#Abyss deity Dream

[aisharain]

Yet another brainrot

My mind is a fucking mess. I was supposed to do my university project, got distracted by Dark Souls memes, and then boom! New brainrot. Now I'm stuck thinking about an Eldritch Dream and Abysswalker Techno. I can't, I just literally can't afford myself be distracted by something else - have a shit ton of work to do, but my thoughts said "Shut up and watch" giving me another mental image. Well hello, my new obsession that will live in my head besides all other trash and music that sounds 24/7. How fucking amazing of you to stop by when my deadlines for classes are just around the corner. I'd strangle you if you were something material, honestly. Anyway, my brain came up with a fragment of text that came from nowhere, is going there too, and probably will never be finished because I can't organize my own thoughts. Ha ha. I'm throwing this at you in vain hopes that it will stop the chaos in my mind and running away.

The text is below.

***

"My precious Abysswalker," purred the colossal figure of the Monarch "You have returned."

Techoblade fell to his knees and his huge sword landed somewhere in the endless darkness, drowning without a sound. Blood flooded his eyes, flowed from his mouth, and he felt tears begin to choke him as the giant arms gently wrapped around his body with a tenderness that was unusual to the gods.

"I see your soul. It is tired, exhausted, so wounded….. But I can help. You know I'll do anything you ask, my love. You just need to say the word, and I'll drown this whole world in darkness for you."

The deity looked at him with adoration, with a soft love that usually made people do crazy things, and Techno felt his blood run cold at the realization that he would agree to all of this willingly. That he would give up a rotten world, murderers and innocents, heaven and earth just to feel whole again. Loved. So that all his sacrifices wouldn't be in vain.

He was so tired of being someone else's pawn, so tired of spilling his blood for the sake of the false gods that clung to their thrones with half-rotten fingers… They all wanted to prolong their era, demanded loyalty, and Blade had spent his life believing their every word.

Until he was sent into the abyss, and the darkest creature that could exist in their world showed him what real mercy meant, not the pathetic travesty that demanded sacrifices on golden altars.

Techno choked on his blood again and weakly raised himself on his arms, staring at the huge head hidden by the white mask. It seemed that Dream could protect him from everything, cover him with his palms and make him forget all the terrible things he had done. All the faces, all the pain, all the screams.

He'd pay with his life if it finally got him the desired silence of his conscience and memories.

But the abyss deity wasn't asking for it.

"No one would find you in my embrace. I'll hide you from the entire world if that is your wish."

He sounded so kind. Techno almost forgot what kindness felt like.

"Let me keep you safe. Let me cherish and adore you, as you ascend near me." Dream whispered and his voice resonated through the darkness as thousands of echos.

It was the first time these otherworldly sounds failed to scare him.

[abyssembraced]

Where did Ghost really go before returning to Hallownest ?

Frankly, the question that was asked of them was one that Ghost wouldn't mind knowing the answer to themself.

Their memories... Even their early ones from when they first returned to Hallownest were hazy and fragmented. The more challenging fights they'd faced in the Crossroads and their first encounters with the bugs they'd come to call their friends still existed in their mind, yet lay scattered and untethered from each other with unknowable gaps in between, with no certainties as to even the order in which any of the events occurred.

Before that? They knew hardly anything of their past.

What did they do in the vast, endless wasteland outside Hallownest? What caused them to return to the fallen kingdom? Why did they even leave it in the first place?

They didn't know.

They typically didn't care to think on those questions much, either—it made more sense to focus on the present, and the things they knew now, rather than dwell on an unrecoverable past. Yet, here they were, being asked to recount those lost memories.

They... Could at least make an attempt?

Grasping at those memories was hard. Though they knew for a fact that they had spent much of their life outside the kingdom's bounds, it was as though the memories of that time had never existed in the first place.

But... They could fight. Even before coming back to Hallownest, they already knew how to wield a nail. So, then... They must have met someone out there. Travellers, perhaps. Someone who taught them how to fight—or at least the basics of it, anyway. Perhaps they were even the one to gift them the nail that had since carried them through many battles, or maybe that was a different Someone.

But who? Ghost couldn't picture them. They didn't even know for sure that such a person had even existed, but it only made sense, right?

...

There was only one time that they had ever managed to recover a long thought lost memory, and that was with the Dream Nail. If they were to enter their own dream once more, unlock the hidden secrets within their own mind... Would that give them answers? Would it do anything at all?

Although... Did it even matter? The stranger's curiosities aside, they... Didn't particularly care about discovering their past. It wasn't as though whatever it was that had happened back then could be changed. Nor did they think that learning anything new about it would affect their present life. They were happy where they were right now, with their family and friends in the recovering Hallownest.

Yes.

They didn't remember what they did before their return to Hallownest, but that was okay.

[lovebvni]

hi abyss!! as someone who really likes scrolling through your account and who sees the occasional dream anon in your inbox, I got the urge to pitch in. generally I prefer to keep my shifting/spiritual journey to myself, but suddenly got the urge to tell you about my own dreams I've had in regards to it. I thought you may enjoy this! Firstly, I apologize for sending an essay in your inbox, I just have a lot to say.

So for starters, I've had shifting-related dreams before, mainly to oddly positive ends. Aside from my mind conjuring up the individuals and my appearances from other places, I've had incidents where I talk to people in my dreams about shifting. Unlike a lot of people who always seem to run into very prominent issues here, the dream individuals are always oddly receptive and genuinely listen to me. I remember one time I said to a group as a part of a conversation "well, so what if it's not 'real?' all that means is you're meditating, practicing mindfulness, and you're not hurting yourself or anyone." You know, something along the lines to that, and all the dream characters reacted very positively. This dream stands out to me compared to others as I felt some odd sense of movement within me afterwards when I woke up.

Most recently, last night as of me sending me this message, a woman suddenly appeared to me in the midst of the usual course of my usually very vivid dreams. She sort of drifted a bit of the ways off the ground and wore a white, flowing dress that reminded me of ocean waves and sea foam, and her hair was dark and wavy that seemed to flow like water in the air. In her presence I could hear ocean waves (in the dream of course), and she told me I was getting SO CLOSE to achieving a shift. She was incredibly sincere, gentle, encouraging, and I got the impression I needed to stay dedicated with my new routine AND focus on a previously secondary/on-the-backburner dr that involved an oceanic setting, and I'll be able to do this

The way this woman appeared is a little significant to me. Funnily enough, I recently received a tarot reading that suggested a good first shift for me would be something oceanic (which feels way more in tune with what my intuition has been telling me, despite focusing on something else completely for little over a year). Not only that, my most unexplainable shifting-related incidents in the past over the course of my journey have involved hearing water of some kind (namely underwater noises, running water, rain when it wasn't raining.) And finally, the way her presence felt to me reminded me of all the times I've been near the ocean and the associated feelings I have about it. I know people are genuinely afraid of the ocean for many rightful reasons, but it's always been a major source of comfort for me ever since I was little. She embodied that.

Ultimately, I woke up feeling like I can focus on the completely unrelated dr I have been for a while and will still shift in time, sure, but focusing on what my intuition is telling me, with this more oceanic-based dr, will lead it to happening sooner. And that it feels like this is where I need to guide my focus. I do have some more thoughts too on the matter, positively framed of course, but this is getting long as is and I know you'll have some thoughts too! Thank you for reading this essay, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

OMG HIII ANON!! IM SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO GET TO THIS 😭😭 i’ve been procrastinating so much AUGH!!!

and it’s totally okay!! i don’t mind long blogs or ask. if anything they’re really fun to me! i like reading things i’m interested in, and dreams and dream interpretations is one of them <3

anyways, i had a few thoughts about this. the most prominent one is about the woman and the ocean. now, i don’t know if you’re into deity work or anything like that, but this is a CLEAR CLEAR sign of aphrodite (oceans, sea foam, a white dress) she may be telling you to have a routine, a flow, and a way to do things. like how the sea always moves up onto the sand. the water may not reach the rocks right now, but eventually — with the movement of the moon, the changing phases, the tide rises and falls.

the second thing that stands out is this part — “I remember one time I said to a group as a part of a conversation "well, so what if it's not 'real?' all that means is you're meditating, practicing mindfulness, and you're not hurting yourself or anyone." You know, something along the lines to that, and all the dream characters reacted very positively. This dream stands out to me compared to others as I felt some odd sense of movement within me afterwards when I woke up.”

i feel like that’s almost rationalizing your fears — making them understandable, you know? like… you’re almost thinking that shifting isn’t real, but there is some truth to it.

i understand that! like i don’t believe everything the christian bible says, but i do believe there is some truth to it.

for understanding, you don’t need everything in a book for you to read. you can make inquiries and add your know knowledge and understanding to it. so what this person said in the dream saying shifting isn’t “real” could be your current understanding then. i feel like it’s almost telling you to deepen your knowledge? do your own research and ask your own questions, gain your own knowledge. and this knowledge doesn’t have to be on the act itself — it could be about your drs!

but, with one of your final comments, i believe some sort of beach/inter dimensional resting place dr would be a good place for you. i also feel the need to say Aphrodite may be reaching out!!

i hope this helps, anon!!! <3 i hope to hear from you again OR even just get the feeling ur doing well <3 sending positive energyyy!!

[willowedspirits]

Hollow Knight Linked Universe AU! I've finally finished it!

If you don't know much about Hollow Knight, a lot of the technicalities might not make sense, and I would encourage you to look into the game. Or you could just enjoy the chain as bugs and see them off on their buggy adventures!

I've made this AU trying to keep as close as I can to Hollow Knight's story, but some creative liberties were of course taken.

My main idea is that the infection is the equivalent to Dark Link's (who does exist in this) infected monsters and it's up to them to try and slow/stop the infection. My first thought was to have the infection start to spread outside of Hallownest, and the chain needs to go and stop it, but I'm still going back and forth on it.

I'm still open to changing concepts if I find something that works better, but after literal months of working on this on and off I'm happy with how this has turned out!

Rambling about character details below!

Small note: I've set this AU at roughly the start of the infection, when Radiance was starting to take over Hallownest.

Time

Is not from Hallownest. He traveled to Hallownest from a distant land, where he met Malon and settled down with her.

He encountered Radiance upon entering Hallownest, but was protected by a god that had already laid claim to him, Fierce Deity, who protects him from the Radiance's infection.

He and Malon live in the Howling Cliffs.

His wing and antenna injury are from Radiance when she tried to infect him.

He is not able to fly because of the injury, and now fights with a heavy nail.

His wings used to be green, but after encountering the Fierce Deity, they slowly started to change in color until they were blue.

I'm not sure if I would do anything with the eyes on his wings, I was trying to make a connection to Majora in that, but I'm still debating whether to add it.

Twilight

Is a part of the Traitor Mantis tribe that lives in the Queen's Garden.

He met a Sibling (Midna) that escaped from the Abyss. They gave him the ability to harness Void.

Still working on the detail for how exactly they give him this ability, but my rough idea is that perhaps both of them were attacked by and infected villager, and they saved him by giving up their Void essence.

He's grown up wanting to be infected by the Radiance. He was taught the Radiance was a god that gave bugs great strength, but after seeing what the infection really does, he starts to have second thoughts.

The cloak he is wearing is new. The one he wore before was damaged. I'm still debating on when exactly he gets it, but I think it's something he makes after he leaves the traitor village.

Warriors

He is the head knight of the Hive and oversees whoever enters their territory.

His scarf is a gift from the princess of the Hive given to him when he leaves to join the group.

Since he is a bee, he is connected to the Hive via the hivemind. He uses this to check in on his home whenever he can.

This also makes it very dangerous if he gets infected, since it would quickly spread to the other bee's.

I kept his nail the same as Hive Knight's, but it's open to change.

Four

(I'm still very iffy on Four's story concept, but here's what I have so far)

Lives in Green Path.

He has a passion for weapon smithing, and planned on moving to the capital of Hallownest (City of Tears).

But he accidently stumbled on a weak Unn, and agreed to help protect her while she recovered.

When she did recover, she blessed him with a power that allows him to split into 4 parts of himself using his SOUL.

He can split while in the physical world, but will always be split while in the Dream realm. This also makes it difficult for Radiance to infect him.

Wind

Lives in the Kingdom's Edge and works as a guide across the acid lakes. Most of the travelers are those who are seeking to fight in the Colosseum of Fools.

This is how he found the Colosseum, and regularly attends (but not participate in) some of the fights, which is how he meets Tetra.

He is just learning to fly, but is picking it up really fast.

I wanted to keep the lobster apart of his design... But there are no lobsters in Hollow Knight... Then I remembered this was an AU and I can do what I want with it. So lets just pretend that Lobsters are seen as these awesome ancient beings that he wishes to see one day.

Wild

He was a guardian of the Beast's Den before he became infected, leaving the Den to reside somewhere in Deep Nest.

He is cured by the Dream Nail when the group meets him, and the last to join.

His shell is cracked and damaged because of the infection. The cracks have healed over time, but will never go away.

He has trouble with his memory due to being infected for so long before being cured. He is slowly regaining his memory, but there are still a lot of pieces missing.

His infection spread through to his arm, but is hidden under his cloak.

He uses his nails almost as throwing needles.

Legend

Is a shop owner in Hallownest's capital. He sells all kinds of items from all across Hallownest, small things he's found that could be valuable.

He's managed to make his way into the upper class of the capital due to his shop. His cloak is a modified version of the upper-class wardrobe. He dyed and added the hood himself.

Has a great sense of exploration, and has been all over Hallownest, but still has some places he needs to check off.

His jewelry are all gifts from Ravio.

My original concept for his design was to give him 4 arms. I was thinking of the Collector when designing him, and thought it fit. But after working on finalizing the design, I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep it. I still love the concept though.

Hyrule

(Again, I don't have a clear story concept for him but I have some notes)

Lives in the Ancient Basin.

Has learned how to use SOUL, and is in hiding from the residents of the Soul Sanctum because of it.

He has access to spells and is able to heal himself using SOUL.

