pleasure, floating, unbridled joy

Rigid:

adamant, austere, definite, determined, exact, firm, hard, rigorous, solid, stern, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, concrete, fixed, harsh, immovable, inflexible, obstinate, resolute, resolved, severe, steadfast, steady, stiff, strong, strict, stubborn, taut, tense, tight, tough, unbending, unchangeable, unwavering

Sudden:

abrupt, accelerated, acute, fast, flashing, fleeting, hasty, headlong, hurried, immediate, impetuous, impulsive, quick, quickening, rapid, rash, rushing, swift, brash, brisk, brusque, instant, instantaneous, out of the blue, reckless, rushed, sharp, spontaneous, urgent, without warning

Thrust:

(forward) advance, drive, forge, impetus, impulsion, lunge, momentum, onslaught, poke, pressure, prod, propulsion, punch, push, shove, power, proceed, progress, propel

(push hard) assail, assault, attack, bear down, buck, drive, force, heave, impale, impel, jab, lunge, plunge, press, pound, prod, ram, shove, stab, transfix, urge, bang, burrow, cram, gouge, jam, pierce, punch, slam, spear, spike, stick

Thunder-struck:

amazed, astonished, aghast, astounded, awestruck, confounded, dazed, dazed, dismayed, overwhelmed, shocked, staggered, startled, stunned, gob-smacked, bewildered, dumbfounded, flabbergasted, horrified, incredulous, surprised, taken aback 

Torment:

agony, anguish, hurt, misery, pain, punishment, suffering, afflict, angst, conflict, distress, grief, heartache, misfortune, nightmare, persecute, plague, sorrow, strife, tease, test, trial, tribulation, torture, turmoil, vex, woe

Touch:

(physical) - blow, brush, caress, collide, come together, contact, converge, crash, cuddle, embrace, feel, feel up, finger, fondle, frisk, glance, glide, graze, grope, handle, hit, hug, impact, join, junction, kiss, lick, line, manipulate, march, massage, meet, nudge, palm, partake, pat, paw, peck, pet, pinch, probe, push, reach, rub, scratch, skim, slide, smooth, strike, stroke, suck, sweep, tag, tap, taste, thumb, tickle, tip, touching, toy, bite, bump, burrow, buss, bury, circle, claw, clean, clutch, cover, creep, crush, cup, curl, delve, dig, drag, draw, ease, edge, fiddle with, flick, flit, fumble, grind, grip, grub, hold, huddle, knead, lap, lave, lay a hand on, maneuver, manhandle, mash, mold, muzzle, neck, nestle, nibble, nip, nuzzle, outline, play, polish, press, pull, rasp, ravish, ream, rim, run, scoop, scrabble, scrape, scrub, shave, shift, shunt, skate, slip, slither, smack, snake, snuggle, soothe, spank, splay, spread, squeeze, stretch, swipe, tangle, tease, thump, tongue, trace, trail, tunnel twiddle, twirl, twist, tug, work, wrap 

(mental) - communicate, examine, inspect, perception, scrutinize

Wet:

bathe, bleed, burst, cascade, course, cover, cream, damp, dampen, deluge, dip, douse, drench, dribble, drip, drizzle, drool, drop, drown, dunk, erupt, flood, flow, gush, immerse, issue, jet, leach, leak, moisten, ooze, overflow, permeate, plunge, pour, rain, rinse, run, salivate, saturate, secrete, seep, shower, shoot, slaver, slobber, slop, slosh, sluice, spill, soak, souse, spew, spit, splash, splatter, spout, spray, sprinkle, spurt, squirt, steep, stream, submerge, surge, swab, swamp, swill, swim, trickle, wash, water

Wicked:

abominable, amoral, atrocious, awful, base, barbarous, dangerous, debased, depraved, distressing, dreadful, evil, fearful, fiendish, fierce, foul, heartless, hazardous, heinous, immoral, indecent, intense, mean, nasty, naughty, nefarious, offensive, profane, scandalous, severe, shameful, shameless, sinful, terrible, unholy, vicious, vile, villainous, wayward, bad, criminal, cruel, deplorable, despicable, devious, ill-intentioned, impious, impish, iniquitous, irreverent, loathsome, Machiavellian, mad, malevolent, malicious, merciless, mischievous, monstrous, perverse, ruthless, spiteful, uncaring, unkind, unscrupulous, vindictive, virulent, wretched

Writhe: 

agonize, bend, jerk, recoil, lurch, plunge, slither, squirm, struggle, suffer, thrash, thresh, twist, wiggle, wriggle, angle, arc, bow, buck, coil, contort, convulse, curl, curve, fidget, fight, flex, go into spasm, grind, heave, jiggle, jolt, kick, rear, reel, ripple, resist, roll, lash, lash out, screw up, shake, shift, slide, spasm, stir, strain, stretch, surge, swell, swivel, thrust, turn violently, tussle, twitch, undulate, warp, worm, wrench, wrestle, yank 

[abookishdreamer]

Nari Darbandi x INPRNT.

The illusory work of artist Nari Darbandi is all available as fine art prints in his INPRNT Shop.

Be sure to follow INPRNT on Tumblr, too!

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Eusebeia (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Mrs. Goody Two-Shoes by Dione

Bea by her friends

Age- 33 (immortal)

Location- Queenstown neighborhood, New Olympus

Personality- Eusebeia is a very conservative pious woman who stands true in her values & beliefs. There's nothing more important to her like the reverence, respect, and prayers to the deities of the pantheon. She's single.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. As the goddess of piety, loyalty, duty, & filial respect her other powers/abilities include being able to manipulate Celestial Bronze, being able to communicate with dogs, chastity inducement, limited photokinesis, cleanliness inducement, as well as being able to sense/manipulate the feeling of loyalty in a being. 

Eusebeia is fluent in Old Greek, Latin, & Minoan. 

Her marital status is… interesting to say the least. She’s a recent newlywed after marrying Nomos (god of laws), but their union is anything but a proper “love match.”

She and her husband have recently moved into a classic yet sophisticated townhouse in the Nympheuomenê Park section of the Queenstown district of New Olympus, between Autorôtê Street & Zugia Avenue. The townhouse was an official wedding gift, purchased by the one who organized their union- the Queen of Olympius, Hera (goddess of women & marriage). 

The six-level townhouse stands as a rare offering of scale, sophistication, and architectural pedigree. It has six bedrooms, five bathrooms, in addition to four half-baths. Other highlights of the property include grand proportioned rooms & elevator, four wood burning fireplaces, three outdoor spaces including a south facing garden, excavated cellar, as well as radiant heated floors throughout. Inside, there's an abundance of silk curtains with the walls painted in cool neutral shades of beige, cream, eggshell, and powder blue. The interior design is very minimalist & contemporary with many marble, ivory, and stone temple statuettes serving as decorations along with cotton & linen furniture. There’s also glass and marble furniture pieces. The kitchen is complete with a white marble island and stainless steel appliances. Eusebeia & Nomos don’t share a bedroom. She sleeps in the main bedroom while he stays in his self-designated “man cave.”

She has recently adopted three golden retriever pups from the Paw Haven animal shelter- all boys. Eusebeia named them Blanco, Leo, & Logan. They’ve been a great deal of comfort for her when she comes home. Eusebeia feels the love every time they run over to greet her, their tails wagging happily. 

Eusebeia doesn’t drink alcohol, preferring shirley temples or soda water (with lime) at social events. Other go-to drinks for her include coconut water, mango juice, sparkling water, ginger ale, and mint tea. Usuals from The Roasted Bean include a small iced green tea in addition to a flat white. 

She primarily gets around in her posh stylish white convertible. She travels by plane or train when traveling great distances.

Eusebeia doesn’t consume media (music, TV, art, etc..) that has suggestive themes or coarse language. When it comes to music, she’s a fan of classical & inspirational music, like the band Ascension, known for their uplifting and faith-based songs. She also enjoys the oread vocalist Alma. Secretly on Musify, Eusebeia is known to listen to the songs of M9 (the girl pop band known as The Muses), the pop singer Summerstar, and even Apollo (god of the sun, music, poetry, healing, medicine, archery, plague, light, & knowledge). At times she finds herself absentmindedly humming one of his popular songs, “Chasin’ Lights.”

A typical start to her day starts with a steaming hot shower followed by a walk with her dogs through Gamêlia Park. The mornings are probably the only time where she’s mostly consumed by the thoughts of her current predicament. If she’s able to, Eusebeia will schedule an acupuncture appointment at the Golden Lily Spa before going into work. 

