#Patroclus looks pretty as always

[mossy-crow-king]

Tried to draw Achilles and Patroclus, got to a point where I can’t go any further without wanting to snap my tablet in half so here :/

[gay-dorito-dust]

Hello! I loved your last hobie fic btw it was really good!!

Imagine that in hobies universe you died but when he travels to miles universe he sees you alive 😭 and then the reader introduces themselves to him the same way they did in his universe

Keep feeding us with these ATSV fics 😈😈

Have a great day!!!

Thank you for enjoying my Hobie Brown stuff anon cuz he’s been invading my mind recently. I hope to god this is okay for ya. 🦦

Hobie remembered first meeting you as though it were yesterday, you were within an alleyway vandalising the walls with your spray paint, he happened to be passing by when one of your masterpieces caught his eye; it was of him…well him as Spider-Man clocking a cartoonish Osborne -appropriately adorned with devil horns and a tail- in the head with his eyes crossed out in red spray paint as though he were dead.

It got a good chuckle out of him that was for sure and from that alone he knew he had to know you more on a personal level. ‘Whatcha gonna call that?’ He asked aloud, making you jolt, you were pretty sure you had chosen a spot where you weren’t going to get caught by the authorities or those that’d grass you up for expressing how you truly felt about Osborne and all those just like him. You shrugged, looking up at your finished product before looking back over at Hobie, ‘dunno yet,’ you told him truthfully, ‘my working titles are either anarchy incarnate or death to capitalism.’

Hobie hummed in approval, but he thought you could do better, ‘how about anarchy is the death of capitalism?’ He suggested and he couldn’t never forget the light in your eyes upon hearing his working title, that in the midst of your excitement you had grabbed him by the arm, ‘that’s it! That’s what I should call it, you’re a genius man!’ You cried before realising what you did and immediately removed your hand from his arm, ‘sorry about that.’ Hobie dismissed your apology by slinging an arm over your shoulder. ‘Nah, don’t give me that shit, you shouldn’t have to apologise for being yourself for that’s what they want you to do.’

‘I don’t think I ever got your name.’ You said. ‘Hobie. Hobie brown and may I get to know the name of the amazing artist behind this.’ Hobie gestured to the spray painting. ‘Y/n l/n.’ You replied. ‘Well y/n, I think we’re going to get along quite well.’ And you did.

So when your untimely death happened, Hobie felt as though he were Achilles having lost his Patroclus. He cradled your body into his arms even long after you had said your final words, ‘keep fighting the good fight, my little anarchist.’ and much longer after it had already gone cold. You had told him that you were heading out to go spray paint with some people you’ve met and the worst soon came when despite knowing that you didn’t have to, you still went out of your way to act as a distraction so that the rest may escape; which resulted in the way that it did.He knew he should’ve gone with you that day because then maybe you would still be alive and taking the piss out of him for worrying about you but he didn’t, so you weren’t.

Ever since then Hobie had made it his goal to keep fighting for not only his chase but yours as well in your memory. He made you a memorial in the exact same place where you first met, always paying it a visit whenever he felt as though he needed you with him, which has lead him to start talking to your spray pairings as though they were actually you. There was without a shadow of a doubt that you were quite possibly one of the greatest artists to have ever lived, alongside with being an avid inspiration to many to the youths who felt as though they had no way of expressing themselves when feeling slighted by the society they were born in. Hell you even inspired him! So much so that there were a multitude of songs he would perform that depicted a individual with stardust in their eyes, a rebellious fire in their heart and a insatiably need to insight the themes of anarchy within anything they touched.

After your death Hobie kept a good portion of your things; such as your spray cans that would never get used, your clothes that still clung onto the very last essence of you much like he did and even kept the picture you took together after helping you finish a project you had been wanting to pursue for a long while; and who would’ve thought that it would be him, not as Spider-Man, just good old Hobie Brown with the message, ‘keep fighting the good fight, my little anarchist.’

So when he caught himself walking down a alleyway much like he did long ago but this time in a completely new place, he felt as though he was being hit with a wave of de ja vu when his ears picked up on the familiar hissing sound of a spray can. It was like he was back there again and if his memory serves him right, he knew what was to come next the moment he, Gwen and Miles made it into a clearing where they were greeted with the sight of someone’s back as they were deeply engrossed with their own handy work. ‘You’re going to love them Hobie, they’re like super cool and awesome.’ Gwen told him but her words went in one ear and out the next as he stared up at the spray painting of Miles as Spider-Man mid swing; it was beautiful without a doubt but they style in which it was drawn was all too familiar.

‘Whatcha gonna call that?’ Hobie had said without realising it until you jolted before turning to look directly at him, regaining your composure, ‘dunno yet.’ You shrugged and your voice sounded like an echo to the past for Hobie who so desperately wanted to pinch himself in that moment. ‘my working titles are either a bright new era or rising above all expectations.’ Hobie didn’t say anything for he knew he was going to say something that would only scare you away, just because you were another version of his y/n didn’t mean you shared the same memories; to you, he was just another spider-man from another reality, he wasn’t your Hobie despite how he wish he was but he knew he couldn’t put that on you.

He also couldn’t blame you for being alive while his version of you was dead. It wouldn’t be fair on you for being blamed for something that wasn’t your fault to begin with and it wouldn’t be fair on him either, as despite how many times he made himself believe that he has accepted your death, his heart would remind him that he truly hadn’t. You were such a pivotal part of his life that he couldn’t seem to let go of. ‘Hmm, both titles sound cool but I think we can do better.’ Miles pipped up, breaking Hobie out of his headspace that was running rampant with all the best memories you shared together. ‘How about…the bright new era of rising above all expectations?’ Hobie interjected.