I originally gave him a cloak, but couldn't decide if he looked better with or without it. So he does have it, but only sometimes.

Sky

Is the wielder of the Dream Nail, which can be used to cure infected bugs by purging the Radiance from their dream's.

Has wanted to learn to fight with a nail since he was little, and would practice his skills.

He learned about the Dream Nail after some of the moth tribe became infected. He left shortly after he learned this infection was spreading through Hallownest, with the goal of stopping it.

He isn't the only one that can use the Dream Nail, but is the one dubbed the "owner" of it.

And that's what I've got!

I didn't go much into Dark Link here, but would be happy to show some concepts I have for him as well if anybody is curious. I'm making him almost like a living version of the Radiance's infection, and is able to spread it from bug to bug without needing to access their dreams. This is mainly why I'm torn on having them leave Hallownest. If Dark Link could spread the infection to farther lands, or to keep him inside Hallownest and just spread it faster there.

I thought that using the Dream Nail was a good equivalent to the Master Sword here, so I just mashed them together, and a lot of the motivations for the chain trying to stop the infection is "I'm seeing this awful thing happen to these bugs that I don't want to see happen to others," with some small variations here and there.

I've been working on this for so long, I just want to share by bug boys. I would love to gush and ramble about them some more. I have stuff I want to do with this AU.

[robin-evry]

anyone with yuu who's a child of hades i beg

Sure thing

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐔𝐔 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐈 𝐆𝐎𝐃 ( 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐒 ) ⚰️👻

A demigod is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark".

Demi-God!yuu are calm and collected would be reserved and yet sarcastic towards people, they are very blunt and straight forward person.

They would have eye bags due to their part time job as a judge for souls due to their father having other businesses in the underworld.

They rarely sleeps, plagued by vivid dreams or visions of the underworld. When they do sleep, it’s short and restless, leading to their permanent eye bags. Despite this, they always seem alert, almost as if their connection to the underworld sustains them.

Demi-God Yuu’s presence often makes people around them feel a slight chill, as if the shadows grow darker in their vicinity. Some students find it unsettling, while others are drawn to the mystery.

Also Plants around them tend to wither slightly, and candles flicker or dim when they enter a room.

loves learning about ancient myths, especially those relating to death and the afterlife. They spend hours in the library researching past civilizations, and their knowledge often surprises the professors.

They have the ability to sense spirit, summon the souls of the dead for guidance And borrow their power for a short time.

Demi-God Yuu eyes seem to reflect the vast, empty depths of the underworld, almost like looking into the abyss. Some say staring into them too long makes you feel like you're being pulled into the shadows.

While Grim loves causing chaos, Demi-God Yuu is always there to rein him in. They take on a more parental role, ensuring Grim doesn’t bite off more than he can chew. Grim, despite his bravado, is secretly afraid of Yuu’s “death glare.”

They have a dry, dark sense of humor, often making grim or morbid jokes that leave others unsure whether to laugh or be scared. Ace and Deuce are the usual targets of their deadpan quips.

Despite their grim aura, Demi-God Yuu has a gentle side that comforts lost or lonely souls, both living and dead. They seem to attract those who need guidance, offering quiet, profound words of wisdom when needed.

Demi-God!yuu is a powerful necromancer, By knowing the knowledge of the undead as well a sacrifice of blood they can create or summon them to zombies to aid them with a flick of their hand. They can use this power as servants to do their order. They also can use the powers and abilities of the undead freely as they do.

This ability can stand anything as long as they're dead, animals or people can summon as long as they know the knowledge and the soul structure of the thing they summon. Animals with more complicated structures will need more concentration as well blood.

They also can reanimate skeletons, summon Skeleton Warriors, bring back the dead, manipulate ghosts. Crowley has forbade them from using any necromancy magic due to being illegal in twisted wonderland.

They often seeks solitude in graveyard, finding comfort in the stillness and quiet. They sometimes have long conversations with the spirits buried there, enjoying the peaceful connection to the afterlife. The ignihyde dorm or dismonia dorm reminds them of the underworld so they usually tend to hang out there as well to play video games with idia, or hang out with the dismonia gang.

When faced with peril, Demi God Yuu is unfazed. Whether it’s a magical duel, a rampaging monster, or a chaotic spell gone wrong, they remain eerily calm, calculating the best way to neutralize the threat. Their classmates often wonder if they even feel fear.

They're connection to the underworld has dulled their senses. They can’t taste food as vividly as others, and colors seem muted to them. The only exception is the color of flames—they are drawn to fire, seeing it in a vibrance others can’t perceive. It’s one of the few things that remind them they’re still connected to the living world.

The ghosts of Night Raven College are particularly fond of them They feel understood and respected by someone with such strong ties to the afterlife. They frequently visits the ghost dorms, chatting with the spirits about history, the past, and lost legends.

Demi-God yuu's favorite hobby is to solve puzzles as well as literature, they are new members of the board game club, you can find them playing board games with Azul and idia.

Since them being the child of hades, since he's the god of the dead as well treasure and wealth, Demi-God Yuu grew up in a rich lifestyle, they are the richest in NRC, their wealth is infinite. By far they have turned ramshackle into a palace with the help of undead workers they summon to help them build it.

The dorm has become the most luxurious out of all the other 7 dorms as well being guarded by zombies, and yet it still carries an Erie feeling for whoever dares to enter the dorm without demigod yuu permission. Some students say the dorm Carries multiple undead and spirits servants that serve under demigod yuu and grim. It has a beautiful garden filled with multiple flowers, but by far the ones that stand out the most are black roses that Demi-God Yuu personality plants and take care of them. It's also known that dorms usually have a lot of crows or raven hanging around the castle.

Grim and first years has been spoiled by Demi-God Yuu, luxurious beds, food, etc anything he asks for demigod-Yuu will give it to them with no question asked, this creates a situation where grim would fake cry and run towards them saying that ace and Deuce is being mean leaving him to be pampered by them. Of course demigod-yuu is aware of his tricks but finds it amusing so they never bother. The first years usually receive gold of jewelry from them and when they ask what's the special occasion they just shrug and walk away.

Demi-God Yuu also believes you can solve little matters with money, during the Octavinelle arc, when Azul was about to speak, they put a large bar of gold in the coffee table.

Azul : okay now let's start negotiation-

Demi-God! yuu : put a large bar of gold on the table

Azul : I assured you prefect I'm not so easily swayed by money-

Demi god!yuu : put another large bar of gold on the table

Azul : I am not easily swayed -

Demi-God Yuu : put another large bar of gold on the table

Demi-God Yuu has a natural talent for negotiation and persuasion. They’re able to strike deals or mediate conflicts, earning respect among the students for their diplomatic skills. But they usually find bribing an easier way And only negotiate during serious moments.

Ruggie is seen trying to get close with demigod-yuu trying to be on their good side for some treasures, he once helped them get their favorite drink which is milk tea in the busy cafeteria and they paid him back using 5 solid gold coins, this left him in shock and they continued on their day without looking back. Right now he's by far more eager to help them in exchange for some gold, and this causes some tension around Leona and them.

They also bribed Crowley by making grim a student, originally he was against it but when they bring out a chest full of solid gold saying that they will pay forward grim tuition for four years in NRC and if the gold is not enough they will add more and boom grim became an official student at NRC.

Another popular rumor that pops up is who is by far more richer kalim or demigod-yuu, which became a hot debate in NRC. And of course it's Demi God Yuu is richer than kalim, what do you expect their father is the god of treasure and they will never run out of money.

Their favorite fruits are pomegranates, you can always find near their bed a bowl of pomegranates seeds in their nightstand. They also wield a bident in combat, they are very skilled with it as well.

When the great sevens introduction and they met with the statue of hades Disney version, they had the surprise Pikachu face and said "wtf that's my dad".

Likes to go out on nightly walks when they can't sleep, and that's how they come across with idia, originally he was awkward around them until both of them learned about his fascination with the underworld. He will ask for a bunch of questions about it in exchange for demi god yuu is taught by idia how to play video games. And one point idia will ask them if they could bring back his brother and Demi-God!yuu still haven't given him an answer yet.

I imagine demi god yuu aesthetic would be similar to gothic or dark academia style, when they go out, they are very stylish and very prim to the bottom, But when at home they wore a giant oversize hoody and very sloppy, they look unrecognizable to their outside version, even during the VDC when vil visits them and meet them in their home attire he's first reaction is who are you, basically it's like a light switch they found no reason to be stylish in their own home just wear an outfit your most comfortable in, This is just a personal idea you guys can add if you like. and I also imagine them not being big fans of the sun, they usually wear an umbrella and sunglasses to cover themselves from the sun.

[flowersforjude]

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 | Finnick Odair x Fem!Reader

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 | Finnick had every reason to not believe in God, but every reason to believe in her. 

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 | 1,406

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | Religious themes, Mentions of torture and canon typical violence, Angst, Brief mention of Finnick’s su*c*dal ideology, Bittersweet reunion.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 | Cried while writing this so enjoy my tears. This was requested by @heroinhchicblog222. You gave me creative freedom with this, so I hope it lives up to your expectations! <3

masterlist

Finnick Odair had never been a religious man. No matter how many Sunday services at the little coastal church his mother made him attend. He humored her for the most part. Because even though he thought her faith was futile, it was important to her.

There had been a time when he enjoyed going to church with her. When he was still a small child full of notions of grand tales and curiosity. But that was before he was eaten alive by the Games. Before, it’s huge jaws closed around him and crushed his bones and spirit alike. The arena had made sure that even if he survived, he’d never be whole again.

And how could he believe in any god with only half a soul? Why would he have faith in a god who let that happen? No higher power was watching over him or any of the other children who became victims of the Games. 

He remembered a tiny silver cross his mother wore. It was always hanging around her neck on a dainty chain. His little brother loved to wrap his chubby toddler fingers around it. 

Finnick had asked once if she had always had that necklace. She wore it so often that it seemed like a part of her. Just like her eyes, that always looked at him with tender affection, and her hands, that always stroked his cheek after a nightmare. His mother told him it had belonged to her mother. That she’d had it since before the war, and she told her it kept her safe. When his grandmother passed when Finnick was still a baby, she left it to her daughter. 

“Nana said that as long as she wore this, she knew God would guard against any evil,” his mother recited. 

But how could she believe that? When he himself knew how people starved during the war. When so many lost everything. His grandmother was an orphan by the end of the war. God did not protect her or anyone else. Because a god who would let all that suffering happen wasn’t a deity worth worshiping. And that same cosmic being sits idly by and allows child after child to be sacrificed to the whims of those who think themselves better. 

Though now, he thinks he’s found something that he could put his faith in. Something that could show him the blind devotion that his nana and mother relied so heavily on.

Hope was a big part of having faith because to have one, you have to believe in the other. He gives his mother and nana a little slack now that he’s tasted that euphoric cocktail of conviction. It’s a potent thing, and to Finnick, it’s the worst thing that could have happened to him. It’s more powerful than the hatred he has for Snow and the Capitol. He likens it to nervousness, to fear. Except it doesn’t cripple him. It weeps inside of him, crawls up his throat, and pours out of him like the sweetest honey. 

It gives him the gift of volition—the drive to break away from the terror that haunts him. The will to live. The hunger for change. 

And that is why it’s the most awful thing that could have befell him. Because not only does he have himself to concern with, he has her. 

She changes him. Makes him into this man that wants again. He dreams and he hopes, but right now he’s trying to convince himself that his faith won’t be ripped away from him. 

He’s spiraling down the dark abyss of fear because, what if? What if he goes to the med bay and the one person, he believes for is taken from him? His will, his hunger, his want. What if it’s all gone? Because she’s gone, and she’s taken everything with her. 

It is an agonizing thing to be half dead and half alive. So many times, he thought about how he could end it. Just a few minutes too long under the water. Or if he needed it to be quick, a bullet for his last meal would work just fine. But he can’t think like that anymore. 

Because he doesn’t know if she’s gone or not. If she’s left him and stole away everything good in the world with her. There’s a chance, he tells himself. He could see her again, hold her, kiss her, love her. 

So he’s pushing past everyone running around in the halls. Paying no mind to all the people he’s bumping into, and all the annoyed looks thrown his way. He aches still, and his body screams at him. But he’d been to hell and back more times than he could count. His joints and muscles could complain all they wanted. Knowing mattered more. She mattered more. 

He can picture her the way she was before. Because he’s sure that if she survived, Snow at least got his fill of ruining her. The girl Finnick adores more than the salt in the air or the smell of Mag’s peach cobbler. For that alone, they would have butchered her. He’s falling again, so instead of that, he thinks of her smile, her laugh, and the way her nose scrunches when she is annoyed at him. 

Fuck, how he wants to see that smile again. Hear that giggle and coax out that scrunch. 

He runs, then, faster than he ever has before. He knows he’s going to have to make some serious apologies at some point. But courtesy can wait. She can’t. 

The harsh lights of the med bay hurt his eyes, but he looks around. Turning a circle and staggering like a drunk. 

Hands catch him by the shoulders, and he almost throws a punch. But then Gale turns him around to face him. “Where-where is she?” Finnick asks. His voice sounds foreign, like the breaking of glass almost. 

“I think you need to calm down first.” Gale answers, not unkindly, but Finnick is so wound up that it angers him. Because no, he needs to see her. Until then, there is no calm. So, he pushes Gale away from him. Eyes darting widely around the med bay once again. 

“Where is she?” He asks out loud to anyone who could tell him. “Where is she?” He wonders if this is what being hijacked feels like. But then he tells himself maybe it’s just being in love. Love can make a person insane, and right now, that’s what he feels like. He’s going to fly off the handle if someone doesn’t start talking to him. Because why aren’t they?

A doctor walks right past him, nose in a clipboard with some paperwork on it. Finnick imagines gripping that doctor by the hair and tearing his throat out with his bare hands. He starts yelling her name over and over and over. His voice breaks among the syllables.  