Eusebeia is no fool. Despite her general idealistic worldview, she knows her marriage started from an arrangement made by the queen. It came about some time before Hera filed for divorce from the king- Zeus (god of the sky, thunder, & lightning). Eusebeia was called to a “special” council meeting. She was first confused, as barely any minor deity was called into a meeting. Her feet felt heavy as the doors to the council room were opened by the palace’s guards. Stepping into the gold paved room, she noticed Hera sitting across from a man, whose back was faced against the door. The queen noticed Eusebeia and smiled her famous regal smile. “Ah, Eusebeia, I’m so glad for you to join us. Please sit.” 

Eusebeia sat a few chairs down from the man, who she was now able to get a better look at. She instantly recognized him. It was Nomos! She knew of him, as he was one of the justices on the Grand Olympian Court, one of the few minor deities to achieve total greatness. “My Queen, what’s this all about? I wasn’t briefed for this meeting,” Eusebeia said as she began pulling out folders from her bag. “My apologies, geia sou, ti káneis?,” she acknowledged Nomos. “Eímai kalá, efcharistó,” he replied with a polite nod of his head. “Eusebeia, there’s no need for the folders. I wanted the two of you to meet. I also want the three of us to come up with a suitable arrangement that will be satisfactory for everyone,” Hera explained. Eusebeia furrowed her brows. “I don’t understand.” “You know as well as I do that the marriage rates in the realm have plummeted significantly these past years,” the queen started to explain, shaking her head in disappointment. Eusebeia nodded in agreement. “Just dreadful.” Hera continued. “After marriage, we all know that fertility rates are next to plummet. In light of certain… indiscretions made by some in the pantheon, I figure it's time to give the people of this realm a couple to root for. A love story for the ages. One that inspires the sanctity of marriage once again.” “Ok, shall I develop more chapels being built in the city or?,” Eusebeia started to say, feeling her throat go dry as Hera shifted between looking at her & Nomos, a knowing smile spreading across her lips. “Who better to inspire the country than you two? I can’t think of a better coupling!” Eusebeia cleared her throat, blinking. “F-f-forgive me My Queen-,” Nomos raised his hand. “I don’t mean to interrupt you, but the queen is right. I’m an outstanding God. You’re an outstanding Goddess. She told me what your non-profit has done and I play my part in upholding the laws of this great realm. It’d be nice to inspire the people some more,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Y-you want to get married? To me?,” Eusebeia asked in disbelief, her eyebrows raised into her hairline. Nomos smiled politely, chuckling a little. “I’m an old man. It’s time I’ve settled down and in truth, I’m relieved if it would be you.” She sat back in her chair, her heart rattling against her ribcage. Sure, Eusebeia has always thought of marriage since officially becoming a goddess, but she figured that it would happen organically, that she’s instinctively know in her bones when she came across “the one,” just like in the inspirational romances she read, but it never happened. At first she just chalked it up with her being too busy with her responsibilities, but deep down Eusebeia couldn’t help but feel like it was because of her. She didn’t showcase her feminine beauty compared to secular Goddesses like Dione, Philotes (goddess of intimacy, friendship, & affection), or Kéfi (goddess of mirth). Perhaps she was too much of a wallflower to attract male attention, a decent one anyway. As Eusebeia pondered on the decision before her, she took the time to look over Nomos. He was sharply dressed in a button down, loafers, dark khaki pants, & a tie. His glasses were spotless and his beard and moustache were neatly trimmed. She could tell he had a recent haircut while his dark brown skin smelled of shea butter. Eusebeia, outwardly at least, could see how someone could find him appealing physically. 

At the end of the meeting, a plan was made, with Eusebeia agreeing to the marriage arrangement. Before she left, Hera asked her to stay behind. The Queen placed her hand on Eusebeia’s shoulder. “I know that we’ve come a long way from arranged marriages, but I truly believe that this union will be the beginning of something right. Being alone in the pantheon isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be…,” Hera trailed off, her eyes suddenly looking forlorn. Eusebeia couldn’t help but wonder if she was talking about herself and the king. “It’d also be a pleasant change from the last union I tried brokering. That ended in total disaster,” she added. Eusebeia knew exactly who the queen was referring to. The union of Harpocrates (god of silence & discretion) and Hybris (goddess of insolence, hubris, & reckless pride) ended with divorce. She didn’t want to let the queen down. “I won’t disappoint you. I swear it,” Eusebeia whispered. 

She & Nomos had carefully planned public appearances together, which would be photographed. Eusebeia attended the opening of his law firm in the Little Athens neighborhood as well as the unveiling of the library named in his honor at the New Olympus School of Law. They were photographed getting frozen yogurt at The Frozen Spoon, riding their bikes through Eaglepoint Park, and sharing cappuccinos at a Roasted Bean coffee shop. They also volunteered their time at the Hearthwood Community Center, planting laurel & chaste trees in the community garden. Eusebeia also spent time with Nomos indoors (mainly at the palace) where they played vigorous rounds of chess. They got to know each other on a surface level, mainly talking about their careers. Throughout the time before the wedding, Eusebeia came to appreciate the gentleman Nomos was. He opened doors for her and always bid her with a light kiss on the hand when he walked her home. At a charity basketball game at a community center downtown, she couldn’t help but notice Nomos’ defined arms and legs in the jersey & shorts he was wearing. The sweat on his skin made him look like he was shimmering underneath the lights on the courts. Eusebeia was sure she made herself look like a fool, cheering every time Nomos made a shot, but he didn’t seem to mind, smiling. 

The day of the wedding was soon upon them, taking place at New Olympus City Hall. Eusebeia was a nervous wreck, but was an absolute vision in her Luxuria wedding gown- an ivory strapless stretch lace crepe dress with a sweetheart neckline. She wore heels taller than two inches for the first & only time that day, a pair of white satin peep toe pumps. Her golden brown hair was styled in an elegant chignon, a floral headband on top. Nomos took her breath away when she saw him, wearing a cream suit, silver white tie with a white lily boutonniere. He blew out a breath when he saw her. “Wow, you look beautiful,” he whispered. Eusebeia smiled, even though she felt like jumping out of her skin. “So do you.” “Shall we?,” he asked, holding out his hand. She nodded, grabbing a bit too tightly as they walked through the open doors of one of the courtrooms. Eusebeia’s best friend Pistis (goddess of trust, reliability, & good faith) was her witness while Hera was also in attendance. Naeus (god of weddings) officiated the ceremony. As they placed the white gold wedding bands on each other’s fingers, Eusebeia felt everything mounting in her chest. The Queen, the people, the actuality of having a husband. “And you may now kiss the bride,” Naeus announced, pulling Eusebeia from her thoughts. Nomos gently lifted the veil covering her face. With a small smile, he cradled Eusebeia’s face with his hands, softly pressing his lips against hers. Hera erupted in applause, her eyes wet with tears as everyone else followed. 

The reception was a small and intimate affair, taking place at the palace. Her now husband’s fellow employees, the other justices were in attendance- Aletheia (goddess of truth), Soter (god of safety), Themis (Titaness of justice), Praxidike (goddess of judicial punishment), Athena (goddess of wisdom), Dike (goddess of justice), as well as the king. Eusebeia & Nomos danced to “Waltz of the Flowers,” and fed each other pieces of their wedding cake- a four tiered lemon filled coconut cake. 

The King and Queen paid for their honeymoon, which was at Argos. Eusebeia and Nomos had the privilege & luxury of staying at the queen’s vacation home. What she was feeling staring at herself in the mirror of the bathroom was nothing compared to what she felt earlier in the day. The unavoidable wedding night. The special night where Eusebeia would finally give her virginity to her lawfully wedded husband. She smoothed out her white peasant bloused lacy nightgown, which was too sheer for her personal taste. Eusebeia unpinned her hair, letting it fall down her back. She steadied herself against the sink for a few minutes before leaving the bathroom. The windows of the bedroom were open, breezes from the sea blowing in. The light was turned off, with the only illumination being from the lit vanilla scented candles Nomos had placed in the room. He turned around, noticing Eusebeia walk in. She instinctively looked away, feeling her face flush hot from noticing his defined naked chest. He had the common courtesy of still wearing silk boxers. “Wow,” he whispered, looking her up and down. Eusebeia felt a weird sensation in the pit of her stomach and between her legs. She walked up to Nomos, who held out his hand. He grabbed it, leading her to the bed. Eusebeia laid on her back as Nomos climbed on top of her, pulling a blanket over them. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they started to kiss. This wasn’t like the kiss at the wedding. This one was more urgent, desperate. Weird sounds escaped from Nomos’ throat as his full lips enveloped Eusebeia’s. His tongue entered her mouth while a weird sound finally released from her throat. One of Nomos’ hands was now on Eusebeia’s breasts and she audibly gasped, as her nipple hardened from the touch.  He briefly pulled away and they were now staring at each other. “Are you ready?,” he asked. Eusebeia nodded her head. With an expert ease, he pulled off his boxer shorts with his other free hand. Even in near total darkness, she caught a glimpse of his erect member which was illuminated by the glow of the candles. How would something that big fit inside of her? As they resumed kissing, she felt her legs quiver as Nomos attempted to spread them with his arm. “Just relax. I promise I won’t hurt you,” he whispered in her ear. “O-o-ok,” she managed to choke out, her voice unsteady. Eusebeia felt Nomos’ warm hand in between her legs on her naked flesh as she felt his fingers moving dangerously lower & lower. “W-wait,” she whispered, feeling as though her heart might burst right out of her chest. “You want me to pleasure you with my mouth first?,” Nomos spoke against her lips. “What?,” Eusebeia asked, blinking. “I don’t mind,” he replied with a smile as he started lowering his head, till it disappeared underneath the blanket. She didn’t have time to respond as she felt his lips and tongue against her naked flesh. This was wrong. This wasn’t the proper way married couples performed intercourse. But why did it feel like the greatest thing ever to Eusebeia? Her back arched higher and higher as Nomos did unfavorable things with his tongue. Eusebeia’s moans sounded like pleading cries as her eyes rolled in the back of her head. She actually thought she might die until she felt Nomos’ finger trying to pry at her heated entrance. Eusebeia’s entire body froze as she screamed, “STOP!”