You made a face at the suggestion before a wide smile spread across your face as you lost yourself in your excitement and grabbed ahold of his arm like you did when your first met, ‘that’s it! That’s what I should call it! You’re a genius dude, thank you.’ But before you could remove your hand from his arm, Hobie grasped your hand and held it firmly. ‘I don’t believe I told you my name, it’s Hobie by the way.’ Your excused his actions as an exchange of formal greeting and grasped onto his hand with the same about of force. ‘Nice to meet you Hobie, I’m y/n.’

‘I know’ is what Hobie desperately wanted to say but kept it all contained under a strained smile.

[somepinkthing]

"Hector was a good man" "diomedes was an honorable man" BZZZT WRONG. Diomedes was there to steal, burn, and wage war same as the next person. In fact, he was pretty adamant about it. Hector had no issue with the greek's actions, merely that they were directed at him—I mean look at what he wanted to do with patroclus's body, only to then cite respect for funeral rites when it was his own turn to die. Hector also owned slaves within his own city walls—people that he likely took from their homes during troy's own conquests. All that seperated him and the greek warriors was which side they were on.

The Iliad isn't a story about morally upstanding men. Sure, it has men who have honor and perform honorable acts, but these are not good samaritans. It's is a story about war and grief and the real victims of fights between so-called-honorable men and gods. The urge to find a "good guy" in this story is wasted. Hector doesn't have to be morally good just because achilles isn't. Troy didn't lose because they were more or less evil than the greeks. It all just. Is. Because of fate? Because the gods said so? Because people will always make disastrous mistakes and it will always end up biting not only them, but everyone else around them? Who knows? In the end though, doesn't it all feel so pointless in the face of the endless amounts of grief and destruction that war leaves behind? Maybe that's the whole point

[k2ntoss]

OMG MARA

Soft, lazy kisses and innocent touches that turn bolder and more sinful as you just can’t resist each other.

“This is wrong.” “So wrong.” While continuing to pull at each others clothes, mind fogged with nothing but lust and arousal.

THIS TWO WITH JASONNN PLEASEEE

girl, allow me to fangirl over this because YOU are here on my asks i feel so *screams* okay okay okay !!!! let me get at it, i just love how your mind works so here we go :3 bestfriends shit with jay

soft, lazy kisses and innocent touches that turn bolder and more sinful as you just can't resist each other + "this is wrong." "so wrong." while continuing to pull at each others clothes, mind fogged with nothing but lust and arousal

it was meant to be a lecture afternoon on his place, jason offered to help you prepare yourself for a literature test and it was like it at first but it was easy to get distracted when any other thing to talk about popped into your head and jason couldn't help it but to listen to you and then go on a long ramble with you.

right now he leans back into the couch, letting you lay your head on his chest as you go on rambling about thay last episode you watched of your favorite show, he listens to you with patience and he is bery much aware of the books that lay now untouched on your coffee table.

"so you know how that's just a metaphor to let us know that hannibal is actually in love with will? i mean, why would you compare yourself and your patient to achilles and patroclus if you weren't in love with him?" you ask him and jason looks like he thinks about it before nodding.

"i can see your point, but i haven't seen the show to know a little more about their interactions" he replies with a subtle shrug as his hand goes to softly play with your hair as he presses his chin on top of your head "but i do know that achilles and patroclus weren't just friends, that's pure bullshit"

and that makes you laugh, the way he always speaks his mind and how smart jason always sounds when it comes to literature and art never fails to amaze you. he looks down at you at the same time you look up at him at you can feel his heart beat a little faster at how close your faces are. you both like each other and you both know it, the subtle hand touching when you walk by his side that makes him smirk proudly when you blush or the lingering kisses on your forehead and cheeks are just too clear, the way you enjoy it too much when jason holds you and how you always find an excuse to nuzzle into his side makes him aware.

so why would he miss the chance to taste those pretty lips of yours? jason leans in to press his lips on yours, soft and sweet as his hands cup your cheeks, your own finding their way to covers his and it's all so cute because he pulls away with a small and shy smile "did you know you're just too cute when you ramble about the things you like?" jason says softly, his lips brushing against your before he kisses you again, one of his hand now down on your neck to bring you closer.

"i didn't knew, but have i told you already how good you look when you speak about the things you know?" you reply in a cheeky tone, pulling away as your hand goes down to hold onto his wrist before kissing his lips too, leaning into his body just so you could both lazily lay there on the couch and keep on kissing each other. soon enough the hand that was still cupping your cheek finds your waist and yours is now pressed against his chest, the kiss grows a little deeper when jason's tongue touches softly your bottom lip before making its way between your parted lips, breath growing a bit heavier.

you are fighting yourself to keep quiet, it was just jason and you on the living room but his roomate was on his own room too, you knew roy well enough to know he was like jay's brother and you knew thst maybe, just maybe you both didn't wanted to be found kissing almost on top of each other as your hands roammed over your bodies.

jason grunts against your mouth when your hand tugs at his shirt and be bites your lip playfully, pulling again without letting go off it just yet and with his eyes fixed on yours as he smirks at you, one of his hands starting to slide under your shirt making you feel his fingertips warm against your stomach.

there isn't a word worth saying when he lets go of your lip because as soon as he does you're back at kissing him, needier and hungrier as his tongue swirls into your mouth making him moan lowly when you suck on it, your fingers now caressing the nape of his neck before diving into his hair as his hand goes up your torso, teasingly touching the edge of your bra.

you took it as a sing, moving until you sat on his lap. jason held your hips with one of his arms around your body, his other hand now fully cupping one of your tits as the kiss got more heated, sloppy and aggressive. he was biting on your lips, letting your tongue wrestle with his and grunting when you first moved your hips against his pelvis.

