#MUSE / Zagreus

[deadbaguette]

To be reborn of blood

[blood-starved-beast]

It's interesting how in Hades the First Zagreus hung around the less "problematic" kids of Nyx and dated Megaera the Fury, who isn't as unhinged as her sisters.

Then in Hades II, Melinoe is surrounded by Nyx's more chaotic brood. Nemesis, Eris, even Moros (though he is a sweetie, he has admitted to messing with people's Fates alongside his sisters just for the fun of it). Hypnos is there too but he's asleep and exists to have Mel have a parasocial relationship with.

[spineless-lobster]

I think my favourite headcanon that I have is that zag loves I’m gonna claw out your eyes (and drown you to death) and mel loves hymn to zagreus, and sometimes they annoy each other by trying to sing their respective songs louder than the other

[bringbackthepornbots]

Thanatos shows up with a "ga-bong", re-enacts a hurt/comfort fic, and then leaves with a puff of light and the reminder that he, Thanatos, is very busy and important and can't spend all damn day hanging around Asphodel ministering tenderly to Zagreus' singed feet or whatever

no wonder Zag follows him around like a puppy dog, the man is catnip for daddy issues

[baejax-the-great]

Thanatos x Zagreus | M | Chapters: 11/11 Tags: Angst, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotion suppression, body transformation, Thanatos finds a unique way to deal with having a crush for the first time in his life, Canon-Typical Violence Summary:

“I have come to ask for your help.”

Aphrodite accepts this news as if it is delicious, her lips puckering in satisfaction, her gaze moving to his chest with a knowing eye. “Yes, I see. That does look painful. And have you come to ask for me to woo the object of your desire for you?”

“No.”

“I didn’t expect so.”

Already Thanatos can feel the pull of the Underworld on him. He doesn’t care. He will stay here until he dies if he has to. Following Zagreus’s example, it’s easy enough. He pushes the pain down, and does not allow himself to tremble.

“I want you to take it away.”

[matchingbatbites]

Part 1

Steve visits Eddie often. He loves being around the other man, loves how kind Eddie is, how funny he is for someone who rules the dead. He seems to love making Steve laugh and is always cracking jokes that send the goddess into giggles.

Honestly, Steve spends more time than he should in the Underworld, but Eddie has so many duties to tend to, it makes more sense for Steve to come to him than the other way around.

It’s nearly a year since he met Eddie that his joy is brought to an end. Steve is summoned to Olympus, is told that his visits are sending the world into chaos.

He didn’t know that traveling to the Underworld would cut the human world off from his magic, that the plants that bloomed with his presence would die off when the connection is severed.

Zeus bans him from visiting Hades, and Steve ignores the smug look on Ares’ face, the pitying looks from Hera and Aphrodite. Not all of the gods are here to witness his humiliation, but there are enough to make him flush with shame, to have him leaving as soon as he's able to.

Aphrodite catches him before he gets too far, her hair and robes both immaculate even as tears stream down her face. “Ares told them where you were going. I tried to stop him, but he’s… bitter. Jealous.”

She takes his hand, holds it between her own. “I can tell that your feelings are true, and that Hades feels the same for you. I wish I could help you, Persephone. You both deserve happiness.”

And like a stroke of lightning, Steve knows what must be done.

He thanks her and leaves Olympus, finds the nearest gate and descends into the Underworld. Cerberus is given three loving pets as Steve passes by, heading to the garden behind Eddie’s home.

The plants have been thriving thanks to Steve’s frequent visits, the flowers are in full bloom and the plants that can fruit are full and heavy with produce. He plucks a pomegranate from its branch, and stares at it as he remembers.

The goddess had found Eddie eating one on his third or fourth visit, and the older had stopped him when he’d gone to grab a few of the seeds for himself.

“You can’t eat anything grown in this realm. You’ll be stuck here if you do.”

Eddie had looked almost sad as he’d said it, and Steve had tipped his head to the side.

“Are you saying you don’t want me around?”

“No! I mean, I would-” Eddie stopped himself, took a breath. “You don’t belong down here. This place is far too dark, too bleak. It doesn’t deserve you.”

And Steve could read between the lines, could hear what Eddie wasn’t saying. He had ignored it at the time, let Eddie be right, but now? Now Steve knows that Eddie is the only one who deserves him.

Call him selfish, but no one has ever treated Steve the way Eddie does, has cared for him so, and he wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his days in the Underworld, side by side with the man he loves.

He tears open the pomegranate as a voice comes from the house.

“Steve? I didn’t realize you were here.”

Steve turns to face him, and Eddie’s eyes drop to Steve’s hands, dripping with red as he holds the fruit in his hands. His face pales and his eyes jump back to Steve’s.

“What are you doing?” he asks, taking a cautious step forward.

“Do you love me?” Steve asks in return. Just seeing Eddie has firmed his decision, and he stands, unwavering as he watches the other man pause at the question.

“I do. More than anything.” Eddie seems nervous, but his voice is steady, and Steve knows he's telling the truth.

“If I asked it, would you let me stay? Let me stand by your side for the rest of time itself?”

Eddie steps closer, now in arms reach. “I would. I would not turn you away, even if it meant my life.”

Steve’s eyes don’t waver from Eddie’s as he scrapes a handful of seeds from the fruit and shoves them in his mouth.

The juice is tart at first, but is followed by a delicious sweetness, something that reminds Steve of Eddie himself, and as he swallows, Steve can feel the shift within him.

Hands grab his face and the fruit falls to the ground as Steve grabs Eddie in return, both meeting in a desperate kiss. Magic flows between them, invisible threads tying them together in a bond so concrete, even the Fates themselves could not cut them.

They pull back after a moment, and Steve’s eyes drop to the red smear across Eddie’s mouth, something that is surely mirrored across his own.

“My wonderful little goddess,” Eddie mutters, awestruck as he places another kiss to Steve’s lips, more tender than the last.

“You're stuck with me now,” the goddess responds, sending them both into giggles, and yeah. It feels good to be selfish.

(Later, Steve will cut a deal with the rest of the gods. He will come back for half a year at a time and tend to his duties, leaving his beloved twin Demeter in charge while he’s gone, in exchange for Zeus’ blessing to have children. Zeus will have no choice but to agree.)

-

Tagging @stardustonpages because they respectfully asked for more <3

[theashen-fox]

@pyramultimuse Thanatos to Zagreus: "How are you liking your new abode? Are you happy here?"

“Well, Than, it is nice to be somewhere that everything isn’t trying to kill me. Okay, but seriously, yes, this is definitely better as far as new homes go. Still getting used to a few things, but that’s just part of it.”

[artavarel]

the muses compelled me to draw a hades family poster

[razzberrydazz]

Listen I saw Zagreus from Hades fanart of a crossover of him with Astarion offering him blood since he's referred to as the god of blood at one point and gods Zagreus as tav is so big brained. I can think of so many ways to make this crossover work.

Zagreus typically being unable to stay on the surface ie the material plane for long because he's tied to the underworld, but he gets snatched up by the nautiloid while he's using his brief time on the surface to tend to his mother's garden, and the magic tadpole the mindflayers put in him allows him to be able to survive outside the underworld as long as he has it. The tadpole also dampens his godly strength and powers to make him on the same level as the other party members you meet strength wise.

Him at the end of the adventure offering Karlach to go to his underworld instead of Avernus and she finds she's able to survive there like in Avernus, therefore giving her a way to avoid having to return to Avernus. Delicious thoughts to consider.

[ask-zagreus]

hehe >:3

hc 🌸

hc 💉

from this ask meme!

Hi, ‘non! Hope you’re doing well!

Persephone and Demeter are part of Zagreus’s family tree, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that he has any special skill with tending to them innately. Instead, once he reunites his parents, he spends time in the garden with his mother to learn how to take care of the plants there. He’s particularly fond of tomatoes and hates the way mint tends to take over.

Zagreus is the God of Blood by SGG-canon, and the God of Rebirth by Orphic-canon; thusly, I subscribe to the idea that his ichor is capable of bringing something that's either dying or dead back to the threshold of life. It doesn't regenerate limbs, or heal very much, but it will get the creature back to a point where they have another chance at life.

[bronzeageyuri]

Zag: This pommy juice I be drinkin... Oooh chile 😝

Dia: You can't be talking like that white daemon ):

[spookysnooty]

pleaseee? ✒️ ❤️

BOOPS FOR BESTIE

[blood-starved-beast]

One Hades II reviewer says the game should tone down the "haunting the humans" aspect of Melinoe in the myths for the game and ngl I disagree immensely. They should ton it up. Let her be wild. Be free Mel from the burdens of your responsibilities and people's expectations.

[good-death-for-the-lonely]

maybe it's nothing, but it does do me a sad whenever i see ppl talk about characters from a game where can be romanced by anyone regardless of gender, and ppl say "oh this character is so gay!! this character is super gay!!" and not like...call them bisexual/pansexual. like ever. at all. sometimes ive seen ppl get *offended* when u call a canonly multisexual character bi/pan :/ i wish more ppl were enthusiastic about canon bi/pan characters...i say this as a bisexual, i wish ppl cheered for us too :'(

[tenebriism]

"Hey-- kiddo." Hades is, as always, awkward with any progeny. If he's not busy with his duties, he's focusing on his wife. Surely she spent time with them-- she was all motherly. Being a dad though? Compared to his father he was a saint.

"You uh-- like wine yet? You're about that age right? Wanna join your old man for a drink?"

" ... fa... ther? " Smaller, slimmer... certainly greyer, too. The princeling shuffles his balance awkwardly between the pads of his feet, admittedly LOST as to how to go about this. " Uh, yeah. Sure. Should I, uh... I mean, I'm not wasting any of your time, am I? "

[acheronidae]

This art style is a personal attack on me:

I'm not saying I want my art to look exactly like this(because I don't), but everything about this style fucks, and I can probably learn a lot of cool shit by studying it.