Nomos rose from the blanket, a look of worry and confusion on his face. “Have I done something wrong?,” he asked. Eusebeia rose from the bed, straightening her nightgown. “I just don’t want to do this. I’m sorry,” she replied, shaking her head as she walked onto the terrace. 

The next morning over breakfast, Nomos tried bringing up last night, but she didn’t want to hear it. “I really don’t want to talk about that,” Eusebeia stated firmly, her attention on her plate of eggs, biscuits, & bacon. The rest of their honeymoon was spent with Nomos going on frequent jogs on the beach while Eusebeia visited the peacocks & cows on the queen’s farm. 

The journey back to New Olympus was in total silence. Many things were at war within Eusebeia. She wanted to consummate the marriage, but she also felt guilty for experiencing unfathomable acts that weren’t proper, even in the confines of marriage. Aside from respectable pleasantries and greetings, Eusebeia & Nomos don’t really talk to each other since they’ve arrived home. They’ve both been keeping busy, a welcome excuse to stay as far away from home as possible.

The only silver lining since the marriage has been her friendship with Pistis. Eusebeia appreciates that she didn’t pester her like a gossip, wanting to know the “dirty details” of the honeymoon. Eusebeia blurted out that they haven’t been intimate while playing a game of chess with Pistis at her place. Her best friend gave her a comforting smile. “It’s not surprising, given the… unconventionality of your coupling,” Pistis had responded. “At home, it’s like we're total strangers. Unwilling roommates even,” Eusebeia whispered. “One of the good things about being immortal? There’s more than enough time to figure things out. All you guys need is time, and if he truly loves and respects you, he’ll understand that,” Pistis offered. 

Eusebeia dresses in a conservative fashion style (neutral colors, clothing not too tight, short, or low-cut). She's a fan of minimalist jewelry and soft & subtle make-up. She doesn't like high heels for many reasons, the main one being its impracticality. She won't go higher than kitten heels & she's also fond of stylish flats.

For her long golden brown hair, she loves using the Glory’s Crown biotin repair smoothing shampoo & conditioner along with the ambrosia honey hair gloss. 

Breakfast is her favorite meal of the day. Many of the dishes she makes include scrambled eggs (added with scallions, tomatoes, and onions), rizogalo (topped with extra cinnamon & lemon zest), in addition to a homemade plantain hash (added with spicy sausages), her original recipe.

She keeps her nails short, neat, and manicured. Eusebeia is not opposed to wearing polish, but only in soft colors. She is a fan of Olmorfia's nail polish with her favorite shades being "glacier rose" (a light shimmery iridescent pink), "whipped cashmere" (a soft baby pink), "infinite sun-ner" (a caramel brown), and "mined over matter" (an earthy creamy mauve).

When it comes to adornments, Eusebeia is fond of jeweled hair clips! A birthday gift from Pistis was a gorgeous jeweled hair clip from Diamond Ave., costing 2,000 drachmas!

She loves snacking on lightly salted plantain chips. 

In the pantheon, Eusebeia is known for her sweet pastelitos de coco. She once made some for Nomos as a peace offering a few weeks after returning home. “Um, you can also give some to your co-workers if you want,” she had said, smiling awkwardly. “Thanks,” Nomos had replied, giving a polite bow of his head as he grabbed the tupperware (which contained the treats) off the table. With a stiff wave of his hand, he was out the door. 

She likes the medianoche sandwich (lightly toasted) from The Bread Box.

Eusebeia goes to church every Sunday, attending the Eleutherus Cathedral. She also likes participating in church functions, which are hosted by her friends The Litae, like the canned food & clothing drives. 

The flan from Salon du Sucre along with the angel’s food cake from Hollyhock’s Bakery are her favorite desserts!

Her main job/responsibility is overseeing the construction of all the temples built in the honor of the deities in the pantheon. She also oversees the construction of the country's churches. A notable achievement for Eusebeia was coming up with the layout for Hera's temple that was to be built in Samos. The design included slimmer white columns garlanded with pomegranates & flowers with the walls being carved with images of one of her divine symbols- the peacock.

Her personal business endeavors include her non-profit organization The Pietas Foundation. She’s also currently developing a television network focused on faith based, conservative, & family oriented content.

In the pantheon Eusebeia is also friends with Aeschyne (goddess of modesty & honor), Hestia (goddess of the hearth), Eváeros (goddess of air & the zodiacs), Apheleia (goddess of simplicity), Eunostos (goddess of the flour mill), Promylaia, Eudaimonia (goddess of happiness), Elpis (goddess of hope), Soteria (goddess of safety), Penia (goddess of poverty), Peitharchia (goddess of obedience & discipline), Eikono (goddess of iconography & literature), and Ptocheia (goddess of beggary). 

She has broadened her formerly rigid views on sexuality, considering one of her good friends is a lesbian, but Eusebeia is still in the firm belief that sexual intercourse should only happen within the confines of a monogamous marriage. Eusebeia is also a firm believer in traditional gender roles & norms. She’s always open to having discussions with beings that disagree with her. The comment section on her Fatestagram profile is often heated with discourse!

A medium sized cup of frozen vanilla custard from The Frozen Spoon is her all time favorite frozen treat. 

There are deities in the pantheon that Eusebeia publicly disagrees with, but won’t disrespect. Aside from Philotes, she isn’t all that fond of Philotes’ husband Priapus (god of fertility, vegetable gardens, livestock, sexuality, & masculinity), Dyssebeia (goddess of ungodliness & impiety), Apate (goddess of fraud & deception), and Kakia (goddess of vice & moral wrongdoing), among others.

Aside from Aletheia, Eusebeia has grown to become friends with the other justices that work alongside Nomos, Praxidike & Themis in particular.

For other means of income, she’s also a freelance writer for the magazines Vital Essence- which is owned by Hygieia (goddess of hygiene & cleanliness) and Hearthside. 

Her favorite skincare product is the Sunshine Radiance vitamin c brightening peel. 

Late one night, Eusebeia finally gathered up the courage to try to talk to Nomos after spending hours awake in bed. The silence between them had become too much for her and she just wanted things to become friendly again, even if she was too scared to initiate intimate contact. She missed playing chess with him, even if she couldn’t admit that she also missed the way he kissed her on their wedding night. Walking into the hallway, Eusebeia could hear what sounded like crying coming from Nomos’ “man cave.” Perhaps the silence had gotten too much for him too. The door was slightly ajar and she poked her head in. Nomos’ gaze was affixed to his smartphone’s screen, which was displaying something so vulgar and crass, Eusebeia couldn’t even acknowledge what it was. He was breathing heavily while moaning, stroking his erect member with ferocity. The hinges of the door made a squeak and he looked up, noticing Eusebeia standing in the doorway with her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. She ran from the room, slamming the door to her bedroom shut and locking it behind her before he had a chance to even explain. Eusebeia stayed over Pistis’ place for a week after that incident. Since then, things have been even more silent between them. 

In her free time she enjoys gardening, jogging, going to museums, pottery, knitting, sewing, tennis, embroidery, swimming, yoga, cooking, and reading.

Eusebeia’s favorite meals include Pistis’ tostones with salsa verde as well as lechon asado with white rice. 

"Each step following a vice ultimately leads to damnation."

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Chiron (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Trainer of Heroes, Chiron the Just, The Golden Centaur by the people of Olympius

Mr. Wise by his brother

Pop by his children

Babe by his wife

Age- 49 (immortal)

Location- Thessaly, Olympius

Personality- While possessing great wisdom, Chiron isn’t arrogant or prideful, remaining humble & grounded. His life (aside from his family) is driven by a sense of purpose and selfless service. He’s a compassionate & insightful individual- a natural teacher eager to share his knowledge with others. He's recently remarried.