"not here. roy could find us and i'm not really on the mood to let him see you like this" jason mumbles, forcing himself away from your lips as he sits on the couch, making you straddle him before standing up so he could carry you to his room. as he did he kissed your neck, smirking everytime a soft giggle came out of your lips as you tilted your head, fingers gripping his hair as he did bit your skin playfully.

"god jason, you're playing with me" you said in a whisper, the grin on your lips only fueled jason as he closed the door by kicking it and it made you moan the second he pushed your body against the wall that he shared with roy.

"am i now, princess?" he asks, whispering too and looking up at you as he was still holding you with your legs wrapped around his waist and as soon as you nod his hands travel from under your knees to your ass, giving you a playful squeeze before devouring your lips again.

jason feels your hands tugging his shirt from his back, starting to pull it up and he pushes you a little more so his hands can do the same with your shirt and it's messy because you can't seem to stop kissing and let out muffled moans and grunts into each other's mouth.

"this is wrong." jason chuckles as he pulls away from your lips, pupils blown wide as he manages to take off your shirt and his hands tremble a little when he unclasps your bra and lets it fall from your shoulder, moaning when he's able to see your bare breasts.

"so wrong." you agree with a sweet giggle, your hands pulling up his shirt and taking it off before tossing it away. it wasn't that you didn't felt anything for jason but there was this voice inside your heads that whispered about this maybe not working between you, but being honest there wasn't two people more meant to be than you.

knowing this by how well you got along, by how you completed each other was soothing because it meant the same for you. the lust and arousal also complemented by how you loved him and he loved you made every touch and kiss a hundred times more intense. it's easy to push that thought aside when he puts you down, his hands going down to unbutton your jeans as his lips glide down your neck, your hands also undoing jason's belt and unbuttoning his jeans before your touch wanders down to caress his half-hardened cock.

the low moan that leaves his mouth as he sucks a small mark on your shoulder makes you grin, he's now pulling your pants down and gripping at your hips with a smirk as you stroke him over his boxers and it turns him on so much it's not so long until you both manage to let all your clothes scattered over the floor of jason's room.

"you look so damn good like this," he mutters against your ear, his voice rumbles at how deep it turns when your hand moves up and down around his dick, his fingers tracing a path between your thighs until he finds your core and he grins widely when he feels your wetness "being so wet just for me."

the stroke he makes between your folds drags a moan out of your lips and he hushes you with a bruising kiss, thumb circling on your clit as your fingers trace his cock and one of your legs is wrapped again around his hips to give him easier access to your cunt.

"you have to be quiet, baby." he whispers against your lips as you rock your hips against his hand and he sounds already so dominant you only manage to nod, holding back a deep moan when his fingers collect your slick before he pushes two into your entrance, stretching you in a way that made you moan silently, lungs suddenly breathless by how he found your sweet spot with such an ease it got your legs weak.

"fuck jay," you whine lowly, trying to keep your voice as soft as you can because you want to be loud to at least muffle the sounds on his fingers inside your aching pussy "i need you inside of me, please..." you beg in a pleading whisper, eyes glazed as you move your hand to press his tip against your throbbing clit.

the need and lust on your voice and face makes him growl and he takes his fingers out of you, quickly replacing your hand with his. stroking himself he uses your slick and his precum to make sure he can slide into your warmth. it only takes him seconds until jason pulls you up again, wrapping your legs around his hips as he uses one of his hands to guide himself inside of you and he grunts as soon as your thight walls swallow his shaft.

"that's it... taking me so good," he says, letting you hear the smirk on his lips as he presses your back against the wall and gives a first slow thrust "it's like this pussy was made just for me, isn't it?"

and he sounds just so filthy you can't help but moan this time a little louder, jason chuckles at that as his hands hold onto your hips to start thursting into you a little faster and harder. your hands gripping onto his shoulders as your fingernails sink on his skin amd the way he looks at your parted lips makes him feel so proud of himself.

"i- i need you to ruin me, jay." you'd say when his fingers grip a little harder on your plushy hips "don't care if someone hears me, please make me scream your name." and the way you beg for him makes him feel even more powerful.

"want me to make you scream like a pretty whore, baby?" he asks with a deep thrust, his eyes dark with lust and need "i'm gonna ruin you so bad, you won't ever feel so good again in your life if it's not my cock inside of you, you'll be all mine."

you'd be lying if you said you wouldn't cum just with his words but it was a mix of everything. the filthy talking, the way he fucked you pressed against the wall while picking you up like a little toy and how he looked at you as if he needed to own you in every possible way; you just wanted to let him get his way with you, wanted him to ruin sex for you because you knew not other person was going to be able to bring this much pleasure to you.

jason kept going, his deep strokes making you cry and whine as you held onto him for dear life. head falling back as he kissed and marked your neck and tits, nibbling on your nipples as his thick cock kissed your cervix, bringing you to the edge and making him growl heavily when you clenched around him like a vice.

"you feel so fucking thight, princess, tell me how much you need to cum." he asks breathlessly as he slows his pace a little, kissing sloppier pecks on the side of your neck as he waits for your reply.

"so much, jay, need to cum so much." you beg in a whiny tone, your eyes fixed on his and he nods, kissing your lips soothingly because he knows you're overwhelmed and your climax tenses your body more and more with each thrust.

"c'mon, baby... cum all over this cock." he grunts, kissing your chin as he goes back to that fast and hard pace, pulling you down on him and moving your body as if it was nothing "cum and scream my name like the little slut you are,"

his voice and the way he moves inside of you is enough to make you moan loudly, crying his name out loud as your body jerks in an intense orgasm that makes your inner walls clench around him in a way that made it seem like your pussy was pushing him out, feeling that made him grunt heavily, emptying his load inside of you with a messy and deep thrust.