But then…

“Finnick!” He hears her voice so loud and clear, like a crack of lightning across the sky. He doesn’t see her until she collides with him, almost knocking him down. But he clutches her to him, probably too tightly, but she says nothing. She tears at his back, her nails digging into his skin under the fabric of his shirt. But he doesn’t care because if he’s feeling that, then that means he’s feeling her. 

"Finnick." She whispers quietly this time as if convincing herself that he's really here. Her face is buried in his neck, and he can feel her breath fan out across his skin.

She pulls back, and Finnick thinks he might cry, but then she’s kissing him, so he knows he’s going to cry. He can’t breathe between the tears and her lips still on his. He doesn’t give a fuck, though. He lets her kiss him for as long as she needs, because he knows she needs that right now. Being without her here in Thirteen was hard enough. What she went through in the Capitol paled in comparison. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He’s mumbling against her lips. Salty tears falling into their mouths.

And she’s saying back, “It’s okay. I’m okay.” 

It’s not okay; nothing bad that’s ever happened to her was okay. But she’s here now, and he’s got her, and he’s never letting her out of his sight again. 

Standing there, drinking in her holiness, Finnick finally realizes what true devotion feels like.

The words just poured out of me with this one. Love when that happens.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Hey Dapper! As an avid follower of- and equally avid inspiration-taker from your work, first of all, thank you for the work you've put into all this. It is a treasure-trove of knowledge and inspiration that has certainly made me very happy. Can I ask for your thoughts on Tharizdun? I've been trying to form a concept of it for in my own world, but I've had little success.

Monsters Reimagined: Tharizdun, the Whisperer in Darkness

Being the default "god of madness" Tharizdun brings together two of my enduring gripes with d&d: gods that no one would actually worship and the enduring legacy of depicting people with mental illness as dangerous lunatics devoid of empathy and reason.

As he currently exists in the DM's toolbox, the whole point of including Tharizdun in your campaign is to act as the powersource behind whichever final fantasy style endboss wants to start the apocalypse before unleashing a mass of offband lovecraftian tentacles. Derivative, trite, his singular desire to inspire others to end the world is MCU levels of failing to give villains proper motivations.

We can do better

TLDR: Far In the wildest depths of the astral sea the ur-god Tharizdun is formless and thoughtless, yet dreaming. Resembling nothing so much as a cosmic nebula of oily clouds, a vast and shapeless expanse of churning primordial chaos that pulses with synapses of psychic lighting containing a consciousness older than time itself. Like a sleeper beset with sleep paralysis the chained oblivion thrashes against a reality it can only barely perceive, sending shockwaves of destruction across the cosmos.

While scholars of all worlds debate the true origins and nature of Tharizdun they can agree on two things:

It is more powerful than all the pantheons of creation, and it is terrified.

Inspiration: I wasn't originally going to do a whole monsters reimagined on Tharizdun, instead simply gesturing on what Matt Mercer has done with the deity (using the roiling chaos as a throughline for much of his Exandrian worldbuilding) and leaving it at that.

Around the same time I got this ask though I was considering doing my own take on Azathoth, the so called "blind idiot god" of the lovecraft mythos, inspiration struck and I decided to alloy the two concepts into what I think is a stronger whole. There's a lot of overlap in the two formless horrors, partly due to Tharizdun being a d&d's attempt to dip its toe into eldritch horror, without quite understanding the thematic framework involved.

Like many other things ( Minorities, the sea, decay, air conditioning) Lovecraft was terrified of objective reality. This might sound like a joke, but fundamental to his mythos is the fear that earth and the white men that lived upon it were not the centre of the universe created by a loving god. Lovecraft lived in increasingly scientific times and the science supported the idea of a universe in which humanity's existence was the meaningless product of random chance. Azathoth was this anxiety embodied in its most extreme scale: the capital G god of the universe which sat in the middle of all creation that was not only uncaring towards humanity (as many of Lovecraft's creations were) but the embodiment of ultimate unthinking chaos.

Trying to port Azathoth (and most of the other lovecrafitan pantheon) doesn't work because the conceits of the genre fundamentally clash. D&D DOES propose a moral universe, and goes out of its way to simplify morality down to such a cartoonish level that it has objective answers. In Lovecraft the horror comes from the fact that the cultists and their fucked up alien gods exist, where as the moral christian god doesn't... in d&d there's no reason for the cultists to worship the fucked up alien gods because the regular gods are both existent and quite nice.

The default d&d cosmology has multiple infinite voids of chaos including limbo, the abyss, and the far realm. I've already given my take on one of these, but I wanted an alternative for the origins of the weird that wasn't specifically focused on entropic decay.

There's a fascinating (and very depressing) history over the term hysteria and the connotations of mental crisis with feminine fragility. The word itself comes from the greek word for womb and there's something about the idea of "primal birthing chaos" that's worth playing with insofar as it makes weird rightoids Jordan Peterson deeply afraid.

Taking these thoughts as well as my earlier gripes in mind, its going to take a bit of an overhaul to make Tharizdun/Azathoth as a credible antagonistic force for a campaign. Also, this might be my own bias as an author showing through here but I don't go in for the lovecrafitan "truths too terrible to be understood". I think the universe is a fundamentally knowable place and if things exist outside our means of perceiving them then we'll just bullrush through and work out a temporary explanation on our way.

Here's my Fix/Pitch: Both Tharizdun and Azathoth are supposed to represent primordial chaos and formless madness. D&D's less than stellar history with mental health issues aside, we know that "madness" isn't evil and it isn't the antithetical opposite of order: It's flawed reason, it's an inability to comprehend, and it's deeply scary for those going through it.

THAT ended up reminding me of a famous quote from lovecraft himself; "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown".

What if we make THAT FEAR into the god? Imagine the panicked sensation of being woken from the deepest slumber by a sudden noise, the door opening or a loud bang going off somewhere on your street..... the phantom horror of something touching you, crawling over you in the middle of the night before you have any of your senses or reason or memory to tell you that it's just your partner or your pet or your own bed sheets. That's the stuff sleep paralysis is made of and it's been haunting us humans since the dawn of time. It's also the same horror of being born, of being a non-thing and then coming into existence in fits and starts without any understanding of the world that you're now

Now imagine there's something out there in the astral sea, the plane of dreams and thoughts... powerful beyond all imagining but created without the ability to ever fully wake up. It is stuck in that first moment of existence because it may well have been the first thing to ever exist and it's been trapped in the shapeless nightmare of an infant since the dawn of time

THAT is how you make a god about the horror of the unknown. A god that is antagonistic to us because it is sacred of us, and it is scared because it has no way of knowing us, knowing the reality it inhabits beyond its own fear.

Adventure Hooks:

The greatest threat Tharizdun presents to most beings in the universe is having a nightmare about them. Through the inexplicable paths of sleep an individual's mind may find themselves connected to the entity's own... receiving terrible visions as the thinking clouds of Tharizdun's body churn in a variable brainstorm. Some aspect of this communion will be twisted into something terrible, birthed into the cosmos with the same shrieking fear and confusion that inspired its creation. Some desperate few seek out this communion, thinking in their hubris that they can give shape to Tharizdun's creation, that the terror beyond time suffers collaborators or requests. (Yes, I'm yoinking the dream-spawning ability of beholders. They were already weird enough before they started getting involved with dream stuff)

Despite being a living entity, Tharizdun is also a place, a plane unto itself streaking through the multiverse like a collossal ameoba through the primordial soup. There are landscapes within the god, whole continents that form and erode through seasons of surreality as the paroxyc titan dreams them into being. One can create portals into these landscapes, even fly a jammership across them, but the act of doing so invites an even more chaotic backlash than visiting the chained oblivion in dreams, letting its terror leak out into the waking worlds.

The name "chained oblivion" dates back to an eon when forces of celestial order attempted to keep Tharizdun contained in the hopes of preventing the escape of its creations or its contact with other minds. This period of the multiverse oft refereed to as the "Time of Quiet" sadly came to an end when the entity's bindings were shattered by a collective of villains and horrors today refereed to as the "Court of Fools" or "Troupe of the Final Void". The Troupe are a motley bunch, unable to agree on a theology but all wanting to pick at the slumbering titan like it was a scab on the skin of heaven. Some serenade Tharzidun with cacophonous music, others hurl saints and sacrifices into its body, some worship or hunt the god's offspring while others stab it with cosmic pokers, just to get a reaction. They want to wake the chained oblivion and don't care how much of the multiverse they have to burn to do it.

Like a mollusc producing pearls as a means of containing an irritating bit of grit, Tharizdun's roiling cosmic body will occasionally spit out an entire world or strange demiplanes as a means of dislodging something it could not pallet. While this has been the genesis of many realms both beautiful and terrible throughout the astral timeline, of late all these worlds worth taking have been colonized by the Troupe. Woe and pity to any mortal who calls such a world home, ruled over by tyrants who care only for destruction, unaware of a cosmos not coloured by Tharizdun's wake.

Titles: The chained oblivion, the spiraling titan, sire of stars, the Paroxsmal god, Lord of all Hysterics.

Signs: Stormclouds that look oily and churn with otherworldly light, formless nightmares and pervasive sleep paralysis, mass delusion, darkness that echoes with the god's muttering and the sound of distant flutes.

Worshippers: Ad hoc worship of Tharizdun tends to congregate around those who have received unwanted visions of the chained oblivion, as the harrowing experiance often bestows those that suffer it with an otherworldy weight to their words, to say nothing of occasional psychic powers. Many abberations likewise pay heed to the chained oblivion, either for directly giving them life or for its great and insuppressable power. Among these include Grell who refer to Tharizdun as "storm mother", The nightmarish Quori follow in the wake of the god's psychic emanations and make up a large faction of the court of fools, and the Kaorti, terrifying mage-things remade by exposure to the spiralling titan's heart who claim to be heralds for the entity.

Art

[dotomuses]

sagau p1 : miss miko's mumbles. he/they for reader, but no anatomy or dni. tw: none.. tevyat is kinda mean to reader but thats all lol.

💌 no actual reader content right now... just a small something to get started, somewhat an insight on tevyat's views on the reader?

" a hidden source of ancient knowledge, scrolls shoved deep within the akademiya's restricted shelves, gathering dust, painting colourful tales of a primeval deity.

a deity unlike the archons, unlike the dragons and unlike the scattered minor gods and beasts of tevyat, a deity who held no significance to tevyat's intricate laws. a deity with no magnificent creatures to call his own, no powers or blessings to give to kneeling worshippers, yet a deity whose swiftest glance struck the mortals of tevyat tongue-tied and reeling.

"let us adorn you with our flowers!" bellowed the trunks of sumeru's towering thorned trees, "let us sing to you!" whispered mondstadt's wailing, whining gales, "rest on our shores," mewled fontaine's raging currents "or drift on our currents, and let us take you far away from all...". inazuma's thunder cried and screamed, loud as a nursery of hungry children, hungry for the god's attention. natlan's rumbling rocks fell from their perches as avalanches, running like babes wanting to be coddled by their mothers, into the arms of the god. snezhnaya's unwavering snow storms fell and fell, adorning themselves with the prettiest snow flakes, just for a look, the lightest praise, from the god.

the deity's devotees were all children of violence, creatures of doom, beings of hate. but to him, they were the scorned, the regretted, the rejected. they were the most precious of all, the worthiest of his stories, the likeliest to trust in his well-crafted chronicles.

he spoke of worlds outside tevyat, worlds overcome with cold, never receding snow and ice. worlds made of gargantuan ships, each city a large cabin, housing pelicans of metal, and people of stone. worlds where reality and expectation went hand in hand, singing songs of people's dreams, bubbling with emotion, joy and grief.

most of all, he spoke of revelation. to him, to his creatures, to his loveliest of children, it was the solid truth, the undoubted phrases that left the tongues of the cosmos higher than celestia itself. but to the archons, to the people, to every other creature, they were a fraud. a liar, who insulted the archons with his reign over their wicked beasts, who wished nothing more that to provoke celestia's wrath, and be stricken so far into the abyss, he himself would someday become one with it. his hymns stitched words, words that revealed the truth of this world, the truth that-"

yae miko laughed lightly, covering her mouth with her hand, pink pigment shining brightly against her nails. "what a lovely story you've made up for me, traveler, paimon," she began, watching the pair carefully, "paimon makes the loveliest story teller... but do tell me what set you out to recite this fascinating little thing." she added, an eyebrow arched elegantly.

paimon scowled, her little face scrunching into displeasure. "miss yae miko!" she stomped her foot in the air, "we didn't make it up! traveler already said so! she said we got it from sumeru! and won't you answer our question?!" she cawed, pointing dutifully at her companion, who smiled sheepishly.

yae hummed thoughtfully, a finger to her chin "do remind me of your question little paimon" she feigned a small yawn, covering her lips politely, "i'm afraid you've bored me asleep with this one, i can barely recall anything..." paimon looked ready to blow a fuse, ridiculously oblivious to yae's teasing, her rubber heart being prodded at, and easily provoked with yae's taunts.

"we'd asked if any of this makes sense to you miss yae, any familiarity?" traveler began, her voice lofty and slightly strained from unuse, "we've tried with other companions, but not even the akademiya scholars have anything to say." yae miko smiled, her shiny canines concealed, eyes shut in a relaxed manner.

"i'm afraid not traveler, but if nobody seems to recognize this odd 'deity' of yours, why are you so persistent on finding somebody who does?" yae enquired, pressing her lips together in a thin line, shaking her head "perhaps they're just fiction you know... another dashed, yet rather thorough attempt i must confess, at a bestseller."

paimon sagged midair, like a suspended sack of rice. "all this trouble for nothing?" she wailed, "i told you we should have called quits after al haitham said he knew nothing! and i told you we should've called quits again when faruzan shooed us away!" paimon scolded, crossing her arms at the traveler. her companion only raised her hands in surrender, smiling apologetically, and turning back to the other woman facing her.

"thank you for your help miss yae" traveler spoke, pressing her palms together, "we're sorry to have bothered you with something so trivial..." yae miko only molly-coddled her in response, shaking her head left and right. "it's quite alright dear, you've provided me with quite a bit of entertainment... be off now, i'm sure you have much work to get to."

she eyed the parchment paimon read out of so enthusiastically, hesitating from the probable absurdity of the question she thought of asking. "tell me traveler, would you mind if i held on to this for a while? perhaps we could make use of it at the publishing house..." paimon opened her mouth to refuse like a little gentle lady, adamant on keeping all their travel's treasures to themselves, only for the traveler to respond first. "i don't see any use for it, i suppose you could hang on to it miss yae."

yae miko brightened, eyes gleaming happily at her conquest "i'm very glad traveler, you've done me a great favour," she said, taking the scroll from her "now, i shan't hold you back any longer. do visit!"

traveler nodded, waving goodbye as paimon tugged on her scarf, yowling "i told you so!"s, "you should have listened!"s and an accusatory "why did you give it away?". yae lifted her hand in farewell, which dropped solemnly as soon as the traveler was out of sight.

she flourished the paper open, a sudden, uncharacteristic scowl on her face, painting her lovely features in disgust and scorn. "even in exile you bother us all, charlatan." she murmured to herself.

she ought to burn it, and throw its ashes to the fish, but held back. the lovely swirls of the letters mesmerising her, drawled along the page in a dance, elegant beyond words. her frustration only grew, chanting that no matter how much beauty liars weaved in their words, they were still lies.

and no matter how beautiful a liar was, they were still a liar, and would remain one until repentance.

and (name) would never repent.

💌 gahh i feel kinda lame.. its been a while since ive written anything and speedran this on 13% charge. had a dillema choosing between faruzan and yae for this intro piece, but i hope its turned out ok. ill try uploading the next part soon. bye bye!

[mirrorbvllhoon]

Still Monster (Eros!Sunghoon x Psyche!fem!reader)

She looks at me With shadowless eyes But I know The abyss within me

₊˚ ✧ Still Monster, Enhypen

word count: 3.6k

CW: apparition of Jay x y/n (the Hades and Persephone y/n), kind of suggestive, angsty, fluff, mentions of death, and I think that's it

The princess Y/n stood in the carriage parading through the city where her father ruled, there was no doubt that the beast of beauty stood in all fours demanding for more of her, until she was left alone, when she came to age everyone seemed to notice her beautiful factions, the curves in her body, some even worshiped her as the reincarnation of Aphrodite because of the dazzling stun that adorned her existence, yet her two sisters  were already betrothed to promised young men, while she was alone, every man of the village wished  to marry her yet she longed for something different in her insides; the punishment of her life was the beauty she was given with. 

A princess who would become a queen because of her captivating beauty, everyone seemed to look at her as an attraction, being loved by the outer part of her existence, always the “most beautiful creature to roam earth” never y/n, yet the superficial love people had for her made y/n’s sisters blood boil, then how could she be considered a new deity? people stopped paying tributes to aphrodite and decided to give them towards y/n instead, if only they knew it wasn’t tributes what she longed for, all she needed was love.

But how could she know that while she was giving the town a spectacle, the goddess Aphrodite had conveyed her son, Sunghoon, god of love and passion a commandment to punish the young girl who people played to be their new god.

“Use your arrows and make her fall in love with a hideous creature…maybe that will teach her to not mess with the gods” Aphrodite’s words echoed through Sunghoon’s mind as he flew to the palace where the young woman lived, searching in every window for her already asleep silhouette, when finally arriving at her chambers he stealthily entered the room, with curiosity roaming through his mind he decided to get close so he could admire her so-called beauty, what was his surprise to see the most perfect woman he had ever encountered with, there were truly no other mortals who could compare to her beauty, overwhelmed by her splendid beauty he could understand how his mother’s jealousy was not a coincidence, for y/n’s beauty was to sunghoon the most splendid thing, there was no one among nymphs or goddesses that could even be compared to her.

While being contemplated by Sunghoon, y/n turned in her sleep, admiring for the smallest glimpses of seconds the shadow figure that crept over her, identifying only the beauty marks that adorned his face, she thought it was only a dream, so she closed her eyes and slept, however this simple action caused Sunghoon to stumble, and now the arrow that was in his hand caressed his skin, drawing blood, and in that very second, he fell in love with his arrow only intensifying the turmoil of emotions that were already triggered in him when he first saw her, and because of that love he failed to accomplish his mother’s mission. How could he harm the person he loved the most?

Y/n’s life continued normally, not even understanding what had happened, and while time passed and her sisters were already married, she couldn’t understand how anyone had wed her yet, her sisters cruel words reminding her of the situation only made her existence more difficult, her father promised her that soon enough the suitor she was waiting for should arrive, yet doubts and worry flooded his mind, he was worried about her daughter’s situation, unaware that the lack of suitors was now fault of the god of love, Sunghoon, and because he refused to allow any other man to be with her, they didn’t even know her as he did.

Desperate for answers the king arrived to the oracle of Delphi, where the god Apollo pronounced himself:

“Your daughter will marry a winged monster whose life only consists of causing pain to mortals and deities, the princess shall be left on the edge of the abyss dressed in matrimonial attire to be presented to the monster that will cause her death”

The monster that Apollo was talking about was no other than Sunghoon, yet because of his beauty he had harvested big resentment towards him, that being the reason behind his cruel harsh words and the false prophecy that he had announced to the king who was now left in tears, afraid to lose one of her daughters to such a cruel fate, but y/n’s sisters had insisted that they must follow the prophecy otherwise they would unleash the gods fury above them and curse their kingdom for the centuries to come, afraid of the decision the king ought to take he revealed everything to y/n, revealing the day that awaited her, her beauty a magnificent curse that had now caused a fatal fate to arrive.

This time the parade carriage resembled more a funeral procession, contrasting the white of her wedding attire were the sorrow-filled eyes of her father and the satisfied smirks of her sisters that watched from afar the look in her face that showed the discomfort she felt, how could everyone go from loving her to hating her in such a short period of time, they gave tributes towards her as if she was the new goddess they were worshiping and now she was just another woman that had ever roamed earth, their rejoiced chants turned into sorrows and bemoans, as if they didn’t know the blasphemies that they had committed pinning every ounce of their guilt into the young girl that was now alone in the cliff where she would await for her fate.

On the edge of the abyss Zephyr, the west wind, levitated her delicately through the sky, when her feet touched solid ground again she awoke in an unknown place, with flowers adorning every inch of grass and an even bigger palace than the ones she had ever seen or lived in, she climbed through the stairs that led her though the palace, where every centimeter was adorned with gold, silver, marble and jewels, there wasn’t any blank space that wasn’t adorned with splendid stones, luxury exceeded through the air, yet there was no sign of anyone in that place, until she heard a sweet voice.

“My lady, everything that you see is now at your disposal, and you can ask anything of us. We are here to serve you and assist you”, said the butler of the house, y/n later noticed that the servants of the house were invisible.

The day went by and she was treated as a queen, being served and bathed, even serenaded until the night arrived and she was instructed to wait in their chambers for her husband to arrive, the happiness she had felt turned into fear.

“How’s your master like? I’ve been told that he’s a monster”, y/n asked with unease setting in her stomach

“Some say that, but I can assure you he is not a monster, just… turbulent on some occasions” said the butler while guiding her to the room.

She stood looking to the cloak of stars that adorned the night canvas, until she saw a winged figure arrive, her body tensed and in a matter of seconds he felt his breath fanning over the nape of her neck, with no idea of what would happen she closed her eyes, until a sweet voice disrupted her chaotic thoughts.

“I won’t hurt you sweetheart, what do you want me to do?”, Sunghoon asked, getting both of them back into the chambers, putting her in the bed while he fawned over her “Could I kiss you?” he asked and she nodded, their lips finally meeting in a sweet connection that turned heated and passionate in a matter of seconds, when his lips started to meet the nape of her neck and his fingers swirled through her hair and body, the night passed shortly and unlike everything she had thought of her husband, he was sweet and attentive, giving her a night of sublime pleasure and love as she had never imagined could exist, but now the bed was empty, and she had no idea what her husband looked like.

The day passed by and while continued to roam the new facilities she was given with she couldn’t wait for the night to arrive so she could have a glimpse of the passionate love she could only dream of, finally Sunghoon arrived and they loved each other for hours until their breaths gave up and they were covered in each others arms, the safest place she had known, the routine repeated itself night after night and day after day, being one of those nights where y/n decided to ask him “My love, why do you always hide? I would love to see you”

“Is the love I give you not enough? All I have asked for you is to not see me, in the darkness we are equals” His voice heightened, which caused her to jump and to get away from his warm hold.

“I’m sorry, I never meant to annoy you”, y/n whispered

He sighed, “No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have talked to you that way or have risen my tone, I apologize sweetheart that wasn’t my intention, all I ask is for you to not see me”, He took her closer, hugging her and not letting her go, until the night went by and she fell asleep.

She had decided to respect his husbands request and stopped asking or touching the subject, instead she decided to ask him to allow her to visit her family, because although her life was as magnificent as it could be, she missed her parents, Sunghoon loved her so much and trusted her that he of course said yes, and although he would miss her, he only wished for her happiness and well-being.

“Love, I hoped that you would allow me to visit my  family, the last thing they knew about me is that I am dead, please, allow me to visit them, so they know I’m well and happy”, y/n asked, sunghoon’s arms holding her tight and her head resting on his chest, he knew that when freeing her she could choose to never come back, but he hoped that the love he felt towards the young woman was requited, if she came back he would know that the love she had for him was genuine.

When y/n arrived to the mortal realm once again and encountered with her family astonish surrounded their expressions and for the sisters false smiles that they wore with such decorum, filled with rage and jealousy of how y/n was now being adorned and treated as the richest of queens, with jewels and festivities celebrated because of her glorious arrival.

“Mybeloved daughter is back, again” chanted the king, if only he knew that her daughter wouldn’t be staying for that long.

Finally the most important question was asked, “How’s your life with that mysterious husband you have?”, her mother still holding her daughter’s hand, hoping to hear sorrow-filled laments…

“It couldn’t be better, he does everything to please me, he is sweet and dedicated”

“Don’t fool us y/n!” one of her sisters said in exasperation, “You always talk about your life as if it was wonderful compared to ours…”

“You don’t need to believe what I tell you, come with me and allow me to show you everything myself” interrupted y/n

Both of the sisters and y/n stood on the cliff awaiting for the arrival of zephyrs wind to elevate them to the heavenly palace, when they awoke in the flower-filled garden, the jealous sisters couldn’t believe their eyes, everything y/n said was true, and the jealousy flooded their minds to try and ruin her perfect state of life.

“But you do remember what the oracle said, don’t you y/n?” the other sister started, her voice filled with false sadness, “You have married a monster that eventually will cause your death”

“Yes, while you are sleeping, you shall take a light and see the monster’s face and after you do that, slash his throat and be freed from this awful prophecy”

Her sisters had already left but their words still flooded her mind, distrust setting in and once the night fell and her and her husband lied down on the bed, she decided to break his trust and with the light of the lamp see his face.

As she approached the men and contemplated his ethereal beauty, she saw again those beauty marks that adorned his nose and under eye, as if the stars themselves had decorated his face, she finally concluded that the man in front of her was neither mortal or monster, but a god.

She tried to admire him even more when a drop of the lamp’s oil fell down, landing on his chest, stirring his sleep and waking him up.

“Y/n are you alright?”, his first thought after he felt the burn in his skin was of her but once his eyes opened to see the guilt filled eyes and the lamp and hidden knife, his expression changed “How could you be such a fool? I’ve asked of one thing only, and you betrayed me”

“It’s not what you think, please my love forgive me…”

“Not what I think? it’s not that you believed that I was a monster and planned on killing me? Am I wrong?”, his voice filled with sadness and lament, oh how he wished to be wrong.

She maintained her head low, while he headed to the window to leave and never come back, she tried to explain herself once again, but in her attempts to jump and catch him she fell to the ground, with no wounds but her broken heart.

She arrived once again to her homeland that no longer felt like home, her sisters however arrived to the cliff in a desperate attempt to be flown away to the lands of pleasure that once belonged to y/n, but Zephyr was smarter than that, allowing them to levitate for the shortest of seconds before dropping them in the abyss, where the furies would punish them for their sins, y/n on the other hand, started to serve Demeter’s temple, but the thoughts that flooded her mind belonged only to Sunghoon and the days that once revolved around them.

Finally Demeter felt sorry and decided to advise her on what to do to get her lover back.

“Y/n, you must go to the temple of Aphrodite and with humility surrender yourself to the goddess, then you will soften Aphrodite’s wrath and even gain your lover back”, Demeter started, y/n’s image reminding her of her own daughter.

“It would be foolish of me to not follow the advice of such a wise goddess”, y/n answered, taking a decision to get Sunghoon back.

Finally arriving at the temple of Aphrodite and partially meeting her mother-in-law, she threw herself to the ground when finally encountering the goddess.

“I humbly throw myself at your service” y/n started, her head low and her knees touching the ground, “...in search for your forgiveness”

“To earn my forgiveness is a difficult task, and to do that you would have to accomplish the most difficult tasks, some that may even cost you your life”, said the goddess with disdain

“I will do anything to gain your forgiveness”, answered y/n, hoping that the tears that fell through her face wouldn’t be as noticeable.

The first task arrived, and y/n was met with three big piles almost mountain-like of mixed seeds of poppy, lentils, barley and beans, her job was to separate each and every of them the difficulty of such a task would’ve overwhelmed even some of the most powerful gods, however Sunghoon watched from afar, and knowing that he may have hurt the woman he loved the most he decided to send ando so they could help her with the task, she ended with her task before the sun could set, astonishing herself and the goddess.

The second task arrived and this time she had to collect a hank of golden wool that belonged only to the golden sheeps, the animals however were vicious but with her ingenuity she decided to collect the wool that the animals left when crossing through a thorny path, and thus completing Aphrodite's second task.

When faced with the third task that according to the goddess would be even more difficult than the passing ones, she was set to collect water from a fall that was connected with the styx and cocytus river, however this time, Zeus decided to help her by sending an eagle that would retrieve the water for her, the goddess was exasperated by seeing how the young woman with help of the gods could accomplish her trials, and so the last triple arrived.

“You will need to go to the underworld and ask its queen to fill me this box with her beauty since your presence has tired my beauty so you shall accomplish this task and this way I will regain my strength, If you do accomplish this task you will have my forgiveness and will be free to reunite with Sunghoon once again”, Aphrodite pronounced before dismissing the young woman to accomplish her task.

Y/n felt the sadness of a thousand oceans crippling over her cheeks, she knew that her end was near, maybe the prophecy was right after all and she was fated to die such a lonesome death, she stood on a tall window while admiring the night sky and the stars that decorated it, reminding herself who she was doing this for, hoping those memories would give her the strength to jump and take her own life, when she was about to jump a mysterious voice started to whisper-talk to her.

“Don't do that, I know a way that you can arrive to the underworld without dying”, Sunghoon advised her, too afraid of losing her for eternity this time, “You will have to give Charon, the boatman who will guide you along the styx river, two silver coins, and give Cerberus the three-headed dog and guardian of the underworld barley and honey bread mixed with sleep pills so he can calm down and allow you entrance, the path to the underworld is rough, but you can easily accomplish it by following the path, however you must know that under any circumstance you can’t open the beauty filled box ”

When y/n finally arrived at the underworld and met with Charon, she handed him the coins as payment and explained the reason for her visit, and this way she crossed the river of souls and sorrow and arrived at the palace where Jay and his wife lived.

“What does a mortal like you search for in this place?”, the queen asked

“My queen, I serve the goddess Aphrodite who sent me here to ask you to fill this box of your beauty, so that she can restore hers”, y/n explained

The woman stood from her throne and carefully filled the box with beauty, and although hers would restore eventually, in that very moment her husband stood by her side, cautious of the effects that giving away her beauty would cause.

“You’re still the prettiest”, Jay whispered to his wife’s ear, pulling a chuckle out of her, announcing to y/n the queue to leave.

When passing through the Underworld’s path she encountered Cerberus, however as she previously knew, she handed him the bread which put him to sleep almost immediately, allowing her to pass and arrive at the styx river, when the boat had already sailed she stared at her reflection in the river, her tired eyes an evidence of the hard work she had done, for a second she thought of the box, maybe if she just opened it slightly, she could look even more beautiful for her husband, but when she opened the box a black mist swirled her, and she fainted.

Sunghoon felt that something was happening to his lover, so he came to her rescue, seeing her already cold cadaver on the realms of the underworld, and the angel of death standing next to her, ready to claim her to the death lands, nevertheless Sunghoon wouldn’t allow that, and using his powers he retrieved the mist from y/n’s body, feeling the warmth flooding her body once again, and giving the mist back into the box.

When opening her eyes, she stared at the winged figure of her husband, finally able to look at his eyes, both of them smiled before kissing once again, as if their lips were the heaven the other pursued, drunk on each other’s presence as if they had been hit by one of his arrows once again.

“Although I would love to take you back to our home, you must finish the work first sweetheart”, Sunghoon pronounced before kissing her forehead, handing her the box to hand it to Aphrodite.

And while she handed the box to the love goddess, Sunghoon flew to Mount Olympus and begged Zeus himself to allow y/n to bond with her and have Aphrodite’s blessing as well, the day finally arrived that all gods and goddesses reunited to celebrate, and from the hands of Zeus himself and under Aphrodite’s blessing, y/n drank the nectar and ambrosia of the gods, bestowing her with immortality, and a love that would persist forever and always.

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

a/n: had fun writing this one, hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did, let me know what you think ;)

[thecoolnauta]

Idea for Sagau but instead of MC as a young adult who is love by everyone is just... A TEEN (xd)

THIS GOING TO BE LONG SO

So okay, (I'm bad at English so, I don't thinks this might be well understod but, please excuse it :'u) this actually came from me watching TOH while eating so.

Just think of it, where all Teyvat's knows about this mystic and graceful creature that is always near the Traveler and their little rare pixie. They know that a unknown creature even above their gods is traveling with the (far to nice) foreign.

They don't know how they look, they don't know how they act or even how they sound like, but they can feel them. A warm hug filled with curiosity and dearly affection.

Maybe they won't make a whole new religion for that new god, but they might pray them instead of their own Archons for very important wishes. Hoping for an instant, you'll hear them.

And even the Archons are cool with it!!! Since the Traveler came to Teyvat, everyone feels that love biting their skin in a childish way.

They imagine you like a benevolent and playful deity, a charming and elegant being that helps even with the most harmful missions, just for save them.

Just for make them smile again.

And there's you! A (probably) neurdivergent queer kid who might be not fully North American and is obsessed with fantasy and writing fanfics about your parental figures.

Yeah, you might get to intense when is about them. But hey, even Jesus doubt.

In your universe, Genshin is not, in fact, a thing. The whole freaking lore and the "gameplays" are just very detailed dreams you have every night.

You can't actually tell when it started, but it have a while so-

Yeah, you are really The Creator, huh.

Well, let me tell you something, IT'S GETTING WORSE

When your not that accepting parents decided to put you on a weird camp thing where you will be a honorable member of American society (yeah u know what I meant) a weird but cute... create stool your diary where you write your dreams.

To write a fanfic or smt idk.

And that, really weird existence with withe fluffy hair(?) and golden eyes ran into a forest that you never actually notice.

But screw that you probably change the state, you're getting back that diary.

Persecution cringy cinematic, blahblahblah and you get to a very gigante estructure more old than your last name. The fantasy and pure white practically inviting you to take a closer look.

And you do, of course (maybe was your internal desire of still being you)

You pass over it, the creature is gone, but you have your diary back. Yey :D!!

But man, this isn't the Americans, they would never take care of a forest like this.

Then you almost do the same travel of the not Abyss twin (I'm getting tired, I just want to name one of them but AHG), you walk all over the forest, see with amusement all around and WHY IT'S TOO FAMILIAR FOR THE LOVE OF MADOKAMI.

And yeah, after finding slimes and a statue of a very pretty man you realized you were in your dreams world.

oh, oh

Yep, you were in fuckin Teyvat's floor, touching Teyvat's grass and breathing Teyvat's oxygen...

AND LISTEN TO ME you just fall into Mondstadt to find a guide and a way to scape and all treats you like the Traveler but ways less useful. Just offering you food and awkward smiles by your strange kind of act.

(they just can't handle a neurdivergent kid with anger issues talking Spanish when they can't understand how the time works)

So after the fourth night sleeping on a bunch of boxes because you refuse to have any type of cold blood animal on you when you sleep, an aventure took you to the Favonius knights.

(Totally not a request, Katherine you inteligent metallic women)

So they might just seeing you like a kid who happens to be in the same spot as the Traveler, but less stronger and more but MORE curious than them.

You smeems to know everything, not just of them but their nation, asking thing that a normal foreign would never ask.

But after a while of overthinking, they just decide to let you wandering around Mondstadt, just if you don't cause any trouble.

In fact, you did, but shhhh..

Yeah, all that would ended like a weird but not problematic at all situation BUT OH NO LORD BARBAS FREE THEM BECAUSE THEY GET ATTACHED TO U MORE THAN THEY WANTED.

Found family found familying and stuff, you're totally Pog dude, never forget that.

AND WHEN THEM FINDS OUT YOU'RE THE CREATOR WHO TAKE CARE OF THEM AND TAKE CARE OF KILLING THE MENACE WITH THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP THEY JUST:

"Oh for you, kiddo you were the creator all along!!!"

"The what?"

But you just go before they even finish to assimilate all that information bomb. And that repeats with all the nations, for the love of hippie god son

So yeah, they just re program their windows and treat u like the above mortals type and you're just confused and too neurdivergent for that shit so just "continue talking man, yeah I totally understand the fact that u see me as the god of gods, yeah sure, rad"

And yeah, that was everything, it's 3:00 and I'm very dizzy so, please don't mind my really bad grammar and thanks for reading all that.

(If you want to use the idea just give credits, it's okay) Maybe If I have time I'll write an actual fanfic or more headcanons but now I'm going to sleep.

Stay safe, remember: you can fight all this shit, you'll get better soon. Bye :v

[thebarontheabyss]

Welcome to the tapestry of existence, an intricate weave of realms that defy the simplicity of dichotomy. The fabric of reality is never-ending and ever-changing, an eternal dance of creation and transformation.

Within this boundless expanse, the domains unfold—each a thread in the cosmic design.

In the Ethereal Realms, death is not an end but a new beginning. It is a place of transition and transformation, where spirits and immortals dwell in realms as mysterious as their inhabitants. Here, entities like Hastur and He Without Name have emerged from domains unknown, their pasts as enigmatic as the realms themselves. Even Death, ever diligent in their duties, resides in one such realm, a tireless worker in the grand cycle of existence. While predominantly the domain of spirits, some powerful mortal beings may dare to cross into these realms, though such actions are fraught with peril and invite unknown troubles.

The Abyss itself is a part of these realms, a unique convergence point within the endless ethereal.

Tucked away in a pocket of the Ethereal Realms, the Abyss is a domain shrouded in a void of haze and smoke, where the tangible meets the intangible. Here, amidst the swirling mists of nothingness, stands an old bar — a solitary haven in the vast emptiness. A place where the Raven, with its sharp wit and ancient eyes, has emerged from.

This enigmatic bar is a beacon for souls, a place where the boundaries of reality are as fluid as the drinks that flow inside it. It is a place of contradictions, where the finality of endings meets the potential of new beginnings.

In the fiery depths of Hell, the damned endure their eternal plight. It is a realm of suffering and darkness, ruled by a hierarchy of power and torment.

Here, the 64th Devil Prince resides, deeply entwined in the politics and machinations of the infernal courts. Hell is a place of both dread and desire, where every pleasure has its price.

This name of Hell's ruler is unspeakable, but their words are absolute and their power unchallenged, as they reign over the damned with an iron fist cloaked in flames.

Heaven, a realm of celestial tranquility and majestic beauty, is a harmonious symphony of light, order, and collectivism. The skies shimmer with a soft luminescence, and towering spires pierce the heavens, symbols of the lofty ideals upheld here. Governed by the Malkhut, an assembly of resplendent deities, Heaven is an enclave of serenity and perfection.

Once a haven for all souls, Heaven has since become the exclusive domain of the Seraphs — beings of incandescent purity. The Malkhut, in their pursuit of flawlessness, have secluded their realm from the mortal world, fostering a sanctuary untouched by its imperfections.

In their divine courts, the Malkhut are detached from the affairs of mortals. Their existence is a distant, unattainable dream for those outside their hallowed halls.

All mortals shall one day smell the flowers of Limbo. They stretch endlessly, swaying under an eternal sun, their petals glistening with the morning dew.

Moths glide softly above, carrying tiny, luminous orbs—the souls of the departed, cradled gently before being laid to rest beneath the soil.

In the distance stands the house of Death, a humble abode amidst the fields. The Grim Reaper tends the gardens often, moving with care among the blossoms, nurturing the souls as they lie in slumber.

In time, the departed stir, shedding their mortality to awaken as spirits, ready to embark on eternity.

The depths of Tehom are shrouded in mystery and darkness, an abyssal expanse that extends beyond the reach of knowledge. Here, where the water is as black as the void of space, lies Tehomot, an entity as enigmatic as the world he governs.

Tehomot embodies the unknown depths of the universe. His realm is a fluid tapestry, filled with unexplored drowned terrains that constantly shift as the ocean's tides. It is said that within these waters lie secrets and truths so profound that they can either enlighten or drive one to madness.

Other deities regard Tehomot with a mix of fear and respect. His power is undeniable, yet his agenda remains unknown. Some believe he guards secrets essential to the balance of the realms, while others speculate that he is biding his time - for reasons unknown.

Once, Ya'ar was a realm brimming with the essence of life. Amidst its verdant expanses and lush forests, Humanity took its first breath alongside all mortals.

This realm thrummed with the creative force of Adamot, the goddess of life. Her spirit was woven into the very fabric of Ya'ar, nurturing every leaf, every breath, every heartbeat.

And then came the betrayal. In their greed, Humanity turned its nurturer into Behemoth, a goddess of wrath and decay. Under her influence, Ya'ar's creations now harbours a singular purpose: the annihilation of humankind.

Even now, after Behemoth's demise, the curse persists, leaking malice and monstrosities into the cosmos.

Only the gods know how magic first came into being. Its origins are obscure, but its source is unquestionable: the realm of Magnus.

Governed by the god Da'at, this realm is the heart from which all arcane power flows, and all Mortals seeking to harness the powers of the realm must first agree to Da'at's terms.

Because Magnus is not just a source of magic but also its gatekeeper, and will only offer its gifts to those who respect its authority - thus safeguarding its true secrets from those who, in their hubris, might risk unraveling the cosmos in pursuit of forbidden power.

Under the silent moon of Memoriam, time stands still, and the air carries the weight of eternity.

This realm is the final resting place for deities who have met their demise, a sacred and somber ground where divinity fades into oblivion.

Ancient tombs and forgotten monuments dot this dark landscape. Each tells the stories of gods who are now sleeping for eternity.

In the heart of Memoriam lies the Library of Pseudonium, a repository brimming with tomes that whisper the cosmos's most guarded secrets.

In the vast, ever-shifting dunes of Chronos, time flows like the sand underfoot—endless, malleable, and all-consuming.

This realm embodies time itself, with landscapes that change as hours pass and cities that turn to ruins in a day.

Chronos is governed by Zma'an, the god of time, and tended by the Priests of Time, their devoted servants, who navigate the temporal landscapes, honoring the flow of existence in their ceaseless vigil.

Elementus flows eternal, the primordial realm where the rivers of matter and energy converge and diverge in a cosmic dance.

Governed by Yesod, this domain is the cosmic crucible, where the physical substances that constitute the universe are born and reborn.

Elementus is a realm of infinite possibilities, where the building blocks of reality are shaped and reshaped by divine will.

Equilibrium is the domain of cosmic justice, where the god Eezoon and her justiciars preside over celestial courtrooms.

Here, the fate of mortals realms is deliberated, weighed and measured, with immortals serving as both advocates and arbiters.

The decisions made in Equilibrium echo through eternity, maintaining the balance between creation and destruction.

Before existence dreamed its first breath, there was only the Void.

The opposite of being, the true nothing that brought forth everything else. They say the waters of Tehom alone have brushed its edges, a veil keeping the realms safe from what lies beyond.

Yet, whispers persist in the shadows of forbidden gatherings. Mortal witches, their covens stand in defiance of divinity itself, delve into the mysteries of the Void, seeking to unravel its truths. They claim the Void is not void, not truly. Something stirs within—something older than the first light, a secret the gods have hidden from mortals: the secrets of creation itself.

The Mortal Realms are full of life in all its chaotic splendor. Here, the living go about their days, entangled in the beauty and banality of their existence.

From the medieval castles that backdrop Shelly's former life to the marvel and splendor of Peisione's floating cities, each realm is a world unto itself. There are the endless sands of Yaga's desert realm, where mirages tell tales, and the Witch's domain, brimming with magical wonders and arcane secrets. These countless realms are the cradles of existence, where every mortal soul has started its journey.

Within the vast expanse of the cosmos, Enosh stands quietly unassuming, a realm seemingly minor in the grand scheme of the cosmos.

It hosts a bustling human civilization; it is neither a bastion of arcane magic nor mighty technology.

But it was the place you called your home, before your death. And while mortals might feel small in a cosmos filled with marvels and gods alike, one soul alone can change the fabric of existence.

And if that's true, Enosh might be the most important realm of all.

Magic flowing from Magnus profoundly shapes and alters the course of mortal affairs.

Among these realms, Ffaraon stands as a beacon. Home to the Witch and Pepper the familiar, Ffaraon has been sculpted by the arcane.

Despite its mystical allure, the realm has been marred by a devastating war among magic wielders. In the aftermath, the Arcane Society emerged, enforcing divine laws on magic use and vowing to eliminate any who dissent.

Yet, some followers of void magic continue their dark practices, aiming to uncover the secrets of creation.

Civitas is a marvel of human ambition and ingenuity, a realm where magic is replaced by the might of technology and the pursuit of knowledge.

Here, sprawling universities and technological wonders underscore humanity's quest to stand equal to the gods.

As a testament to their achievements and responsibility, Civitas has earned a place among the Council of Nine, the only mortal realm to do so, engaging in the affairs of the divine.

In the realm of Arcadia, nature's indomitable spirit and splendor flourish. It is a sanctuary where mortals champion the preservation of the natural order. Here, the Knights of Arcadia, stalwart defenders of the earth's majesty, dedicate their existence to safeguarding its purity.

When the goddess Adamot transformed into Behemoth, igniting a war against mankind, the knights of Arcadia chose an unlikely path. Aligning themselves with Behemoth's fury, their hope was to restore balance and appease the wrath of the land.

After the war ended with the goddess's demise, the knights of Arcadia vowed to keep an eternal vigil and stand as the last bastion of nature against mankind's follies.

Wealth and might matter little to the sands of time. Everything ends, and mortals of the material realms understand this better than most. They live and die—their mightiest civilizations rise only to fall.

This truth is carved deep into the unyielding deserts of Godclaw. Once, a devil visited a dying village: a deal was struck, and a city rose—only to collapse beneath the crushing weight of its own greed, consumed by flames and dragged into the depths of Hell. Everything ends, and so did the city of Argilla.

Once a realm bathed in divine light, Pyriphlegethon now dwells in perpetual dusk, following the fall of its god.

This land, ensnared in shadows, worships the flame with fervent devotion, seeing it as the lone sentinel against the encroaching night.

The Temple of the Flame, ancient and venerable, stands as a bastion of hope in Pyriphlegethon.

Its hallowed halls, aglow with sacred fire, are revered by all. Here, the flame is not merely a symbol but the very heart of life in the realm. The temple’s influence is absolute, its will enforced with unyielding fervor—a life without the flame is deemed unworthy, cast into the enveloping shadows.

Helicon, the celestial home of Peisinoe, is a realm where imagination and creativity are not just celebrated but revered as the very essence of existence.

Here, cities defy the laws of physics, floating majestically in the sky like ethereal jewels against the horizon. The landscape of Helicon is a living canvas, every structure a masterpiece, every street a testament to the boundless potential of artistic expression.

In this realm, artistic talent is the key to prominence. Those endowed with extraordinary creative gifts rise to near-godlike status, their works influencing the culture and identity of Helicon - and the rest, the artistically inclined, become the worshipers.

Karkosa stands as a stark reminder of divine arrogance and its catastrophic consequences. Once, this realm was filled with deities fighting each other over the dominance of its mortal population.

The battles were cataclysmic, laying waste to whole planets and claiming the lives of countless mortals. In the end, a sole deity emerged victorious. Overwhelmed by guilt at the sight of his desolated creation, he chose to end his existence.

Now, Karkosa is a realm of ruins, its skies forever shadowed by the remnants of its past. It serves as the home for the Cult of Black Horns, devotees of the fallen god who adhere to his teachings, despite his own renunciation.

[the-mortuary-witch]

NYX

WHO IS SHE?

Nyx is a primordial Goddess of the night and darkness. She is a deity of infinite wisdom and secret knowledge, and she is thought to be the progenitor of the universe. She is also associated with the void and the abyss, as well as the primordial chaos that predated the creation of the universe.

BASIC INFO:

Appearance: she is typically portrayed as a beautiful and radiant figure, who appears youthful and ageless. Her body is often described as being made of light and shadow, and as having a radiant and ethereal appearance. She is often depicted as having long dark hair that flows freely in the air, and she often wears black and white attire.

Personality: Nyx is often described as a mysterious and ethereal entity, who governs the night and the Underworld. She is said to be a solitary figure, who keeps to herself and observes the world from a distance. She is often portrayed as a quiet and wise figure, who represents the depths of the night and the cycle of life and death. She is also viewed as a nurturing and protective force, who guards the secrets of the Underworld and ensures the smooth passing of the dead into the afterlife.

Symbols: crescent moon, night sky, mist, shadow, black lotus, darkness, torch, three-phase moon, and stars

Goddess of: the night and darkness

Culture: Greek

Plants and trees: poppies, night blooming lilies, moon flowers, olive tree, rosemary, mistletoe, gladiolus, and forget-me-nots

Crystals: black tourmaline, cascading quartz, obsidian, amethyst, charoite (one of her fav crystals), black onyx, smoky quartz, garnet, black rose quartz, cat’s eye, turitella agate, prasem stone, Lake Superior agate, moonstone, and moss agate

Animals: owls, crows, foxes, cats, nightingales, and bats

Incense: lavender, frankincense (one of her fav incense), chamomile, myrrh, dragon’s blood, and cinnamon

Practices: lunar magick, astronomy, healing, dream work, sleep magick, rebirth, and astral projection

Colours: dark blue, black, purple, silver, and red

Numbers: 3, 4, and 9

Zodiac: Scorpio (not official)

Tarot: The Star

Planets: Moon and Pluto

Days: Monday, new moon, and Mabon

Parents: Chaos

Siblings: Erebus

Partner: Erebus

Children: Hemera, Aether, Moros, Apate, Dolos, Nemesis, the Keres, the Moirai, Oizys, Momus, Oneiros, Hypnos, Eris, Thanatos, Philotes, Geras, and possibly more

MISC:

• The Moon: often associated with Nyx as she is the goddess of the night. It is a symbol of her influence over darkness and the universe.

• Stars: Nyx is also frequently associated with stars and constellations, as the night sky is her realm. Stars represent her infinite wisdom and knowledge and the heavenly lights that shine through the night.

• Void: the void is the primal, infinite void that existed before the creation of the universe. It is the primordial chaos that Nyx emerged from, and it is thought to be the origin of all things.

• Infinity: the concept of infinity is also associated with Nyx, as she is a deity of limitless wisdom and knowledge. Infinite knowledge and understanding are core values in her realm of the night.

• Destruction: Nyx is also often viewed as a goddess of destruction and ruin, as she is the embodiment of the void and the abyss.

• The Origin of the Universe: in one version of mythology, Nyx is said to have emerged from the primordial chaos and void that existed before the creation of the world. She is thought to have been the source of the energy and matter that gave rise to all existence.

• The Creation of the Olympians: in some versions of mythology, Nyx is believed to have given birth to Zeus and the other Olympians. She is also thought to have been their caretaker and protector.

FACTS ABOUT NYX:

• Nyx is associated with the night, darkness, and the abyss.

• She is also associated with the void, which is the space between dimensions and universes.

• Nyx is also associated with infinity, secret knowledge, and wisdom.

• She is often portrayed as a deity of creation, destruction, and transformation.

• Nyx has also been linked to the concept of fate and destiny.

• She is the primordial goddess of the night and the personification of darkness.

• Nyx is one of the most important goddesses in Greek mythology.

• She is associated with the night sky and the stars.

HOW TO INVOKE NYX:

Working with Nyx involves taking time to set up a sacred space, cleaning and dedicating this space, offering prayers of reverence and gratitude, showing care and thought with offerings, asking her for guidance and wisdom with your prayers, being open to messages she may send, and being mindful and attentive throughout the devotion.

PRAYER FOR NYX:

"Nyx, Goddess of the night and the primordial void, please accept this prayer and my offerings as a gesture of respect and devotion. I seek your guidance and your wisdom, and I ask for your protection and protection. Please guide me on this path of devotion and show me your wisdom and light. Hail Nyx."

SIGNS THAT NYX IS CALLING YOU:

• Feeling a deep connection and draw to Nyx’s energies.

• You are experiencing a calling or pull to work with her.

• You have vivid dreams or visions involving Nyx.

• Noticing signs and symbols related to Nyx appearing in your life.

• Having a desire or enthusiasm to learn more about Nyx.

• You feel an urge to explore spiritual practices related to Nyx.

• Experience increased synchronicity or meaningful coincidences related to Nyx.

OFFERINGS:

• Milk.

• Black coffee or tea.

• Dark chocolate.

• Silver jewelry.

• Dragon fruit.

• Perfume.

• Olives.

• Dew gathered before the sun rises. Wine.

• Fire.

• Dark beer or liquors.

• Moon water.

• Feathers.

• Molasses.

• Starry and celestial items.

• White or black candles.

• Dark and protective herbs or spices.

• Flowers: lilies and night-blooming flowers.

• Moonshine.

• Poppies.

• Depictions of the stars and the night sky.

• Depictions of the moon and/or figurines of moths.

• Sleep-inducing teas.

• Telescope.

• Moonstone.

• Depictions or figurines of cats (especially black cats).

DEVOTIONAL ACTS:

• Offer prayers and praises to Nyx, dedicating your energy to her and expressing your devotion.

• Light incense and candles dedicated to Nyx in your ritual space for an extra touch.

• Journal about your dreams.

• Create offerings and rituals to Nyx, such as offering food, plants, and other gifts, and dedicating your offerings and rituals to her.

• Read books on astrology and astronomy.

• Study and research Nyx, her mythology and energies, to get to know her better and develop a deeper relationship with her.

• Nyx and her energies, and connect with her on a deeper level.

• Spend time in nature at night, communing with Nyx and experiencing her energies.

• Go stargazing

• Staying up late.

• Sleeping.

• Nighttime journaling.

• Practicing good sleep hygiene.

• Researching the Moon’s effects on the Earth.

• Making moon water.

• Watching the sunrise and/or sunset.

[m1d-45]

judas

summary: who can be blamed for a world wide calamity? the executioner, the judge, or the jury?

word count: ~1.3k

-> warnings: mention of blood, implied death(you, but you revive after), um minor spoilers for inazuma and sumeru archon quest, as well as for kazuha lore

-> gn reader (you/yours) and unspecified traveller (no pronouns)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr

< masterlist >

to see a god is a feat most strive their whole lives toward. to bear witness to one so much holier than you, to view a deity far beyond your time. mortals pray to statues and shrines, each vying for the eye of the heavens, a select few showing off their rewards in the form of a gleaming vision.

but even those with a vision cannot see the stars. true gods- the true god is a memory beholden to only a few, to those that remember the times prior to the archon war. before the creator lifted to celestia, sequestered away far from the petty meddling of people.

they’re missed. they’re always missed. the gods have a hole their gnoses are too small to fill, a deep ache that beats with their hearts, yearning for the one they called ‘home.’ it’s not unlike the feeling one gets on a clear night, looking up to the stars, knowing the world’s so vast and you are so small, unsure whether to be afraid or comforted.

so they wish their god a well recovery? do they grieve the idea that they may die before that happens? do they grab a bottle from the shelf and bear headaches without hangovers, do they sit at a worn table and drink tea nobody else remembers, do they sleep endlessly, hoping to dream instead? what does one do, when so alone? what does one do, when the stars blanket the sky and they are struck with the remembrance of their finite lives?

mortals get up from their blankets. look away, go to bed, rise the next day with the only star they know being the one that warms the stones beneath their feet. but gods don’t tire easily, and the nights are known for stretching far longer than days.

the unlucky ones die.

the cursed are given a false prophet.

“if you remember me, then i don’t care if anyone else forgets.”

the greater lord was kind. too kind. beloved. unfairly so. how strange, she wondered, fading to dust, that she did not see her god greeting her. how odd, she thought, that the closest she had come to heaven was within the moments before her death.

it’s not her fault. it never was. the eyes that watched from celestia were hard with iron and not time, cruel with choice and not purpose. so many died, so many didn’t have to, so many fell under the foot of a fraud while their true colors hid behind a mask.

“do you remember me?”

“do you?”

it wasn’t your fault either. it never was. your chosen warrior, your first picked, saved from the grips of the one who had stolen your place. so many people, so many names, so many conversations held within proxy. the earth remembered, the people rejoiced, and yet it was only your golden companion that questioned the sea.

(the waves calmed. eons old bodies finally laid to rest. the abyss itself stilled for just a moment, just long enough to stop and watch you smile, and even now occasionally lent an ear to your pride.)

how unfair, that you once laughed together but now cry alone.

to lay eyes upon the divine is one thing. to view with one’s own eyes even a fraction of true power is enough to blind the commons, and even the most ancient dragon must bow its head. but to touch? to hold, to grasp, to feel universes thrumming beneath your fingers, the power of giants hovering barely an inch away?

“we named a constellation after you.”

you had said hello. a god, a being so far beyond mortal understanding, crouching to one knee and extending a hand to a child that had fallen. you could have walked by. perhaps on another day you might’ve. but you didn’t recognize the world as your home, and she didn’t recognize you as hers, fleeing to the guards the moment she saw something a little too bright in your eyes.

it wasn’t your fault. the ground is stained with blue and that child’s hand burns with the fire found in the core of a newborn sun, hot and new far too much for someone so young to handle. a samurai will never be able to look at his sword the same way again, but you shouldn’t blame yourself for that either. his hand holds the grip as his own shakes, red eyes struggling to take in what he sees.

the human mind reacts strangely when it sees something it doesn’t understand. it fizzles, stops, the wiring going dull as it realizes its neurons are far too small to comprehend the unusual stimuli. unfortunately, this response does not lend itself to survival, and the drive to live overshadows your cries for the same.

he doesn’t like the visit that part of town anymore. he can’t look at maple leaves without remembering how they stuck to the ground, weighed down by blood. he visits a familiar grave, tucked between two sharp cliffs, lingering far past the settling of lavender melon on the ground. he kneels there for a few hours too long, wondering of all the what ifs.

it’s not his fault either. it’s nobody’s. they were given a candlelight and were told it was a star, even as they watched the wax drip. he was doing his best, and it just so happened that in the blind grasp for a handhold, he’d pushed you away. he couldn’t see. it wasn’t his fault.

“don’t blame yourself, kazuha.”

“the tide does not stop rising when asked. neither does the guilt.”

it wasn’t his fault.

you try to remind yourself of this, at times. so does he. the two of you lie awake at inane hours of night, searching the sky for an answer.

what happened? what went wrong? was it me? was it anyone?

celestia looks down with eyes of fake steel, looking between you and the empty throne behind them. they’d finally caved, thrown the one they puppeted for the vishaps to dissect and the hillichurls to pull apart, but now worried. they’d certainly be punished if it was known they’d allowed this to happen… was it their fault, perhaps?

eyes sought out others, the council known as ‘heaven’ lost for what to do. their eyes joined yours, as yours joined kazuha’s, all tilted up and beginning to turn glassy.

the universe is so big, each star their own system, and it’s so hard to feel like any more than sand when it’s displayed so clearly. maybe it was kazuha’s fault, for not recognizing the light you shed as that of the sun. maybe it was celestia’s, for continuing to entertain an impossible fantasy. maybe it was the earth’s, for guiding you where it thought was safe, maybe maybe maybe. it doesn’t matter. did it ever? your heart burns with grief—love���as you go to bed, sheltered within a hilichurl camp. kazuha stays up too late, punishing himself with the fog of sleepiness that lasts a little too long the next day. celestia doesn’t feel guilt, for when did it ever, but the next day is unproductive, something strange taking place of the air there.

maybe it was nobody’s fault. maybe the world was disjointed, unfamiliar with your presence, stuttering for a moment as it collected itself once more. maybe in that moment of confusion, of flickering light and a burnt out flame, tragedy had struck like lightning. the universe was illuminated, bathed in the gleam of your power, able to see what it couldn’t in darkness.

it wouldn’t happen again, but that didn’t stop it from hurting. scars still ached when it rained, and the skies were weeping as it realized what had occurred in shadow.

[mystical-sleepy-musings]

About Me💤

💤Names you can call me💤

Dream(Preferred), Mystic(Preferred), Moop, or any of my fictionkin listed names

💤Gender💤

Nonbinary/Gendervoid/Novarian

I seem to be one of Liminality and of the unknown void .The gender is there, but sometimes it is not... It stretches into the formless abyss. For the sake of my sanity, I just but if I had to put a term to it it would be gendervoid or Novarian(Masc Nonbinary)(Preferred Pronouns are He/Him They/Them, it/its but you can use any)

💤Orientation💤

Asexual Panromantic

💤Myers Briggs💤

INTJ-A

💤Enneagram💤

5w4

💤Alignment💤

Chaotic Neutral

💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤

I am a Hellenistic pagan and a Demonolator who specializes in Astral work, Energy work, oneriomancy, Divination, baneful magick, Chaos Magick and Celestial/Cosmic magick and Chthonic Deities and Demons

My patron deity is Morpheus

Patron Demon is Prince Stolas and Lord Abaddon

Spirit spoused to Volo from Pokemon(pcp) he is my fictional other ie I self ship with him (yes he is a pop culture pagan entity that exists and he is fiercely in love with me apparently and unhinged as f)

💤Beliefs and Philosophy💤

Pantheist and Neo-platonist with a bit of animism(spirituality)

Luciferian ( morality)

Ethical and Existential Nihilism

Pessimist(Outlook on Life)

Relativism

Agnostic on some things tho

☆Zodiac: Pisces Sun(♓) Capricorn Moon(♑) Scorpio Rising(♏)

💤INTERESTS💤

Astronomy and Cosmology

Philosophy

Botany

Demonology and Angelology

Occultism and witchcraft

Mythology/Ancient History

Dreams and sleep science

Quantum physics

Ornithology

Psychiatry and Jungian Psychology

Geometry

Weird, dark, obscure, disturbing things in general

💤Other things I like💤

☆Writing(I write poetry)

☆Stargazing

☆Reading(Mostly Nonfiction, Classical Lit and Horror)

☆Heavy metal(Doom metal mostly)

☆Classic vinyl(60s and 70s with some 80s)

☆Gothic/Etherealwave/anything of that genre(newer to it and always looking for more bands of that nature)

☆Dark Blue, Dark purple, and black are my favorite colors

☆Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and Doctor Strange

☆Pokemon

☆I love Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss(I don't like Vivian as a person, though)

☆Anime

☆I love birds, especially corvids and owls

☆I own a black void kitty named Alice Cooper

☆parent of many photosynthetic children

☆I love collecting Oddities, Curiosities and Antiques

☆Misc☆

☆Neurodivergent up the ass(on spectrum)

☆Ravenclaw/Slytherin hybrid

☆expect some dark sarcastic humor from me

☆I am Gothic and voidpunk with some dark whimsigoth/Occult and Dark/Natural/Space Academia in fashion and aesthetic(Also WeirdCore , Psychedelic/Surreal, Dreamcore aesthetics are appealing as well). Liminal spaces are my j a m

☆I am an Otherkin/Therian/Fictionkin. My main Fictotypes are Dream of The Endless( The Sandman), Stolas(Helluva Boss), Giratina (Pokemon),Stephen Strange(Marvel), Aaravos(The Dragon Prince), Alastor(Hazbin Hotel), Princess Luna (My Little Pony) and Lord Sesshomaru (Inuyasha) My top otherkintypes are Fallen Angel /Demon, Angel/Seraphim, Eldritch/Void/Cosmic being, Corvidae (Cladiotherian), Jersey Devil. In general I am just here as a being of stars and thought up dreamscapes a borderline liminal conglomerate of holy and unholy abstractions

[yunessa]

Roan, Cultist

Name:

Roan. Also known as Roan the Silent

Race:

Human(?)

Class:

Necromancer

Found at/ conditions for recruitment:

Martyr Zacharius Cemetary. If you choose to spare him and recruit him for the crusade then Roan will accompany the KC from then onwards until death or the crusade reaches an end.

Top Skills:

Survival, use magic device, knowledge (necromancy, Undeath), appraise, escape artist

Alignment:

True Neutral

General Personality:

Quiet, thoughtful, impulsive at times, stoic, philosophical, protective, often quiet. He hates being interrupted more than anything else. Enjoys the cold and silence.

He holds no grudges, expects no mercy. But for someone willing to peel away the layers behind his quiet stoicism, the necromancer is more than a mere cultist.

What traits/values do they admire?

Kindness towards animals, trustworthiness, loyalty, fairness, respect, courtesy, an inquisitive mind. Self-control. kindness. A sense of wonder.

What traits/values do they disapprove of?

Cruelty to animals, Cruelty without reason, , senseless killing, sadism, uncleanliness, meanness, lack of communication, selfishness, disagreeableness, rudeness, suspicion, distrustfulness

Are they affiliated with any deities?

Depends strongly how his story plays out. (Varies from different Knight-Commander paths)

What is his in the crusade and how does he view the Knight-Commander?

Roan is recruited by sparing the cultist at the Martyr Zacharius cemetary. Anevia will tell the Knight-Commander Roan's weakness- his only child- and when the Knight-Commander mentions it, Roan breaks down. Willing to do anything to prevent his child escaping Mendev's notice. Roan is an unrepentant Necromancer. A skilled mortician and able to prepare bodies as well as any Priest of Pharasma. He will often take up the role a Priest of Pharasma would fulfill.

If he lives up to Drezen then Roan will stay in a suitable place below ground, tending to the dead and ensuring they are sent off to their rest proper. (Most likely close to the cemetary) Often kept in chains and unable to leave his current space- even if the Knight Commander allows it- knowing he's not well liked. To a commander who will never again threaten his only child, Roan is loyal. The reasons why and who the commander are, matter little. He will tell the Commander all that matters is his child is safe. He will discuss the Commander's powers bluntly, with little interest which god gave them- or if a god did it at all. Roan will not be able to share in the commander's mythic powers, as a normal party member.

Who are their friends among the other party members?

Arushaelae, Daeran (Sometimes), Woljif, Greyboar, Regil, Lann

What about rivals party members they don't get along with?

Nenio, Sosiel (For obvious reasons), Ember he avoids like the plague.

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give?

No. Roan only tends to the dead and does not give advice pertaining to anything beyond that unless in personal conversation or if asked directly.

Where do they hang out in Drezen? In the Abyss?

In Drezen Roan stays in a basement. He's often chained as a necromancer is dangerous. A guard will watch him and Roan if often tending to his duties to the dead. He can be in the church basement, the citadel basement or the graveyard. In the abyss Roan will be found trying to maintain the camp, most often by a fire.

What are their idle animations?

Carefully cleaning his tools.

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream?

There's a dog that runs up to greet him and he won't let it go until the Knight-Commander interrupts the dream. He is uncharacteristically happy and content until interrupted.

Do they advise the commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers?

He supports the Knight-Commander either way. (Unless they're a lich. Then his outright fear is evident.)

Describe their companion quest:

Roan can be spoken to more once Drezen is saved. until then he is seen chained and responds politely when clicked. if the Knight Commander gives Roan enough money to see their child set then roan opens up quickly- notably none of the money Roan earns , he keeps for himself. Even Anevia will comment all his money is sent out to Absalom. (Minus the bare minimum he needs to survive and buy used books.) During their crusade the commander can come across a cache with a tattered dog collar. Giving it to Roan will make the necromancer overjoyed. If the Commander allows, a ghostly creature will be found near Roan once he completes his strange necromancer ritual.

Are they romanceable? Describe their romance quest/scenes if you want!

Honestly, haven't thought that far. But probably, yeah.

Any other fun facts?

Roan loves dogs. If there's a way, the necromancer will find time for the lost animals in Drezen. He'll let crusaders starve and feed the dogs first.

Refuses to worship Erastil.

Hates demons

Loves stews and garlic.

At some point his throat was cut or burned badly. His voice is always at the level of a rough rasp and continued talking with make it worse.

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

"You called Commander?"

"My gratitude for sparing me."

"Believe in yourself. You can get through this."

"Use me as you desire."

"I wonder what news comes in from the lands beyond..."

"I serve as you please, Commander."

[cafeinthemoon]

King - Chapter I

Chapter 1

Wordcount 3,4k

Title The Abyss

Fandom Shuumatsu no Valkyrie / Record of Ragnarok

Pairing Poseidon x reader

Symbols ⭕ . ➕ . 🖤

Warnings: Arranged marriage, one mention of suicide (only in this chapter), mentions of prejudice (from non humans against reader), mentions of entering an oceanic abyss / oceanic darkness / sea creatures (might trigger thalassophobia), mentions and references to liminal spaces (might trigger claustrophobia)

Tagging ? (If you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment on this chapter or send an ask or a message)

N. A.: This is a story that has been in my drafts for so long and, after leaving it aside because of the other projects, I finally managed to post the first chapter! I'm so happy with it! It's been an incredible experience to work on it even when it's just beginning, because I can already see it as a complete story. I'm taking the opportunity to discuss complex, sometimes dark themes through it that I haven't included in my latest works, so as I've done before, any necessary warnings will be present in the notes. Also this is my first time writing for Poseidon, so wish me luck XD

“The very thing you're best at is the thing that hurts the most”

(Florence and the Machine, King)

Remember, child, you are a girl, and that will determine how you will be seen for the rest of your life. This will drag you into the most violent storms, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to learn how to navigate these waters. My role as your mother is to help you in this.

The first thing you need to know is that most of the problems a woman will face in life will be caused by men, and the reason is simple: men just cannot accept the fact that we have a life to live that is not made by them or for them. This works for mortals and also for gods.

Heaven forbid you from forgetting this, but if you do – for the storms might come with the darkest nights – I pray you can remember it.

If you knew you were meant to go through this, you would have taken your last moments of freedom to pray for Thanatos-sama to come for you. But the idea occurred to you when it was too late, and now you had no choice but to follow the path before you – leaving your land and your common life behind to become a subject of a far less merciful deity.

As the only daughter of a merchant whose wife passed away, leaving all the responsibilities concerning your education and the house’s subjects on his back, you were expecting to follow the family’s tradition in the financial field. By the lessons you’ve received from your father since you were a child, all your thoughts and expectations were connected to it, and nothing suggested that there was a different plan concerning your future underway...

That was why you were shocked when, one evening, after coming back home, your father announced that you were now a part of a divine, marital contract.

It happened that, in your era, the gods and goddesses still kept the tradition of marrying other deities as their official pair and, at the same time, adding secondary spouses from humanity and other races to their families. Those arranged marriages served to countless goals, from superfluous things such as pleasure and diversion to greater ones, like fathering heroes of all imaginable kinds.

Of course, the spouses’ families received appropriate rewards when the contracts were sealed with powerful, honorable deities, such as riches, a privileged life of priesthood or even superhuman abilities, but there were stories about treacherous gods who enjoyed inflicting pain to their chosen ones, and nothing but despair was reserved to their relatives. Despite all of the uncomfortable implications, this was still a desirable fate and a reason for festivities among many families.

From your part, you had at least two reasons to consider it a disgrace: first, you already had your dreams settled and weren’t willing to give up on them so easily; second, the chosen god in your case was none other than Poseidon, the Guardian of the Seas, who had a primary union with the goddess Amphitrite and whose fame was based, not only on the fierce control he maintained over his domain, but also on the unusually frequent acquisition of secondary wives.

In his case, the reason for the marriages was the production of resilient, capable heirs who would serve in his army, one of the greatest even among the gods. Poseidon’s wives used to be from many races, most of them folks connected to the sea, and according to what was whispered among your people, he had little to no love for humans, having spent an incalculable time without interacting with them, even less choosing some of their females for himself. Considering this, the reason why you were selected for this god – and why the whole thing was so sudden – was a mystery since the start.

And you weren’t in the mood for mysteries.

***

The carriage sent to take you to Poseidon’s domains was driven by two servants, which seats were only visible when you looked from the outside, but the speed and the rhythm of the vehicle moving through the cold waters was such that you started to imagine it following the designed path on its own, like a large, wild animal from the depths of the ocean, while you were its latest meal.

You weren’t alone in it: besides the two conductors, there were at least thirty young women surrounding you, sitting on the large lines of golden seats. Most of them were quiet, their noble heritage evidenced from their apparel to their mannerisms, on their beautiful traits the solemnity of someone whose only preoccupation was to fulfill the task they were prepared for; the others, with no connections to royalty and only selected due to the desirable qualities they carried, were less serious, not hiding their awe with everything they were seeing: now, you were passing by the most superficial layers of the oceanic territories, where the most known forms of life used to stay, and the carriage’s windows were large enough to allow you to observe the fishes, whales, dolphins and other creatures crossing the vehicle’s path; you were enchanted with them too, but you felt you’d enjoy them more if you weren’t there under obligation. There were still some girls with conspicuous clothes that put them apart as daughters of priests, who appreciated the beauties of their Lord’s world with the deep respect expected from them.

It didn’t take long for you to memorize every face and realize you were the only representative of humanity among those girls – a fact that didn’t help you to create a good impression among them. Some of the girls didn’t hide their surprise (and their discontentment) with your presence since you took your seat with them, while others chose to ignore you. You tried to ignore them as well: it wasn’t that being seen as inferior didn’t hurt, but you could be more offended if you haven’t too much to occupy your thoughts already, which included the crescent discomfort of being surrounded by water, and the sensation that everything was becoming darker as the minutes passed.

While you looked through the window, you understood where this feeling came from.

Of course. We’re descending to the deeper parts of the ocean.

Descending, and being taken away from the men’s lands. Away from the sunlight.

And away from freedom.

You were trying to suppress this very thought in order to not breakdown among the strangers, when someone let out a little scream, and other voices joined it with exclamations of fear and anxiety. When you understood what was going on, the entire carriage was drowning in a cold, profound darkness, and a deep roar rumbled in your ears. For a moment, none of you spoke, and though you couldn’t see each other, you knew that no one dared make a move toward the windows or anything else. When the roar ceased, the darkness softened a bit, and it was possible to see that the carriage was following a spiral path, a twirl that would certainly lead you to an abyss.

You weren’t immune to the horror of seeing yourself pulled down to the unknown, and combining it with the loneliness of not having another human with you was too much to bear. With your eyes closed and your hands crossed on your lap, you didn’t even know if you were praying for your survival or to come back home.

When you opened your eyes again, you saw that only the first of these desires came true, but that didn’t make you happier: the twirl was left behind and the carriage slowed its pace, but the absence of sunlight persisted, and now there was no sign that it would come back. Instead of it, a colder, bluish ray flashed out from somewhere ahead, becoming larger and larger until it swallowed everything around; at the same time, the water became shallow and clear, and at the first signs of solid ground – or the closest thing to it – the carriage finally stopped.

You arrived at the Lord of the Seas’ palace.

***

Though you couldn’t see any clear borders above you or at your sides, you had this sensation that Poseidon’s house and all its surroundings were confined inside a spherical space, a sort of force field that stood against the violence of the ocean tides thanks to its god’s powers. Well, confined wasn’t the best word to describe it; the domain expanded to places outside your sight and comprehension, but it was possible to imagine how they work on those distant spaces judging by what you saw near you: just like it happened at a beach, the solid ground slowly blended with the waters, until it disappeared, leaving only the waves at sight; but, unlike a beach, where this change occurs in a horizontal sense, there it happened above the horizon’s line, almost like a wall but slightly rounded, perhaps the reason why you thought of a sphere.

As one could easily suppose, all the matter that formed the ground at those peculiar coasts was white sand, brighter than the beaches of the human lands due to the light descending from somewhere above and touching each spot, filling them with life. As much as you admired the beauty of the landscape, you couldn’t help feeling exposed by that light.

All of this you observed after leaving the carriage, as you walked a bridge of white stone that crossed those fields of sand and led to the castle itself. With the light, you had also the chance to observe the girls with more attention… and because of this, their reactions now seemed even more unsettling.

As you followed the path to the building’s entry, a servant who greeted you after the carriage’s arrival walked ahead of you, holding a scroll and giving some explanations about the things you were seeing. While they spoke, you saw that some of the girls who showed a composed behavior were now crying; even among the noble ones, a nervousness was shared through anxious looks at their sides and at each other; the poor ones, sent by their families in order to help them survive and never having any word in this, were the most desperate, barely hiding their fear.

The priestesses, you thought, were the ones who were handling all of this at their best, and for a moment you considered following their example despite having no love for their deity… until that happened.

The servant was describing the edges of the domains, when a girl of purplish, scaly skin and dressed in priestly garment asked them about the entries and exits.

– Entries and exits? – the servant stopped and turned directly to the question’s author – You just passed by them. Why are you asking about this now?

The girl hesitated.

– The spot where the carriage left you is the only possible entry and exit for you, mortal people – the servant clarified – Of course, there are other passages to outsides, if that is what you are referring to, but these ones are only known and usable to Poseidon-sama, Amphitrite-sama and the few ones allowed by them. Us, servants, and all of you, do not need them. There is no reason for you to worry about this.

You weren’t close enough to the girl to see her face after hearing this, but it wasn’t hard to imagine it, for a wave of silent uneasiness spread among the girls around her, reaching even yourself.

– So… – another girl, a noble from the same species as the first, spoke – Apart from that one, there is no way out for us?

The servant turned to her and replied in a serious, somewhat annoyed tone, as someone who needs to explain something obvious.

– No. Precisely because you do not need a way out – they then spoke to all of you – You are property of Poseidon-sama. This is your right place now. Nothing that happens outside this domain is of your concern anymore.

The first girl, the priestess, mumbled something in a nervous tone, bringing the servant’s attention to her again.

– As far as I can see, you are a priestess from the Northern Waters, girl – they frowned – Your anxiety is incomprehensible to me. Isn’t your love for Poseidon-sama enough to make you accept this?

The girl stepped back, moving away from the servant and the others. She didn’t speak anything else. She had her hair braided in an intrincate hairstyle, but it didn’t stand like this for too long: she started to scream as her hands pulled the wavy, violet strands from her head.

It was everything too fast even to follow with your eyes. Before the servant or any of the girls could do or say anything, the girl jumped above the bridge’s parapet and fell upon the white sand, running across it to reach the edges of water. Her voice diminished as she approached the blue borders where the ocean’s roar was dominant, and soon her body crossed it, disappearing from everyone’s sight.

A terrifying silence fell upon the girls, and no one dared react. The servant, who also watched the scene without a word – perhaps because their eyes became used after seeing this very thing repeating for centuries – raised the scroll on their hand, searched for something in it, then used a quill to draw a line on the paper. They rolled it a last, then ordered you to follow them.

***

You passed under the dome-shaped doors of the entry and were led through a corridor with at least a hundred meters wide, with a black and white checkered floor and extremely high columns of white, polished marble.

By the end of this corridor, the servant who has been with you since the start stopped before a second one, nodded and left without a word.

This new servant was a tall individual with oleaginous skin and fins as ears, a water creature with a slight resemblance with an elderly man that came from his combed hair and formal attire, with a white jabot around his neck.

This man spoke to you in a stern, composed tone, and you soon discovered that he himself was a god.

– Greetings, all of you women chosen by our Lord. My name is Proteus, Lord of Rivers and vassal of Poseidon-sama. While you are yet to become his wives, I am in charge of your basic needs.

All of you nodded in respect. Proteus seemed to approve this.

– It is good to see that you were well prepared. This will make our work easier. Now, I shall give you the necessary instructions for your first day while I lead you to your lodges.

The man then ordered you to follow him through an endless sequence of smaller corridors. No one complained, of course, but a growing impatience was sensed among some of the girls, especially the nobles. You, on your part, were convinced that Proteus took the longer way just to have enough time to explain the rules and to evaluate each of you.

One of the most important things he told you was about the system of the marriages in Poseidon’s domain: the weddings used to occur in annual seasons, in a sequence of one wedding a day; the girls were sent to lodges where they were separated by their species, and after the waiting period, they were led to the ceremonies according to this, that is, when all the girls from a certain species became wives, a second species was chosen, and the process was repeated until all the girls were married… and pregnant.

– Because you are still not bearing children, you have relative freedom of coming and going during the waiting period – Proteus was saying – You are not obligated to stay in your rooms all day; you are supposed to become familiar with your new home and will have activities to occupy your time and prepare you to the ceremonies. However, there is a limited number of places where you are allowed to go, and soon you will understand the reasons for this.

While he was still speaking, a sudden quake reached your spot, forcing some of you to kneel and some to hold on the columns. It didn’t last longer than a few seconds, but it was enough to shake the moods of everyone. Proteus, the only one who didn’t lose his balance, frowned, more because his speech was interrupted than because of the quake itself.

A girl who was standing up with the help of another from her kind gasped.

– What was that, Protheus-sama?

The god stared at her with a curious glimmer in his eyes, as someone who had the opportunity to prove a point.

– This is one of the reasons I just referred to. This is just Poseidon-sama's occasional bad mood. It is nothing for you to worry about. It happens many times during a week, so you will have no problems in getting used to it.

That time, you were near the girl who spoke and could observe her expression, and through it were sure that she would take a long time to adapt to such thing.

This is the god we will have to belong to, then. This is the man I’ll have to endure.

No one spoke after this, and Proteus, supposing that his statement was accepted and processed by all of you, was ready to follow his way to the lodges, but a new interruption kept his feet on the floor.

An interruption caused by you, who, ignoring your lonely position as a human, took a step ahead and made your voice heard.

– Protheus-sama.

Not only the god, but all the girls turned to you, some of them surprised with your courage, others outraged by your audacity. Proteus, on his part, didn’t hide some discontentment once he saw you.

– If my eyes are not deceived, you are a human being. The one I’ve heard about. Y/n s/n, am I right?

You swallowed. A demonstration of disdain was expected, of course, but being identified by name and finding out you were the subject of a conversation even before your arrival was beyond imagination.

The situation, however, didn’t make you forget your good manners.

– You are right, Proteus-sama – you nodded – I am y/n from the … region.

Yes, the man wasn’t cheering with the fact that you were human, but having received no instructions to treat you differently because of this, he continued the conversation with no more surprises.

– So, what is it that you want to ask?

You stepped ahead.

– What kind of things... use to displease Poseidon-sama?

You noticed a subtle raise of his eyebrow at this question, as if Poseidon’s vassal was wondering why a mortal girl should be asking about something so personal abouts a god she was yet to meet.

– If we are meant to be his wives – you continued – This information might be essential.

Proteus sighed, but didn’t refuse a reply.

– Many things can displease him, child. There is no way to figure out when or how it will happen, and trying to guess it would be arrogant of you. The least you can expect is to avoid an increase in his wrath.

The man turned his back on you and nothing more was said about this.

After a few corridors, you reached the lodges at last. Proteus indicated the correct rooms according to the girls’ kind, so that as you went through the corridor, the group grew thin, until there was no one left but you.

Proteus stopped at the Human door’s room and you imitated him, the sound of your footsteps echoing on the hallway for a moment until the silence took over it.

A conversation happened before the door was opened for you.

– As you already noticed, humans are not a usual element in these landscapes – he started – I will not sweeten the truth for you: your life here will not be easy. So, take my advice and do not do anything that stands out of your purpose. That is, assuming that you know why you are here.

It was hard for to not let out a hint of sarcasm when you heard that, but standing before a god, you did your best in this sense.

– If I’m being honest with you, my Lord, I don’t know. This is something that only the man who sent me here can answer.

Proteus’ expression didn’t change when he replied to this.

– Whoever this man is, or whatever he is doing now, he is out of reach for both of us. If you need to find your purpose in my Lord’s domain, you will have to do it by yourself – his hand, covered in a white glove, reached for the knob and turned it – And you can start right now.

Chapter 2