He's a centaur. His lower half is that of a white stallion.

Chiron is an “honorary” member of the Olympian Pantheon. Despite not being an official deity, he was granted the gift of immortality by the King and Queen of Olympius- Zeus (god of the sky, thunder, & lightning) and Hera (goddess of women & marriage). 

He’s fluent in all the languages spoken throughout the three realms- with personal preferences being Old Greek & Latin.

Though Chiron doesn’t have any special powers or abilities like his Olympian counterparts, he’s an acclaimed archer, his skill set on par with Apollo (god of the sun, music, poetry, healing, medicine, archery, plague, light, & knowledge) and Artemis (goddess of the hunt & moon).

Notable physical features include his flawless russet colored skin & his long black hair (which has some gray at the temples).

Chiron is remarried, his wife being Paean (goddess of physicians).

He has four children from his previous marriage to an oread named Chariclo- a son Carystas (called Cary for short) as well as daughters Melanippe (called Melanie for short), Endeïs, and Ocyrhoe. 

Another member of Chiron’s immediate family includes his younger brother Dolops. 

He, his wife, and two youngest daughters reside at their picturesque woodland estate in the state of Thessaly, the epic Mt. Pelion literally being in their backyard! Chiron and Paean also have the privilege of having an apartment suite in the royal palace atop Mt. Olympus.

Chiron and his family have adopted a few rescue dogs- vizslas, siberian huskies, rhodesian ridgebacks, & bernese mountain dogs. Their names are River, Sage, Newton, Conrad, Minerva, Phoebus, Bonnie, Dax, Benji, Dexter, Finnick, Mary Jane, Shannon, and Ace.

The interior design of the cabin house is of rustic beauty and simplicity. The flooring is a dark oak while the walls and ceilings are a smooth stone. The walls are decorated with various animal pelts, a combination of outdoor photography & landscape paintings as well as taxidermied animal mounts. There’s a MASSIVE room in the cabin house, known as the grand library- which is filled with many floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with various books and tomes, a select few dating back to before the Titanomachy. Chiron’s Imperial Gold bow & arrow (a gift from Apollo) is proudly displayed on the main wall in the living room. A locked dark mahogany chest contains his collection of hunting rifles. Also in the living room is a stone lined fireplace. There’s leather furniture along with wood and wicker furniture pieces. There’s an open floor plan with how the kitchen is designed, which directly leads into the dining room. The entertainment room contains a mounted iCHOR Tech flat screen television as well as a billiards table. Outside on the patio, there’s a large hot tub, perfect for entertaining guests. The backyard also contains a large fire pit and a garden- where Chiron grows his own herbs along with organic produce. 

Chiron has a canoe in his garage that he likes taking out every so often, riding the rapids of the river. 

His family also has a security detail provided by the king.

Chiron enjoys listening to classical, traditional Greek, folk, jazz, and alternative rock music. He’s a big fan of the folk rock band Chapters of Lore, the lead singer being his longtime friend Pan (god of the wild, satyrs, shepherds, & rustic music). He’s also been a recent fan of the conscious rap artist Veritas, a harpy. 

Though not blessed with musical aptitude, he can play the flute, lyre, & piano.

A go-to drink for him is a cup of dark roast coffee which he makes every morning. Chiron likes to add a bit of brown sugar and almond milk creamer to it. He also likes coconut water, aloe vera juice, green tea, orange juice, earl grey tea, pomegranate juice, coconut milk, mineral water, almond milk, and his wife’s homemade protein shakes. When it comes to drinking alcohol, Chiron is more of a social drinker, preferring a scotch on the rocks or a glass of red wine.

Chiron starts out his mornings with a session of meditation in the yoga room before taking a walk on his property, just before dawn. 

He’s a recreational pot smoker. Chiron doesn’t do hard drugs or smoke, though he’s known to chew tobacco.

Chiron is the only non-deity to have a star on the Pantheon Walk of Fame. Many centaurs came to the official ceremony. 

Not much is known about his origins, but Chiron’s intelligence and way with words were noticed from the start. His younger brother Dolops was known as “The Brawn” in their community while Chiron was known as “The Brain.” By the time the Titanomachy had sparked to life, Chiron was a young adult, working as a teaching assistant in a school in Thessaly. 

At that time, he also became aware of how he was perceived, not just by his own, but by other beings. Chiron hasted the stereotypes affixed to centaurs, woodland centaurs specifically- wild & untamed. Nothing more than brutish savages. Nothing like their more refined and cultured counterparts, the mountainous centaurs. Chiron’s brother Dolops didn’t help with his fiery temper in addition to being kicked out of the army due to talking back to his corporal as well as getting in a physical altercation with two other fellow soldiers in his battalion. 

For this reason, Chiron stayed away from consuming alcohol. He didn’t want to give any being a reason to distrust or be frightened of him. Chiron developed a “masking” technique of sorts, speaking in a slow, deliberate unaccented way with other beings. At home, in his community, he was able to be more of himself, relaxed. Chiron, Dolops, along with other centaurs would spend their free time swimming in the creek, racing each other in the meadows, and wrestling each other- exhibiting playful masculinity. He’d also look forward to the hunting excursions (often in groups) as well as the beadwork & quillwork. 

Chiron also had a deep appreciation for the storytelling in his community, a great orator being the oldest rumored woodland centaur named Aurelion Duskfire. The grand tales of how centaurs first came into the realm, born from flames, left him in awe every single time. 

By the time the Titanomachy had begun wearing its ugly head, it wasn’t safe for students to go to school. Many of the children's family members ended up being imprisoned or executed. There were constant patrols by Titan servicemen- many of them taking advantage of their position. There were a significant portion of centauresses who ended up pregnant (be it consensually or otherwise) and ended up giving birth to “mutts” or half-breeds, the offspring bearing the brunt of the abuse of “pure blood” woodland centaurs. Some of the centauresses ended up marrying their children's father while most of them ended up being single parents. 

One night, Chiron awoke to the sound of screams and the smell of flames. He went outside, not making it even a mile before he noticed an eerie dark orange glow in the distance. It was the school he worked at. When dawn rose, there was an official announcement made on behalf of the Titan King, Kronos (Titan god of the harvest, time, & fate), stating that sanctioned education of the youth was to be suspended until further notice. The nearby library was also burnt down & destroyed, reduced to ash. 

There was an idealistic naive optimism to Chiron that was shattered when the school and library was destroyed. He knew the truth. The Mad Titan wanted everyone to remain ignorant & simple minded. If they didn’t know the truth, they could remain controlled. Kept under the lie that this war was for the betterment of the realm. That eventually, everything would turn out right once again. The majority of the woodland centaur population was kept out of most of the horrors of the Titanomachy, but eventually, it caught up to them. 

First was the draft, young centaur men being forced to fight for a ruler who was only marked by his own self-interest. A drought soon pillaged all the fertile lands of Titanius- with the cries of children with swollen empty bellies becoming a common sight. Chiron and his community were forced to resort to eating roasted twigs and bark from trees. 

Then came the sickness. A massive sweep of illnesses and diseases that became known as The Black Death. Greenfever affected the centaur population- no matter if one was woodland or mountainous. A being with Greenfever would burn from within for several days, with their throats & mouths feeling like a sandfilled desert, no matter how much water was consumed. A pale sickly green coloring of the sclera would appear before death. The smell of fragrant smoke and wood being burned during outdoor ceremonies were now replaced with the smell of burning flesh as the communities burned their dead upon their passing, as it was a tradition, on a wooden pyre built from twigs & branches of a tree. Chiron had to watch his brother ruined, crying over the flame-lit pyre that contained his true love, a centauress named Rhiannon. 

He foolishly thought that the woodland centaur race escaped the “racial cleansing” of the Mad Titan, who ordered the imprisonment of the harpies to internment camps, but their due came up. Many woodland centaur tribes (including Chiron’s) were forced from their homes, a lot of them being able to trace their ancestry right to the very spot they’ve grown up in. The history books referred to this as the Passage of Woe, the forced displacement of nearly 100,000 woodland centaurs of various tribes & communities westward to a tiny piece of land in the Thessilian countryside. An estimated ten thousand woodland centaurs died during the arduous march west due to disease, starvation, and exposure. Not even the “immortal” Aurelion Duskfire survived the passage. Chiron took the mantle of handling Aurelion’s funeral, burying him near a tall laurel tree when his community reached their new home. That same night, he met a centauress Saa’naa who was grieving the loss of her younger siblings that also died during the Passage of Woe. She carried their dead bodies, the smell of decay clinging to her skin before wrapping her siblings in cloth, letting their bodies be carried by the currents of a river. They ended up collapsing emotionally as well as intimately with one another. 