[nikoisme]

sometimes the way the epic fandom treats polites really rubs me the wrong way. like, sure, they are the fans of a musical and it's a common phenomena in musical fandoms (or in any fandom actually) that any character with a softer side is represented as a baby that never did anything wrong. bro, polites survived the trojan war. he was at siege there for the whole 10 years of it. he can be a good-natured and kind soul, but surely he did witness a lot of horrible stuff

I am 100% with you on this. To be fair, we only got Polites in like,, one and a half song so there's not really much to work with. However, he has definitely been bottled down to an "innocent baby" (as fandoms, as you said, have a habit of doing). He has been in a ten year long war. It is very much possible that he just kept on hoping and had a positive outlook on life even after the war. (If you look at the cut song Your Light, he very much says "i know the world's not always pretty"). Holding on to hope and trying to go through the struggles of life with a happy mindset is a thing people do, so when any similar character gets treatment like that, it really doesn't sit right with me.

NOW. It's important to note that Polites is mentioned only once in the odyssey iirc, so what we got in epic is entirely unique to the musical. We have no idea what he was like in the odyssey (except that he led the scouting group to circe's home and was one of odysseus' most trusted and dearest friends). I feel like he's something of a personification of the concept of optimism, hope and amiability. Still, representing him as an "innocent baby" or whatever takes away from his thematical role in epic. I've seen him portrayed as very passive, naive, and his agency is very often taken away in favor of serving that bright, hopeful, "greet the world with open arms" image of him people have in mind. (something like madeline miller's patroclus).

People need to understand that optimistic, kind people can still go through horrible stuff. And good people can do bad things! Unfortunately, any character that shows even a sliver of kindness, compassion and empathy seems to get that treatment.

[intothedysphoria]

One thing I love about the harringrove fandom is the agreement both that Steve is dyslexic and Billy is a MASSIVE reader.

Because while Steve’s always been surrounded by teachers or his parents or exes who either believe that he’s incapable of appreciating reading or that he just doesn’t care, Billy thinks that’s bullshit.

Because when Billy gets told to tutor Steve in English, he doesn’t start with a book for toddlers or fucking Shakespeare. They start with Billy reading him Wuthering Heights.

And at first Steve does not fucking get it. He doesn’t understand the plot, the message and especially not the dialect. But he finds himself enjoying it a lot. Billy’s a natural storyteller. He could be on stage.

Billy’s taste in books is both eclectic and weird. He’s reading Finnigan’s Wake for fun. In Irish. He likes Portuguese romance books and German surrealism and a lot of George Orwell. So much so that Steve kind of feels that love rubbing off on him.

He’d used to like reading. Before he was told he was doing it wrong. And even though he despised the books set by Hawkins High with every fibre of his being, there was this fire set in his belly, a want to impress Billy.

So he starts with The Hobbit. Eddie “Freak” Munson’s the only other dyslexic Steve knew and he loved that shit. How hard could it be?

The Hobbit is fucking difficult. It starts with a map, Steve thinks is in Elvish and some of the chapters feel like they go on forever. The words still bounce around the page and switch constantly. He likes it though. It’s weirdly fun as a story and he finds himself rooting for Bilbo.

Henderson can never know. That is the one thing Steve is certain of.

Billy doesn’t laugh when Steve tells him that’s what he’d decided to start with. He just rolls his eyes, not meanly and says he used to read that with his mom. Back in Cali. Before Neil fucked everything up.

Billy reads a lot of Oscar Wilde. The Importance of Being Earnest is constantly tucked into his back, dog eared and well loved. Steve knows enough about Oscar Wilde to know what that indicates.

Billy’s a poof. A faggot. A queer.

Billy is like Steve.

He doesn’t have the courage to look out for anything gay. Nothing even that hints at the matter. Steve knows that his dad has The Iliad tucked away in his office. He’s away on business while his mom sits in the kitchen and complains about America. Even after 15 years in the States, she still misses Poland.

His daring heist after she goes to bed leads to him sitting on the kitchen floor, crying about Achilles and Patroclus. Billy’s right, classics are a fucking bummer.

Steves not as stupid as other people think. He knows that if this were a book, him and Billy are hurtling towards deaths door. Even in real life, he’s seen the guys on tv, worn down to the bone on hospital beds.

Gay does not equal a happy ending.

He resolves to never touch The Iliad again.

Billy comes to their next session with a black eye and his mullet chopped off. They don’t talk about it.

1984 is depressing. And surprisingly apt for how Steve feels that his 1984 has gone. He does feel like he’s constantly being watched. Like being in love is illegal. Like saying anything too far against the government will have consequences.

Steve asks if Billy thinks Orwell wrote 1984 about America or Russia. Billy snorts but doesn’t answer.

That’s the note they end on for the year.

Christmas comes and goes. So does New Year. Two months of not seeing Billy aches in his gut.

Then he comes back.

It’s the middle of February. Billy’s been kicked out for a week. Steves playing nursemaid.

He’s beaten up pretty bad. Still, Billy insists he’s had worse.

Steve hedges around asking why it happened. Like the confirmation might suddenly make the full scope of their plight real.

Still, eventually Steve asks. Billy looks at him like he’s particularly simple.

He’s gay. Obviously Steve. And he actually has the balls to go out there, meet men, dance. Even if it does mean getting caught by Neil.

During his explanation, Steve notices they’ve gotten closer together. Like significantly closer.

They’re grazing hands. Electric.

Then Billy moves.

Billy kisses him and Steve’s world turns into a fucking supernova.

They kiss and it doesn’t make Neil vanish in a puff of smoke, it doesn’t make the shopkeepers who sneer at his mother go away, it doesn’t make Steve magically able to read.

But it does make Steve feel like maybe they’ll survive.

