#a deity a demigod and a human you can guess the rest

[heart-wit-strength]

Where Sasha is turned into a demigod after blessed by gods with a magical warhammer and stole the heart of deity Anne (it was fine figuratively, until it was done literally) bringing upon the curse of calamity upon land, and a human Chosen One sets to save her dying island

Taglist: @hey-its-puddlesock @blightcedas @yourpersonaltimebomb @darcysd20 @waybrights @lili250307 @amisplacedalphabet

[infinite-xerath]

You know, the timeline of the Shuriman empire is so wild when you think about it.

-So some cosmic gods on top of a mountain taught some random humans how to make a big golden disc that can turn them into demigods.

-The humans then moved to the middle of the desert to build an even bigger disc.

-They founded an empire by conquering everything with their army of demigods.

-At some point a yordle maybe became their emperor somehow.

-One very spiteful kingdom tried to rebel against the empire by unleashing an army of Eldritch horrors. This went horribly for everyone.

-The army of demigods somehow stopped the Eldritch horrors but not really? Like the entire south-eastern part of the continent is still visibly warped beyond recognition but I guess they decided that keeping the monsters from going any further north was good enough.

-The demigods get PTSD from fighting the Eldritch horrors and scatter around the continent.

-The story of Xerath and Azir, which is a whole can of worms unto itself, happens and ends with a slave becoming a stronger-than-average demigod, blowing up the capital and killing the emperor. He gets to enjoy this for like a couple hours before getting locked in a box for a thousand years with an angry crocodile.

-The demigods start fighting over the power vacuum, partly because of greed, partly because of PTSD and partly because one of them used blood magic to make them fight one-another.

-Eventually one of the cosmic deities that started this whole mess comes down, tricks like half the demigods into getting killed, then traps the rest of them in cursed weapons that DEFINITELY won’t be a problem later.

And that’s all effectively just the prologue.))

[blackholesandlions]

SPOILER WARNING

So I was reading ToN and I got to the part about not being able to destroy the fasces, and my mind started racing with ideas so I got down my idea of how the book would end before reading the rest of it, just to see how wrong I was. Anyway I ended up liking it a lot so here’s my alternate ending to the Tower of Nero

Warning this makes no sense if you’ve read any point in the book past where I stopped, so keep that in mind.

Nero’s words still rang in my mind. “You haven’t destroyed it yet, because you can’t. Even if you could, you’d release so much power it would burn you to cinders.” After he said that we ran, fast. He didn’t even bother calling the guards on us. He knew Python would get us first.

I was at the back of the group, because I was carrying the fasces, and it weighed me down. This thing had Nero’s soul in it, it was the only way to kill him, but breaking it would destroy everything around it. And even then, there was still no way to defeat Python. I’m not strong enough to take him out. If only there was some way to… oh. It’s so obvious, why didn’t I think of it earlier? Well, I don’t even want to think about it now, but it’s my only option that gets everyone out safely.

I stopped walking, and the rest of them turned to face me. Rachel asked, “Apollo, what are you doing? We need to keep moving.” I steeled my nerves. “I have a plan to take out Nero and Python in one move.”

“Great, let’s hear it,” Lu said. “No. No time. I need all of you to run, run as far as you can. I’m going to take them out, but you need to be out of the blast zone. Don’t come back for me.” I half wished somebody would protest, say no Apollo, we can’t let you sacrifice yourself, but they nodded, and ran.

Except Meg. Meg was holding back tears.

“Let me help, Lester. You can’t do it on your own.”

“I know.”

“Then how-”

“Destroying the fasces will incinerate anything around it. I’m not strong enough to break it, but he is.”

Meg wasn’t even holding the tears back at this point. She was crying. Over me. “Lester, you can’t,” she sobbed. “You’ll die!”

I pull her into a hug. “Hey, that’s the price of being human.”

“Now go.” She nodded, and gave me a weak smile before turning to run.

I rummaged through my bag, looking for anything to secure the heavy fasces. After a bit of searching I find what I’m looking for. Oh, thank the gods for Duct Tape, truly one of mankind’s greatest inventions. I strap the fasces to my back and shuffle onward towards my doom.

When I finally got there, my old enemy Python has wrapped his way around the entire chamber. His eyes are closed, so he doesn’t see me approaching, and for a second I have to admit, I’m tempted to just flee. Give up this lapse in judgement and live the rest of my mortal life hiding in shame.

But Jason didn’t think like that. Or maybe he did, I guess I have no real way of knowing. Maybe he was just as terrified as I am right now, hesitant to sign his own death warrant. But nevertheless, he jumped into the fray and sacrificed himself to save his friends. So had all the heroes I’ve met on my journey. They were so brave, much braver than I will ever be. But I owe this to them.

“Python!” I yelled into the echoey cavern. Names have power, especially for immortals. Calling the name of someone who wants to kill you is a death wish. But it sure got his attention.

The enormous serpent opened its eyes, the size of lakes, and stared right at me. “Little Lester,” he growled in that horrible voice. “You appear to be all by yourself, but that can’t be possible. I’m sure you have a whole cavalry hidden with some sort of magic. You might as well reveal yourselves, it won’t make a difference.”

I was frozen, shaking. I remember Python well, he terrified me back when I was a god, as a human teen his presence was simply too much. “No,” I squeaked out. I held on to any courage I had. “It’s just me.”

Python smiled, but tilted his head in confusion. “Then how on Earth do you intend to fight me?”

I dropped my bow and ukulele. “I’m not here to fight.”

Now he was incredulous, and angry as well. “I am going to consume you, your entire essence. You will be destroyed, and I will control this world’s future, and you mean to say you aren’t going to fight it?”

“I’m doing this so my friends can survive.”

Python reeled his head back. “Are you sure you’re Apollo?” He hissed. “No immortal in their right mind would be so cavalier with their existence.”

At that I had to laugh. “I don’t think I was ever in my right mind until I was cast down here. I was arrogant, selfish, and cruel. I cared only for myself. But worst of all, I treated mortals like they were expendable. Insignificant humans, good for a laugh, or a duet, or to fetch me something.

“But these people, they live lives that are so full of value and meaning. They form connections that I’ve never had, bonds stronger than anything you or I are capable of. And then… they end. And humans come to terms with it, they accept it. Their lives are so short, but more full than mine ever was. And if sacrificing my life means that they can live another day, then I am fully willing to do so.”

Python was quiet for a moment, looking almost contemplative. Then he curled his sharp teeth into a menacing grin. “Well, Apollo, one thing certainly hasn’t changed about you. You’re still a fool.”

He unhinged his terrifying jaws, and I dove in without hesitation. In the moment before we collided, I could see myself reflected in his eyes. My face was determined and resigned, but my eyes were the real. They were glowing bright orange, two burning orbs, bright and harsh like the unforgiving desert sun.

I could see Python, my oldest enemy, finally recognize me. His mouth didn’t move, but his expression morphed into one of pure terror.

And then he clamped his jaw down.

A fang came down right on top of me, the impact puncturing my body and shattering my spine. The pain was searing, I was probably a few seconds away from death, when I heard a hum from near me. My plan had been a success after all, the fasces was shattered as well, and was slowly getting brighter and brighter, and I could hear Python screaming out in pain. In a burst of light, we were both gone.

I don’t quite remember being dead. I didn’t have any thoughts, not even a haiku crossed my mind. The only reason I knew I was still there was the pain. It got duller and fuller over time, and I started to worry if that meant I was fading away, out of existence. But even then, that barely concerned me. I knew Python was gone, I had done my job. If I faded away now, it didn’t matter, my friends were alive and safe.

And then suddenly I was alive. The first thing I saw was my sister. She was sitting next to me, arm around my shoulder like she did when we were little. “I’m glad you’re here.” I had never heard those words from Artemis before. I started to tear up. “Zeus wants to see you.”

It took me a while to remember how, but I appeared in my father’s palace, right in front of him. I saw his glowering expression. Then I heard his stern, familiar tone. “You were not supposed to die. It took all I had to bring you back this much, but even now…

“You’re still a god, but not powerful like you used to be. You’re on the level of the most minor of deities, not an Olympian. I know this must be very upsetting to you.”

The strangest thing was, it wasn’t. I had lost my status, most of my power, I should be furious at how diminished I’ve become, but it didn’t bother me in the slightest. Alarming, to say the least.

For some reason, my mind kept drifting back to Camp-Half Blood. My children, all the others I had saved, and my brother, Dionysus, still stuck there. It was odd how happy he had been, just to have someone else to work with. I hadn’t seen him that excited since he was first sent to that camp. I had laughed at the time, but now I think his punishment was no better than mine.

Zeus cleared his throat. “Well, at least you’ve learned your lesson now.” I looked at my father, the man who had caused all of this in the first place. “I’ve learned many lessons, Father.”

“I’m glad you’ve learned how to respect me now, Apollo.” Suddenly I was overcome with anger. This… god consistently refused to take responsibility for his actions, and never took into account anyone’s feelings but his own. He was callous, and egotistical, and awful.

But, that’s just what I was like before my journey, wasn’t it? I was just as awful as he is. But I’m better than that now. I don’t have to go back to the way I was, I can make changes. We gods always said we were stuck as we were, that we needed mortals to change things, or we would keep repeating our history forever.

But the truth is, we could have changed at any time, we just refused to accept that we were the same as humans. We refused to accept that we could be wrong, in need of changes. We just continued pretending we were perfect, because we are cowards. I was a coward. But not anymore. And I am going to write my own prophecy, change my future.

“No, actually, I think that’s the one class I skipped.” He furrowed his brow. “What. Did. You. Say.”

“You need to release Dionysus from his post at Camp-Half Blood. Now.” Thunder roared throughout mount Olympus. “That insolent child hasn’t served his full punishment yet!”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll be taking over his post effective immediately.”

When I appeared at Camp-Half Blood that day, I kept myself invisible at first. I wanted to see what was going on at camp before I made my presence known. The scenery was always beautiful, but now I looked at it with a sense of nostalgia. Not just as a place to pop in and show off to the young demigods. But as a home.

The first thing I spotted was, in fact, spotted. It was my brother, in his usual ugly leopard print shirt. The second thing I spotted was Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, at camp. I had last heard they were at Camp Jupiter, but they were here now.

Percy and Dionysus were arguing loudly with each other. I caught a snippet of it. “Look Mr. D, me and Annabeth were on the other side of the country, you can’t just teleport us here on a whim!” Dionysus sighed. “It’s not a whim, Peter Johnson, I brought you two here so you could hear my big announcement! Ah, speaking of!”

He amplified his voice, and began. “Attention campers! Please proceed to the courtyard immediately, I have a very important announcement to make!”

Head counselors shuffled kids out of their cabins until everyone was in the courtyard. I heard some kids muttering things like “ugh, this better not be another end of the world.”

Mr. D cleared his throat. “Now that I have your attention, see you losers!” There were cries of confusion from the crowd. “That’s right, Zeus has lifted my punishment early, which means I don’t have to take care of you brats anymore!” He looked almost giddy. He looked to where I was standing, invisible, because of course gods can see each other, and gave me a nod of gratitude, before disappearing in a flash, leaving behind a cluster of grapes. I had the feeling he wasn’t coming back.

The camp fully erupted into chaos, children freaking out left and right. Even the oldest around were confused, this was new territory even for them. A young child ended the chaos by crying out “who’s gonna be in charge of the camp?” The campers paused for a moment, before turning their heads to all look at Percy Jackson.

The poor boy looked almost ready to cry. He so desperately wanted to be done with everything, to have a normal life, go to college with his girlfriend. He didn’t want to spend his whole life at this camp. But he sighed, and said “if I have to step up, I will.”

In a flash of golden light, I made myself visible. “That’s very noble of you, Percy, but it won’t be necessary.” The whole crowd was stunned. I had to smile. Despite it all, I still loved a good dramatic entrance. I heard a familiar voice from the crowd say “Lester?”

I had never been so happy to see a little girl with a terrible pageboy haircut. I did a little wave and said “hi Meg,” weakly.

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?” She yelled across the courtyard, but I could see she was smiling.

It occurred to me that I still looked like Lester, and even more surprising, that I hadn’t cared to check. I used to spend hours a day agonizing over what form I took, but it hadn’t crossed my mind this whole time. Even stranger, I didn’t feel like changing to someone more handsome. This Lester form felt somehow fitting to me, like I wouldn’t want to change it at all.

“I kinda did die, but I’m back now, and immortal again. But I’m not Apollo. I’m not anywhere near as powerful as I used to be. I’m not even on the Olympian council anymore.”

“Wait, then there’s an empty spot?” Annabeth asked. “An unbalanced council isn’t good.” I nodded my head. “Yes, that’s why I yielded the post to Hestia. I figured she deserved a turn back in the spotlight.”

Percy grinned. “Wow, man, that’s a lot to give up.”

I sighed. “Yes, it is.” I turned back to Meg, tears welling in my eyes. “It’s good to see you again.” She wiped a tear away from her eye. “Well, are you gonna lead us or not?” I smiled. Never change, Meg, never change.

“Right. I’m running this camp now, and you will see some major changes.” The campers looked nervous, probably remembering Mr. D and all his ideas.

“For starters, I’m creating a parents day here at Camp-Half Blood, twice a summer. I understand that some of you don’t have great relationships with your parents, but there are many who do and wish to see them. For those campers, we will provide safe travel so your parents can be here to see you.”

Some kids looked very excited, especially younger ones who had just been pulled away from their parents. I looked up to the sky for this next point. “And also, attendance from godly parents is mandatory!” The sky rumbled with loud thunder. “Don’t try to fight me on this! You all have infinite time and can be in multiple places at once, there’s no reason you can’t be there for your children for a couple of hours!”

The younger campers definitely all looked ecstatic at that, the prospect of meeting their godly parents. The older campers, though more jaded, still smiled at the idea of their parents being there for them. The kids were all chattering excitedly amongst themselves, until one piped up. “What about quests?”

This was the question I’d been dreading, because I didn’t have a good answer for it. I paused. “Quests and prophecies are an unavoidable part of life as a young hero. However, I am aware of how dangerous and traumatizing they can be. So I am instating a policy. If you have gone on a quest, you do not ever have to go on another. You are allowed to opt out, and the gods have promised they will not hold it against you.”

A half-hearted clap of thunder pulsed through the camp. Percy and Annabeth gave me grateful looks.

“Any more questions?” I asked the camp. My son Will raised his hand. “Yeah, what do we call you? You’re not Apollo anymore, and I’m guessing Mr. A isn’t right either, so who are you exactly?”

That was tricky. I didn’t quite know yet. I was certainly still immortal, yet I felt human, so human. But I think I was starting to get the idea.

“I’m Lester. God of Camp-Half Blood.”

[sereisstuff]

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 4

Demon!Taehyung x chubby reader

Intro -  you accidentally summoned the prince of darkness and now he wants something in return, so he makes you his fiance to trick his father Hades into giving him the crown

summary - Taehyung embarks on a journey to get the potion that will mask your mortality, but he prefers to do other things during the day.

(A/N) - I finally updated yay!! this literally made me contemplate a bunch of shit so it took me hours on end to finish but for you guys, I managed.

!!ENJOY!!

Taehyung didn’t stop following you around wreaking havoc across the playground that plagued your thoughts, he cast aside your frustration and toyed with it in amusement using anything against your whim to force a reaction out of you.

he was here in search of a spell to cover up any sign of mortality that stuck to you like a leech, and of course to brighten his day the young demon decided to use you as his little puppet, constant desires spread like wildfire and Taehyung was the cause.

“I can feel your tension, darling” he advanced to you, you curled your hands into tight fist rolling your eyes in the process, frustration gripped your insides as you glared at the man “touch me and your dead” he paused looking at you with a suggestive stare.

taking the saying with a hint of lust “now that would be fun to see, my little mortal pet” he teased sitting bored on the chair that laid sprawl as a decoration in your home, you should have thanked him for returning you home last night.

but you could only avoid his eyes when he made his appearance, last night wasn’t something you would occasionally do, remembering the hot wave of heat his body gave off amid your dropping warmth you could only snuggle up against him for your own life to be saved.

or so that's what you wanted to think.

“I'm not your pet” you growled, throwing on a pair of shoes to leave the home, not warning Taehyung knowing he, himself would follow anyways. he made it his job to annoy you the entire day and he always completes his missions.

“oh, you're leaving great, now we can both go see that witch” Taehyung followed closely behind you making you want to pull your strands, sucking in a deep breath letting the air course through your lungs as you imagined positive energies flowing through you pushing out the negative.

“I'm going alone” you snapped, wanting to push him out of view but locked your aggressive thoughts into a cage of suppression, now was not the time and by the looks of it, demi gods definitely underestimated the strength of a mortal especially the mortal standing in front of him.

“you're cute when your angry” he flirted, you held the bridge of your nose to calm yourself harshly slapping your sides when you let them go “fine, where to” The ethereal man interlocked your hands with his own, placing a hand on your forehead.

“Remember to breathe,” he said, you had no time to reply before a bright red unnoticeable flame embraced you both consuming your forms to place you elsewhere in the world, dropping you in the middle of a forest.

you coughed loudly regaining your composure, running towards a tree to help you stand “I told you to breath didn’t i” he said with curiosity and an undertone of laughter, poor mortals.

“I'm this close to summoning hade’s to drag your ass back to where you came from” you choked on your words, whatever Taehyung did stop you from breathing for what felt like centuries being able to breathe again made you feel like a fish out of water.

He chuckled “Darling that old man can’t step on earth, and I came from my mother-” you stopped him before he could carry out that sentence “okay, I get it can we please just get this over and done with” you complained following him to the destination.

on the journey, you admired the birds feeling blissful being able to catch their melodies as you walked aimlessly through the forest staring up into the trees hearing the universe speak to you for a few seconds.

“need I warn you about the witch, she can be a bit how should I put this” Taehyung searched for answers, not wanting to degrade his former witch but at the same time wanted to inform you about her ways “-normal”.

you laughed sincerely from the rawness of your tone “none of this is normal if you didn't notice, I'm currently carrying out a deal with the son of Hades and you warn me that she’s not normal.”

“I guess we won’t have any hiccups then” he cheerfully said, waltzing into the shaggy home. upon entering you noticed the walls full of paintings the home having many succulent plants dangling from every wall, corner and inch of this home, the home felt light in a sense that you felt welcome in away.

“Taehyung dear” a youthful voice called through the home, taehyung hoped you wouldn’t act weird but unlike him, you weren’t familiar to his ways as you eyed every bit of the home in admiration, 

“I could see you coming this way and already had prepared your wish” the door squeak causing you to wait on edge for the woman to make her appearance, she steeped out slowly in vintage clothing, her curly locks bouncing with every step she took.

in her hand she held a small bottle of purple substance, she hadn’t looked up yet but there was no need to she already knew of you and your purpose so all she could do was pray to her deities for the best “make sure she swallows it all”.

“I could say that in two ways if she likes-” 

Taehyung glanced at you choking back a form of laughter “but sure, I'll make sure she does, thank you very much” the young woman looked at you with eyes black as night itself, you jolted back in fear not wanting to cause any informality you hesitated to introduce yourself but she held her hands up.

“its okay dear, I wish you all the best for what’s to come” you frowned at her saying, what's to come what does she mean??.

she left the room without another word uttered, shuffling back to her chambers where she finished off some business of her own leaving you once again alone with the young demon and now multiplied with a train of confused thoughts.

“can we go now” you stood from your place heading for the exit.

“I thought we should have a bit of fun, anyways you’ve done nothing but bore me the last few days a drink or two won't be a crime” he suggested running a hand through his hair, you both eyed your outfit grimacing at the attire you would be the center of attention if you went and for all the wrong reasons.

“no” you sternly replied leaving the home with new dominant energy. searching the forest for a way out but it only seemed to lengthen your walk amongst its people, the dazzling man groaned behind you. putting his hands to rest in his pockets so he could tail behind you.

“rejection isn’t much of my thing so could we maybe do something more appealing to one's excitement” you stiffened turning to face him when you realized the only way out of here was to jump with him out of it.

“fine if you can get us out of here” you instantly regret your words when you watched how brightly his eyes shone in anticipation, and instead of teleporting you both home. bright flashing lights blind your eyes as you've come to a realization that you're now at a party full of demigods and rich people.

“now we, my little mortal pet are here to convince the others of our-” he lifted his hands to make air quotes, “-marriage” you blushed at the thought, gagging as you realized what you did, today wasn’t very fond of your emotions and now you had no idea how to react to them.

you groaned “Please stop with the pet names”

“sure, for now, I will. but act like your my fiance” you nodded to his question, you both walked through the area full of people easily like fluid through the party. people came up to you and questioned your existence beside him many wishing you good luck which you mentally noted.

Taehyung offered you a drink, but in a state of anxiety, you denied his offerings as he shrugged his shoulders downing it himself. he moaned in pleasure closing his eyes to enjoy the taste. forgetting that a mere mortal was in his presence dark red hues stared at you with uncontrollable fury.

“I'm surprised my dear cousin, this is your fiance how lucky are you, I've been patiently awaiting your arrival” the sudden voice made you tilt to the call, there stood a man in his early twenties, his hair pure gray with pink luscious lips, he was covered in expensive attire and looked all most god-like, now measuring his features you were sure he was the son of one god leaning more to the goddesses in this situation.

“jimin,” Taehyung said with annoyance he clenched his jaw as jimin came to introduce himself “Jimin son of Aphrodite” he pressed his lips to the pals of your hand in a gentle manner, you didn’t stir in annoyance but clearly enjoyed his mere presence.

which of course was one of his many gifts being the son of the goddess of love

“Taehyung here forgot to mention-” he leaned in to whisper against your lobe, hiding his words from the other immortals that wandered the building “that your a human, I can smell it” he shifted back with a smug look, you hadn't been fazed by his words but continued to fall into his enchantments.

“You understand the meaning of this right, Taehyung” jimin sparked looking everywhere but the sinful red eyes of his cousins, he wasn’t blaming anything on you but his cousin's foolishness “The prophecy can kiss my ass” Taehyung growled.

“and can you please stop” he begged with displeasure.

“stop what” jimin replied acting clueless to his powers, “I know you're enchanting her so she doesn’t hear a thing we say” Jimin sighed, releasing you from the cage you didn’t even realize he locked you in.

“do i have to remind you to be careful with her or are you already too much of an idiot to accomplish anything but twisted in your life” the demigod grew angry with his cousin, he understood you, he could see right through your dictionary of love the memories that attached themselves to you were full of them.

and his cousin could take that all away in an instant everything you’ve ever dearly held close to you in life will be ripped to shreds without notice.

“Don’t worry, she’s not gonna get hurt” you frowned at the conversation the two were having, tapping your foot anxiously against the floor.

“I hope so cousin, I truly do” Taehyung perked up in his seat his ears catching on to a sound only he would be able to hear, a warning.

“We need to go” he got up from his seat, but too late the screams had already begun, your eyes widen in horror fear crippling your heart as it raced from the adrenaline now pulsing through your system, jimin ran off to protect himself and make sure others were fine.

Taehyung didn’t want to search for the source already knowing what it was “ grab my hand” he said in anticipation his face going pale at the source if there was one thing he would ever be afraid of it was those things destroying the party.

not daring to go back to his past.

..................................................................................................................

TAG LIST - 

@sugarrimajins @camilaxpolanco @bluemooncnblue @nabo39

@alex--awesome--22 @fivesecondsofsarang @sununicorn @damnedandbroken @aylinstrash @thealexalcala

tell me your thoughts I would love to hear and answer some questions, but feel free to do whatever.

.

[ask-zodiac-denmark]

Do you think there is an afterlife for zodiacs once they're done being zodiacs?

“I.. don’t have an answer to that. Zodiacs only stop being Zodiacs when they die, and that’s really uncommon, seeing as we’re basically demigods. But from what I’ve heard, when Zodiacs die, they dissolve! They just dissolve into stardust and disappear, which sounds whack! Like- we have flesh, and bones, just like we did when we were humans, but they’re not.. real? If we die, that all dissolves- POOF!”

Mat does the hand motions for an explosion, and snickers.

“It explains why we heal so fast, I guess! But what I don’t understand is how our blood works, because that doesn’t dissolve. If we bleed to death, the blood that’s left our body stays behind, but any blood inside of our bodies disappears with the rest of the corpse! I wonder if it’s because it’s not connected to us anymore? Like..

OH, WAIT! I think I have a theory on that! Maybe it’s like, our ruling deities feel that we’ve died, and so it’s easy to go, ‘well, there’s my Zodiac’s body, time to dissolve that’, but they can’t tell if the blood is that Zodiac’s or not? So if- hear me out, so if I died in a fight, maybe they can’t tell if the blood is mine, or if it’s the other guy’s? And that would get especially tricky if a Zodiac kills another Zodiac? Maybe it’s an issue of contamination or something. Can stardust even be contaminated?

Ugh, I’m getting sidetracked, that doesn’t answer your question; I don’t know! I don’t know if there’s an afterlife when we die. I think the only way to find out is, well... dying, or asking someone who has, but good luck with that. I’ve never found a way to communicate with the old Zodiacs, and trust me, I’ve tried!”

[a-writing-bear]

[PruCan WEEK 2018] Day 3 - Spellbinding Souls & Ageless Allure

Ao3 Link:

Link to this fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16166468

Link to previous fic (Day 2):  https://archiveofourown.org/works/16154843

Link to PruCan Week 2018 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1145768

Tumblr Link:

Link to Day 2 fic ( Previous) 

This Has been cross-posted onto FF & Ao3 under Aliases: BearBooper

You can read this Fic on Tumblr under ‘Keep Reading’

Fandom: Hetalia Axis Powers

Main Pairing: Gilbert Beilschmidt & Matthew Williams (Prussia & Canada)

Prompt: Mystery / Curiosity for @prucanweek

Summary:  Magic AU! Gilbert is an Old Spirit of Mischief and arcane magic - he reminisces the first time he fell in love with the demigod of the forest.

Word Count: 1,711

Age Rating/Mature: All Audiences :)

Author Note:  I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been itching to write another magic fic... I had a blast on this one! :D 

Wisps of the forest seemed to be in a jovial mood as the soft breeze of frigid wind wound and whipped around the tall timber of the ever-stretching woods; The beauty of the forest still felt captivating, even after traversing through it’s miles of  old earth for many years. Oaken towers of bare bark wept and whistled, contrasting their full-dressed pine brethren who relished in the oncoming cold with prickles still unplucked, ready to bare the hushed chill. winter was arriving and autumn had embraced it’s end with such bountiful harvests; Gilbert smirked. If only the locals knew of Matthew’s hard work to conjure the glorious growth that befell them this term. There was some melancholic beauty in the shivering ground and although the ancient mage preferred the view in its vibrant green state or its amber tones, he withheld the urge to intervene in its natural order. No wallowing flora would deceive him, nor the crawling fauna which was crying out for a healing warmth would trick him into touching it- His beloved would berate him for messing with the work of Mother Nature and of the other olden Gods.

It was peculiar for him. To now have the discipline to not interfere with the natural order or to pester the environment, and for what? The icy pale magi was an ancient master of his craft if he wanted he could be the harbinger of fear, instil curses upon a prideful soul or charm the village beauty with a simple evocative spell… he could have ransacked the valley for himself and live in the silent retreat he once yearned for. And yet, he chooses to wander in the elegance of his lover’s eloquent craft. Matthew’s attention to detail when working on his land was impeccable, and while it’s autumn glory felt ephemeral, he found it timely that the season change now; of course Matthew made the transition as gradual and untroubled as possible. His sore feet had brought him to the small familiar cottage. A warm fire must have been blazing as he saw the ashy smoke climb up and out of the chimney with a slow but steady drag. Matthew had to be working on a new spell- the door had been left open and footsteps suggested the man had recently gone out to pick at the rosemary bush in the dirt nearby. With a grin he walked in, making sure to shake off any residing dirt and too warm up his cheeks that were marked in pink by the seasonal weather. Hunched over a book and telekinetically balancing multiple tools (namely a spoon and a mixture of woodland ingredients) within the air, His beloved had been enthusiastically humming as if to harmonise with the crackling fire just ahead of them.

“A new breakthrough perhaps or have the ancient Lords given you a new project?” Gilbert mused, breaking the focus that the strawberry blonde had on his work, thus making the once floating objects clatter violently on the ground.

“Gil! You must see what Kiku had teleported to us! Wild ‘ Flammulina velutipes’ - Winter fungus!” Matthew had brought forth a handful of shrooms, ranging in shades of brown but all holding a distinct earthy smell. The pure amazement on the younger mage bewildered Gilbert; For the centuries Gilbert had moved along this existence, he had encountered this plant in the far east end of the world- what was so spectacular of this bunch that had excited his love? Obviously seeing this puzzlement, Matthew explained with great engagement over his research:

“It’s a rare brand of its own kind which can withstand winter! And I’ve grown these before but when cultivated it loses its colour for a milky white palette. It’s so difficult to find the wild versions but Kiku had many growing in his territory among the roots of his persimmon trees so he teleported a stock over to me!” Matthew’s grin growing ever so adoring and thankful, the gratitude evident in his soft eyes.

“I guess we’ll have to send him a gift then? Maybe another protectant charm for his people’s new harbours?” Gilbert supplied as he watched Matthew fiddle with putting away the sacred gift as well as picking up the dropped items and rummaging around to put them away. The pale man had picked up a few out of place belongings and stacked them neatly in order to assist in the cleaning.

“I thought so too, he’d been having trouble with the water spirits again. I just finished preparing one but I felt an owl would not be appropriate for a border-crossing journey and summoning Kuma to deliver it would be disrespectful to his spirit’s resting hour.”

“How about I send it over? I’m low on mana but I’m sure I’ve got enough stored for a simple token transport…” He trailed his busy bee lover as they made their way to the living room- Matthew helping Gilbert strip off his heavy cloak and grasp his hand to pull him closer.

“There is much mana to go around Gil, I’ve already finished my duty to the forest spirits, I won't be doing much anymore- just the simple casting. Go ahead to use my supply later. Rest first.” The two bundled up on a small raggedy couch, cuddling nearer in the glow of the fireplace and enjoying each other’s voices and strong grip.

He had fallen for Matthew centuries ago. Back when Matthew had been a mere mortal, born with the blessing of a forest deity. Gil had heard of his arrival and progression even from the far distance of his homeland, the story of an extraordinary soul being carried along by murmurs and rumours of wandering spirits. The waves of silky hair that had been sunkissed, and the eyes of a lavender in bloom, all finished with a face holding youth and a kindness that radiated tranquillity. Matthew was born to learn of the forest and to take care of its livelihood. Gilbert had been passing by, a simple detour in his travel to find a place to chaotically mess with- but as a young man whose face looked to naive to go against a power like him holding a staff pointing straight at him in defiance, the arcane magi knew this was no ordinary soul, tales of his prowess were faithful. The youth had approached him on a warm spring evening just as Gilbert had arrived to steal a thriving crop of flowers in a nearby field for some easy energy. Gilbert stopped his impulsive actions for a split second when he first gazed upon the enchanting soul. He had met many blessed magical folks, but like all blooming gifts, they would wither away within their short lifetimes. He had seen them come and go and he’d never expect to meet such a recent exception. Whereas many of the ancient gods were hesitant in keeping a chosen one alive for more than an average human lifetime, it became clear Matthew was much more devout and golden-hearted in his following and teachings - so much so Lady Terra had given him the prize of eternal youth and immortal breath. This did not corrupt him, and so a simple conjurer rose from the ranks of plain magic-bearing folk to becoming a preacher of the divine; Destined to also be the stealer of Gilbert’s affections and the banisher of his past cruelties.

He admired Matthew. Originally his lingering on this continent was excused by his curiosity over this new demigod, but that morphed into an infatuation over his brilliance and the bold felicity he displayed. His soul had an ineffable grace to it, tinged in an introverted humble magnificence which Gilbert was absolutely lured towards. To Matthew, Gilbert was a complete mystery; there was a distinct blurring of his past when he was questioned and in the beginning he only he knew Gilbert to be a product of much older times, times even before the great age they were currently in. Times when darkness was rampant and gods did not seek to comfort their people. At first, it was off-putting to have such a powerful being watch and follow him, but he supposed Gilbert was bored or that, like him, had discovered a while back how lonely immortality could be. They thrived off each other, like how their magic thrived off their surroundings, trust and beliefs.

It was very odd at first- when they had decided to work together. Arcane magic like Gilbert’s required intense amounts of energy, and most of the time finicky ceremonial practices must be conducted in order to tame said raw energy. Theurgy was a picky gimmick he supposed, the discipline was obnoxious and time-consuming. The complete opposite was to be said of Matthew’s….low magic (Which apparently was insulting to say)... as it focused on already present sources of energy instead of pulling it from other realms; It was practical magic that was practised on simpler spells and much simpler rituals. Tasks and objectives were clear with folk magic. The skills that bled into it were easy day-to-day kinesis and at the most complicated level, spells would involve spirit summoning like Matthew’s animal companion Kuma. Arcane magic was unpredictable in comparison to the intricately crafted logic-filled spellwork of the newer beings. Matthew’s spells fed off the rawer energy that Gilbert’s presence had provided and the other man’s feral sorcery was neutralised around the demigod’s aura. They were balanced and synced and it made them more than happy to use it as an excuse to bask in each other’s existence. It also helped of how fond they were of each other’s smiles and sweet serenities.

His fingers had been mindlessly twirling strands of his lover’s hair, catching and twisting in the movement as they bother lazed around. Pushed up against his chest, the blonde had somehow conjured a woven blanket and snuggled up pleasantly into Gilbert’s personal space. It had been centuries since he met Matthew and there was still no sense of foreboding desire to run away or to break loose, and he sincerely hoped he never has such awful thoughts. They cherished the company and with his lips pressing into his soulmate’s own, even in such cold weather did his heart grow cosy with love.

[justalittlebluetiefling]

5x04 - Pandora’s Box

So, I did a thing again and I was tempted to not publish it, but why would I write almost 4000 words and then just let it sit on my OneDrive forever? (Oh wait, you mean like all those WIPs sitting there???)

Here’s what I cover this time. Trigger warnings are addressed in the tags.

Random Things I Think Are Important Eligius III The Dark Year

Wonkru Kane and Abby Bunker Excavation Octavia

Eligius Miles Ezekiel Shaw Pirate Mechanic

Spacekru and Clarke Raven and Murphy The Big Reveal Bellamy and Clarke

Other Drawn Lines Death Watch

Random Things I Think Are Important

Eligius III

The blockage of the information on Eligius III is going to come back. It feels a little too obvious to have Shannon Kook’s new surprise character be someone returning from the Eligius III mission, but it has the potential to be super cool. It is obviously important enough to bring up, so it will show up again.

Could they really bring in space travel for season 6? Jason did say that the ending of this season opens up the possibility for more seasons. They talk about long-haul interstellar missions a lot. They’ve already talked about Hythylodium as a long-range fuel twice this season. I’m hoping that my man Zeke can help my gal Raven unlock those files on Eligius III and we can get a little more information so that the true speculation can begin.

The Dark Year

Alright, I know that no one really wants the cannibalism theory to be true. I sure as heck don’t. It makes me queasy just thinking about it. However, Abby brought up The Blight in episode two. “They won’t have to fight the temptation to eat their friends. You’re third generation farm station. You must have heard the rumors about the blight. It’s why we started floating our dead.” It’s why they started floating their dead. They’re not going to bring something like that up if it’s not going to relate to the current story. Most of the information they offer up early in the season is useful and foreshadows something. Maybe they’re not partaking anymore. I sure as hell hope they never did, because gross. This is still something that needs to be watched out for.

Wonkru

In some weird perversion of grounder culture and the justice system on the ark, it almost sounds like they’ve created a new religion. Octavia seems to be less a queen and more a religious figurehead. It would not be unprecedented. The mythos of the Commander also felt religious. Wonkru seems to have developed into an Imperial Cult.

An imperial cult is a form of state religion where the leader is worshiped as a demigod or deity. “The cult may be one of personality, or one of national identity or supranational identity in the case of a multi-ethnic state. A divine king is a monarch who is held in a special religious significance by his subjects and serves as both head of state and a deity or head religious figure.” 

Quite a few ancient civilizations were run this way. Ancient Egypt, China, Rome, Japan, etc. Pharaohs were believed to be incarnations of Horus and generally acted as a go-between for the gods and the people. Quite a few Roman emperors were declared gods by the Roman Senate, but typically after their death.

In the beginning of the episode, Gaia says, “As always, as we invite death into this hall, we honor it.” They bow their heads and say as one, “All of me for all of us.” It feels like a religious ceremony, but they’re not worshiping any god. They’re worshiping Blodreina and her justice. It’s the point where Blodreina doesn’t have to be Octavia. It could be anyone. Is this where the initiates will come in?

Still, I don’t know if they’re scared of her or what, but when Charmaine tells them to round up their things, no one moves until Octavia nods.  

It should be said, though, that I’m sure not everyone agrees with this system. Kane clearly doesn’t. Abby doesn’t. Jackson and Miller both seem hesitant. Indra doesn’t seem comfortable, but she and Miller are protecting Octavia, although probably for different reasons. There is definitely the potential for an uprising.

Kane and Abby

Everyone was right in guessing that Kane was in the ring, because he “stole” medicine for Abby. However, instead of it being about saving her life, it was covering for her addiction. I’m trying to withhold judgement until it’s delved into a little more thoroughly, because it’s not really my cup of tea. A story about overcoming addiction can be a powerful thing, but I don’t understand why Abby needed the pills in the first place. The most likely option were that she was taking pain pills for headaches and got hooked, but yeah. We’ll see.

The addiction could be one of the reasons she was so willing to leave Clarke with Octavia and Wonkru. I don’t think that Abby would have left her behind in the past. I know she sees that Clarke has been self-sustaining, but Clarke and co. were arguably self-sustaining after they were sent to the ground and Abby had an incredibly hard time letting go then. It seems more likely to me that there were two benefits to her going with Eligius: an easy way to save Marcus from Wonkru and the ability to avoid Clarke finding out about the pills.

I have a few family members who suffered with addiction, so I am only speaking from my experiences. I could be completely wrong and we could have different experiences. There’s a point in your life as a parent where you accept that your child has grown up. Abby has mourned for Clarke’s death like Spacekru did, as well. I’m sure there are a lot of things that informed her decision.

It’s fantastic seeing this character development in Kane. In the pilot, he was just… well, he was a dick. He did always have humanity’s best interests at heart, though. He’s evolved from believing that the ends justify the means to considering the impact that his actions have on other people. Unfortunately, this also opens him up to being a martyr. We already saw that he was willing to go that far this episode. 

Bunker Excavation

This has been talked to death, so I’ll try to stay brief here. It’s been a very long time since I last took a mythology class. I had to look up Pandora’s Box again. When Pandora opens up the box (or jar, in older stories), she lets out: greed, envy, hatred, paid, disease, hunger, poverty, war, and death. And hope is left inside.

I’ve seen some different interpretations on this, but what if there’s someone or something left in the bunker that is going to help everyone. Not help them win this war with Eligius, but possibly to help expand the survivable area? I mean, terraforming hasn’t been mentioned at all in this show that I recall, so maybe that’s reaching, but the crux of the story is that hope was trapped inside the box. They sure aren’t trying hard to convince us that hope isn’t a theme on this show. I know that survival is the primary theme, but still. It’s a major part of the story of Pandora and in Ovid.

Anyway, let’s just put terraforming on the list of things that I can’t believe I’m considering as a possibility for this show and move on.

Octavia

Okay, why am I doing this? Skip past this part if you don’t like Octavia. This isn’t defending her, but it also isn’t persecuting her.

Baby Blake was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The system that she helped build is barbaric, but if she hadn’t formed this system, everyone in the bunker would probably be dead by now. All of Skaikru would be dead. There might be a few warring factions left at this point, but they would be starving, because they didn’t know how to operate the systems. The bunker could have opened up to something MUCH worse.

So, bear with me here, but our judgmental babes Clarke and Bellamy don’t have a lot of room to judge. Do I ultimately agree with them? Yes. But I don’t know what either of them could have done better. As Octavia says, six years is a long time. There had to be some kind of justice system implemented. Population apparently needed to be reduced (have I mentioned how much I hate that plot device and find it unnecessary?). Did it need to be a gladiator ring? No. But Octavia did win the right to the bunker in battle. If she had allowed all of Skaikru to stay in and had the other clans split the rest of the space equally, there may have been more of a chance for a more peaceful solution. If Clarke had made it in, everyone could have become Nightbloods, but would there have been enough food in the valley initially to support people? We don’t know if the farm could have helped supplement their diet for long. They would have had to ration. Rationing typically leads to rioting. I don’t know. I just don’t know.

Regardless, Octavia will say something about doing what was necessary to survive at some point this season. Clarke and Bellamy will be horrified. This episode started off being about reunions, but by the end, the lines started to be drawn for the upcoming conflict.

Eligius

Oooh the dynamics here are becoming more and more interesting every episode. I thought Charmaine seemed a lot like Dante at first, but this episode corrected me. They’re more like the Grounders than the Delinquents from season one: pretending to make deals while intending to kill the people we care about. 

Also, McCreary has been planning to overthrow Diyoza for a while. I can’t wait to see Murphy’s reaction to this guy (1x12 anyone?). If it’s not the fake episode title, I think that conflict will be the one that comes to a head in ‘Sic Semper Tyarnnis.’ I thought that might apply to Octavia, and it’s possible it still does, but knowing the underlying motives here changed my mind. If anything, this will be the point that Diyoza will officially ally with Clarke, Bellamy, and co. in order to save her own life. Or die before she has the chance.

We know Charmaine was a decorated war hero and that she became a terrorist. They’re going to explain why. I don’t even know how to speculate on this, though. My big fear is that if 5x9 is a story about McCreary overthrowing her, that it’ll be closer to 2x8 and the backstory we got for Finn right before his death. Jroth does like killing people, but she’s too interesting for me to want her to die, even though she’s currently an antagonist.

Okay, but how about some more imminent issues dealing with Eligius. ALIEN STOMACH SNAKES. This has to be what they want the doctor for, right? We don’t have enough information to speculate, but is it an alien parasite? Do they have to kill it with fire? Is it contagious? Is it a result of cryosleep? Is McCreary sick with them? Is someone that he loves infested with them? Did they pick it up while they were mining? Is it the thing that made Zeke feel guilty enough to help the prisoners overthrow the ship? Oooh, were they being experimented on? Could they form a symbiotic relationship with their host? Are they like yeerks in Animorphs? I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING.

Miles Ezekiel Shaw

Oh man, this guy. This guy. I don’t even know where to start. So far, over the course of this season, we’ve learned that he was a guard on the ship and helped the prisoners with their mutiny, because he didn’t agree with what was being done to them. He is the one who suggested that they orbit the planet for a bit. He’s their pilot. He can code. He pushes for a peaceful solution instead of war. He was an altar boy, an adrenaline junkie, but he’s logical. He’s sarcastic and witty and fucking ballsy. Alright, this is getting away from me. 

We are already seeing proof that Zeke is going to turn on Eligius and come over to the “good” side.

First, they make a point of showing that he’s listening to the exchange between Diyoza and McCreary when they talk about grabbing the doctor and killing the hostage taker and his girlfriend. Zeke is not on board with this plan. Their behavior since they’ve landed is making him question his choices. 

I’ll admit that my second point is a little shaky, but we all seem to be in agreement on him pretending that he couldn’t launch the missiles. Lot’s of things back it up. Raven was focused on keeping them out of the systems in space and there was no explicit mention of her hacking into their ship on the ground. Thanks to Occam’s Razor (or wishful thinking), Zeke flubbing the codes and pretending it was Raven after he’d hyped up her awesomeness all episode seems pretty likely. 

Finally, we’ve got the ‘our people’ vs ‘your people’ moment. It starts around the 33-minute mark. Diyoza starts laying it on a little thick and mentions “our people” twice. She uses it to guilt him into opening the docking bay doors to kill Raven and Murphy. But he doesn’t want to do this. He knows very little about them. He knows Raven’s hacking skills, he knows his opinion on Clarke, I think he respects Bellamy for working toward a peaceful solution, and he overheard their reunion via Lasercom. Would you want to kill these people?

“Wait.” “What is it, Shaw? Talk to me.” “They’re waking up.” “They opened the pods.” “Colonel, if we don’t close the doors right now, your people are gonna die, too.” “You mean our people, don’t you, Lieutenant?” “What are your orders?” “Close the doors.”

Zeke is relieved here, because he doesn’t have innocent blood on his hands. Charmaine is also impressed by these tactics. It’s a ballsy move, but it doesn’t matter.

“Either way, we’re back in control. Your friend may be smart, but she’s a coward.” “Live coward.”

Here’s where I wonder if Zeke can empathize with making a choice to save yourself. I do believe that he thinks he had the moral high ground siding with the prisoners, but there’s a good chance that it was a survivor’s move, too. Also, the implication that he’s their only pilot was a little surprising to me. Piloting a ship across the solar system seems like it might be a little exhausting. They’re trying to make me believe that he’s indispensable and lull me into a false sense of security. They’re going to ruin my life by taking him away. I HAVE BEEN BURNED BEFORE. 

Anyway, Jordan is giving us QUITE a performance as Lieutenant Shaw and I’m loving it. His delivery of “It’s done” after he opens the docking bay doors is heartbreaking and I just want to hug him. It seems fairly obvious at this point that he’s going to help Raven and Murphy escape, because the poor guy is reaching the end of his rope.

Pirate Mechanic

This seems as appropriate a place as any to talk about Zeke and Raven. This is a specific variation of Meet-Cute, but I can’t remember the specific kind. I wanted to say Love At First Punch with a heavy dose of Defeat Means Friendship, but there are a ton of possibilities.

Regardless, he seems incredibly annoyed and impressed by this girl at the same time. “I told you, this girl is some kind of genius. Everything I thought of, she thought of first. She even had time to flip me the bird.” When you’re the smartest one around, it’s really frustrating to encounter someone quicker. But he’s intrigued already.

And finally, we have Charmaine calling out a relationship that isn’t established yet as at least something when she refers to Raven as his friend. I’m sure she’s not going to be surprised when Zeke turns on them to save these people. It’s the most unfortunate thing about him, after all. He seems like an all-around decent dude, but he makes no effort to keep his emotions hidden. It will probably get him into trouble.

My guy has no idea what he’s walking into next episode. I mean, he already respects her for her mind. He heard her emotional reunion with Clarke and I’m sure that hit a few buttons. But when he sees her? Shoot. I have palpitations whenever she’s on screen. I can’t imagine what he’s going to go through.

Really, I think this ship has a ton of potential and I’m looking forward to seeing how they develop it!

Spacekru and Clarke

I need to come up with a better name for this entire group. The Griffin-Blakes & Co.? I could just keep calling them The Delinquents. It seems apt for now, but it’ll depend on where lines end up being drawn. 

Raven and Murphy

I want to talk about Raven before I get into anything else. Lindsay Morgan always blows my mind, but she ascended to a new level this episode. So did Murphy, for that matter.

Raven doubts herself a lot for being such a badass. And this episode showed a new layer of her self-doubt. She was scared that she wouldn’t be able to pull the plug on the prisoners like Clarke or Bellamy would be able to. She knows that they’re murderers, but she’s hesitating over taking their lives. I’m sure it won’t be addressed, but my theory here is that leaving Clarke behind on earth really fucked her up. Raven was the one who said that they had to go, she knew that Clarke would want them to go, but ultimately, she thought she left her friend to die. She might have a hard time staying pragmatic this season for that reason.

Now, Murphy.

“Everybody was so surprised when I stayed behind, I mean, most of all me. Thought maybe I was doing it to impress Emori, but the more I think about it… I mean, why do you always have to be the one to sacrifice? Anyway, if it comes down to it, I got this.”

The fact that it’s Murphy up here to support Raven is cool. I’ve mentioned before that I haven’t entirely forgiven him for shooting Raven, even though he did it accidentally. But he’s grown and changed. Shit, this episode really solidified his redemption arc. He knows that Raven is afraid she won’t be able to pull the plug. He is going to pull it for her. “I mean, why do you always have to be the one to sacrifice?” He acknowledges her losses. She lost full use of her leg, she lost Finn, she’s been tortured, chipped, he watched her deal with the aftermath of using the EMP to get the chip out of her head. Murphy feels genuine guilt and admiration for her, now. Raven has forgiven him, so I should probably make my way that direction, too.

I know that next episode is not going to be pretty for them. Raven and Murphy are friends now. They want to protect each other. Eligius is going to use that against them and it is going to suck for us 

The Big Reveal

There’s no way around it. I lost it when Raven said Clarke’s name last night. I was full on sobbing in my seat. I’m getting tears in my eyes thinking about it right now. I can’t watch this scene without breaking down. And Murphy’s reaction was even more than I could have hoped for. I forget sometimes how grateful he probably is to her. I mean, she saved everyone, but she very saved Emori two other times (the nightblood experiment and the helmet tear).

I legitimately can’t wait to see them meet up in person. And to see Monty and Harper and Emori and Echo react to her being alive. (I’m not touching on the way this impacts B.echo right now, because that’s a hot minefield and I love and respect people who ship it, casually or not.)

Bellamy and Clarke

We finally got their official reunion and hoo boy, it was worth it. I loved all 78 seconds of it.

There’s so much good about this scene. Bellamy hesitates in the doorway and he RUNS to Clarke. When he gets to her, his hand runs from her ankle to her knee, because he seriously couldn’t not touch her for one more second. It’s a caress to reassure himself that she’s really there. Like, look at this fucking screenshot.

It’s romantic as fuck is what it is. 

Then the romance keeps coming. She’s so relieved that he’s there and they stare at each other’s faces before she jumps on him for a hug. There’s that slooooow pull back where there faces are sooooo close to each other before they finally talk for a second. The real killer is, “And now you’re home.” Bellamy is about to cry as he’s nodding, because shit you guys. He thought she was dead. I wanted to talk more about their potential turbulence, but this is a mindblowing moment and I got distracted. He gets to hold Clarke again for the first time in six years. She was his best friend. They relied on each other and trusted each other. They went through hell together and she was willing to die to make sure that he (and their friends) could live.

When they go in for the second hug, we get Clarke’s patented lip press to his shoulder, and for the first time in our lives, we see him reciprocate. BUT IT’S BETTER. Because his lips are pressing to her bare skin, his fingers are digging into her back. He’s taking her in, and lovelies? You don’t smell your friends. (Like this sounds weird, but I promise it’s sexy, you guys.) The piece of him that felt lost while he was up in space is back. NOT TO MENTION THAT HALLWAY SHOT! 

I mean, wtf was that? It shows how he basically pulled her into his lap. Even when they separate again, their hands are still on each other. They don’t separate much. His hand is on her hip and hers is on his waist. We wanted Bellarke constantly touching each other to reassure themselves that the other was actually there and well, we’ve got it. We wanted more proof that everyone except them “sees” it? We got Charmaine Diyoza EXPLICITY CALLING HER HIS GIRLFRIEND. We’re getting canon romance this season, babes. It’s coming.

They fall into sync again immediately. They’re communicating wordlessly across crowds again. Bellamy is already factoring her back into his life, even though it’s going to make his own life confusing as hell. He is going to make her protection a priority. I’m sure they’re going to argue about the best way to approach things, but that’s a minor obstacle. They have always argued, but they can empathize with each other. It’s part of what makes them a great team.

Other

Drawn Lines

Octavia is more focused on protecting Wonkru, Abby is more focused on protecting Kane. Wonkru is not going to be welcoming of Bellamy and Spacekru. They’re not going to welcome Clarke. Eligius is obviously welcoming none of them, barring their theft of a doctor.

So, we have Wonkru and we have Eligius.

I think the following will end up working with Spacekru:

Clarke Madi Miller Jackson Indra (I’m iffy on her, but she doesn’t seem entirely on board with the system O and Gaia built) Kane and probably Abby Zeke

It’s a small group, but I’m sure we’ll see alliance form and fail a few times before the season is over.

Death Watch

Not in order, but these are currently the people that I’m most convinced are going to die this season:

Octavia Kane Abby Charmaine Indra Monty OR Harper Murphy OR Emori McCreary

The End. Thank you for reading my rambling once again. Hit me up in my inbox or DMs if you want to chat about any of this as long as it stays respectful!

[aerkan]

Prompt #018 - The pact of the Wicked

Can you imagine Hades, Hel and Satan making a deal with each other? An agreement that if one of them needs help, the others will come to their aid? That can be very useful in war times, but can you imagine one of them calling for help while there’s peace? Let me paint you a picture. --- ,,Ah, it seems that Hades has summoned you as well, lady Hel?”

Mentioned goddess spun around to face the ruler of Hell. His dark wings were neatly folded behind him and he was dressed in the royal version of his people’s casual clothing. Even though, his sword was strapped to his hip and his eyes held a guarded expression, when he bowed his head slightly in respect. He was prepared for a battle if there was a need. That was good, she herself was ready to fight.

,,Yes, indeed he has. But I am just as surprised to see you here as well, lord Lucifer.” she said while reciprocating his gesture. They stood side by side while they waited for Charon to appear and take them to the Underworld. The river Styx was softly humming a calming melody that was oh so different from the constant clashing of swords in her realm. Lucifer beside her was silently stretching his wings in the anticipation of a battle. She did something similar with her magic. It’s always better to be prepared for the worst outcome and a distress signal from one of her limited amount of allies wasn’t a situation she could underestimate.

,,So what do think is happening in the realms that demands the presence of all three of us? What can our dear friend want from us?”

She honestly didn’t know. Which scared her a little, because she prided herself in always knowing what was going on. But Hades decided to be mysterious once again. What does Hades have with being secretive anyways? For someone who detests being called ‘The invisible one’, he sure hides a lot of things. Ugh, she wasn’t looking forward to this. But even though she didn’t particularly wish to be here today, her need to honor this agreement between them was stronger than her discomfort. Not for the first time she was surprised to realise that yes, the two men became very dear to her. In a way she had no idea how to deal with. She never had many people in her life that she could say she was close to, except for her family of course. So the fact that these two weird immortals called themselves her friends was foreign to her. However it didn’t make her want to stab them in their sleep, so that may have meant she wasn’t totally opposed to it.

,,Meaning of this meeting of ours is escaping me. I am just as uninformed about this gathering as you are. Although if I had to guess I would say that Hades spoke with one of his brothers about the matter regarding the Edgewood academy. And didn’t leave very pleased.” Her lips curled into a grimace without her will. She disliked those two younger brothers of his. They were arrogant to a fault and held themselves like parrots trying to impress the other sex. If it wasn’t so irritating it would be impressive, how they together managed to turn every event into a mad hunt after this or the other unfortunate girl. It disgusted her. Maybe that was the reason she often found herself in the company of Hades, Lucifer or both during all of the important meetings down on Earth. She couldn’t stand the constant bickering of the Greek gods and goddesses just as much as she avoided the absolutely awful holy presence of angels with sticks up their asses, or the unending talks about hunting and war that seemed to buzz around her distant relatives. Lucifer with his goodhearted humor and quick smart tongue and Hades with his silent comfort and inteligent if a little bit awkward remarks made something of a peaceful paradise for her fried nerves.

Her companion let out a quiet laugh, ,,I wouldn’t be surprised if that was precisely what happened. Poseidon and Zeus are making the founding of the new school very difficult from what I’ve heard from our friend. Michael and other archangels aren’t much better mind you,” His face held a crooked smile that seemed more pained than anything else. ,,I’m slowly losing my patience with them as well. Their demands are almost impossible to meet, but every time I tell them so, they ignore me. And I’m used to that at this point, it doesn’t bother me anymore even when it should, but the council will not be happy about the terms my brothers set.” His wings drooped a little in defeat and puffed in irritation. She put a hand on his shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. Lucifer gave her a grateful smile in return. Her own family wasn’t very demanding regarding the Edgewood project. Of course they had their own ridiculous ideas, but most of them were actually good. It looked like Odin understood the importance of having the young demigods and half-breads under control, before they got to go out and started wreaking havoc. But she could sympathize. Oh Ancestors, she could sympathize.

,,You know, I’m starting to think we should just found the academy ourselves and deal with the consequences latter. Better beg for forgiveness than ask for permission, right? At least that’s what humans say.”

Her lips twitched in a smile at the desperation and hope in his voice. His eyes met hers shinning with amusement. His face split in half with a grin as he hooked his left hand around her shoulders. Weirdly enough she didn’t mind it. ,,I missed this.” He admitted with a relief written all over his face. Sometimes she forgot how alone he must feel. She nor Hades could really understand that. Hades had a kingdom full of gods and a wife with four kids. She had her dad and three brothers. Lucifer was completely alone in his realm. Maybe that was what made her whisper this sentiment back to him. But his bright smile was worth it, she concluded.

Not long after they finally heard the telltale sound of Charon’s boat quietly drifting on the waves of Styx. When he stopped in front of them, he deeply bowed with the rattling of bones. His undead form was hidden among dark folds of his long cloak, but the bits that remained visible resembled more of a charred skeleton than a deity. The only god-like thing on his person were big gray wings that looked like bat’s but created out of fog and smoke. She and Lucifer made their way on board of the ancient looking ferry. Both of them muttering a whispered greeting to the silent ferryman, mindful of his dislike of loud noises. There was no need to make a lot of noise in the place of dead.

Their journey to the depths of the Underworld was a short one. Charon knew very well where they were headed and didn’t need any prompting. All three of them were silent, the two visitors always felt unease while travelling on the river Styx. Maybe it was the fact that it separated them from the rest of the world, or just the absence of rivers in their own realms. Either way, they didn’t like the River of Oaths. At last they finally reached Hades’s palace. It was a beautiful structure that surprisingly enough didn’t resemble Greek architecture, but instead looked more like a medieval castle from black stone. Some parts of it were floating in the air without anything to hold them there and the whole building was constantly rearranging itself. She was certain that this little detail was a work of Persephone the first time she laid her eyes on it. The stoic Underworld and it’s ruler clearly benefited from the touch of their Queen.

At the gates of the palace her and Lucifer bowed to their ride and started walking inside the enormous castle.

,,Persephone should be here with kids, right?” The question surprised her. She didn’t think that she would see her god-sons today, but it was winter in the mortal realm now, wasn’t it? It was so confusing sometimes to remember what season it was where. Every world has their own time-flow and she needed to keep check on all of them. Tiresome.

,,Yes, I believe so. That is if she didn’t go to visit one of her siblings. You know she doesn’t get to see them very often with her work on Earth and in here.”

Lucifer used his wings to hop easier three steps up like a bored child and nodded absent-mindly. They quickly ascended the rest of the stairs and found their way through the palace into the Hades’s office. She softly knocked on the wooden door and waited until they heard muffled: ,,Come in,”

,,Ah, friends! Welcome, I’m glad you both made it here today. We have a lot to discuss.”

Hades was sitting almost buried under piles of papers and folders with tired expression on his face. He gestured at two seats in front of his desk. She sat on one of the while Lucifer tried and failed to fold his wings into comfortable position for sitting on not modified chair. So he magicked them away with a sigh and lowered himself into his own seat.

,,Greetings old friend, you summoned us quite unexpectedly I must say. What prompted this sudden visit of ours?” the archangel beside her was clearly in no mood for small talk and she found herself agreeing of this approach.

,,You know I always love to visit this place, but Lucifer is right. This was very abrupt, even for your habit of popping out anywhere you want whenever you want.”

Deep sigh resonated through the silent room. Hades’s shoulders slumped as he leaned back in his chair. One of his hands pinched the bridge of his nose before falling back to his lap. ,,It seems,” he started tiredly with so much irritation in his voice she thought the world must be ending soon. ,,that my brothers insist on having a volcano and an actual ocean inside of the academy for training purposes.”

There was a moment of absolute quiet before both Hel and Lucifer exploded in a burst of laughter.

,,Hey! I need your help, you morons!”

[agent-7-at-your-service]

Future Plot: Project Prometheus - Chapter 2

(( Sandra, Justinian, Telemachus, Iruka, Kitzeh, Agent 7, Hera of the motherly moon, and Pyrrhus/Chaodis (All not in this chapter) belong to me

Camille, Lee, Depiction of Callie, Marina (Not in this chapter) , and Pacling (Not in this chapter) belong to @inklingleesquidly

Nebula and Wish (Not in this chapter)  belong to @myzzy and @agenttwo  

Mysteeri (Not in this chapter)  belongs to @dreadangel

Designs of Marina and Wish belong to @teamuntyblue

Emerald and Sapphire (Not in this chapter) belong to @twelvetailedkitsune and @son-of-joy

Celeste and Willow (Not in this chapter) belong to @alpinesquid

Arsenic (Not in this chapter) belongs to @a-demo-of-a-hero ))

Hephaestus leave Hestia to keep an eye on the Champions and their friends in Olympus; he takes Camille to a shortcut to a city she has been to. And that city is Athens.

It was once said a wise goddess and a sea god fought over the city and the goddess defeated the sea god's salt water spring with an olive tree. This pissed off the sea god and he tried to flood Athens which only made the city love Athena more due to what her olive trees provide.

Hephaestus was taking Camille to the Parthenon, the temple built in honor of Athena. It ages into ruins and later preserved by humans only to be left in ruins again to repeat mythological history. The temple is now under reconstruction like it's human incarnation; portions of the temple have been built in a way as if someone wants to live here. The only question is who would want to do that?

Camille is in front of bronze alloy doors of the Parthenon, wearing her casual clothes again. The last time she's been here was in a dream -- a farewell to a friend. Hephaestus has told her there was a way to communicate with her parents in some way, and they needed to visit someone here to do this. Memories are coming back to her again; she shrugs it off.

"The person living here is a friend of Morpheus, god of dreams," Hephaestus explained, "The person is someone you'll recognize in a dream long forgotten."

"I just want to see my parents safe," Camille stated, "I can take a guess on who we're meeting..." She offered to knock on the door.

The two waited for a few minutes, but someone managed to respond and open the door. It was a young inkling girl -- she was about Camille's age -- dressed in a light green cape, a white chiton dress, gold wrist-bracelets, and brown denim shorts. Her ink hair is a dark tarnished bronze, her skin is as light as a pearl, her nails were painted in a feathery pattern of brown, tan, and beige, her eyes were two colors with her left eye a grayish gold and the right eye an olive green with blue speckles.

When the inkling saw Camille at her door step, she looked speechless. Camille raised an eyebrow in confusion before quickly recognizing who she is.

"Athena?" Camille addressed.

"Camille?" Athena tears up and gives a big smile.

The two soon turn into squids and jumped around, making joyous squid noises. They turn back into their humanoid forms and embrace each other. Hephaestus gave the two their moment, crossing his arms and waiting patiently.

Once the two girls let go, Athena looked to Hephaestus. "Did you tell her about our return Uncle Hephaestus?"

Hephaestus gave a nod. "Yes, and for a very important reason?"

Athena then looked to Camille. "Come on, let's have some sweet pastry bread and grape juice inside my home. It's still under reconstruction, but hey, I'm a historian who wants to rebuild a temple that's really my home, am I right? The mortals don't know I'm the goddess Athena yet, calling it a coincidence."

Camille and Hephaestus would be in a lovely interior garden with no ceiling for sunlight to come in. It was full of olive trees, apple trees, orange trees, and a patch of grain crops. The center of the garden is a pond with stepping stones. The two were in a unique gazebo in the center of that pond that doubled as a bedroom and a dining room. Athena offered her friend and her uncle pastries and grape juice, and she ate her meal with them.

"Each god in my family are living in different parts of the Mediterranean, taking jobs like Mayors, Doctors, Farmers, you name it." Athena took a big bite of her pastry. "But we still visit Olympus at times."

After their meal, Hephaestus gives a small fake cough.

"Athena, Camille wants to ask something," Hephaestus began.

"Anything for a best friend." Athena then smiles at Camille. "What is it you want, Cammy?"

Camille took a deep breath. She doesn't believe this would work, but she couldn't question the magic of the Greek Pantheon now that she's dragged back into this world.

"I know you used Morpheus to interact with me, I want him to help me interact with my parents in....wherever this Moros god took them." Camille looked serious.

Athena has never heard the name Moros for some time. She finishes her pastry bread and grape juice before getting up.

"Are you sure you want that?" Athena knows something is up.

Camille gets up. "He kidnapped my parents, if this dream communicating thing will be able to help stay in contact with my parents, I'm up for this!"

Athena looked hesitant. "Morpheus can't let you three meet just like this." She looks to Hephaestus. "You know why Zeus is afraid of Moros."

Hephaestus gets up. "Moros is destiny, meaning he's omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent; he is everywhere. A powerful being that without him, Chaos would return. The only ones to stand up against him was Prometheus, and that his actions were left unpunished."

"Oh, that's barnacles! I still want to see Mommy and Daddy!" Camille asked. "There has to be something you guys can do to cover up our meetings."

It was quiet for a moment, but Athena shrugs and replies, "Alright, I'll prepare my bed for you to sleep in."

"Wait, what?" Camille didn't look surprised.

"Just trust me on this. It's not what you think." Athena has a bed appear. "Morpheus only does his work if you're asleep. As for me, I'll have to talk to him through prayers."

"Prayers..... wow, Athena." Camille takes off her shoes and lies on Athena's bed with her hands behind her back and her right legs over her left leg. "Okay, now what?"

Athena giggled at the way she's lying down. "Just relax, take a few deep breaths, and simply sleep."

"Just like that? Easy." Camille then yawns. "Besides, I didn't get much sleep anyway... and..." Camille is soon fast asleep. As she drifts asleep, she can feel herself no longer being in bed and instead, be floating in mid air.

"Alright, alright, Athena, I'll do it, if she wants to personify her again, then fine..." A voice echoed, "you owe me one, and her parents will have to personify someone too." That was probably Morpheus.

Camille opens her eyes and sees an endless darkness. She can then see Callie and Lee -- her parents -- dressed unique ensembles.

Lee is dressed in a white shirt, black shorts, a leather armor and sandals, bronze forearm guards, and a lion cloak with a lion head as part of the shoulder guard. He also has a black leather belt, carrying a golden bronze dagger with some kind of button.

Callie is dressed in a typical white tunic with a gold medallion and gold bracelets for the wrists and ankles. She appeared to have a gold cicada on the back of her neck, hanging on to the knot of her hairstyle.

Camille looked at herself and noticed she was also wearing different ensemble: leopard skin sash, white combat skirt, bronze wrist bracelets, leather belt quiver, and sandals, and red tattoos. On her head is a helmet made of bronze, leather, and some kind of animal hair plume. She knew who she's personifying again: Amazon Princess Camilla Penthesilea. If she's personifying her again, then her parents must be personifying Greeks in the past. But who?

Lee and Callie looked confused but were quick to recognize Camille. But before they can have a group hug, a deity's voice had them face forward. It wasn't Moros, but it was a different voice.

"Princess Camilla!" The voice is addressing Camille. "You dare seek this journey in the afterlife? So soon after your death along with the thousands back in Troy? But what legends say are true. The Olympians left a great offer to all in the Underworld and on this earth for the dead to be put to rest. The challenge is like war, but I believe you already have the experience for that."

The voice then brought its attention to Lee.

"And you found new friends, the Hunter -- Orion The Giant -- of Boeotia--" A large pale hand points at Lee. "--And Princess Merope of Chios." Another hand points at Callie before both hands retreat to the darkness. "I must say these two shouldn't be together. Don't you, Orion, remember what you did to Merope to anger King Oenopion? When you returned for revenge, Merope swore her Championship in the name of Eos, the very Titan who loved you. Such a love life. And did you not forget your first wife, Side, back in Boeotia?"

The voice then brought its attention to Callie.

"As for Merope, do you find it suspicious that Eos has allowed you to become her champion? How did you feel when Artemis accidentally killed Orion? Did you feel jealousy towards Artemis when she was taking Orion from you? Is that why you committed suicide?"

The voice was too divine for Lee and Callie to respond to what it has spoken. Camille couldn't say anything about what the voice said; she would have to talk with someone about this later.

The voice soon reveals itself as a gigantic demigod who is a king; two others stepped forward. They all wore robes of royalty, scepters of lead, silver, and gold. However, each of the demigod kings had something unique. One of them is an elderly man with a mask of an ant and a cape of dragon scales. Another man is middle-aged with a developing beard, a mask of a human face, a sash of red, and a cape of white. The last man is a middle-aged man with a clean face, wearing a mask of a bull and a cape with two spiral seashells as shoulder guards.

"I am Aeacus," The Elderly man introduce, "These are my brothers: Rhadamanthus and Minos. Together, we are the Judges of the Dead." With a gesture of his hand, Camille, Lee, and Callie were now standing on solid ground. "And by your request, Princess Camilla, we shall allow it. You shall witness and perform the very trials to put your soul at ease, the journey to salvation and truth: The Trials!"

"Here, the journey is long and hard," Mino explained, "And we cannot assure you'll succeed. That is up to all of you."

"But it is our duty to oversee these Trials and decide the victors or -- if the time is right -- decide who shall pass on," Rhadamanthus point his scepter down and the surroundings change.

It is a dome-shaped room with several constellations seen on the walls. Corridors, and trails rose from the ground made of rocks, stone, and plants. Seven flags appeared: three green, three blue, and one white. One of the green flags and one of the blue flags are large, acting as a base. At the moment, all the other flags are lowered.

Lee took this time to talk with her daughter.

"Camille, what's going on?" Lee began.

"Where are we?" Callie asked.

"You heard those giant guys, we're in the afterlife...... as Greek Heroes." Camille rubs her arms, finding it a bit hard to explain. "I asked this god named Morpheus to help me communicate with you guys through dreams, but I didn't know he would make us do this...."

"How do you know all this, Sweetie?" Callie looked suspicious.

Camille didn't hesitate, but she didn't want to blow the cover. "It's because this happened to me before with this other goddess..... Athena."

Lee and Callie don't seem to believe her, but they knew they had to rely on their daughter to get through this. After all, it was just a dream, right? Camille might know something else, they thought.

"Mommy, Daddy, just play along with this, okay? That Moros guy is bad news, and that freak the mighty might be watching us now in our dreams," Camille whispered, "Let's perform these trials."

"...Then lead the way, Camille." Lee smiled.

Camille nods and then looks at up at the Judges with a glare and a smile.

"Alright!! Then let's do this! I'm here get myself out of this hellhole! This Amazon here is not living her life as a dead squid or even a resident of the Underworld!" Camille stated. "And if I'm going, I promise to take Orion and Merope with me! When we get out of this, we'll swear to save those still here! Athena! Artemis! If you can hear me, guide us! And help us through these trials!"

Soon bronze automatons approach the three inklings with weapons. The machines offer it to them before returning to the darkness.

Lee is given a club, a bow, a dog whistle, and a light ball of bronze with a turn-key switch. Callie is given two cicada bracelets, shoe decorations in the shape of grasshoppers legs and crickets legs, a rose tiara, a gradient cloak of red, orange, and yellow, and a unique whistle made from a leaf. Camille already recognizes Princess Camilla's weapons: A large wooden shield, a simple bow and a quiver of arrows, a bronze ax, and a bronze spear. What's new in her inventory is a war horn.

Most of the items had some way to shooting or delivering ink-based attacks along with elemental magic.

Once the Squidlys are armed, the large flags are raised. The rest were waiting to be raised.

"And so it begins, the Trial of Battles! The flags of the two factions are raised. Treat them as you would treat your homelands," Minos stated, "The flags shall appear when the Trials begin."

Camille found this too easy, but she had to play the game.

"Mommy, you raise the small green flag on the left," Camille quietly ordered, "Daddy, you raise the flag on the right. I'll raise the white flag in the center."

Together as a family, they split up to follow the orders. When Camille raised the white flag, the flag turns green. They actually played like simple turf wars back in Inkopolis.

"All white flags at the center symbolize neutrality, raising them as your own tips the balance," Rhadamanthus explains, "Your faction can work in no more than 8, but they must assure they work together in these Trials or face the consequences. Trust, Unity, Faith, these are one of the many virtues needed to complete the trials."

The blue flags are then raised.

"Now go on a take the first flag of the opposition," Aeacus tutored, "conquers its surroundings and claim glory."

Camille did so, running up to a blue flag and takes it. She pulls it out of the ground and raises it up, letting the flag change color from blue to green before planting the flag back into the ground.

"The Amazon, Camilla, know the way of these Trials," Rhadamanthus reacted, "Those who claim a flag must remain there to secure it. For a time. Their allies must continue the fight without them if they must. "

"But these Trials aren't simple," Aeacus explained as blue spectral beings appeared from the opposition, "Opponents who also seek the prize of the Trials are also going to fight for it. They have a chance to reclaim those flags. They will gather armies they wish to bring to salvation just like you. You have armies do you not?"

Camille, Callie, and Lee had no idea how they can gather armies until they saw what their opposition was doing. The specters took out their horns and blew them; One summoned a swarm of bees, one summoned a hoplite army, and one summoned a pack of wolves.

Camille looked to her war horn, took it out and blew it, summoning what appears to be an Amazon army. Callie with the same with her leaf-whistle, summoning a large swarm of cicadas, making her army a large contingent in the team. Lee uses his dog whistle, summoning nine hounds behind him.

The spectral being with the swarm of bees made their way to the blue flag that isn't raised or conquered yet and defended it.

"Princess Merope, show us the power of Eos," Minos tutored, "let your swarm wipe the enemy out so that your ally can claim the blue flag."

Callie looked at the swarm accompanying her but didn't know how to make them move. She looked back at her leaf-whistle, she changes the pitch of the whistle and points at the swarm of bees. The cicadas immediately fly towards the bee swarm to keep them distracted. Callie waves to Lee to take out the bees' spectral leader and claim the flag.

"Your companions will always be with you, in this life and the next," Rhadamanthus explained, "Towards salvation and beyond."

Lee hasn't fought this way for some time. And the hounds at his side were interesting in combat. Still, he has put down his weapons years ago, and now's a time to return to combat until this battle is over.

"I didn't want to do this.........Here we go!!!" Lee charged towards the bees’ spectral leader and hit them with his club. "Take that!"

The bees’ spectral leader is knocked down and is dissolved into hexagonal flakes. It didn't splat since these aren't inklings, just projections. The bees that accompanied them scatter and disappear. Lee is given the honor of taking the second blue flag. He takes the flag and replants it with its color changed from blue to green. He was breathing heavily; he never harmed another for years. Still, Callie came to his side and tried to comfort him.

"Such romantic moments... rare to see it in the trials," Rhadamanthus commented.

"Members of the factions that are eliminated are absent from the game," Minos explained, "When another faction member takes a flag or if the duration of absence runs out, they will respawn to their main flag."

"Now then, finish the Trial!" Aeacus tutored.

The Squidlys soon made their way to the base, eliminated the specters, and claimed the final flag. The surroundings fade and the stars can be seen in the dome-shaped room once more.

"This Trial is complete, but this won't be the only kind of trial you'll face.," Rhadamanthus congratulated, "Before we conclude this trial, you shall give yourselves a name."

"What shall we call your faction?" Minos simplified.

I didn't take the Squidlys long to think of a name, but Camille advised them not to give any name that would make them stand out. In the end, they all agreed on one name fitting for Orion, Camilla, and Merope: The Hunt.

"Then it is done," Aeaceus concluded, "In the name of Olympus, your faction shall be called, The Hunt! Go forth and walk on the path to salvation."

Afterwards, there is darkness, then the moon, then the ruins of Troy, and then a cloudy sky. The beaches were on longer stained with ink nor studded with rubble; nature was quick to reclaim after destruction. The Squidlys are still in the dream, and they appeared as faint as ghosts. Camille wasn't surprised, but her parents were. The two looked at her in confusion.

"This is actually a dream, dear?" Lee questioned.

"If it is, then why are we here?" Callie is looking at ruined Troy.

Camille responded is with a nod.

"And to recall..... Athena... dreams...... Morpheus?" Lee stepped towards Camille with concern. "What have you got yourself into, Camille?!"

"Daddy, I can explain--" Camille is then interrupted.

"But I can explain more." A young god called out while walking by the shores. "Two princesses and a hunter shouldn't be out here... then again you're all undead."

The three looked at the young god approaching them. He is an inkling just like them, but with angel wings. He has periwinkle hair, light skin, midnight blue eyes, a white horn of ivory on his right temple, and a black horn of a beast on his left temple. He wore a cloak with half being of a white fabric and half being a fabric of black, a laurel crown with green leave and gray berries, a simple tunic and shorts, and sheepskin slippers. When he yawned, he sounded like a sheep. This is Morpheus, the Greek God of Dreams.

"Awww... that yawn was adorable!" Callie complimented.

"You must be Morpheus." Camille raised an eyebrow, not expecting Morpheus to be like this.

"I sure am... and thank you, miss." Morpheus rubbed his left eye. "I am Morpheus, God of Dreams and leader of the Oneiroi. You three must be the Squidlys. Do you know that your daughter is a hero--?"

"Was a hero," Camille corrected, taking off her sandals.

"My Camille, a hero?" Callie doubted that, but with what has happened in this dream, something is up. "What did my daughter do?"

"Save the Earth from the Titans, exiled the Typhonian End back to Tartarus, and foil the plans of the Chaotic Eris." Morpheus soon floats in midair and hangs upside down. "Never told your parents about that?"

"No?" Camille replied honestly.

"Why not?" Morpheus raised an eyebrow.

"They would flip out if they knew!" Camille raised her voice.

Callie and Lee gasped when she said that. They know their daughter and hearing her say that was quite shocking. They never wanted her to see what they've experienced nor did they want to see her come to harm.

".....I.... I didn't mean it like that...." Camille stepped back. "But it's the truth!"

Camille didn't know what else to say until Morpheus intervened.

"Camille's mother and father, may I say something." Morpheus stands between Camille and her parents. "Your daughter saved our Universe, unlike the other mythos worlds. She wasn't alone. Nebula Sevenstar, Celeste Ann Weever, Telemachus Zulf Cassius, Justinian Euphemia, Hera Terepashi, and much more. They all fought by her side. Without them, our world would've been gone some time ago."

"But Camille... We didn't want her to--" Lee argued.

"I know, I know, we all gods knew it. Hephaestus knew, Artemis knew, Hermes knew, the Fates knew, I knew, Athena knew, and the whole Pantheon -- dead or not -- have knew. But Camille never cared about the danger she faced, " Morpheus rebutted, "And she knew why."

"Why?" Callie questioned, glaring at him.

"...She did it for everyone, and she had everyone by her side to face the horrors that came to bring our world to chaos," Morpheus explained, "And that was the only selfless act we will ever see her do. Despite everything, she didn't want to lose you all. So don't show disapproval towards what your daughter had done for all of us... she chose to do it."

Callie and Lee look at each other and looked a bit guilty. They're still confused about how this all happened, but at the same time, they feel like they deserve more answers. Camille is glad Morpheus defended her, but she didn't want this legacy of her known; she's the Fastest Squid Alive and nothing else.

Camille changed the subject. "Where do we go now?"

"That's up to you, Princess Camilla," Morpheus answered, using the name of her persona, "Let it be night and look to the stars."

"I'm having a feeling we're going to travel to far places," Callie assumed.

"I have someone prepare things for that, and it will come tomorrow," Morpheus explained, "For now, we'll look to our Amazon Princess here to use the stars. A constellation will tell her where to go." He picks up a handful of sand and creates spectacles out of them. He hands it to her. "And the constellations will show themselves through this sea glass."

"If we're ghosts, then--" Camille is interrupted by Morpheus.

"You guys aren't ghosts. You can still eat, sleep, drink, and such, but you aren't ghosts," Morpheus explained, "You thought you people won't need vital things in the afterlife?"

Camille and Lee were working like father and daughter, hunting animals that are inhabiting the ruins, Callie made the tents and the campfire with Morpheus's help. During the hunt, Lee and Camille manage to detect a deer; however, when Camille aimed her bow and arrow at the deer, she stops and puts her arrow away. She just couldn't harm a deer. When Camille and Lee returned, they came back with scavenged food from orchards and farms the Greeks forgot to raid and loot: lentils, wheat, apples, grapes, and figs. It was enough for everyone to eat for the night.

After the meal, Morpheus is open to answering questions from Lee and Callie. Lee didn't want to question the powers of Greek Gods at the moment, at least he knows this is a dream. Callie, on the other hand, asked questions like about his job as a dream god and about how this will keep their meetings hidden from Moros. Camille is busy, looking up at the stars, using the spectacles that Morpheus gave her.

"So if Moros is omnipresent, doesn't that means he be anywhere?" Callie asked. "Past, Present, Future? The mind, body, whatever?"

"Moros has no interest in mortal's dreams nor their welfare, he chooses where to be present," Morpheus explained, "And he has no interest in looking in your heads dreaming this. He's focused on making your daughter suffer."

"He's been telling us that by the time he kidnapped us," Lee remembered, "He said our daughter defied destiny or something like that."

"She did defy destiny." Morpheus draws some stuff in the sand. "Moros's words are the future, and he wanted Typhon to bring the world to Chaos. But he didn't know Eris was making him do this. Your daughter's only crime now is that she defied him, and he’s making her pay the price. He wants to assure her that he is still beyond everyone just like how he assured Zeus."

"Our daughter....." Callie looks down.

"Callie and I have been through many things many years ago, sometimes like this," Lee confessed, "But our daughter following our footsteps..... It's just..."

Morpheus places a hand on Lee's shoulder. "I understand, but there are times you can't keep it away from her forever. Hermes and the Fates told me Camille never wanted to believe in your heroism and agent stories nor did she believe she'll be a hero herself... and look at her now. She learned from the Titanomachy and the fight against Typhon, sort of." Morpheus turns to Camille. "Anything yet?"

Camille found this astronomy stuff boring, but when she was about to take off the spectacles, she spotted something. The stars of the constellation, Andromeda, align and its brightest star, Alpha Andromedae, beams a light down to a city. The next Trial is in Mycenae which is across the Aegean Sea. 

The Constellation has now told her.

"Mice-and-A?" Camille is poor in pronouncing names like these. "... I guess we're heading there."

"...We'll make our way to Mycenae in the morning," Morpheus stated, "For now we sleep."

"We still have more questions about--" Lee is interrupted again.

"More questions will come later, for now, we have to sleep." Morpheus uses some invisible lasso and pulls a cloud down. He uses it as his bed and tent. "Oh and before you leave this dream, Camille, I suggest you head to Mycenae in real life."

The Squidlys enter their tents with Lee and Callie sharing one tent and Camille having the other tent all by herself. Camille has finally found a way to meet her parents in secret, by dreaming about Greek Legends and performing the Trials. As long as Moros doesn't find out, the Squidlys can see each other again, every night.

Camille closes her eyes and drifts away, exiting Morpheus' realm of dreams.

When Camille opens her eyes, she finds herself still in Athena's bed in the Parthenon. Athena was in a chair beside the bed, reading a scroll. Hephaestus was looking out a window, looking at the view of Athens before noticing Camille wake up from her dream.

She had a destination: Mycenae.

[jahaanofmenaphos]

Art by the awesome @tommieglenn!

Of Gods and Men Summary:

When the gods returned to Gielinor, their minds were only on one thing: the Stone of Jas, a powerful elder artefact in the hands of Sliske, a devious Mahjarrat who stole it for his own ends and entertainment. He claims to want to incite another god wars, but are his ulterior motives more sinister than that? And can the World Guardian, Jahaan, escape from under Sliske’s shadow?

Read the full work here:

ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN

FANFICTION.NET

TUMBLR CHAPTER INDEX

QUEST 02: RITUAL OF THE MAHJARRAT

QUEST SUMMARY:

With the Mahjarrat Ritual upon them, Jahaan, Sir Tiffy and the others venture into the frozen North in an attempt to curtail Lucien’s latest power grab and reclaim the Staff of Armadyl. But a bloodcurdling battle of the Mahjarrat might be the least of their worries…

CHAPTER 4: YOU WILL KNOW ME

Idria limped over to Sir Tiffy, her limbs bruised and battered, a scar quickly former underneath her right eye. “Lucien is dead, but we were too late. The dragonkin are here, and Akrisae...”

She broke off, her lip quivering. She shut her eyes tight, trying to block out the memory that wouldn’t leave her any respite.

“I know, Idria,” Sir Tiffy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We all feel the loss for one of our own, but right now, we need to focus, chaps. It's not over yet.”

Gathering his shield and resheathing his scimitar, Jahaan concurred, “Sir Tiffy’s right, we need to do something about the Stone. It's clear the dragonkin are linked to its use, and that Lucien's lust for power is what brought them here in the first place.”

“Yes, and the Stone is still here,” Wahisietel noted. “We must hide it away to prevent its further use… or misuse.”

“Good luck with that, my brother,” Sliske sauntered up beside Wahisietel, his wights absent from his side.

“Still here, Sliske? I thought you'd have left with the rest of them.”

“Not just yet. I wanted to introduce myself to our mutual friend,” he turned to Jahaan. “We've met before, but I doubt he remembers me.”

Jahaan raised an eyebrow. “I'm sorry, we've met?”

Sliske smiled, cheerfully, but there was a shadow behind his eyes. “Many times. Though it's nice to finally converse without all the charades and masks, isn't it?”

Jahaan didn't know how to answer. “I…”

“My name is Sliske. I've been watching you for quite some time now, Jahaan,” Sliske continued, “So I thought it only polite to properly introduce myself. After all, I have the feeling our paths are going to cross again very, very soon.”

Scrunching his brow, Jahaan opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Sliske smiled an unnerving, unreadable smile, and vanished into the shadows.

Blinking away the cobwebs, Jahaan glanced at Wahisietel. “He's your brother?”

Wahisietel smiled thinly. “You don't know the half of it.”

“He was the acquaintance that told you of the dragonkin attack, wasn't he?” Jahaan guessed, finally piecing it together, though what bigger puzzle he was constructing, he had no idea.

Wahisietel frowned. “Yes. He must have known I would have come to you, to gather mortal allies from the only mortal I can trust. In doing such, I led you right to him.”

Shrugging, Jahaan casually remarked, “He seems… alright. I mean, he saved my life back there.”

Peering suspiciously over his shoulder, Wahisietel leaned in closer to Jahaan. In a hushed tone, he stated, “He may have saved your life, but I know that Sliske doesn't take an interest in things - or people - unless they serve to benefit him in some way. If there's one thing you can trust, it's that you can't trust Sliske.”

Chuckling, Jahaan assured, “Thanks for the heads up Ali- I mean, Wahisietel.”

Smiling warmly, Wahisietel said, “My use here has ended. I owe you enough to not betray you by watching what happens to the Stone. I return to Nardah. Farewell.”

In a haze of purple, he teleported away.

Seeing the area was clear, Thaerisk hurried over towards Sir Tiffy and the others gathered beside him. “We need to get the wounded back to Falador,” he stated, solemnly. “They won’t make it out here much longer.”

Nodding, Sir Tiffy ordered, “Get the druids to teleport them to the infirmary. Idria, I want you to get patched up too, ol’ girl. Thaerisk, you are to return here as soon as possible. I need your help with our little Stone problem.”

“Understood,” Thaerisk hurried away to complete his task.

Once the wounded were safely dealt with and everyone but Jahaan and Sir Tiffy had vanished from the site, they looked uncomfortably between each other.

The silence and serenity of the plateau was harsh, a difficult transition from the bloodthirsty battle they’d left behind.

With a huff, Sir Tiffy stroked his beard, clearing out the tangles and ruffles he previously accrued. “Well, it looks like it's down to us two, Jahaan.”

“What now?” Jahaan queried. “I don't know how to move a relic of infinite power that unleashes guardians capable of defeating Mahjarrat. Do you?”

Shaking his head, Sir Tiffy replied, “Not a bobbin, but we need to do something with it. Its power is too much for any single person to control, after all.”

A smile tugged at Jahaan’s lips; he tried to conceal it. “I've been thinking of building a nice house. If there’s plenty of space in the garden, it might make for a nice water feature…”

Chuckling, Sir Tiffy wagged his finger. “Nice try, ol’ boy. I do hope Thaerisk has an idea, otherwise we really are up creek, what?”

Soon enough, Thaerisk teleported in. In the brief time he had spent back in Falador, he’d obviously gotten used to the warmer climate, as he’d foolishly taken off his overcoat and left it behind. Shivering slightly, huddling into himself, Thaerisk surmised, “So, we need to hide this somewhere it can never be found?”

Sir Tiffy nodded. “That’s right, ol’ chap. Do you know of anything in your teachings that can help?”

Thaerisk pondered for a moment. Finally, he replied, “Hmm… yes. Yes, I think I know just the thing. We can channel a teleportation spell.”

Jahaan didn’t seem all that impressed. “Any trained mage can teleport. Heck, I could probably do it with the right runes. Is that all you've got?”

Thaerisk explained, “You misunderstand. It’s a tri-fold mathematical teleportation spell. We can all hold numbers in our minds. I'll focus on depth, to ensure the Stone ends up deep underground and not in Varrock Palace gardens or something. Tiffy, you focus on any number, as big as you want. That can channel into the coordinates of the Stone. And you,” he pointed to Jahaan, “you focus on a simple number, used as a cypher for Tiffy's number. The spell will then go through each of our minds, encoding Tiffy's coordinate with your number, and my depth. Individually, none of us will know where it will end up.”

“Blimey, now that sounds like a plan!” Sir Tiffy cheered, slapping Thaerisk on the back. “I may be old, but I can still count just fine!”

“Good to hear. Let's get into position and then channel the spell. You okay over there, Tiffy?”

“Ready when you are!” Sir Tiffy affirmed.

“Jahaan?”

“Same here.”

“Then focus your minds… NOW!”

In a pulse of green light, before Jahaan could even register the action, the Stone had vanished into the ether.

Opening one eye carefully, then the other, Jahaan ventured, “Is it… is it done?”

Thaerisk straightened out the ruffles in his robe. “It is. Thank Guthix that's over. Back to Falador?”

“Righty-oh,” Sir Tiffy concurred. “I think after all this excitement, I need a nice cup of tea…”

When they teleported back to Falador, the sharp contrast in temperature ricochet through them like a gunshot, making them all shudder. It took a few moments to adjust to the ambient warmth surrounding them, but once they did, they made their way into Falador Castle, nodding to the Knights that guarded the gates as they went.

Sir Tiffy instructed Jahaan to wait for him in the study while he went to the infirmary to check on Idria and the others. Remembering the way, he took himself through the long corridors and thin passageways, ignoring the uncomfortable looks he received on the way, from Knights and kitchen staff alike. Feeling slightly insecure, he checked his head to see if they were looking at a wound or something else protruding oddly from him. Unable to find the cause, he instead worked to hurry his pace to get to the solitude of the study quicker.

Closing the door behind him, he relaxed back against the creaking wood and finally let out a pent-up exhale, relief washing over him. In the warmth and the low candlelight, he was alone.

He was alone, and Lucien was no more.

So why don’t I feel better?

He’d dreamt of killing Lucien enough times, of finally seeing the wretched Mahjarrat draw his last breath. He dreamt of a dagger to his heart, a spear through his chest, a sword to remove his head… he’d even dreamt of Lucien being eaten alive by the Queen Black Dragon herself.

Well, this comes close enough, he accepted, trying to force himself to smile. It was an effort.

Maybe praying would help? Jahaan considered, his heart feeling hollow. That unenthusiastic thought was chased down by a simple, Meh. Who to?

Born in Menaphos, he was raised to worship the Menaphite Pantheon, a group consisting of two gods, two demigods and four lesser deities. No-one outside the desert followed these gods, and those that moved out of the land they were born in often turned to other deities, like Saradomin, who was the god of the majority of humans on Gielinor.

Jahaan never converted to any of the other gods. He didn’t like the idea of blindly following one entity you barely knew anything about to the ends of the universe and back again. At least he’d actually interacted with Icthlarin, the Menaphite God of the Dead. Despite this, it felt odd praying to a god he’d met in person twice before, a god that called him a friend, with the sentiment returned. Praying to him now would seem... forced... and so Jahaan just let his mind continue on without the comfort blanket of prayer.

However, his solemn contemplation came to a crashing halt when the door behind Jahaan tried to open, jolting the startled young man forwards. Hurrying away from the door, Sir Tiffy entered with a full-bodied chuckle. “You okay, my lad?”

Regaining his composure, Jahaan hastened to refocus his mind on the here and now. “Sorry, I was just thinking…”

Shutting the door behind him, Sir Tiffy stroked his beard. “Yes, we’ve all had a lot to think about today… it’s been a tricky one, hmm.”

“That’s an understatement. How’s Idria? And the others?”

“She’ll make a full recovery,” Sir Tiffy assured. “We lost a few good men today, but they died heroes, and will be remembered as such. Thank you for all you’ve done, my boy. Your alliance with those Mahjarrat fellows, and the guts you had charging Lucien like that! Ha! I was dumbfounded, what? No my boy, that was an interesting move, but I like your style!”

“So, can I become a Temple Knight now?” Jahaan eagerly asked, proper convention out the window. He was washed over with a weird, uncomfortable mix of fatigue and adrenaline, and it didn’t let his mind tick to a steady rhythm.

“'Fraid not, sonny,” Sir Tiffy smiled sadly, patting Jahaan lightly on the back.

Jahaan's face fell. “Oh.”

“I’m saying no because you're a young lad with a lot of talent and potential. Tying you to a knighthood would be a waste of you. And be honest with me, do you really want to spend the rest of your days in Falador’s wall, ol’ chap?”

Jahaan winced, his shoulders sagging. It was answer enough, and it caused Sir Tiffy to chuckle.

“I knew from the start your heart wasn’t really in it. I may be old, but I’m no fool, what? Besides, we're a little bit stuck in our traditions, us Temple Knights. We only accept true Saradominists into our ranks.”

“I thought you said it didn't matter what gods I followed,” Jahaan protested in vain.

Sir Tiffy smiled, wryly. “That was a little white lie. If you were up to snuff - which you are, my boy - I would have found something else to reward you with. You passed my test. Bravo!”

He’d be lying if Jahaan said he wasn’t at least a little bit irritated, being used like that. But he’d also be lying if he said that he wasn’t used to it by now - people do have a habit of taking advantage of young, naive adventures, after all. However, he stayed his tongue, adjusting his tone to not convey his true sentiments when he said, “So… is that it? I’m to just toddle off on my way now?”

“Not exactly. I do have one little thing for you…” rummaging around the study for a little while, he found a blank sheet of paper and a quill pen. Carefully, he scribed out a little note, but made sure to block Jahaan’s view of its contents. After blowing it dry, he found an envelope, inserted the note, and found his wax stamp to seal the envelope shut.

Handing it to Jahaan - who was feeling increasingly like a mailman - he said, “Take this to Fionella of the Legends’ Guild. No peeking now, my boy.”

With only a mere moment’s hesitation, Jahaan took the envelope. Bowing his head, he thanked Sir Tiffy and made to leave for his temporary chambers, hoping it was implied that he could stay another night as he was too tired to start his journey now. However, at the doorway, Sir Tiffy caught his wrist and added, “Oh, one more thing - keep the armour, my lad. It was doing no-one any good in that store room.”

Now THIS lifted Jahaan’s spirits, taking away the pit of disappointment that had been lingering around mere moments before. Profusely, he thanked Sir Tiffy, bowing lowly as he tried his damndest to hide his grin and keep his cool. Closing the door behind him, Jahaan literally lept in the air with joy, though regretted the clink his armour made as he did so. With a smile that couldn’t be washed off, he began to make his way to his chambers. The rumbling in his stomach, however, decided to reorganise his priorities, and instead he made for the kitchen, wondering with glee what delights they fed the knights of the castle…

DISCLAIMER:

As Of Gods and Men is a reimagining, retelling and reworking of the Sixth Age, a LOT of dialogue/characters/plotlines/etc. are pulled right from the game itself, and this belongs to Jagex.

Previous chapter / Next chapter

[jflashandclash]

Attrition of Peace

Sixteen: Annabeth

We Have an Inappropriately Timed Dance Party; Monsters Included

 Everything about the club made Annabeth feel uncomfortable. There were too many areas for ambush, too many shadowed spots, and too many monsters she and Percy had previously sent back to Tartarus. This was the closest she’d felt to being the warden that ended up on the wrong side of the bars since… well, Tartarus.

The lighting was dim, with blinking swirls dipping down from an expansive ceiling. Dark shapes glided across the top, suggesting creatures existed beyond her sight. The entire dome faded to nothingness, like Morpheus himself had added little touches to make it shimmer and shift like an aurora.

There was a two story bar on one side, where two Gegenees—six-armed giants—were bartending with more efficiency than all the Time Square’s Starbucks baristas during morning rush. The stools along the bar could rotate out for stools of various other heights, some short enough for one of the Kabeiri—dwarf deities and sons of Hephaestus—to sit on, while another stretched tall enough for a ten foot frost giant to flirt with a winged woman on a second story patio above the bar.

The bar continued to curve opposite the entrance and ran alongside a small pool, where telekhines, merfolk, and icthyocentaurs were cheering on a particularly small telekhine. “Jump! Jump! Jump!” they shouted until the telekhine did a trick flip off a ledge. They cheered and clanked their glasses of ambrosia together. One particularly excited fishperson dove into the water to throw an arm around the telekhine, “I love this guy! You’re a real, class-act fish, you know that?”

           Most horrifying: there were some humans or—Annabeth assumed—older demigods. They sat on a small stage opposite the bar, laughing and shoving at each other. There was a giant cage above that stage, and the slightest hint of a disco ball tucked into the cage. Annabeth guessed it was appropriate. How else were you going to get people to disco anymore?

There was a dance floor in the center, with scattered tables and chairs. Several monsters and a half-blood were helping to pull the tables to the sides of the room, like they were preparing for a major event.

           There was music, but it was too quiet for what Annabeth assumed a club should have. It was some kind of mix between swing and electronic.

           When their group of eight entered, no one paid them mind. Nearby monsters seemed to intentionally ignore them, though they picked up their heads to sniff a few times. Annabeth found this particularly disturbing. Monsters did not ignore half-bloods.

           Without another word, their group split. This was not where she wanted to split up, but they would all be within sight of each other. Hazel and Frank took a step to the side of the entrance, to keep track of the flow in and out and to assure they didn’t scare off Axel and Pax. Nico and Will walked towards the bar, where a group of ghosts had clustered. An inebriated looking ghoul made a whistle through a partially rotted mouth at Nico. It made Annabeth wonder if the undead could get drunk, or if they just died that way, then she remembered Odysseus’ palace and shuddered.

           From the corner of her eye, she could see Will’s hand slip into his jacket, likely to make an unpleasant rebuttal at the ghoul, but Nico—thankfully—stopped him.

           Piper and Jason walked towards the stage.

           “It’s not very often I get to take you clubbing,” Percy said, offering her his arm. “Now, would you rather I pull two clubs out of the back so we can start bashing monster heads or actually dance?”

           Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Shut up Seaweed Brain,” she said and led him past the dance floor. Now was not the time. She remembered the first time they went to a dance together, with Thalia and Grover when they were looking for new demigods that turned out to be Bianca and Nico. Percy had been so flustered and cute. They'd had school dances since, ones where Annabeth had to ward off several members of the swim team, since Percy was too oblivious to realize they were flirting.

           A relaxing time like that was well overdue.

           Annabeth shook her head and forced herself to stop swaying to the beat of the music. She was surprised—she didn't even like this style of music, but something about the atmosphere was contagious.

She and Percy, naturally, went towards the telekhines doing water tricks. When Percy squeezed her hand to lead them towards the pool, she could tell he was humming along and bobbing his head.

They were close enough to the pool for a telekhine to snort at them when Annabeth caught sight of Merry.

Annabeth wondered if Axel had Misted Merry’s presence before. She seemed in such an obvious spot and they must have walked past her. The Indian girl sat cross-legged on top of a table on the dance floor that was pushed further towards the stage. Her burgundy parka looked black in the dim lighting. Her watch kept catching and reflecting tiny gleams from the ceiling. There were a few monsters nodding their heads to the music beside her, like this was a casual monster-demigod occurrence.

On the table around her, there were at least two dozen cans of Diet Coke.

Merry looked completely at ease for being amongst monsters and within six feet of Jason Grace.

Piper was talking to two older demigods that were sitting on the far side of the stage. She was swaying to the beat of the music, unaware Jason had caught sight of one of their fugitives.

Merry waved at him. That might have been the call for a peace treaty, but it could just have easily been a trap. Annabeth hoped Frank and Hazel would be comfortable ignoring their orders from Ares long enough for them to have a conversation.

Annabeth grabbed Percy's arm and motioned towards Merry. Percy nodded in understanding. Before they got more than a few feet, a hoard of telekhines—part seal, part dog monsters—hopped out of the pool and flooded them.

"Percy Jackson!" one cried. Annabeth went to draw her dragonbone sword.

"I heard he withstood a volcano."

"My brother was there—he saw it!"

"Will you take a selfie with us, Mr. Jackson?" another held out a waterproof encased iPhone, snickering. None of them made a move to attack, but all of them brandish iPhones at them with their webbed paws with the same ferocity as you would a weapon.

"Sorry, I don't usually pose for the paparazzi," he said. Annabeth could tell Percy was thinking about knocking them back into the pool with one quick wave of water. But the commotion of the telekhines caught the attention of a giant at the bar, the ghouls that were talking to Nico, and several winged lizard people on the second story balcony.

If Annabeth was ever going to get into a barfight with a hoard of monsters, these were the friends she would want as backup. They'd been through worse fights. A fight wouldn't do them any good though. All that would do is make a great cover for any escapes and destroy any chance to parley.

Then Merry's voice carried across the club. "You know, I love this song. No matter how upset I am, it can always cheer me up," she said. "What makes you happy? The smile of a lover? The yummy relaxation after a fierce fight or chase? Your favorite dessert?"

From what Annabeth could see, there was no microphone on Merry. That girl could project.

Although Annabeth should have kept focus on their current circumstance, her mind wandered to the image of Percy smiling. She could feel Percy's gaze fall onto her and a giddy sensation told her he was thinking the same thing.    

Focus, she scolded herself. Although she had ADHD like the rest of the half-bloods, her thoughts didn't tend to wander during a potential fight; they usually hyper-focused.

The telekhine had gone silent. They were still in between them and Jason, but were now staring at Jason and Merry. Although everyone else in the club kept to their separate conversations, Annabeth had the distinct feeling those two were in the spotlight.

Jason Grace hesitantly took a few steps closer to Merry. As Annabeth was hoping, he didn't raise any weapons. Just his empty hands. "'Hey, we just want to talk—"

"So do we, but a little encounter in New Rome gave some of our members the heebie-jeebies, so we'd rather do it after we've regrouped, listened to some therapeutic music, and aren't being chased by a group of seven scary half-bloods."

For a moment, Annabeth thought Merry had miscounted and didn't realize there were eight of them.

Merry shrugged. "Will doesn't count as a scary half-blood. He's too much of a cutiepie."

There was no verbal protest from Will at the bar. When Annabeth risked a glance over, she saw the blond medic frowning, with his arms crossed. The fact that his head kept bobbing to the music didn't make him any scarier. Nico patted his shoulder. "She's right," said the son of Hades.

"Until then," Merry's voice brought Annabeth's attention back over. "Have you heard of that old 2010's song, Party Rock Anthem?  

On cue, the music blended from the electronic jazz into someone shouting, "Party rock!" and a round of the chorus. The volume increased, until the synthesizers felt like they were shaking Annabeth's bones.

"Merry—" Jason started to say. Piper took a careful step closer to them, away from the stage.

"Clap," Merry said with the song, closed her eyes, and bobbed her head.

Jason and Piper both clapped. From the corner of her eye, she could see Will clap as well. He glanced down at his hands in confusion, a derpy smile touching his lips. The monsters nearby laughed and started to clap along to the chorus:

Everybody just have a good time.

And we gon' make you lose your mind.

We just want to see you...

Merry grinned and hopped off the table. She opened her eyes, and sang, "Shake that," with the music.

What happened next was the last thing Annabeth expected.

Jason pounded his fists in the air to the beat and kicked his feet about in a wild, mad dance.

Piper burst into hysterical giggles. She looked like she was trying to mouth the word, "stop," but the music completely drowned out her voice. Will began to disco beside a baffled Nico, in a way that would probably make his father quite proud.

Within a few beats, Jason danced his way over to Piper, and took her in his arms. Then the two were twirling in delirious glee.

The daughter of Dionysus snapped her fingers, and the monsters around them joined in their crazed revelry.

This was a trap.

Annabeth tried to ignore the way her limbs shook. Her mind kept fluttering to happy memories—kissing Percy in the lake, her early acceptance letter to New Rome, being awarded the architect of Olympus. A giddiness threatened to break her mind. The energy from the party felt contagious in a way she hadn't felt since the sirens tried to drown her.

She could feel Percy sway at her side. The telkhines were hopping on their fins, like a tiny mosh pit of puppies. She tried to step through them, towards Jason and Piper, but was pushed backwards, into Percy.

“Hey! Watch it!” Percy snapped, helping her stay up.

When she stumbled, Annabeth made eye contact with Frank. He and Hazel were far away from Merry, still by the exit. They were seemingly unaffected. Their jaws had dropped in shock at seeing their former praetor and friend break into the electric slide next to a Scythian dracaena.

Two human figures split from the monsters near the entrance. Annabeth's eyes widened as Axel and Ajax Pax crept out of the darkness.

Annabeth tried to shout a warning over the music, but it was too late.

Axel had already politely tapped Frank's shoulder; Ajax, Hazel's.

When the Romans turned to them, the Pax brothers somersaulted towards the dance floor, instead of the exit like Annabeth would have expected. The acrobats sprang to their feet outside the forming crowd. Axel gave them a taunting wave. Ajax winked and blew Frank a kiss. They danced backwards into the mass of monsters, engulfed by the crowd.  

Hazel and Frank raced after them, disappearing into the throng.

Percy made the motion to laugh.

Annabeth slapped him. "FOCUS!" she shouted, but knew he couldn't hear her. "THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" she mouthed at him. "THIS IS A TRAP."

Percy shook his head, like he was trying to clear it. Percy pointed to where Will was using a monster’s tail as a fake microphone. His message was clear: he disagreed that this wasn’t funny. Nico rolled his eyes, grabbed Will, and dragged him towards Annabeth and Percy.

“We need to get over there!” Annabeth said. She drew her dragonbone sword. The smallest telekhines in the group flooded towards her, giving her puppy dog eyes and pouts. One even curled up on her leg, like her dog used to when she was little.

Despite knowing they were monsters, Annabeth struggled to bring her sword down, especially when they showed no signs of attacking.

           Annabeth scanned the room to account for everyone and was horrified to find that she’d lost track of the Pax brothers and that they’d lost two more to the throbbing bass. Frank’s lumbering figure could be seen leading Hazel in a French gavotte dance. Both of them had the same maniac grins as the others. A giant cackled and patted Frank’s back as he went by. The Canadian almost flopped onto his face, making Hazel burst into crazed giggles.  

           Annabeth strained to concentrate despite the intense urge to let herself fold into the music and relax—a well earned relaxation after worrying so much over getting Percy to explore New Rome, over studying for midterms, over helping Jason erect the latest statue to the goddess Cloacina at camp—

Annabeth grabbed her hand. She’d dropped her sword. The limb had started to sway on its own accord. They needed to do something fast. Annabeth had only ever seen Pollux use his powers once. It was to make the Stoll brothers lose their minds, after a horrendous grape prank gone wrong, so she didn’t know much about how the children of Dionysus could fight. But, she could guess this whole party atmosphere must have been straining Merry. If they could just interrupt the party for a few seconds, Annabeth doubted Merry could start it up again.

Annabeth grabbed Percy’s hand and desperately resisted the urge to pull it around her. Instead, she motioned towards the pool.

Percy cracked a smile, knowing what to do.

He lifted one hand. The water surged up, twisted in a tunnel around she, Percy, Will, and Nico, and blasted the other partygoers like a fire hose.

There were complaints and shouts. Monsters slid onto the ground. Half-bloods were knocked over. The music paused, though Annabeth hoped Percy had fried the circuits at the DJ booth, wherever it was.

Hazel and Frank stumbled to their feet, looking dazed. Piper and Jason were still grinning at each other stupidly on the ground. Several monsters shook out their coats.

The party sensation seemed dead.

Then the distinct British accent of Calex Rupin McKenzie shouted, “Pool party, mates!” from the second story patio.

Pax crawled out from under a giant and jumped up, hopping from one foot to another. “You heard him! Gentlemen, please remove your shirts and deposit them on the floor!” To provide an example, he pulled off his shirt and swung it over his head.

To her horror, several ghouls and clothed beasts followed suit.

A hand shot out of the pile of downed monsters and Merry dragged herself back up to be beside the table. She pressed something on her jacket, and Annabeth could feel the hum of an amp, like there were still functional electronics all around them. Annabeth couldn’t tell if the glistening on Merry’s forehead was sweat or water. She looked weak and pale, but had a psychotic grin plastered on her face.

Nico, beside them, just looked annoyed. He was struggling to keep Will from taking off his shirt. “What’s the plan?” he asked.

Annabeth’s mind spun. There was still a happy haze fogging her thoughts, but she knew she needed to concentrate. She thought about something she hated thinking about—all of her struggles in Tartarus, the pain, and the terror of failure. It sharpened her focus, rocking her out of the partying mood. She wondered if that’s how Nico was so unaffected.

Percy was barely holding it together. He kept bobbing his head, and swaying side to side, despite the lack of audible beat.

“I think we need to go after Merry,” Annabeth said. “But it looks like we’re more prone to her the closer we get.”

This part was delicate. The strange energy of the party felt like an effervescence about to be uncorked and Annabeth, Percy, and Nico needed to get their friends away from Merry before—

Merry righted herself, and shouted, “Every day I’m shuffling!”

The music thundered back into the club. If anything, the atmosphere shifted to be more manic. Axel and a few monsters picked up Frank and then Jason to crowd surf them towards the stage, the boys laughing along the way. Everyone jumped in excitement to the beat.

“Peter Johnson!” Merry sang and gave them a wave. “You’rrrrre next!”

Annabeth and Percy exchanged a glance. She knew he hated that name. Percy went to raise his hands again, ready to give them more than a single dousing of water. The liquid on the floor rippled back towards them. Another blast should be enough. Merry couldn’t start this mania up again. And if Percy could capture Axel and Pax with the pool water…

He took a step forward, and Annabeth thought she could see him say, “Sorry guys, but its past demigod curfew.”

Annabeth flinched, furious at herself for assuming all six of their fugitives were in the dance crowd. She’d only seen three.

Merry winked and waved at someone on the second story patio.

Annabeth turned and saw something that made her insides freeze. The music turned into a din as her vision tunneled.

Calex Rupin McKenzie stood on the edge of the patio, his bow drawn. A dazzling arrow of sputtering light was notched on his string. His bow was aimed right at them. Even at this distance, she could swear he mouthed the words, I’m sorry, Percy, before firing.

Instinct took over.

Annabeth shoved Percy out of the way.

The arrow pierced into her back.  

 Thanks for reading! I’ve been feverish the last few days, and honestly couldn’t remember the name of this book when I went to post this chapter (seems appropriate for the chapter though). So! I hope my edits aren’t too terrible and you’re able to enjoy!

[a-weird-blog-in-general]

In the Heights God Au

Yep. I went and did this, and it’s long. And it’s a bit of a mess. And long. This is going to be Part 1 of hopefully one 2, to avoid making this post too long. And of course, you are all free to take your own creative liberties with this; what I’ve chipped in is only what I’d like to see, nothing more.

Overall this may seem like a jumbled mess and I'm sorry for that.

The way I have it, each character is going to have their God based on an already existing deity/myth, and they all vary in origin and cultural influence. Cause I wanted to do more than just Greek mythology. They all reside in varying places in the world too.

Usnavi => God of Stories and Storytelling

Based on Anansi the Storytelling spider of the Caribbean

Resides on an a relatively small, floating island (it's his island), all pretty and stuff, and it's spider central (but like cute spiders not those big hairy ones Usnavi would probably freak if he saw one of those)

The spiders provide the stories Usnavi collects; if there's one he really likes he'll go out and get the story himself.

He met Vanessa by chance one day, had a conversation and hit it off and he fell so hard for her; he’s made it his mission to seek Vanessa out and see her again.

He weaves the web to catch Vanessa when the wind blows by, but she always slips through => he tries to fashion better webs; it never works out.

His little island tends to orbit where Sonny lives so he can be close and watch over little god Sonny.

Creative liberty => Usnavi could totally have multiple arms if you wanted that in a design; I think that’d be really cool

Vanessa => Goddess of Wind and Flight

Vanessa lives in the clouds and sky, that being her domain, so she can fly and be free.

She would be based off the Aztec wind god Quetzalcoatl => light and beautiful dress, but strong and bright colors and she's adorned with gorgeous feathers.

She flies across the sky, carrying the winds with her where she goes => She can just fly on her own

She likes Usnavi, and thinks it kind of funny that they keep playing this game of “Catch the Wind,” but once she starts falling for Usnavi oh boy => She blames Carla for it (you’ll see why)

Sonny => God of the Sun

He resides in an open tower made of clay with plenty of openings for him to fly out wherever he wants

Based off the Incan god of the sun Nuit with plenty of Inca cultural influence in dress manner =>  I love the idea of Sonny having physical wings here

Bright and energetic, a protector of the people, but hot-headed (get it?)

He kinda really very much loves the moon and wants to meet her and see her and have a conversation with her => Can't really have time to do any of that because the moon and the sun can't be in the sky at the same time; he tries anyway => Sonny chases Nina across the sky the moment the sun is supposed to rise to catch at least a glimpse of Nina before she disappears for the day

He'll never actually catch her, though

Nina => Goddess of the Moon and the Minds

Most definitely based off the Greek god Athena => Much Greek influence in design

Resides in a Greek style pantheon, which happens to be in a mountain

Sonny chases her to catch her, but she ends up falling in love Benny who does catch her

She wants to have some freedom from the confines that Kevin has placed upon her

Pretty solid relationship with Lincoln even though Kevin disagrees; Lincoln can always cheer her up somehow and does indirectly help Nina and Benny hook up (You’ll see)

Benny => The Mortal who Caught the Moon

He's a mortal who falls in love with the Moon, but he can never see her because she's too far away and he can't stay awake long enough to draw her attention

So he sings to the moon until he can no longer stay awake (Lincoln provides the slightest drop of inspiration, leaving the rest to Benny) => Nina hears it and looks for the source and she does find it => She leaves a note

Every night they leave each other gifts and notes and they slowly fall in love => one of those gifts is knowledge, specifically the knowledge of how to catch a god => using the other gifts he crafts a makeshift net, everything held together by a single string made of his love (Carla and Lincoln help with that, you'll see how later) => He catches Nina with the net, pulling her down as gently as possible cause that's a god you've got Benny a pure divine angelic being you better be careful and they're adorable together and they kiss, sealing a bond between them

Lincoln => God of Death

Resides at a shrine located in a graveyard => Graves of the Nameless; people/mortals come to pay their respects to Lincoln and the dead unknown => He takes the unknown deaths/souls under his wing because he can relate to their loneliness

He is the closest to the mortals and practically in constant contact with them

Inspiration from San/Santa Muerte with a strong cultural influence => contributes to his musicality and isolation

He provides the inspiration for music and art

He creates death as something that is not to be feared, but something to be celebrated => Makes that happen by connecting music and liveliness of cultures to the celebration of death

Kevin’s not the biggest fan of that ideology, and they disagree on the aspect of death and how it should be addressed

Abuela Claudia => Goddess of Heaven and Sky, Lord of Constellations, Mother of the Gods

Inspired by the first Mesopotamian god AnuShe lives everywhere; you ask for her guidance she will just appear

She likes being with the mortals, and often disguises herself as a mortal to check up on the world => bless those doing good and punish those who are not

She takes the souls of the dead and places them as stars in the sky

Also takes time to feed the birds

She foretell events that will occur, but she cannot influence the event in such a way that completely changes the course of fate

The Rosarios => Divine Arcana

Camila => The Empress

Kevin => The Emperor

Camila focuses on health and bounty, values and ethics => Kevin focuses on authority and control => Both serve as judges over the worldInspiration from the tarot arcana of the same name, along with traditional Catholic influences/imagery

Reside in a mountain which inside has the most palace (like a "King Under the Mountain" type of place) and in the center, there's this beautiful grotto and garden with an opening in the ceiling to the sky => that's where Nina is

Kevin built it there to keep Nina close and happy but Nina wants to be freeKevin has so much responsibility it can get overwhelming

Pete => The Boy who Calmed the Sun

Takes inspiration from the demigod Maui => Feel free to take creative liberties in design

Pete's a demigod (in some circles, this can be a bad thing) who receives a from a strange woman (guess who => it's Abuela Claudia helping out fate) asking him to seek out the sun => So Pete goes to find Sonny

Here's why:

Sonny is NOT happy that Nina and Benny are a thing => He's basically lost his only possible chance to have Nina notice him and boy is he salty

So out of anger, he refuses to obey any natural laws and literally starts heating up the whole earth => that's how mortals explain how the earth got deserts

So someone's got to talk some sense into Sonny but he won't let anyone near himHe gets help from Vanessa to be able to find Sonny quickly => Most Gods want to help Pete because no one is benefitting from Sonny’s heatwave

He does find Sonny, but Sonny isn't gonna deal with anyone so he books it => Pete finds a conveniently placed cord, uses it to catch Sonny and ties him down=> So Sonny’s floating in the sky with his hands bound to his sides and he is not happy => He desperately tries to use his powers against Pete in some way but because of Pete’s demigod blood he’s not really affected by any of it

The whole thing that happens is based on the Maui myth about slowing the sun, just without attacking the sun to the point of weakness

They do start to get along on the way back to Sonny’s home => Pete becomes the therapist friend who helps Sonny vent and talks all the anger out

They get back to Sonny’s tower and Nina’s there => she worked around a few rules to be able to talk to the sun => Sonny so desperately wants to be mad at her but he can’t => they talk it out, actually get to know each other, make amends, etc. => Pete you did a good => mortals and Gods are like “whoa damn man you just snagged an angry God out of the sky like whoa”

Carla => Goddess of Love and Matchmaking

Inspired by the Chinese god Yue Lao, who ties the red string of fate around those destined to be together; or people she thinks should be together => fate works the way it does => Normally does the tying after checking with Abuela Claudia on fate’s say in the matter; sometimes she gets an answer, sometimes she doesn’t => Only she can see the stringReally into knitting and crochet => thanks @boopliette !

Whenever two souls end up together, people normally blame Carla => they did for the whole Benny and Nina thing; she’ll never admit that she did tie them together

The two souls she ties together are supposedly soulmates => mortals don’t always follow what she’s made and that’s okay => sometimes people can be a little stupid

Likes being in the thick of humanity with Daniela, mostly cause it’s her job to watch over the soulmates she ties

Daniela => Goddess of Beauty and Femininity

Inspiration from the Egyptian goddess Bastet, Goddess of Felines, women, and beauty

She and Carla go hand in hand => Carla hooks up the people, Daniela plays out the game of life with the two

Daniela sometimes fools mortals and orchestrates the drama that entangles them

Protective of women, but she does it in a subtle way => Blesses them with beauty, gives them confidence, and tries to steer them away from poor choices

Also into cats

She prefers to stay around humanity for the drama; she likes having something to talk about

As I’ve stated before, creative liberties are open! Please, you have all the right to dabble into this with your own ideas and stuff. I’d love that. And hey, if you ever want to talk about this, I’m open for conversation. Part 2 will hopefully come with more of the world stuff; how humanity is, and other little things about being a god/divine.

[amongushq]

Welcome to Among Us, NAT! OLIVIA HERSHEY ( with the faceclaim of SABRINA CARPENTER ) has found shelter in CAMP HALF-BLOOD where we hope SHE will fit in nicely. Please make sure to check the “after applying” section of our navigation here!

It is incredibly refreshing to see the daughter of a demon rather than a deity! This kind of diversity will add a lot to the group. The empousa side of her is really well written and brought up, yet at the same time we can see her human self through her feelings about her mother. She is at war with those two parts of her, clearly, and we wonder how well she'll be able to keep her secret while surrounded by vigilant eyes.  Not to mention the forced proximity with her sister, whose personality and motivations are painted in a totally different light here than they are in Rose's application, allowing us a different point of view that made it easier to put ourselves in Olivia's shoes.

AND YOU ARE…?

What is your full name, and when were you born?

Olivia gave a slight grunt before taking a seat. “Hi to you too….I’m Olivia Ursula Hershey. I was born on April 13th, 2002.”

Have you been claimed, or do you belong to a legacy? If yes, state your godly parent / heritage.

Olivia smirked, clapping her hands together before staring at the interviewer intensely. “I know with a last name like Hershey you think you know the answer already….But surprise! I’m unclaimed. My mom was something else (empousa) and my dad was just my clueless, human dad.”

Where are you currently based? Are you attending a Camp (Half-Blood / Jupiter), or are you living full-time in New Athens / New Rome? Is it a combination of both?

“So I’ve been at the mystical (get it) Camp Half-Blood for three years. But to keep you on your toes, I am a combo girl. I’m attending New Athens High School and between the two things can be pretty intense. Since I’m unclaimed, I get to stay in the Hecate cabin, which is pretty cool.”

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? ( If you’re applying for a canon character, are you diverging from book-canon? If so, how?)

“Oh where do I start? Let’s see….I like hitting things, I don’t have many friends, my sister is a complete bitch who thinks she is better than me, my mom was the only good person in my life and she’s dead, I’m sort of allergic to celestial bronze, and I like to listen to mixtapes.” She sighed. “I don’t really belong anywhere. I’m nothing like my sister in most senses. I like to kiss boys behind the bleachers but then I start to feel weird and have to run….People get lost in my eyes but they always say they don’t see anything. According to my sister, I have no inner beauty and I just don’t think that’s fair. I’m not the smartest book-wise, but I like to think I make up for it people-wise. I’ve spent most of my life so far watching them and seeing them have great lives and great parents and I just want that, I guess? It’s never gonna happen since my bitch sister is really all I have left, but hey, I guess a….thing like me can still dream, right?”

What were you doing prior to The Recall?

“I was doing what I always do. Reacting like I’m supposed to do. I’ve learned it’s not always about how I want to react, because that normally involves something a little more aggressive, but to react like my family wants me to or something. I don’t always go along with that, but when this happened? I knew it was what I had to do.”

SHOWTIME!

“Honey Hershey really was too sweet for words. She was a loving mother, a kind person, and someone who loved with all of her heart. Some would call her a monster; someone that could never feel real love and was made only to kill innocent people, but I knew better….” Olivia placed the rose in her hand next to her mother’s picture frame, sniffling. “When I was six years old, Honey would always read me a bedtime story. Her favorite story was beauty and the beast. She loved to go on and on about inner beauty and how even though the beast looked scary and menacing, he was just misunderstood. She would say, ‘Olivia, people will say the same things about us. As you get older, people will try to tell you what you are because of outer appearance, but don’t let them get to you. I know you’re not a monster and I love you very much.’ I didn’t know what she meant at the time, but it’s been nine years since and I think I’m finally catching on.” She paused. It’s been three years since her mother passed away, but it still felt fresh. On the anniversary of her death, Olivia liked to have a little ceremony for her. She never got the funeral she deserved, at least as far as Olivia knew she didn’t. That didn’t seem right to her. Her mother was a good person, no matter what Rose said.

She cleared her throat. “It is impossible to describe what it feels like to lose your mom. She is someone who guides you, someone who teaches you right from wrong, and someone who cares about you. Honey Hershey cared and loved me very much, and without her I would probably be the monster certain people think I could be….” It was weird how three years could pass and the impact of her mother’s death still haunted her. She couldn’t function without hearing her mother’s voice in her head sometimes. With every cigarette she smoked, every boy she kissed, and every shot she took, she could hear her mother’s disapproval. When she shook her hips to music, she could hear her mother telling her to be careful. When she screamed at Rose to leave her alone, she could hear her mother telling her to give her sister a chance. It was ironic in a sense, given who killed her in the first place.

She could feel the tears brimming at the corner of her eyes and she wiped them quickly, looking back to her mother’s photo. “I love you mom. May you rest easy.” She reached and placed the photo down. That was that. Time to move on. Tender moments like this rarely lasted for Olivia; she didn’t think there was much tenderness in her. If anything, it was an illusion; the half human side of her tried to show itself like that sometimes. But Olivia knew what she was. She was a monster, a beastly kind of thing disguised as a young girl. This side of her, the empousa half, was complicated and Olivia was still trying to understand it as she went along. Unfortunately, she knew that it wasn’t ever going to go far because she spent so much time keeping it hidden. But she could only imagine what would happen if she didn’t. She was at Camp Halfblood for godssake, they would kill her without a second glance.

She looked up at the ceiling. She knew her mom was most likely in tartarus, and beyond that she wasn’t sure. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t wish she was still here, near her, watching her. “Mom,” she began quietly, turning to face the wall of the cabin. “I’m really angry right now. It isn’t fair that you’re here and that bitch you make me call my sister is living a happy life. She’s the murderer! Why does she get a happy life?” She knew no one would answer her. She found herself going from moments of softness to immediate anger frequently. But no one dared try to talk her down from an episode. She bawled her fist in her sheets, tears formed of anger replacing the mourning ones she bared minutes ago. “It’s not fair…..she’s not protecting me. She wasn’t looking out for me or dad….She was looking out for herself. She is the one who was supposed to suffer, I know it mom…..” She could hear the rip in the sheets from gripping them too hard, but Olivia didn’t care. She probably replaced her things more than the average camper. Then again, she wasn’t the average camper. “I just….I just want to do something. I need to feel her suffer too, mom. I suffer every single day still.” Sometimes Olivia wondered why Rose did what she did. Was she jealous that Olivia had a mother who wanted to spend time with her? Was she afraid of Honey? Or was she just a ruthless and uncaring demigod who wanted to see her younger sister be miserable? She wasn’t sure if she would ever get that answer.

The more she let these thoughts settle in her head, the angrier she felt, and before she knew it she was tearing at her pillow, ripping it to shreds until she was clawing at her own hands. Blood bubbled on her palms and that was when Olivia finally felt some sort of release. She looked at the mess that was her bed and sighed. She was going to be in so much trouble again.

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a returning citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                                    Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and War,                                             whose origins stem from Ancient Greece.                                             She is now a member of the City Council                                                and professor at Phoenix University.

FC NAME/GROUP: Park Jiyoon / solo singer GOD NAME: Athena PANTHEON: Greek OCCUPATION: Member of the city council, teaching the occasional course at the Phoenix University, running her own law firm on the side. DEFINING FEATURES: Her eyes are her most defining feature; bright, awake and the colour of silver, almost always carrying an amused gleam to them.

PERSONALITY: Athena has always been known as one of the most levelheaded deities among the Olympians, and that is a reputation that she takes great pride in. She carries herself with a calm and proud, almost regal, demeanor and in many ways that mirrors her personality. She is logical and intelligent, slow to anger and difficult to truly impress. Yet there is almost always an amused glint to her eyes, revealing a woman who is much friendlier than one might think. It might not show on the outside but Athena is liberal with her advice if she thinks you worthy of it, and is no stranger to the occasional joke or tongue-in-cheek pointed comment. Her mind is at all times busy, bustling with ideas and plans of all sorts. Yet she never quite shows how occupied her head keeps her. Somehow she isn’t sure everyone would enjoy a look into the rapid-fire thoughts of a goddess of wisdom.

Although the goddess could best be described as stoic, there are times when that image cracks and gives way. She is so very controlled by her mind that she rarely allows herself to listen to her feelings rather than thinking things through. Athena is never the one to make a decision based on what her heart desires, because that makes you impulsive and irrational and weak and she is none of those things. She is well aware that uncontrolled emotions are a weakness and she fears them. She has seen herself do terrible things to people she held dear, simply because she couldn’t keep her anger or hurt pride under control. No, Athena doesn’t deal with feelings – rationality and well thought through decisions falling much more in her favour.

Athena constantly strives to widen her horizons and to learn new things, because despite being the goddess of wisdom she is not all-knowing. She is simply remarkable at making well-educated guesses, finding patterns and deducing the most probable answer to any question based on the knowledge she has. It is almost always successful of course, as it is at the very essence of her powers. Still, she is well aware that there is so much left in the world to learn, even for a goddess of her prominence.

Thankfully there are books to aid her in that search for increased knowledge. She reads everything from autobiographies and prose to scientific papers and math textbooks. Although most volumes tell her little that she doesn’t already know, they do all at least give her a little more insight into the minds of mortals, and that in it self is reason enough for her to read. You will find that she carries at least three or four books with her at all times. Sure, it may make her handbag ridiculously heavy, but it eases her mind like nothing else knowing she can always grab something to read, would she get some spare time during the day.

She is of course not only a goddess of wisdom, but one of war too, although not in the sense of her brother’s raging violence. No, Athena tackles the art of war like she does everything else: calmly, calculatingly and with a great deal of planning. Her wars are only fought with weapons and violence if it is absolutely necessary and everything else has failed. First and foremost she is a diplomat, one to sit down and talk things through until a compromise has been reached. She is always just, making sure no one side gains unfair advantage over the other. The times Athena favours a side it is only because it clearly deserves to win. When disputes like that make it onto the battlefield, you can rest assured that the goddess will draft out every strategic move to perfection, fighting in the front lines as she leads her side to victory.

HISTORY: The life of Athena started with a disastrous prophecy and the worst headache in history. Her mother Metis had been the first wife of Zeus. It had been predicted that Metis would give birth to a son so powerful that he would beat even his father. To avoid the danger of being overthrown by his own offspring, Zeus decided to attack the source and swallow Metis whole. Unfortunately for the king of the gods, Metis was already pregnant. It didn’t take long before Zeus was hit with a headache so terrible that it prompted a fellow god to cleave his head with an axe. Out sprung Athena, fully grown and dressed in full armor.

She soon proved to excel in many things. She was wiser than most other greek deities, skilled at all sorts of handiwork (although particularly good at weaving) and on top of that a remarkable military strategist. As such, Athena was given the title of goddess over a wide range of areas. She was soon busy settling disputes and fights between both immortals and humans as she earned the reputation of being unusually levelheaded and just for being a goddess.

She competed with Poseidon for the patronage of Athens, a city that was still unnamed at the time. The olympians agreed that they would both offer the city a gift, and the one whose gift the citizens preferred would be named the winner. The god struck the earth with his trident and water sprung up, but although it allowed the city to turn into a great sea power, the water was salt and not good to drink. Then Athena stepped forward and planted an olive tree. It gave food, oil and wood to the citizens and they decided the goddess was the winner of the competition. The city was named after her and from that day, she was patron of Athens.

The goddess took an interest in heroes and their endeavors early on, following them all with interest. Oftentimes you could find Athena offering help and advice crucial to the completion of their quests, cheering them on from the sidelines as their biggest supporter. She was considered a mentor of many heroes, both Heracles and Jason being among those, although Odysseus earned the title of her favourite thanks to his bravery and sharp mind.

As the goddess of strategic warfare, Athena never was (and still isn’t) the one to leap headfirst onto the battlefield. She has always preferred trying to talk things through as a first solution, only taking to war when reaching a satisfying agreement proves impossible. At the instances where the only suitable solution was to fight the conflict out, she would be the one to draft out the strategies that without fault would lead the right party to victory. The goddess herself fought of course at the front lines, her battlecry echoing across the battlefield.

Then, somewhere along the way, the sound of weapons clashing against each other turned to high heeled shoes clicking against asphalt.

Athena has lost interest in modern wars, for they are fought without for no good reason. She is still present every time there are negotiations of peace underway, trying her best to mediate but usually leaving feeling disappointed in the outcome. It is better to leave modern day fighting to her brother and other gods more interested in irrational and unnecessary war. She’d rather go without it.

There are other battles to fight that she prefers, that she excels in. As a goddess of law and justice it wasn’t far fetched for her to start up a law firm, one with an impressive record of won court battles (in fact, she has never lost a single one). She is selective with the cases she picks up of course, lately focusing on aiding demigods who have fallen foul of the law and saving their skin to allow them to start anew.

It was only a matter of time before Athena ended up deciding to settle in Mount Phoenix. That she would join the city council to be able to influence the development and government of the city was also nothing but natural. Her hope is that the city will thrive despite being the last outpost of the gods and their children. It is often she who sends letters to demigods unaware of their heritage, telling them about the island sacred to people of their kind. Helping heroes on their way to greatness is after all something that she has always loved to do.

POWERS: Incredibly intelligent. Capable of logic thinking and strategizing to inconceivable levels. Holds a battle cry that offers strength to her forces and strikes fear into the heart of enemies. Possesses great physical strength and is very weapon-savvy. Excelling in all sorts of crafts and handiworks. Able to shift the shape of both herself and others, although that is a power she very rarely uses. STRENGTHS: diplomatic and fair, intelligent and highly logical, possibly one of the most level-headed greek deities, caring and supportive of demigods, battle sense that is hard to match WEAKNESSES: perhaps a tad too proud, may come across as condescending to people she doesn’t deem ”cleaver enough”, out of touch with her own feelings, tends to think things through too much, tends to lose control when sufficiently angered

[divinecalls]

hi....I was wondering, could you give me an idea who my godly parent was? (demigod here. :P) like....what their domain was, and how long they've been around (like, young or old god, I guess?), and mmmmmmmmmmaybe what pantheon they were from if you can get a hint?

High five for demigods. I’m not playing favorites but…….. demigods are my favorites. 

I’ll try to do a reading to describe them, and see if it sounds like any gods we recognize :)

Who they are, in a broad sense: The page of cups. Curiosity, love, youth. In my deck this is depicted as a young woman, rather than a boy as page cards usually are. This goddess is young within her pantheon, but still a major goddess and old compared to humanity. 

Their domain: The ace of wands. Creativity, inspiration, fruitfulness of ideas. This could be a deity associated with the arts.

Their temperament: The knight of pentacles. A down to earth and professional demeanor, but kind. The very definition of what I’d call lawful good. Someone who values hard work and practice. 

Their pantheon: Strength. This is a major pantheon, probably one you’re familiar with. Something with a long history and an organized following.

Now, I don’t want to try to give you a definitive answer, because if it were wrong I’d feel bad for putting you on the wrong path. But I actually do have some guesses about who this could be, and if they feel good to you it might be a place to start. My first guess is the Greek goddess Hebe. She is a goddess of youth, and was a cup bearer to the twelve Olympians- literally the page of cups- before she was replaced by Ganymede. From what I know of her interests and personality, the rest of the reading would support this as well. My other guess would be a muse, one of the Greek goddesses of the arts. Maybe look them up and see if you feel drawn to any particular one, or if one of them is the muse of an art that you yourself have a natural talent for. Also, consider goddesses from other pantheons that might be the equivalents of these, such as Hebe’s Roman counterpart Juventas.

I’d love to hear from you again on what you thought of this reading and if any of that felt helpful. 

-Mod Achaios

[pokemonruby]

🖊🖊🖊 talk about the ocs that have been on your mind lately!

well, i’ve been brainstorming a lot for my fantasy OCs so i guess i can talk about them a bit! :0c the world itself is still in development though so i’ll probably avoid mentioning plot details and focus on the OCs themselves! 

seraphina can be considered the protagonist of this little plot i’m developing - a kindhearted mage who deeply cares for the world and will do whatever is necessary to defend it. needless to say, she upholds the title of “heroine” pretty well; however, she isn’t your generic RPG protagonist in the slightest. after all, seraphina happens to be a demigod; the product of a human and a goddess - specifically, the goddess of life itself, known as “gaea”. however, seraphina is unaware of this fact considering she was ripped away from her father at a young age. he was slew by selfish people who desired to experiment on seraphina in order to achieve godhood themselves... just as they’ve done with her mother unfortunately. she managed to escape and wounded up in the care of caspian, her mentor and guardian figure - the person who taught her magic in the first place. they made a promise to seraphina’s father that they’d protect her if anything were to happen to him, after all. 

i’ll go a little more in-depth about seraphina’s personality while i’m at it! like i mentioned, she is a compassionate and selfless individual with a tremendous heart. she can also be a bit airheaded at times, as well as a clutz; however, seraphina truly means well with everything she does. seraphina also has a knack for “changing” people, in a sense... an example would be my other OC, asa. you see, they’re a deity with little remorse for humankind due to all the trauma they’ve undergone in the past, and has become a catalyst for many tragedies throughout time; sparked simply for their own amusement. asa had built sturdy walls between themself and the rest of the world... yet seraphina managed to break through and befriend asa regardless of the atrocities they’ve committed. what i’m trying to say is, seraphina could probably fight god and win.

oh, and i think i’ll talk a bit about the kind of magic seraphina uses! i love brainstorming different movesets she could have if she were represented in an RPG (my dream tbh). she’s fond of light and earth spells primarily; for example, one of her signature attacks would involve a tree sprouting from the ground beneath her opponent. of course, seraphina will use just about any elemental type of spell you can think of. i’d say her magic is reminiscent of zelda’s from super smash bros - very flashy and aesthetically pleasing. and since seraphina has the blood of a life goddess running through her veins, she’s also an incredible healer! 

and i’ll pepper in a couple of my other fantasy OCs in here, those being seraphina’s close friends - the “party”, in a sense. we have toka, a mercenary that is seemingly composed and doesn’t show much emotion; however, in truth he’s a giant crybaby and needs a hug like 24/7. yuffie, a fellow mage who seraphina considers to be her best friend - she’s pretty much the comic relief character, while also simunltaneously being the person who can take charge when the time calls for it. asa, who i’ve already talked a bit about but they’re a mess tbh. chaotic evil at its finest. and a bunch of others who are still in development so i’ll possibly discuss them at a later date! 

and we can’t forget seraphina’s boyfriend, leroy - the tsundere prince of her dreams. their personalities work so well together despite being exact opposites... i guess it’s because i’m a sucker for the bubbly character x the grumpy one. 

love my daughter!