In his new home, Chiron made the best of a horrible situation. With the remaining small children (of which there were few), he told stories to them at night from memory, many of them being legends previously told by Aurelion. He also taught them how to read along with older illiterate woodland centaurs. Chiron also helped with them practicing their writing. To make up for the lack of parchment and quill, he improvised with stone slabs and tipped arrows. No matter how small in the grand picture, for Chiron, this was his act of resistance in the Titanomachy. 

Dolops ended up joining a small resistance group of woodland centaur fighters which later traveled to catch up with the Olympian Army, which was being led by a being known as “The Silver Usurper.” Chiron stayed behind, looking after what remained of his tribe. 

The Titanomachy ended when Mt. Othrys fell and the realm (which was now renamed Olympius) rejoiced. The woodland centaur tribes had an actual celebration- filled with burning totems, dancing, and singing. Mead and ale flowed as freely as the currents of the river. Chiron danced with Saa’naa, a carefree smile on his face for the first time since the Titanomachy ended. As the night winded down, they made love under the cover of a moonless sky illuminated by stars. They laid on their backs, looking up, a feeling of peace between them. “What will you do now that the war is over?,” she asked. Chiron sighed. “I don’t know. Perhaps I may go back to school to get an official degree? If anything, the Titanomachy has taught me that knowledge is the only thing that remains standing after everything is swept away like dust.” “Come with me,” Saa’naa whispered. He turned to face you. “Come with you where?” She gave him a small smile. “Don’t you see? For the first time, we are truly free. Not just the centaurs, but everyone. Free to live life. Free to partake in our own pursuits. I want something more than this tiny corner of Thessaly. Don’t you?” Chiron sucked in his bottom lip. He moved away a strand of Saa’naa’s long dark brown hair. “Won’t you miss the community? Our people?,” he whispered. “My people died long ago. I watched their tiny bodies float along the currents, or have you already forgotten,” she replied, blinking away tears. Chiron flicked away a tear from one of her eyes with the fleshy part of his thumb. “That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry. It’s just… I haven’t fulfilled my purpose. There’s so much that needs to change. Not just a new king and queen along with a new name for the realm. Things have to be better. Not for the centaurs, but for everyone,” he said. Saa’naa rose up, wrapping a shawl on her naked chest. “I can’t stay here. It’s too much,” she whispered, looking away. Chiron sighed heavily, a pang of guilt forming in his stomach. “I understand.” Saa’naa stood up to leave, her lips made into a thin line. “You can’t save everyone, Chiron,” she whispered before walking away. 

With the new reforms and laws issued by the king and queen, Chiron traveled to the newly established capital of New Olympus where he attended University, obtaining degrees in philosophy, literature, as well as medicine. He was one of the first students at the Olympios School of Medicine which was located in the state of Olympia. It was there where he met his future first wife Chariclo, who was a nursing student. He remembers being struck by her beauty- her pale skin, dark hair, and piercing almond shaped eyes.

Their paths crossed again during the Centauromachy, a yearlong battle between the woodland centaurs and Lapiths. Chiron joined up with his brother Dolops, who was now part of the Olympian Army, while he served as a medic, tending to the wounded. Chariclo was also a medic, handling a majority of the amputations. He admired the precision she exhibited when handling the surgical procedures. Chiron also appreciated the empathy she exhibited to the wounded soldiers, talking with them as an attempt to distract them while their limbs were being amputated. 

Like the Titanomachy before, so too did the Centauromachy end. There was a celebratory bonfire put together by the army (by the specific unit Chiron & Dolops) were a part of. He noticed that Chariclo was still inside the tent, so he went in to check on her. As he walked inside, he noticed that she was wrapping up the medical tools & instruments. She looked up, noticing him, and smiled. “What are you doing here?,” she asked. “I can ask the same of you,” Chiron countered. “Why put off tomorrow what you can do today? Besides, most of my time were spent with drunk, stinking soldiers. I don’t want to celebrate with drunk stinking soldiers,” Chariclo explained, smiling a little. Chiron smiled back. “Fair enough,” he replied, handing her his cup of ale. She accepted it, taking a big gulp. “Now that the war’s over, what will you do? Return home?,” he asked. Chariclo shrugged her shoulders, taking another huge sip of the ale. “Maybe. Why should my service end here with this war? I could always open up a clinic in my town. Boeotia is in desperate need of one. The elderly population should have access to quality medical care. Take Alpin for example. Sweetest man you’ll ever meet. Each time he eats, he finds his own teeth in his stew. That’s not normal,” she explained, almost breathlessly. Chiron just stood there, smiling at her. She noticed, tucking away strands of her dark hair behind her hair. “Sorry for rambling,” she whispered. “No, it’s ok,” Chiron started to say. “I’m torn between working at a hospital in Thessaly or opening up my own school.” Chariclo walked up to him, handing him the cup that was now empty. “I’m sure whatever you decide to do, you’ll be great. This country hasn’t seen all your gifts yet.” They stood quiet only the sounds of the drunk soldiers singing (with Dolops tagging in) filling the silence.  “Well, I should finish packing up the rest of it,” she finally whispered. Chariclo turned around and Chiron blurted out, “I don’t want you to go!”

She slowly turned to face him, biting on her bottom lip. “I don’t want to go either,” Chariclo whispered. She ran into Chiron’s arms, pressing her lips against his. They kissed with desperate abandon, her breasts against his firm chest. Neither of them cared that the soldiers were mere feet away. Chariclo’s hands stretched around Chiron’s back, unlocking him. His hands made their way to the buttons of her blouse, unfastening them. He kissed her back, hard. Their lips were everywhere on each other’s bodies. The initial mechanics of becoming intimate were a bit awkward to work through, but they managed to find their own pleasurable rhythm. The next morning as the soldiers were leaving, even Dolops shot them a knowing look. “Gods, even the tent smells like it,” he jokingly exclaimed. 

Chiron and Chariclo were married sometime after, making Thessaly her new home. Their son was born first, followed by Melanippe three years later. He continued his contribution to Olympius, mainly working alongside Asclepius (god of medicine) as a licensed doctor. In the later years, Chiron finally got to open his own school, Mount Pelion Academy, dedicated to skills and knowledge related to archery, medicine, and literature. The opening day was a momentous occasion for him. The king & queen were in attendance, along with other esteemed deities of the pantheon. The day was even made sweeter that his daughter Ocyrhoe had just been born hours earlier. 

Mount Pelion Academy from the start was (and still is) a public school, with the funding being supported by local, state, & federal taxes, so students are able to attend tuition-free. It goes from Pre-K all the way through to the end of high school. Chiron involved himself more in the school by becoming the archery coach. Dolops was the football coach. 

As the school and his other endeavors began getting more attention, it caused Chiron to be pulled away from his home and family. His marriage with Chariclo was suffering. As coach, Chiron became a second father to a lot of the kids, which left his actual children feeling neglected. The turning point came when late one night, he discovered a letter in his wife’s purse. The contents of the letter were not shocking to him at all. Chariclo was declaring her love for him, a man named Everes, promising the time for them to “truly be together” was just on the horizon. He waited for her to get out of the shower. Chariclo came into the bedroom, dripping wet, a towel wrapped around her body. Chiron stood still, clutching the letter in his fist. She noticed, her eyes widening in horror. “N-nothing happened really. We just talked. There was just talking,” she whispered. Chiron laughed bitterly, crumpling the letter in his hand, then throwing onto the floor. “I can’t continue like this. I was alone. I needed someone to talk to and you were always at the school. But I’d never do anything that would embarrass you or the kids,” she continued to explain. “You care about the kids now!,” he shouted. Chariclo gasped, like she’d just been stabbed in the heart. “Don’t say that! Don’t you dare say that! I’ve been the one here, looking after them. Reassuring them every single day that they asked for their father! I’m not the only parent. You forgot to be there!,” she screamed, her jaw trembling with anger. He knew Chariclo was right, but Chiron refused to acknowledge it. “Tell me the truth. Do you regret this?,” he asked, pointing to the crumpled letter on the ground. Chariclo sighed, lowering her head. “I can’t lie to you,” she whispered. He said nothing. Chiron nodded his head, turned, and walked out of the room.

The divorce happened a few months later, with Styx (Titaness of hatred) presiding over it. Chariclo moved back to Boeotia with Ocyrhoe & Endeïs while Cary and Melanie decided to stay with Chiron in Thessaly, since they were full grown. During the time after the divorce, he turned to smoking pot a lot more, hanging out with Pan frequently in Arcadia. Soon becoming “love intolerant,” it didn’t help matters when even Dolops decided to settle down after years of being a playboy, marrying a centauress named Kanae Dawnlight. At the reception, Chiron, for the first time, got totally wasted after drinking many glasses of champagne. 