[johaerys-writes]

Hello! How does a WIP Wednesday sound? Thank you always and I wish you a happy day😆

Hello!! I didn't have time to answer this yesterday, so I'm answering today :) This is from the next chapter of As Fate Would Have It which is almost done and should be up soon!!

Patroclus on his third trip from their cart, and sweating buckets in the warm spring afternoon under the mountain of pelts he's carrying, when he notices a customer that has drifted close to their stall and is speaking with Achilles. The man is not very tall, but he's broad at the shoulders and looks quite strong. He has an oily beard which he strokes every so often with fingers covered in golden rings and gemstones, and his beady eyes twinkle with delight as he regards Achilles. By the look—and smell— of him, he must be a sailor of some sort, out in the town on errands. 

"It's my first time here," Patroclus hears Achilles saying as he draws near. "I've never been to Iolcos before."

"I would remember a face like yours," the man says, the words accompanied by a nauseating leer. "Tell me, sweetheart, did you fall from Olympus? Because you look divine to me."

Achilles' brow furrows in confusion. "My mother is a goddess," he replies earnestly. "But she's not from Olympus."

"You're a clever one, eh? Not just a pretty face." The man chuckles indulgently, leaning ever closer to Achilles over the stall between them. "Listen, I have a boat nearby; I could take you for a ride if you—"

"You need something?" Patroclus asks gruffly, depositing the pelts unceremoniously on the stall. 

The man blinks at him in surprise, as if he just materialised out of thin air. "Oh, I was just talking with your, um, associate? I have an interesting proposition for—"

"Either buy something or get lost," Patroclus cuts him off. "We're trying to sell and you're hogging all the space."

"Well, if you say so," the man replies sourly. He clears his throat and peruses the pelts without much interest; it is clear that it was not their wares that drew him there. It isn’t very long before he sets his beady eyes on Achilles once again, and his lips curl in that oily smile. "That is very lovely," he says, picking up a pelt at random. "Is it a fox, or a lynx, perhaps?"

"It’s… a deer," Achilles answers, rather perplexed, for the pelt couldn’t have been more obviously that of a deer’s. “We don’t hunt foxes. Or lynxes, for that matter. Our teacher has shown us way to keep them at bay without—”

"You hunted these yourself? My, so many talents! A man after my own heart," he chuckles, completely ignoring what Achilles was saying, which somehow makes Patroclus’ temper flare even more. The man spreads his disgusting fingers over the pelt as he says, "Doesn't Artemis get mad that you're hunting in those woods, rivalling her in beauty? I should like to see you in action, in fact; I bet you're a sight to behold—" 

"Are you done?" Patroclus snaps, incapable of keeping his anger in check any longer. He snatches the pelt out of his oily hands and gives it a quick rub down before throwing it back in the pile.

"Hey! I was going to buy that!" 

"It's not for sale."

"But—"

"I said: it's not for sale." Patroclus crosses his arms before his chest and glowers at him. "Now, beat it." 

The man lets out an angry huff. "You don't get to talk to me like that. I'm a paying customer and it's a free country. I can stand wherever I want."

"Don’t care where you stand as long as it's not in front of my stall." He straightens to his full height and squares his shoulders, stepping protectively before Achilles when the man's eyes slide to him. A low growl vibrates in his throat before he can stop it. “Do I need to make myself clearer?”

The man swallows thickly and takes a step back. "This isn’t over," he mutters sulkily before he walks away.

[sealrock]

14. telling

cw: underaged smoking word count: 588 words

"Take short puffs first, like I told you."

"Alright, alright."

Smoke filled Paris' throat before she released it, the tendrils of nicotine dancing across her breath as she sat across her cousin Evander, the older teen crouched to the graveled ground as he rolled a cigarette for himself. The spring sun was setting, and shadows from his parents' manor drew long and dark from their secluded spot in the blooming white rose hedge maze.

"How does it feel?"

Narrow blue eyes regarded the girl, ashes from her cigarette falling across her school uniform. Paris shrugged before taking another puff, the embers glowing a brighter orange.

"It's different… Probably won't do this again."

Evander cracked a grin, "That's what they always say. Ishgardian tobacco is the best stuff you can get—after one, you can't stop."

"Must be why it's contraband."

Striking a match, Paris watched her cousin effortlessly inhale a long drag, the seventeen-year-old hollowing his lean cheeks before releasing a gray haze of smoke from his nose. Paris rolled her eyes and gave him a playful knock against his shoulder.

"Such a showoff…"

Paris enjoyed spending time with Evander and his younger brother Patroclus; out of all the members of the Tatlonghari clan, she thinks they're the most normal ones. Between his neurotic drunk of a mother and aloof cuckold of a stepfather, Evander somehow came out of that pretty decently if one were to ignore his poor constitution. There were days when Evander wouldn't have the strength to move from his bed, and his mother wouldn't let Paris come over to keep him company. Despite Evander's halfhearted assumption that his mother wouldn't care less if he was blindfolded and tightrope walking over a desert gorge, Paris didn't think so. The woman had two sons, she would surely flip a lid if one of them went down the wrong path… Surely.

But on days like today, when things weren't going well for Paris, Evander knew how to cheer her up—usually with teenage tomfoolery. Most fourteen-year-old girls wouldn't be debasing themselves with addictions and rule-breaking, but Paris wasn't the average fourteen-year-old girl either. Instead of having virtuous role models to look up to, Paris learned the ins and outs of Ul'dahn society from a self-described ne'er-do-well.

"I knew it!"

Paris jumped at the sudden voice, whipping around to find Patroclus pointing an accusatory finger at them, his freckled face morphing into a frown. He had green eyes just like Paris, a look of distress reflected at the older teens. He was only two years younger than Paris, but Patroclus acted more like a spoiled brat than normal due to his mother's suffocating pampering, the boy doing no wrong in her eyes.

Evander wasn't expecting his brother to pop out from the maze like he did, the shock causing the smoke to catch in his fragile lungs. In between his coughing fit, Patroclus stomped his foot before announcing:

"I'm telling Mother!"

Paris scoffed before waving him off, "Don't be such a canary, Patty, we're only having a little fun."

"I'm also telling Uncle Ali!"

Evander always said Patroclus was a little goody-goody, but Paris chalked that up to them being regular siblings who like to annoy each other. Paris was somewhat glad she was an only child.

"Like hell, you will, you little smartmouth!"

Paris was quick to chase after Patroclus, Evander lagging behind with his weak legs. In time, Paris would come to view the brothers as siblings, but right now, she had to shut up the younger one.

[ask-modern-patrochilles]

What other languages do you guys speak? 🥰

Patroclus: I know some Greek— I can have a pretty decent conversation without getting too lost. My biological father always spoke Greek around the house when I was growing up but over the years, I've gotten a little rusty with it.

Achilles: English is my second language, my first is Greek and I'm also fluent in French! My mother made me take different language classes growing up because it'd 'look great on my resume' which in hindsight is very funny considering what I do now.

[a--ttano]

a small selection of achilles/patroclus/zag fics i like

this one goes out to a friend who should definitely read these (this is a small selection and by that i mean non exhaustive. if u, dear reader, enjoy these fics, i recommend checking out the tag or the authors, they're all pretty amazing)

this list is the 10k+ to 5k words fic recs, and someday soon I'll do the 5k - 0 words list!!!

10k+

the chaotic time travel series by luddleston

e, chaos time travels zag to the trojan war one of my all time fav fics. i reread this so often

thin walls by luddleston

e, modern au, they're neighbours rip anyone that isn't zag that has to listen to these two go at it

zagreus, the other messenger god

e, zag relays messages between achilles and patroclus CLASSIC

satiated by viroma

e i LOVE fics where zag gets w achilles and patroclus after managing to reunite them, and this one does it spectacularly well

pages of your thoughts by luddelston

e, aphrodite charms the codex to show zag achilles' thoughts knowing what is going thru achilles' twisty little head is always perfection

mountainside by luddleston

e, au where they trained under chiron together aough we love a good childhood friends to 😳what are we...?

son of troy series by bladespark

e, archive warnings apply, trojan war au where zag was taken as a war prize it's always a treat to see trojan war era patrochilles, and even more of a treat to see trojan war era ZAG

tipping the scales by rises_the_moon

e, nereid achilles is being accidentally courted it's cute and full of feelings.......really love this achilles a LOT

icy rage, fiery need by bladespark

e, heat/rut achilles in heat what more can i say. read it.

I Can Beg or Bow (just give me some direction) by uniqueinalltheworld

e, bdsm and feelings love this patroclus :-) it's also really really fun and good to read their different attitudes towards kink

on the ropes by red_smear

e, bdsm and boxing au i love the boxing bits the best and the asterius and theseus bits always have me rollin around. in general the characters are incredibly good and fun.

spiked collar shenanigans by rises_the_moon

e, that thing where the spiked collar gives a person dog traits :-) :-)))))

a god among men series by bladespark

e, o3 ot3 ot3 this fic scratches so many itches

10k-5k

a myrmidon thanks by shadviio

e, patroclus thinks it would be a good idea to thank zag for reuniting achilles w him in a fun and interesting way absolute gold

were this not a dream by red_smear

e, varatha, the eternal spear, connects the dreams of two of its wielders through time. canon era zag and trojan war era achilles have some uhh interesting dreams another fav!!! on the reread list

look, don't touch by beromei

e, fun times in the elysian fields

the painful way by abbyleaf101

e, MESSAGE DELIVERY!!! it's a kiss

our beloved stranger by luddleston

e, achilles has not been hooking up w zag. patroclus has tho HUGE fan of the different ways a & p responded to their separation, and their different relationships w zag

enjoy

[honey-from-hell]

Books to Read if You want to Look/Feel like a Literary Snob

AKA dark academia and literary novels that’ll make you look smart but are also enjoyable (in my option).

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Edited by Carmen Maria Machado

This is the OG vampire novel and also the OG toxic queer romance novel. Published in 1872, this book predates Bram Stoker’s Dracula by 25 years. The story follows Carmilla and her increasingly possessive relationship with the protanganist, Laura, following a carraige incedent. So, yes, this is a classic, and I know these arn’t always the easiest to read. But is it less than 150 pages, it is queer, and Carmen Maria Machado’s commentary is hilarious and also helps with the reading process.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

I feel like everyone knows this book, and it is for sure popular—and for that reason alone, I debated not adding it to this list—but I’m not sure if I would consider it overrated. It is one of the prettiest books I have ever read and it is objectivly good. It is a retelling of the Trojan War told from Patroclus��� point-of-veiw and focuses on his relationship with Achilles. And for sure, if you get one of the pretty editions, you will look like a snob. 

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

This is the most pretenious novel I have ever read. It has its issues, don’t get me wrong, and its preteniouness is one of them. Regardless, it is quite the compelling novel with an interesting cast of characters and a solid twist at the end. TAS is about a group of six young adults who are in the process of becoming part of a secret society that protects the suposidly burned contents of the library of Alexandria. Their intiation process consists of eleminating one of the chosen six. 

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

This 600+ page book is not nearly as prentious as it appears, but I imagine if you’re just wanting to look like you’re into literary horror, this is the book for you. It follows two different timelines and is a bit trippy to think about. It is a book about a book that is in the process of being made into a movie based on real-life events. It is mildly creepy, very well written, and gloriously feminist and queer. 

