#WHAT IF WE WERE TWO GODS BUT ALSO JUST TWO PEOPLE AND WE WERE THE ONLY BEINGS IN THE UNIVERSE
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What about a fem!reader x jason todd and they're keeping their relationship a secret but bruce sees them making out in the batcave?
This sucks but I love u and ur writings
Xoxo
Anon 💉
Head Over Heels
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⛧ BATFAM MASTERLIST ⛧
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Jason's lips moved softly against yours as he kissed you. Jason was a gentle lover, contrary to what many people may believe. When it comes to you, Jason always took his time to make sure everything was perfect. He never rushed into things. Weather it was just placing a hand on the small of your back when you were out in public or the way he tucked your hair behind your ear when he moved in to kiss you; everything was always thought out with Jason.
The two of you had been dating for a little while now, and you had to say that he was your world. He put so much effort into it. The two of you would often stroll together hand in hand, walking through Gotham's parks as the leaves shifted from green to a golden orange, or you would spend the cold nights cuddled up on his bed as something played quietly in the background. You loved to listen to him talk. To find every detail of his features, and uncover them like an archeologist. The freckles lining his nose. The dimple on his left cheek when he smiles. The way his eyes lit up with this gorgeous glint when the topic wandered to something he was particularly interested in. How he would become animated when showing you his bikes. It was safe to say that you were utterly in love with Jason. And he was equally as in love with you.
However the two of you had decided to keep your relationship a secret. for now, atleast. With Jason not only being in the public eye, but also being a vigilante, he didn't want you to get dragged into something you didn't need to be part of. But also...his brothers were rather...prying...and he didn't want them knowing more than he was willing to tell them. So, to stop that from happening the two of you agreed not to tell anyone until you were both comfortable.
But, as the two of you were hiding out in the cave, that plan was cut short. Too captured by the feeling of each other, you and jason failed to hear the sound of the footsteps echoing through the cave, and didn't notice that there was someone watching until they gave an awkward clear of their throat.
Pulling away from each other quickly, Jason's eyes widened as he looked up to find Bruce standing a few feet away. He tried to compose himself quickly. "Bruce- i...we..."
Bruce raised an eyebrow. He was rather amused at his son's attempt to be nonchalant. "Care to explain?"
Jason fumbled some more over his words, unable to hide the red flush that appeared on his face. It was rather cute, if you had to describe it. Eventually, he let out a soft breath. "Father....y/n is my girlfriend."
Bruce let out a hum. "I see." he took a step closer. "and how long has this been going on?"
"A few months..." Jason responded, lacing your fingers with his. You gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Bruce....you have to understand that I love her very much and I- I don't care if you approve or not because-"
A small smile appeared on Bruce's lips as he watched his son ramble protectively over you. He could tell he was head over heels for you . "Jason." He said, grabbing the boy's attention. "Its okay. I'm not going to stop you from dating. I'm happy for you."
"...you are?" Jason's eyebrows pinched together.
"Course I am."
Jason thought for a moment. "Good. Because I am too. I'm sorry i didn't tell you....we just thought it would be easier for us."
"It's alright. I'm not mad. Although....i can't say the same for when your brothers find out."
"Oh god...you cannot tell them! Please don't tell them!"
the older man just grinned, moving towards the door. "I'll leave you two alone then." he said. his footsteps, that you should have heard earlier, echoed through the room before the stopped and he reappeared. "And no more kissing."
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BATFAM TAGS
@hearts4robs @xxrougefangxx @hell-o-kittys @harleycao @batfamsstuff @alicedawitchbish @killxz @rosecentury @azure-drag0ness @noisymutantherelol @rhiodes @thewhispersofthewaves @reggies-eyeliner
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#batfam x reader#batfamily x reader#jason todd#jason todd x reader#red hood#red hood x reader#fluff#dc#batfamily#batfam
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yall are clearly having two+ very different conversations. op is correct tho. it is extremely fucking irritating to tell someone 'hey that hurt me' or 'hey that hurts people' and for them to respond 'how dare you say i'm capable of hurting people?!?!'
yeah 'oppressor' is loaded and has moral weight, because oppression holds moral weight, because oppression, the structural force, is bad. and generally people who are trying to say 'hey that hurt me' are not going to call you an oppressor directly, but even if they do, maybe address the hurt first and complain about the exact wording later.
there IS a conversation you could have about language here. 'part of a class that reaps privileges from the existing structure of society, whether they want to have those privileges or not' -> 'part of a class that has structural power over another class, whether they want to or not' -> 'part of a class that oppresses another class' -> 'oppressor class'. these are all equivalent in literal meaning, but feel very different. it gets condensed for efficiency and loses some nuance.
and then yes people are going to react defensively when they feel you've implied they are inherently oppressive and immoral. sure. i wish people would take a deep breath when that happens so they could stop taking statements about our current social positions as an inherent personal fault, because it's all arbitrary, no one chose whether we were born into a class like "in the global north".
the main issue is that it's a pain in the fucking ass to tiptoe around the structure of society and word everything perfectly delicately when I've just been hurt in a very predictable way and am reacting "ow! hey!"
that is also the entire issue with 'guilt' when we talk about oppression. it's not that guilt is a "bad" feeling that you shouldn't feel ����. it's that your reaction to your feeling guilty is not always helpful in the specific moment when you're being told you hurt someone. it's fucking irritating to tell someone 'hey that hurt me' and for them to respond 'oh my god im so sorry can i hate myself for you? i'm so terrible let me tell everyone how terrible i am' and take up all the air in the room with a self-hate spiral, so that regardless the original issue of you getting hurt is now minimized.
it's okay to feel guilty, it's totally neutral. it's the actions of public self hatred which turns the focus away from fixing the problem. soothing the feelings of the person who has benefited from an oppressive social structure, even without their consent, still matters… but it should come well after helping the people who are still being hurt by that structure and would like it to be acknowledged.
and thus op. i wish we could collectively stop taking it personally for five seconds when someone says "ow! hey!" so we can say "oh sorry, that was wrong, i'll be more careful".
+ taking the definition of oppressor class from colloquial twitter-ese is silly, man. its not even 'shallow' analysis it's looking at the name of a theory and extrapolating from there. these people think gaslighting is when you disagree about what happened + people who are oppressed talking amongst themselves are not going to word everything in perfectly neutral political theory terms, especially when we're either being hurt or trying to heal from being hurt + 'socialized male' person does not have any serious political analysis to offer, this is just a terf throwing words at the wall + "Oppressors can cry until next week, choke, or burn in hell for all I’ll ever care." this is not directed at you and it is not a literal political stance that anyone genuinely has. this is an expression of frustration. you taking it literally and personally looks ridiculous. this is a hammer car explosion post
lot of people take the idea they might be an oppressor like it's some kind of curse or marks them or makes them fundamentally irredeemable.
this means whenever someone suggests they might have structural power over some group, rather than being normal about it and going "oh yeah i should be mindful of how i act so i don't abuse that," they take it as a personal attack, and either jump to defending themselves by denying it, or start lashing out.
this makes 99.99999% of all conversations on this website completely fucking unbearable.
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Telegraph Road 1977 & 2024 - Lando Norris
SUMMARY: For Lando, the words "first love" just make him think of his childhood neighbour. Then, his heart breaks a little when he remembers she's somewhere in San Francisco. How surprised he is when it turns out you're much closer - in an apartment across the hall. Lando couldn't be more grateful for the strange mysteries that led you to this doorway.
WC: 983
Everybody has those moments when they are suddenly reminded of someone they knew long ago. Old classmates, kids from summer camp, playground friends – people who once were part of your daily life but now you think about them maybe once a year if not less often. Those silent questions of “I wonder what happened to them?” come and go just as quickly, like a golden brown leaf carried by the wild, autumn wind.
Lando is something of an exception to that rule. The thoughts of his old neighbour never quite leave him, as though his autumn is more of a perpetuity than a season. Despite the passage of time, that curious quirk of his stuck. However, the why has changed. While still a child, he’d ponder the memories of you simply out of longing. It is only natural when one’s closest companion is gone one day. Then, as his young heart began revolving around crushes, dates and girlfriends, Lando suffered an epiphany. Finally, he understands! It was as if on some random Tuesday lightning had struck him – it was love he felt for you, not just friendship. And what a tale of one’s first love it told! “We were inseparable, soulmates, if you will, when one day she moved away and I never heard from her again.” Truly, a drama worth a thousand novels.
Little does he know, that those strange mysteries that separate lovers, sometimes lead them to each other’s doorways…
Lando is closing his front door, when the sound of paws tapping the floor grabs his attention. Without much thought, he looks down the corridor.
The tapping belongs to a rather happy-looking Scottish setter. He recognizes the breed only because he’s spent his childhood running around a small British town with you and two of those dogs. Despite the lingering memories of the past, Lando doesn’t mind the pet any longer, again focusing on his own things. Then, a strangely familiar voice distracts him again:
“Come on, Axel! We’ll have plenty of time to make friends later.”
Almost giving himself whiplash, Lando looks for the source of the sound. Could it be…?
You’re a little surprised when you hear someone calling out your name in a questioning manner. As far as you know, none of your friends live in Monaco. So how come someone here knows you? Fixing your grip on the box labelled Kitchen, you take a look around the corridor.
For a moment, you think you’re just seeing things. But you’ve stared at that face for so long, you could recognize him in the darkest, most inexplicable fever dream; the face that you’ve associated with home for your whole life.
“Oh my God, Lando Norris!” you exclaim between chuckles. “I can’t believe it!”
His cheeks redden a little. “You remember me?” The question has a distinct tone of surprise.
“Of course I do! You were my best friend,” you say. “Well, the only friend for a few years,” you add, your voice noticeably quieter than before.
“What are you doing here? I thought your family moved to San Francisco.”
It is only then that Lando truly sees who you’ve become throughout all those years away. Perhaps you are more beautiful than he could imagine but you’re also much sadder. There’s a wistful look in your eye, a tell-tale sign of maturity that is only born out of tears. He can only wonder what pains have brought you back to him.
“At first, it was San Francisco, then New York, Chicago, L.A… I never fit in anywhere. They’re all very lonely cities, you know?” Just for a second, your eyes become glossy. His heart feels a painful sting that only gets worse as you force a wide smile on your face. You’ve had practice in faking happiness, haven’t you? “But enough about me, it’s not that interesting,” you say in a casual tone. “Congratulations on your driving career. Seriously, you’re amazing. Would it be creepy if I admitted now that I’ve watched every single one of your races?”
“Not as creepy as admitting I’ve stalked your social media and never followed you because I thought you don’t remember me.”
“Are you dead serious right now?” Lando’s sheepish smile earns a loud laugh from you. “You should have tried anyway!”
“Funny that you’re the one to say that,” he retorts. “Why didn’t you message me if you’re such a big fan?”
Flustered, you look away for a moment. “Honestly, I thought it would be weird,” you confess. “I was sure you’d forgotten all about me and pulling this ‘we were childhood friends’ schtick now that you’re famous would be so embarrassing. You’re this top-of-the-top racing driver and I’m, well, me.” A bitter chuckle comes after your words but the faux amusement isn’t enough to fool Lando.
“You’re staying for long in Monaco?” His question is accompanied by a light gesture towards the box in your arms.
“As long as they don’t fire me, I guess.” That strange, sad laughter again. “Listen, you look like you have somewhere to be and I’ve already taken up too much of your time. You could come by in the evening, catch up if you want?” Your tone rises, revealing uncertainty about whether the invitation is welcome.
But to him, the answer is obvious. “I’d love that.”
You give him one last smile, then disappear behind the door to your apartment.
In some sense, he has you back. Not the girl he remembers, no. Something innate seems to be gone from your soul but Lando lacks the words to name the change. The sights, the loves, the pains – whatever it was that took your life on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, it sprouted melancholy in the very marrows of your bones.
“What happened to you?” he whispers to himself.
The only answer that comes is muffled footsteps and the shuffling of cardboard boxes.
Check out other fics in the Ampersand Themed Works
#formula 1 imagine#formula 1 fic#formula 1 x reader#formula 1 fanfic#formula 1 fanfiction#f1 fanfiction#f1 fanfic#f1 fic#ln4#lando norris#lando norris x reader#lando norris fanfic#lando norris imagine#lando x reader#lando norris x you#ln4 x reader#ln4 imagine#ln4 fic#ln4 x you#ln4 fanfic#f1 x reader#f1 x you
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THIS POST CONTAINS DISCUSSION ABOUT HAZBIN HOTEL LEAKS
i sadly saw the leaks of hazbin s2 and now a whole plotpoint is ruined for me, i can make sure if you are still saved from seeing them, this is my advice just take a couple days of social media ESPECIALLY of tiktok and wait until the leaks are removed from platforms because they are HEAVY leaks they arent just some simple conversations
how i found out is a gacha reaction video on youtube without ANY spoiler warnings, just dont watch upcoming reaction vids if you consume them people WILL take profit and make reactions, under the cut is the exact name of the video but im not going to type that here since its kinda on the nose and will give you a huge idea of what the leak is about
ALSO: i said under the cut that comments are a safe space to talk and discuss about the spoiler so do NOT look at them since they will showcase spoiler, so to make it clear hopefully
DO NOT LOOK IN THE COMMENTS IF YOU WANT TO STAY SPOILER FREE PLEASE <3
under the cut is discussion about one of the leaks so if you want to stay spoiler free i beg you do not read further
so about that leak..
i do not like it one bit, i am praying to god its fake because it is such a weird choice
because as we see in the leak rosie owns alastor's soul, that is heavily implied, and i myself do not like this choice
we can clearly see alastor does not like rosie and rosie only sees him as a pet and calls him so, this just ruins their whole dynamic for me
alastor and rosie seemed genuine friends and loved to spend time with one nother they were really cute, i thought alastor finally had somone he could lean on
so this
is all fake, all of alastor's moments that we thought were rare moments of his real joy, are fake.
rosie being happy that her best friend has returned from his 7 years disappearance to who knows where?
fake, she's just happy her pet is home to clean up her dirty work..
this also puts into perspective that alastor really does not have any real friends, niffty still always is on his leash so there is a power imbalance, husker probably hates him, vox hates him too and when they were friends i think alastor only was there for the entertainment or he saw him not as a friend anymore as soon as vox confessed
but i really do not like this.
i saw those two as a genuine friendship, married for tax benefits, queerplatonic, best friends for life, even lovers,
not as master/pet
they were cute together, alastor finally had someone he could trust and rosie had someone she could hangout with, gossiping together, rosie enables alastor and alastor enables rosie, maybe they were a bit transactional but you could clearly see they cared about eachother
in the leak we see a total different dynamic, alastor hates rosie and plays along with her, rosie takes delight in alastor's suffering and degrades him like calling him "pet" puts him in cages, uses him as a doll
this is the video i looked at:
im not shaming them this is just the internet but this clearly shows the leak without any sort of warning on the title, cover, or even in the description, i knew nothing about alastor's deal leaks so i had no idea this one would show leaks
as far as i know this the only gacha reaction up to this point where they react to leaks
but now, while i have been writing this post i have been thinking about it.
this is a fun twist i can say, nobody was seeing this coming this is an actual surprise
i can accept and deal with the fact that rosie is alastor's soulowner and maybe still find enjoyment in it, i mean i always love to see alastor suffer and him having 0 real friends is pretty funny (AND SAD)
but if you want to talk about the leaks here in the comments is a safe space to discuss, i can understand you would like to talk with someone about this revelation so come say hi in the comments if you want :D
UPDATE:
So have been thinking about the leak for a bit once i let it sink in
We saw the leak and it looks real (good animation that is hazbin hotel style and the voices are not ai or someone must have had a really good bot for that)
But just because we saw the leak doesn't mean we have context for it
I still am a full believer in the eve/roo theory even after this leak and have been pondering on this animatic
What if roo posessed or shapeshifted into rosie??
We know Alastor doesn't have a good relation with his soulowner and he seems to genuinely like rosie's company, he even bleats and his pupils dilate thats not something you can controle
So it makes no sense for it to be actually rosie
My theory is that roo wanted to be extra petty towards Alastor and decided to sing that song to him as rosie, because whats better than singing a song about owning their soul as their only real loyal best friend??
I know i'm just stretching at this point but i refuse to believe this without context and hazbin is already hella fucking complicated so this could fit
Anyways what do you think? You think this leak is real or fake, do you also not believe it or are you in denial? Lemme know i'm curious and love to trade theories! <3
#hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel season 2#hazbin hotel season 2 spoilers#hazbin hotel leaks#hazbin hotel spoilers#hazbin hotel season 2 leaks#alastor#rosie#rosie hazbin hotel#radiorose
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Curly had two days to act and Swansea had two months.
I think it’s just interesting that every defense of Swansea not immediately acting are the same ones that are argued against for Curly. “He didn’t want to alert Daisuke or makes things worse for Anya either Jimmy!” I mean people also assume that about Curly and the crew. “He has to think about his plan of action and a right moment!” Again so did Curly, power and authority aside, he still would have to think of what he had to do. “He makes sure he doesn’t have to be around Jimmy!” So did Curly and they only do this to an extent, both give Jimmy more than a few opening to keep harassing Anya.
This isn’t defense of Curly nor a damnation of Swansea. Their actions are very parallel to each others in tragic and sour ways when it comes to how they approached helping Anya. In the grand scheme of it all they both did the same thing: Nothing. No action either took stopped the inevitable outcome of her death nor Jimmy’s continued damage to themself.
The only real difference is Swansea didn’t like Jimmy which is pretty substantial, but also just as damning as Curly knowing how bad Jimmy could get to an extent. He had even less of a reason to wait, even more of a reason to act seeing as he was now worried for Anya AND Daisuke. He is not bound by the possible procedure as Captain and actively does not care about what happens next. So what does it matter if he acted in the moment? Why did he wait? I think he’s just as morally complex and grey as Curly and we hold him on a pedestal that still perpetuates things in rape culture the game critiques.
It’s not just enough to dislike and be abrasive to predators/abusers like Jimmy. It’s not enough to just put yourself between them and the other person. It’s not enough to hold tensions when you know someone is vulnerable. He and Curly do the exact same things but on different sides of the coin. I ask how is it better to not turn a blind eye but still not really do anything about what you are seeing? Not until it affects you atleast…
The game makes a big point to not put men doing the bare minimum or who wait to do more on pedestals and I’m actually surprised so many are missing that point.
#like I’m sorry two months? he couldn’t have explained it at all to Daisuke?#he’s no better than Curly and it’s likely Anya found comfort in the fact that Jimmy would at least avoid being around Swansea#tho everything he went off to drink or passed out she would be acutely reminded that things are still taking precedent in his head#she is not his top concern nor is seeking justice for her like he is admittedly more concerned about Daisuke he doesn’t mention her#outside of the fact that they were def talking about what Jimmy did and likely the fact he might’ve crashed the ship but pls don’t mistake#his final acts as being majority for Anya. the game keeps showing how these men keep prioritizing things over her even when they say they#won’t and it’s sad it’s so sad that we keep trying to say but what about him like they all do it#it’s not intentional but that’s what’s also bad about it like I doubt she made a suicide plan with him two months in advance#these characters are acting to get out of this and she knows her ending is not happy if she leaves or not she’s taking that choice to do it#and hell Swansea might not have known by the way he speaks to Daisuke and Jimmy that that was her plan to khs#likely either to just keep her and Curly locked in med bay until they got rescued or died#but it’s all speculation and thinking and I can only implore people to think why are you giving Swansea more credit?#cause I see him bittersweetly so used to the negatives he cares not for futile efforts#two months vs two days and each time nothing was really done for her other than prolonging her suffering around Jimmy#Swansea slept outside utility was drunk most of the time and it’s clear Jimmy was able to have access to Anya whenever#I mean look at the teaser where they sit at the table he is far from her with Daisuke#like it’s just frustration at this point thinking any guy on that ship was doing good by Anya specifically and not for their own reasons#like at least Curly was direct on the issue he still did mostly Jack shit but Swansea doesn’t even let Jimmy know he knows#and that’s another issue in rape culture of men avoiding calling other men what they are even if they hate them like#the game plays with the idea of knowing vs acknowledging and neither truly acknowledge it as a part of their actions#against Jimmy and god no one did better than Anya for Anya. they just weren’t heinous like Jimmy#mouthwashing#mouthwashing game#curly mouthwashing#captain curly#swansea mouthwashing#anya mouthwashing#nurse anya#it’s not all men but all men can and do play a part especially in the extreme scenario mouthwashing deposits
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I apologize in advance.
I will also share more notes about each one of these, not just writing.
WIP’s, in date of last posting:
#1 - The Lost and Found (is where I found you)
Desc: Identical twins, trans Xisuma and Ex, completely unaware that it’s the other when Ex signs up for a new job, but really, how long can they actually be in denial?
5 +1
MY CHILDREN.
#2 - The axolotl X series
Desc: Exactly what it sounds like
Will write more for the second work or answer questions about the third work I have planned
#3 - Role Reversal AU (no proper name yet)
Desc: Ex gets X banned to the Void in season one by lying to the Hermits and essentially taking his place. That’s it, that’s the fic.
Joking about the above I am overflowing with ideas
#4 - Who says we run from the sun? (No proper title so that’s what we’re calling it- I just made that up on the spot)
Desc: Voidwalker Xisuma escapes to season one after his home is destroyed. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know what these creatures are, and he doesn’t know that they’re saying.
#5 - The sillies with Xisuma and Wels
Desc: Series of agere X and Wels fics, essentially
#6 - “They placed that microphone into your hands and said ‘The world is listening to you, my friend’” (no official title, I just think Rule #35 - Microhone fits the fic, just a bit.)
Desc: Xisuma was born the Chosen One of their god, the one that would solve everything, once he came of age. Ex resents X for being the golden child, but many secrets lurk within that family.
#7 - Home is so far away (no proper title.)
Desc: Xisuma is kidnapped by these… things, he doesn’t know what they’re saying, and they’ve been playing with him, almost. X just really misses his home.
Drafts:
#1 - The People in the Glass
Desc: “While cleaning your attic, you find a box of glass balls with names on them. You accidentally drop one, and as soon as it shatters, a person appears.”
A prompt that was gonna be for a oneshot but got out of hand quickly
A strange group as our MC’s for this one (GIGS + BOATEM - Mumbo) don’t ask. I don’t know.
#2 - I loved you like the sun
Jimmy/Tango/Scott
Desc:
My friend coerced me into writing this /nm
#3 - You’re making a wreck of broken glass
Desc: The Hermits are unknowingly awful to Xisuma, traumatizing him
I don’t see enough of this trope so I needed to write some myself
#4 - Tales from the Void (Writren and Orchestrated by the Boatem Crew)
Desc: Stories from the Boatem crew in the Void, one chapter from each of their perspectives
#5 - Surviving (not the proper title.)
Desc: Little nightmares as hermitcraft.
I came up with this recently and I’m already so ready to write. I love it.
#6 - I forget what it’s like to be normal (not offical title)
Desc: Aftermath of season 8, Xisuma is sort of suffering. The fact that the Hermits don’t know he’s trans is making it worse, and he wish it didn’t have to.
I made Jeff even worse if that was possible.
Suggested by and also brainstormed by my friends
#7 - Platonic Soulmates (no proper title)
Desc: Everyone has a soulmate, maybe two, although it doesn’t mean that they’re destined for a relationship that’s what it’s mostly taken as. Hermits and their platonic soulmates <3
#8 - Oh No! (No proper title)
Desc: Rise, peak, fall and demise of the Evil Emporium
A rewrite of the one I posted a while ago and was not at all satisfied by
#9 - “I wonder when it’s caving in” (no title yet)
Evil Xisuma/Helsknight
Desc: Ex and Hels are in a long distance relationship, but when Ex moves to America, it starts tearing them up inside.
Songfic of Black Hole Fantasy (The Crabe Wives)
#10 - If I can survive (not official title)
Xisuma/OC
Desc: Xisuma is a completely normal teenager. Going to school, messaging his friends. Getting into fights with his boyfriend. Not being able to get rid of the worry that he didn’t make the right choice. Calling his sibling. Perfectly normal!
Songfic of Blood in the Cut (K.Flay)
Many, many creative liberties were taken
I just wanna note that I don’t like this ship either. I want to throw this OC in the blender so much. He’s just there for plot reasons.
#11 - Knight school (no proper title)
Desc: Based on this oneshot and expanding on it because it got the ideas flowing
#12 - Digging up the past (not a proper title)
Desc: Xisuma and Doc have a complicated history. What happens when they return to the scene of it all, make discoveries, and even have their friends with them this time…
#13 - I thought I lost you (no proper title)
Desc: An old animation I made up in my mind I can make into a songfic
Song is Hold On (Chord Overstreet)
#14 - “The only friend I ever had wore black and red” (not a proper title, stole the lyrics it was inspired by)
Evil Xisuma/Helsknight
Desc: Mostly fluff, conversation with Ex and Hels after they’ve woken up.
Oneshot
#15 - Experiment AU (not the proper title)
Desc: What it sounds like. Work #1 is about the hermits themselves and the main experiments done on them, the second will be their own story…
#16 - Tango’s at the bottom of the ocean (not official title)
Desc: Mer au, at least everyone except for Tango - who, as a blaze hybrid should burn out in water. Which is what he expects when he falls in the middle of the ocean one day and passes out, but he wakes up? With hybrids surrounding him he’s never seen before?
#17 - Learning (not proper title)
Desc: Admin school, featuring Xisuma, Scott, Fwhip and Grian as dorm mates.
#18 - Dots of shame
Desc: Crack chatfic without any real purpose
Oneshot
#19 - Pizza. (Not proper title)
Desc: Crack mainly chatfic based on the idea of this tumblr post because it’s really silly
Oneshot
#20 - Meddling gods (not official title)
Desc: Xisuma keeps losing his memory periodically, and every time he regains it, more and more of it slips away, so he finally makes a journal. One day, a few Hermits find that journal and realize what their admin is going through
#21 - Bee boy (not official title)
Desc: S7 X turned to the size of a bee
Unintentionally inspired by this, I FINALLY FOUND IT AGAIN. I HOPE.