As a united front for the children, he swallowed his pride, attending the wedding of his ex-wife and Everes in Boeotia a couple of years later. 

Afterwards, he decided to shut away from the world. Chiron excused himself as archery coach, sequestering himself at his cabin house. A lot of time was spent self-reflecting. He decided to channel all of his emotions- positive & negative, to his typewriter. Chiron didn’t know it at the time, but what started out as “journal entries” soon became his magnum opus- an 800 page memoir titled Letters from Thessaly. Chiron wrote about everything- his early years, the Passage of Woe, the Centauromachy, his failed marriage, everything. When it finally became published, the book resonated with a lot of readers- centaur or otherwise. Mnemosyne (Titaness of memory & language) stated in her review of the book in The Oracle newspaper that “Chiron holds up a proud yet unflinching mirror on woodland centaur culture, neither condemning or celebrating it.” He dedicated the book to his kids, calling them “the greatest gifts he’s ever received.”

Chiron thought that he’d never find happiness outside his children until Paean came into his life, their initial meeting being a brief exchange of pleasantries at a Summer Solstice Ball being held in the royal palace. Aside from her otherworldly beauty, what really attracted Chiron to Paean was her brain, her intelligence. He wasted no time in asking her out on a date, where he invited her to Thessaly where they went on a kayaking excursion! They later had a mountaintop picnic on Mt. Pelion, eating bowls of his famous hearty venison stew. “Can’t say I’ve sweated this much on a date before!,” Paean exclaimed, swirling her spoon in her nearly empty bowl. Chiron chuckled, tearing off a piece of bread and placing it in Paean’s bowl. “You’ll get used to it,” he replied with a cocky grin. She raised her eyebrows. “Oh? There will be kayaking on another date?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe hunting. I’d like to space out the activities. I think you’d know your way around a bow & arrow.” “Why not a hunting rifle?,” Paean asked as she took a huge bite of the bread. “There’s something more sacred about a bow and arrow. It’s as though you and the animal are on equal playing fields. It’s how I’ve always hunted. It’s in my blood,” Chiron explained. “I’ve never held a bow and arrow in my life. Me with a needle? There’s no other like it,” Paean joked. He chuckled, moving his face closer to her. “Oh? Well, in case you haven’t heard, I’m a teacher. I can teach you if you’d like. Some say I’m pretty good at it,” Chiron whispered. “Do they also say that this particular teacher is cocky?,” she countered. “Cocky is confidence without reason. I have more than enough reason,” Chiron said, lightly brushing his lips against hers. 

It surprised him at how quickly he proposed marriage. Chiron knew that he couldn’t go back to how he was in his previous marriage. He wanted things to be different, not only for his kids, but for he & Paean as well. They were married three months ago- an outdoor ceremony at the Arcadia Gardens. Dolops and his wife Kanae were in attendance (he was Chiron’s best man). Many of the Olympian Pantheon were in attendance, with Zeuxo (goddess of marriage) serving as the officiant. His daughters were Paean’ bridesmaids while Cary was one of the groomsmen. Chariclo & her new husband were also in attendance. Before the wedding, Chiron set up a meeting with his ex, where they both finally acknowledged their shortcomings during their marriage. He apologized, with them finally burying the hatchet.

His favorite dessert is the carrot cake from Hollyhock's Bakery. He also likes his wife's vegan flourless chocolate cake!

Guilty pleasures for him include the BLT on a hero (on whole wheat bread) from The Bread Box along with the veggie burger from Olympic Chef with olympian sized sweet potato fries. He also likes his wife’s lime jerk grilled chicken wings with steamed brown rice.

Along with Paean, Chiron has recently opened up a holistic wellness center in Thessaly called The Green Arrow. It integrates traditional medicine with alternative therapies like acupuncture, massage, & herbalism. Other services offered include yoga and meditation classes alongside nutritional counseling. 

For other work, he’s also a public speaker, having had speaking engagements throughout Olympius as well as the other two realms! It’s said that he earns up to a million drachmas per each appearance. At his speaking engagements, Chiron often brings up issues that plagues woodland centaur communities like violence against women, substance abuse (primarily alcoholism), cultural preservation, educational & economic disparities, as well as lack of basic resources on reservations- like clean water, sanitation, and affordable housing. 

Chiron is also a freelance writer for The Oracle newspaper in addition to Modern Olympus, the magazine owned by Clymene (Titaness of fame & renown) and O Dianooumenos, the academic magazine owned by Athena (goddess of wisdom). 

His op-ed piece titled “The Red Summer” garnered attention across the three realms. Chiron offered his feelings and frustrations on the ongoing high violent rates in the woodland centaur community, also offering possible solutions. It all stemmed from daily coverage from a couple of years of many woodland centaurs (most of them young adult men) losing their lives in back-to-back violent crimes. It became known as “The Summer of Blood.”

With his brother Dolops, Chiron opened up a recreational center, filled with plenty of sports and physical activities, open to the youth. Cary helps out with the basketball games from time to time when he’s not busy with Haven for Beings. 

He’s currently celebrating his eldest daughter Melanie’s engagement to Aeolus. At a dinner at The Centaur’s Hearth restaurant, she presented Chiron & Paean with a small brown paper bag. Confused, he dug around in it, pulling out a pregnancy test. “Surprise, Pappoús!,” she exclaimed, smiling. 

Ocyrhoe works for Paean as the receptionist at her medical office in the royal palace. 

Summers in Thessaly in Chiron’s neighborhood are filled with charity basketball and football games, an archery contest, and even barbecues- open to the public!

A personal highlight of his career was when he was in attendance at the swearing in ceremony of the newest police chief of the New Olympus Police Department- a centauress named Dorotea Hollowhoof.

In the pantheon he’s friendly with all the deities, but Chiron is especially good friends with Ktesios (god of the household), The Ourea (esteemed mountain gods), Neicus (god of debate & appeal), Eudaimonia (goddess of happiness), Harpocrates (god of silence & discretion), Karmanor (demi-god of the harvest), Apólafsi (god of enjoyment), Lelantos (Lantos) (Titan god of air, the unseen, & hunting), Pathos (god of emotion), Eikono (goddess of iconography & literature), Ponos (god of hard labor & toil), Favian (god of philosophy), and Litismós (goddess of culture).

He’s lost touch with Asclepius ever since his divine punishment for bringing the dead back to life. 

Even though Chiron is immensely blessed and grateful for the many opportunities that came his way, he does feel this insurmountable burden to be the best centaur he can be, carrying all the responsibilities & varying issues within the centaur community on his back.

He's been a help to many of Zeus' kids, primarily his demi-god son Hercules, working through his feelings of anger and guilt after the hand he played in the demise of his young wife & sons.

A recent graduate of Mount Pelion Academy has been Jason, who's been paving is own way in the world with his travels as an Argonaut! Chiron has been in his life since he was a kid.

Paean once comforted him while he was having a panic attack after nearly passing out while checking into a hotel in Naxos after seventy-two hours of no sleep, going from one speaking engagement straight to the next. 

His favorite frozen treat is butter pecan ice cream.

Chiron has rejected offers from both Clymene and Pheme (goddess of fame) for a reality TV show.

Lately, he's been warming up to Endeïs' venture into the music industry.

A lot of his free time is spent with Paean. Chiron also likes stopping by at his brother's barber shop, playing cards and dominoes with the other guys.

Aside from his venison stew, his other favorite foods include wild rice medley (which is added with chopped pecans & pomegranate seeds), squash soup, bannock bread, spanokopita, as well as his daughter Endeïs' macaroni salad (where she uses olive oil mayo and adds chopped celery, red pepper, jalapeños, and parmesan & feta cheese).

In his free time Chiron also enjoys gardening, reading, hiking, baseball, field hockey, aromatherapy, painting (primarily landscapes), chess, writing, playing pool, & swimming. He rarely watches TV, except for the news and nature documentaries.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." 

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Ponos (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- The Coal King by the people of Olympius

Abs of Steel by Dione

Age- 40 (immortal)

Location- Macedonia, Olympius

Personality- He has an unbreakable tiresome work ethic. He's also totally uncompromising, stubborn, & blunt. He's currently dating.

He has the standard abilities of a god except shapeshifting. As the god of hard labor & toil his other powers/abilities include being extremely proficient in melee weapons (like clubs), super enhanced strength, enhanced endurance, limited odynokinesis (pain manipulation), near-invulnerability, and anthracokinesis (coal manipulation/generation).

Ponos is fluent in Old Greek as well as Macedonian. 

His sacred symbols are the hammer & plough.

His immediate family includes his younger brother Porus (god of resourcefulness). There's also his sister-in-law Penia (goddess of poverty).

A notable physical feature are his intense clear blue eyes. 