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

I havn’t read many feminist books written by men, but this one does a solid job, and I’m kind of mad about it. This wonderfully atmostspheric tale takes place in 1666 Conneticuit. It is full of magic, witchcraft, demons, and staight white bible-thumpers getting what they deserve. Also, yes, we are all into the goat man. It’s okay.

These Violent delights by Micah Nemerever

Listen, it's bleak, but in a way that's fascinating and intriguing, and you don't want to put it down. It's about two boys who are the smartest people in the room—one alienated, grieving, and awkward, the other popular, personable, and easy-going. Their friendship turns towards an intense relationship where their toxic sensibilities take a turn for the violent. The question: can they get away with it?

These are not peak snob, but they are the ones I have read/listened to that I would recommend if you're in the mood for something a bit pretentious.

[tododeku-or-bust]

May I ask your opinion on this recent Wyll art? Cuz I personally feel like the hair they gave him isn't good? And his features looks off too? I'm surprised that it gained so much popularity and praise on here and twitter

https://www.tumblr.com/ozumii-fucking-wizard/759264166608617472/the-blade-of-frontiers

Okay so, I've had this revelation before with Hades' Patroclus, that I've seen a lot with Wyll, and I see it in this art too (which isn't awful, there's been worse Wylls, but I do see what you mean).

I'm willing to give slight grace, in that the source of the texture issues in this art could be due to the texture issues with Black hair in the game. (This isn't always the case, btw. Some folks are just racist). I think this artist was going for braids, but that's not really how they'd look if he had afro textured hair. But the studio gave him the straightest, thinnest texture and scalp twists, both of which serve as a reference to nonblack people drawing him. So this looks like that to me. I cannot stand his hair in game, I'm sorry, it's petty. The engine was clearly not developed to properly depict the different textures of afro hair, and that reflects in the fanart. So everyone who actually gives Wyll cornrows, or well done braids and natural looking locs, I'm always happy about bc it means they had other references of Black hair pulled up.

But as for popularity, take it from someone who has experience in the field: Black characters do not have to be drawn well for people to applaud them. You could draw the whitest brown bucket tool "Black" character, but so long as it's "pretty" and you are putting on the performance of inclusion, people will support. The popularity comes from the stroking of the mutual "I'm not racist" tokenism between creator and fan, not the quality or respect for Black features. It's one of my many goals in running my sensitivity blog; to stop allowing the barest of minimum, not even done for Black fans, depictions of us to slide as "acceptable". If you're gonna do it, do it right.

Btw follow my creative sensitivity blog, we'll be getting into this soon 👀

[smallraindrops-blog]

there's two versions of y/n rattling around in my head

one of them take inspiration from a lot of Achilles head canons

Where because of his Divine lineage he looks unsettling and almost uncanny

and he moves too perfect

and because I'm a sucker for this he has just teeth that are just a bit too sharp to be normal

Pat doesn't notices because he's been with Achilles for so long (TSoA ref)

and achilles doesn't notice because it's Achilles

he's not as pretty boy attractive as Achilles is

But he's attractive ofc

🦐

Oh I like your y/n! I am loling at the idea that Patroclus just didn't notice how unusual his kid was bc he was just too used to being around gods or demigods.

Random neighbor: "your son is little odd. Like his eyes..."

Patroclus: "yeah just ignore his staring, you will won't notice it eventually."

Neighbor: "...oh."

I am a sucker for sharp teeth too, anon don't worry

I love it when ppl sent their versions of y/n, always interesting to see what they have in common and what is different.

[patrochillesvibes]

11. Who leaves notes in the other one's lunch? (Bonus: what do they say?)

A tough question bcs they do a lot of s/texting throughout the day. I suppose it depends on how you define “notes”

Achilles is wont to leave a pair of used lacy panties in either Pat’s messenger bag or his lunchbox. When he has access to a Polaroid camera, he’ll leave behind sexy pics instead. You can imagine why Pat never brings his lunchbox out at work. Pat is so dramatic about this bcs you know he’s smelling the panties and later jerking off to them in the men's room.

As for notes, probably something a bit flirty:

Don’t tire yourself out today.

My husband, I can’t wait till you get home.

My dearest husband, you look so handsome today.

Thinking of my husband and counting down the hours until I can [CENSORED] again.

I feel so empty without you, husband.

Thank you for being the husband of my dreams.

These notes would be sealed with a kiss featuring one of the reds from Achilles' luxury lipstick collection.

(Personally, I don’t think Achilles is fit for capitalism, so I can’t imagine him ever being employed. He doesn’t have a personality that is employable.) So any notes from Patroclus would be a sticky note on the fridge, on the bedside table, or stuck to the bathroom mirror.

The notes would probably be sweet and sentimental, and possibly include reminders:

I hope you have a good day, sweetheart. See you at 6pm.

The electrician will be here at 10am. Be nice. Love you.

Surgery all day. Thinking about your pretty smile.  

Car is in the shop. Will have to follow my heart home as it always leads to you.

To my one and only, I can’t wait to kiss you later.

Dear sleeping beauty, do you have any idea how much I love you? We are out of milk.

It might be hot because the air conditioning is broken, but you are still the hottest thing in my life.

[johaerys-writes]

i’d be super curious to hear your thoughts of the characterisation of achilles in the iliad! because while he is considered honourable and respected by the standards of the culture, surely by modern day standards he wouldn’t be so much? which is why i think that MM did such a great job, because she basically modernised him so that we would see him in the same ways that the greeks did re: his nobility versus his arrogance, but i thought the general consensus on achilles is that he’s an ancient greek hero which equals Not A Good Guy by our standards (but my formal education in classics is limited, i mostly partake as a hobby, so i’m always looking to expand my understandings and opinions and you’re obviously a very intelligent and considered person)

So I think the most important thing anyone needs to do when engaging with ancient greek works (and indeed any sort of work, especially those created millennia ago) is to keep an open mind. Importing modern moral judgement is anachronistic when it comes to the Iliad; hubris, as we understand it now, simply does not exist in the Iliad, there are no Good Guys vs Bad Guys, there are no Heroes or Villains. Those notions came much later and are very much a Christian thing. A hero in the Homeric world has no moral implication; he is simply a warrior. A dude that does things, and not necessarily admirable things. So it would be pointless to try to view Achilles or Hector or Agamemnon (or even the gods in the Iliad who do some pretty fucked up shit) as good or bad guys, because such a thing is irrelevant in the Iliad.

That being said, I feel like Achilles is portrayed generally positively both in the Iliad and also in other ancient Greek works. He is noble, that is, he is of noble/divine lineage, he is well-spoken, well-educated, generally reasonable and polite with pretty much everyone, except for Agamemnon in that opening scene in the Iliad (who was a dick to him as well). He is also honourable and with a very rigid moral code: in the Iliad it is stated many times that he prefers to ransom back captives instead of kill them, and he even lets the body of one of the Trojans he slew be burned with his armour on as a sign of respect, even though it is a thing of great importance in the Iliad to claim the armour of the people one slew. He is not greedy and doesn't flaunt his wealth, he is generous with his Myrmidons and is generally rather well-liked. Until Patroclus is killed and he goes on his rampage, he is a pretty chill dude; and then after Hector is killed, he organises the funeral games for Patroclus where he is shown to be very diplomatic and reasonable, even with Agamemnon; and then when Priam goes to ask him for Hector's body back, Achilles treats him with respect and the two men bond over their grief. So like, idk about you but those don't seem like the actions of someone crazed or extremely arrogant or bad, even by modern standards.

I think what is most telling about how a character like Achilles was perceived in the culture that created him, is that his portrayal in later ancient greek works, mainly the theatrical and philosophical works of around the 5th cent BC, is generally positive. Some playwrights depicted him as a bit of a hothead or a little boisterous and full of himself, but that isn't really framed as a bad thing. Achilles in those works is a famous and powerful hero who knows how good he is and how much the army needs him, but he isn't needlessly flashy, he always keeps his word, he is brave and heroic even by modern standards: in Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis, Achilles goes to great lengths to protect Clytemnestra and Iphigenia from the mob, and it is pointed out many times how averse he is to trickery and lies and that Chiron brought him up to be honourable, steadfast, to keep true to his values and to stay away from wickedness (which is what Agamemnon did, essentially). So I think it's really clear that for the ancient Greeks Achilles has many admirable traits.

You mentioned MM and how she modernised Achilles and made him sympathetic to a modern reader's eyes, and I simply don't think that's true. I think MM's portrayal of Achilles is pretty close both to the Iliad and how other ancient Greeks imagined him; perhaps the only way she differs is by portraying him a bit calmer in places lol. She simply took away all those layers of nonsense that had been piled on top of him through centuries of literary criticism that took all the later Roman works that depicted him as a sadistic monster a little too seriously or only focused on how awful he was compared to Noble Hector (no hate on Hector but those classicists really need to find a new blorbo *smh*)

I also think that maybe MM went a little too hard on the arrogance thing and on his obsession with glory without explaining it enough, but that's just my personal opinion. Achilles is very concerned with his glory in the Iliad as well, but we have to keep in mind his position here: Achilles gave up everything for that glory. He knew about the prophecy and knew that he would die in Troy, and made the choice to fight in the war because glory is just that important within the context of the Iliad. I think that many of the heroes we see in the Iliad would have chosen the same, if given a dilemma like that. So Achilles gave up the life he could have had, his kingdom, his family, just for his name to live on through the ages, and then Agamemnon royally fucked that up by disrespecting and insulting him publicly in the vilest of ways. Achilles then made up his mind to abstain from the war and to go back to Phthia and thus giving up his claim to glory because he was so over the war, and he probably would have done that had Patroclus not died. And then there was nothing else for him to do other than to die as well. So like.... idk. His actions make sense to me. He is a passionate character who is swept away by his emotions, he has flaws, he isn't perfect (if such a thing even exists) but I think he's all the more compelling for it.

I hope this answered your question, anon! Thank you for giving me the chance to ramble about my favourite fictional man <3

[babyrdie]

What do you think about Paris?

He's pretty!

Okay, silliness aside. I think he has wasted potential. He's always just an idiot in love with himself, it seems like no one considers his backstory. And I don't understand why, since, perhaps an unpopular opinion, his pre-Troy life is more interesting to think about than his Trojan War life. A prince living as a shepherd and having a nymph girlfriend (his relationship with Oenone is more interesting than his relationship with Helen, in my opinion) is more interesting to me than a prince being a prince and having problems because he ran away with a married woman…I'm sorry!

Also, find the idea of his relationships with his brothers and sisters interesting. I prefer him being flawed as well, so I honestly don't look for excuses for his attitudes. Understanding is one thing, trying to remove any blame or responsibility is another. But I also don't think he's the worst person in the universe. Like, yes, he abandoned Oneone, took Helen (regardless of whether it was kidnapping or not, an irresponsible move. Paris ain't stupid, he knew what he was doing), refused to give up Helen even when the war was getting worse (even when the Trojans asked him to do so) and wasn't so brilliant in combat as idk Big Ajax. He did other bad things too, he's not a saint and I don't think he's a good person in modern terms.

But, well, I really don't care. Sorry. Medea killed her own children and I like her…Clytemnestra was xenophobic and misogynistic with Cassandra and abusive with her own children and I like her…Achilles has an infinite list of crimes and I like him… Patroclus and Hector wanted to dishonor a corpse and I like them…so yeah, Paris vs. most of my favs in terms of "questionable attitudes" is like this meme: