#I'm assuming the Witch is Hecate

[celepom]

LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Wonder which of Zagreus’ sisters is the protagonist? My guess is... Melinoë, goddess of the restless dead.

[xxcrystalinerose]

KEEPSAKE ART!! KEEPSAKE ART!!

I've been waiting for this in particular and there are some very interesting looking keepsakes so let's talk about them!

Hecate's is just the sigil we can find on and around characters allied with the Unseen (Nemesis) or witches (Medea, Circe). So I'm going to assume the sigil itself is called the Silver Wheel.

I had to research what Odysseus' is supposed to be (because I haven't ever read the Odyssey) but it turns out this is a type of game of chance called knucklebones? Interestingly it's something taught by Palamedes to his countrymen during the Trojan War, and Palamedes was the guy whose trickery forced Odysseus into the War and Od never forgave him (in most accounts, Od also killed him later). Oof.

I've wanted to make keepsake-based art for these, but since I don't know what they're supposed to be I was forced to speculate. But I don't need to any longer!

Nem's keepsake is... a literal evil eye charm. I don't know what I expected really! But it has a thread on it, so maybe Nem wears it on her armor? Hung on the back of her cuirass perhaps, to ward off malice directed against her back as she leaves after dealing retribution?

The skull on Moros' keepsake looks adorably polite (just like the man). I like that the 'pin' part is similar to one of those tiny sewing pins. It has the color of the Fates on it; did they give this to him? From its appearance, it's likely the Pin was supposed to be worn to fasten his sash.

Hermes' keepsake is a vial of mercury. Also known as quicksilver. 100/100 pun game and mythological reference here, Supergiant.

Artemis' keepsake is likely a reference to the sacred hind of Artemis, which is said to have golden antlers (likely represented by the golden accessories on the antlers).

Heracles' keepsake is from the name itself without a doubt a fang from the Nemean Lion, whose pelt he is also wearing on his person (my favorite iteration of this trope by the way).

Medea's is almost definitely the Golden Fleece, but looked like that either due to her curses, vengeance, or she just decided to singe it out of spite, as the in-game name is blackened fleece. The Medea we meet in game is likely her after enacting vengeance against Jason (can we see what's left of him? Or his shade? Please?).

I did not expect Circe's to be an ADORABLE pink crystal piggie. I wonder if SGG will discuss Circe's tendency to curse people into animals, judging by the pink sheep pigs on her island... and the entire Odysseus situation, because hoo boy.

Icarus' keepsake is a slightly modified Daedalus hammer. It doesn't look that much different, maybe to signify his doubt of his own skills and his belief that he will never escape his father's legacy and shadow? He's not yet found the courage to come into his own.

[thekissofaphrodite]

Hiii im absolutely in-love with your writing and I was wondering if you could do Clarisse X daughter of Hecate (ive seen a few fics of this dynamic and as a child of Hecate and someone who has a massive crush on clarisse I love seeing works like those lmao)

THIS IS AMAZING OML. TYSM FOR REQUESTING THIS!! THIS IS SO FUN TO MAKE <33

Black Magic

Clarisse La Rue x Daughter of Hecate!Reader

Summary: Brewing potions and matchmaking is a fun but not much fun as admiring the infallible Clarisse La Rue.

Warnings: KISSING. (i noticed that almost all of my requests had this warning :P )

Author's Note: I'M BACK WITH MY LAPTOP! AND I'LL TAKE A DAY OFF FROM SCHOOL SINCE IM TIRED FROM TRAVELING BUT HERE I AM! I DO HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS.

__

You loved the smell of brewing potion.

As a child of Hecate, you and your half siblings were often known as witches and matchmakers at camp. But still, some campers looked you in the eye and would call you a freak, Boasting about how their godly parent were part of the olympians, pointing at your mother's lack of place beside the Olympians.

Still, you've got a queue of campers (Mostly girls) waiting outside your cabin, The first ones left your workshop with a big smile on their faces or clutching their best friend whispering excitedly.

you and your siblings don't exactly share the same power for your mother had blessed you with different, but divine powers, and sure enough, you got foreseeing.

But some also left with a distraught expression and muttering a string of curses at you...It's not your fault that that their crushes aren't interested in them! You're just a fortune teller!

__

"B-but this is a mistake! I love Presley! your magic is wrong!" Cried a girl from the aphrodite cabin, tears streaming down her cheeks, smudging her mascara, You gave her a sympathetic look before sighing.

"That's not what it said here..." You looked down at your cauldron with purple-ish pink bubbling liquid, The Boy, who you assumed was presley, had another girl in his arms, twirling her around as they dance into a romantic song. The aphrodite girl stormed away furiously, purposely knocking down several of your stacked candles and jars full of ingredients.

Then, You saw the girl bump into someone, It was Clarisse. The girl frowned, but then gulped when she saw Clarisse staring back at her.

The moment Clarisse saw you, her eyes soften a little bit, her lips curling into a smile as she watched you get flustered.

"Hey"

"Hey" You blushed as you hid your face in a book.

"Can i try?" Clarisse asked.

"Try what?" You raised your brow, staring at her carefully, The cauldron separating you two in between.

"That fortune potion thingy, I wanna know who i'd end up with" Her words made your heart break a little bit, You had a big crush on clarisse la rue the moment you stepped inside camp, and now here she is, you crush asking you to foresee her future with someone else.

You swallowed your disappointment and anger before nodding, your face frowning a little bit as you set your book down and grabbed a pair of scissors.

"I need a piece of your hair" You said, Clarisse then grabbed the scissors and cut a decent amount of hair.

She watched you carefully, her brown eyes glinting with admiration as you recited latin and greek spells before dropping her hair into the cauldron, the smoke started rising and the liquid started bubbling, at first, you thought your eyes deceived you, you saw yourself with clarisse, sitting under a tree your back leaned against hers as you two laughed, hands intertwined as the sun rays hit you two.

you became breathless, your body stiff, Clarisse was confused, her dark brows raised as she scanned your expression.

"Oh my gods, please don't tell me it's Chris Rodriguez" She said, she secretly hoped it would be you, the thought of chris rodriguez and her being all lovey dovey made her sick.

When she peaked into the cauldron, She felt victory, joy, ecstasy she couldn't describe it. Every happy emotions filling her as she watched herself and you in the cauldron, laughing while kissing each other's cheeks lovingly.

You became speechless while watching Clarisse's eyes beam with joy, You two stared at each other for a moment before the Ares girl took the matters to her hands and kissed you.

It took you a moment to process what's going on. Then you find yourself kissing her back, pulling her closer as her breasts pressed against yours.

You two were then interrupted by the sound of the door opening, you two quickly pulled away and stepped back. Clarisse pretended to look around while you improvised some words to save you and Clarisse from being caught.

Your half sister, Lou Ellen looked at you and Clarisse before going to her trunk, rummaging into her things.

"I'll have your strengthening draught ready by tomorrow" You blurted at clarisse, You looked at her and she stared back before nodding.

"Of course" She whispered.

As she left, You saw her wink at you cheekily before closing the door.

"What's that ares girl doing here?" Lou Ellen asked.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all" You whispered, still feeling her lingering touch.

A/N: THIS IS AMAZING OMG!!! I TRIED MY BEST TO MAKE IT MORE WITCHY AND STUFF BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS!!

[pjoxreader]

Hey! Doing good I hope?

I’ll make this quick, I would like to request a child of Hecate reader who has powers that are similar to the Scarlet Witch? (So they’re really damn powerful 👀😬), and I was thinking they can be paired with: Jason, Leo, and Percy? So, everyone else fears the reader, but those three.

Thank you!

Powerful Reader Feared By Camp

((I'm hanging in there thanks for asking! Reminder to everyone that all nighters suck lmao))

Jason Grace

-You were used to people being scared of you, that’s just how things were. Even your own siblings had come to avoid you. You didn't mind too much, you were used to being alone. That was until he showed up.

-You had helped with the war and were working on recovering when he walked into the infirmary eyes instantly landing on you. “You’re amazing!” he says, going to your side. You pause looking around to make sure he was talking to you.

-Once you were sure he was in fact talking to you, you stare at him in surprise. “uh… Thanks…?” you manage to get out but feeling the stares of the others in the infirmary you tense up. “You… Shouldn’t talk to me… You’ll end up an outcast…” you mutter softly anxiously rubbing your arm avoiding looking him in the eyes.

-Despite having fought for your camp it just seemed to make people more scared of you. Jason goes quiet with that seemingly debating his words. “Well… It’s a good thing I’m already an outcast.” he says and sits down beside you with a little smile, offering you a water bottle.

-”Maybe we can find our place together.” you stare in surprise at that but can’t help a little laugh a subtle blush on your cheeks as you take the water. “That’s cheesy...” But you couldn’t deny you liked it.

Leo Valdez

-You were just enjoying your privacy talking a walk through camp when you bump into him. “Ah, sorry.” you say quickly assuming the person would go into a panic. However they just lift up their goggles from their face and stare up at you.

-”Woah, you are one fine king, queen, or monarch.” He says as he gives you a little grin trying to lean against the cabin and missing proceeding to fall. He at least quickly recovered, getting up and leaning against it correctly.

-You kinda just stare at him not expecting that, but you can’t help the laugh that bubbles from your throat. That just seemed to encourage him as he got a big grin on his face. “Oh I have so many more of those.” 

-You really didn’t expect this to be the way you spent your day, having Leo Valdez, hero of Olympus following you around and giving you horrible but adorable puns. He did start to run out so just went on to horrible jokes. -”This one is Percy’s favorite. What is the best tool in the ocean?” After a dramatic pause he gets a dorky grin. “A hammerhead shark.” You groan loudly and dramatically but also give him a little chuckle at least.

Percy Jackson

-You were enjoying a quiet moment by the lake, dipping your feet into the water to cool them down during the hot summer. You lay back on the beach with a small sigh of relief looking up at the sky to cloud gaze.

-”You can come swim, you know that right?” A voice calls surprising you. You sit up quickly, eyes going red as you get ready to use your magic but Percy puts his hands up in surrender. “Woah, sorry, didn’t mean to surprise you.” he says with a little laugh.

-Seeing it was just Percy you calm down sighing a little. You had seen him around camp but hadn’t gotten to know him that well… “Yeah… Yeah I did know that just… No one really wants to swim with me and I’m not that strong of a swimmer.” You admit, a bit embarrassed.

-Percy hums softly in thought. “I’ll teach you then! Swimming is a really important skill after all.” he grins offering you a hand to help you into the water. “Who better to teach you than the son of Poseidon! Come on, I'll have you swimming laps around the other campers by the end of the week.”

-You can’t help but huff a laugh at that. “I’ll hold you too that.” you decide on taking his hand to join him in the lake and that’s how your swimming lessons with the son of Poseidon began.

~Masterlist & Rules~

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[new-rome-historians-association]

The witch? Who's he?

I don't know. I'm sorry. It's all foggy. I'll try to answer before I forget again.

He, well we're assuming they're a he, was thought to be a priest or champion of Trivia. Hence the nickname "The Witch". Though, with the knowledge we have now it's highly possible he was a child of Hecate.

From what witnesses reported, he seems to be pretty high ranking in Saturn's army. He caused a lot of property damage and injuries: including setting the Senate building on fire thrice, crashing its dome onto the senators inside twice, causing mayhem inside New Rome City, maiming countless legionnaires including the former augur and sneaking his soldiers into the camp and city.

To this day we're still finding various spells etched into the walls of buildings.

I do not know his name, or his rank. Every time he logically should be on the paperwork in our custody, the text ends up being either misprinted or the ink has leaked.

I'm sorry I cannot answer properly.

— Arnold P. Miles

[tragcdysewn]

plot/starter call for event 18 under the cut! i'm soft capping at three, but if we plot and discuss things i'll very likely be willing to add another one on! hit the like and i'll be in your dms to figure out vibes!

abigail bishop (0/3)

unaware of anything being wrong, abi is an assassin for hire. it's an easy way for her to get blood, one that no one will ever question because she's just doing her job and the how doesn't really matter

ahsoka tano (0/3)

ahsoka is unaware of this new event, and thinks she's been the queen's captain of the guard since arriving in washington. defend and protect is her mantra in literally every form of reality

alice tonner (0/3)

unaware that things are different here, but very much misses her gun and tech. she's still a monster hunter, trying not to go too deep into the hunt even if she's out killing dragons and hags on the regular

allana solo (1/3) rosamund du prix

a princess turned adventurer, allana believes dc has been this way since they arrived, and has taken it upon themself to live out the full fairy tale storyline, slaying dragons and saving pretty maidens

ariana dupont (1/3) sophie sheridan

she definitely practices some witchcraft, and leads a cult of hecate. she gets away with it by being the prince's bethrothed and therefore above reproach by anyone but the queen. she has no memory of modern dc, this has been her life for years now

asmodeus (2/3) klaus hargreeves, loona

a lord of a neighboring kingdom, ozzie is aware that things aren't right, but he really doesn't care all that much. everyone seems to be unhurt, and enjoying themselves for the most part, so he's going along with it

bail organa (0/3)

bail has no idea anything is up, he's living happily as his daughter's advisor and the royal astronomer. the most excitement he gets now is going on a short adventure every now and then

baxian argos (0/3)

bax believes the city has always been like this, and has become a hired sword. he definitely misses his guns, but he's just as capable with a blade, so he's managing just fine

bela dimitrescu (1/3) jennifer check

one of the local harlots, because it's fun and an easy way to get a meal. will seduce and take money from men only to eat them. will also definitely fool around with a pretty woman free of charge

bryce quinlan (1/3) mo xi

has noticed things are wrong, and is absolutely pissed. she wants her guns and night clubs back. will probably end up as a tavern wench of some kind while she tries to figure out what the fuck is going on, or take up some quests to assist people

cassie lang (0/3)

she's got no idea anything is wrong, and lives life as an adventurer and a thief, using her powers to complete quests for people that can't do them themselves. mostly a robin hood type, but could be persuaded to do something a bit more questionable

davina claire (0/3)

davina is unaware anything is wrong, and simply works as an artisan. a very simple and peaceful life with her husband, though she can't help but feel something is missing

dewey riley (1/3) samantha carpenter

dewey is a sheriff in this world, and believes it's been that way since he arrived. and he can also be found in the local tavern more often than they would care to admit. he's doing the same thing as they were in the original dc really

eleni vanserra (0/3)

eleni is another who is unaware of anything being off, she's just assumed she ended up in another world similar to prythian, and is employed as a tutor for the children of wealthy nobles

elphaba thropp (1/3) jester lavorre

swamp witch. i do not know what you expected from elphaba she arrived in another magical realm and immediately retreated as far away from society as possible. might do magic for you if you ask nicely but probably will just ask you to leave

eveline (1/3) rosemary winters

i guess i can't say she's literally the plague, right? but some people in medieval times definitely would, so she's just kind of retreated and become a bit of a bog witch, with mold creatures guarding her little cottage

feng xin (1/3) mu qing

a monster hunter who will gladly take on the most insane and powerful beasts. doesn't even really charge, he's just in it for the glory and the adrenaline rush he gets. he'll accept rewards but if you're broke that's fine

feyre archeron (1/3) mouse honrada

she's still a noble lady, unaware that she's ever been anything but a lady in this world or any other. she's basically functioning exactly the same as she would have in velaris, working to maintain peace

hazel levesque (1/3) nico di angelo

hazel is entirely unaware that things are different here, and will be doing magic and necromancy very publicly for a small fee. feel free to accuse them of witchcraft, her brother is the local priest, nothing will come of it

he chunyu (0/3)

chunyu is honestly living very similar to her canon life. she's of the belief that dc has always been this way, and continues to be a seamstress and avoid all kinds of trouble please just let her have peace

howl jenkins pendragon (3/3) calcifer, josie saltzman, martin blackwood

unaware of this current magic twisting reality, and is just living in their castle hidden in the forest. if you can find her, he'll do magic if you can pay the price and amuse him enough that it's worth her while

james witherdale (1/3) victoria sutherland

james didn't live through this time period, but he did live in a similar one, so he's going to adapt quickly despite knowing something is wrong. he's mostly doing what he always does, luring in the shadows for his next meal

jin zixuan (0/3)

zixuan is an adventurer, and is unaware that anything is wrong. he's just chilling and enjoying a pretty carefree life and i think he deserves that tbh. send him on whatever quest you want he will do it for free

jun wu (0/3)

jun wu is unaware of this city ever having been a modern one, and believes he arrived here as the prince of a foreign kingdom. he's still a manipulative weirdo, and might try to sow a bit of chaos while in foreign territory

kore sekkari (0/3)

kore is aware that things are different here, and is using that to her advantage. you'll find her in the woods claiming to be fae or a witch or whatever suits your needs to trick people into deals that will not actually come to fruition

korra (1/3) aang

completely unaware, korra thinks she's lived in this setting her entire life, and has established herself as a sword for hire. they'll be a bit picky on what jobs she takes, but they're good when they do accept

kriya dura (0/3)

kriya is unaware things have changed, and thinks she appeared here from space. she's become an assassin, and is almost as good with a bow as she once was with a blaster, but she charges a ridiculous amount of money

lan wangji (2/3) lan sizhui, luo qingyang

man is living on a quiet little farm, occasionally going out on adventures to protect the innocent from some kind of horrific monster or terrible plague. he's unaware things are different but he honestly would prefer this if he knew

liu mingyan (0/3)

mingyan is definitely also an adventurer and hired sword, and for cheap too. her real money comes from writing nsfw novels about the nobility. i hate that this is how sheev and leia smut ends up getting written

lucifer morningstar (3/3) charlie morningstar, niffty, vaggie

believes things have always been this way, and settled pretty easily into a role as the king of a nearby kingdom. he's pretty reclusive still, but will delegate tasks if necessary

lute (0/3)

lute has no idea dc was ever modern, which is alright by her. she's lived through so many time periods that going back was nothing. now she's a hired sword, hunting monsters and demons to protect the innocent

lyra ayala (1/3) abigail

aware of her real life, but believes that dc has always been like this. has made a career as a traveling bard who plays modern songs on a lute because no one recognizes all star by smash mouth in this world

lysandra ennar (0/3)

a lady from aelin's kingdom and aelin's emissary when she isn't available, lysandra is incredibly used to this. and not having any memory of modern dc, they fit right in to this scenario

manon blackbeak (0/3)

manon is a queen and warlord from a neighboring kingdom, and is somewhat here to make peace, though she isn't opposed to a bit of bloodshed if it becomes necessary. she doesn't remember modern dc at all, and likes it better that way

marinette dupain-cheng (1/3) shen qiao

marinette doesn't remember modern day dc, but is still a baker in this new world. she's also still running around as a vigilante at night, hunting down monsters and beasts under cover of darkness

melinoë (0/3)

melinoë is a princess, but one who's run away from her kingdom to be an adventurer and explorer. she's not cut out for leadership, and she knows it, so she's doing this instead. no memory of modern dc at all, just the underworld and now this

mj jones (0/3)

mj doesn't remember anything of modern dc, but she is still aware of living in modern day new york, so she's not loving this setting even after years. she's a scribe, and probably apprentices under someone

mo ran (1/3) chu wanning

mo ran owns a tavern and also cooks there most days, with no memory of the modern day. he's got really cheap alcohol and solid food because holy shit people must need it with dragons flying around everywhere

mobei-jun (0/3)

mobei-jun is a lord, and doesn't remember modern dc at all. he's truly just your typical haughty, stuck up nobleman, with a definite potential to be a bit of a warlord himself if provoked

monkey d. luffy (1/3) nami

luffy is definitely a really naive, over eager adventurer. he thinks he's been in this setting the entire time, and it never gets old seeing dragons and monsters and the like. someone keep him from dying please

nangong jingnu (0/3)

another one who remembers nothing of the modern day, jingnu is a visiting princess, one who definitely sneaks away from her guards to go and have a drink in a tavern on the down low whenever possible

nie mingjue (0/3)

mingjue is a knight and a minor lord, but honestly the knight bit is the important part. he's very much an honorable, fighting for justice and protecting the innocent white knight type, and will jump in front of dragon fire to save someone else

nyssa solo (0/3)

she's aware things are different, and she's not happy about it. first she gets shot to some primitive planet and now there's not even a semblance of technology? fuck no she's rioting.

patroclus (0/3)

patroclus is entirely unaware, and thinks this has always been his life. he's a healer for jousting tournaments and the like, and probably owns an inn to get a bit of extra money and give the idiot jousters a place to crash

qi rong (0/3)

he's very aware that things are different, and is thrilled. he's fucking with people so much. he's stolen an apothecary from some poor victim and is selling absolute garbage remedies for a laugh

renesmee cullen (1/3) heidi volturi

renesmee is a harlot, i do not make the rules. they remember nothing from modern day dc, and spends her time in taverns flirting up a storm rather than doing anything serious

rhiannon matthias (0/3)

rhi is aware that things are different here, but is simply establishing herself as a sworn sword and going with it, because this is honestly closer to their reality than anything in modern day dc, and she likes it quite a bit

ryden samos (0/3)

ryden is a woodsman, as per usual. has a little cabin in the forest and is very content with that. he doesn't remember modern dc and frankly that is fine by him, he really doesn't like that anyways.

sasha james (1/3) jonathan sims

sasha is aware that things are different here, but is honestly fascinated by the clear display of magic around her. she'll probably find some apprenticeship under a wizard to keep herself occupied until things settle

shadowheart (0/3)

shadowheart is aware things are different, and is thrilled. she hates modern technology, and would so much rather be in this kind of setting. she'll be searching for other shar worshippers, and potentially monster hunting or healing for money

sheev palpatine (0/3)

queen leia's top advisor, sheev is very aware that things are different here. he is a reluctant not so bad guy because his father is a grand duke and has his siblings back under his thumb so he has to play nice until he can kill the guy

shen qingqiu (0/3)

whoever wrote this event is a really shitty writer, honestly! he's aware of the change, but is just kind of disgusted at the lack of effort that comes with throwing european rennaisance and classic fantasy into fucking america. is studying everything though he's definitely a top tier scholar

shi wudu (1/3) he xuan

he remembers the change, and is okay with it, because this is far more his speed. he likes being worshipped as a god, and these are the people who would worship a god. someone start a cult about him it'd be funny

thanatos (0/3)

they're just the grim reaper. they have no idea dc was changed at all, they just lurk around plague victims to take them when their time comes. can give off both menacing and calming vibes to the local plague doctors

wen qing (0/3)

wen qing is unaware anything is wrong, and is a plague doctor trying to help whatever people they can, and avoid death wherever possible. if you have the plague hit her up she's got you

xaden riorson (1/3) astrid hofferson

a black knight who used to serve his queen but now roams the lands acting on his own whims, xaden believes he arrived in this setting, and is honestly alright with it. it's similar to home, and allows him to fall off the grid a bit

xiao lanhua (0/3)

xiao lanhua is absolutely living in the forest as a flower spirit, and working at sophie's flower stand. she is aware that things are different, but this is far closer to their home, and it's honestly comforting in a way they've missed

xiao qing (0/3)

a-qing is unaware of this time jump, and is operating pretty much the same way she did back home. uses her blindess for sympathy while they rob people blind and sell whatever they can

ziva desilijic tiure (0/3)

a mercenary, serving only her father, ziva is entirely unchanged. she's planning to support their father in his attempts at a coup, and serve at his side when he eventually takes the throne for himself

[yamayuandadu]

@mystenjiru-blog I cannot locate a translation of this text and sadly in the article I relied on no tablet number is provided, best I can offer is another of Schwemer's publications, Cultural Constructions of Ambiguous, Unsanctioned, or Illegitimate Ritual, which provides some more detail on how witchcraft was performed. Regarding the other questions: Kanisurra has nothing to do with Ereshkigal. She typically appears alongside Nanaya (single best attested option), Gazbaba, Inanna, Ishara, Usur-amassu, and the like. In other words, her typical associations reflect her role as a deity linked to love and eroticism, and her origin in the pantheon of Uruk. The selection of deities associated with Ereshkigal is actually fairly small. Furthermore, I'm unsure what do you mean by similarity to Hecate. Kanisurra is primarily attested in straightforwardly erotic context (for a good overview see Gioele Zisa's The Loss of Male Sexual Desire in Ancient Mesopotamia), something Hecate had nothing to do with. She lacks any associations with dogs, city gates, the broader domestic sphere... The underworld connection is limited to the possible origin of her name, and to presence in a royal funerary ritual from the Ur III period. I get the witchcraft part though the attestations are much more limited than in the case of Hecate, and as I said, it is difficult to tell what being a "lady of the witches" entailed exactly. Ultimately I'm not really sure if any Mesopotamian deity is particularly Hecate-like, tbh - most deities tied to the spheres of magic and exorcism like Asalluhi or Ningirimma were basically divine counterparts of specialists involved in them, which doesn't offer a good parallel to her.

I assume the questionable takes you've mentioned were the result of someone misreading something genuine - sporadic associations between Hecate and Ereshkigal are actually attested in Greek magical papyri, though they indicate very limited understanding of the latter:

You can find the full article here, it's a great read. One of my all time favorites, honestly.

There are multiple theories about Hecate's origin, but none really link her with Mesopotamia. It's basically just a series of back and forth arguments over whether she originated in Anatolia and spread westwards or whether she originally arose in Greece and then spread to colonies in Anatolia. The closest I can think of to Ereshkigal coming up in this context is Mary Bachvarova's theory that Hecate was originally a figure similar to or outright analogous to the Hittite "sun goddess of the earth" whose name could be represented logographically in cuneiform by Ereshkigal's, but this is very niche and hardly direct.

[thenightling]

Homophobia and transphobia is not "old school" witchcraft

Today on Facebook someone told me a story of how he tried to join a coven of magical practitioners in the 1990s only for the "High Priestess" (I'm putting that in quotations for a reason) told him that because he was a gay man he was outside the cycle of creation since gay men don't have children. She would not let him join her coven. Let me point-blank tell you this. That "High Priest' is no High priest of any real Occult practice. Lots of people like to use "Traditional" or "old school" as an excuse to exclude trans women or gay men from the "Eternal feminine" or other magical practices and concepts. I do not know what kind of coven this is so I'll be covering both Wicca and Hecate-based Neo Paganism in this rant. In the 1990s Wiccan books offered same-sex marriage ceremonies. And LGBTQAI+ magical practitioners aren't something new and "invented" recently. In the fifteenth century there was Doktor Johann Georg Faustus, the basis for the Faust legend. This is a sorcerer from German legend and at least two works of classic literature. The historic version was banished from Ingolstadt University for practicing black magick (N--romancy which would probably be Noirmancy today since though that first half of the word does mean black but is deemed offensive). And he was also banished for being a "S-d-mite" (and old impolite word for being a gay man). As far as i know no one ever questioned his credentials as a magical practitioner. Also would this "High Priestess" also say that those who are infertile, or women past menopause are outside of the cycle of creation? How about a happily married straight practitioner who just chooses to not have children? The excuses that would leave out gay men or transwomen would also leave out a LOT of cis / het women just for not being baby factories. How misogynist can you get? if you think the womb is the extent of what "eternal feminine" means you are no witch or feminist. The thing about Neo-Paganism is the neo part. Neo means new. Wicca is not the only religion cobbled together from remnants of pre-Christian faiths. Most Neo-Paganism was (whether people want to face it or not) invented in the nineteenth century. A lot of the old beliefs and practices were lost. Also I find it baffling that anyone could accept a possible "High Priestess of Hecate" (I assume that's the deity this "High Priestess" worshiped) as being anti-gay. Let's step back and look at the obvious problem here. Someone who worships a GREEK deity being anti-gay. Did... did this "high priestess" think the Ancient Greeks were anti-gay? Do I need to point out what's wrong with this idea? If you stumble across any occult practitioner who claims being LGBTQAI+ means you cannot be a part of their coven or you can't use magick, that is no true High Priestess of anything. That's just a mean girl with a clique trying to reclaim the cruelties of exclusionary factions in High School and giving herself a power trip while possibly offending multiple entities. Real magick is natural as the way you are born. Real magick has always been inclusive. If someone says you are unworthy because of what you are... that person is no true High Priestess and is the truly unworthy person. End of rant.

[tuxebo]

is there like floating in pjo.

like for example like necklaces floating when their still around the persons neck? or like lets say two people hold hands and kind of float up a little bit

or like is there spells😁

i'm not much of an expert on the innerworkings of pjo anymore, but i believe there is. some children of hermes are fast enough for to "float" like luke for example, a trait inherited from his father. i'm not sure if jason can fly 100% in heroes of olympus, given he's the son of the sky god i would assume so, but that's not really "floating". i believe that during a conversation dionysus was floating or at least walking but not touching the ground, if i'm remembering correctly.

i would assume that if the wearer was floating, the necklace would float too because they would be defying gravity. if they're underwater, i believe all same rules would apply unless they're percy, i guess. whether inatimate objects can float on their own, rules of physics "an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force" would say no.

however, look at zeus and his lighting bolts, i believe he can make them float in terms of summoning them. think accio in harry potter, if you consider that floating.

now, i don't know if "spells" is the term for it, unless we're talking literal witch spells like hecate and what not, but i don't recall entirely if they exist or what they're called. given hecate is the goddess of magic and created the literal mist, i think she'd have spell (for lack of a better term) or something for that.

[realmythsmoved]

"Exactly." Liz says with a smile, when he mentions that he would've had tangible evidence of witches sooner, if they didn't keep to themselves. "Your best friend is a werewolf? Wow." Liz hadn't even known werewolves were real until now. But it makes sense to her. After all, witches are real. She's living proof. And so it only makes sense that other supernatural beings exist too.

At his next words, Liz chuckles. "I can understand that." She says with a bright smile. She doesn't have unlimited energy herself, but she does understand curiosity. That she has an unlimited supply of herself. And so she sees how he could be attracted by shiny things, as she would be too. "I'm very curious myself, and it sometimes gets me in trouble." Sometimes other people don't like or take offense to her curiosity. And she doesn't like when that happens. After all, in her opinion curiosity is perfectly natural. Everyone has some of it, despite whether or not they act on it. All she does different is not hold herself back. And judging by his words, Stiles is much the same.

Liz looks impressed when he mentions that witch and wizard are just words for the same thing. She's glad he isn't too preoccupied with the gender behind the terms. It's something Liz herself had never quite understood. Except in terms of if one word causes someone discomfort. She would never want to make anyone uncomfortable. That said, she does think gendering of things can get out of hand quite quickly. So she's glad he doesn't care about the gender behind the words, personally. "I guess so." She says with a wider smile.

His next words make her smile turn into a frown. She doesn't want to disappoint him. But she has to be honest about the origin of her own powers. She doesn't want to get his hopes up unfairly. "That's understandable," She says. "Who wouldn't want powers? I think that's a natural desire. Everyone wants to be powerful, after all." Liz doesn't know what she'd do without her abilities, for example. She assumes that if she didn't have them, she'd dream about having them. So it makes perfect sense to her that he would have similar dreams.

When he says that about Hecate, Liz nods. "I see." She doesn't, really. But she isn't likely to admit that. Perhaps she's a bit proud when it comes down to it. She does wonder, though. How does he know Hecate exists if he's never met her? And what is up with the mirror part? Liz isn't sure if her curiosity or her proud nature will win out. It really depends on what he says next, she supposes. When he mentions that he won't risk an invocation because he brings too much bad luck, Liz pouts. "Aawh, sorry to hear that. I feel you, though." Liz has experienced that feeling in the past. Especially after her mother passed away. Though she had only been human, that hadn't affected Liz's love of her one bit. She loves her mother and misses her to this day.

Liz shrugs at the question. Her father hadn't given her much information about the head witches and warlocks. All he had known was their location. "I actually don't know." Liz pauses, frowning a bit. "I guess that would be helpful information to have, knowing what the head witches and warlocks are like. But I'm afraid even my father wouldn't know. He had to leave them behind years ago, you see." In her view, it had all been a misunderstanding. And it hadn't helped that he had fallen in love with a human. That had probably annoyed them. Though Liz isn't sure why. In her view, as long as the human in question is accepting of their partner's powers, there should be no problem. And her mother had been. So Liz doesn't see why the head witches and warlocks would have objected to her.

"For someone who just found out we exist, you sure know a lot about wizards and witches." She says with a bright smile. Not that she minds. In fact, that will allow him to help her even more. "Yes, every witch and wizard does learn from their family first. And we definitely crave the recognition." Her father had taught her everything he had known about magic. But even his capabilities had been exhausted. Wanting Liz to learn more, he had told her about the head witches and warlocks. But of course, it won't be much of a success if she doesn't find them. And her search is getting rather frustrating. So she's glad to have his help.

"Indeed," She says when he mentions that the assumption of witches and wizards remaining in their own little world had been true, so maybe there is a Ministry of Magic. Liz wouldn't know if there was, her father hadn't mentioned such a thing. Yet he might not have known either. And it's good to have even a glimmer of hope. "I'm rather adventurous myself, so we'll make a good team." She says with a chuckle. "It definitely will. You know a lot about us, for a human. Guess that comes with having a werewolf as a best friend, and being the curious type." She says with a bright smile. "And no problem. It's probably going to take a while, but that's alright. I won't give up." Liz isn't the giving up type. Especially when she doesn't want to let her father down. But it's not just that. She wants to learn more about magic. And if this is how she does it, she's willing to wait as long as it takes. She smiles, amused at his next words. "I don't know if you will succeed in that. But if we ever do find the head witches and warlocks, we could definitely ask them if gaining magic as a human is a possibility." If anyone would know that information, it would be them, right?

Liz puts her hand out for him to shake. "Deal?" Wanting to gain powers appears to be important to him. And finding the head witches and warlocks is important to her. So perhaps they can help each other. She'd love to be able to offer him powers herself, but she's not sure if it would even work. But the head witches and warlocks should know if it can happen. And if not, she's certain he can contribute to his friends in other ways. Humans, after all, are not entirely powerless. Although there are limitations that come with being human, even magic has its limits. For example, her and her father's magic couldn't prevent her mother's passing. There are only so many things that magic can heal. And it appears that cancer is not one of those things.

And even witches do not live forever. Sure, some of them might live longer than the average human due to magic. But according to her father, it depends on the witch and how powerful they are. He's getting up there in age himself, but is not older than a human ever could be. Liz hopes he will last a while yet, though. She wants him to see her find the head witches and warlocks and learn more about magic from them.

There was no surprises about it. Otherwise, people would know about how, yes, it was possible to get werewolves pet considering emergence of pack was something pretty simple to do … and he would have know witches physically existed somewhere ! For the current moment, he didn't wanted blaming himself too much his human nature. His complete, boring, insignificant and powerless human nature … assuming some of his desires to eventually learning magic was just … basically out of his reach … unless maybe he needed to exploring some part of himself or he didn't knew what for feeling reassured on the matter. Or he could speak about that golden butterfly in his dreams … If he allowing himself to. ❝ Otherwise, I would have know tangible existence of witches sooner. ❞ It had always been a certainty that he had carried within him, but to which he had waited for a real physical confirmation, a proof that his impression was correct. He knew witches existed --- it had to be. It had with what he had been perceiving beyond the veil of an Nogitsune --- He simply had until now no proofs. Well, if Scott had expressed all his decomposed face concerning his devotation for Star Wars, he wasn't ready to educating himself as an wizard. Compared to the model he had with Luke Skywalker, well, as an wizard, he wanted to be powerful … but scary mostly. Really becoming the little boy not to fuck around, meanwhile remaining himself, it was sure if wasn't too much to ask of existence, right ? An silly whim really ! ❝ My pack is all sweet, you will see how much they are adorable, especially my best friend~ ❞ He could expressing that information already, since his comments might turn harsh when it was concerning other concerned werewolves … and when it would have to explain the rest.

Playfulness inscreased. ❝ Oh, I do confirm it's that way things happens. ❞ He smiled. ❝ You'll quickly notice that I obviously like getting into trouble just because I'm attracted to shiny things … and oh, too much energy to spare. Some days I can't calm down. It will be an long and amusing eventful story to tell ! ❞

There was awareness about how he had insisted upon the word witch, there had been a desire to put an certain meaning over it. Something he preferred not explaining. Still, the predictable sound of disappointement escaped his lips, when she explained she gain her powers by her dad. As far he knew, none of his parents were connected to whatever witch. Nah, he simply had an single golden butterfly in his mind, just that, nothing else. He shrugged. ❝ Same word for same thing. ❞ He noted as he didn't cared much about the gender attached to the meaning he was thinking of concerning that word witch. ❝ Ah. Too bad for me who wanted to believe I can grab some powers around … ❞ He almost mocked towards his own silly dream, as he swallowed an passing sadness of another thing out of his reach apparently. It what that bad of him to want experiencing familiarity he was sensing ? Concerning Hecate, at least, he managed to gain once more an bright smile. ❝ I think she exists. I'm certain she is. It's one hundred percent certain that she is. Not that I know her personally or have met her as myself personally, but it's like a long-standing feeling that she's some sort of old friend who's there and watching. A good friend of mirrors. ❞ It was expressed with vagueness because it was part of aftereffects of his possession somewhere. As some cracks within reality, beyond the ones he wasn't aware of within himself, had exploded … and his own reflection could serve as an weapon, and it was right to do it. ❝ If I met her one day, I'm sure we will have plently of things to talk about … but I won't risk an invocation attempt for nothing in the world. I bring too much bad luck. ❞ He will confessing One Context far later inside the conversation or within current situation he was in. ❝ Too dangerous. ❞

Another silence following her explanations. It was good informations to know. ❝ Alright. ❞ Within his silence, he was processing there was actually an head witches and warlocks in New York. It all promised to be cool ! ❝ Is the one you're looking for the kind of civil servant who enjoys meetings? That might help find him. If he likes discretion, we will have to really search every corner of the city, but if he likes group meetings, there must be tea rooms where he can make conversation. ❞ Humour remained attached to his sentences, meanwhile remaining serious within his intention to help her. ❝ It's understandable. Knowing that kind of stuff with the family is sort of first step, to be officially recognized gives greatness. Any witch seeks to have this kind of recognition. ❞ He didn't even questioning why he was so sure, him who was just an simple human that will not say no to be a witch ! At the comment over his somehow pop culture reference, his expression received another blow of disappointement somewhere, only somewhere. ❝ Ah, was pretty sure it was true. ❞ Though, how she pondered the possibility making him smile further. ❝ Assumption witches staying inside their little universe was pretty right so far, so maybe it's is possible, and it's is existing, and there was just gates to find. I'll be an adventurer anyways. Of course, you can count of me. I might just be an human who actually dream to be able to becoming a witch, my little experience of the field of supernatural will serve me. ❞ He mused amusingly. ❝ On the other hand, I can't guarantee you that we will find him quickly … or that I will succeed in educating myself as a wizard while I become your human coach for control your magic ! ❞

[calmskiesfierynights]

insp.

[troiings]

sagittarius sun | cancer moon | pisces rising

[iasmelaion]

I have now played like six hours of Hades 2! A couple quick notes on doing this on a Mac via Whisky:

The only real bug I've run into is that the game freezes if I leave it on pause too long. I'm talking "fuck off to make and eat dinner" kind of pause. No big, I didn't lose any progress or anything.

My controller (8bitdo SN30 Pro, I think) does not work on it unless I disable Steam input, and I had to fiddle with the key bindings/settings because Steam thought it was a different kind of controller.

Otherwise, this works astonishingly well and easily, highly recommend if you're on M1 or later!

On to the actual game:

When the tech test came out, I dusted off my Hades 1 save to freshen up my skills (such as they are), so I feel fairly confident in saying: you really need a different playstyle for Hades 2 lol. I feel like basically all the criticism/whining I see on the subreddit boils down to people trying to play the exact same way they played Hades 1, and finding that it doesn't really work. In Hades 1, you could absolutely stack all your damage and boons and buffs onto one thing--your attack or special or casts--and shred your way through the game. That's really not how it works in Hades 2, where you need to use everything, and aim for balance and synergy. You also need to be more strategic, you can't just run in hacking and slashing or whatever the way Zag did. I am struggling with remembering this! I get why people are having trouble! But, like, it is the point. Mel is a witch, her fighting style is different.

That said, I am not any good at Hades 2 yet! I haven't even cleared the level two boss yet! But real talk, given how long it took me to clear Meg in Hades, I was very proud of myself for managing Hecate relatively quickly. Anyway, I'm not, shall we say, good at this game, but I've got god mode on and I'm having fun!

Other than some placeholder art and I assume not being able to finish the whole story, and I guess missing some gods/weapons, this really doesn't feel like an "in progress" game. I've watched some streams (Haelian on twitch), and there is SO MUCH STUFF.

Obvsly, all the art is gorgeous. I'm also already very fond of Moros.

It's hard for me to tell what's a balancing issue versus just needing to git gud, or progress further. I do think some of the boons and their mechanics need a better explanation (still fully do not get how Scorch works), and probably better balancing.

I'm still not used to the loss of one dash, and replacing it with sprint. I don't think this is something that needs to change, necessarily, just that it's something that takes some getting used to. I've seen some people suggesting a separate keybind for the sprint, and maybe that would help. I guess it'd have to be one of the trigger controls, but then I think it'd be hard for MKB. hmm.

Music is excellent as always, and the way it's incorporated into the second biome/boss fight is so fucking cool and clever.

There's a lot of stuff to juggle in terms of metacurrencies/upgrades/progression, but so far I think it's in a great way where you'll always feel like you're making progress, even if you're failing runs. With that along with the exploration of weapons/boons angle, I suspect this won't feel grindy for a good long time.

anyway, A+++ work as usual from Supergiant games, very excited to see how the game changes from EA to 1.0.

please clap, i undertook the minimum of effort required to install Whisky on my M3 Macbook and get the Hades 2 early access up and running in a bottle, rather than impulsively spending $400 on a Steam Deck

yes it took like 3.5 hours to download Hades 2, and yes I did still start playing at like 11 p.m. only to be killed like four rooms into a run, what of it

anyway, in case anyone is curious, it was really super easy to get Whisky set up on my Mac, no fiddling with settings was required, and from my like 15 mins of playtime so far, it seems to be working perfectly. My controller even works! (Though the game thinks it's a Playstation controller. oh well, I'll take it) I was honestly expecting it to be much more of a headache to get this to work, so I am very pleasantly surprised. The only issue I've run into so far is that I have to close the Windows bottle version of Steam through the little menu widget thing whose name I forget--the thing at the top by the clock--rather than in the dock, otherwise it'll just reopen again for some reason.

So for anyone else using a Silicon Mac running Sonoma: you can probably play Hades 2 early access using Whisky, which is free to download. Download the Windows version of Steam, add it to Whisky, and Whisky will run Windows-only games in a "bottle". Took like 10 mins to download, install, and set up. I used these Youtube tutorials to install Whisky and then add Steam to it. Once you've got Steam running in the bottle, log into your account, purchase/download Hades 2, install it, and you're all set!

[noys-boise]

Okay with the warning out of the way

This was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING i loved pretty much everything about it

First of all the more surface level plot irrelevant details: MARSHA NON BINARY I REPEAT MARSHA NON BINARY!! The nails!! It's everything to me!!! Also are they and Vee going to be a thing? That would be cute? Although once again, it's a nblw relationship i am still waiting for mlm/nblm rep in this cartoon that's more than Willow's dads who's names they don't even say in the series or Edric and his unnamed they/them date who never actually appear in the show itself (I'm also looking at Gus and Mattolomule. And of course Darius and Alador. Please.)

Also. Amphibia references. I'm a sucker for them.

Now onto actually plot relevant shit:

The egg?? Still didn't hatch?? Will it ever?? Did Luz even take it to the demon realm? Or is Vee going to find it hatched one day?

I'm SO glad we got some backstory for Camila! I've always felt a bit mixed about her because parents showing negative response to their child being neurodivergent is a big trigger for me in media as i found out through the owl house and falsettos, but this way it makes SO much more sense, she was peer pressured into sending Luz to that camp. I'm able to love her way more now. She's best mom.

The boiling isles kids learning spanish with Duolingo was amazing

Hunter and Gus being nerds. And nerding out over something Camilla used to nerd out about. Yes please.

The Azura Hecate lumity cosplay was adorable! Also Luz's Azura obsession came from her dad thanks for the tears.

Soooooo. Flap dead i assume. There's no bringing him back. I would hope so at least. I actually cried real tears at that scene. But he sacrificed himself for Hunter. That was really bittersweet. Also the kids trying to tell Hunter and him already knowing 😭

Willow, Gus and Amity missing their parents was so sad, also bonus point for Amity not including her mom in that. Fuck yes.

Okay now I'm going to breakdown Luz and Hunter a bit more because i feel like they were the true focuses of this episode.

Luz: oh boy this girl sure is full of guilt and trauma. I get why she feels responsible for the showing belos how to get to the collector thing but as Hunter said that's what belos does he manipulates people. He would've done it with someone else if it wasn't Luz. Also her bonding with her mom was adorable. I'm so glad she could use glyphs in the human realm with the titan blood i'm hoping by the end of the series she'll be able to permanently be a witch no matter what dimension she's in.

Hunter: where do i even start on him? He was really finally becoming his own person. Nerding out with Gus, getting a haircut which BY THE WAY is not bad unlike how some people try to frame it i'm glad he can find his own identity more, he also likes sewing it's nice. But then fucking belos. The fact that slipping back into the golden guard role still gives him a sense of comfort is really interesting to me. That emotional breakdown he had when Luz told him he's family may just be one of my favorite Hunter scenes ever. And it's not the only one in this special. And then belos slowly taking over him and bringing out his worst side. That scene where he was talking to Luz with his back turned when they were at the graveyard gave me CHILLS. And then of course him telling belos what he truly wants. My other favorite Hunter scene. It was perfect. And the fact that flapjack is the thing that made him want to take control back over his body. The fact that unlike the others he didn't really have anyone from the boiling isles to miss except maybe Darius. Now he has his loss holly shit. Sidenote: am i the only one who noticed his eyes were brown after Flapjack revived him? I wonder if he's more human now in a way? Or maybe it was just the lighting i dunno.

[know-the-way]

What do you think about Sabrina in Riverdale? She's dead... How?? Also it seems no Spellman family in Riverdale.. I'm confused.

I have no idea how it’s going to go with Sabrina returning from the Sweet Hereafter, and I’m still kind of processing the news myself, BUT… I think a potential way they could pull Sabrina in on a temporary scale would be for Cheryl Blossom to “call” on her for help. Due to their similar wardrobe, I am assuming they are on the same side and this isn’t the “witch war” of Riverdale vs. Greendale like RAS originally intended. And as the former/sort of still active Queen of Hell, Sabrina is kind of a deity, so it wouldn’t be too dissimilar from Lucifer, Lilith, Hecate, Pan, etc appearing physically on Earth after being summoned. And maybe, in being summoned, Sabrina realizes she is immortal and therefore can’t die like normal witches/humans do.

I’ve always been hung up on the fact that the set for the Sweet Hereafter looked far too similar to The Void. Could be dismissed as a budget thing, but could also be an indication the “Sweet Hereafter” wasn’t actually the afterlife. Of course, that begs the question of how Nick got there with her, but either that’s a detail they’re going to ignore (likely) - or - the whole “took a swim in the sea sorrows” will mean something different than what everyone originally assumed. Maybe Nick didn’t die, either, but used his sorrow to open a portal towards his heart’s desire (Sabrina) and the powers that he took him directly to her.

And I don’t think we’re likely to see Sabrina’s friends or family in Riverdale. :/ Not yet, anyway. RAS probably had to pull a lot of legal strings just to get from under Netflix’s thumb in order to use Sabrina the character. Using the entire cast I think would be too similar to reviving the show as a whole, which goes against the Netflix contract that ends next year.

Having Kiernan reprise her role as Sabrina in Riverdale will reignite fan interest for caos the series to return, which RAS needs to prove an audience will still be there when the Netflix contract ends and he pitches the show to other networks/platforming services.

I think it’s actually pretty smart and I’m hoping this is an indication that we might see the return of the entire cast soon.

[7-wonders]

Love That Moves the Sun and Other Stars

Summary: If you thought defying death, becoming the most powerful witch currently living, defeating Satan, defying death again, and becoming immortal was difficult, you were obviously mistaken. Coronation, royalty lessons, and pesky in-laws make the idea of facing Satan again more appealing with each day that passes. Luckily, your husband is by your side for it all. But will the love you share be enough to get you through these challenges?

Word Count: 1292 (just a short little introductory bb to set this up)

A/N: Ahhhhh I'm so excited for this! This is officially the first chapter of As Above, So Below's sequel. I've had so much fun revisiting these characters again, and I hope you have fun reading. If you enjoyed, please like, reblog, and comment. If you haven't read AASB before, strap in and click this link, because it's 70k+ words of pure goodness. Lastly, if you want to be on a taglist, let me know!

(moodboard made by the amazing @brattylovee)

She feels them before any of her other senses pick up on them. Being a goddess means her senses are especially attuned to any sort of disturbance, and that’s no different here. It’s an evolutionary trait, one meant to make sure that those gifted with immortality have an upper hand in case of danger, but there’s no danger here. Achlys, or Zoe (she doesn’t really have a preference which name you call her), smiles when she realizes that those she cares about are finally home. Indeed, those around her begin to pick up on this return too. Even Cerberus lifts his heads up, studying the noises he hears before jumping up in excitement and bounding towards the throne room. Zoe chuckles, standing from her spot in one of the many sitting rooms and transmuting herself to the throne room.

The hellhound does not even blink when he sees that one of his mistresses reached his destination before he did, screeching to a stop and barking happily. The king of the Underworld stands in the center of the throne room, his new wife holding onto his arm. Neither you (the aforementioned new wife) nor Michael can wipe the smiles off of your faces, both so wrapped up in newly wedded bliss that it’s impossible to not let the rest of the world see how happy you are. Only Zoe clearing her throat breaks your eyes away from those of your husband’s, and you grin even wider when you see her.

“Zoe!” you greet, untangling your hand from Michael’s to wrap your arms around your friend. “I’ve missed you!”

“Oh yes, because I’m sure you had plenty of time to think about those of us here while Michael was whisking you around the world.” Her eyes twinkle with mirth as she teases you, briefly letting go of you to customarily curtsey in the direction of Michael. “My lord.”

“I believe we’ve been past these formalities for about 200 years now, Zoe,” Michael says as he comes up behind you and puts a hand on your shoulder.

“Force of habit.” Zoe turns back to you. “So? How was everything?”

“Oh, the honeymoon was wonderful. Michael took me to Greece, and he did some magic to make Athens look like how it did when everybody thought you lived on a mountain.”

“Stunning, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know what was better, Rome, France, or Greece.”

“They all have their charms.”

“Bet the sex was good, too.” Hecate appears with her arms crossed, smirking at you and Michael.

“That’s really inappropriate--” Michael starts, but you cut him off.

“You wish we would tell you.” You wink, Madison laughing and pulling you into a hug. Knowing that she’s finally getting used to hugging, you smile victoriously. “Anyways, the honeymoon was great...for me, at least.”

Madison laughs. “It wasn’t great for Michael?”

“No, he felt like it was ruined because I made him meet my parents.”

Michael scowls as if to emphasize your point. “I’m a god, why is it that meeting my wife’s mortal parents intimidates me?”

“He’s just being dramatic; my parents love him!”

“Do they know that you’re married?” Zoe asks.

“No, we said we’re ‘dating’ and taking things slow, which, in Underworld time, we technically did.”

“Gods, I wish I would have been there for that conversation,” Madison chimes in.

The doors open, interrupting your conversation, and Michael’s right hand demon appears with a bow. “My lord, welcome back.”

“Thank you, Cassius.” Like a switch being flipped, Michael assumes the position of God of the Dead.

“I hope you enjoyed your vacation, for we have quite the workload for you to tackle.”

“Yes, of course.” You look at Michael with a pout, which really isn’t fair on your part considering you just spent the past month uninterrupted with him, but still...you thought you would at least be able to relax with him a little bit before jumping back to work.

“King stuff?” you ask.

Michael nods. “King stuff.” He kisses your head just barely, already on the move to go handle whatever’s first on the long list that Cassius is holding. “But don’t worry, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy, what with the coronation and all.”

“The coronation?”

“Yes, your advisors will explain it further.” Michael glances behind his shoulder. “I love you!”

“I love you too.” But he’s already gone. “Did you two know anything about a coronation?”

“No, but it’s kind of assumed that there would be one, since you married a king and all,” Madison says.

“You’re my advisors, so tell me about the coronation.”

Madison laughs. “We’re far too important to be anyone’s advisors. No, as the soon-to-be Queen of the Underworld, you have an actual staff.”

“But...do I actually need a whole staff?”

“Considering you’ve never done any sort of crash course on how to be nobility, I would say that you do.”

You nod sagely. “Like in Princess Diaries.”

Madison and Zoe share a confused look. “I have no idea what that means.”

“Oh, it’s a movie. Basically this girl finds out from her grandma that--”

“I wish I could say that I’d watch it, but I won’t.” At this point, Madison interrupting you is so normal that it doesn’t even phase you anymore. “But let’s face it, you’re going in completely blind. You need some sort of help.”

“Why from other people though? I’d rather that you and Zoe just helped.”

“Neither of us are skilled at planning coronations, and we can’t guarantee that we’ll always be around whenever you need to learn something related to your new role. We’ll certainly try, though,” Zoe says.

“Who’s this ‘we’ you’re talking about?” Madison jokes. “Don’t stress about it, okay?”

“I’m not!” you insist.

“I can see it in your face, you totally are. Nothing’s going to change, and you have nothing to worry about.”

“Besides having to learn how to be a queen?”

“Besides that. But I thought you knew that you would have to do this?”

“I did, but I just didn’t think it would be so sudden. I thought I would have some time after getting back before having to deal with this.”

“Okay, you need to get out of your head,” Zoe says, “and we’re going to show you that things will still be as they were before you married Michael.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“Well, how much of the Underworld have you explored before?”

“Not much. Michael took me to Elysium for a date once, and we went to see the Fates, but the only other time I had been out of the castle was when I ran and that monster almost ate me.”

“Perfect. We’re having a girls’ night out, then, and showing you the fun parts of the Underworld.” Madison squeals upon hearing Zoe say this, and you can already see the wheels turning in her head. You’re not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing yet.

“There are fun parts of the Underworld?”

“Why would we continue to live here if there weren’t?” Madison asks, and you admit that she has a point.

“Consider it, like, a bachelorette party! Mortals do that, right?” Zoe looks at you in anticipation.

“Yeah, but I’m not really a bachelorette anymore.”

“So? It’s a belated party, and any event like this is an excuse to go have fun.”

“Oh, alright.”

Zoe claps her hands together. “Perfect! Let’s go find some suitable outfits.”

Zoe and Madison each take one of your hands, walking and chatting about the places that they want to take you and where they think you would like best. Though you huff and roll your eyes, you have to admit: it’s good to be home.

///

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