Ponos splits his time between Olympius’ capital New Olympus and the state of Macedonia. In New Olympus, he owns a studio apartment at The Aetnaean Manor, a luxury apartment building located in the Forgia neighborhood. In Macedonia, Ponos has a large brick mansion situated on an estate totaling ten acres, which he built himself. In both living quarters everything is kept painstakingly clean & ordered. 

His natural scent is that of coal.

The apartment’s color scheme is muted shades of gray, brown, and black- with pops of dark blue & burgundy. The flooring is a glossy dark oak. There’s barely any adornment or decorations on the walls- except for a few photos of Porus and Penia. The furnishings are minimalist and practical- with leather couches & armchairs in the living room along with metal and glass furniture pieces. There’s a dedicated workspace- which has a sturdy workbench as well as a desk. The kitchen has a large obsidian island along with stainless steel appliances. In Ponos’ bedroom, there’s a small iCHOR Tech flat screen mounted on a stand. There’s also an ultra firm king sized bed. 

His mansion in Macedonia is an overwhelming display of brick and stone. Inside the color scheme is mainly dark hues of burgundy, brown, gray, & orange. There's also seven fireplaces, brick & wood flooring, black onyx countertops, a guest cottage (rarely used), a stone pool pavilion, and a home gym.

Ponos has an animal companion, a large dragon named Shadowsteel. He’s a hulking mass of black scales and horns with teeth & claws as sharp as swords! The sound of Shadowsteel’s wings can be heard from miles away. It’s said that he was hatched from the same clutch as Darksmoke, the main dragon companion of Ponos’ friend Draco (god of dragons). Shadowsteel is primarily Ponos’ mode of transportation- especially when traveling great distances. 

He has an extremely disciplined work out regimen twice a day every day, taking pride in his peak physical condition.

A go-to drink for him is a cup of dark roast coffee, which Ponos makes every morning before work. He also likes Strengthify ionized water (buys the 20 bundle pack at the supermarket), pomegranate juice, earl grey tea, orange juice, his homemade protein milkshakes, scotch on the rocks, beer (prefers Tartarus Stout), whiskey, and red wine. 

Ponos likes listening to rap, jazz, classical, & heavy metal music. Lately, he’s been getting into the music of Moros (god of doom), especially his song “Isolation Station.”

He considers his cigar smoking to be a nasty habit.

Ponos starts his mornings with a run through Polyphrôn Park before going to the nearest Power Zone gym for an intense strength training workout. He has a personal trainer, a cyclops named Euronos, who he’s also good friends with outside the gym. They have a playful competitiveness with each other, like flexing their biceps to see which of them has the most veins bulging. 

Since he flies to work, Ponos will stop for breakfast along the way- getting four whole wheat breakfast burritos (added with bacon, sausage, home fries, mushrooms, red onions, & spinach) from The Bread Box along with a homemade oatmeal protein shake he brings from home.

He dresses for practicality, not for a sense of style. Ponos’ typical work attire consists of a suit along with leather shoes or boots. His casual wear consists of leather jackets, dark denim jeans, fitted T-shirts, in addition to cotton and cashmere turtlenecks. 

He and his brother have a typical relationship. Ponos hasn’t really been able to see Porus before and after he got married to Penia, since Ponos is always working. His preferred mode of communication is text. Ponos for the longest time had seen himself as his brother’s protector, dating back to the Titanomachy. They kept themselves out of the war for the most part, hiding in an underground cave. The brothers survived on deer & rabbit stew (from hunting) along with roasted dates and chestnuts gathered from nearby trees. 

Ponos was the witness at his brother’s wedding which took place at New Olympus City Hall. He even hosted the “reception,” or fancy dinner at his mansion in Macedonia. It’s where he met Porus’ mother-in-law Amechania (goddess of helplessness & want) as well as his brother’s sister-in-law, Ptocheia (goddess of beggary). Ponos also paid for his brother’s honeymoon trip, which took place in the Underworld. 

He loves his brother, but can’t help but feel the smallest tiniest twinge of jealousy due to the fact that Porus got married first. There have been times when he wanted nothing more than to smack away the goofy lovestruck smile on Porus’ face whenever Penia comes up in conversation. Though he finds it difficult to be vulnerable, Ponos truly cares for his younger brother. Oftentimes his bleak pessimism would clash with his brother's idealistic optimism.

Most of Ponos’ acquired wealth comes from the many coal mines he owns throughout Olympius.

He likes his sister-in-law fine, admiring Penia’s tenacity and intelligence. Their interactions are even less than the ones he has with Porus, due to their work schedules. Ponos was pleasantly surprised at how she held her own when she participated in a basketball game he was having along with Porus & a few of their friends at Eaglepoint Park. 

Ponos as a deity is quite loved among the oread population as well as the cyclops, mountainous satyrs and centaurs. There has even been a petition for a temple to be built in his honor in Macedonia, where there’s a significant cyclopes population.

He also loves getting the roast beef sandwich on rye bread from The Bread Box for lunch. He also likes getting an order of spanakorizo along with two meat overload gyros (with extra tzatziki sauce) from The Parthenos Grill, the restaurant chain owned by Athena (goddess of wisdom). 

Ponos’ main job is being the warden of Chlothonius Prison, the most notorious prison in Olympius. The maximum security facility is infamously known for housing male inmates of all creeds deemed the most deplorable & dangerous. It’s also generally said that the prison is a precursor to the eternal punishment one may face in Tartarus. Ponos took over the role of warden from the fearsome giant Geryon- whose rule brought into the open many controversies, like inmate abuse and corrupt officers. 

The prison is situated on a volcanic island mass near Tartarus Bay, the Lightning Harbor some 200 miles away. The inmates are housed in single cells with facilities made of poured, reinforced magma to deter self-harm, and are under 24-hour supervision- carried out intensively with high staff-inmate ratios.

Ponos oversees the prison with an iron fist, expecting nothing short of weakness from the correctional officers and all the other employees. One employee Ponos has taken under his wing is a young CO, a cyclops named Ionas.

He typically doesn’t like sweets, but is fond of the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from Hollyhock’s Bakery.

Even though Ponos is a supporter of prison reform, he doesn’t expect to grant dangerous criminals certain privileges. At a council meeting, he struck down a potential bill brought up by Philotes (goddess of intimacy, friendship, & affection), which would grant conjugal visits to married inmates. 

Other prison reforms he has implemented include vocational training, mental health services, reducing the use of prolonged solitary confinement, prolonged contact visits with family members (which lasts three hours), as well as expanding access to educational programs- like GED courses & college-level classes.

In the pantheon Ponos is friends with Chiron (the immortal centaur), Anytos (Titan god of anonymity & secrets), Lelantos (Lantos) (Titan god of air, the unseen, & hunting), Ktesios (god of the household), Menoetius (Titan god of rage, violence, & rash actions), Alastor (god of blood feuds & vengeance), Chrysanta (goddess of metal), Homadus (god of the battle-din), Athos (one of The Ourea), Phonos (god of murder), Axiótimos (god of honor), Polemos (god of the war cry), Horkos (god of oaths), Psionikós (god of the mind), and Isorropía (Isorro) (god of duality, balance, & equilibrium).

He also has a working relationship with Poena (goddess of punishment), who serves as the prison’s executioner. 

A guilty pleasure for him is the BLT quarter pounder from Olympic Chef. Ponos gets one with extra ketchup along with olympian sized fries.

Ponos' official mentor was Hecaterus (Titan god of manual labor).

He dislikes Epimetheus (Titan god of afterthought).

Ponos’ favorite sport is basketball. He plays a game with his brother and a few of their friends every weekend or so at Eaglepoint Park. He also checks out a game on TV or at an arena. Ponos’ favorite basketball team are the Macedonian Mavericks, with his favorite player on the team being Phlogistos Grimstone, a cyclops with an impressive height of 8”5!

It’s no surprise because of his demanding schedule, there was little space in Ponos’ life for romance. Sure he was no virgin, since he’d taken up with an oread named Terrais just before the Titanomachy, but it’s been a few thousand years since! Much from Porus’ suggestion, Ponos decided to sign up on FATED, a popular dating app created by Hermes (god of roads, travelers, thieves, merchants, messengers, speed, trade, sports, borders, thoughts, communications, money, & luck). His initial profile was deemed “boring” and “rigid”, so Penia offered up a female perspective, editing Ponos’ profile for him. A photo of him working out in the gym instantly garnered likes, but no real effort was made by the women who swiped right at his profile. After nearly three months, Ponos was about to delete his profile when he received a notification that there’s been a mutual match! He was flabbergasted when he discovered who the match was- Argía (goddess of holidays).

Their initial meet-up was at an outdoor cafe near the New Olympus Museum of Modern Art. Argía took Ponos’ breath away as he heard the sound of her heels clicking against the cobblestone. She wore a bright yellow ensemble and her short golden brown hair was in loose waves. Argía noticed Ponos sitting at the table, flashing her perfect white teeth in a pleasant smile. They shook hands, with him noticing how soft her skin was, as well as the sweet scents that tickled his nose from her perfume. They sat, an awkward silence between them before a waiter appeared with glasses of sparkling water (hers had lemon). The silence was finally broken when Argía asked, “Any plans for the Summer Solstice? The prison is planning a party?” Ponos furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t think Chlothonius is a rather… festive location,” he replied, garnering a small chuckle from her. “I looked up some of your reforms and I think it’s nice that you allow a real thanksgiving dinner for the inmates during that time. Please don’t tell me that the turkey is molded from mystery meat?,” Argía asked. That managed a brief laugh from Ponos. He shook his head. “No. It’s actual meat. I’m surprised that the internet didn’t list my food reforms. The white bread has all its crusts as well.” Argía giggled and Ponos felt his heart flutter against his ribcage. She smiled at him and he quickly returned his attention to his glass of sparkling water, clearing his throat. “You’re kind of closed-mouth, huh?,” she asked, taking a sip of her water. Ponos squished his lips to the side. “I guess so. I don’t mean to be. It’s just… My life is simple. I wake up, work out, go to work, and come home. There’s not much to it.” Argía nodded. “This is a first. I never would’ve thought that a being who worked at the most feared prison in all the realms would describe it as boring.” Ponos looked up, noticing a playful smile on Argía’s face. “Christmas is less boring. The inmates put on a holiday show, sung off-key, of course.” She giggled again, tucking some strands of her hair behind her ear. “They got nothing on me and Rennie. When we do karaoke, we almost got threatened with a noise complaint from our neighbors.” “Rennie?,” Ponos asked. “My daughter, Eiresione. She can carry a tune much better than me,” Argía explained. Ponos nodded his head, looking away. The rest of the date went along smoothly, as they mainly talked about their jobs. A couple of hours later, Ponos was walking Argía to her car. “It’s still daylight. I think I could’ve made it to my car in one piece,” she said, smirking. Ponos chuckled. “I know. But I’m a gentleman,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. They gave each other an awkward one-arm hug, with Ponos thinking he’d melt into a puddle feeling Argía’s curves against his body. She rolled down her window as she got in her car. “I also hear you like basketball. I’ve got tickets to the upcoming game with the Hippogriffs and Mavericks. You wanna come?,” Argía asked. Ponos scratched at his neck. “Uh, sure,” he replied. Argía nodded as she dug into her purse, pulling out one of the tickets. “I’ll meet you at the entrance of Acropolis Square Garden then,” she said, handing the ticket to Ponos. “See you then,” she said with a wink, driving away.

On the night of the basketball game, Ponos’ entire body was filled with nerves. He was sure that their initial meeting was a shitshow. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets, blowing out a breath. It was fifteen minutes before the game started and Argía still hadn’t shown up. Beings of every kind were already pouring into the arena in droves. Just as he was about to go inside, a familiar chrome gold car pulled up the curb. Argía stepped out, her hair in a messy playful ponytail. She wore jean cutoffs, Airopolis hightop sneakers, and a New Olympus Hippogriffs jersey crop top. A pair of gold hoops in her ears glinted in the early evening light. “Sorry!,” she exclaimed, sounding out of breath. “I would’ve gotten here sooner, but the traffic was killer down Bolt Avenue!” Ponos couldn’t stop a small smile from forming on his lips. “It’s ok. It’s typical for a Hippogriffs fan to show up late,” he said. Argía raised an eyebrow. “Spoken like a true Maverick,” she replied, gesturing toward the Maverick T-shirt he was wearing. Ponos held out the door for her as they went in. True to form, Argía procured courtside seats for the game. They had a front row right in the action. The squeaks of the sneakers against the court sounded amplified while the smell of the basketball players’ sweat filled their noses. Ponos was more chattier than usual during the game. He and Argía enjoyed refillable cups of beer for five drachmas while they ate hot dogs & soft pretzels. Towards the end of the third quarter as he was biting into another gyro hot dog, a dollop of tzatziki sauce landed on Ponos’ chin. “Here, I’ll get it,” Argía whispered, flicking the sauce away with her thumb. Ponos looked into her eyes, noticing the flecks of gold in the blue-green orbs. “Was that ok? Too much?,” she asked unsurely. The spot on Ponos’ chin where Argía’s thumb had briefly been burned with longing. “It’s fine,” he replied, shaking his head. Generic pop music blared from the speakers. “The kiss cam!,” Argía exclaimed, clapping her hands together. They watched as a few couples appeared on the huge jumbotron screen. An elderly harpy couple sharing a bucket of popcorn. A young oread couple who decided to kiss their baby’s cheeks instead, and a young mortal guy with a mortal girl. The look of dread on his face along with mouthing the words “She’s my cousin” quickly shifted to Ponos and Argía. He noticed himself on the screen, a gnawing pit of anxiousness growing deep in his belly. “Gods,” Ponos whispered under his breath. “Oh dear!,” Argía exclaimed, the skin on her cheeks appearing to turn red. A lot of the beings in the stands were cheering in agreement. “I don’t mind,” she said, shrugging her shoulders noncommittally. “Hmm?,” Ponos started to say as Argía kissed him briefly on the mouth. It couldn’t have been more than three seconds, but even for that fleeting moment, Ponos was in Elysium. “Oops, sorry,” Argía said, wiping away some of the lip gloss that had gotten onto his lips. The rest of the game ended with the Mavericks winning, with a remarkable offensive performance by Phlogistos Grimstone. A cool breeze greeted Ponos’ skin as he and Argía exited Acropolis Square Garden. “It’s fine to admit defeat. I felt in my bones that the Mavericks were going to win. I’m usually never wrong,” he said jokingly.

Argía playfully scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Whatever. The Hippogriffs are gonna have a comeback. It’s been a slow season.” “For four years straight?,” Ponos asked incredulously. Argía punched the side of Ponos’ arm, giggling. “It doesn’t matter. I’m an optimist.” “A study I once read said that pessimists outlive optimists,” Ponos offered, biting the inside of his cheek as they made their way to Argía’s car. “Then as an optimist, can I just say I’m pleasantly surprised that a pessimist made me enjoy a date for the first time in a long time,” she whispered, looking down at her sneakers in embarrassment. Ponos didn’t know what to say to that admission. His throat went dry. He felt like he was thirsty and parched at the same time. The inside of his palms were sweaty, shoving his hands in the familiar comfort of his jeans’ pockets. “Um, forget I said that,” Argía said, chuckling uncomfortably as she scratched at her neck. She started to open her car door, but Ponos placed his hand over hers. “I-I, uh, I enjoyed my time with you too,” he said in a low tone, taking Argía’s hand in his. He let out a tentative breath, taking a hold of her other hand. Ponos lowered his head, the tips of their noses touching. He hesitated, stopping short of Argía’s full pink lips which still had a sheen of glittery lip gloss on them. Be brave, he thought to himself, as Ponos brought his lips to hers. A combination of shock and mind-numbing sensation submerged him. What a kiss. The most perfect kiss that the heavens had ever dreamt up. The taste of beer on their tongues. The way Argía had her arms wrapped around Ponos’ waist. Cold chills sizzled against the backs of his knees in glaring contrast to the hot and demanding heat pulling at him from the inside.

A major avoidant of prolonged eye contact, he finds it hard to look away from her sparkling gold flecked blue-green eyes. Ponos likes the fact that she always smells different, how engrossing their conversations are, & how he's left in a breathless heap every time they kiss. They’ve been seeing each other for a couple months since the basketball game- with him even inviting Argía to his place for dinner where Ponos cooked his specialty- steamed bok choy with grilled salmon and brown rice. They started the rest of the night after dinner on the couch drinking red wine, but ended up tangled under a blanket, making out. Everything in Ponos' body was telling him to run the other way, but he found himself unable to pull away from her magnetism. 

They haven't slept together yet, though he’s thought about it… a lot. Ponos could tell that the thought of them being intimate has crossed Argía’s mind as well. After their most recent date, which was an opera performance of L'Infinita, she brought up the subject of him meeting her daughter. Ponos is planning on meeting Argía and Eiresione at a Sparkling Ember pottery studio in a few weeks. 

Ponos is also thinking about inviting Argía to Macedonia for a long weekend.

On TV (when he’s in the mood to watch it), Ponos enjoys watching the survivalist reality show Edge of Olympius. He also likes the historical drama show Gigantus, the news, in addition to historical documentaries. 

His all time favorite dish is moussaka. 

In his free time Ponos enjoys boxing, mountain climbing, baseball, metalworking, football (soccer), chess, bowling, poker, woodworking, reading, playing pool, archery, gardening, and wrestling.

"Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice."