#a little bit of ancient Greece/Rome

[manichewitz]

why is it that 90% of criticism of the song of achilles just boils down to not accepting the conventions of romance as a genre and wanting it to simply be a different book than what it is? because seriously if you can’t get with the fact that the song of achilles is a queer romance story first and a retelling of the iliad second you’re never gonna make a criticism of it that’s interesting to me. if i wanted to read a book that was accurate to the source material then i would just read the iliad. if i wanted to read a queer romance unfolding on the backdrop of a mythical war i would read the song of achilles. if you dont understand the difference between those two things then your beef with that book is just a waste of time to me

[literallyjusttoa]

I have been obsessed with the idea of Paris coming to the modern day in the same way Midas, Lityerses, and Medea did. Like, If anybody had some unfinished business, it's every citizen of Troy. Anyway here are some different little scenarios I've cooked up about how this silly little war criminal fared after making a mad dash for the doors of death in HoO.

Ok, so in this scenario, Paris is recruited by Gaea just like all the other spirits who come back from the dead. He ends up being tasked with working alongside Octavian. At first, he's driven only by grief and anger at the loss of his own family and city. As they approach Camp Half-Blood, Paris regularly remarks on how happy he is that's he'll be the one storming the walls this time. But over time, he slowly finds himself growing worried about Octavian's sanity. He tries to steer Octavian away from making reckless decisions, but Octavian refuses to back down. Paris sees the deadly fervor of his fellow soldiers in Octavian, and pulls away. From here we split off into two endings. 1. (the sad one) Octavian's fate plays out the same as the books and Paris just has to deal with how his actions unintentionally spurred the young man towards his own death. Or 2. (the happy one) Paris leaving is the wake-up call Octavian needs, and he pulls himself out of battle at the last second, breaking the cycle of hatred and wrath that started at Troy. Pick your fighter I guess.

In this scenario, Paris is not the only one who comes back from the doors of death. Half of the Argo II crew find him in Ancient Greece (Don't ask why he's there instead of Turkey idk shhhhh) And he's very helpful to them in whatever quest they're trying to complete at the time. All's well that ends well, except the OTHER half of the Argo II crew actually just met up with Hector on the other side of Greece lol. Turns out neither brother knows the other is alive, and the Argo II take the time to reunite the pair. I would specifically set this in BoO, and have the focus be on Jason and Leo as parallels for Hector and Paris, especially with them both thinking about sacrificing themselves bc of the prophecy (the whole "storm or fire" thing). Like, my idea is that a lot of emphasis would be put on Hector dying first, and how he sacrificed for Troy, and how Paris wishes he could've saved Hector. And Jason would come away from that thinking "Yes, I want to be Hector, i've made peace with making the final sacrifice to keep my friends safe" and Leo thinking "I'll do what Paris couldn't and give my life so that Jason doesn't have to" and ahhhh angst.

This is a ToA scenario instead of an HoO scenario. Paris and one of his siblings come back to life like in the last one, but instead of it being Hector, this time it's Cassandra. Idk when this would happen in the timeline of ToA, bc those books are so tight knit (maybe the infamous TTT to TON roadtrip) But I would add a little side quest where Apollo and Meg have to find Cassandra bc Nero's trying to kidnap her or smth. They run into Paris while they're searching for Cassandra, and the three of them team up for a lil bit. In this scenario, Paris works as a direct parallel to Apollo, all though he's a bit further behind on his redemption journey. Basically, Apollo feels like he's looking at slightly embarrassing old pictures of himself. When they find Cassandra, Apollo offers a genuine apology for everything he did to her. Emboldened by Apollo's example, Paris also opens up to Cassandra in a way he'd never done before. The two are finally able to air out their shared grief from Troy, and they set out to ... idk New Rome or the Waystation or smth. Either way they're a lot closer as siblings now, and Apollo promises to visit them once the Trials are over.

Of course, these are only my ideas that kinda fit into canon, I have a whole bunch more that go entirely off the rails. Anyways this pathetic little failure of a man has bewitched my body and soul or whatever I love rolling him around like a balled up chewing gum wrapper.

[ozwriterchick]

Spencer Reid fic...

A/Note: This is my first Spencer Reid fic so please be kind. This fic is thanks to @navybrat817 who convinced me to give it a go when I had no faith in being able to write this loveable character.

Characters: Spencer Reid, Other BAU team members; Reader (1 mention of Y/N)

CW: Secret relationship; a bit of angst but not much; some fluff; happy ending; Spencer being a forgetful genius (yes, he's a warning); If i missed anything, let me know

W/C: Approx 2080

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

“Spence, you promised.” You sighed.  This was not the start to your morning you had expected.

Your fiancée, Dr Spencer Reid, lifted his head from his breakfast reading material with a confused look on his face.  He might be a genius with an eidetic memory and one of the main players in the FBI’s famed Behavioural Analysis Unit at Quantico, but he seemed to easily forget the most basic things.

His confusion only lasted until he saw the stack of envelopes in your hand.  “I was supposed to send those, wasn’t I?” he asked.

“They were supposed to go out a week ago Spencer.  The RSVP date is next week!” you reiterated.

“I’m sorry Maat, I’ll send them today.”

You blushed, after all this time, the pet name he gave you when he found out your job and obsession still works on you.

On your 2nd date, Spencer asked what you do for a living.  This led to a deep discussion about your work as a librarian at the Smithsonian and your overpowering obsession with all things ancient history.  In particular, the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, Rome & Greece.

His question of which were your favourites didn’t take long for you to answer.

“Well,” you began “My favourite god is Anubis.  He’s the jackal-headed god of the Egyptian Afterlife and mummification and that kind of thing.  Without Anubis, none of the Pharaohs could enter the eternal afterlife.  He weighed their souls and guided the dead, rich and poor, into the Afterlife.”  You realised he’d gone silent and that maybe you’d just word vomited at him and had probably said Afterlife way too many times. You hoped you hadn’t scared him off.

You looked up at him and opened your mouth to apologize, when you saw such a look of awe on his face that you hadn’t seen on a date in a long time, well if you’re being honest, you’ve probably never seen it.  He’d tell you on the day he proposed that his is when he fell in love with you.  When he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you.

You then, in much fewer words, told him your favourite goddess was Gaia, the Greek goddess of the Earth.

Spencer resolved, at that moment, to read everything he could about these gods and goddesses so he could converse knowledgeably with you.

After he'd done his research, which involved speed reading everything he could find, he decided you were his Maat.  Maat is the goddess of Justice, Harmony and Balance.  When he called you this for the first time, you asked why.  He simply replied that you bring Harmony and Balance are what you bring to his life, it’s what you are for him.

“You’re probably best giving the ones out at work you know, you see them every day.”

He looked at you hesitantly.

“Or are you still not wanting them to know about me?”

This was a small point of contention in your relationship.  Early on, you understood Spencer wanting to keep you safe from the pitfalls of his job.  However, now you are engaged, you thought he’d bring you into that part of his life more.

You know he wants the team, as his pseudo-family, at the wedding, but achieving that would involve actually telling them about you.

Suddenly a plan formed in your brain.  You were glad Spencer’s attention had returned to his breakfast and reading material and he wasn’t looking directly at you, so he didn’t catch on that you were plotting something.

“No, I promise you it’s not that.  There’s just so many important things running through my head at any one time.  I just forgot.”

“Oh, more important than marrying me?” you enquired, a little bit jokingly but also, a little bit seriously.

“Don’t be like that my love, you know that’s not it at all.  I love you so much, I can’t believe I’m the lucky guy that gets to call you my wife soon.”

“I know, it’s just sometimes, I wonder.”

“Well, don’t.   Give them to me, I’ll put them in my satchel now and in the post box on my way to work.”

“Nope, I’m going to send them.  At least that way I know they’re gone and you’re not trying to stall this wedding.”

“Sweetheart” he began, “I’m not stalling.  But if it makes you feel better, then go for it.  At least give me the ones for the team and I’ll give them out today when I get to the office.”

You filtered out the invites for his team, handing them to him and putting the rest in your bag. 

A few minutes later, as he was leaving for work, you gave him a quick peck on the cheek, reminding him that it was his turn to cook tonight.  You smile at the roll of his eyes, he’s not a bad cook but you can guarantee it will be takeout tonight.

You rang Spencer on your lunch break.  He usually took lunch around the same time of day as you, so you knew you could have a conversation without issues of people being around or listening in.  This happened most days he was working in the Quantico office.

During the call, you asked him how his team had reacted to the invitations. You were pretty confident he hadn’t given them out yet and this was all part of the plan.

After he left this morning, you noticed he had, once again, left the envelopes on the kitchen table, forgetting to put them in his satchel.  You knew he hadn’t given them out because he couldn’t, but that also means he hadn’t even tried yet.

“Oh, I haven’t had a chance to give them out yet because…”

“Spencer Walter Reid, I am sensing more and more that there’s something else going on.  If you want to postpone, or cancel, this wedding, you better tell me know.”

Spencer couldn’t believe you would think that, more importantly, he couldn’t believe he’d made you think that.  He knew what the fallout could be of everyone knowing about you and he was just hesitant about that.

"Maat, my love, I’ve never once been hesitant or unsure about marrying you.  It is a big thing, everyone knowing about you, putting you in the line of fire, as it were.  It’s just that massive change that is making me nervous.  Not you.  Not getting married, Never that.”

You sighed loudly. “I believe you Spencer, I just need you to back it up with actions love.  Just promise me they’ll all have their invitations by the end of the day?”

“I promise you, I will give them out today.”

About an hour later, you walked up to the Quantico building asking for SSA Aaron Hotchner, with the envelopes in your bag.  You’d mailed the rest of them, or given them out at your work this morning.

Aaron came down and confirmed your security clearance with the front desk and asked why you didn’t just let Spencer know.  You told him that you’d been waiting on Spencer to give out some invitations and he kept forgetting them so you figured you’d have to do it yourself if you wanted it done, and probably as a surprise.

You hesitated when the lift doors opened on their floor. Were you doing the right thing forcing this to happen?  You didn’t want to irrevocably damage your relationship with Spencer by forcing the meet and greet with the rest of Spencer’s team.

You stepped to the side so that you couldn’t be seen from inside their offices.  “Is this wrong Aaron?” you asked him.  “Maybe I should just take them home and not force this meeting.”

“Listen, you know Spencer loves you, we both know he wants this, but I get why he’s hesitant about, well, sharing you with the team.  Sometimes I wonder, if Hayley hadn’t been exposed to this..”

“Hotch, Spence told me all about what happened, it wasn’t your fault.  I just don’t want to make him angry by forcing the team to meet me, but we are fast approaching the rsvp deadline for this wedding.”

“Do you want me to send him out here.  I really think he’ll be ok with whatever you do.”

“No, let’s do this….” You explain your plan to Hotch who grins like he’s masterminded the whole thing with you.

Hotch opens the door to the BAU offices and walks in with you beside him.  You can’t believe this is the first time you are seeing where Spencer works.  Of course you see the back of his head because his desk kind of faces away from the main doors.  He looks like he’s deeply concentrating on whatever it is that he is reading.

Some of the team members are milling around one of the desks and when you walk in with Hotch they look up to greet him and you see the startled looks on their faces.  They all looked at each other, then back at you and Hotch, waiting for someone to say something.

“Mornin’ Hotch” said the one you pretty much knew to be Derek Morgan.  From Spencer’s detailed descriptions of each person, you were confident you knew who each person was in the group.  “New team member?”

“No Derek.” Hotch replied.

“Well then hello gorgeous Mama” he grabbed your hand to shake it and lifted it to his lips to give you a kiss.

You could see Spencer out of the corner of your eye and he was just working out that a conversation was going on without him that maybe he wanted to be a part of.  You saw him turn around and realise who it was with Hotch.  The look he gave you was both priceless and stunned at the same time.  You could clearly see the confusion on his face as to why you were there.

He stood up hesitantly raising his eyebrows at you.  You gave him a small smile so as not to give anything away.

“Well, I have some invitations for you lovely people to an upcoming event that you might want to attend.  So I came to give them out because my.. ummm.. assistant” you said pinning Spencer with a glare, that none of the team seemed to catch.  “Kept forgetting to post them.”

Spencer heard what you said and his brain was even more confused.  How could you have the invitations, he’d brought them with him that morning.  He lifted his satchel and opened it, realising he had, once again, left them at home.  He looked up at you, suitably apologetic in his glance and then put his head down, got up from his chair and made his way over to the rest of the group as you gave out the envelopes.

“Wait, you forgot Spencer.” Said the one you knew to be JJ.  A sort of best friend to Spencer, who you felt might be the one who felt the most betrayed that he hadn’t told her about you.

“Oh I didn’t forget Spencer” you said. “But maybe you should open the envelopes and you might see why.”

One by one the envelopes were opened and the shocked looks on their faces said it all, as they read:

‘You are cordially invited to the wedding of Y/n Y/l/n and Spencer Reid’

Derek turned to Spencer “Pretty Boy, you dirty dog.  You’ve been gatekeeping this gorgeous woman for how long?”

Spencer walked over to you, put his arm around your waist and replied “Oh, for about 3 years now” he happily turned and gave you a peck on the cheek.

“And you’re getting married?  Spencer, why didn’t you say anything” asked Garcia.

“And why are we only just now meeting her?” JJ again.

“Well, you know with everything, Spence thought it would help keep my safe if as few people as necessary knew about me but, as you can see from those invitations, we’re fast coming up on a certain day that you guys can’t miss.  Please say you’ll all come.  We would so love to have you there and I’d love to get to know all of you better.”

There was a chorus of yes, and of course, and Derek even put in a “try and keep me away”

You were so happy that this had gone well and that Spencer didn’t seem angry at all and that all of his work colleagues really wanted to know you and help celebrate your wedding in a few weeks.

Taglist: @wolfbeanpotion

Let me know if you want to be added.

[canisalbus]

the ask about marriage recently made me think of that thing i thought up when we were chatting about Separation: Machete reading up about how there were some same sex marriages in pagan Rome ages before and disregarding the church for once to have a little ceremony with Vasco out in the countryside. and i thought your tumblr readers would like to think on that

Oh yeah, I remember that! I actually think about it every now and then, but I've yet to do any meaningful research on the idea.

Machete is kind of an antiquity fanboy and it wouldn't be far fetched to say that his fascination and admiration for ancient Greece and Rome might've made it a tiny bit easier for him to accept his orientation. And even if he'd feel uneasy about acting behind his church's back and the ceremony would be purely symbolic, the need to have their union recognized and sealed in some type of way would be immense.

[grecoromanyaoi]

helloo since we're on the topic: top historical fiction (or adjacent) ? can be any time period I just really love your taste in shows/games/etc and am always on the lookout for history inspired media !

thank you!!! im rly glad im like. inspiring other ppl to engage w things im insane abt hudofajsdfdassfsad. anyways. i will probably expand that list bc i literally forgot every single thing i ever read. also i havent watched that many movies so far

ancient times: i havent really watched a lot of movies/series set in ancient times so far :(

rome HBO (2005-2007) (tv series) - OF COURSE. i personally think its one of the best series ever made. they combine political, miliatry history with the lives of every day people in an incredible way. they never let you once engage with the series through modern lenses. according to my teacher (a historian, archeologist & self described 'romaphile') its incredibly historically accurate, mostly the clothing, set designs, characterization, military practices, etc. except for the things they straight up made up, of course.

i really enjoyed gladiator (2000), i think its a masterpiece.

prince of egypt (1998) i guess?

all the asterix movies of course, all the animated ones and most of the live actions. but i wouldnt really call it historical fiction

ok i havent actually finished watching it for now but sebastiane (1976) - an erotic, x rated, gay interpretation of the martyrdom of st sebastian. its in latin also.

wait i cant believe i forgor about assassin's creed odyssey - so far the only one ive played. its so fun and incredibly immersive visually. especially pour moi who cries into the pillow about how ill never experience the ancient world. also you can b a faggot which is always fun. i have things to say about their portrayal of same-sex sexuality and slavery in classical greece but i get why they did that considering its supposed to like. appeal to a lot of people, and a more "historically accurate" portrayal (for example of pederasty or how common slavery was etc.) would b v difficult for a lot of their target audience. alas.

medieval and early modern era:

the name of the rose (1986) - my medieval history teacher literally showed us bits of this movie to teach us about monasteries and monks fhdosiasdjasd.

the borgias (2011-2013) - incredibly messy, lots of political intrigue, and so so fun to watch. about the history of the borgia family. filled to the brim with drama.

the three musketeers (1993) - my favorite adaptation, also coincidentally the one i grew up on. casting tim curry as richelieu was genius. he slays so hard.

i also like bbc's the musketeers (2014-2016) - a neat little series. very fun and entertaining to watch.

outlaw king (2018) - like i dont think most ppl heard of this movie. its about robert the bruce's fight to reclaim the throne of scotland. starring chris pine

vikings (2013-2020) - its fun. i havent watched the entire series tho. dont expect anything resembling historical accuracy

the northman (2022) - you will see something resembling historical accuracy

mihai viteazul (michael the brave) (1971) - a fun movie. very much romanian propaganda tho.

1670 (2023-) - such a fun series!!! incredible cast, shows respect to the actual history and the lives of historical people. really cute and funny.

caravaggio (1986) - a biopic about caravaggio.

wait i also forgor about pentiment - an intriguing, immersive, and incredibly beautiful video game! it has a lot of 'the name of the rose' vibes, with it being a medieval murder mystery taking place in a monastery. its incredibly touching and made me cry, and in the last few years i very rarely cry. also im 99% sure its an indie game? go support the creators!

vaguely-medieval/early modern fantasy:

mirror mirror (2012) - a retelling of snow white. a very fun movie imo, with incredible costume design. julia roberts plays the evil queen and she SLAYS. armie hammer is unfortunately in that movie.

stardust (2007) - one of my fave movies growing up. more modern-inspired but still.

the green knight (2021) - controversial i know but i actually loved this movie! i liked it both as a standalone movie but moreso as a 21st century adaptation to sir gawain and the green knight.

galavant (2015-2016) - !!!!!!! one of the most series ever! they manage to tackle such difficult concepts and conversations with a hilarious wit. so fun to watch. i listen to a lot of the songs still, and rewatch every once in a while.

disenchantment (2018-2023) - very fun to watch, especially the first season.

i also really liked the novel uprooted by naomi novik. its a polish-inspired fantasy.

modern era:

killers of the flower moon (2023) - of course. a masterpiece

aferim! (2015) - a romanian movie set in 19th century wallachia, about two officers, a father and son, who were sent by a nobleman to retrieve an escaped enslaved romani man. a lot of the people in the comments were calling the movie humorous and funny, maybe im missing smth (as im watching with subtitles n dont understand the original language) but it was a very difficult watch for me??

the handmaiden (2016) - need i say more

black sails (2014-2017) - a prequel to the famous novel 'treasure island'. not an easy series to watch. incredibly good.

the favourite (2018) - need i say more pt 2

the rabbi's cat (le chat du rabbin) (2011) - animated movie set in early 20th century algeria. a rabbi's cat learns to talk overnight.

the nice guys (2016) - a fun murder mystery set in the 1970s

o brother, where art thou (2000) - a retelling of the odyssey set in the southern us in the 1930s

victor/victoria (1982) - set in early 20th century paris. julie andrews pretends to be a man and takes on a job as a drag queen. extremely fun, extremely gay movie.

lady chatterley's lover (2022) - very much porn for moms but it was a nice watch imo

amulet (2020) - set in like. idk. sometime in the 20th century. this is a horror movie, deals a lot with misogyny, sa, and so on. i really like it, personally. a lot of people, mostly weird men, dont tho.

the great (2020-2023) - i have mixed feelings about this show. on the one hand, its really fun to watch. on the other hand, its basically ofmd for girls who have public mental breakdowns whenever someone claims corsets were oppressive. and theyre so weird about russians, jesus christ.

disses:

domina (2021-) - i just couldnt get into it, esp since i tried right after finishing rome hbo. it was kind of silly, and not in a good way. takes itself wayyyy to seriously.

i didnt like spartacus (2010-2013) - the dialogue was almost grotesque and the editing, especially the transitions, straight up killed me

damsel (2024) - holy fuck what a trainwreck of a movie. absolute waste of angela basset and robin wright. the only good thing were the costumes.

lancelot du lac (1974) - i just didnt like it at all. couldnt get into it. i guess it was way too french and artsy fartsy for me. a movie that was trying to say both too little and too much at the same time.

i didnt rly like bram stoker's dracula (1992) - i mean. it was a fine movie. it was definitely not the godfather. the movie itself was meh. the visuals tho? absolutely stunning

[arrowheadedbitch]

Been thinking about how Apollo pretty much got stuck with any "etc" job and how this validates my old idea that the reason ancient greece fell was because he went on vacation for a little bit and no one thought to get him back so he decided fuck it, I'm gonna wait here and see how long it takes them to realise I left. And then Rome takes over and Apollo isn't there when it happens which is why he doesn't get a new name.

[jeannereames]

hello dr. reames! I've been wondering if you have some sources you can recommend on fashion and clothing in alexander's empire. greek clothing is a little easier to find, and military dress is decently enough documented, but I was wondering if you know of anything that would talk about the clothing in all the different provinces of persia and possibly cover more than nobility/royalty. image search results are a little lacking on this - many are either not described or the credibility is suspect, not to mention the influences of orientalism. do we have any legit documentation? were there any restrictions in who could wear what? how did the servants and working class dress? how different was clothing in the heart of the empire to, say, the easternmost provinces? how did persians influence dress in the greek city-states they ruled? that sort of thing.

Unfortunately, there aren't many recent books on this. Harry Thurston Peck did a lot of things in the late 1800s, and there are some others from the early 1900s, when there seemed to be a boom of interest, and not just in Greece and Rome. Textiles were a thing, but more in an "oriental exotica" way. There are also nationalist sites that sometimes elide when things started, to intentionally push back the advent of certain clothing trends. Some years back, I was told about a billboard in Tehran showing stone carvings from Persepolis of people wearing the face veil, meant to make modern veiling more palatable for women. Problem: the figures they were showing as "women" were actually MEN. Veiling in the ancient world had a different purpose (namely, the expression of power: I can see you but you can't see me). So there's that sort of thing to beware of. As well as just uncareful research. I've also spotted mention of "lemons" in Achaemenid cooking. Er, no. Citrons yes, lemons no.

Probably the best recent book for Greece is Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones's Aphrodite's Tortoise: the Veiled Women of Ancient Greece. But as the title suggests, it's almost exclusively about women. Fun fact, Lloyd was one of Oliver Stone's advisors on Alexander, at least for clothing. So most of what you see there is pretty accurate, except for whatever the hell that was Angelina Jolie wore as Olympias...because (I've been told) she refused to wear what Lloyd told her to wear. 🙄

Anyway, as you mention, military is easier to find. For others reading, I'll link to the Osprey series on military history that often includes illustrations that give some idea of clothing, but it's military specific. My other complaint is that they're a little too inclined to give the suggestion of "uniforms" in a modern sense, although maybe they've improved on that in recent years.

Harvard has a pretty good website (with long bibliography) about ancient Greek weaving, which would, of course, include a little about making clothing. And there's material on daily life--which includes clothing--in various collections of that sort. Robert Garland has a good one I use in class. But again...Greece.

The Getty has a website with pictures of Persian material from their own collection, but I saw nothing there about clothes.

For Persia...yeah, there's not a lot that I know of, alas. Again Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones might be the best name to chase, as he does both clothing and Persia. You could even email him and ask if he can recommend some material--probably going to be in article form. And it might be in German. A fair bit of good research on the ANE is in German. I just don't know what's out there on clothes, specifically. But he's probably the most likely to.

I do recall an article by Olbrycht that includes, inter alia, a discussion of what pieces of Persian royal wear Alexander adopted. But that's obviously royal, and probably not much help.

That's the best help I can offer. I'm sorry!

Perhaps other people know of reputable sources and can either reply with them or repost with them.

[save-the-villainous-cat]

OH MY WORD I LOVE FLUFF PLEASE I BEG OF YOU WRITE MORE FLUFF WITH SHY VILLAINS IT MAKES ME FEEL THINGS

I love you by the way, I think your very talented and I really love your writting <3 <3 have wonderful day

“You know, when you survive the so-called end of the world three times, you lose a taste for the danger.”

The hero behaved differently today. They had mentioned apocalyptic scenarios three times in the last two hours. They looked distant.

What should’ve been a meeting to discuss negotiated settlements turned into a therapy session and the villain was absolutely the last person on earth who was fit for this job. But when they gazed over at their hero — who was barely paying attention on anything — they felt their heart sink into a depth they didn’t know existed.

The way their fist dug into their cheek, elbow balancing on the table and that slight frown on their face…they didn’t look quite like the hero, more like an aged-up and tired version of them.

“Makes you feel…yeah, makes you feel not much, I suppose,” the hero said. They bit their lip, as if not to cry but the villain only sat there and stared at their nemesis from across the table. Why were they having this conversation? Wasn’t there some friend? Some councillor? Someone else?

They blinked tears out of their eyes, long and thin eyelashes ghosting over their perfect skin until they caught themselves again. They probably had played the role of the happy saviour of the world for too long.

“I think what we’ve settled on is pretty good,” they said painfully forced. “But I cannot guarantee that there won’t be more demands in the future.”

“Uhhh…” Out of all the reactions the villain could’ve had uhhh was probably the worst. Meaningless and stupid. They just couldn’t think. Couldn’t think when the hero was like this. “Y’know…we are, I mean, no — once I… fuck…”

The hero looked at them, eyes sunken in and exhausted but they looked patient, calm. Weirdly out of place in such a brutalist room. Someone strong in a way too cruel world.

“…when Rome fell, the world didn’t end, you know?” the villain said. They felt how their cheeks turned into little ovens. “Society collapsed but…I mean, Rome, the city, still stands and the people…I…sorry, I don’t know what I wanted to say with that.”

The hero smiled softly at them.

“I suppose you’re right…the earth still spins. Isn’t that the only thing that really matters?”

“Not if you’re upset.”

“Just…if feels like nothing. You save the world and it feels like fucking nothing. It feels like you didn’t make any progress. Feels like you didn’t achieve anything. You’ve saved billions of people and you still feel empty. As if it was a coincidence. As if someone else did it. You save the fucking world and still feel like a failure,” the hero said. “It’s stupid, I know…”

The villain dug their teeth into their bottom lip, taking their time. Comforting people wasn’t something they were used to, wasn’t even something they attempted. Thank god, no one really wanted nor needed their help.

But Christ, seeing the hero like this was tearing them up.

“In thousands of years, they’ll talk about you,” the villain said slowly. “I know we tend to…I know people tend to think that we will be forgotten and that it doesn’t matter what we do. But when someone’s as extraordinary as you, they’ll talk about you. Not only because you saved the world. But also for the courage that you show every day.”

They squeezed their hands into fists, nervous but the hero’s facial features relaxed, bringing their old self back.

“We still talk about Rome. About Ancient Greece. They thought they’d last forever and…they do. We know them.” The villain looked up at them. “And they will know you. They’ll remember you forever. Not only as a hero but also as…the person you are. Because the admiration people have for you will always withstand time.”

[ivansergeyevichturgenev]

no matter what i'm starting a new unit on ✨drama and theater✨ which is going to require a ton of scaffolding BUT i'm beyond excited it'll be fun hehe we're going to start with learning about theater and its parts and how to read a play and a little bit of theater history bc we study ancient greece and rome. it'll be fun

[alouiadina]

Ancient Greece/Alexander the Great

So, yesterday, I posted about clegan in Rome, now it's time for Clegan in Greece.

A little backstory before I get into the idea: Alexander the Great was a bit of a conquerer, and a smart one at that. He married I think two women for political reasons, and according to some, might have been in love with one of his generals, whose death may have lead to Alexander's own. (One of the reasons for his death was poisoning, and I think my early western civ teacher said it might have been alcohol poisoning)

Again, like the one for Rome, there are two ways I can see this going:

Bucky is the Alexander the Great stand in, and wherever Gale is set to be from (real or fake), is his next target. Much like irl King Darius III, Gale's father, the ruler of this real/fake place, leads his army into battle (with his family watching) then sees that he's losing, and flees, leaving his army and family behind. And much like Alexander the Great did, when Bucky takes what's left of the Royal family (Gale and his mother, and maybe also Marge) with him and his army, treating them with great respect. Bucky takes note of Gale's hesitance to trust him, so he arranges it so that Gale is the one who brings him his food. After some time, Gale asks why, and Bucky says something along the lines of "So that if you and your family wanted to leave, you could easily poison me and escape." Something in that level of trust does something to Gale, as he knows that his dad doesn't have this level of trust with any member of his family. They eventually grow close, and for what Bucky says to be political reasons to his soldiers, but Gale knows the real reason why, he says that he and Gale are to be married. And maybe they have a Romeo and Juliet ending, with Bucky dying of poisoning, assassination, or a number of infectious diseases (Like Alexander the Great did) and when Gale finds Bucky dead, he isn't long after him.

Gale is the Alexander the Great stand in and Bucky is the Hephaestion stand in. Like Hephaestion, Bucky is Gale's bodyguard and one of his generals. They start out as friends, Gale specifically picking Bucky as his body guard because he was the only one who was brave enough to talk back to him or something. Then it grows into something else when they start expanding Greece. It happens one night in Gale's tent. The next day/night, they'll be fighting with another country, and they don't know how it will end. Bucky is the first one to make a move, and Gale is the one who tops. It actually takes Gale awhile to convince Bucky to top him, mostly due to the views of being a bottom in ancient Greece, which I may accidentally be making up about ancient greece. For political reasons, Gale marries Marge so that when he eventually defeats her father for good, he has more of a claim over where she's from. She is already pregnant when they get married, as she's in love with someone, and Gale says he'll claim the child to avoid scandal, and he'll order her lover to be her guard or something. Then, somewhere near the end of the expansion, Bucky gets killed in action, dying in Gale's arms. Gale ends up winning the battle, and wanting to do more, but his troops want to go home. So, at the party celebrating a successful expansion and the returning to Greece, Gale drinks for the first time in his life. He drinks and drinks and drinks. He drinks more than his troops, more than Bucky ever did. Marge is concerned for him, but he pushes her off, says some mean things, try to apologize, then keeps drinking and starts crying. That's what ends up killing him.

bonus third: Achilles and Patroclus au

[literallyjusttoa]

Ok I have just been scrolling on your blog for like ages now and I just wanna say that I find your greek mythology rants literally so interesting bc a) they are so informative and when reading them it's obvious your dedicated abt it and b) I just love the way you write??? There's so much passion and it makes reading all your posts so interesting. I just love the info dumps especially bc I really want to know more abt greek mythology but I just don't have the time + have no idea where to start finding this information.

Plus I just really really love your art. It's so adorable?? I love your style and the way you draw your characters I just want to bundle them all up and never let go like I am literally etching every last bit into my brain.

Anyways I hope this doesn't seem like weird ☀️

These are like the kindest compliments, thank you!!!!

I'm so glad my passion for mythology comes through in my writing bc I do care so much about greek mythology and like mythology in general, if I thought I could make it in academia I would totally get a job in mythology research it is one of my favorite things. AND! I have a couple of resources I would totally recommend for a good place to start researching!

Theoi.com: oml this is such a phenomenally good resource for greek mythology. It has a whole bunch of different information and all of it is linked back to it's original source from antiquity. I will say that the writing on the website can be a bit dense, but it's not horrible and I could not recommend this site enough as a source for information.

If you have the money to buy a book I would recommend getting a copy of the Apollodorus' Library. This is a collection of mythography (It's like a mythological dictionary) that is thought to have been written around 2nd century BC. So, two plusses. 1. It's a primary source. 2. It has a lot of myths in a small package. Obviously, the original book is in ancient greek, which I sadly have not learned to read, but there are a lot of really good translations in english that are readily available. The one I have was translated by R. Scott Smith and Stephan M. Trzaskoma, and it's really cool because it also has the translated Hyginus' Fabulae, which is also mythography but this time it's roman. So like, two in one go! Woop woop!

After these two resources, I would recommend going trying to find resources that go more in depth on whatever myth catches your eye. Of course, that could be anything, so I can't really offer up a certain book or website for that, but I can give a couple of tips I use when looking into potential sources of information!

Primary resources!!! Always look for primary resources!! These are the sources that are actually from ancient greece, and have little to no additions from an author. I know these sources are usually more dense and harder to get through, but I think it's good to have an understanding of the original myth before you start looking at other people's interpretations of that myth, just so you don't get their thoughts confused with the actual original text. If you're having trouble figuring out if a book or site is a good primary research, search it up and look for reviews! Usually there's at least a couple people talking about how good the source is academic-wise.

I would always encourage researching ancient greek and roman history alongside researching mythology. These myths did not exist in a vacuum, and a lot of the time certain myths and stories are the direct result of the culture and politics of the era. I think the connections between greek mythology and history give you a greater understanding of both topics, and is always a good step!

(Also just my bias showing, but greek art history!!! is so good!!! and tells you so much about the culture!!! and then roman art history is also great!!! Because you get to see how the artists of rome used the cultural and artistic values of greece to create meaning and influence the people!! Like, Octavian purposefully had himself sculpted in a hellenistic style so that people would be less worried about him ruling from such a young age?? That's so interesting!!! I love art history!!!!)

I will say a lot of this does take a lot of time (I only really have time to research now bc it's summer so i'm not in college ;-;) but I really think it's such an interesting field, as you can probably tell by how long this was.

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

🗡️ a while ago you mentioned that you love classical history, what's your favourite time period or myth?

ancient rome > ancient greece ( really only because more familiar with ancient rome. don’t know which prefer if know both equally well). ancient rome know late republic and empire history best. not great with myth. want know more about history and social and cultural better. and latin ( know little bit. bad at it.) and ancient greek ( know nothing). want read the 3 epics

[paeliae-occasionally]

Writeblr interview!

Thanks for the tags @drchenquill and @theink-stainedfolk.

Short stories, novels or poems?

I am currently only working on novels, but I consistently have to write little short stories when parts of the world come up that aren’t relevant to the story. I haven’t written a poem in a while, I might do that.

What genre do you prefer reading?

I read fantasy, sci-fi, the usual but then the other half of my bookshelf is physics and psychology books. I also read lots of books about Ancient Greece and Rome and have recently purchased one on Venice.

What genre do you prefer writing?

The world I am currently writing starts high fantasy then falls, so in the time of the main plot it is more of a general fantasy.

Are you a planner or a write-as-i-go kind of person?

I do plan because otherwise my vague concept of a story will never become a plot, but the outline can change as I go if I feel like another idea would be better.

What music do you listen to while writing the story?

I can’t listen to music while writing. It distracts me. I do however have a constant internal playlist and while working on Kell in the Xaeren WIP I have she used to be mine playing. It is not consistent.

Fav books/movies

Ooh, ok favourite books include: Strange the dreamer, Babel, Piranesi, The wind singer series and The mistborn series. I don’t really watch many movies.

Any Current WIPs?

Yep, They don’t have titles yet but the two I work on the most are Xaeren and Paeliae.

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you, what would your standard outfit be?

Dark blue cloak with many pockets for runes or spell components. I also hide trinkets in there. I would have a flowy blue starry top and black leggings. It would be very breathable and easy to move in and would blend in well with shadows.

Create a character description of yourself.

You look over to the side of the room, and there was nobody there. It was confusing, like a vacuum in space where you knew person should be but they just weren’t. They didn’t break the silence so you couldn’t hear their offer to join them at the table, yet you accepted all the same and sat down. Despite their absence they filled the chair opposite you and didn’t smile because they weren’t there. Still you could feel the amusement that managed to escape them.

Do you like incorporating people you actually know into your writing?

No. It feels weird to write real people. I do steal names but that is about it.

Are you kill-happy with the characters?

I don’t like killing heroes without good reason. I will do it to show stakes or for tragedy but for it to mean anything you have to use it sparingly.

Coffee or Tea while writing?

Neither. Lemonade sometimes.

Slow or Fast writer?

Depends on my mood. If I can focus I can write quite quickly but if I am not on task it takes ages to write anything.

Where/who/what do you find inspiration from?

daydreams, other people’s writing.

If you were put into a fantasy world, what would you be?

I would have magic even if I have to study for another 10 years to get there. Whoever I have to bribe or kill, I will get magic.

Fave book cliche?

Hmm… I love magic/action prologue then cut to our main character on a farm or in regular life somewhere. I use it all to much just to set a tone but it is a bit cliche.

Least fave book cliche?

I hate miscommunication. It can work in comedy settings but if you want a dramatic story and the threat to the characters could be resolved by a short conversation then I get frustrated.

Fave scenes to write?

Conversations. Especially conversations where something new is implied about a character. I love getting a vibe from a character’s dialogue and then seeing it come true later.

Most productive time of day for writing?

Whenever the motivation hits. I schedule writing for the morning around 8-10 I have to get stuff done.

Reason for writing?

The people have to go somewhere. I have had stories before that I have forgotten and it is so sad, I just want to put them somewhere more long lasting than my mind.

Tagging @illarian-rambling, @phoenixradiant, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @leahnardo-da-veggie and @the-golden-comet

[adiprose-abernath]

The Living Exhibit

A nightguard working part time at the Adiprose Museum of History and Science gets a little more than he bargained for when the exhibitor becomes the exhibit

Cw: Male weight gain, immobility, force feeding, unwilling weight gain

Jason headed into his new job, whistling a short tune. It's about 9pm and most to everyone in the facility is gone. He took this as a part time job but he enjoys the new exhibits that come and go. Art pieces and statues, old bones and experiments, histories and mysteries unfolded for the public to see. This museum recently got an addition from a new anonymous benefactor and it would be presented to the public tomorrow.

He slides in his keys and lets out a sigh. He walks to his desk, coffee in hand and proceeds to login. Checking the cameras, he clocks in and proceeds his evening shift. He flips through the different wings: dinosaurs, paleolithic, ancient civilizations like Greece and Rome, and more modern ones of America and Britain. He finally gets to the last camera which was installed today over the new exhibit. It's a gigantic rectangular cube covered in a sheer sheet that the shitty camera can barely display. It appears to be at least 20 feet tall. Curious and with nothing better to do, he heads to the exhibit.

It isn't far, just in the left wing, and he makes it to the chamber. Seeing it in person it dwarfs him. He takes out a little remote from his pocket and clicks it twice, knowing that the camera will be down for its scheduled maintenance so he could get a look at this device. Pulling at the sheet, it comes undone and is revealed in full form.

It is a strange device, with nozzles and buttons galore. Different tubes are filled with multicolored liquids that seem to bubble and churn within a myriad of vats. This all culminates to a singular hose that extends out of the front of the device and a keypad. Emblazoned on the side it says "The Tru-Feed Machine: Prototype 1." Supposedly, according to research, Ipidlay Industries was developing a new machine that was to revolutionize the way they handled world hunger. Why worry about getting the exact ingredients when you could simulate the taste with the appropriate amount of calories. Unfortunately for Jason, what he didn't know was this specific machine was only a prototype which had some...setbacks.

Knowing about its ability to produce any kind of food one could want, he decides to test out the machine a bit and ask it for a mocha latte with marshmallows. He then plinks that into the keyboard and hits the enter key. The machine whirrs to life, beeping and booping, its nozzles and containers mixing and churning and screeching, slowly but surely producing a slurry into the central nozzle. Little by little, it spins and swirls, til a small cup is produced and the nozzle dispenses the concoction in a small sampler for him. Jason takes a sip and, while it certainly was not the exact consistency that he was used to, this was the best mocha he'd ever had. In fact, the one he'd had only a minute before paled in comparison to the one he'd gotten. Hell, he'd never have to bring food here ever again! Of course, it was set to sampler mode so he'd need to adjust it a tiny bit but that could be remedied.

Jason went to the back of the machine and found the sampler module and ripped it out. With a spark, the machine died, but only for a moment. As it came back on, Jason cracked his fingers and prepared an order list. Then, grabbing his bag, he dumped out the food he'd had and input the device the exact same food he'd had. This would be a cinche.

Except that was not what happened. Instead of the nozzle producing a cup, the machine began to whirr and whistle and churn and chortle til it began to shoot a gloopish stream all over the floor. Panicked at the discovery of such a mess, Jason did the only think that he could think to do and placed his mouth on the nozzle.

It was cold and metallic but not altogether unpleasant as streams of marinara and meat sauce and pasta went down his throat. Feeling himself full, he prepared to detach his face from the device before two twin clamps distended from the sides of the machine and clamped onto his hands. Attempting to scream, he tried to yank off the device to no avail watching the screen in front of him, assuming its nutritional mode, attempt to feed like it would an entire African village. Of course, this wasn't the only thing notable of the experience.

His shirt was feeling tightened, the buttons visibly straining against the belly that was blimping beneath it. It wasn't but a second later before he heard a clatter of plastic on the floor, followed by three and four. He was fit prior, with a beautifully sculpted Italian abs akin to the statues they'd taken from Rome. But now, those same abs became hairy flesh that sluggishly popped buttons as dozens upon dozens of calories were pumped inside.

He began to tear up ever so slightly. How the hell was he gonna get a guy now? But those thoughts were pushed away as he felt his belt begin to undo itself, willed by the bloating behemoth of a beach ball belly that was budging against it. With a massive crash, it fell apart clattering to the floor, followed by his pants soon after. Without shirt or pants in the way, he swelled further and further, the perky pecs replaced with plumply pillows. He was red in the face, both from embarrassment, and also from the feeling in his stretching underwear which was being made ever tighter by a feeling in them. Was he...starting to enjoy this?

It didn't take long before the underpants went too. It was around midnight when this occurred and he felt his belly descend and begin to send his center of balance off. He stumbled a bit before collapsing on his ballooning buttocks, fully giving into the great gains. At nearly 4 times the size he began, he used his arms to caress the furry flesh his form was becoming. Soon enough, he could feel himself pass nearly a thousand pounds. It didn't matter though, because in that moment he could feel years of sexual repression go, a blast of white in the underside of his monumental mound. Aroused and truly engulfed in fat, he gave in and found himself drift gently asleep.

The following day came and rather than be shocked or appalled, the museum staff saw an opportunity and made Jason the living lard: a statue made in the gluttony of mankind's greed. You can visit him now and for a bit of extra fun, plug in a couple more meals into his feeding computer. I'm certain he won't mind

[mask131]

A fantasy read-list: A-3

Fantasy read-list

Part A: Ancient fantasy

3) Medieval fantasy - the Arthuriana

While one root of the fantasy genre lies within the mythologies of the world, the other is coming from numerous medieval tales and supernatural stories, most of them being centered around what we call today the “Arthurian myth” or the “Arthuriana”. Though, in truth, the genre of these texts is a bit bigger - it is the “Matter of Britain”, which is larger than the Arthurian texts themselves.

And we will begin our list with... French texts! It might surprise you - you might say “But aren’t Arthurian texts all English?”. No. The Matter of Britain designates all the medieval texts that are not the “Matter of Rome” or the “Matter of Thebes” (aka coming from the texts and topics of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece). Britain is, of course, England, as in “Great-Britain”. But if there is a GREAT Britain, it means there is a “Little Britain”... And this Little Britain is none other than the Bretagne region of France, aka the north-west of France. The Arthurian myth is half-rooted in England, yes, but another half of the origins and founding texts of the Arthurian legend come from France. The famous Broceliande forest is in France, not in England. 

# The founding texts of the French Arthurian literature are without a doubt the novels of Chrétien de Troyes. Considered the very first French novel of history, they created many of the well-known “Arthurian legends” of today. There is a total of five of these novels. Two are indirectly tied to the Arthurian world - Eric and Enide, Cligès. Two are right at the heart of the Arthuriana: Yvain or the Knight of the Lion, as well as Lancelot or the Knight of the Cart. And his final novel is incomplete, but it is the one that created the most famous part of the Arthurian literature: Perceval or the Story of the Grail, the first literary apparition of the famous “Holy Grail” (fun fact: the Grail wasn’t originally a cup, but a fish-plate. Go read the book, you’ll understand Xp). 

# Equating and rivaling Chrétien’s novels, we find the lais of Marie de France. A “lai” is actually a short fiction typical of the Middle-Ages, something halfway between a narrative poem and a fairytale, telling short, concise, but very efficient stories. We have a LOT of lais that came to us anonymously, carrying numerous literary stories or folktales of medieval times - but in France the most famous lais are those attributed to a certain “Mary of France”. She wrote twenty or so VERY famous lais that are seen as one of the defining feature of old medieval French literature. We are talking Bisclaveret, one of the oldest werewolf stories, we are talking of the supernatural romance of Guigemar, we are talking about the twin-shenanigans of Le Fresne, about the tragic love of Chevrefoil, and about the Arthurian lai of Lanval, about a man in love with a fairy but wooed by Guinevere herself. 

Mind you, there are other lais not composed by Marie de France, such as the one of Guingamor or the one of Sir Orfeo, but they are mostly anonymous.

# The works of Robert de Boron. Robert de Boron continued the work started by Chrétien de Troyes (and also took inspiration from the poet’s Wave semi-historical semi-fictional work, such as the Roman de Brut, a historical chronicle where Merlin and dragons appear), and built the next “step” in the Arthurian myth in France. Unfortunately we do not have his full work anymore, merely a fragment of his poem “Merlin” (where he presents the famous story of the “born of a demon” episode), a short “Perceval” story, and his full “Estoire du Graal ou Joseph d’Arimathie”, which is where the background of the Grail as the cup that collected Christ’s blood appears. Together they are considered as “le Petit Cycle du Graal”, “The Small Cycle of the Grail”, preceeding the following item...

# More interestingly, after the enormous success of Chrétien de Troyes’ work, there was an entire series of books that were created, remembered today as the Lancelot-Graal, or the Prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle. These are five texts in prose (in opposition to Chrétien and Boron’s verse works), who continue or rewrite the previous author’s texts - these are L’Estoire del Saint Graal (L’Histoire du Saint Graal/The History of the Holy Grail), L’Estoire de Merlin (L’Histoire de Merlin/Merlin in prose),  Le Lancelot (also called Lancelot in prose or Lancelot proper), La Queste del Saint Graal (The Quest of the Holy Grail), and La Mort d’Artu (The death of Artu). This cycle was followed by three prose texts known as “The Post-Vulgate Cycle” (Histoire du Saint Graal, Merlin, Queste-Mort Artu) which are merely the transcription in prose of some of Boron works, mixed with a rewrite of the “Tristan en prose”, an old novel of the Tristan and Iseult cycle (and the first that links the legendary duo with the Arthurian world).

# The Roman de Perceforest is a quite unique work designed to unite the “romans d’Alexandre” (Alexandrian novels, a big branch of medieval French literature centered around the adventure of Alexander the Great) and the Arthurian novels - more importantly, Perceforest is the oldest known literary version of the fairytale Sleeping Beauty.

# A section should be left here for the various novels involving the fairy Mélusine, one of the main characters of the French medieval legends. In fact, she is recognized (by Georges Dumézil’s work and those that continued it) as one of the two archetypal fairies of the middle-ages (the Melusinian fairy being the fairy entering the human world to live with humans, opposing the Morganian fairy who snatches humans into the otherworld). The legend of Mélusine was most notably recorded in Jean d’Arras “Roman de Mélusine”, and in Coudrette’s own “Roman de Mélusine”.

# There are many, MANY more literary works of medieval France, but to stay in the angle of “ancient fantasy” I will merely quote two more. On one side, la Chanson des quatre fils d’Aymon, a famous medieval epic which notably depicts the figure of Maugis the Enchanter, the other main sorcerer of medieval texts alongside Merlin (he has his own poem, La Chanson de Maugis d’Aigremont). On the other, the one one, the classic, the best-seller, the unavoidable Roman de Renart, the Novel of Reynart, the tentacular set of texts depicting the numerous adventures of the most famous European trickster in an animalistic parody of the Arthurian world.

If we jump outside of France to England, we have a different set of texts:

# The works of Geoffrey of Monmouth. This man wrote some of the earliest works part of the “Arthurian myth”, and from which a lot of elements were taken to create the “Arthuriana”. While his most famous work is “Historia Regum Britanniae”, a semi-historical chronicle of the kings of Britain which contains one of the earliest appearance of King Arthur as we know him today, he also wrote two texts fundamental to the figure of Merlin: Prophetiae Merlini, and Vita Merlini. 

# Otia Imperialia, by Gervase of Tilbury. It was a work created as a gift to emperor Otto V, and it was supposed to be an encyclopedia of geographical, historical and scientific matters - but it is actually containing a LOT of mythical and legendary elements, including entire part of the “Arthurian myth” presented as historical facts - hence its latter name “The Book of Marvels”. 

# Of course, we can’t list the major Arthuriana English works without talking about the most famous one: “Le Morte d’Arthur”, the final result of the “evolution” of the Arthurian myth. Thomas Malory’s attempt at creating a complete legend uniting all of the English and French Arthurian texts (though heavily inspired by the Lancelot-Graal cycle I described above). This text became the “definitive Arthurian text” in England for a very long time - and in more recent days, it was the main inspiration for the famous Arthurian novel “The Once and Future King” by T. H. White.

And while the Arthurian corpus is mostly made of English and French texts, you also have Arthuriana sources in other European countries - such as in Germany, where you can find Lanzelet, by Ulrich von Zazhikhoven, which marks the first apparition of Lancelot in German literature. 

[jocelynwus]

every noah marshall fanfic

under the cut are all the noah marshall fanfics i could find. all respective authors are credited—and massive thanks for their works <3 (and if you'd like me to take it off this list pls lmk!) ps — lmk if i missed some and feel free to tag me in any new fics !

key [editor’s note]  ★ personal fav (BUT THEY ARE ALL GOOD NOAH STANS ARE FR TALENTED) 

a promise by @heartofarcanum

It was no one’s fault really. It was this thing that lived in the woods. This force, this power, corrupting souls left and right. It had ruined lives for centuries, but Jamie wasn’t about to let it ruin Noah’s any further.

★ a seed planted by @galpalaven

In that little bit of time before everything came crashing down, they did make a memory or two. Or, alcohol and high school bullies can make for a nice night, once in a blue moon.

after everything by pinkiegladysgutzman

Noah gives an update on how Connor's doing. Takes place after It Lives Beneath. For everyone who chose Connor because Noah wasn't an option.

as orpheus to eurydice by galpalaven

A story fit for the temples of Ancient Greece and the campfires on the battlefields of Rome, Noah Marshall does the impossible for the only person he's ever truly loved. Noah brings his best friend back from the dead, and lives to tell the tale.

★ brown eyes and cheap whiskey by anonymous :( 

Devon still hates whiskey, and always will. It’s just that.. it’s taste is sweeter, somehow, after it’s passed through Noah’s lips.

★ despair by linkysmommy

Noah experiences the emotional aftermath of MC sacrificing herself to save him and Jane.

everything i couldn’t see before by @hold-me-tight-big-boat

This started as a little drabble based on the soulmate au that the world is black and white until you meet your soulmate then quickly turned into something I could imagine as possibly the introduction for It Lives Book Three. I took the idea that it’d take place in the mountains and kinda ran with it. Seeing as it’s possible for both MCs from book one and two to be dead, there’s also a new MC. 

★ green light by @stayfallentasticc

Noah sees a familiar face in art class; a face he knows all so well. 

head over heels for you by @stunningstans

Takes place during the development of Noah and MC’s relationship. Basically, it’s just fluff.

★ i bet you look good on the dancefloor by @cryinginthebackseat

She rolled her eyes. “You heard me the first time, Marshall. Pretty please? Come on, consider this as our way to celebrate Redfield’s defeat!” Jesus, since when did he celebrate something in general? And now to dance? Amongst the crowd and with her no less? Noah’s head said hard no, he already had a myriad of thoughts in his mind right now, he couldn’t afford getting distracted and when there were feelings in the way, he feared if he couldn’t trust himself to keep his emotion in check. Yet his heart said otherwise. This was Zoey, Noah could never deny her. He would never deny her anything, especially when this could be their last moment on good terms together.

if only by stayfallentasticc

(Written in Noah’s Perspective) Noah finds himself falling for his best friend, but finds himself in denial. How will he react when he confirms MC is dating someone else? 

it lives again by a_sprinkle_of_glitter

last year, dollie sacrificed herself for noah and jane marshall in the hopes of putting an end to the terror in westchester. after a year of nightmares and running from his mistakes, noah has come home. haunted by the memory of his sister and the girl he betrayed (or maybe they're actually haunting him. he doesn't know anymore), he's determined to set things right. he wants to find a way to bring her back, but he'll settle for releasing her from whatever power holds her and giving her rest.

ilitw fic by @it-lives-in-westchester

This is how I personally think MC and Redfield!Noah first meeting went.

★ it lives in the woods by machinehead

[retelling with noah as love interest] 

★ it lives in the woods by @lovelahela

[retelling with noah as presumed li]

it lives everywhere (a collection of it lives au fics) by nitelunne

it lives within us: an it lives retelling by nitelunne 

★ juxtaposed with you  by @moonydaydreams

Lighting never strikes in the same place twice, but a second chance does. Even for someone like Noah Marshall.

late nights by @rainesclan

After an argument between the group, Noah stops by late one night to brainstorm with MC (Kayleigh) about the situation with Redfield.

lighthouse by stayfallentasticc

[dan x noah x mc] Stacy gives Noah the advice to tell Her. He figures he will one day, just not today. Soon after, he finds out - he should’ve. 

★ like happiness by @livesbeneath

she assumes that’s what he’s practicing now; recipes he’s perfected a hundred times over. in this respect, good enough will never be good enough for him. he has more drive than most give him credit for, and without that drive, baby jane’s would be nothing more than a thought scribbled down on a notepad.

lost and found by anonymous

"What do you want from me?!" he shouts. "Why can't I just let you go?" You don't want to let her go, the better part of him says. You know what you have to do.

★ once, twice, forever (although nothing ever lasts that long) by @yawninginf

And while the shadows might still be the same, their inhabitant has changed. And this monster can still recognize the gaze piercing through its darkness. Those eyes… They're familiar. aka: time after that fateful night of homecoming barely passed, until mc (female Devon) returned to find what remained of the one left behind

★ percolating gently by @slothgiirl

au in which jane marshall lives and mc and noah and jane run off to live happily ever after a family of three

pricks and needles by stayfallentasticc

Follows immediately after the end of the latest chapter. MC discovers that Redfield was Jane all along. Will Noah succumb to the darkness that beckons him? Or will MC manage to help him?

★ six feet between by livesbeneath

to be caught trespassing in a cemetery is bad enough without a preceding criminal record. he knows visiting westchester is risky, and that being out in the open isn’t the smartest idea, but he finds it somewhat therapeutic, maybe in a sickening way, to occasionally come full circle after his stops at the ruins. 

★ sharp objects by livesbeneath

noah attempts to avoid bringing feelings to light as the gang marches on redfield a final time.

toss your dirty shoes (in my washing machine heart) by slothgiirl

[connor x mc x noah] mc is planning her wedding to connor and things happen. good things.

★ the end of all things by livesbeneath

it’s three am, and her laugh is in his head. it almost makes him want to live.

the night devon died by @pixelberryjungkook

[drabble]  This is a little account of the night Devon died and took Jane's place (from the perspective of Noah).

the time that came between (+part 2) by linkysmommy

What happened to Noah after Jazmyn Park sacrificed herself and he fled Westchester?

the train ride home is invalid by stayfallenstasticc

[dan x mc x noah] Dan and MC have been dating for quite some time. However, after a football game, Noah decides to tell Dan something important (that he has feelings for MC). 

the road that leads to you by stayfallentasticc

[dan x mc x noah // mainly a dan/mc fit but there are some good noah mc crumbs, such as “Noah’s face brightens, a flash of happiness that Dan hasn’t seen before evident in his face.”] The development of Dan and MC’s relationship; a deeper look into how Dan falls for MC and MC as a whole. The green, red lights and stop signs of their relationship. 

someday by nocturnalknight

Jun confesses. Noah runs. Neither of them can escape their demons, or forget about each other. The span of a years-long yearning.

weekends in westchester by @twyrinehaze

Noah and Devon through 3 different Saturdays, and 3 different years.

what if this storm ends (and i don’t see you) by @zekedorian

set in chapter 14, when the gang is on their way to confront redfield for the final time.

you will never walk alone by @noahpologiste

Right after chapter 8, “Breakdown.”

desperately, desperately by leovaldezismycomfortcharacter

Devon finds it hard to breathe while his friends argue.

friends by @robbiessutcliffe

After Alexei sacrificed himself to take Jane’s place, Noah felt that it was his fault. So a year later, he finds himself going back to the woods. This has been going on for a while, but one day… He's spotted.

forever by @littlebirdofprey

Set before the beginning of It Lives In The Woods during the end of their junior year, Victor wants to reconnect with Noah but doesn't know how.

judas’ kiss by @professor-abeloved

After years of fighting for his life, you finally see him—your best friend, made blood and flesh and bone once more. The reason you've working non-stop for years; the reason your heart beats in anticipation, waiting for the day his own comes to life. The reason the rest of your friends are dead.

of what was everything by littlebirdofprey

Trying anything and everything to help keep Noah as much himself as possible, Victor plays Noah some of his favourite music.

the misfortunes of shadow boy by paperdreams123

Fletcher Blackwood knows that he is still in there, somewhere. And that is all he needs.

the only way is forward by littlebirdofprey

set during ch.19 of It Lives Within. Victor tries to cheer up Noah about food not tasting right since his resurrection

there for you by robbiessutcliffe

Things have been getting harder for Noah at home with everything going on… So who better to go to than his most trusted friend, Alexei?

snowflake kisses by professor-abeloved

Devon's first time in the snow again, was both a familiar memory and a strange dream, realer than anything in the past few months. (It's as if the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.)

run boy run by robbiessutcliffe

This talks about the ending of ILITW, after MC (named Alexei, in this) sacrifices themself.

we lived by dvnlln 

you’re not alone by writerofdoom

Noah attempts to reconcile with the one person he hurt the most.

a collection of fics written by @julia-highstorms

★ home is six feet under by stayfallentasticc

Noah can sense whenever MC (you) is upset. You find solace in the safety in his arms, but you can’t shake off the feeling in the pit of your stomach.

live. die. repeat. by slothgiirl

★ maybe together we can get somewhere by slothgiirl

the gang finds out noah is alive. he and mc have built a life together while no one was paying attention 

★ nothings going to take you from my side by slothgiirl

in which mc deals with the fallout of redfield/jane all while reconnecting with the boy they thought they’d lost forever.

take a deep breath baby by slothgiirl

Noah figures out how to make things right.

the one where mc communes with her ghost boyfriend noah by @slothgiirl

★ the one where noah marshall saves mc by slothgiirl

things you said with too many miles between us by @shreyamistry

through the trees by stayfallentasticc

Noah and MC have drifted apart, will the confrontation leave both sides with answers. 

realizing you’ve fallen in love by shreymistry

Here I bring to you, Ava, Andy, Stacy, Lucas, Lily, Noah, and Dan x MC mini fics!

★ what could have been us by xclipsx

A collection of Noah X MC draft fanfics, I've been keeping ever since the book ended.  whistle me a silent memory There’s so much you wish you could tell them. How much you wished to hear Jane’s laughter one last time. How much you wished to tell Noah just how you felt about him for 12 years. be my endgame Confessing how you feel about your bestfriend turned stranger is kinda hard. Not to mention you're both tired, depressed and awkward around each other. Damn, when can ya'll have a break? “To lay my life for you in a heartbeat. So, what I’m trying to say is that you, Noah Marshall, are my best friend, my most trusted confidant, my rock, my world, my endgame.” ★ rest and peace Relationship established. Kiss Noah Marshall. Fall asleep. In which you stay at home, down with the sickies and Noah tries to be a good best friend but with kisses. [ps. when you're done, listen to this song. thank me later.]

valentine’s day by shreymistry

How you spend Valentine’s Day together. 

again by swansongdive

Tunia Vance didn't believe that the boy wandering around in a red beanie was a murderer. Even as she talks to the ghost of his victim, she doesn't believe it.

★ amen, amen by @littlecrookedheart

[psychological fiction] This takes place 14 years after Jane’s death and roughly 5 years after the events in ILITW. Noah is 22 years old.

another memory by andytomoichi

In the woods, the only thing easier than time to lose track of was memory.

dead and gone by @itspixelberrychoicestime

Being the only one alive, Noah has to face everything he caused. So, what did he do? He ran.

deep run by livon

Sometimes small towns are normal and then sometimes, there are vampires.

ghost pizzas by @skyecrandall

[male mc]  Noah believes that they should try and tame Jane. But will it all go according to plan?

ilitw reunion fic by it-lives-in-westchester

ILITW Gang meets Redfield!Noah again after the events of It Lives Beneath. It's awkward as hell but what did everyone expect 

meet me by the woods by forestfire34720 

“Meet me by the woods. One hour. Tell no one. There’s something you all need to see.” In which Andy, Dan, Stacy, Lucas, Ava, and Lily learn that one friend isn’t quite so unforgivable and another friend may be dead but isn’t lost yet.

the thing about grief by @edeanglory

a look into noah marshall’s grief

lame excuses by somethinginwater

[drabble]  “You use, don’t you?”

★ promises by it-lives-in-westchester

Noah gets caught after attempting to vandalize a house when he was 12, and he has to deal with the consequences idk what else to summarize as it is.

★ seven by anonymous 

He sits alone. Thinking. Thinking far too much. He taps his finger on the table. Sighs. Stares into his coffee, an abyss. One year ago today, seven lives were lost. And he has the blood of all seven on his hands.

untitled? by shreyamistry

Stacy beats Noah the fuCK up! And rest the gang is present. Except for Redfield MC who is in the ruins being sad and lonely and well dead.

anymore i may have missed

⤷ https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Noah%20Marshall/works