#22 - Hugs for Ren (not proper title)
Desc: Ren has sensitive hearing, and the Hermits try to be careful of this, but when they aren’t able to, the best thing they’ll be able to do is make it right…
Oneshot
#23 - “I love you but what in the world…” (not official title)
Evil Xisuma/Helsknight
Desc: Ex comes home, more than a little intoxicated. Hels is concerned, especially because they won’t tell him why, but he takes care of them.
Oneshot
Drafts but more concept-y:
a.k.a - I’ll only work on notes and share some of those instead, I just can’t really get writing done with what I have atm! (Might change)
#1 - Creaking!Hels??? (No official title)
Evil Xisuma/Helsknight
Desc: Hels spirals when Ex leaves for season 8, though he doesn’t mean to, he gets into a bad situation.
#2 - Old AU (no title)
Desc: Watchers and kidnapping and different dimensions in a strange modern!AU ish setting
My oldest AU I started writing a year ago.
Love the concept, desperately needs rewriting if it’s ever gonna be posted
#3 - And the universe said
Desc: An attempt at strung together oneshots from the End Poem
#4 - Triplets AU (no title yet)
Desc: Pix, Xisuma and Ex have all changed since they were kids, in their own ways, although it is mostly for the better.
My beloved, absolute oldest AU, never written down and newly adapted. So many things in this.
#5 - Hero/Villain (no proper title)
Desc: That’s kind of it? That’s the AU, hero, villain, vigilante, civilian or civilian with spice, the AU
#6 - Gods AU (no proper title)
Desc: The Hermits and co. are gods or other such deity’s, however, when the pantheon is cast down into the mortal plane, separated, and their memory is lost for unknown reasons- who knows what could happen.
I could actually write snippets from it, but I won’t write anything prematurely
#7 - Highschool AU (no proper title)
Desc: Part chatfic part not, just the adventures of the Hermits and Esmp members, etc through highschool.
#8 - Princess (not official title)
Desc: A trans Wels AU, where he is royalty/involved in royalty
A songfic of Seventeen (MARINA and the Diamonds)
#9 - Royals (not official title)
Desc: The Voids are a prominent royal family that many fear, but they have a lot they’re hiding.
#10 - They’re brothers, your honor (not official title)
Desc: Xisuma and Ex are twins, which would be normal, except for the fact that they're half Helasian and half Overworlder. Those two shouldn't be able to mix.
#11 - Three chances (not official title)
Desc: Hermitcraft turns into third life, turns out their admin wasn't who they thought he was...
Inspired by Nothing Ever Changes (Nico Collins)
Probably a songfic
#12 - Immortals (not official title)
Desc: Xisuma and Ex are immortal. More like, once they hit a certain age, they stopped aging, they don’t actually know if they can still die or not. They’ve both sworn off making friends other than each other because they know it will only lead to more heartbreak, but Xisuma accidentally falls in with a crowd of people, and he doesn’t want to admit he’s gotten attached.
Old Au
#13 - Time travel? (Not official title)
Desc: A few hermits end up somewhere that's not their home. There's strange people, but some of them look vaguely familiar... and they claim this place is Hermitcraft...
#14 - Home safety (not official title)
Desc: Hermitcraft home safety hotline AU
I have more, mostly more concept-y than the above. Let me know if you want more. I will give.
"kick-in-the-pants" writer's game!
Rules:
Reblog this post and put the names/working titles of your wips in either the tags or your reblog. (You may add a brief bio/ship name/any other info if desired)
Your followers can send you the name of one of the wips in an ask, and are welcomed and encouraged to send multiple.
For each wip title you recieve, work for a five minute sprint on writing that wip!
Respond to their ask with one of your favorite lines you wrote during that sprint!
(to encourage community spirit, it is suggested to send an ask to the person you reblogged it from, and whoever reblogs it from you)
#evil xisuma#xisumavoid#xisuma#helsknight#grian#welsknight#wels#hermitshipping#hermitcraft#do you like my brain#this is what it does#and I’m screaming#trans evil x#trans xisuma#jimmy solidarity#tangotek#skizz#impulsesv#scott smajor#docm77#rendog#TLAF universe#helsex#hex#role reversal au#hc home safety hotline au#hc little nightmares au#this took way too long#*shaking as I hand you this*#thats enough tumblr for today
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my musings on how to leave longer & more regular comments on fics:
We all know comments are good - readers have probably heard authors on tumblr talk about how valuable comments are for ages, and I hope most of the authors reading this have felt that validating joy first hand.
But we also all have lives, and only so much energy in a given day. Maybe you have worries about leaving a comment that's too "weird", or "awkward". Maybe you LOVE a fic, but have no idea how to put those strong emotions into words. Maybe you leave short comments, but wish you felt comfortable crafting the paragraph-long detailed comments that some readers gift to their favorite fics.
If you've ever thought about trying to comment more often, or trying to leave longer comments, then here are some ramblings of mine that will (hopefully!) bring comment-inspiration your way.
A quick table of contents:
Lower the mental stakes
How do I comment on porn?!?!?!?
My approach to paragraph-long commenting
My call to action: challenge yourself to go one step further
Lower the mental stakes:
When I first joined a writing discord, I was genuinely blown away at the amount of support and love the HRPF community contains. I was also blown away at the amount of people that were actually reading my works and messaging about them!! It is still one of the coolest feelings ever.
In my mind, this is an example of a "lower stakes" ways to talk about fics: messaging a friend, or a group chat, or a discord server.
It takes a lot less energy for me to type a rambling text about how much I love the fic I'm currently reading vs. typing a cohesive, well-thought out comment for the author themselves.
One of those two options is much more intimidating!
I want so badly to tell the author how much I love their fic, but I'll never find the time to write all the things they deserve to hear!! So the tab sits open on my phone for months, and the comment never gets written.
If you relate to this: try to lower the "mental stakes" of writing your comment. Remember: this is a fun thing!! Fic is fun!! And I promise, you don't have to write the "perfect" comment to make an author's day.
A potential solution: treat the comment box a bit more like a message to your group chat. Not in a rude way - let's stay polite to the writers in our community, and recognize when unsolicited feedback isn't wanted.
But instead of forcing yourself to always have the "perfect" comment, think of something lighter. Think of what you would text to a friend if you were going to send them a link to the fic: maybe "dude this fic is so funny you need to read it", OR "this is INSANELY good", OR "i've been reading this all morning you need to check it out right now".
Then write that!
Comment: "this fic is so funny oh my god. love it!"
Comment: "this is INSANELY good"
Comment: "SCREAMING. I LOVE THIS"
Comment: "i haven't been able to put this done all morning! sooooo good!"
Comment: "i read the first chapter of this fic and instantly knew i had to send it to all my friends. i love this so much!!!"
Also, this might just be personal preference but: a discord message can get lost to time. AO3 is an archive, and comments there are much easier to look back on!!
So send that discord message to the author in a server you're in - they're going to appreciate it so much!! But consider copy-pasting that as a comment in AO3 as well, no matter how short it might be. It means a lot!!
How do I comment on porn?!?!?!?
PWP fics are known to have a large number of hits, with less kudos and even less comments.
Listen. I get it.
Especially in a fandom like HRPF, where many fics are user-locked, it can be intimidating to comment with no chance to hide behind anonymity.
But remember this: anybody who might "see your username" has also clicked into that very same fic and gone alllllll the way to the end. We're all in this together!!! I promise!!
Maybe the actual logistics are difficult for you - how do I leave a comment on an 8k porn-no-plot fic?? how do I explain that I love this fic without making the author uncomfortable?? - so in that case, let me give a few brief ideas for you to work off of.
Some words I like to use a lot: dirty, nasty, HOTTTT, sexy, intimate, vivid.
If you're feeling especially blindsided by the Everything of it all: i like to throw in a good "stupidly hot". "my brain is melting out of my ears". "soooooo dirty nasty hot". "WHEWWWW this is making me feel insane".
Don't overthink it!!!! Speak your truth!!!
And, final point: don't be afraid to highlight specific favorite parts, like you would with any other fic! Say it with your chest! If you liked the frottage, then say "the thigh riding was sooooo stupidly hot". I promise, the author put it in because they also thought the same thing!!!! It's going to make their day (and maybe result in more fics with that same favorite part of yours).
My approach to paragraph-long commenting:
I just want to reiterate: there is no right or wrong way to write a comment. But here's the general breakdown of how I think about leaving more detailed comments, if you want some ideas.
I copy snippets from the fic that call out to me as I read
I go into my clipboard to paste them all into the comment box
I write 1-2 sentences about WHY i copied down that specific snippet
Sometimes, it might be hard to know exactly why you were so affected by a given line. Here's some things you might especially appreciate in a fic:
Characterization: maybe the dialogue felt especially realistic. maybe the character's decisions made a lot of sense to you. maybe the way two characters interact is just exactly how you picture it. write that down in one sentence!! done!
Prose/writing style: maybe the line was a really gorgeous metaphor, piece of dialogue, etc. copy and paste that shit into your comment + add some "!!!"s, or maybe a single sentence like "this is so so gorgeous" or "INSANE metaphor" or "beautiful prose i'm chewing on glass"
The plot: "I have no idea where this is going next, and I can't wait to find out" / "OH MY GOD THE CLIFFHANGER"
The emotions you felt while reading it: this one's an easy one I promise! "the way you wrote [CHARACTER]'s pain hurt sooooo good" / "this is making me feel ill" / "i actually gasped out loud on the bus" / "i'm so nervous for the next chapter" / "i'm SO excited by where this fic is going" / "i teared up reading this"
A long comment will come organically & very easily, even if you only have 2 copy-pasted snippets!! And the author gets to hear very specific feedback about exactly what you're enjoying - that's SO unbelievably rewarding to hear.
So, my personal call to action: challenge yourself to go one step further!
If you don't usually leave comments: try leaving one or two one-line comments this week. Throw in a quick "i love this!!" next to that kudos!
If you usually leave one-line comments: try leaving a couple sentences! describe one specific thing you liked about the fic, or one specific emotion you had.
If you often leave comments on the fics of people you know: try going outside your comfort zone and commenting on a stranger's fic. you got this!
Push yourself one step further, whatever that means for you! It's such a beautiful thing, to be able to read and love and discuss fic in a shared community, and it's worth the effort!
If you've read my ramblings the whole way through: thank you!!!! This was mainly an outlet for me to put all my thoughts into real words, and I sort of can't believe you read all the way through. <3
I welcome any and all additions to this post!!!! The more we talk about commenting, and the more we comment, the more this community grows - and that's a positive thing for all of us, readers and writers alike.
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idk if you’re hispanic/latino buttttt i NEED a pedri fic based off the song la santa by bad bunny (if you don’t know spanish you can just translate it and it’ll work jst fine) tyyyy i loveee ur work 🫶🫶
La santa — Pedri Gonzalez.
Pairing: Pedri Gonzalez x Fem!Reader
Summary: You weren’t supposed to fall in love with Pedri, but it happened nonetheless. You knew what you were getting into when it all started and you both knew despite nothing ever going further than casual, you would always come running back.
Word count: 710
Disclaimer/s: Slightly Suggestive (?) , angst
A/N: OOOOH this song is lowk girl i’m nodding my head thank yew. i also really had no clue how to go about this .. i actually hate it so much sorry this was so bummy
Pedri was dressing quickly. Too quickly. You knew you shouldn’t have even proposed the idea of taking the relationship or… whatever you could call it, further. He always got jumpy when you’d ask for him to stay even a few extra minutes.
You leaned back against the headboard, a frown planted tightly against your lips as you watched him zip up his jeans. “Jesus christ, Pedri. It was a simple suggestion! You’re acting like I told you I was pregnant.”
The mans eyes widen as they shoot in your direction, “you aren’t.. pregnant. Right?” That elicited a loud groan from your lips.
“Oh lord.” You rub your temples before looking back to him. He still wore the same expression, nearly making you laugh as you shake your head. “No! I am not.”
“Thank God.” He huffs, reaching for his t-shirt.
You chew on your bottom lip, suddenly annoyed. “You know what? This has to stop. For good.” He continued dressing like you weren’t even speaking, so you add, “I’m serious.”
Pedri sighs, tugging the shirt over his head. “You said that last week, last month, and matter of fact, two days ago. You know damn well it’s not stopping.” His lip twitches at the corners, a smug grin forming ever so slowly.
That just furthered your annoyance because, unfortunately, it was the truth. It also pissed you off because if he’d just take you seriously and stayed away, you wouldn’t crawl back to him every time.
You’d tried to stop sending him that text or responding to his, but you were weak. Your resistance only lasted about five minutes before you caved. You simply couldn’t stay away from Pedri.
“It’s different this time, and you know it! I can’t wait around for you to feel—“
“Woah!” His hands shoot up, stopping you mid sentence. “Don’t finish that sentence.”
Your lips clamp shut and your arms cross over your chest. “Well—“
“Cariño, you know it’ll never be reciprocated. You knew this the second we started the whole thing! Cut the lovey dovey act, I don’t need you doing that because I don’t know how to reciprocate it.” He finishes his rant, running a hand over his face as if the whole conversation was one big inconvenience.
Pedri leaned against the wall a few feet from your bedroom door, antsy for an escape yet also not wanting to leave you pissed off at him.
“This was only meant to be a fun thing.” He adds once the silence became deafening.
Pulling your knees to your chest, you frown. “Why though? Why is it such a terrible concept? You care about a lot of things, a lot of people, why would it be so different?”
His eyes dart to the door, he really needed to get out of here. “You know why. Just.. let’s keep this going and you’ll get over it, no? Why are you trying to mess with something thats fine just as it is?”
You were desperately trying to ignore the way your stomach churned at his words. The more he talked, the more you felt your heart sink. You knew damn well there was no changing Pedri and you most definitely knew better than to even have a sliver of hope.
“You’re right.” You finally force out, “no, yeah. I’m sorry I even thought about it.”
The hurt in your voice was unmistakable. Pedri heard it loud and clear and he almost felt guilty. Almost. But at the end of the day, he’d told you how he felt about relationships at the beginning of it all. He knew and you knew, exactly where he stood.
“I’ll see you when I get back from Sevilla, okay?” Pedri sighs, pushing himself off the wall.
Not daring to look at him, you stay quiet for a moment. A weak attempt at pushing him away, but you were just that. Weak.
“Yeah.” You huff, “make sure you lock the door on the way out.”
Pedri lifts one hand as a parting gesture, but you don’t return it and he leaves anyways. He leaves you feeling like an absolute idiot because you know when you get the text that he’s back in town, you’ll be waiting right where he left you.
likes , comments , and reblog’s are all appreciated. lmk if you’d like to be tagged in any of my fics, specific or all.
DTS , @halfwayhearted , @spidybaby , @gadriezmannsgirl !
#pedri gonzalez#pedri#pedri gonzalez x reader#pedri gonzalez x fem!reader#pedri gonzalez one shot#pedri gonzalez x you#pedri gonzalez imagine#pedri x reader#pedri angst#football#blurb#fc barcelona#fc barcelona fic
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Memories pt. 3
cw manipulation but we all know she wants to be a pet, also two queer flirting and a hint of gaslighting
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this thing is huge, and it's almost nonsensical, so much complexity so incredibly decorated so alienating?
"This is...incredible..."
"This, dear, is Opicala. The main Affini ship overseeing Jupiter."
"How? How? It's..."
"Huge? Fantastic? I know you tend to struggle with words." "Majestic!" "Haha, yes majestic is a nice one to describe it." "..." "I know, I know, most of sophonts don't comprehend the grandeur of Affini's architecture." wait those two affini have people? on a leash? what the hell? I've heard about domestication but I thought it was mostly reducing them to zombies and those guys are making out? they seem so happy so carefree what is happening and why why why I- I like it? No I don't want to be a slave I want peace not being a slave again "But I guess you're not looking at the architecture, don't you?" "Those people, collared, on a leash. Are your slaves? Is this what's gonna happen to me?"
they seem so happy, their eyes filled with bliss their mouths drooling each other's saliva and they seem no to care about a thing which is not their own tongues twitching and swirling "Slaves? Dirt, no! Absolutely not. My dear, those are pets. Domesticated sophonts, and we love our pets so much." "I was told that you enslaved people, keeping them drugged and compliant and used them as your servitude or to do menial work for your empire..." "The rebel propaganda really got you there, my beautiful terran. No, not at all. Well, they are drugged most of the times. That part is true, but I can assure you they really like it. As you did, a couple of days ago when we had our first chat." "What will be of me?" "Well, techinically you'd have been sent to forced domestication since you are a rebel. It is also true, though, that you did what you did and that would make you a defector. In addition to that you surrendered without any resistance and moreover you gave us some very useful intel." "So?" "So, my dear, I filed a special plead for you. You won't be assigned to forced domestication. You will stay here for a while and then we will drop you wherever you like on Jupiter. Lastly, we will grant you the status of 'independent terran', unless..." "U- unless?" "Unless you'd actually want to stay and be a pet, my dear. Oh you would be the cutest of them all. You'd have to either pick or be picked by an owner and you will live forever in care and bliss." oh god oh god a pet? would I be a good pet? I mean those two earlier seemed to be happy but maybe there were only high as fuck but being a pet seems so nice
"An owner, like you?" "Ah, you're saying this, not me~" "I- I don't know." "There is another little thing I forgot to mention." "Now you're scaring me." "Good, you will learn to fear the giant plant girl which work consists mainly in interrogating and inflicting terrible tortures to rebels." "...Sinea..." "Just kidding, just kidding! Look at your face, stars you are so damn cute! Anyway, I saw from your medical report that you were under special medications for HRT, am I correct?" "Y-yes." "Well I think it is worth mentioning that the meds you were taking are nothing more than candies compared to our Class G. Which is basically the same thing but way more advanced and effective." "Oh..."
is she lying? maybe she wants to drug me again but maybe I can trust her, she's been so kind with me and advanced HRT is a dream come true
"Am I picking your interest there?" "Y-yes." "Of course this is not to convince you at all. I am just saying that here you will be loved in a way you have never experienced. You are free to go whenever. Just say a place on Jupiter and we'll drop you there instantly, Deena." "I need some time. I am tired and it's a lot to process." "That's perfectly understandable, little one. Want me to carry you?" "..." "Stars, when you give me those puppy eyes I- I simply can't! Come on. Here." "Those pets."
god they seemed so happy I was envious? jealous? yes that's the word
"Those pets, yes." "Those pets." "Yes those were pets. Do you have any specific consideration you want to make here or are you simply stating a matter of fact, my dear?" "They seemed so happy. Their kisses so blissful, their minds overwhelmed with joy and passion." "Florets usually do that. Here they are safe, protected, free to explore their true self, their true nature. Nobody judges them and the joy you saw in their eyes was certaintly shared by their respective owners."
"I would like to talk to one of them, if possible." "I have a better idea. There will be a little social gathering among florets later, their owners will be there but they won't interfere too much in their interactions. While I am not still your owner, I am your temporary ward so I can vouch for you. There you can talk to any of them and maybe even do something more than talking~" "S- still?"
what does she mean with still? still? she wants me to be her pet? what?
"Uh?" "You said you are not still my owner." "No, no my dear you must have misheard. I said that I am not your owner, which is true. I mean I could be your owner if that's what you want but the choice is yours and only yours."
maybe I misheard? I am sure she said that but I'm also tired and the feeling of her vines around me are so beautifully distracting
"I- I think I'm sure of what i've heard?" "Aw darling~ you are so tired, sometimes it happens to misheard stuff when we are tired. Misheard or projecting. Anyway, would you like to go to the floret's gathering?" "Maybe you're right. I am really tired but yes, Sinea, I'd love to go." "Very well, but first I must to inform you that I won't let my ward take part in a social event without some glowing up. You still smell of surgical sanitizer and your dress is unacceptable. I have a reputation." "Sure..." "That's my good girl. We will go at mine, have a bath, some grooming and I'll provide you with something suitable to wear."
hehe good girl~ wait a second a bath, a dress? what am I a doll? but I don't want to make her feel bad at the gathering I guess I can see how it goes
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alright, starting from the very beginning of my latest reread, i'm just going to be sharing my initial impression of each name as it appears.
first up is ELIAS.
"elias" is a greek form of the biblical name אֵלִ��ָּהוּ (read as "eliyahu"), commonly rendered in english as "elijah". it literally translates to something like "my G-d is the One G-d" (the significance of the various hebrew names of G-d and why the name "eliyahu" includes two different ones is well beyond the scope of a silly little post about manga characters).
eliyahu was a prophet during a period of time when the people were drifting away from G-d and worshipping foreign idols. he's most famous for competing with hundreds of pagan priests over whose god had the power to bring the the rain to end a drought-- and winning handily before killing all of them. he was known for taking an extremely strong stance against both the the false prophets and the laypeople who followed them.
in regards to what this says about the character "elias ainsworth"-- one of the first pieces of information we get about him is when one background character says to another that "he's the real thing". To me, this reads like a direct reference to eliyahu being the sole true prophet standing against the worshippers of a false religion. i also find it interesting that eliyahu was such strong-willed, black-and-white thinker, which fits with elias's very alien and logical way of thinking.
one last fascinating bit of info is that eliyahu, according to tradition, never died, but rose to heaven alive, and frequently returns to the earth to wander among the people (seen or unseen). there are many legends about people encountering a suspiciously helpful wandering vagrant who they later discover was actually eliyahu the prophet in disguise. i feel like this ties well into elias himself being a kind of immortal wanderer.
think i'm going to write an analysis about the usage and significance of biblical names in The Ancient Magus' Bride.
#mahoutsukai no yome#ancient magus bride#thoughts#biblical names#elias ainsworth#in case it wasn't obvious i'm coming at this from a jewish pov#so i'll only be doing old testament names#if someone wants to add to this thread tackling names from the new testament go for it#all queued up
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sorry if you’ve been asked this before but how do you interpret Zeus in Greek mythology?
I know you like to keep the details of your comic a secret but can you at least elaborate on your perspective about his canon?
Like me personally, I see Zeus as kind of a force of nature, probably cuz he kind of is. He’s the man made character created in order to further understand that which man did not know, like all the gods. And also like the other gods his actions are hard to rationalize cuz they’re so dam inconsistent. One moment he’s treating women as disposable then the next he’s giving Hestia the respect and permission to never marry without any question.
sorry for the Yap sesh lol, love ur art and ur comic btw!
I think this is the first time someone has asked this and I am very happy to answer!
*THIS IS TO BIG SORRY!! ;-;
First, I need to make it clear that the Zeus of ancient myths and my Zeus will be different, even though its based on mythology. I am just contributing with my two cents to this range of fanfics that have existed since ancient times.
I truly believe that all the myths we love and explore are basically fanfics based on a religion and that people in the past used them to spread knowledge, comedies, tragedies and just to have fun while keeping the image of their gods alive. That is why the gods are so inconsistent in mythology, since we have many variations even of a single myth and it will always depend on who is telling the story (I wish it were easier to make fics like this about my religion, but I am afraid of the reaction of extremists).
I interpret Zeus in mythology like all the other gods, I no longer make a distinction based on the prejudice of him being a compulsive pervert, he has many sides. As all gods re natural forces, natural as in animal and plants, but also human feelings and urges.
Zeus has some basic pillars that myths tend to respect: He is THE father, he is the fairest one, he is the executioner, he is seductive, he is good-humored (sometimes he makes some bad jokes kkkkkk), he defends natural balance more than anything and he respects the will of others (this seems ironic, but calm down!!). After reading more myths about him and different interpretations, I understood that this modern view of him as a player is completely distorted and ignores all the other myths he participates (I understand that it became his joke, but… some people take it to seriously). So I started to form my own view of his myths.
Most of his adulteries are consensual and when they are not, they remain in that confusing area of what was once consensual, since it is always mentioned that he seduces (for example, how he turned into an bull or a shower of gold because he knew that his potential partners really liked those things - and I find it hilarious that it seems like he didn't even intend to get Danae pregnant kkkkkk, but it ended up happening). This doesn't mean we can't understand that some of these seductions are abusive (like taking the form of a husband to have a night with Persephone or Alcmena), but saying that he discarded them doesn't seem right either. He often protected his lovers and bastards in the most intelligent way possible and sometimes he just walked away too for the good of others. And in a way, as the father and lord of the sky, he is always watching. I also hate how we take away any woman agency when it comes to Zeus, like, there re myths that they wanted a casual nigth with a god... stop ignoring that!! (the bad thing is that Zeus is also a pilar for fertility ;w; so if he sleep with someone with a uterus... they will get pregnant).
Going to the non-literal side, we have to remember that Zeus is a god and his adultery should not be seen as the same as that of mortal men. He cant acuatlly be with a mortal on the mortal realm and be a husband there... I also want to say: Hera wasn't that jealousy (I think she herself knew that Zeus needed to spread his blood/goodness in the world - yes, a strong interpretation is that Zeus' affairs are a metaphor for spreading goodness). On the contrary, she respected the bastards who faced their challenges and thus deserved to be close to them on Olympus. Hera tested the heroes for two reasons: So they understood that she and Zeus were in charge (so that no one would think they could usurp the throne, and she protected both her and Zeus, as well as Zeus do his best to also prevent the bastards to die and have some help - both Zeus and Hera do all this from a distance, they want to be fair with eachother) and to see if they deserved to be with the immortals.
It seems ironic today, but Zeus respected everyone's will, but it was in the Greek terms (more of in atenians terms, bc we don't have much of the other states). He accepted the decisions of Hestia, Athena, Artemis… I don't remember seeing him laying a finger on them or wanting them to get married. On the other hand, we have versions of him as father of Persephone, 'selling' her (but the myth was about an arranged marriage and I think it makes sense that it's Zeus, since the focus ends up being Demeter's suffering and this encompasses more complex feelings when losing her daughter because her 'husband' gave her away, while he is still respected and loved socially).
Now the bad side of Zeus in how fair he is. He punishes Apollo in some situations, even though I understand why he needed to do it… But he is not shallow enough to be evil for the sake of evil… It left a impression on me when he killed Asclepius and hurt Apollo (obviously), it is sad and I doubt he enjoyed killing his grandson, but if he didn't do it… the balance of the cycle of death would collapse and he is the one who sustains this cycle with the greatest respect. In fact, my theory is that he doesn't face Nyx, not because he fears her, but because no matter who wins the fight, the world will end (if Nyx dies, the night and everything that comes from the night, for the Greeks like sleep and death, will be disturbed / if Zeus dies the throne will be empty and no other god would do what he does, maybe Athena, but the world was too sexist back then to let her become sovereign and I also think she would be colder than Zeus when making decisions and would have no descendants…). But sometimes he just wanted to prank and have fun! So like, no straight answer here.
In the case of Ganymede, I believe that his myth is more one of those in which Zeus is merely a narrative tool, more than an active role. People just started shipping them and that's when the pederasty boom happened, but before that Ganymede was just a boy who was handsome and got a 'dream job' (poor thing…).
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Lightning in the Dark
synopsis: Yunho as a son of Zeus has always sought to defy his father, and well falling for the daughter of Nyx? that certainly sounds like something that would piss off his father. Well too bad, for Zeus- his spawn is much more powerful than he anticipated, and he can't do anything about it.
pairing: Son of Zeus! Yunho x Daughter of Nyx!Oc (Kyu), Side couple of Lee Felix X Male! Oc (Kai)
words: 28k
warnings: some of the gods aren't good parents but tbh wbk, abusive ex, mentions of abuse, stereotyping? suggestive content, violence, blood, fights, death, talks of infirtility, stabbing, mentions/ implications of suicide and r@pe but it's very breath and only in the begining (fuck Zeus, we say in unison🗣️🗣️), mature language and suggestive themes but no actual smut, Yunho is down bad
notes: WAHHH I BEEN WAITING TO WRITEEE THISSSS, it's an idea I've had for so long and after me and @kaisworlds plotted sm for this I decided to write for it because its stuck in my brain I can't do this anymoreeeeeee, anyway Skz & Atz are both involved in this. Godly parents and connections are explained here, I suggest you read that before reading this if you don't know a lot about Greek gods. also this is labeled as Oc since there are some specifics like hair color but I tried to make it inclusive so feel free to imagine yourself! also playlist! also thank you Nana ( @seongsangssbitch ) and Rayray ( @grapejellysollie) for supporting me while writing this <333 NOT proofread so if you find any mistakes please lmk<3 Happy birthday to me! as Ody said in epuc "A trade you see a gift from you and a gift from me" for all the love and support you've given me I wanted to give you guys this as a present on my birthday!
Die with a smile- Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga | Apocalypse - Cigarettes after sex | Hunter- Paris Paloma | So beuatifull- Dpr Ian | West coast - Lana del ray | Car's outside- James Arthur | K- Cigarettes after sex | Fable- Gigi Perez
Yunho's mother- his biological mother was a beautiful woman, delicate sun-kissed skin and a tiny stature, long hair that's always tied into a French braid in all the photos he's seen. His Dad had told him about her, of the woman he fell in love with, the woman who looked so much like Yunho, but Yunho doesn't think any of his visions of her could ever match to the kindness his Dad had described. He hadn't ever met her, or he supposes he had, but he was too young to remember her then, before her death. So all he's left with is the stories his Dad would tell him right before bed.
Stories of monsters and gods, stories of creatures far more powerful than they thought possible, he told Yunho of people Yunho would meet- Yunho would always disagree, stating that the stories were just that- stories, but his Dad would give him that warm smile, eyes glistening with knowledge that Yunho was yet to learn.
See Yunho's mother wasn't a normal woman, well not the two years before her death anyway, not anymore. She and Yunho's dad had lived a quiet life on a tiny farm, the two of them had been in a type of love Yunho could only describe as pure by the stories he was told. His mother was beautiful both inside and out- but her beauty had seemed to be her downfall, as one day, the day Yunho's dad didn't join his wife in the strawberry fields of their little farm, the most horrific thing had happened.
Zeus, king of the gods, slayer of Kronos, god of the sky and thunder had seen Yunho's mother, in his usual adulterous ways had swayed her into warming his bed, and well- that's how Yunho came to be. His mother had been enamored with the king of the gods, no longer content with the quiet life she lived with her husband, no now she strived to be something more at least that's what his dad told him she had believed while pregnant.
Yunho's mortal father, his dad, had loved her no matter her indiscretions, and sometimes Yunho thinks he's stupid for it. Loving the woman that had left him the moment a more powerful being came into play, that hadn't been the love Yunho was told stories about, not the love they had before. Loving someone when they tell you that you aren't enough for them anymore, it seemed wrong to Yunho.
But then his father had told him, after his birth the spell had been released, and his mother had broken down in a panic at the realization of what the last few months of her life had come to, his mother was not a willing participant in Zeus's escapades, and the god had seemingly placed her in a false sense of delusion when he placed his offspring in her belly, but now that Yunho had been born, that delusion had worn off and all that was left was the shell of a woman she previously was.
His mother had been named Eun-kyung for ‘graceful gem’, but after his birth, all that had been left was a lump of coal eating away at her darkened soul. Yunho couldn't imagine what she must have gone through, the shattering of the perfect delusion that had been so carefully placed in her mind by a power beyond her control. Yunho guessed that's why she decided to leave them, to join the Elysian fields, the guilt of betraying her love, the hatred for the god that ruined her - and the lack of love for her own son must have driven her- and Yunho couldn't blame her for that.
Jeong Eunwoo, his Dad, not Zeus, no that man would never be referred to as his dad for as long as Yunho lives, but his mortal dad had been his biggest support. His dad was a kind man, always had a warm smile and a helping hand to offer to anyone in need, and he had taught Yunho the same. Even after the death of his beloved wife, his love for Yunho never faltered, he never showed Yunho a hint of aggression or inkling of blame, but Yunho knows it must have hurt. He could see it on the nights when they would sit at the table and his father would stare at him with this far off gaze, he used to hate himself for it, he was the spitting image of his mother, but with the blond hair and golden brown eyes of the god who ruined her.
Yunho's woken up countless nights, little feet silently padding from his room to the kitchen where he would see his dad silently crying to a picture of his mother, he never interrupted, despite the love he was raised with, he knew it must've been hard for his father, living in the home they built together without her. He never blamed his father for these moments of sadness, for the moments of regret he could catch in his eyes before it disappeared, he never blamed his father because his father never blamed him. Never blamed Yunho for being the cause of his mothers death, and Yunho will forever be grateful for that.
Yunho was barely two years old when she first came to visit him, it was right after the death of his mother and despite his dad's efforts, the older man had been in his own period of mourning. She had visited him in the middle of the night, with an intimidating gaze and a light golden glow around her that fascinated the little brain of Yunho.
Hera, queen of the gods, wife of Zeus, goddess of marriage, women and childbirth had stared down at his sleeping figure with disgust. Another demi-god offspring caused by her husband's infidelity, another boy that would grow up as egotistical as his father, trying to overthrow her for not accepting him, it happened countless times before and she had told Zeus to stop. That if he didn't ensure his seed would stay off the earth, she would. She had done this many times, but when the little babe had opened its eyes something in her heart stuttered.
A heart she had thought she lost long ago, that had been chipped at by Zeus with each act of infidelity, each proclamation he made- a heart she thought had finally given up when he married her darling Hebe off to Heracles. But this little babe, he had the eyes of Zeus, not the Zeus he was now, not the parallel of who their father was- no, he had the eyes of a young Zeus. Of a little god determined to save his family, to love and cherish the earth, of a Zeus before power and paranoia reached him. Of Zeus when he had promised her the world, not the Zeus who had taken her title of goddess of marriage and dragged it through the mud. No, he was different, he was… pure so to speak.
He had the eyes all her and Zeus's children had before they were touched by their fathers vile hands, and when he reached up at her, smiling in the darkness, she couldn't help but smile back. In a moment of weakness, a moment of nostalgia the goddess had reached down and let the babe cradle one of her fingers in his tiny hand, and he was so… warm. Not cold like the sky during Zeus's storms, not scalding like the fire caused by her husband's lightning, no he was just- warm, comforting, like the arms of her sisters had been before the revolution.
She couldn't bring herself to kill him as she planned, not that night at least, no, she would allow him tonight and come for him tomorrow, the pure soul deserved that at least. Only when she appeared the next night, with the same plan- albeit some added hesitance, the babe was not alone in his room. Beside his crib sat a man, he was handsome, and for a moment Hera thought he might do the job for her. For had this babe not been caused by his own wife's indiscretions? She could not see his face, but she saw the strain of his back muscles, the clench of his hand on the wood of the cradle, and she had mistaken it for anger.
“You're here for him aren't you? for my boy?” he had whispered, surprising Hera, she had thought her glamor had made her invisible to mortals, “I apologize my Queen, but I can't let you take him. I can't let you kill my son” The man breathed, his hand that was tight around the wood loosening as he gently held the sleeping child's head. Hera would've cursed the man had he been any other by now, but she did not have the rage to do so tonight, rather she had sympathy, this man must not have known, she wonders what his wife had told him then, what lies the woman had spun.
“He is not yours mortal, you must be aware of that” she had replied, her voice as cold as the golden glow illuminating her in the dark nursery. “He is more mine than he is My Queen's husband's. I am the one raising him…. please, please My Queen, he is all I have left of her” the man breathed, and Hera could hear the tears in his strained voice. “Left of who? “ Hera asked without thought, “of my wife” the man had responded, finally turning to face Hera.
“Your wife left you and the babe?“ she asked incredulously, studying the man's sunken features, he looked truly horrible at the moment, like a ghost of a person. “She had not just left us my Queen… the moment his delusion in her mind had broken, and she had realized what was done to her, she had left our mortal plane completely I'm afraid” the man's head droops down, and it all clicks for the goddess.
He has not shouted at her yet, so he's clearly not as stupid as most mortal men she's come across, he loves this babe, he's raised this child with love despite his own mourning, and that's why the child's eyes are so pure. The child no longer has a mother he would use to try and replace her with in some deluded sense of proving himself to his father-to Zeus. No this child is just…. a child. There's a moment of silence before Hera speaks, “Very well then… I am not here to kill your child” she walks forward, placing a hand upon the man's shoulder as she looks down into the cot. “I am simply observing the current cause of my curiosity” the man does not respond to her words, probably for the best, she muses. Humans tend to say stupid things when overwhelmed with emotions.
For now she'll leave the babe, watch it grow, if it ever does turn into its father like it's many brothers and sisters before had tried- well then she'll still have enough power to kill it. But the stars twinkle and the night seems to shift, as if the ancient Titaness that personifies it had been told something by her three daughters that Hera isn't aware of. For now she'll trust fate, she'll trust the Fates, unlike her husband she can understand when a being more powerful than her is at play. When a fate that is not her own is to be woven.
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Hera had often come down to check on the little babe, her husband had been too busy with his own prospects to notice, she scoffs, of course he didn't care about the one babe she had allowed him to have. But she shouldn't complain.
Visits that started out as ‘insurance’ of her position as Queen of Olympus had turned into much more, she wouldn't admit it, not yet at least, but the babe had grown on her- and so had his father. She would often join the man in telling Yunho bedtime stories, and comfort him when he was missing his wife. These two had become her own secret little family, a present Hera would treasure and protect. Like an old friend and a son untouched by the unholy divinity of the gods, they had made her feel at peace.
But of course the mother of war could not live in peace for long. Ares, god of war and courage, the spirit of the battle personified in one hot headed god. Hera loved her son, despite all his antics, and he loved his mother in turn- so it was only a matter of time before he had started noticing his mothers absences. Sure she could blame it on the higher marriage rate, ensuring she had more work on earth- but Ares didn't believe that, if living in this family taught him anything, it was that gods would never share their truth-even when they had no reason to hide it. The paranoia of the divine was a fickle thing.
Ares was never known for his stealth, much preferring brutish force in the throes of his battles, but he had picked up a thing or two from Athena. So he had quietly followed his mother down to earth one evening, using the skills he acquired to remain undetected. The sun had started setting as he stared at his mother, the usually stoic goddess’s face now holding a small, pure smile he had only remembered seeing as a child. Before the fights with his father, before Hebe was given away, a smile he had longed to see back on her face.
Only this smile was not directed at him, not it was directed to the little boy running up to his mother with a smile that mirrored her own, the boy couldn't have been older than 6- if Ares's knowledge of human children were correct- the boy seemed to be around the age of Ares's own youngest currently. He stares as a man walks behind the boy slowly, greeting his mother with a soft upwards tilt of his lips. The scene seemed so… comfortable.
His mother lifted up the little boy, as if she was not a divine being and he was not just some - human. Thoughts run to the forefront of his mind, conclusions messily drawn as they always are in his brain. Had his mother had enough of his fathers infidelity? had she created a secret family of her own? but that couldn't be right? His mother was the goddess of marriage, as much as he wished she could, he knew going against her marriage with his father would be going against her very being. Nights he's spent begging her to leave Zeus, where she would just look down at him sympathetically, pat his head and leave it at that.
And now she had a family, a family he wasn't a part of- a family she didn't share with him. Hurt consumes him, but it quickly turns to rage as it always does, something in him snaps, whether it be jealousy of the toddler clinging to his mothers side, or his own insecurity of not understanding the situation, it bubbled up in his chest until it spilled out his throat, in one loud, guttural scream that silenced the whole field bathed in fading sunlight. “MOTHER-YOU- LET GO OF HIM MOTHER”
Ares had walked forward with force, he didn't charge- he would never charge at his mother, but the man beside her could be a great target to release his anger. The mortal at least had the mind to look scared, grabbing the child from Hera as she looked at Ares in shock, the child whom Ares could sense a faint aura of divinity from buried his face in his fathers neck as he looked away. “Mother what- are you alright? What has happened? What is this?” Ares' words are shot from his mouth faster than the twins shoot their arrows. His hands fly to his mothers face, gently holding her chin and inspecting her, as if searching for a crack in a porcelain doll- scared she had been broken.
“Ares it's not-” she tries to interrupt her son’s thoughts but his anger is boiling at a degree not even Prometheus' fire could reach. “No mother, what is this? I follow you because I worry and I find you- with some mortal seeming to do the very thing you've told me would dissipate your being” he's frantic. “Ares, listen to me” her voice is sharp, in that scolding way she always used to silence him when he and his father would have their squabbles around the dinner table.
“Yunho is not my son, nor is Eunwoo a mortal lover. “ Hera clarifies, and despite the confusion Ares still feels relief sink into him. “Yunho is.. an offspring of your father, whom I have been overseeing” Hera stops for a moment as she searches for the correct way to relay her words. “an offspring of father?” Ares raises a brow and his gaze drifts to the child in the grown man's arms, the child no longer hiding, his curious eyes now staring at Ares- an oh.. his eyes… They reflect the stories his mother had told him of a time Zeus had been kind. They look like a golden thunderstorm disguised behind the pupils of a boy.
“Does he know of this? “ Ares asks, understanding his mother a bit more now, “No, and he doesn't have too, not until Yunho is of age. He knows I have allowed this one to live but….. “ her sentence trails off and Ares can read between the lines enough to understand her, to understand what this boy will become. “and the mother?” he looks at the man, “Dead, my wife is dead.” The man speaks for the first time, and his voice is gentle, not what Ares would imagine a mourning man to have when faced with the son of the god his wife committed adultery with. Then again he's holding the child protectively, so Ares assumes there's much more to it.
He takes a moment, a breath of the sweet smell of fruits in the farm around them before he releases his featherlight hold on his mother, trudging over to the boy. His mortal father sets him down and the child does not hide away from Ares's intimidating figure, instead staring up at him with awe, it almost gains a chuckle from the god. Ares bends down, one knee hitting the ground as he stares at the child. “Your name is.. Yunho? “ he asks, remembering his mother's words, the child nods eagerly, reaching out a hand, “Jeong Yunho, nice to meet you sir!” he chirps.
“it is, not unpleasant to meet you either” he takes the child's hand in his, “do not refer to me as sir, from now on, I'm your brother, little prince” Ares gives a mischievous smirk as the last two words leave his lips, he can feel his mothers glare on his back, but Yunho is none the wiser. Jumping excitedly as he looks at his dad, “Really dad? He's one of my brothers?” ah-so Yunho had been told he had siblings, that's good, at least if any more are to pop up it wouldn't be a shock for the boy.
Eunwoo’s apprehensive face seems to melt away as he smiles warmly at his son, nodding in confirmation, Yunho jumps circles around Ares, the energy of a thunderstorm seeming to run through him. Ares cracks the smallest of smiles- Eros was never this energetic, nor were any of his other children, mortal or god, this boy is like a breath of fresh air. He quite enjoys it. “Ares” his mothers voice reaches his ears, it's a warning, but it's not commanding, she motions him over as he looks at her and Eunwoo seems to understand as he picks up the jumping child. “We'll be inside My Queen” he nods and Yunho waves goodbye from his fathers shoulders.
Ares walks back over to his mother as she gives Yunho a tiny wave, knowing she would go back into the home soon to soothe the thunderous offspring to sleep. “So you've chosen?“ Ares asks as he stands next to his mother. “No- and you shouldn't call him little prince, that's not what he is.” she responds, voice firm, almost as if she's scared of the repercussions his words would bring. “Not yet maybe, but I know you mother, you would not let one of father's offspring live this long- let alone help raise it- if you didn't have expectations for him”
Hera sighs but doesn't respond, she can't refute his words, because she knows it's true, she doesn't want Yunho to be apart of the world of the gods, but she knows it's inevitable - he's her chosen, the one offspring of Zeus she accepts as her own. The one who will rule Olympus if something is to happen to her or Zeus.
Yunho is the heir, but she'll be damned if she can't hide him from the king a little while longer.
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Yunho did not like this, he did not understand it either. He didn't understand it and he didn't like it and his Dad has always told him to avoid things he felt this way about. So why was his dad making him do this? Why do they need to move?
At 14 years old, this is the first time Yunho is disagreeing with his father, he doesn't want to move. Why would he want to leave this place? a wonderful open farmland where he runs free, where he spars with his brother, where he meets his mother every night. He doesn't want to leave, but he's still following his fathers lead. He trusts the man's decision, that doesn't mean he likes it.
Standing in the newly bought house filled with boxes that still need to be unpacked, Yunho takes in how cramped everything is- well it's not cramped, but compared to the open floor plan of the farmhouse he grew up in it is. His dad said he'd make friends here but he doesn't want friends. He's too scared of hurting them, he knows he's different, knows the powers his godly parent had given him, - the power he will possess one day and he's scared to get too close to the mortals.
He may be half mortal, but he's aware of his innate ability to hurt them, and he doesn't want that. He was fine on the farm, just fine. “This will be good for you little prince” Ares ruffles his hair as the bigger god walks into the home, in one of his many human forms he's still taller than most mortals. Yunho grumbles back, swatting the elders hand away, Ares thinks this is his rebellious teenage phase, his own son was busy going through it as well, or at least that's what the kids mother said, he doesn't really know much about mortals and their ways.
“Stop calling me that” Yunho grits as he fixes his hair, he had to dye it black due to the regulations of this new city school he's going too- something about Koreans not naturally having blond hair- it's bullshit if you ask him, he wouldn't actually say that as an answer, he was raised too polite for that. But he'd definitely think it, for the first few days at least, until he gets used to it.
“Never, little prince” Ares chuckles and Yunho swears the god acts more like a child than he-the 14 year old- does. Yunho sighs as he follows Ares into the living room, throwing himself on the couch as his elder brother places down the big box in his hands, letting out a fake groan as if the box was heavy to him. “ ‘res? Were you ever scared? when you first came down to the mortal realm, yaknow interacted with the humans?” Yunho doesn't look at his brother as he asks, rather preferring to look up at the ceiling of his new home, porcelain white in contrast to the wood of his old house. He feels the couch dip as Ares sits beside him, moving his brother's legs to lay on his lap. “Now why would I be scared of mortals?” the god chuckles.
“not of them… of hurting them” Yunho clarifies and his brother sighs, “at first? no. I didn't realize how fragile they could be.. not until I had my first offspring with a human… despite having the power from me she still had her mothers mortality… safe to say she didn't last long. Is that why you don't want to be here? you're scared of hurting them?” Ares asks and Yunho finally moves his gaze to the elder, he hums in confirmation, not trusting his voice. “You're too young to be thinking like that little prince… too gentle to, you won't hurt the humans, not like you think you would”
“Ares I'm aware of the power our father gave us.. and now with Mom having claimed me as her own I…. I'm scared of myself sometimes, of the power I could possess… How could I not be scared of hurting someone weaker?“ Yunho asks, “Our mother… She's a piece of work sometimes but don't think of her claim as a burden, if anything it'll help balance you… it's a problem most demigods face, if they're godly parent has a power as strong as Zeus's well… they need to be at least acknowledged otherwise they're power will well… kill them from the inside..." Ares sighs, “Yunho you may have a destructive power, but don't think that's all it is alright? you're better than our father, it's why mom chose you.. you're special”
And before Yunho can respond, before he can say he doesn't want to be special, his dad and Hera walk in, “ah so we do all the work while you two laze around on the couch is that it? “ Eunwoo asks as Hera walks over to the two, gently slapping Ares' head as a sign for him to get up, “HEY - OW” he whines as he looks over to his mother, “we were just talking” he pouts. “don't pout, you're not a child Ares, it's unseemly” Hera says, and despite her tone there's a slight smirk on her face.
Yunho likes this, the little family that's been built around him, it may be unconventional but they're special to him.. oh… that's what Ares meant. He was special, if he wasn't special he wouldn't have his family. Maybe being special wouldn't be so bad if he could keep this peace…
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“You really need to find a way to release more energy Yunho” Eunwoo sighs as he looks out the window of their living room, the sky outside dark and dreary despite it being midday, lightning cackling, before his gaze drifts back to his son. “Your dad's right, your energy is too much for your body” Hera sighs as she stands in the entrance to the living room. “Yeah well if I could train with Ares this wouldn't be an issue” Yunho huffs, “well the city doesn't exactly have the space for that” his dad retorts and Yunho rolls his eyes. “Why not take up something after school? a sport of some kind, I hear mortal children like that!” Hera says, seemingly pleased with herself.
“Your mom’s right, why not baseball, didn't you say you found that interesting recently? some of your friends are on the team right?” his father asks and all Yunho can do in reply is hum, of course he's thought about it, but he's not the best at controlling his powers yet, something about puberty Hera told him, he kind of blocked out that part. Point is, he can't really play any power sport that is needed for him to release the energy in his body, he doesn't want to.
As much as he likes his friends, he always feels so.. distant from them, from the bonds they share.. he's tried treating everyone equally like his father said, and everyone loves him for it but…. he doesn't think they actually know him. He lets out a huff “no team sports” and Eunwoo nods his head. “hm what about dance? I've heard some of the gods have been putting their children into that recently” Hera walks over and sits on her rocking chair in the living room, nobody else sits in that chair except for her, it's like her own little throne in their home. “Dancing could be good! you have been liking those Idols recently haven't you Yunho?” his father drifts his gaze from Hera down to the boy who's still laying on the floor mindlessly throwing a soccer ball up in the air as he catches it again.
“Dance?... I mean maybe but…“ He pauses and his father seems to get what he means, “I heard of a great dance school in another town over? why don't you try that one? Come on, a few classes and if you don't like it we can try something else” Eunwoo pleads and the thunder outside crackles a bit louder, scaring Yunho into dropping the ball directly on his nose and causes Hera to hold a laugh back with her palm. “Fine I can try I guess” Yunho mutters rubbing his nose, though his mind is focused on the weather outside, he knows it's his doing, and he hates it because the more he uses his powers the greater the chance Zeus will wish to speak to him.
The god knows about Yunho by now, but after a fight with Hera had agreed to let the boy live relatively peacefully away from Olympian life, doesn't mean Yunho wants to remind him and have the god change his mind though. Besides, it won't be that bad right? it's another town over so he won't have to deal with most of his school friends hopefully, the only problem is now he needs to socialize with a new group of humans. Yay him!
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Okay so maybe dancing isn't that bad, the kids mostly stick to their own groups or to themselves and only bother him when they need help with something. He's started picking up the moves relatively quickly and the sky's seem clearer these days, with most of his energy spent on practice, Yunho feels a bit lighter. His coach is great too, giving Yunho extra exercises or choreography when the boy asks for it, always checking up on him. It's nice, it's quiet, all he has to focus on is the music and his own footsteps, he doesn't have to worry about being overwhelmed and accidentally hurting anybody, because the passion that's quickly gripped him is becoming a grounding action.
Whenever he was in class and the kids would hoard around him, he'd rhythmically tap his foot to whatever choreography he's learning and suddenly that threatening spark that always seemed to simmer beneath his skin would be gone. It's helped him communicate more with his peers, something he's grateful for, he's always wanted to be seen as kind, and he hopes this helps him achieve it.
“Yunho, how would you feel if I introduced you to someone?“ His coach asked him one day after a particularly grueling practice, Yunho raises a brow as he drinks water, “uhm fine I think? May I ask why?” His coach sighs as he walks closer to the boy, taking out his phone seemingly texting someone. “I have this friend, he coaches at the other location this dance company has, anyway I've sat in with him a few times and you remind me a lot of one of his students… that boy is fast paced too, and he also doesn't interact much with his classmates” the coach gives Yunho a pointed look and he can't help but only give a sheepish one in return. It's really not his fault okay? He treats everyone equally, and not wanting to talk to one means not talking to the rest, not voluntarily at least.
“Anyway, me and my friend thought it might be a good idea to get you two together, you're around the same age so your styles may align” The coach looks at Yunho hopefully, the younger letting out a sigh before nodding. His coach's face instantly brightens up as he pats Yunho on the back, “GREAT! because he's here!” The elder does a weird shimmy movement with his shoulders and wiggles his brows before scurrying to the entrance before Yunho can even respond. He's left standing there, mouth agape water bottle in hand watching as his fellow classmates leave and he's stuck waiting for his coach and a new person.
It's subtle at first when he feels it, the power that shocks him out of his dissociative state. It doesn't crackle and spark like his own, doesn't burn or feel like it's clawing to go somewhere, it's more….. misty. It's cold, it's comforting almost, like a light blanket, a knitted one with holes, or maybe one made of nylon, sheer and not used to block the freezing temperature.
The hairs on the back of his hair stand up, he knows Hera had told him he'd be able to sense others like him, other demigods, but this is a surreal feeling, he's not even completely sure it's his senses calling out to someone of his kind until the boy steps into the room with his coaches in tow.
He's tall, around Yunho's height, which is weird since Yunho is only this tall at his age due to his godly connection, the boy is pale and lanky, glaces placed on his eyes, which Yunho can't see due to his fluffy dark black hair covering it. The boy is sunken in on himself, not as if he's shy, no, more so uninterested in the situation.
It's as if Yunho knows, as if a voice in his head says “this one's like you” as he stares at the boy who finally looks up at Yunho. The son of Zeus sucks in a breath as he stares at the boy's eyes, innocent and wide on all accounts but Yunho can see something more… something dark, scary, concerning…. something deadly. “Yunho, this is Mingi- he's .... “ his coach trails off, almost as if unsure on how to handle the situation, luckily the other older man, whom Yunho assumes to be the friend his coach talked about, finishes his sentence for him. “He's like you” the man says and while Yunho's first instinct would be to believe he means in terms of skill as his coach had said at first, the man's tone suggests something deeper. “Like me? “ he manages to ask, setting down his water bottle.
“Godly, divine, different, half-bred, Olympian-” the boy makes a face at the last word, “Chthonic, holier than thou, whatever you call yourself these days” the man sighs and Yunho gapes, “wait you-”
“know? yes, most company higher ups do, a lot of coaches and scouts know in order to see who they want to recruit for entertainment companies” Yunho's own coach interrupts him, “you'd be surprised at how many of your idols are godly offspring” and Yunho does not know what to do with this information. “Well, you two get acquainted, we'll be off then” Yunho's coach clasps his hands together and rushes his friend out the room, closing the door leaving only a very confused Yunho and Mingi, who seems like he doesn't want to be there.
“So uhm - I'm uh- I'm Yunho- sorry I've just never met another demigod before like - I knew others existed it's just-” Yunho's nervous rambles are cut off when the boy speaks up, “it's just Olympians like to keep their kids away from one another, think you guys are gonna rise up against them or something” Yunho nods at the boys words. “So uhm I'm guessing you aren't Olympian then?” Yunho questions as he goes to sit down against the wall, Mingi following him. “Nope, Chthonic through and through” he nods, fiddling with his fingers. “What's that like? My mom told me the Chthonic are much closer than the Olympians” Yunho turns his head to look at Mingi.
“It's nice, the outside world can be lonely so our parents help keep the kids around one another, they don't have the ego and fear the Olympians have- no offense” Mingi laughs, “None taken” Yunho responds in kind. “So I don't really know the meeting other demigod etiquette uhm would it be disrespectful to ask who your parent is?” He looks at Mingi, and deep in his heart he's hoping his new found friend maybe says Hades, maybe he and this boy could be family, a family that could understand him. “hm, My mom's mortal, I love her with all my life, but my dad-” Mingi swings his head to look at Yunho, almost hesitating “my dad's Thanatos.”
Yunho's mouth hangs open “as in-” Mingi nods, “as in god of death yep.. how about yours?” Yunho sighs, “it would be hypocritical of me to say I don't really want to share right?” Mingi turns his body to look at him, “come on dude I just told you my dad is literally death personified I don't really think I can judge” Yunho raises a brow “oh no you can judge, trust me I do.. but uhm… my dad may or may not be Zeus… “ he mumbles the last part but Mingi clearly caught it as his eyes widen “HOLY SHIT DUDE WAIT ZEUS?? AS IN?? THAT MEANS YOU'RE - oh damn give me a minute…. dammit man now I owe my cousin twenty bucks” Mingi sighs, running one of hands over his face as Yunho looks at him confused. “you what??”
“bro the fates are real chatty and my aunt is like their favorite or whatever so they tell her stuff and they told her about one of Zeus's kids being spared cause Hera liked him then she told me and my cousin and we had a whole debate about it man” He takes a breath, “but damn Zeus as a dad's gotta be rough.. and I thought having to deal with grandma on monthly dinners was tough” Yunho looks at Mingi, and something in him hurts, the way he speaks of other godly beings, of family apart of this world, it's something Yunho yearns for. “and by aunt, grandma and cousin you mean…. “ Yunho trails off, not knowing who to refer to. Mingi's mouth makes an ‘o’ shape at the realization that Yunho wouldn't know who he was talking about, “uhm my aunt, she's a demi god- I don't think you'd know her, her names Kyu, by grandmother I mean her mother, Nyx, and my cousin is a son of Hypnos, his names Hyunjin” Mingi nods as he explains.
“Wait Nyx had kids??” Yunho asks and Mingi looks at him confused, “yeah dude like so many literally -” “no- no not godly kids like, like demigods?” he asks again more clearly. “Oh yeah well she and Grandpa Erebus were bored so they decided fuck it! and each went to a couple of their own choosing and had a kid, Grandma had a daughter, my aunt Kyu, and grandpa had a son, my uncle Kai” Mingi nods. “wow.. that's… hmhm damn, how old are they?” he asks, not really knowing how to process the information just yet, “well my aunt's our age, a few months younger than me actually and my uncle is like a year older than us- enough about my family though, tell me about yours, come on I gotta know HOW you managed to stay alive” Mingi looks at Yunho wide eyed with a smile.
He likes this, having a friend that understands him, he thinks he could get used to it. He hopes he and Mingi can stay friends, he'd like to hear more about the other's family, and wish that one day he can maybe be as close to those of his own.
Nyx was bored, she was so unbelievably bored. The entertainment of watching the mortals under her night sky could only last so long until the stories got repetitive, working with her children didn't really bring her joy. as much as she loved them, they were all grown now and their work was their own. She tried being a receptionist to help sort souls who had recently died and send them to her son Charon for travel, but a few to many mortals had got on her nerves and ended in the nothingness, so she was asked to leave ‘for a while’ which was Hades code for “please for the love of god this is too much paperwork”
Nyx wasn't childish, not by any means, no she was strong and powerful, she was feared, but when you leave an offspring of Chaos alone for too long… Well then she gets a bit restless. So, she bounds over to her husband, deciding he would indulge her in her boredom. Stepping into her cave she immediately feels the surge of power as her bare feet step on the dark void of a floor, her cave had always been where she felt the most powerful. It was her home, where she and her husband reside and where she had birthed her children.
“Honeyyyyyy I'm bored” she yells, placing her chin on his cloaked shoulder when she finds him sitting in his office, her husband's mostly made of smoke and darkness that can't really be solidified, but he does have a cloak that gives him a semi physical form. “And what could I do to cure that boredom, My Night?” he asks, voice monotone as always, her husbands never really been one to show emotion, but she's fine with that, she knows him well enough to understand him even when his tone seems disinterested to others. She hums as she thinks for a moment, watching him move pages around until a specific name catches her eye, she leans over him and stops his movements, placing her finger on the name that's written in dark black ink “Kai.” she states, “Kai? “ her husband asks.
“mhm, shouldn't he be ready by now? I wanna play with him” she clasps her hands together as she bounds to the other side of her husbands desk, sitting on a chair in front of him, “My Night, Human babies take nine months to form, he has currently only been in his mothers womb for eight” he states softly, “besides we agreed to let his mortal parents raise him as they see fit until he decides if he wants to be apart of this world himself, no?“ he tilted his head to his wife, reminding her of the rule she had set in place. Despite her seemingly bubbly nature she was always serious when it came to her offspring, step child or not.
She groans and sinks further into the chair “but I'm bored and the kids are all grown up and I have no one to play with” she pouts and Erebus lets out a chuckle, “Well I'm sure the King and Queen would allow you to borrow Cerebus for a while to play” he hums, but his wife seems to have other plans. She slams her hands on the table, standing up and sending the chair flying “I want a baby” she looks him in the eye, dead serious.
He sighs, realizing he is not getting any work done while she's here and sets down the papers in his hand “you want a baby?” he asks for confirmation and she nods, “come on so many of the gods had kids recently, even our sons! let's have a baby hm? come on imagine another little running around the cave!” she looks at him hopefully.
“My Night, firstly, if you wanted a baby we both know you could have just created one-” she nods, as she sits back down, “-which makes me believe there's a bit more to this. Secondly, if you make another child alone or with me that offspring would be a god- and as much as I love our children, I believe we have enough gods running amok already-” he points to the papers in front of him again, who knew helping consult Hades would be this tiring, Erebus hasn't needed Hypnos’s help to sleep since he took on this job in his wife's stead. “Thirdly, I don't think Zeus would take too kindly to us creating another god, you remembered how he was every time you announced another offspring, how he was when Hades had told him about Kai” Erebus finished and Nyx scoffs.
“Zeus can go suck another dick for all I care” she grumbles, she never really liked him, sure he was sweet when he was still a babe, she remembered Rhea showing Zeus to her, but she's always preferred Aidoneus more- or well Hades as he liked to be called now. “My Night I know you dislike him but he's still king-” she rolls her eyes, “yeah of Olympus” her husband nods his head, “- of Olympus and we really don't wish to cause little Hades any more trouble now do we?” he asks and she nods, she really likes little Aidoneus and knows her nature sometimes causes him enough trouble with his brother as is.
“Now, you agree with what I've said so tell me what this is really about him?” His voice is still monotone, and would be considered cold and crude to an outsider, but she loves her husband, and she can sense the softness in his tone. “Just… When you helped that couple conceive Kai, we went through so many couples who wished to receive this blessing, so many who wished to have more children and that made me so grateful for my babies but- they aren't my babies anymore yaknow? they grew up so quickly and I-” She stops herself, but Erebus finished her sentence for her, “you wish to have a child that does not grow as quickly? “ she nods.
“I want a mortal- well half mortal- demigod I think the others call it I just- I want one” she pouts at Erebus, and it's not the one she usually has, the one she gives him when she's in trouble or being petty, it's not the one that reminds him despite their age she's still his little sister. No this one is sad, it holds a sense of longing he last saw her have when she watched Rhea hold little Aidoneus, wishing for more of her own.
Erebus sighs, “okay” he gives a nod, “okay? “ she asks hopefully, “it might not hurt for Kai to have a younger sibling of his own kind…. besides the Fates mentioned something to me yesterday… so I think this might already be written in stone.”
Nyx stops her joyful kicking in the air as she looks back at her husband, “what did they say?” she asks curiously, worried about anything that may pertain to her future stepson or the prospect of her own half- mortal child. “I wasn't exactly listening, you know how they love to gossip, but they mentioned something about a lightning storm at night- I'm assuming that's probably just going to be Zeus overreacting to the news” he hums. “I swear I ought to teach that little lightning bolt a-” “ah My Night, why don't you focus on choosing the prospects for your child hm?” He tries to stop his wife from her vengeful tangent, already seeing the darkness creeping up on the tips of her fingers. It was daytime currently, so his wife was sporting her paler skin shade, not yet was it time for night to overtake her when she had to go to work.
In an instant the darkness dies back down and she lights up- figuratively of course, she stands and rushes to the door in excitement, before rushing back to him and placing a kiss on his head then out the door she went, screaming about how she's going to go sit with Persephone and look through the candidates her and Erebus had used for Kai again. He just sighs, mentally apologizing to the Queen of the underworld - wait no she'd enjoy this, mentally apologizing to Hades for having the time with his wife be interrupted.
Kyu loved her mother, really she did, the goddess was sweet and kind, always having love for her children- but she was playful too, as a daughter of Chaos she never allowed her family to forget where they came from, no day was spent without even the tiniest of a mischievous slip in her voice. It always brought a smile to Kyu's face, when she would fight with her mortal parents or be under the stress of her academics, her mothers eyes would sparkle with the most chaotic twinkle, letting her daughter know that everything would be okay.
Kyu loved her mother, but she was nothing like her, she couldn't be. She wanted to, gods sometimes she wished she could be as carefree, as mischievous. When she was younger, she would play around with her brother, Kai, they would pull pranks on their elder godly siblings, but she couldn't be that person anymore.
It started when she was six, her mortal parents had gone through a rough patch of sorts, partying on weekends and fighting when they thought she was asleep. She started spending more time with her nephews, visiting her mothers cave more, anything to just get away, to have the chance to be a kid without worries. She loved her mortal parents, and as much as it killed her she had to admit that despite their efforts those memories of her early childhood will always haunt her.
Her fellow demigods had become her refuge, her brother whom she didn't see a lot was a constant comfort for her, always shadow traveling to her when his own parents had gotten a little too much, he truly helped her feel at home. Her closest nephew Hyunjin, son of Hypnos, who lived just a few streets down would always come to her and excitedly show a new dance he'd learned. The boy loved the activity, and she could tell he'd have a future in it. Her other Nephew Mingi, son of Thanatos, she didn't see as often, he lived a bit away so their only interactions were at family dinners but she loved him deeply, her little - not little he had always been taller than her, and older at that- but he was still her little joy.
Being the youngest, her love for her family was as endless as the night sky itself, and for a while, that love was extended to Erin Gim. She met him when they were both thirteen, school had just started getting serious when she met him, an offspring that held the chaos a part of her craved to release when her powers got too much. He was her tiny piece of freedom under the crumbling pressure of being perfect, of upholding the image of the perfect and regal night's daughter.
It was such a cheesy story really, the goody two shoes, top of the grade class president and the delinquent that barely showed up for class, highschool sweethearts. Every endeavor she had pursued, he was there supporting her. Sure the relationship wasn't conventional, sure he wasn't always there, sure she didn't always feel comfortable enough to tell him everything she was feeling… but that was normal right? yeah it was… it was completely normal, everyone had things they kept to themselves. So yes, her love had been extended to him as well… until it wasn't.
Her entire family had decided to go into the glorious industry of the elite, Kai had become a designer in his own right, both her nephews decided they wanted to be Idol's, use their talents to connect with others and she… she just wanted to stay alive, to survive. Erin had become a bit more.. controlling, he would accompany her to classes, an action originally seen as sweet now a looming figure warning her of the dangers of a misstep.
“I love you honey, you know that” he'd always say, stroking her cheeks as tears fell from her eyes, she'd try to hide them in the beginning, but there was a point where she just gave in. “It's only because I love you that I'm doing this, if I'm to rule one day with you by my side, then you will need to be able to stand the ridicule you'll inevitably face” he'd speak softly, soothing tone and warm eyes contrasting his words, if she had been deaf his expression would have reminded her of the boy she loved. Yet she was only falling, falling deeper into the lost space of uncertainty.
She didn't know what to do with her life, so she decided to follow her family, without the liberty of creative freedom, she signed up to JYP entertainment for a management position and luckily she had been accepted. Some shadow program thing, she had been instated as the manager for a young trainee, a boy named Kim Seungmin, son of Demeter. He was sweet, clearly too scared to show it, but Kyu knew, she always did. She was good at reading people. The way little petals would fall from his fingers when he was praised, the small quirk of his lips when he saw something funny. It was a cruel business, but Kyu was determined to help this boy every step of the way. She guessed she'd gotten that maternal instinct from her mother.
Her work was her escape from Erin, he thought it was a good thing that she was networking with other demigods. Recently he's had this fixation, believing he and her could have some sort of uprising, rule the underworld in Hades and Persephone's stead, she learned to ignore his rambles. Throwing herself into working, taking on more responsibilities and opportunities than any other manager of her level, it was the perfect excuse, one to get her away from Erin, one he couldn't refute.
Of course she'd thought of leaving him, of telling someone, anyone of the downward spiral he was going through, but she'd spent too many years on this, on him. She wouldn't be seen as weak, wouldn't let her mothers reputation fall because she was too blindsided to know when she was being used. She just couldn't, she felt weak before him and she hated being weak, she wouldn't let others think of her as that either.
Deep in the back of her mind, her heart screamed at her that this wasn't true, that her soul was not meant to be hurt in the way it was, that it was meant to be cherished. Her family wouldn't be upset, wouldn't be mad she ruined their image, they would be rageful and that scared her even more. For if her mother were to take her anger out on Eris? it would simply upset the balance of nature. Kyu couldn't be the reason for that, she wasn't important enough in her own mind to be.
She only felt strong when others leaned on her, asked for support, looked up to her like an older sister or a mother. When Seungmin would come to her for comfort, when coworkers asked her for help, when God's complimented her maturity, she felt pride, like she was succeeding in a legacy of powerful, capable women, like she was worthy of being her mother's daughter. When Stray kids was formed, the company didn't really care much for them, decided that nine managers would be too many for a group that had the possibility of not succeeding, stating that only one manager would oversee the group and they had to decide who it was. The others immediately withdrew their own names, all young and too scared to take the risk, Kyu with her cousin and the boy she had taken under her wing on the line, decided she would do so.
That's how she got the position she was in now, head manager of the big fourth gen group Stray kids, although they had now downsized to eight she still couldn't be more proud of her boys. She'd never regret her decision, not aloud at least, she loved the boys really, they were like her own family, parts of her life she could not live without. Especially after her brother had been hired as a stylist for Minho, it felt like everything was complete, as complete as it could be. She'd watch the stolen glances between Kai and Felix, the giggles of Minho when he was plotting something, hear Changbin's warm laugh echo around the halls and envelope those around him in the comfort of his mothers hearth, watch Chan's sleepy eyes droop when he stays up in the studio, see Hyunjin slip a little sleeping potion in said leaders drink to have the man rest. She'd watch Han do something so hilariously stupid that Jeongin can't help but smile, bringing him out of his own mental spiral.
And while she'd never tell the others, her favorite thing to observe was a sleepy Seungmin, when he was all mope-y, when he finally fell asleep on the couch in her office after a long day yet refusing to go back to the dorms without her. He always looked so cute when he slept, little leaves sometimes forming from his hair if he had a good dream. She understood Demeter’s protectiveness over her children, especially with a son as cute as Seungmin. She mentally promised the goddess to look after the boy, and Kyu would never break a promise, especially not one as close to her own heart.
“You really need to stop babying him,” Kai sighs, whispering as he walks into Kyu's office. A sleepy Seungmin rests on the couch with Kyu's favorite blanket draped over him. “and you really need to stop avoiding Felix” she bites back, not looking up from the files on her desk as she writes. “Hey that's different and you know it” he immediately responds as he falls into the chair opposite her by her desk. She nods agreeing, doesn't mean she'll verbalize it though.
“Seriously though Kyu at this point you and Demeter have shared custody” Kai steals one of her pens and starts doodling on the corner of a paper closest to him, “okay and? I love Demeter so that's not a bad thing” she hums in response and Kai groans, “that's not what I meant” his voice remains monotone despite the playful atmosphere, he's always been like that, much like his father when it comes to showing emotion.
“Then what did you mean?” She finally looks up at him, “What I mean is you've been here a lot recently… and when you don't go home he doesn't go home. You baby him and now he's too attached” Kai still continues his doodles, “I have work to do I can't go home right now-” I don't want to “-I'll get him home soon so you can tell Lix to stop worrying” She says as she looks back down at her files. Kai stops his drawing, the reasoning behind his questioning being caught.
There's a moment of silence as Kai places the pen back in its place, “Seriously though, you have been spending too much time here recently - and don't tell me it's a work overload cause we both know that's bullshit”
“Erin's just been a bit stressed lately - you know I don't like being in stressed environments so I'm just letting him cool off” Kyu speaks, her response almost rehearsed in its entirety, Kai gives her a look, as if he doesn't believe her. Because he doesn't, he knows his little sister better than anyone, but they've had one too many fights about this, about Erin. He can't bring up his accusations and worries again, while not baseless his sister always manages to hide whatever proof he might find.
“hm, just don't stay here too late- or I'll sick Hyunjin on you” He hums as he stands up, taping her desk three times, she taps back subconsciously, “yeah yeah- now get out before you wake up Min” she throws a pencil at him and he lifts his hands in surrender as he backs out, silently leaving the office. She looks over at Seungmin and sighs, knowing her brother was right, and mentally preparing herself to go home so that she can ensure Seungmin went back to his own dorms.
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“I'm home” Kyu says softly as she opens the door to her apartment, sighing in relief as she shrugs off her coat and heels and puts on her slippers, she places her keys down as she walks more into her home, she hears a bit of noise in the kitchen. “Erin?” before she reaches the room her boyfriend comes jumping out of the kitchen, “Hi!” he seems excited, that's good, he leans forward to hug her. She doesn't like the way he hugs her, he's taller than her, so he always wraps his arms around her neck, she feels more trapped than comforted when he does this, reminded of far too many times his arms around her neck were threatening to find peace in them now.
“So I bought some stuff for cookies cause I was in the mood right? but I kind of forgot that I can't bake so I thought ‘hey! you know who can bake? My girlfriend! we should make a date out of it’ so I set everything out and well yeah what do you think” He smiles at her, one of the rare times there doesn't seem to be any intent of anything else behind. “hm that sounds nice, but I'm kind of tired. Could we maybe do this tomorrow?” she looks up at him, her words carefully and tone soft as she speaks.
His face drops, it's not really that noticeable, but Kyu knows how to read him by now, “are you sure? if we bake them now they'll be ready and you can take some to work tomorrow, you always like a sweet treat at work don't you?” he rubs her arms in mock comfort as he speaks down to her, it's supposed to be a reassuring tone but it makes her feel inferior to him and she hates that, because she knows it's not true- she knows and yet- yet she feels like it is.
He really doesn't know her, if he did he'd know she actually hates eating things like cookies when at work, prefers little snacks, things that don't make a mess. She also doesn't like apples, and knowing Erin he's going to want to make an apple cookie. “yeah-yeah uhm just let me go put on some more comfortable clothes and-” She's interrupted by Erin, “no come on, you can get dressed when we're done hm? cause then you can shower and you'll be all clean after we played around with the flour” he drags her to the kitchen and she sighs but doesn't fight back knows she can't.
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“guys guys guys guys did Persephone by any chance I don't know like have a kid” Yunho asks as he rushes over to his fellow Ateez members, almost sliding past them as they stand backstage in their allocated rooms of the Kingdom set, “Melinoe and Zagreus - did you not listen when we were taught -” Hongjoong starts as he looks confused at Yunho, who stops his leader from talking, “no-no not them like a demigod kid-like us” Yunho asks, his voice almost a bit frantic. “uhm no? Dude she and Hades are like, so in love I don't think they'd ever really have any demigod children” Seonghwa hums, eyes leaving his phone to look up at Yunho, “why?”
Yunho sighs as he sinks into the couch beside San, “because I think I just found the love of my life”, his words hang in the air for a second before all hell breaks loose, everyone whipping their heads to him. “WHAT?” Wooyoung yells as both he and Yeosang zero in on Yunho, “mhm.. she was so pretty and she smelled like strawberries” he smiles blissfully as he thinks back, head resting on the couch rest behind him as he looks up at the ceiling.
“oh so that's why you thought she was Persephone's? strawberries?” Jongho asks, trying to make sense of the situation, Yunho only nods in response. The members have learned not to ask him how he knows when someone is like them, he has a sense for it. “and you're in love?” Yeosang asks slowly, as if he's doubting Yunho. He's never shown any interest in someone before, so while this could be a good thing the timing of it all was not. “yeah…. HEY! doesn't Demeter have a kid!” Yunho shoots up, “I mean I thought she was Chthonic but maybe I was wrong yaknow? I mean Demeter that's -” Yunho shoots up as he thinks, “that would mean she's my cousin” he groans as he falls back.
“well good thing is as far as I know Demeter only has one kid- and he's a son, and apart of Stray kids so I don't think your mystery girl is your cousin if that gives you any hope” Jongho says, “hey didn't Mingi say his aunt worked for stray kids right? If she's a staff member, maybe she can help you guess who your mystery girl is? I mean there aren't any girl groups here so the only women would be other staff members or… partners” San offers the last word a bit hesitantly, afraid of what Yunho's reaction might be. Yunho always feels deeply, even if he doesn't show it to many, even if he tries to remain neutral.
Yunho doesn't seem to register the last word though, as he looks at San in excitement, “YES! yes oh you're a genius I could kiss you” Yunho turns to San, holding his face in his hands before he springs up, “hey where do you think you're going?” Hongjoong asks as he sees Yunho walk back to the door, “to find Mingi's aunt? I can just go find Hyunjin and ask him who she is and then I'll ask her who-” Yunho's rambling is cut off. “You can do that after the performance, we're about to be called for filming and I'm not having you be missing when we need to go up there” Hongjoong gives him a stern look, “But-” Yunho starts to protest but is once again cut off, this time by a knock on the door.
“Ateez? it's almost time, we're going to need you to get in positions” a staff yells from outside the door, and Hongjoong raises his hand in a ‘see?’ motion. “Come on Yun, you'll probably see her when we go stand out there yeah? Just do your best with this performance and impress her” San squeezes Yunho's shoulders as he stands next to him, “yeah yeah yeah I can do that - I can do this” Yunho psych's himself up as he looks at his members, eyes filled with determination.
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“Oh I can't do this, I can't fucking do this she's looking at me- guys she's looking at me fuck, are these cameras on? shit my knees feel like jelly, Holy Kronos her eyes are so pretty” Yunho speed mumbles as staff fixes his outfit, eyes focused on the woman across the room who's currently talking to Stray kids, as if she's scolding them and they're hanging onto her every word. He would hang on even tighter if he was able to get just a little closer, to hear her voice.
“oh? which one is she?” Yeosang asks as he looks over the staff in front of him, “The one scolding Stray kids like a Queen with her servants- she'd make such a good Queen don't you think? I know mom said I need to find someone to rule beside me-” He starts again, “Okay slow your role buddy you don't even know her name yet, seems like she's their main manager though. Wait isn't that-” Yeosang’s realization is cut off by San, “That my friend, is Mingi's aunt” he says as he smirks, Wooyoung's head suddenly poking out from behind him, “Oh shit Yunho fell in love with Mingi's AUNT??” he shouted.
“shut up shut up I did not” Yunho reached over to slap his hand over Wooyoung's mouth, accidentally knocking the staff in front of him out of the way, apologizing immediately when he noticed, “oh you so did” Yeosang says from where he stands, “Ohh Mingi isn't gonna like thissssss” he continues, “I did NOT fall for Mingi's aunt okay? that's not Mingi's aunt-” Yunho tries to defend, retreating his hand from Wooyoung's mouth “Oh no that's definitely his aunt he showed us a picture” Yeosang hums as he motions his fingers between himself and San, who nods in agreement.
Yunho looks at them, his lips pressing into a thin line as he seems to take in the information, he starts nodding slowly as the members around him watch, waiting for some sort of reaction. “You think he'd be okay if I gave him a shirt that says ‘you're my favorite nephew’” Yunho asks thoughtfully, although his face is almost void as he continues nodding his head as if all of this is just normal. Jongho looks at him as if he's just lost his mind. “First of all- ouch” the younger says in mock offense, clearly not liking his title being given away, “secondly, no I don't think he'd be too fond of that” his tone is almost deadpan, as if it's the most obvious opinion in the world.
“WRONG, Wooyoung next opinion” Yunho turns to the giggling menace, completely disregarding the staff who just huffs and gives up on styling him further,. “I think you should go for it, yaknow give Mingi a cousin” Wooyoung wiggles his brows as Seonghwa smacks him upside the head, “hey! your mom is like- the queen of breeding kinks you should agree with me!“ he tries to defend himself, only for Seonghwa to start chasing him around their little group huddle and trying to smack him.
“okay so don't follow Wooyoungs advice” Yeosang looks to Yunho with a facial expression that asks ‘can you really believe he said that?’ but stops once he realizes that Yunho actually looks as if he's contemplating it. “Yunho. Don't listen to Wooyoung.” he tries to snap his roommate out of it, but it seems to be of no use, “no, no he's got a point, I mean I'm my dads heir right? so obviously I need to have an heir” he nods again, as if all of life is finally starting to fall into place. “yeah, but uhm, in all Mingi's rambles about his aunt I think you're forgetting a very important detail” San says as he winces.
“wait you're so right I know her name now!” Yunho bounces, hands on San’s shoulders, “Thank you San this is so-” Yunho's enthusiasm is stopped by the mountain boys hands atop his own, “yeah that's good but I wasn't talking about that Yunho…“ San says almost sympathetically, Yunho tilts his head confused, the smile on his face turning strained but still there.
“Places everyone, we're starting in five!” a crew members voice reverberates through the large set, as everyone starts to shuffle into place San moves Yunho so he's looking back over at Stray kids, specifically at their manager who's walking away from them and going to stand next to a man who's slightly taller than her, he places a hand on her shoulder comfortingly as she breathes out and places her hand atop his, watching Stray kids walk to their position. “I'm talking about the fact that she has a boyfriend… “ San says and he starts moving, slightly pushing Yunho to walk with the rest of them.
“oh” Yunho lets out a sound, eyes locked on the two, he remembers, Mingi talking about his aunts boyfriend, he remembers Mingi asking Yunho if he knows him since the man was from Zeus's line. Yunho remembers once how Mingi had brought up a concern that maybe this guy wasn't the best for her, but never talked about it again after that. His eyes stay locked on them as he's swept with his members to their places, and it seems the other man notices, his gaze that seemed kind turns to Yunho, and there's a glint of recognition in his eyes begore his gaze turns cold.
He stares at Yunho, who's eyes flick between their faces and the hand Erin, because he remembers his name now, has on Kyu's , because god he knows her name now too, shoulder. Erin's eyes turn dark, staring Yunho down as if assessing an enemy before a slight smirk pulls at his lips as he pulls Kyu just a bit closer, and she leans in as if it's instinct, as if its natural. It seems so comforting, so loving, but something about it makes Yunho's stomach churn. “come on dude we have to go, we can talk about this after the performance yeah?” Hongjoong nudges him, trying to gain his attention and thankfully it works.
Yunho nods and puts on the best smile he could muster as he pulls his eyes away from the couple before anyone else could notice his staring. Unfortunately he pulled his gaze away just in time to not notice the way Erin ducked down to whisper in Kyu's ear, to not notice the way she clenched her fist and her posture went rigid beneath her boyfriends hold.
On the other side of the room, Kyu's nervous, her boys are about to perform and she has Erin breathing down her back, invading her safe workspace because whenever she has to be on filming's like these he insists to come with her, to meet the people she'll be spending months with. She feels his breath ghost over her neck, because he doesn't like it when she wears her hair down, “Someone's got an interest in you it seems, don't have it continue, before I get interested in them too hm?” he places his other hand on her hip, rubbing circles that would seem comforting to others, but only feel threatening to her. She doesn't know who he's referring to, but by the gods does she wish whoever that is leaves her alone. Lest Erin gain interest, it didn't go well the last time.
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“come onn we're like way much more fun you should switch to join us” Han whines from where he lays on the couch, kicking his legs as if to prove the point of his little overdramatic tantrum, Kyu sighs as she sits on the floor, her laptop propped on the coffee table in front of her as she types away, “I've already told you, I'm not managing the rap unit, the head managers pulled straws, I didn't get you.” she explains for what feels like the hundredth time. The mayfly units have been formed and to take some stress off of all the managers they decided they'd draw straws, some would be in charge of certain units while others could relax at least a little, unfortunately Kyu drew a work straw.
“exactly besides she's already going to exchange to be with us, duh” Seungmin retorts as he sits next to Kyu, playing with a piece of her hair like a cat as he keeps braiding and unbraiding it. Han sticks out his tongue at the younger, “that is just unfair- THIS IS NEPOTISM!“ he shoots up, pointing an accusatory finger at Felix. “just because we joke about Kyu being his mother doesn't mean she actually is” Minho remarks as both Kyu and Seungmin make an “ehh” sound while shrugging they're shoulders. “SEE?? NEPOTISM” Han looks at the others as if asking for backup.
“It's not nepotism because I'm not changing to the vocal unit either” she sighs out again and Seungmin makes a noise of protest, “HAH! suck it losers” Kai huffs from where he sits styling Felix's hair, nobody knows why since they don't have a schedule right now, but they've learned not to question whatever excuse the two make to spend time together. “why are you happy, it's not as if she's there for you” Minho days and Kai throws something at him in response, “yeah she's clearly not wanting to leave the dance unit cause she wants to meet San” Changbin stirs the pot a bit more, Kyu finally looks up to him.
“No, I'm doing this because it would be unfair to the other managers if I just-” Kyu's explanation is cut off by Seungmin, “Be honest, are you going to abandon me for him? because like I'm so much better I can do PLANTS he's like- just the mountains” he huffs out. “You're worse than a three year old when he gets a baby sibling dude you are a grown man stop this… it's just sad and weird at some point.. “ Jeongin says as he lays on the other couch, sipping on a juice box Kai had gotten him as he plays game son the elders phone, “hypocrite” Seungmin mumbles.
“I still find it funny that Mingi isn't your Ateez bias I mean he's your nephew” Chan speaks up from where he's typing away at his own laptop, “Seonghwa’s your brother and yet he's not your bias either” Kyu retorts back and Chan immediately goes silent again. “Okay that's not fair you know Chan's never even really met the guy except for recently” Kai says as he drops down onto the couch next to Jeongin, finally done with Felix hair that definitely doesn't look the exact same as when he started. Kyu turns her head to her brother, “He's your nephew too and last time I heard he was not your bias” Kai's lips press I to a line as he hears his sisters words, “yeah no sorry Chan you're alone with this one” he nods, “wait who's your Ateez bias?” Felix asks confusedly, “don't worry about” Kai responds immediately and Felix makes a face that lets everyone else know he is definitely going to worry about it.
“Besides I just think san is cute is all” Kyu shrugs, and before Minho can make a sarcastic retort she continues, “in the way I think Seungmin is cute not the way I think Erin is don't even start” she says accusingly and Minho lifts his hand in mock surrender, “keeping quiet.”
“Good, now speaking of Erin, if you'll excuse me I need to go talk to him” she sighs as she picks up her phone, walking out of the room as she brings it to her ear and they hear the fading dial tone. “So are we all just going to act like that Yunho guy that's in the dance unit hasn't been bugging us about Kyu like the whole show?” Kai asks as he looks around, “oh yeah, Zeus's kid got it bad” Minho whistles, “Hey I think it's cute, he's just being shy” Felix muses as he smiles, “It's annoying” Kai looks at him with a deadpan expression, “I don't want to be answering questions about my sister all day” he groans.
“He's hopeful, I don't think it'll ever really work with Zeus not liking Nyx and all, they're opposites, but cut the kid some slack” Changbin huffs, “kid? he's your age- actually I think he beats you by a few months” Han looks at him weirdly as he speaks. “I don't see how them being opposites should stop any feelings, sometimes you just can't help it” Felix shrugs as he sneaks a glance at the back of Kai's head, the fatigue of having spent the day with the son of darkness is starting to reach him but he doesn't want to let it show, so he blinks rapidly as he looks back to the rest in the room.
“I think we're all forgetting the fact that she has a boyfriend whom she's been with since like- highschool?” Jeongin questions, “that seems like the actual issue here” Seungmin looks back at him, “yeah but do any of us actually like Erin” he asks and nobody responds, “we may not enjoy his company but he's good for her so how bout we all just stay out of it hm?” Chan looks at his members as they nod at their leader's words, Kai lets out a low grumble of something they can't really hear, but they ignore it anyway, used to him sometimes mumbling to himself. Felix doesn't though, he could never ignore a word Kai says, and he tries so hard to focus, hearing the words “not really” after Chan had said that Erin was good for Kyu, and he furrows his brows as he looks at the love of- as he looks at Kai.
“hey guys I just got a text, they changed some schedules so they want the dance unit to meet and film now” Kyu sighs as she walks back in, clearly not happy that the schedule was moved up a few hours. “I thought you were talking with Erin?” Seungmin asks, “hm, I was, but then I got the text so I needed to come back- he understood” she reassured the boy as she ruffled his hair, packing up her own things. “I'm gonna meet you guys in the car okay? “ She looks at the boys assigned to her unit, “meet me there in ten. ”
“Yo do you need me? “ Kai asks lazily, “yeah, you're Minho's stylist and he's gonna be on camera so kind of” she looks at him as if he just asked the dumbest question, and he just repeats her words mockingly to himself as he stands up and shrugs on his jacket. “Can I call shotgun? I don't wanna sit between these two” Minho moves his fingers to point between Kai and Felix as he looks at Kyu hopefully, wanting to persuade her into giving up her seat. “Nope, I'm manager, I call the shots, I get shotgun, just sit somewhere else in the back” she shrugs before walking out and Minho groans in disappointment.
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“You don't have to stare at her that hard, yaknow, she doesn't bite…. unless that's what you want?” Felix startles Yunho as he creeps up behind the taller, his eyebrow raising. Yunho almost jumps as he turns around, spluttering and trying to defend himself, “staring? pfft what? no who's staring? not me nope, no sir” he scratches the back of his neck before sighing, “is it that obvious?” he winces as he asked, and Felix just nods. “yeah, but she doesn't notice don't worry” Felix tries to reassure him, “I don't know if that's a god or bad thing” Yunho sighs, and Felix hums in acknowledgement as his gaze drifts over to Kai for just a moment before moving back to where his manager is talking to an overly enthusiastic San.
“You don't have to kill him either, if you're jealous I mean. Kyu-noona has this thing of taking people in” Felix looks at Yunho, who returns his gaze confusedly, “aren't you supposed to be telling me to stay away from her? that she has a boyfriend?” he tilts his head as the question flows from his lips. “Probably, but I'm not her keeper so…. “ Felix makes this weird spinning motion with his fingers as he drags out his last word, starting to move away from Yunho, hips first as he leans his head back and holds the elders gaze before eventually releasing it and bouncing off to Wooyoung.
Yunho muses over Felix's words, while he would never actually try anything with her if she was in a happy relationship, talking to her couldn't hurt right? All he knows about her is what he's heard from Mingi, and from the research he's been not so sneakily doing but nobody needs to know that last part. Having an actual conversation with her might be good, maybe he could get over this feeling then, maybe it's all just intrigue, the mystery of her.
He steels his nerves as he walks over, thinking he could just use San as a bridgeway to enter the conversation but the slippery bastard spots Yunho first and moves away just in time where he can act like he didn't see Yunho coming but also in time for Yunho to look weird if he turns around now since he's basically already in front of Kyu. He stares down at her, blinking rapidly, by the gods she's even prettier up close, he swear with every blink he's taking a photo to keep stored in his mind, engraving another piece of her face in his memory as each second he spots another interesting feature, each more beautiful than the ones before.
“Hello? is there something I can help you with Mr. Jeong?” Kyu asks after a moment of silence, not understanding why he's not speaking. From what Mingi had told her about his best friend, which was a lot, he was quite a joyful person around most, so her first concern was that the man maybe didn't feel well. Were the lights hurting his eyes? He was blinking pretty rapidly. “You smell like strawberries” is what he blurts out, so many thoughts had been running through his mind and that was all he could get out.
She blinks at him as his own eyes widen in shock, he claps his hand over his mouth as if he can't believe his own words. “Oh my gods I'm so-” he tries to save himself but Kyu lift a hand to stop him, “It's alright, I've heard a lot about you so I'll try and not let this weird first conversation derail my view of you” she laughs slightly, clearly joking although Yunho lets out a breath of relief. “I'm uh I'm Yunho- but I guess you already know that” he says awkwardly, rolling on the balls of his feet, “I do know who you are, Son of Zeus. My mother speaks highly of you” she nods.
“Your - your mother speaks of me?“ Yunho asks, his voice breaking in surprise, internally his hopes already deflating, knowing the mistress of night isn't fond of his father. “Only good things lightning boy don't worry” she huffs out a slight piece of laughter, and Yunho relief is clouded by the loud thumping of his heart at the sound of her laughter. “Good things? that's not what I expected… but I'm glad then, I do have a lot of respect for your mother” Hera has taught Yunho how to keep his composure under many a circumstance, but he feels like all that training is going down the drain as his palms become more clammy, the urge to reach his hands out and cradle her own becoming almost overwhelming.
“hm, and she you, she does prefer you over your father so-” Kyu steps forward, placing a hand on Yunho's chest and patting it comfortingly, “-you have my family's support when your time comes at least, Lightning boy” there's a playful gleam in her eyes, one that reminds Yunho of her lineage and one that makes him yearn to join whatever game she wishes to play, even if he loses. She walks away, joining her brother and Felix, the former looking at Yunho with a thoughtful expression, or at least, what Yunho preserves to be one.
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“You're kidding me right…. “ Mingi says as he stares at his best friend through the screen. Yunho sits legs crossed and hands intertwined as if he's offering a proposition to a professional employer. “oh no he's like, dead serious, like it's bad, like I had to ask Eros if he didn't accidentally shoot Yunho with an Arrow bad“ Yeosang says as he sits beside his roommate, staring at Mingi who looks like he's just been told his best friend is in love with his aunt- oh wait that's exactly what happened.
“Listen I didn't know she was your aunt when I fell in love-” Yunho tries to convince Mingi, “STOP SAYING YOU'RE IN LOVE YOU BARELY KNOW HER??” he shouts through his phone, gripping his hair as he stares at him incredulously. “Listen Mingi love knows no bounds-” Yunho starts again, “THERE ARE NO BOUNDS TO KNOW YOU'VE KNOWN HER FOR A MONTH” Mingi stops him, Yeosang huffs out a breath of laughter and Yunho shoots him a look. “Listen, I'm not asking for your permission or anything, it's not like I'm going to act on it, I mean she has a boyfriend. I just thought I should tell you” Yunho shrugs. Mingi takes a deep breath before leaning forward and getting a bit closer to the screen, “and you're sure you like her? like, what scale of like is this? Is it like a playground crush? puppy love?” he asks.
“It's like…” Yunho stops a moment, trying to find his words, “You know that one iconic Gomez Addams speech? of like the ‘I would die for her, I would kill for her’ I can't really describe it but honestly? it feels like that and trust me you can be mad all you want, I mean fuck I'm mad at myself. Like who develops feelings this fast?? for a person in a relationship no less, it feels sickening, despite the depths of my feelings the speed in which it happens makes it feel unreal, like it will slip away at any moment but it's so deeply rooted I know it won't and I hate it. Because even if I did have a chance, even if the fates tied our strings together with their own hands I feel like my love would seem valueless to her, honestly who would believe me? you don't, none of you do. It doesn't make sense and I hate it” he says and his voice is shaky as he's trying to regain his composure, Mingi's eyes soften as Yeosang places a hand on his shoulder.
“Love isn't supposed to make sense, or at least that what my mom says, I mean do you think my brother kidnapping Psyche after he was sent to kill her but ultimately fell in love with her made sense? You think Orpheus turning around made sense? think Hades took Persephone because it made sense? Love doesn't make sense Yunho, and it's not that we don't believe you, it's just.. “ Yeosang trails off as he looks to Mingi for help, “It's surprising, you've never shown any interest in anyone, you specifically were raised to think of these feelings as the most important thing by Hera, so you saying stuff like this it… It's shocking, especially considering who she is” Mingi finishes.
“Because she's Chthonic?“ Yunho asks and Mingi shakes his head, “Because she's her mothers daughter, in every sense of the word” and the words hit Yunho deep. something about Kyu, it envelopes him like the veil of night her mother brings, the one gifted to her by her own brother- husband. He's only known you for a few months and he's barely spoken to you but God's does he yearn for more, to learn every inch of her skin, every memory she holds dear, every twinkle in her eye that reflects the stars of her mothers night sky.
“Just, Listen I'm not saying go for it, not at all, she and Erin have been together for years and while I may not like him, she loves him. So get closer to her, be her friend if you want, anything that will help lessen your own burden, but don't pressure your feelings onto her, otherwise I'll drag you to Tartarus myself” Mingi warns, “I'd never dream of doing anything of the sort” Yunho replies, “I know, but just because you don't mean to doesn't mean it can't happen”
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“I still don't think this is a good idea” Yunho says nervously as he walks with his members, holding one of the many baskets they’ve brought with them, “come on, you've gotten closer to her and your friends now, the awkwardness is gone bro, just relax. It's not like you're going to be the only people here” Mingi tries to hype up his friend. It's been a few months since Kingdom ended and Mingi had returned from his hiatus and while most groups on the show had become close, Stray kids and Ateez shared a certain bond. Maybe it had been their family ties, maybe it was just their personalities, but they meshed well together. Thus they planned a picnic, having the day off when both their schedules aligned was a grace in and of itself and they were determined to enjoy it, despite some people's anxiety.
“Yeah but it's gonna feel like it, I'm not going to be able to take my eyes off her and it's going to feel like it's only us to me but Erins going to be there and gods I hate that dude” Yunho grumbles, he tried, really he did, to push his feelings aside and become Kyu's friend, but it didn't work. The more time spent with her the deeper into the void he fell. it got so bad that when Eros came down to bother visit Yeosang his immediate response to greeting Yunho wasn't even a ‘hello uncle bro’ nope it was ‘god you smell like a yearning man in love it's sickening' now for a god of romance to tell you your feelings are so prominent that it sickens him isn't really what Yunho was hoping to hear.
And Erin, god that pretentious little bastard, Yunho wishes he could deck him sometimes, and it's not even like he treats Kyu poorly for Yunho to feel this way. He just doesn't treat her great either, and Yunho notices, because he can't help but notice everything about her. Erin seems weirdly possessive, and while Yunho understands given, he'd feel the same had he been given the grace of her attention, he would never dream of interrupting her life the way Erin seems to do. It's weird, the way her personality changes when he's there, she becomes soft- no, although it can be confused with it, not soft- withdrawn, insecure, scared almost.
“Eugh” Wooyoung makes a noise of disgust at Yunho's words, “Seriously man, get a grip, you can't be leading us after our time in the mortal realm has run its course like this” He slaps the back of Yunho's back and oh great that's another thing that's happened in the last few months. His father has so graciously decided that since Yunho is already named heir- something he finds bizarre given the fact that his father can't actually die therefore doesn't need one- the king of the gods decided each god should name an heir, and immortalize them- without their permission. So when Yunho stops aging at the age of thirty he'll be sure to thank his father-not.
Another reason the two groups had grown so close, all of them had been named their parents sole heirs, well except for Seonghwa and Chan, they've decided to split the responsibility. Walking up to the group who seems to already be setting up Yunho feels his stomach churn as he sees Kyu, Erin standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her shoulders and head resting on her head. Yunho doesn't like the way he holds her, it seems uncomfortable, and it obscures his vision of her delicate face, her peaceful smile.
Wooyoung is first to be bound over as everyone greets one another, Yunho going to help Changbin with the blankets. It's a beautiful day outside, sunny too. Felix seems extra happy, his hair a little more vibrant and freckles seeming to glow just the faintest bit as he smiles up at the sun, greeting his father probably. Yunho ensures a chuck of the blankets are placed beneath the shade of a tree, he knows both Kai and Kyu tire from being in the sun too long, and they had all planned to spend the whole day together and watch the sunset, two of them falling asleep wouldn't exactly help with that. Changbin pats his back and smiles as Yunho tells him why he moved their blankets, “Wow dude not even I remembered that and I'm like- King of hospitality” he jokes and Yunho just laughs along but his eyes flicker to Kyu once again.
She's standing with Erin as they talk to Seungmin who seems to have found some sort of plant, he looks frustrated in his ranting but Kyu is just smiling at him. What worries Yunho is that she's standing in the sun, and she's not wearing clothing that could protect her from it, rather a light gray sundress. Kai may be standing in the sun, but Yunho's seen him retreat to the shade for a few minutes before joining Felix again, and he's wearing a hat (Yunho also saw Felix lather the man in sunscreen so thick he doesn't think Helios could even reach Kai's skin but he's not going to talk about that). Still, Kyu's hair isn't even down to protect her neck, what if she gets sunburn? fatigue? He bites his lips as they continue setting up, nervously watching her every move to look for signs of anything. He knows being in the sun for a little while isn't that damaging, she works in the day for god's sake but, it's really hot today, and according to what he eavesdropped overheard she and Erin have been out in the sun since early that morning.
“Come on guy's we did all this work to set everything up standing around is just insulting” Changbin huffs and the group quickly makes their way over, Kai immediately sitting in the shade and Felix sitting in the sun right next to him, the line between the sunlight and shadow separating the two perfectly. Yunho sits opposite Felix on the blanket, next to the other shadow, hoping he could sit close to Kyu as well, he hasn't talked to her in a while. He watches as Erin goes and sits down between San and Seungmin, which is weird since he's never shown an interest in the two earthly demigods, who recently have grown close, they sit at the edge of the blanket opposite the shadows, furthest from the coolness and directly under the sun. Kyu walks between them, and she seems like she's walking to the spot beside Yunho, like she knows it was left for her, but a light move of Erin's foot taps hers just before she's completely out of his reach and as if on instinct she moves to sit in front of him, slotting herself between his legs as he wraps his arms around her neck once again. God Yunho really, really hates the way he holds her.
He sends a questioning glance to Kai whom he can see is already looking at Kyu worriedly, along with a few other members, Yunho doesn't think they noticed Erin's motion, “Aren't you gonna come sit by me?” Kai asks as he locks eyes with his sister who only gives him a soft smile in return, “I'm okay, I'm sitting with Erin” Yunho doesn't like the way she's speaking. He never does when it comes to Erin, because she never says that it's something she wants, it's not ‘I want to sit with Erin’ it's ‘I'm sitting with Erin’ and sure Yunho may be overthinking the little things, but after awhile the little things start to add up.
“Won't you get tired Noona?” San asks as he looks up from where he and Seungmin were playing some sort of game with the ground behind them, it's part of why they chose this place, they can release and enjoy their powers that weigh them down without being seen. Yunho wouldn't, he's mastered locking away his abilities compared to when he was young, but he still enjoys the bliss it brings his friends. “She's fine, I'm protecting her from the sun” Erin replies for her, settling his head into hers as if to emphasize his point of enveloping her, and while the others either shrug or find it cute, Yunho doesn't, and it seems like Kai doesn't either. “At least take this, you seem uncomfortable moving your dress the whole time” Yunho says as he hands Kyu a blanket to throw over her legs, it's light enough not to add any extra heat, but good enough to protect a part of her body from the sun. Yunho totally didn't buy it specifically for her and has totally not been watching her waiting for her to show she's struggling with a dress or skirt so he could offer it to her, don't believe what that target employee told you, it's a lie.
She nods and thanks him with a quiet smile and he returns it, ignoring the look Erin sends him because at least he had made Kyu smile. “alright everyone remember it's hot so remember sunscreen” Chan claps his hands together, “and hydration” Seonghwa finishes as he starts handing out water bottles, “we can get our own water yaknow we aren't baby’s” Han says and Chan gives him a look, “Last time we spent a day in the sun and we didn't remind you to hydrate you almost passed out from heatstroke” the puffy cheeked boy just purses his lips and starts drinking the water Seonghwa handed him without retorting, causing the group to laugh.
“okay first order of business” Jeongin says seriously, “card games” he finishes as he pulls out the giant pack of Uno, well, their version of the game, it's a bunch of different decks with different rules and cards shuffled together, they call it ‘Dos’ which is just wishful thinking that copyright doesn't catch them but hey if nobody snitches they should be fine…hopefully. The day drags on as the group shares laughter, Yunho sending glances to Kyu and taking whatever chances he could get to talk to her when Erin wasn't looking, although he must've caught on because he started dragging Kyu along whenever he needs to grab something or stand up to talk to someone.
Kyu only seemed to get more and more tired, her cheeks red, not with blush, but by the sun and the heat surrounding her, her eyelids would droop whenever anybody wasn't paying attention and she had gotten less and less verbal throughout the day. When sundown hit they all sat down and watched it, everyone admiring the scenery as Felix bid goodbye to his father, the blonde resting his head on Kai's shoulder as the days activities dawned on him. Yunho looked at Kyu, her smile small and her eyes closed as she breathed softly, the light of the sun now casting a soft glow on her skin, not harsh or burning as it had been earlier. She looked beautiful like this, at peace, the only thing ruining the picture for him was Erin's arm securely wrapped around her shoulders.
Yunho had thought that was the most beautiful picture he'd ever see in his lifetime, a moment he wouldn't have been able to capture on film even if he tried, memorizing each line on her face as the golden glow casted over her, no matter the teasing of his friends around him. Yet he was proven wrong once again when they had decided to stay out later and stargaze. He was worried, Kyu had clearly been tired and she didn't seem like she wanted to stay, but agreed when Erin looked down at her and whispered something in her ear, the others cooed, but Yunho only felt the electricity beneath his fingers twitch, a soft yet familiar hum starting to buzz against his skin before he forcefully snuffed it out.
Everyone was laying on their backs, spread out beneath the night sky as they looked at the stars above them. Kyu seemed happier, maybe because this had been her rightful domain, but even in her tired state she seemed more content than Yunho had ever seen before. The stars and the moon seemed to shine brightly that night, that was until Yunho went to lay down next to Kyu, he doesn't know how he got the motivation to do it, but Erin wasn't here, he was off somewhere else, having made the excuse of needing to take a phone call- that was half an hour ago yet Yunho isn't complaining. When he laid down next to her she turned her head to look at him, giving him that tiny smile she'd give Seungmin and San when they showed her whatever new little thing they made in the plants. It was comforting, made his heart warm up and his own cheeks flush. She looked back up at the sky, and when Yunho followed her gaze but seemed darker, the veil of night almost dimming the stars and the moon, who seemed all too happy to be coveted by its blanket.
He had decided then, that this was when she was her most beautiful. When she was at peace, when her powers seemed strongest and the night at its darkest, she was the most divine then. A being he'd make sure even his father worshiped if she would allow him to, if she'd give him the honor of admiring her openly. Under the stars, as the darkness of the night seems to reach out at her and she lifts her hand in response, darkness creeps from her fingers down to her elbows as she whispers something in return to the night.
He decides he'll marry her right then, become her husband, her king, anything to please her. If she'll allow him he would give her the world, the universe and all he asked for in return was to be able to gaze upon her like this, when she was at her most comforted. He was going to marry her, no matter how long he'd have to wait, he would do so with a smile on his face until the day he could put one on hers.
“So.. marriage” Hera’s voice rings through his dad's apartment, startling Yunho as he almost chokes on his glass of water. He had come to visit his dad on one of his few weeks off, and had not expected to have Hera surprise him at midnight when he went to get a glass of water after staring at the night sky through his window for a solid hour or two.
“I'm - I'm sorry- what?“ he coughs out confused, hitting his chest as he breathes heavily, “don't choke Yunho, it's unseemly” Hera scolds him, “Thanks mom I'll remember that next time” he retorts and Hera has a hint of a smile at her son’s sarcasm, clearly she raised him right- somewhat. “Yes, you should remember everything I teach you, you do, don't you?“ she moves her body to face him from where she sits at the dining table, clad in dark blue and green robes, golden jewelry holding the pieces of fine fabric together as it drapes off her, white hair tied in a bun with a peacock pin holding it together, the crown placed atop her head a tinier, more practical version of her actual one. Dark green eyes bore into Yunho's with an intensity he's never seen directed at himself.
“Yeah, yeah of course I do” he nods as he hops on the countertop, long legs dangling off the edge so he's facing her, “but I don't understand why you're visiting me in the middle of the night to ask if I remember what you teach me” he tilts his head confusedly. “You remember what I told you about marriage?” she taps her fingers rhythmically against the wooden table beside her, “uhm? that you oversee it and so you know the most about it?” he asks, not quite knowing what she's referring to, she's told him a lot about marriage, quite passionate about the topic.
His mother only sighs, “That it's an important promise, not to be taken lightly, especially not before the gods” she hums, and he swallows thickly, “yeah.. yeah I know that” he twiddles with his fingers in his lap, scared of where this conversation might lead. “You asked why I was here, visiting you in the middle of the night? so your father had no way of hearing us- he wouldn't dare poke his nose under the night's cloak, not recently anyway. I came here for an explanation, to ask you why your thoughts were screaming ‘marriage’” she doesn't look at him this time, rather looking out the window. His breath hitches as he stops all movement, “I don't - I don't know what you're talking about” he stammers out, knowing he would never really lie to Hera, but still trying anyway.
She turns her head back to him as she stands up, walking to stand in front of him, “Don't try and deny it, You were screaming, pleading, projecting your thought to me and to her who watched over you that night” Yunho's eyes widen at her words, “Wait Nyx heard-” Hera shakes her head, “Not her, Selene did, but it may as well be all the same, she would never keep anything from her lady. So if I'm going to be approached by a primordial because you have a crush on her daughter, I need the truth”
“I don't have a crush on her mom- I love her- I'm in love with her and it hurts mom, it hurts so much that I wish I didn't have these human emotions- she consumes my every waking thought, my every action every breath, it's like wherever I look I draw a connection to her because I've deluded myself into believing the fates are trying to show me she's the one for me. I know you've taught me about the sanctity of marriage and I know it would never work with Zeus in the way but I… “ Yunho breaks down, a single tear dripping from his eye as he lets his face fall onto Hera's shoulder, he's been holding it in so long that he feels like he can't real it back now that he's spilled everything.
“You love her” Hera finishes his sentence for him as she pats his hair, “but she has eyes for another” she continues, knowing that the girl is currently with her own grandson, she's never really liked the boy, neither has Zeus which is why he didn't care when he started dating the nights daughter, but Yunho.. Yunho is a different story. “I know, I hate it, I know she's with someone else but these emotions just won't stop growing, like my heart is ready to burst out of my chest and take my humanity with it” he huffs.
She brings his face from her shoulder, holding it with one hand as she gently cups his cheek, “I think that's the best part about you Yunho, the humanity. Unlike us Gods, you have a heart, a soul” she hums, “I do, and my heart beats only for her, my soul yearns for her touch I- I can't live like this anymore mother, can't continue living as if nothings wrong knowing she's in the arms of another man- a lesser man. She deserves more than him- more than me! more than the night sky, more than anything anyone could ever give her.. “ he confesses and Hera’s resolve steels. If her son wants this girl, if he believes the man is not suited for her, then Hera will make damn sure both she and her son get what they deserve, that the sanctity of marriage won't be sullied more. She'll need to talk to Aphrodite after this.
“What do you need” she asks, and he looks up at her, his eyes filled with a yearning she could only describe as purely human, yet with the intensity of the divine “I need- I need to offer her my bleeding heart, whether she cradle or crush it- I would still be at peace knowing it was touched by her darkened hands” he states, and she smiles at him as she hears his last words. He loves this girl, not only for who she presents to be, but for who she truly is. “then you'll do just that” Hera offers and Yunho looks up at her confused, but she doesn't say a word more, already knowing that up in the sky another conversation quite like this one is taking place.
˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜
“Selene baby! What brings you to my neck of the woods?“ Nyx asks joyfully, trapping the shorter goddess in a tight hug as Artemis watches the two from a far, giving them their privacy but still doing her job. “I have news to share with you my lady, it's about your daughter- the half mortal one” Nyx's joyful face instantly disappears as she looks down at Selene with a serious expression, “What happened to Kyu? I knew it was strange that she hadn't talked to me tonight yet but… “ the elder bites her lips as she waits for the moon to respond. “No no, mistress your daughter is not in any.. immediate danger, but I am here to share news” Nyx tilts her head at the gray haired goddess warning but nods her head for her to continue.
“I believe an Olympian is in love with her” she states, and Nyx chuckles, “Well id hope so, I may not like the boy but they've been together so long id be worried if he doesn't love her… well id also rip his head off but that's neither here nor there” she hums as Selene nods her head, “Not Erin, there's another. The son of Zeus… a few nights ago his thoughts had been screaming, I could hear them- he sought marriage” she says and Nyx has a thoughtful expression on her face. “hm.. Zeus's boy…. he likes my daughter?” she asks suspiciously, “he loves her it seems my lady, I've been watching him. He stares up at the night sky every night and talks of her, I'm not sure if he knows I listen, or wishes for me to carry on his messages, but he speaks of her for hours, asking of her health and pleading for the stars to respond” she tells Nyx.
“And Erin? What have you seen of him?” she raises a brow, “I have not seen much of him, nor your daughter Mistress, it seems after she had greeted you he withholds her from enjoying the night sky” Selene says, bracing herself for the impact of Nyx's rage. “I… I entrusted you to look after my daughter when I had to work.. and you did not think to inform me that she was being withheld from my domain?” the primordial's voice is deadly calm, darkness around them growing stronger as the veil her husband had gifted her sways angrily, Artemis’s shoulders tense at the change in atmosphere and she locks eyes with the scene unfolding, Nyx's skin turns dark, almost unseen as her hands glow white, Selene falls to her knees, as if her light had been sucked info Nyx's hands. Artemis immediately moves to catch the Moon, trying to support her as she looks up at Nyx, “My lady maybe we should-” “How long” Nyx interrupted her as she stares down at Selene, a darkness looms over the both and a shadow hand grasps Selene's chin and forces it up from behind, “I believe my wife asked a question” Erebus’s voice rings deep in their ears, and alerts Artemis that they are no longer only in the night. Everything around them is pitch black and there isn't a star in sight.
“How long.�� Nyx asks again, and her voice sounds almost as if it had mixed with her husbands, dark and powerful, dripping with venom as she stares down at her dear friend, “How long has that bastard been keeping my daughter from me” Selene breathes heavily, “about- about f-five years” she says, and Erebus drops her head, no longer supporting her chin. “You've kept this, kept my daughter from me for FIVE YEARS?” Nyx shouts, veil and hair floating as she grows larger, fingers turning to talons as she looms over Selene, “My darling night, calm down” Erebus tries to reason with his wife, although he himself is not too fond of the information they were just given, “I AM CALM” she retorts, her voice distorted and monstrous.
“I'm sorry mistress, It's just- lady Kyu asked me not to tell you!” Selene shouts up at the giant goddess, and Nyx stops in her tracks, staring down into the moon's eyes for a moment as if to gauge if she is telling the truth, before the goddess starts to shrink down. Returning to her normal form and the light from her hands returning to Selene as she tries to stand up, supported by Artemis who does not interrupt what is clearly none of her business. “She what?” Erebus asks this time, the shadows of his figure wrapping around his wife to hold her, whether that be for comfort or the safety of the two moon goddesses before them he doesn't know.
“Five years ago, around the time Her group had just started out, she and Eris’s boy had a fight. I'm not sure what it had been about but it got heated, I would've told you but she pleaded with me not to Mistress and I…” Selene doesn't finish her sentence, not wanting to offend Nyx nor Erebus. Artemis holds her up, trying to support her and help her stand as she looks at the two primordials before them. “You didn't wish to disobey an ask from your future lady” Nyx finishes, her voice back to normal but lacking its usual steady tone. Selene nods in response, the black haired goddess takes a deep breath before she releases herself from her husband's hold, bending down to now hold the moon's cheek in affection again. “I'm sorry I yelled at you like that darling, but you need to promise never to hide such things from me again, especially when pertaining to my daughter, do we understand one another?” she asks, despite the soft tone there's a hint of malice as her gentle hand digs a nail into Selene’s cheek. Not hard enough to draw any ichor, at least not yet.
“Yes, yes I understand Mistress, I apologize” Selene’s response is immediate and laced with just enough emotion to have Nyx believe her. The veiled goddess releases her hold on Selene as she stands up, locking eyes with Artemis, “you'll ensure she keeps that promise, won't you darling deer?” she asks her, and the huntress only nods in response, feeling no more powerful than the animal she had just been named, caught trapped by a pack of panthers. “Very well, may you go” Nyx walks back to her husband as Artemis takes the chance and helps Selene back to their chariot, not sparing a glance back or waiting for the goddess to change her mind and continue their journey. Leaving alone the husband and wife of all that is void.
“My night I understand -” Erebus starts, “Five years, five years has my daughter been kept from me. I thought she had just been busy. I've heard that mortal kids often migrate away from their parents at a certain age. I thought it had rubbed off on her. I'm a bad mother Erebus, I didn't even realize my own daughter was not spending time in her rightful domain- oh my poor baby she must be so tired” tears well up in Nyx's eyes as she paces back and forth in the endless void of darkness. Her husband takes a breath acknowledging how serious this is for his wife to be calling him by name, no matter how enraged he himself is, he knows he needs to be the voice of reason between the two of them. He steps closer and holds her arms, his shadow mist wrapping comfortingly around her as he stops her pacing.
“You are not a bad mother for giving her space my night, it was a completely logical assumption for you to have made, never once has she given you any reason to doubt her” he tries to soothe her, placing a kiss to her forehead, she always enjoyed when he did this, said the cold shadow of his lips tickled her skin. “I'm her mother I was supposed to know, it had taken me too long to notice the way her mortal parents had been handling her and now- now she's going through Morai knows what at the hands of some Olympian bastard who doesn't know his place!” her voice starts to raise again, causing Erebus to rub her back as he tries to contain her. “My love, we cannot be sure of what it is they are hiding, while I am well aware of your dislike for the boy, and share the same notion, it is not our choice to make, now is it? Remember, when you had come to me the day you asked for her?” he asks softly and she nods in response, “I had told you about what the fates had shared, had I not?” he continues, feeling her nod against what should be his chest, “and what was it your wonderful daughters had said?” He waits for her to speak.
“You said they mentioned a lightning storm at night” she mumbles, gripping onto his figure like a vice as she's not understanding where he is going with this conversation. “Yes, and we had thought it had been connected to Zeus, and it could very well still be in a way… the news Selene brought, it had been of Yunho's admiration for our princess hm?” He continues, hoping for his wife to catch where his thoughts are leading, yet she only looks up at him, waiting for him to clue her in. “Now you and I both know you've spied on that boy enough to know he has pure intentions-” it's true, Nyx had not liked the idea of Zeus having another offspring, even if he had been approved by her darling Hera, she still had to ensure the boy was good, especially after he had befriended her precious grandson, “- and for Selene to have heard his thoughts of marriage, his cry must have been a desperate one, a meaningful one… we know he would never make such a proclamation, even in thought if he did not mean it, he is Hera's son after all” He finishes.
“So are you suggesting what the fates had told you has to do with him and Kyu?” she asks, contemplating his words, he only nods in response as a flicker of insight sparks in her black tear-filled eyes, “So you are suggesting we leave the problem to him… “ she asks softly and he only nods, “I have had a… premonition of sorts for the last few months, of something coming, something big… I believe this is something we must have them sort out themselves”
“I know but.. still I need the reassurance that she will be okay, otherwise I will rip off that Eris boys head myself” her eyes narrow as she speaks, Erebus thinks for a moment, before snapping his fingers. Before them his son materializes, messy hair, in nothing but pajama pants with his toothbrush still hanging from his mouth, “SHIT! Dad a warning next time” Kai yells as he slightly shivers from the cold hitting his bare skin before he observes the scene before him, “oh this is serious….. okay then” he nods slightly, wiping his mouth from toothpaste. He knew something was off the moment he was summoned, he and his father may not have a bad relationship but they aren't close either, boths inability to express actual feelings when not directed to their lover straining their relationship despite the love they have for one another.
“Does Zeus's boy truly love your sister?” Nyx asks, and Kai doesn't even act surprised at his stepmother's knowledge on the subject, all he does is nod in response, “He's more obsessed with her than uncle Hades when Aunt Perce comes home from spring” he responds and Nyx's face seems to brighten up just a little, “and the Erin boy… is he good to your sister?” his father asks him. “Not good, he's m.. I don't know what he is, when it comes to him Kyu is more private than she's ever been, she doesn't share much and I try to keep away from him.. something about him just feels off” she responds as he looks at the two questioningly, “what's this even about?”
“We heard some… news and wanted to ensure your sister's safety” Erebus tells his son, “So you feel it too then? the impending feeling of doom hanging in the air?” Kai raises his eyebrow at his father who nods in response, when his father does not offer another word he understands that he has said what they wanted of him, “can I go back now?” he looks between the two, Nyx nods. “yes, and do say hello to little Felix for me” she kisses the top of his head and walks off to who knows where, “what I wasn't even-” Kai tries to defend himself but his father only pats his forearm where a burn mark in the shape of a hand lays comfortably. “You need to tell that boy that his touch hurts you in the extreme light, he's too innocent to know otherwise” his father offers before walking away, and Kai can now only stare at his reflection in his bathroom mirror as he's teleported back to his apartment.
Something is wrong, the feeling consumes Yunho, stirring in his stomach, humming beneath his skin as it mixes with the ever building electricity that courses through him, creating a melancholic melody of ominous dread as he looks up at the sky. It had become his usual routine this past year, staring up at the sky hoping that Kyu was staring up at the same time as him, he’d talk for hours, about his day, the thoughts he would have of her, all shared with the moon. He wasn't sure if he shared these things in hopes she would hear, that the message would be shared to her, or if it was only to release himself from the guilt of feeling for a taken woman, he'd prefer the latter, for if it was the former, and the message had been shared then he wouldn't be able to handle the heartbreak of her never having responded.
Yet tonight his usual routine is interrupted as he stares up at the sky, it’s winter, a time he’s come to appreciate as the night sky grows longer and Kyu always seems happier, whether she’s more active online or responding to texts, the more constant feeling of her presence brings him joy. Unfortunately on this cold winter night the joy is diminished, the usual darkness of the longer night sky is brightened, the moon and sun seeming to outshine the darkness, creating a purplish veil instead of the usual darkness that had become Yunho’s comfort. It creates an uneasy feeling in Yunho’s stomach as he worries about Kyu, it’s not natural, was it due to her? Was the lustre light of the night connected to Kyu or her mother?
Thoughts swirled in his mind, maybe he should call her.. but that would be weird wouldn't it? if he had just called her randomly at night, but then again they were friends maybe it wouldn't be too abnormal. He bites his lips as he stares up at the moon, face pleading wishing she could give him answers. Was he being paranoid? sure but one quick text couldn't hurt… and then one quick text went unanswered, and it turned into two, then three, giving up he sent one to Kai, maybe he had heard something?
“Kaiiiiii you have a text from Yunho- he's asking if Kyu is okay- why would he ask if Kyu is okay?” Felix questions as he walks to Kai, giving the phone back to the taller person who's looking out to the night sky, “he's just worried” Kai replies, not responding to the text. His father was right, something was coming, and Kai did not have enough care to mess with fate, no matter how much he loved sister, this needed to happen. “Worried about? the night? it is a bit bright tonight” Felix hums as he rests his head on Kai’s shoulder, “Thinking about it Kyu hasn't responded in the group chat tonight” Kai only nods his head at Felix's words, “and she won't. not tonight at least, she's busy” he states, “with what?” The blond asks, Kai simply turns his head to kiss his cheek, not knowing the answer.
“Aren't you worried about her too then?“ Felix hums despite the smile on his face at the small show of affection, “of course, but it's not my fate to interfere with this” Kai turns, holding Felix's face in his hands, “so why don't you help distract me from my worries hm?” he asks and Felix only smiles up at him as the moon looks down at the two through the window.
Once she's sure they won't interrupt, she turns her attention back to the faux black haired male who's currently pacing along his balcony. She knows she promised the young mistress she wouldn't interfere, but it's getting worse and she'd rather break a promise than see her young lady then have to witness her death under the weakened night sky. She promised Nyx she'd take care of this, and had to have the goddess distracted lest she rip off the son of discord’s head and give Zeus a reason to start the war he'd been itching for. This has to happen tonight, and it has to be Yunho.
“Is she okay?” he asks up at the sky, voice shaking and desperate in a way Selene has never heard him speak to her before and this is just what she wanted to hear, the desperation and yearning ensures he’ll be willing to do what fate had lined up for him, so for the first time since he’s started talking to her, she responds. As a voice in his mind, cold and drifty in a whisper, “no, she needs you” Selene speaks and Yunho looks up in surprise, taking a moment to understand the importance not only of being called by the moon but also of her words, although all that is pushed to the back of his mind as he understands the meaning of her words. “Where” is all he grits, “The park under the night” she says, and at first Yunho doesn’t understand, everything is under the night sky, but the memory at the back of his mind resurfaces, seemingly forcefully dragged to the forefront of his worried thoughts. The night at the park in which he witnessed Kyu reach out into the night, and the night reached back to her.
Quickly he moves back inside the house, not bothering to grab a coat to protect him from the cold winter's night, the electricity murmuring beneath his skin already warming him enough, No longer a soft and subtle hum of nerves as it constantly was, his powers were now murmuring, whispering as if trying to coax him to release it, he had a feelings he’d have to listen, he ignores Yeosang question as he grabs his keys and rushes to the car, jumping in and driving off at a speed he’s sure to break the speed limit with, but he can’t find it in himself to care, quickly he navigates his way to the park not far from his own dorm, it’s quiet outside tonight, too quiet, as if the entire world had been put on hold for this very moment.
He doesn’t even park the car, only stops it and yanks out the key, jumping when it comes to a stop as he sees the park in his view, he can hear it now, the sound disrupting the quiet night, yelling and crying, loud and gut wrenching, the murmur of the lightning beneath his skin gets louder, his head starts to hurt as he tries to suppress it. The storm clouds build on the horizon as he rushes forward, the voice he can recognize as Erin’s growing louder, drowning out his powers. He only stops when he reaches the clearing, seeing Kyu stand before Erin, hunched over and holding her stomach, he hasn’t been noticed yet, his mind going into overdrive as his eye’s frantically take in the scene, Erin laughing up at the lightened sky, “YA SEE THAT? HM? SEE HOW YOUR POWERFULL DAUGHTER FALLS? KNEELS BEFORE ME?” he screams up, pointing a bloodied knife in Kyu’s direction, “THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” he turns the knife upwards, and Yunho is surprised he has yet to be smite, that he had ever gotten this far into hurting Kyu.
His powers are screaming at him now, head throbbing in a way that almost disorients him as rage builds, the thunder beneath his skin cooking the red blood in his veins into golden ichor as he slowly tries to creep to Kyu, no matter the unspeakable things he wishes to condemn Erin too, getting Kyu out of the way and in the safety of his arms is his first priority. She does not notice him until he’s behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her to support her, ignoring the warm wet feeling of her blood beneath his fingers as he tries to put enough pressure on the wounds to stop bleeding. She doesn’t make a sound at his touch, whether that be because she’s too tired too or because she recognized him he didn’t want to know, although the way her body went rigid before relaxing when he whispered in her ear suggests the former.
“YOU RAISED HER TO MOTHER EVERYONE UNDER YOUR SKY AND NOW GUESS WHAT?” Erin shouts deliriously, thinking the gods are listening to him with bated breaths, “SHE DIDN’T WANT TO CARRY MY CHILD- SO SHE WON'T EVER BE ABLE TO BEAR ONE NOW” he waves the knife in the air, her blood dripping from the cold steel onto his hand in a taunting manner, “SHE WON'T EVER LEAVE NOW BECAUSE NOBODY WOULD WANT HER AS BROKEN AS I'VE MADE HER- NOBODY-” his manic screaming becomes more deranged as he turns his head back to her, likely for another toxic spill of words to leave his throat, but he stops, noticing Yunho standing beside her, supporting her as her breath hitches due to Erin’s attention on them, “go” she whispers to Yunho, her voice weak and throat hoarse, he only tightens his grip on her in response.
“Or well, not nobody… the pathetic little puppy comes crawling for spoils that aren't his? You're just like your father aren't you? Taking women that aren't yours” Erin tuts, swinging the knife in Yunho’s face tauntingly, “Well sorry to break it to you but unfortunately her pussy can no longer bear whatever children you wish to put in her soo.. Shoe along now, uncle” the last word drips from Erin's mouth like venom and Yunho has to stop himself from lunging at the man. The thunder clouds roll in, dark and fast as they grow, reflecting the storm behind his eyes, “Yunho, go, this is not your fight” Kyu whispers to him, her voice weak in a way he never thought he’d hear from her, her face turns to him, sweat beading on her forehead mixing with the silent tears down her cheeks, her eyes are pale, no longer the soft gray, now more sullen and void as she looks at him desperately, “I don’t want him to kill you too, please” she begs, and Yunho does not understand why she doesn’t strike the man down, she’s much more powerful than him, even in her weakened state, so why won't she just let go of him.
“I’m not going to let him kill you either” my queen, Yunho does not add the last two words to his sentence, but it’s clear Erin knew he wished to say it, “No not me, Yunho-” she’s cut off by the brunette before them, “Not her you idiot, she is still my queen, I wouldn’t be able to take over the underworld without her unfortunately, so I won’t kill her- you on the other hand, are currently holding my prize so if you would ever so kindly let go” Yunho hates the way Erin speaks of her, as if she is not a person, not the love of Yunho’s life. “She’s not yours” Yunho speaks, his voice ringing through the clearing as rage fills him, sparks tingling at his fingertips, his hair losing its dark color as he feels Kyu weakly trying to push herself out of his hold. “Oh? And you think she’s yours?” Erin asks, tilting his head. Before Yunho can respond Kyu lets out a stronger push, breaking free from Yunho’s hold and simultaneously pushing herself toward Erin, stumbling before she grips onto his shirt for support. “Please Erin, stop this, I'm begging you” she pleads.
“aww Baby it’s okay hm? You know I'd never hurt you if not for your own benefit, I'm doing this for us” Erin says, stroking her hair as he looks down at her but not bothering to try and support her, Yunho wants to reach out, to grab her and take her as far away from Erin as possible, but he sees the sparks along his fingers, hears the faint clap of thunder above them and knows touching her would only hurt. “You see Yunho? She chose me, she doesn't love you, she knows to whom she belongs and for that she'll be rewarded… unfortunately she must have lead you on enough to make you believe she loved you, for that she has to be punished” Erin’s voice speaks and before Yunho can register it the sound of Kyu’s gasp fills the air as the knife is imbedded in her back this time, she’s thrown to the ground with a resounding crack implying she must of hit her head, she doesn’t move further and Erin’s attention is on Yunho as he steps forward.
“She'll live, don’t worry, she always finds a way to stay alive, like a cockroach, but it’s you and me now buddy. You think your dad will praise me when I give him your head? The son who dared love the enemy? Think he'll give me your position as heir? It’ll be a lot easier than fighting for it, not that I wouldn't win either way of course.” Erin speaks, and with each step he takes forward the thunder above them clasp louder. Lightning strikes down to the ground, and when he’s right in front of Yunho, who’s feet are planted to the ground, eyes looking terrified at the woman on the ground, the sound of a falling tree echoes through the clearing. His face falls, the ashy blond tips that are slowly seeping into the rest of his black hair obscuring his face from Erin's view, “Your right” Yunho says, voice void of emotion as his fists clench beside him, “Oh I know I am” Erin replies with a smile on his face.
“I am my fathers son…” Yunho says as he lifts his head, brown eye’s now glowing golden as he grabs the already scrunched shirt of Erin, sending a surge of power through his body just strong enough to make his muscle spasm and go limp as the knife in his hand made from Hephaestus's metal falls to the ground before he could even think of using it on Yunho. “And my father isn’t afraid of killing those who anger him” Yunho spits out, and before Erin could even think of replying Yunho sends the first punch, the power behind it along with the electricity sends Erin to the ground immediately, but it’s not enough for Yunho.
He falls to his knees, straddling the bloodied man beneath him as he continues punching him, the lighting striking as the storm rolls in time with his punches. “You really think you deserve her? You're nothing but a bastard and a shame to the family name, no wonder your mother abandoned you, you mutt. I'd be just as disgusted if my son were like you” Yunho speaks between punches, not holding back the strength not the power that's praising him, chanting beneath his skin in joy at the release, eating at the man beneath him whose face is already caved in and skin burned in patches. All the power Yunho’s ever held back is released, the door not being able to close as he simply sees red, his hair now fully golden, the man beneath him doesn't respond, but that’s fine, Yunho doesn’t need him too.
A cough from his side is what snaps him out of his rage, scrambling off the unconscious and barely breathing body beneath him over to Kyu. Blood seems from her mouth, her stomach, her back, and somewhere on her head that Yunho can’t find beneath the heavy black hair. He pulls her into his hold and she looks up at him with the faintest smile, “You look p-pretty in blond thunder boy” she tries to move but groans and stays where she is, “You n-need to stop, you shouldn’t become a murderer for me” she tells him, and he wants to scream at her, he'd kill anyone for her, massacre the whole world if that's what she wanted serve the heads of those who wronged her on a plate if she just asked him too. The tears fall from his eyes, “I- I need to get you to a hospital I-” he frantically panics, trying to position her in a way that wouldn't cause her wounds to worsen, the power that's still screaming at him to finish off the man behind him doesn't dance atop his skin anymore, not with her in his arms “Hey, hey no you- “ she splutters again, more blood emerging from her mouth, a golden sheen coating the angry red.
“You need to calm down before this storm attracts your fathers attention” she says, Yunho’s sure it already has but he couldn’t give a damn, he’s pleading with her, trying to have her keep her eyes open, her breath even. She smiles again, this time at something behind him, he doesn’t want to look, does not want to acknowledge the unmistakable feeling of death looming behind him. “Hey Than” Kyu says softly, “Hello μικρή αδερφή” the gravelly voice of Thanatos responds, his tone soft and caring in contrast to the rage Yunho can feel from him. Kyu closes her eyes in content, humming softly at his words, “No, no Kyu stay with me, please love, please open your eyes I'm begging you Kyu stay-” Yunho pleads as he holds her face in his hand, the mixture of her and Erin's blood rubbing off on her cheek from Yunho’s palm, sullying her beautiful face.
She doesn't respond, and feels cold in Yunho’s hands. She always ran cold, but this was different, she was freezing. “Don’t take her, please I'm begging you don’t take her” Yunho beseeches the god behind him, “I don’t want to” Thanatos replies. “Then don’t, as your future King I order you, do not take her from me” Yunho’s voice breaks, not holding the power or sounding nearly as threatening as he wishes it too. “I need to take a soul, a shade needs to be given to the underworld” Thanatos says as he looks down at his dying sister in the arms of the man she never had the chance to love.
There's a silence, no sound to be heard on the clearing except for the roaring tempest overhead, no breath, not from Yunho, not from the two unconscious bodies and certainly not from the god of death himself. “Then take him” Yunho breathes, “She’s closer to death than he is, by the power I was given I need to accompany the soul closest to their demise” Thanatos tells him, planting the seed in Yunho’s mind that he wishes will grow quickly. The silence overtakes them again before the last of the dark roots atop Yunho’s head turn a golden blond, matching his eyes and the ichor he’s created in his veins, there’s a strike of lightning behind them, so sudden and loud it takes Thanatos by surprise, luckily he does not jump, the glow of the bolt matches the one on Yunho’s hand that's holding Kyu’s thigh as he hugs her tight against him, trying desperately to listen for her heartbeat.
Thanatos looks behind him, the unconscious body burnt and the grass around it flaming, earth cracked from the pressure of the electrical discharge that hit the now dead body. “Take him.” Yunho speaks with finality, voice truly sounding like the order of a king, Thanatos nods, grateful that he did not have to reunite with his sister in such a way. “I'm sorry” Yunho whispers as he presses his forehead against Kyu’s own, feeling her heart beating against him. Whether he’s apologizing for becoming the murderer she asked him not to, or for the small amount of lightning he sent through her to jumpstart her heart, he does not know.
Ever since he had rushed her to the hospital, Yunho had not left Kyu’s side, staying beside her when she had been asleep for 3 days, holding her hand and praying to any god that would listen that she’d wake up. His father tried to summon him, but he refused, he wouldn't leave her, couldn't, Hera had stopped the King from smiting his heir, but Yunho knew his father wouldn’t be too happy about the damage caused. Even tried to come down to the mortal realm to get Yunho himself, only to be stopped by Nyx, who stated his son had been placed under her protection after saving her daughter. This caused Zeus’s anger to grow but he knew better than to cross the goddess of his nightmares.
When Kyu had woken up the first face she saw was a doctor, not Yunho. She could feel his presence, the electricity in the air, and the moment his name invaded her thoughts, the side of her right thigh started to pain, ignoring the voices of the frantic doctors she had thrown off her blanket, desperately yawning up her gown to gain access to the searing skin. Her eyes was met with the claim of thunder on her skin, pitch black contrasting with the paleness caused by her bloodloss, protruding from the soft flesh like a tattoo, little bumps of raised skin seemingly glowing with a golden sheen, she wanted to scream, because it hurts, fuck it hurts , but something about it, the searing heat of the lightning she can feel moving beneath her skin makes her feel alive.
Her eyes frantically move from the doctors to the room around her, desperately searching from his face, she doesn’t see him, but she does see a mop of unmistakable golden hair from the window leading to the halls outside her room, he’s not looking at her, back facing her room, but when she spots him the pain dies down, she relaxes as the doctors around her continue their work, the sound of them fading out as she focuses on the back of his head, memories returning to her of the moment right before she lost consciousness.
“You really need to talk to her, you know?” Kai says as he hands Yunho a coffee, it’s been a week since Kyu had woken up and the newly returned blond man had yet to enter her room. She yelled out at him, asked those who visited and her doctors to tell him to come inside and yet he refused. He couldn't look her in the eye, knowing what he’s done. “Mhm” he hums, dark circles beneath his eyes clear as he accepts the coffee from the other, sitting upright and ignoring the pain his back suffered from the cold metal chairs that line the outside of the hospital rooms.
“Seriously bro I’m gonna make you sniff some essential oils and sleep for at least a few days if you don’t get some proper rest” Hyunjin says as he walks out of Kyu’s room, looking over at Yunho as he goes and sits beside the blond. “Put him out for a week!” Kyu’s voice yells from the room, and you can hear Mingi’s soft huff of laughter following her words. “See?” Hyunjin makes a face at Yunho. “I'm fine, I'm not tired” Yunho defends himself and Kyu’s voice can be heard mocking him, he only huffs in response. “If you would just come in and TALK to me, then I wouldn’t be doing this and you wouldn’t be huffing and puffing!” Kyu shouts again as she hears Yunho.
“She’s right ya know, you'll need to go in there eventually” Kai says as he closes her room door, voice softer to ensure she can’t hear the conversation happening. “You've been sitting here the whole time, ignoring her and your father. You need to face something, hate to break it to you but sitting here 24/7 isn’t helping anybody” he sighs as he sits on the chair opposite Yunho. “I'm not here all the time, I go home to shower and stuff” Yunho mumbles, but he only receives a look in response, “Can I go face my father?” he asks and Hyunjin slaps his chest in response, “Go talk to her.” Yunho groans as he slides down in his chair.
“She’s not mad, I promise” Seungmin walks in on the conversation, holding a bag of clothes he went to go pick up for Kyu, “You say that and yet I do not believe you” he points a finger at Seungmin, “If she was mad I don’t think she’d be calling out to you everyday” Seungmin walks closer, throwing the bag in his hands on Yunho’s lap. “Go” the boy speaks with finality. “She may not sound mad but what if… what if I walk in there and the moment I look into her eyes and she’ll realize what I've done and hate me forever” he asks, only receiving three blank looks in response, “Yunho go in there or so help me I’m calling your dad- mortal one” Kai’s threat does not fall on deaf ears, “Okay now we don’t need to go that far” he tries to get himself out of the situation, but with the way he’s being glared at he knows it’s not possible.
“Yeah okay” He stands up, stretching as he hears his back crack, ignoring the winces of those around him, “If she hates me I’m smiting you all, because apparently I have the power to do that now” Yunho says before taking a deep breath, knocking on the door, Mingi opens it, eyes widening as he sees Yunho at the door, “Oh- well that's uhm- hm yeah I'm gonna go” Mingi fumbles before practically bolting out of the room. Yunho takes a breath as he walks in, he doesn’t take his eyes off the floor as he walks over to the closet to place down Kyu’s bag, he mapped out the entire planning of the room the first few days when Kyu was not, and kept retracing the steps of the room when he sat in the corridor to keep himself from going insane. “Yunho” Kyu’s voice seems much better now, he’s heard it yell to him from outside the room, but it’s different now. More clear, stronger than it was the night of the incident. “Yunho look at me please” she pleads, he grips his fists but only continues putting away clothes and not looking at him.
“I’m.. I’m sorry, that you had to be the one there, that I turned you into a murderer” Yunho finally turns at that, it’s not that he wanted to, but it felt like instinct to turn, to reassure her that none of this was her fault, “No-No Kyu it’s not-” his breath hitches as he finally looks into her eyes. It’s like he’s back to the first day he met her, butterflies in his stomach and his knees feeling weak, sparks sourcing beneath his skin in the way that makes him feel giddy and not ready for war. “Hi” she smiles softly at him, “Hi” he responds, voice shaky. He can feel tears forming in his eyes as he finally looks at her, she looks so much better, the light in her eyes shining in a way he’s never seen before.
She pats the spot beside her on the bed, Yunho takes the hint and moves forward, but he sits on the chair instead of the place offered, “When I- When I told you I didn’t want him to kill you too -” Kyu starts, but Yunho stops her, “You don’t have to-” Kyu interrupts, ”no, no I do- I - I need to speak okay?” she looks at him and he nods, she takes a breath before continuing. “I didn't mean it in the way of I thought he would kill me, He’s he’s killed before, for me, and I didn’t want that burned on your shoulders- I know- I know our parents take care of all this stuff but if this ever gets out it could ruin your career-” ‘I don’t care about my career, I care about you, I want you to be safe’ Yunho thinks, but he only continues to listen to her speak, “-When we were young, fresh out of highschool and just started college I thought of leaving him for the first time, I had this friend who wanted to help me, I didn’t really know him well, but he was such a sweet guy and I needed any excuse to get out.. But Erin found out and, well, he took care of the problem before it could show itself.” she says as she draws her knees up to her chest, she shouldn’t be able to, but her wounds have been healing faster than they should.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that” Yunho whispers, trying to suppress the urge he has to hold her in his arms, “I'm not telling you this because I want your sympathy Yunho, I need you to understand” she says, “understand what?” he asks, “Why I can't reciprocate your feelings, the claim you made Yunho I.. I know it wasn’t made with bad intentions, and I know you’d never be like Erin but, I've spent my whole life being his prize, being claimed by him and not seen as a person of my own, and as much as I hated him for everything he’s done to me I-” she breathes, “You loved him” Yunho states her thoughts, and she only nods. “I’m sorry I killed him” Yunho says, and she shakes her head again.
“Don’t, don’t feel sorry Yunho, you did what I wished I could have, it was something I was too weak to do despite the power that my mother gave me. I couldn't kill him, and it wasn't because I still loved him I- I didn't want to admit I was weak enough, stupid enough to have made the decision of loving him in the first place. So as much as I like you Yunho, as much comfort as you bring me I- I’m not ready to be claimed as someone’s else's before I get to find myself. I just- I need time, could you please give me that?” she turns her head to him, tears glistening in her eyes as her cheek is pressed against her knee.
“I never, I never expected you to even feel anything for me Kyu. The fact that you’ve just admitted you even have some sort of likeness to me is a blessing I didn’t even know could have been bestowed upon me…. You’re not weak Kyu, you're one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, I wouldn't ever force my feelings upon you.. I never meant to claim you it just- it happened and I will give you as much time as you need” Yunho looks into her eyes, brown with golden flecked iris’s staring into her gray and silver ones, reflecting the meaning and importance behind his words. “But I will tell you this, as much time as you need, as long as I need to wait.. I won’t lose you again. You don’t have to be mine, You don’t have to be the queen that will one day ascend the throne with me but… but I will forever and always be yours, the King that's willing to do anything for you, and I need you to know that”
She smiles at him, the unshed tears in her eyes finally falling, “I know Yunho, I know”
˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜
“Do you understand what you've done boy? You've disrupted the balance. Killed one of your own.” Zeus’s voice booms through the Olympian court, of course the god couldn't just talk to Yunho normally, no he needed to summon him to the court, before the eyes of multiple gods to ‘face his punishment’ whatever that means. “Zeus I've told you I honestly do not care that the boy was killed” Eris says from where she sits, bored out of her mind. She didn’t care for the boy called her son, he wanted to disrupt the delicate balance of discord, he did not understand how to carefully plant a seed, she did think him deserving of her lineage anyway, if anything the boy who is technically her half brother did her a favor.
“Sush daughter, we must mourn the loss of Erick and punish this one accordingly” Zeus silences Eris, “His name was Erin..” Yunho huffs, his father doesn't care about the dead half god, just wants a reason to punish Yunho, he hasn’t ever really liked Yunho, not liking the fact that his son is more favored among the gods than he is. “That's what I said, Erin, sweet boy that one” Zeus nods his head solemnly, beside him Hera rolls her eyes. Ares huffs from where he sits besides Aphrodite in the stands of the fake courthouse his father created for this occasion, Demeter is standing there with her arms crossed and foot tapping in that livid manner that makes Ares shudder, like a mad mother she looks at Zeus.
“A sweet boy?” a dark voice haunts the room, sending shivers down the spines of the gods as dark smoke rolls in from beneath the doors, Yunho’s back straightens as he recognizes it, the voice that's come to talk to him in dreams, to both threaten and thank him for his connection with Kyu. As the shadows spread and the room is encased in a veil of darkness Ares smirks, knowing his father is in for it now. The doors open once the room is fully dark, “You call the bastard that hurt my daughter, sweet?” Nyx asks as she steps into the room, the light her husband has drained from the room running from her fingers to her elbows as she simply seems like a dark shadow, her husband is not beside her but they know he’s here, the darkness around them a show of his presence.
“Lady Nyx, as much as you know I respect your judgment, this is a matter not involving you” Zeus speaks through gritted teeth, tone strained as he tries and shows respect for the goddess he fears. “Doesn’t involve her? The dead had hurt her daughter, I think she has every right to be here” Hera speaks, her word carries the same weight as Zeus’s in this court, as much as he tries to deny it. “See? Hera gets it.. You know you've always been my least favorite of Rhea’s children Zeusy boy” Nyx states as she walks closer, flashing her hand atop Yunho’s shoulder comfortingly, “Unfortunately for you, my daughter has grown fond of him, and as any loving mother would, I protect what's hers. He’s under my protection Zeus, you will not punish him for having done what's right”
“My lady, Yunho has used the powers he was given not only to hurt a member of his future kingdom, but dared to turn his own blood to ichor. Blasphemy cannot go unpunished under my reign.” Zeus tries again, “He used those powers to protect our daughter, the ichor made in his system does not compare to what he will hold once he ascends, this is all redundant in your baseless case against the prince” Erebus’s voice rings through the room, seeming to have no clear starting nor end point, just as the darkness its all encompassing.
“That boy, tried to ensure my daughter would never know the joys of being a mother” Nyx spits to Zeus, “and as I was informed your daughter's ability to bare children remains in tact, he had failed so that cannot be used against the dead who's not here to defend himself” The king replies, and without missing a beat Nyx silences him by saying “Your father ate your siblings and yet they stand alive before you, does that release him from the punishment he currently suffers due to his cruelty?”
“Oh shit” Ares mumbles, eating some of the popcorn Hermes popped up with beside him, Apollo on his other side, Aphrodite slaps Ares upside the head to quiet him down. “Now My lady that-” Zeus is cut off by Hera at his side, “This is fruitless Zeus, you’re trying to punish the boy for loving that girl because you can’t handle that fact that they’d be more powerful together than you'd ever be, which is just insanity because they aren't even together” the goddesses words make the other gods nod in agreement, mostly because they don't want to be there.
“Yeah no see asking me to punish him is like asking me to go against love and that's kind of the opposite of my whole vibe” Aphrodite speaks, and the three male gods beside her nod while eating their popcorn like mindless puppets. “That girl has taken great care of my son, so I would not want to punish this boy for his bravery” Demeter interjects her own opinion. “So no one wishes to punish him?” Zeus asks, and everyone shakes their heads, he sighs, despite the anger rising he is a smart enough king to know he can’t go against the vote of all his subjects, and he does not want to anger two of the oldest deity’s known to the world. He nods, “Alright then the boy will be… released”
Months later, when the story had calmed and his fathers rage had mostly cleared Yunho couldn't be more content than what he currently was. Laying in bed with the soft hum of the tv, the golden glow of the setting sun and the love of his life in his arms he couldn’t wish for more. It was the beginning of summer and Kyu’s tiredness worsened as the sun got stronger and the days got longer. As worried as Yunho would always be for her during these times, a part of him wanted to thank Helios, for it only meant he got to hold his sleeping love in his arms longer.
Her back pressed to his chest, resting her head on his arm as she plays with the fingers of that hand and focuses on the show she’s watching, she looks so beautiful, ethereal even. Yunho’s other hand that had been resting on her hip was now mindlessly tracing the lines of the lightning along her thigh, grateful that the summer heat makes her wear shorts and gives his eyes access to the greatest piece of artwork he’s ever created. Her breathing matches his own, heart beating in sync with his as he can’t stop himself from leaning down and placing a kiss atop her head. “I love you, you know that right?” he mumbles into her hair.
“Mm, I don’t think there’s a universe in which I don’t” she hums back, a small smile playing on her face as she turns her head to look at him, “what brings this on?” she asks, instead of responding he just ducks down further, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss and she responds in kind before giggling. When he pulls away she looks up at him mischievously, a hint of chaos in her eyes as her lips curl into that tiny smirk that drives Yunho wild, “You haven’t been focusing on the show have you?” she turns her whole body around as she looks up at him, “What? I totally have how could you question that” he asks in mock offense, but his eyes don’t leave her lips.
“Alright then, what did Buck just fall off of?” she asks, and she can practically see the loading screen in Yunho’s mind, “Who’s Buck?.....” Yunho makes a face and Kyu playfully slaps his chest in response, he only grips her hand in his as he laughs down at her, “Come on Love, you can’t expect me to focus on some show when you look so pretty in my arms” he smiles as he watches the blush form on her cheeks. “Some show? this is my favorite show” she huffs and Yunho makes a noise of disagreement, “See now I know that’s a lie because your favorite show is The originals because you have a little crush on that hybrid guy” Yunho says knowingly and she buries her face in his chest. She grumbles before she looks up at him again, a hand coming up to tangle in his hair, no longer the golden natural blond, or the fake colors of his dye. No now it’s a soft blond with black roots and ends seeping through, proof of her affect on him.
“I've affected you too much” she beams up at him softly, “I could say the same” he moves her so she’s now laying atop his chest, his palm flattening out against the mark against her thigh as it glows a faint golden, sending a exhilarating jolt of electricity through her body. “But you know what?” he asks as he presses a kiss to her forehead, bringing both hands up as he holds her face in them, threading his fingers through her hair as he tuck a strand behind her ear. “What?” she grins up at him, “I wouldn’t have it any other way” he utters but before he could act on the thoughts swirling in his head, she beat him to it. Moving upwards and capturing his lips with a fervent need.
The tv still playing in the background, the setting sun and rising moon, the heat of the day worsened by the tension in their bodies is a stark reminder that the future King and Queen of the gods will never be separated, their bodies intertwined, souls connected and hearts beating as one.
Yunho remembers the stories his dad told him, of Humans having four legs, four arms and two hearts, being split into two souls by Zeus and left to roam in search of their other half forever. He never thought to ask any of the gods if this had been true, but feeling the love coursing in his chest for the woman atop him, he believes it must be.
taglist: @grapejellysollie @seongsangssbitch @idkwhatto-namethis @leezanetheofficial @waywardsummoner46 @randomfan218-blog @kaisworlds
copyright | 2024 | @asherthehimbo
waahh, im also planning on writing a spin off for Kai and Felix so if you wanne be tagged in that lmk😼
#crossover#kpop x oc#ateez fanfic#ateez x oc#ateez fic#ateez fics#jeong yunho angst#jeong yunho fluff#ateez jeong yunho#jeong yunho#jeong yunho x oc#Jeong Yunho x female oc#jeong yunho x reader#ateez scenarios#ateez fluff#ateez au#Jeong Yunho fanfiction#yunho x oc#ateez yunho#yunho fanfic#yunho x reader#yunho#this isn't x reader but there arent many x oc tags so#ateez x fem!oc#ateez x female reader#stray kids felix#Lee felix x male oc#like greek gods kids skz n atz?? yes#greek mythology#greek gods
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thinking abt that 1 time where i was semi-active on a discord server for a yter i watch cause his content actually interested me.
at some point in the announcements channel he posts a link to a game, asking everyone in the server to playtest the game. i'm sideyeing this game because…. this guy is a minecraft youtuber. this guy made a world with only one block where structures generate in the world. so i talk in general chat like, "hey are we sure we can trust this..?" and i try to warn people that this could be a scam and call it out that he could've been hacked because he's not the type to do this.
some other people are suspicious too but i'm the only one being 'loud' about my suspicion and pointing it out. one of the mods, who to my knowledge was the guy's friend, is like "no he's not hacked he's made games before". so i download the game and run it through a malware tester. guess what it turns out to be. i post a screenshot of this in general chat. i think it gets deleted pretty quickly but some people do see it. i keep trying to point out hey this is malware dont downlaod it and play it..? but the mod who is the guy's friend keeps saying "he's made games before" etc etc and someone plays it in vc. yes, it's a simple 2d shooter, But its still got malware.
and i'm just sitting there in vc like. guys. guys this is fucking malware. guys. oh my god guys. i also point out that the youtuber doesnt type like he usually does. he usually types all lowercase with a few specific typos and he's not doing that right now which is you know, weird as fuck. i'm still weirded out because he's not the type to make a game like this?? and then after a few minutes they like. start kicking people from the main server, specifically people that are voicing their suspicion, and thats finally when people started realising. oh shit. something's fishy about this.
and someone makes a temporary server for everyone thats active to gather while shit continues to go down and the main server is locked down because the hacker's realised theyve finally gotten got. so the hacker's doing damage control and people are talking in the second server someone made and then the youtuber joins with an alt on the second server after two hours or so and confirms he got hacked and that the game that "he" sent was malware. and i'm just sitting here trying my best not to go "I TOLD YOU!!! I FUCKING TOILD YOU!!!! I SAID IT FIRST!!! I SAID IT IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT WAS POSTED AND YOU DIDNT LISTEN"
anyway i ended up leaving that server later because there were a lot of nsfw/18+ jokes that were thrown around even though there were minors on the server. actually 1 of those were directed at me and it was someone "joking" about commissioning me to draw nsfw and me responding "im a minor" and him replying "i see... so ur playing hard to get" and i brought that up to the youtuber and he just brushed it off like "no he just makes jokes like that. hes just like that"
#words on the wind#still astounded literally nobody there knew jackshit of internet safety#like guyssss. hguys.#dont downlaod a random .exe file. guys.
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Speculative Biology of Euclydians (and Bill Cipher) part 2
Part 1
So this part is what you've all been waiting for, it took so long, but you'll quickly understand why. This part is:
The Biology of Bill Cipher
As always, this analysis is based on two assumptions:
Before Bill Cipher became a demigod, he was a biological, living organism and so were the rest of his species.
Even after Bill Cipher became a demigod, he still retained some physical characteristics of his biological form.
And a fair content warning: This contains anatomy illustrations. This isn't anything gory, but there are people who are squeamish, so you've been warned.
Click on the images to get better quality!
And without further ado, let's begin.
External structures
Euclydians are animals with a very specific shape. They have a shell in a form of a geometric shape and four limbs. Bill is an equilateral triangle, so my analysis will be just on triangular Euclydeans.
They have bilateral symmetry. This type of symmetry is characterized by having a left and a right side placed like mirror images of each other. Humans and majority of Earth’s animals also have this feature.
Bilaterally symmetrical organisms usually have a distinct head region, because of a process known as cephalization. This process moves the animal’s brain and sensory organs towards one end of the body – the head. Euclydians have a head. It’s the “tip of the pyramid” on Bill and that’s where the eye and other sensory organs and brain are located.
Finally, Euclydeans are segmented. Their segments are clearly visible as those weird brick lines on their body. Bill also often separates his body into three segments. This is a part of his god powers, but it tells us that Euclydeans have three major body segments, I’ll call them the tip, the middle and the base. Each segment contains specific organs.
Euclydeans are invertebrates. And yes, I know this image exists, but this is just Bill’s trolling. He’s making fun of human classrooms where we often find skeleton models. That skeleton wouldn’t even be functional, because it doesn’t have any joints in arms and legs, so it wouldn’t be able to move. And it has a hole where the brain would be, so you know, the fucking brain would fall out.
It was outright stated that Bill has an exoskeleton. Having both external and internal skeleton would be a big waste because you have two systems that do the same thing. Besides, the way Bill's limbs move is much more similar to an invertebrate. His shell is also somewhat bendable which would not be possible if it was made of bone. And the eye-mouth complex that Bill uses to eat would also be completely impossible with a set of vertebrate jaws.
Euclydean shell (or exoskeleton) is nothing like anything here on Earth. It’s most likely made out of silica combined with proteins. I say this because Bill turned to stone when he died and he also likes to eat glass, which is pure silica.
The exoskeleton is made out of several parts. It has a front (ventral) and back (dorsal) part. Both the front and the back part of the exoskeleton are made out of head region (the tip) and three layers of “bricks” which are just segments of the exoskeleton.
The front tip is probably made of more protein and elastic tissue than the back, because Bill has a very expressive “face”. This means that he also has quite complex facial muscles. The back of the head is probably the hardest part of the exoskeleton because it protects the brain. Bricks are in the middle since they have a very important role in speaking and breathing, but also allow the shell to bend.
Can Euclydeans change color, or is it just Bill Cipher using his god powers? Well, since he changes his color on instinct, I think they could! Bill can change color to black, yellow, red and blue. This means that he has a complex system of chromatophores – cells that contain little sacs full of pigment. When the sacs inflate, the body appears to be the color of the largest sac, whilst those deflated are invisible. Color changes depending on the pigments contained in inflated sacs. In Bill, the pigments are red, blue and yellow. Yellow is the standard color, it signifies neutral or content emotional state. He turns red when he's angry or wants to look intimidating and blue might signify fear, despair and cry for help. Black is the color of Euclydean’s skin, so when they look black, it’s because all pigment sacs have deflated and the transparent shell allows us to see the skin underneath.
And yes, Euclydeans have black skin. I know some people say that Bill wears thigh high boots and long gloves, but to me, that doesn’t make any sense. Like, that image of him in Theraprism is showing him with clothes over his supposed gloves and boots. Why would they make him wear sneakers over boots? And why baby Bill has yellow hands? Well, that’s something I’ll tell you in the next part where I’ll talk about babies.
Anyways, the skin is black, but we have no idea what it feels like. Seriously, so many people shook hands with Bill and nobody wrote down how his skin feels like! But we know that he has fingerprints. That means that he has very sensitive fingertips and that those little paws were made for grabbing things. Also, Bill doesn’t have any growths on his skin: no nails, hairs, scales etc. I know a lot of people love to draw Bill with claws, but he doesn’t have claws, not even in his most eldritch form. His fingers always remain small and soft. The legs have no fingers and the skin of the sole of their feet is probably thick.
Internal Structures
Coelom
Coelom is one of the most important organs, that you probably don’t know you even have! It’s a fluid filled cavity whose role is to separate internal organs from the muscles of the body wall. This allows organs to move and grow independently of your muscles and it also protects and cushions them against impact. In humans coelom is complex and it’s made out of pericardial cavity (around the heart – allows heart to pump blood), pleural cavity (around lungs – allows lungs to expand while breathing) and peritoneal cavity (around digestive system – allows for expansion and movement of digestive organs).
I believe that Euclydeans also have some form of a coelom. Coelom is even more important in invertebrates, as that’s where their immune system is and it can also serve as a supportive hydroskeleton. Since Euclydeans have a hard shell, they need the protection around their organs. Every shelled animal on Earth has coelom for that reason. They also need room for the food they eat, since the shell can’t expand and their limbs can enter the shell, so they need room for that too.
2. Nervous system
Euclydeans have a vast range of emotions, capability to communicate using speech, body language and even color shifting. They are as intelligent, or more intelligent than humans. They have a highly developed eye and other senses and all of this requires a nervous system. We saw Bill’s optic nerve when his eye got pulled out during Weirdmageddon, so he does have a nervous system, but I can't tell you how exactly it looks like.
There’s one part of Bill that I bet is similar to human - it’s his brain. Bill claims that he can take control over any being a long as they have neurons. This is his god like power, but then, why just beings with neurons? Well, most likely, because he has neurons too and kind of understands how they work. Maybe his brain even produces similar neurotransmitters as ours, so we’re easy to control with them. The brain is in the tip of the pyramid, slightly above eye and it likely has a lot of neurons and a very complex structure. I can’t tell you how exactly is his brain organized, but since he's bilaterally symmetrical, it’s very likely that it has hemispheres. He likely also has two neural cords, like most invertebrates, and those run down the dorsal (back) side of his body
3. Senses
Euclydeans have camera lens type eyes. Now here I can only speak of Bill, since we haven’t seen any other Euclydian. Bill’s eye is large, placed in the center of his “face”. It has eyelids with “eyelashes” (more on them later) and produces tears (Bill cries after his break up with Ford). The pupil is slit and vertical and there is no iris. However, there are muscles that can change the shape and dilation of the pupil. The eye looks similar enough to human that I can confidently say that he has cornea, lens and sclera. The eye is filled with refractory fluid and has some form of retina in the back. Bill’s eye changing color and being used as a projector or to shoot lasers are all parts of his god powers, however, it is possible that his species has a tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer of cells which help animals see in low light conditions and also makes the eye glow in the dark. Bill has color vision and he claims that he can see every part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but I think that's a part of his god powers. However, Euclydeans definitely could see in color, since their alphabet was basically a color code and they also use colors to express emotion.
Since Bill has fingerprints, we can confidently say that his fingers are the most sensitive part of his skin. Bill can feel through his shell too, just like every shelled organism ever (that's why he used Ford as a backscratcher). Tactile senses are very primitive, so Eucliydeans could feel cold, heat, pain, pressure, vibration and everything else just like we do.
Bill has a sense of smell and he even says which scents he finds attractive. This could mean that sense of smell plays a big role in reproduction of Euclydeans, but where is it located? Well, on the eyelashes. Except, those are not eyelashes, they are antennae. Bill has total eight of these antennae, 4 on lower and 4 on upper eyelid. They are very soft and sensitive, so he can retract them inside the eyelid. He does that when he feels threatened, so it’s probably a fight or flight response. His lashes get longer and he flutters his eyelid more near Ford, probably because he enjoys his smell. They are also located close to the mouth, so that’s how he samples the scents of the food.
Euclydeans have great hearing. They communicate vocally, sing, Bill can play the piano, so obviously, they hear. But I have no idea what they use to hear. It could be the bow tie, since it does look vaguely ear shaped, but it's possible that the bow tie isn't actually an organ. In that case, they could have an unknown structure inside them or they could just use their thin exoskeleton to catch sound vibrations.
They taste using their long tongue.
4. Muscles and movement
We have seen Bill’s muscles and they are striated skeletal muscles like mammals and insects have.
As the shell is kind of bendy, there is a lot of muscles underneath it. Those are the muscles of the body, they also move the face and bricks while speaking. The limbs have muscles too and two kinds at that.
When Ford shoots through Bill’s hat (which also a part of him) it is shown that inside of it are strange bone-like structures. These are not bones, since they aren’t articulated, but muscles do connect to them. They kind of remind me of echinoderm ossicles, but they don’t really look like them. This is another fully alien structure and I’ll call them anchors.
You know how Bill’s limbs can both bend just like human arms and legs, like he has elbows, wrists, knees and ankles, but they also bend like goofy rubber-hose cartoon anatomy? Well, that’s because there are two types of muscles in them. There are muscles attached to the anchor points and subcutaneous muscles.
Anchor points are located in the same places as joints in humans. Muscles that attach to them are long and strong and they are used for regulated, precise movement. The subcutaneous muscles (the one we see in his Weirdmageddon image) are used to bend the limbs in every other manner. They are not attached to anchors, but to the skin, so they resemble muscles of octopus arms. They are shorter and less strong, but when they act together they move the limbs in coils. These muscles are also responsible for squishing the limbs inside the shell when they are hidden.
Bill has incredible control and dexterity of his muscles, especially in arms and fingers. Even though his paws are soft and small, he can use them pretty much as efficiently as humans use their hands.
Possibly the strongest muscles in Bill's body are his jaw muscles, so let's talk about those jaws.
5. Eye-mouth complex and the digestive system
Having your eye used for feeding seems wild to us, but this adaptation is seemingly common in fictional geometric shaped people, as it has convergently evolved in Flatland’s inhabitants as well. And, speak what you like, but Euclydeans can’t choke on their food, so they have it better than humans.
I don’t know what Flatlanders eat, but Euclydeans are definitely predators. Now, I know that Bill sometimes depicts himself with human like teeth. The guy has a thing for teeth, especially molars, but he doesn’t have mammalian teeth. In every image where he opens his mouth that was not made by him, we see that he has cone shaped sharp teeth, like a predator. These teeth are great for biting and subduing prey, but they suck at chewing. Euclydeans can’t chew, so they they feed by swallowing chunks that they bite off, or swallowing their food whole if it’s small enough.
Here I depicted how this “eye-mouth complex” functions:
Euclydeans have a stomach in the middle of their body, but I have no idea what goes after it. My best guess is that they have a branching intestine. Our flattest organisms (flatworms, sea stars and brittle stars) all have this type of intestine. It basically means that, instead of just going like a tube, the intestine branches into different parts of the body. I also have no idea whether they have an anus and if it’s just one. This is just something I can’t tell you.
Since Euclydeans are capable of eating a lot of various things, I expect that they have accessory digestive glands (that’s liver and pancreas in humans). Strangely, despite the fact that his anatomy indicates a predator, Bill likes eating starch (pasta, empanadas, sandwiches etc). Most carnivores are unable to digest starch, so I went with god powers, but he ate sandwiches when he was a kid and had no god powers. So, we have two options. Either Euclydeans are omnivores (which, with those teeth, I doubt) or the animals on their planet store their excess calories as starch, not fat, so predators evolved the ability to digest it. If the second one is true, then Bill eating pasta is like your cat eating pure butter. It’s probably not healthy for him, but I don’t think he’s a guy who would give a single crap about that.
6. Breathing and speaking
In The Book of Bill, Bill says that “dumb trapezoids and rhombuses were sucking up his rightful oxygen”. This means that Euclydeans are aerobic organisms – they breathe oxygen. Their skin is dry, so they don't use it for breathing and they also speak, laugh and sing. All of this tells me that they have lungs.
I believe that their lungs are located near the base where the bricks are. The gaps between bricks have little tracheae that lead to the lungs. Bill most likely breathes in from his back side and breathes out from the front. The air is probably forced to travel through small crevices inside the lungs so that it can exchange the oxygen with blood. We don’t know whether Euclydeans exhale carbon dioxide, but they probably do, since they can eat our food, so they probably have similar metabolism to us Earthlings.
Since Euclydeans can speak and laugh, they probably have some kind of a diaphragm. In fact, I think they have two! Their voice has an echo, which means that, most likely, their lungs don’t always expel air at the same time. Air expelling causes the bricks to vibrate which produces sound. That’s why Bill seems to glow when he speaks – he’s actually vibrating. This action is also controlled by muscles. Depending on which row of bricks is vibrating and how many of them are involved, Bill changes the pitch and tone of his voice.
And the growling noise? Well, when Bill uses his demonic voice, he is doing one of two things. He is either using his god like powers to modify his voice, or that’s just how Euclydian vocal fry sounds. If you don’t know what vocal fry is, it’s produced when the vocal chords are vibrating slowly and they become out of sync. This produces a very specific sound and that sound can be made voluntarily. That’s how Mongolian throat singing works. Similarly, Euclydeans could slow down the rate at which their bricks vibrate and make them out of sync to produce that menacing “demon voice” as a threat display.
7. Circulatory system
We know how Euclydean blood looks like. It’s silvery and kind of seems like it glitches. It also contain chemicals that can make humans sick. This means that Euclydeans have much different blood from animals on Earth, but it certainly serves the same function. It’s used to transport nutrients and oxygen through their body.
Since the agents from The Book of Bill were able to draw his blood, it’s clear that Bill has a circulatory system and a closed one at that. The closed circulatory system means that blood vessels end in capillary nets and don’t open inside the body cavity like they do in molluscs and insects. If the agents used syringe to pull Bill’s blood and he had an open circulatory system, they could actually collapse the entire thing as they would pull his organs as well. That’s why I believe that he has a closed circulatory system.
Closed circulatory system requires a heart and I believe that Bill’s heart is located between his lungs, like ours. I have no proof that his heart looked anything like in the illustration, but I looove cardiology, so I did all this just because I wanted to draw a weird heart. I don’t think Euclydeans have a super complex four chambered heart like we do, they most likely have two or three chambered heart. The heart separates lung and body circulation and regulates their blood pressure.
The capillary nets are all located in important places: lungs where they exchange oxygen, intestines where they absorb nutrients and brain where they feed the neurons. Euclydeans have a rather large brain, so it probably uses most of their calories and oxygen.
8. Other systems
I can’t tell you anything abut Euclydean excretory system. I don’t know whether they produce urine or not, if they have kidneys, nephrocytes or something completely different. I genuinely have no idea.
They have to have an immune system because they are multicellular. Every single multicellular organism including sponges and plants has some form of an immune system. I believe Euclydeans have something similar to coelomocytes - a very common type of immune cells in invertebrates which reside in coelomatic cavity.
I'll talk about reproductive system in Part 3!
Are Euclydeans warm or cold-blooded?
This was a very tough one, because they could be both, but I am leaning more towards cold-blooded. They have very little muscle mass and heat is produced within the muscles via trembling or metabolic heat (heat released in various chemical reactions in the body). When an animal has very little muscle it isn’t used for that. Even mammals like sloths who have significantly reduced muscle mass become dependent on the surrounding temperature. Also, Euclydean flat shape can easily distribute heat they absorb, so they wouldn’t need to waste energy making their own. On top of that, Euclydeans don’t wear clothes, which can be a cultural thing, sure, but they could also not wear clothes because they need their skin exposed so that it could absorb heat.
Here's how Bill Cipher's complete inner anatomy looks like:
There, I hope you enjoyed this! I'll see you hopefully next week to tell you about Euclydean reproduction and development.
Thank you @ok1237 @unoriginal-starwalker and @chrystalitar for your support :D
(Also, I hid Ford Pines in one of the anatomy illustrations. Can you find him? Click on the images for better quality!)
#this is what i'm using my biology degree for#i am insane#the art took like 10 hours to make#you won't believe how much time i spent researching this#it's so long#speculative biology#biology#bill cipher#gravity falls#the book of bill#i am so done#art#long post
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DBDA nightly analysis #16!
tonight’s topic: the symbolism of edwin being thrust into hell vs. charles willingly plunging into it to save him.
(disclaimer: i am not christian anymore, but i will be discussing christian themes and symbols in depth.)
for those of you who are unfamiliar with the christian religion, it is important to know that snakes are a symbol of the devil, of hell, and of sin.
the origin of this is the tale of adam and eve, the first people within the christian religion. they were placed into a paradise and told by god that they could have everything there, save for the fruit from the forbidden tree. the devil then came to eve and, in the form of a serpent, convinced her to take from this tree, betraying her god’s word. this is why this animal is largely considered to be a symbol of the devil, sin, temptation, etc.
this is relevant to the fact that esther feeds her giant snake little girls to keep herself young. this is a connection to the sins she commits when sacrificing them to a symbol of evil. she is tempted, in the same way as eve was, by the fruit of the forbidden tree—youth, in her case.
now that we have established that this snake is representative of sin, it’s important to recall how they found out about it. in E1, when they are searching for becky aspen in esther’s house, edwin makes a discovery about the layout of the house and tries to simply peek inside the cabinet where he falls down into this cavern with the snake.
this can be considered a reference to how he unknowingly and without fault fell into hell at the hands of others. he was sacrificed to hell just as all of these little girls are sacrificed to hell and his fall here is a visual interpretation of that.
charles pulls him out and i think that this is rather impactful as well. though he escaped the real hell on his own the first time, charles has been his tether to the world outside of hell since they met. it is a stunning bit of imagery to show how, this time, he is being lifted out of hell by his now-established tether. it’s great foreshadowing as to how he will do the same later in the series.
in E6, edwin is dragged to actual hell a second time and, just like how we saw with charles pulling on the rope, he pulls him out this time too. he dives in with the knowledge that edwin has given to him from his initial time there. he is the one who helps edwin back out.
going back to the symbolic interpretation of hell, in E8 charles lunges into it purposely, just as he did with real hell. he chooses to dive into hell both times and he chooses to do it for edwin.
charles, in death, could have passed on without trouble, simply moving onto his afterlife, but he didn’t. he chose to stay with edwin and when edwin was dragged to hell, he chose to jump in after him.
his afterlife has been a series of choices that he’s gotten to make, but it’s not the same for edwin. he was thrust into darkness, whereas charles repeatedly jumps in with the light that edwin brought him to illuminate their way out together.
edwin, since his birth, was forced to conform in several different aspects of his life. being a queer man in as oppressive of a time as the mid 1910s, he was forced into the hell that is conformity. he was then forced into hell when he was made a sacrifice by his peers. he is then dragged back into hell by the creature that has tortured him for nearly 3/4 of a century. he fell into hell in E1 too with his accidental descent into the cupboard.
charles, on the other hand, chose to stay on earth rather than to pass on. charles chose to stay with edwin. he chose to go get him back in hell and he chose to jump back into the cabinet, fully aware of what was in there, to save edwin.
it’s also rather interesting to note how intentional he is about it. the fact that he not only chooses to go to hell, but knows what’s in there because of edwin is such a beautiful representation of why this story differs from others. two people, plucked from history and one chooses to follow the other, using the knowledge that the one who has existed for longer has accumulated from his trauma to then dive into that person’s trauma to save him is so powerful.
it’s so fascinating to have several examples of how edwin is forced into things whereas charles chooses the very same things.
#erebus psychoanalyzes things nightly!#i love psychoanalyzing everything <3#dead boy detectives#dbda#dbda meta#character analysis#dbda character analysis#psychoanalysis#save dead boy detectives#renew dead boy detectives#revive dead boy detectives#charles rowland#edwin payne#payneland#savedeadboydetectives#dead boy detective agency#we will save this show#save dbda
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Something something, Trump's vice saying that they need to execute people who don't support Trump, something something, Trump banning abortion & reproductive health care & birth control, something something, Trump saying Puerto Ricans just multiply and have lots of babies, something something, Trump being funded by Elon Musk, something something, Musk openly stating that the economy will suffer because Trump will give him free reign to have his Meta wetdream come true at the expense of the entire country, something something, Trump wanting to put transgender kids in "homes" away from affirming parents & wanting to have transgender adults "imprisoned" or put into "homes" or "camps", something something, Trump & Putin & Farage, something something, Trump & the big red button, something something, does nobody else remember Trump threatening Nuclear War with Russia & China & North (?) Korea over petty or racist things BEFORE RUSSIA THREATENED THE WORLD WITH NUCLEAR WW3 IF WE INTERVENE AND STOP RUSSIA INVADING UKRAINE, something something, Trump's supporters seeing him as the mesiah and saviour and King David and other god-like personas rather than a deeply flawed and power-hungry man with mental health issues who is not fit to run one of the biggest and most powerful and influential countries in the world, something something, leaving disabled and chronically ill people to die or suffer without medicare, something something, making it illegal to miscarry (& probably to have a stillbirth), something something, didn't somebody say it'd be okay under Trump to euthanize people who can't / won't contribute to the industrial capitalist society? Something something, Trump saying he wants the generals Hitler had, something something, the Nazi Euthanasia Programme (T4, I think?), something something, look in a history book and tell me what happened to the Jews & blacks in Germany when they were taken to centres & divided into those who could provide labour (& who were taken to concentration camps to becomes slaves and endure torture) and those who could not provide labour.
Look in a history book, and you will see that WW2 started in the 1930s, but there were signs of it coming on the 1920s. There was a build up, there was a gradual inclination towards it, and it was that inclination which put Hitler in power - before that inclination happened, he was the leader of a very unpopular party whom nobody paid much attention to. There were signs, there were bridges crossed, there were decisions made, there were votes won and there were more and more slippery steps to take before Germany announced war in the 1930s. And throughout all of that time, it was the minorities, those who would suffer the most just for existing, who felt the pressure first while the rest of society began to celebrate Hitler. It was these people who were growing uncomfortable with the fact regular education had been replaced by swastikas in schoolbooks, and with Hitler being featured in children's rhymes as a friendly father figure to guard over them all - and more so with the fact this was mandatory for every child to learn, and that teachers had two choices: teach children what Hitler wanted them to learn, or lose their jobs, in the best case scenario.
WW2 didn't just 'happen' in the 1930s; it was already being created in the 1920s.
We know this. We also know that we can match Trump's movements almost exactly to the steps taken by Hitler in the late 1920s & early 1930s. We know where this path leads, because we saw it before. We know where this path leads, because we have been down it before. We know where this path leads, because we were swept along by the current last time it happened.
It hasn't even been 100 years since WW2 began. It hasn't even been 100 years since the Holocaust; there are people who survived it who are still alive today.
It hasn't even been 100 years since the world went through what was perhaps the worst war in human history, to date.
Please do not make the world go through it all again. Because this time, there is different technology, different threats, and I promise you, it will not be the victory you want.
I know you're angry at the world. I know you're hurt, hurt to the point of being numb. I know you're tired and I know you're scared. I know you're scared of the unknown, which is why you might not be sure about voting for Kamala. Better the devil you know, and all that. But, America, I promise you, if you vote for Trump on Tuesday, you will damn your country, your people, and the rest of the world, to Hell. This election isn't happening in a vacuum - none of your elections have. Did you know that the UK celebrated when Obama legalised gay marriage? Did you know that multiple countries now celebrate 2 pride months, June and July, since Trump changed when the USA would celebrate it last time he was on power? Did you know that Scotland, Ireland and Wales study your civil war and your resistance and your wars of independence as intensely as we study the French revolution? Did you know that when JFK was assassinated, there were memorials and vigils held in multiple countries? Did you know that the global variation of English, AKA Globish, is more strongly influenced by US-English than British English, Australian English or Canadian English? Did you know that people who barely speak English can sing country songs word for word, with an American accent? Did you know that up until 2016, a lot of people in other countries saw the USA as the land where dreams come true - a whole country with the magic of Disneyland, where anyone can become anything, where the wildness is still free and where there are sights and sounds found nowhere else in the world? Did you know how influential you, your people and your country is to the rest of the world?
You're not voting in a vacuum, because the USA doesn't exist in a vacuum. I know you're scared - you know this election is important. I know you're hurt, because you haven't been listened to in the past, and Biden betrayed your trust, and you have no reason to vote blue this time around because you don't think Kamala will keep her word. I know you're reluctant to vote for her because she isn't openly stating that she will help Palestine; but the truth is that she and Biden have been trying to negotiate a ceasefire between Isreal and Palestine for a while now, while Trump has been in frequent communication with the leader of Isreal and has been encouraging the genocide to continue. This is what he does without the backing of your country behind him; what do you think he would do with the power of the Whitehouse backing him, when nobody can tell him no, when he will be seen by many as being above the law? Do you really believe that he'll save you, or anybody but himself, when push comes to shove?
Maybe Kamala isn't a Saint. Maybe her rule won't be perfect. Maybe it won't give you back the America you remember from your childhoods, and maybe she won't give us back the America we imagined your country to be. But she will save the planet from desolation, she will protect your people, she will protect your land, she will offer a chance for us to survive the climate crisis, and she will protect your sisters, daughters, wives, mothers, aunts and grandmothers.
If an 8 year old girl is raped by a neighbour, does she deserve to die in labour? Does she deserve to live with the changes forced on her body for the rest of her life, before it was ready? Does her mother deserve to watch her daughter go through that? Does her father deserve to watch his little angel suffer like that? Or does that little girl deserve a doctor who is allowed to save her life and what's left of her childhood?
Trump will condemn that little girl to death if she carries the baby to term and isn't provided the best medical care available. Trump will have that girl imprisoned if she has a stillbirth or miscarries. Trump will have that girl and her family imprisoned if she tries to have it aborted. Trump will condemn that girl for the rest of her life, due to something she had no control over and did not want or deserve. And he will say it's alright, maybe even good, that she suffered like that, because it's what she deserved. He will make up lies about her and her mother and her father. He will make them all into monsters for the rest of your people to hate, condemn and mock.
Kamala will save that little girl's life. Kamala will give that mother her little girl back, safe and healthy. Kamala will give that father his little angel back for him to protect.
Please, America. Please vote blue on Tuesday. Please vote for Kamala. Please vote for Harris. Please. Please, please, please.
Voting BLUE doesn't mean that you're saying "I agree with everything Kamala says, and I think she is a Saint, and I think she's going to save the world, and I think her plans are perfect."
That isn't what you're saying, if it isn't how you feel.
Voting BLUE means that you're saying "I disagree with Trump, and I don't want to turn the USA into the West's Russia, and I don't want to lose everything I know to the third world war, and I don't want to subject the USA to another civil war," because I promise you, that is what he will do if he gets your vote.
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