#and i will never get over Aphrodite's and Hera's parts

[buttercup-art]

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH OMG OMG OMG-

[wildissylupus]

More on Epic!Ares cause "The Lovers" section of God Games will not get out of my head. The thing I don't think fans are recognizing is that Ares's last line "pathetic and weak like his son" is very deliberately meant to provoke Athena, it's meant to test why she's doing this.

Consider how Telemachus went into the fight with Antinous, he didn't have a plan, only a goal, and he stood his ground, no cunning techniques only fists. Which is something Ares would agree with doing, not only that but remember what Antinous and the suitors want to do to Penelope, why Telemachus was fighting in the first place. Ares is a god known to be a defender of women, one of his biggest myths is about him killing a son of Poseidon because he assaulted his daughter. Considering that he likely wouldn't call Telemachus weak unless it was to get to Athena.

Which it did and that show of love and protectiveness over Telemachus is what convinced both Ares and Aphrodite to let Odysseus go. They are not ruled by logic and objectivity, which is what prepared her for Hera and Zeus, with Hera, Odysseus never cheating isn't a logical argument but it's what would work on Hera. With Zeus it was more important, Athena showing emotion and showing that vulnerability gave her the ability to sacrifice her pride. At the end of the song she begs Zeus to let Odysseus go, not longer being the "selfish, prideful and vain" Goddess that she was when her and Odysseus parted ways.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

Greek mythology has evolved over the course of hundreds of years, and with all those… retellings now, it’s gotten me thinking about just how many people have been spreading false details of myths through word of mouth to the point of becoming the most common interpretation, when if you were to look back in history, a great number of them were only recently made up, barely a a few centuries prior. Example of this is King Midas and his turning his daughter into a gold statue. I remember this part having been included all throughout my childhood, only to find out it was never part of the original myth but a recent addition in a book from 1852. (suddenly, the daughter being aptly named “Marigold” makes a lot more sense.) My ask is: which commonly told misconception of this type regarding any Greek myth is most infuriating to you and why?

oh my god misinformation can be INFURIATING smh

Let's start off with the Apollo misinformation.

"He raped Persephone/is a serial rapist!"

First of all, no he did not. LO, toss yourself into an eternal blaze and incinerate.

and secondly- he's not a serial rapist. There's only two accounts of rape, specifically Dryope and Creusa, but that depends on interpretation and the source so if you want to discard it, you can. No one can tell you you can't.

"UwU Apollo's love life is terrible!"

do i even need to say anything?

"Athena hates women!"

hell to the fuck no. the evidence people use for this is the Medusa Myth: Ovid's Version, and CONVIENTLY IGNORE THE ONES WHERE SHE HELPS WOMEN ESCAPE BEING RAPED!! AND THAT OVID IS THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES THIS!!

Even with the ones where she punishes the victim, the older versions do not have that! She made Nicymene her eternal owl companion, for heaven's sake!

"Hermes/Dionysus/Hephaestus is the only unproblematic god! UwU"

uh... *waves Leuconoe/Choine/Philonis around* no matter which version you go with, Hermes/Mercury does rape her...

...and in the Dionysica Dionysus rapes like two women...

...and Hephaestus tried to rape Athena... (oh wow, would you look at that...it's like Athena would have *gasp* sympathy for assault survivors...)

...See the double standards? :/ Ignores Roman/late Greek literature when it's convenient, and then exaggerates it to suit their own needs.

"Demeter is a terrible mom!"

GET OUT OF MY HOUSE NO ONE DISRESPECTS THE QUEEN

"Hades only kidnapped Persephone because Zeus told him too!"

Hades is his own man and wasn't being held at gunpoint to abduct her. He did so on his own merits. From a literal perspective, what was stopping him from just. you know. talking to her. kidnapping was not necessary.

(yes, yes, i know about the symbolic perspective, hence my use of 'literal'.)

"But Hades and Persephone are the only ones who don't cheat!!"

uh, nope. Hi Adonis, Minthe, how're you doing?

"But Adonis was more of a son to Persephone!!"

uh, NO. Even the ancients saw them as a couple!!

"Artemis is a girlboss who hates her brother!"

*kicks open door* OUT!

"Orion's the only man Artemis ever loved!"

how dare you disrespect my boy in this way Apollo was the first man she ever loved and no one will be able to replace him how dare you-

-and how dare you disrespect Hippolytus in this way he did not die in the name of all aroace people to be disrespected like this smh

"Zeus's only quality is how he fucks around!"

look, I've joked about this before but I know that's not all there is too him and that it has a symbolic representation.

Sure would be nice if people focused on that more :)

also anything that villainizes Aphrodite or Hera. god forbid women do anything.

"Clytemnestra is a girlboss who did no wrong!"

OH MY GOD THE DOUBLE STANDARDS.

funny how people fawn over Cassandra one moment and then COMPLETELY FORGET HER EXISTENCE to becry the woman who murdered her!

AND ALSO GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO HATE APOLLO FOR CURSING HER WHEN THEIR STORY IS LITERAL ABOUT A WOMAN'S AUTONOMY BEING RESPECTED!!

AND GUESS WHAT!! APOLLO AVENGES HER DEATH!!

anything that is "UwU Achilles!" omg i am sick of it.

that bitch had everything coming. he deserved everything he got. Tenes, Troilus, and Hemithea did NOT deserve what he did to them! APOLLO AND PARIS HAD EVERY RIGHT TO TAKE HIM DOWN!

i'm probably forgetting some but here's the one that popped into my head :)

[enehana]

Jason Grace with the cabins

Cabin 1: Zeus. It's just him and Thalia because of the oath. Probably. Hopefully. Jason would be very protective of any younger siblings. He'd use his status as Champion of Juno to try and protect them from her wrath. It would work, for the most part.

Cabin 2: Hera. There isn't any children of Hera. He'd absolutely be chill with the 'adopted' children of Hera, though. Like the Iris cabin.

Cabin 3: Poseidon. Percy Jackson, baby. I don't believe they really compete over much unless its an actual competition or game. They work together just fine. Good friends, only gay sex as a joke. Any other children of Poseidon (that aren't supposed to exist either), Jason wouldn't really talk to. Percy would probably be too protective of them for Jason to have much to do with them.

Cabin 4: Demeter. The Demeter kids would always be asking him if he could change the weather for their gardens. He doesn't. He's too worried that if he tried it would get too out of hand and ruin their gardens. Some of them think the gesture is sweet. Others are more annoyed that he won't try. Cause he's literally the son of Jupiter, he should be able to control his powers. And he can. But he isn't risking it. They probably get along pretty well.

Cabin 5: Ares. The Ares kids are always challenging him to duels and asking to spar. He usually agrees, granted it's a friendly thing. They want to make their dad proud by defeating the son of Jupiter. They don't. Jason wins, and then gives them pointers. This makes them want to fight him more. If he thought it wasn't a friendly thing, he wouldn't fight them unless they actually attacked him. He'd always try to talk through the issue. Jason fully believes he isn't anyone special because his dad is the king of the gods. He thinks they want to spar with him because he genuinely is one of the best and most experienced fighters. Cause that's how Camp Jupiter is. Overall, they probably wouldn't get along well naturally. Zeus wasn't the biggest fan of Ares, so their kids wouldn't be inclined to be playmates or anything. But Jason would always try to work well with them.

Cabin 6: Athena. One of the best combinations. Jason and the Athena kids would be working together constantly. Sparring tips, doing research, teaching younger campers. Jason is built for leadership despite how much he never wanted it. Athena kids want to lead and earn their glory. He would absolutely support them on anything they decided.

Cabin 7: Apollo. I refuse to believe Jason died in TOA. It all happened, but he didn't die. Just no. The Apollo kids would be incredibly grateful for Jason not letting their dad die, especially after he actually started being a good dad. Jason would try to relax with the Apollo kids if he ever got a break. They'd all definitely be great friends.

Cabin 8: Artemis. Thalia Grace. Need I say more?

Cabin 9: Hephaestus. They'd love each other. Hephaestus was not treated great by Zeus and Hera at all. Jason would 100% try to make up for that. AND Jason always tried to befriend the outcasted kids. Hephaestus was one. Leo certainly loved Jason. The potential for Valgrace to be canon was insane. And the electricity. He could charge anything they made. He's strong too. Definitely able to hold up heavy machinery while they worked. He'd be amazing with the Hephaestus cabin.

Cabin 10: Aphrodite. Piper Mclean. Her siblings would love him. The younger Aphrodite kids would look up to Piper so much, so the fact that things ended 'amicably' between them would mean so much. Jason would be caught up on Piper for a long time, and would avoid the Aphrodite cabin for a while. But once he came around, he was there to stay. They were his siblings too, in his eyes. He'd steer them away from the whole rite of passage thing and encourage them to find the person they want to spend the rest of their life with. And he'd understand if they didn't. Jason was so sweet to them, but I can't image that he would date another child of Aphrodite.

Cabin 11: Hermes. Probably a pretty neutral thing. The Hermes kids tend to be tricksters and rule breakers, which Jason is not. He'd try to keep them in line, but he'd also want to maintain a good impression with them. He'd love to make friends with them. He had heard about Luke from Thalia, and he wouldn't forget that. Thalia did throw him off a cliff. But he would never hold Luke's betrayal against them.

Cabin 12: Dionysus. Jason wouldn't be a fan of the Dionysus cabin parties that were definitely against the rules. Dionysus let them happen anyway. The Dionysus kids would try to get Jason to let loose and forget about his responsibilities for a while. It didn't work, but he did appreciate their effort.

Cabin 13: Hades. NICO MOTHERFUCKING DI ANGELO. They're besties of course. If Bianca lived, she would like Jason purely because Nico liked Jason. I don't remember a lot about canon Bianca, but I can't imagine she would really be friends with Jason. Hazel and Jason were absolutely friends. She missed him when he went missing. And Jason always tried to befriend outcasts, and Hades wasn't considered an Olympian despite literally being the king of the underworld, and Nico was outcasted too much for literally no reason. (I love Nico.) Jason would be great with the Hades cabin.

Cabin 14: Iris. Jason briefly met Butch Walker. It wasn't much of anything. The Iris cabin would love Jason. Hera absolutely adores children of Iris because their mother is her personal messenger. Jason is the champion of Juno. So of course being loved by the queen of the gods would put them together too often. They would make pride flags and hold them up to him, silently asking if he's queer. He doesn't understand what they're doing. Genuinely clueless. He just praises their work. Awesome pride flags.

Cabin 15: Hypnos. Jason and the Hypnos kids. With Jason's PTSD induced insomnia, what better combination? They would absolutely be willing to help him sleep at night. The problem isn't even nightmares, he just cannot fall asleep. The Hypnos cabin would let him sleep in there at any time. And Jason would do anything in return. He takes any gesture of kindness towards him very very seriously. He would do anything for the Hypnos kids.

Cabin 16: Nemesis. Mutual respect. The Nemesis kids respect Jason so much. They can sense that he's done so much good and so many bad things have happened to him AND HE'S STILL A GOOD PERSON. They look up to him so much. They have a lot of adoration or maybe even obsession with this man. Jason respects them in turn. He appreciates how they want justice, they want everyone to be equal, and everyone has to follow the rules. They work incredibly well together. The Nemesis kids can link up their powers with an ally so they're in perfect balance during a fight, and holy shit do they do that with Jason. Jason and the Nemesis cabin is unstoppable. Jason by himself is unstoppable (HE DID NOT DIE I SWEAR), so the Nemesis kids being able to put themselves on par with him is insane. But they cannot spar with each other. The Nemesis kids know that Jason deserves to get revenge more than anybody they've ever met (and Percy, Annabeth, Leo, etc.). They just cannot fight against him under any circumstances. They would let him beat them every single time. He would get very frustrated that they wouldn't even try.

Cabin 17: Nike. Honestly, not the best relationship at camp. Definitely not the worst though. Nike kids tend to believe there can only be one victor and that life is an individual game, no teams. Jason wants everyone to win together. Equality amongst everyone. And the Nike kids 100% stand a chance against Jason. They can influence the outcome of any competition, so the chances of them beating Jason in anything skyrocket. But they also know that when it comes to survival they have to work together. They do tend to push in favor of Jason then. But usually, it's the Nike kids VS. Jason Grace. And Jason just wants peace between them.

Cabin 18: Hebe. The Hebe cabin practically worships Jason. They always wanted a relationship with someone like their mother's husband. And Hebe married Heracles, son of Zeus. So when Jason showed up to camp, they got all fancy and fawned over him. Though they did the same thing with Thalia. Jason was not a fan of the attention. He never wanted to be a leader. So when all these attractive, young demigods start begging for his attention, he felt really awkward. And he was raised at Camp Jupiter, where they value skill over parentage greatly. He did not like getting attention because of who his dad was. He wanted to prove himself through his skill. He did not want to be his father. He spends a lot of time avoiding the Hebe cabin, but he is always polite when he can't.

Cabin 19: Tyche. Jason is on relatively good terms with the Tyche cabin. The Tyche kids do have an illegal gambling room set up in their cabin, which Jason is not very happy about. He doesn't try to stop them though. Their ability to give people chronic bad luck stops people from reporting it. And Mr. D doesn't care anyways. If Chiron shut it down, he'd just help them set it back up. The Tyche kids do admire Jason because somehow he's managed to survive for so long. Abandoned by his mother, raised by wolves, was a child soldier his entire life. They figured their mother must like him if he's survived that long, so they like him too.

Cabin 20: Hecate. Half of the Hecate kids like him, and the other half don't. It's mostly the judgey ones that don't like him. The ones that do like him look up to his power and skill and status. They are the Hecate kids that accept Hazel as their own sibling. The ones that don't like him think he isn't very powerful for a son of Jupiter and is weaker than them. They also typically are the ones that are jealous of Hazel for being their mother's favorite. Hecate kids typically use their powers to enhance other camper's powers. They can lend their magic to others to have a greater effect. They do this with Jason. He works well with the Hecate kids when they're willing to.

[sarafangirlart]

Where did the thing about Hephaestus asking for Aphrodite if he freed Hera come from? I've seen it a lot but haven't found any references to og sources

It’s a modern theory based on the François Vase:

“Dionysos leads Hephaistos to the assembled deities on Olympos.

Zeus and Hera seated on thrones are waiting for Hephaistos. Behind them Athena, Ares, Artemis, Poseidon (?) and Hermes. Ares sits dejectedly on a block, his head bowed, his spear pointed down on the ground indicating the failure of his previous attempt to bring Hephaistos back. Athena stands looking at him and pointing with her hands in opposite directions as if to say, you failed while the barbarians succeeded.”

It makes sense to think that maybe Aphrodite was involved in the story in some shape or form, but to say that she was straight up made into a prize by Zeus is such a weird conclusion, for all we know the artists might have added her in there to fill up the empty space or added her there as a sort of foreshadowing of their future marriage. Maybe she was promised to Hephaestus but I don’t buy it bc why does every reference to this story mention the fact that Dionysus convinced Hephaestus to come to Olympus not mention Aphrodite at all? That’s a pretty key part of the story to just omit.

Then there is Ares, I sometimes read ppl claim that Aphrodite sent Ares to get Hephaestus hoping that he’d win (a claim that was so repeated I thought it was legitimate) and that’s way he’s ashamed and on his knees but there is no evidence for that either, it’s way more likely that he feels ashamed bc he failed his mother and queen, Athena bullying him over it probably didn’t help either lol tho I have to wonder why Athena supposedly didn’t try to bring Hephaestus herself, or if she did try and then failed herself, maybe this is a variant where Hephaestus attempts to assault while she was trying to talk to him so she leaves through no fault of her own.

And bc scholars are allowed to make baseless theories, I’ll make my own little headcanon, I think Athena tried to reason with Hephaestus and was about to break through to him until Ares busted in all violent and shit that Hephaestus had to shoo him away with fire and he shut himself in again lol and Athena never stopped berating Ares over it on the way home.

[amazingmsme]

Do you have head canons for how the different gods laugh?

(Besides Hermes lmao, his bird laugh is as iconic as it is well known💀)

Love your blog!

ABSOLUTELY! Decided to throw in everyone from god games as well as Hades, so this got a lil longer than expected lol. I always love doing these, & the gods are such fun characters that I’m dying to see more of! & of course I bully my faves

& Hermes is so iconic, I love his shrill cackle, that man loves a good laugh & never really holds back!

We also kinda got a canon laugh from Calypso when she giggles right after saying goddesses can’t die. I think she has a very light & airy laugh, almost like the twinkling of a bell. Very cute & feminine

Likewise, we heard a bit of what Aeolus sounds like, but that’s more of a snide, condescending laugh that she likes to use when toying with someone. Her more genuine laugh is higher pitched & more of a giggle

For everyone else, I’m going off of pure vibes

I think Athena tries not to laugh because she has a badass image to maintain, & tbh most of the other gods aren’t that funny, or at least they don’t appeal to her sense of humor. She likes more clever & dry witty comedy, which is probably why Ody’s jokes work well on her. He likes to use a lot of fun word play & his timing & physical comedy is just perfect, & catches her off guard enough to draw out a real laugh. She laughs with her full chest, it’s loud & is honestly such a bright, happy sound, probably because it’s so rare to hear. Much to her chagrin, she snorts when she laughs hard enough. When she’s trying to mask her laugh it gets quicker & higher pitched, & she usually tries to muffle it behind her hand

Apollo’s laugh is pretty similar to Hermes, but it’s a bit deeper & not as erratic & sounds like he has more control over his voice. Idk it probably sounds so pretty & smooth, almost like his laugh alone is a song & more than a few gods accuse him of faking it because it just sounds a lil too “perfect.” If you really get him going tho it does tend to take on a more unhinged & frantic pitch, & it gets real hard to tell the difference between the 2

I just know Hephaestus has a really deep & rich laugh, but he doesn’t laugh often. He’s pretty serious & he doesn’t always get every joke tossed his way, but when he does, it’s this really deep, amused chuckle that slowly gets louder the longer he laughs

Aphrodite has the prettiest laugh, it’s not as high pitched as you’d expect from her & almost has a purr to it, but that could just be her infectious, bubbly giggles

So uh, I love Ares way more than I was expecting to from his part in gg & I’m gonna simp for a sec cause I can. But Ares actually loves to have a good time & let loose! His version of that may look a lil more bloody, but he still enjoys a good time! He can still laugh & tell jokes! So I think he wouldn’t bother holding back & just belts out this deep belly laugh that can make you jump if you’re not expecting it. Funnily enough, I think he also would snort a lot when laughing, so maybe it’s a war god thing lmaoooo. He’s also prone to laugh when he’s sparring or in the middle of a fight, & that’s more of a different sound. He gets this crazed look in his eye & his laugh raises an octave & gets a lil faster until it’s this really menacing, crazed cackling that is just as scary as it is endearing

Hera doesn’t laugh as much as she used to, but when she does, it’s this sly sounding, amused chuckle. Even when she’s being sincere, it lowkey sounds like she’s making fun of you. If something actually gets her going, she’ll throw her head back & her laugh actually sounds authentic, but it still has a more smooth, controlled tone much like Apollo

Now for the big 3

Hades doesn’t laugh much, obvi, but when he does, it’s this really low rumbling from deep within his chest, & you don’t really think he’s laughing until you see his shoulders shaking & notice the smile beneath his beard. But it something’s legit funny, he’ll let out this hearty laugh & lean back & will either hug his stomach or slap a knee

Oh Poseidon, you’re gonna fucking hate me for this. But he usually has this calm, really snide snicker/chuckle he does when he’s mocking someone which is like all the time. It’s such a smug sound you just want to slap the shit outta him because it’s so obvious he’s laughing at YOU! But his real laugh has a rich tenor to it, & is way louder than he’d like. & if something really gets him laughing, it starts to get higher pitched before it starts to morph into more of a bubbly, gurgling sound until it sounds like he’s laughing underwater

It’s no surprise that the thunder bringer himself has a downright booming laugh that can shake the heavens themselves if he really lets himself go, but much like his bitch of a brother, he only really does that if he’s laughing at someone. Otherwise, it’s still really deep & loud, it just doesn’t have as much bass to it. If you listen for it, you can hear claps of thunder when he lets out unbridled belly laughs, & when he’s just chuckling you can hear a buzzing static sound like lightning

[ljjsims]

Greek Goddess Legacy Challenge: Generation #3 Hera: Complete

I present you, the Queen herself: Hera!

In your childhood you were constantly pestered by the press, with all the rumors surrounding your parents. And it is not nice, to be hated so much. They don't care you are legitimate, they just care that your mother is an adulteress. You decide there and then you will never be hated by the public again. You will be loved. They will know you for what you can do, and not for what your mother did. You will have the power to shut the press down. You will be famous and rich. When famous actor Zeus proposes you two get married, you accept. You will be the perfect picture for the press. Or so you thought. Turns out Zeus has the same habits your mother had, constantly sharing the bed with others. The press is shaming you once again, this time for being unable to keep your husband faithful. And you hate yourself too. You had promised yourself not to get attached like your dad did. But deep down you are , having grown to love him with the years. That hurt turns to cold anger over the years. He knows divorce is not an option for you, for you will be ruined.

Little bit explanation with the sheets: - First sheet is for describing your current generation, with the challenges you need to do each life-stage. Also, because I love the myths, a bit of mythological background. May it inspire you :) - Second sheet is the preparation sheet for this generation, with important characters for your story. It is technically optional, but I love seeing sims with a backstory in my world, so I would highly recommend it. - Third sheet is for your gens children. They all have their own little challenges if your interested in those. I try to make all of them a bit different from each other, so it doesn’t get boring. Your heir is also on this sheet, but I’ve put their challenges on their own sheets. Stay tuned for those ;) - Fourth sheet is completely optional. If you want sims with names from the myths and love making sims to see them in your world, this is for you! All with a little mythological background ofc, you know me.

Next Generation is Demeter! Previous Generation was Aphrodite First Generation is Gaia

The Greek Goddesses Challenge by LJJ-Sims is a challenge based on the ancient mythical creatures and stories from Greece. I fell in love with Greek mythology in high school and have not let that love go since. In this challenge you will follow 10 deities in their journey through life. Every goddess has a different take on and goal in life. Special about this challenge?  All your kids have little challenges of their own, not only your heir. These challenges are optional, so if you feel like these are too much or just too restricting for you: by all means let them go. I also have sheets for characters that you can make before you start each generation. This gives your challenge a lot more personality and makes it frankly easier and more fun!

A little disclaimer: because I made these gods and goddesses into a legacy challenge, the relationships in the myths don’t exactly match the relationship in this challenge. There is a lot of keep it in the family in mythology, to put it lightly. And apart from the fact that you can’t do that in the Sims, I don’t really like that part. So I didn’t include it, thus the inconsistency. An example: Ares is now Hera’s stepfather instead of her son, which she conceived with her brother  and husband Zeus. This inconsistency can also be found in the stories. It’s just based on and not copied exactly, as Sims live lives that are a lot shorter than those of immortal gods. And it takes a way from the creativity if we just copy the myths. Even if we wanted to do that, it’s quite hard, as every myths has its fair share of variations and some are just completely different stories.

I use the MCCC-mod to alter the length of life states. You can find the days-years ratio here: the boring stuff.

[katerinaaqu]

What is the marriage between Peleus and Thetis like? I read some sources online that Thetis was reluctant to marry him because he was managed to subdue her and she did leave him later???

That is a very good question. It depends on the source. But there is a certain obscurity to the affair between them. For instance to the Herculaneum Papyri, on Hesiod's Catalog of Women references, Thetis was said to be promised or engaged to Zeus as his wife but Hera in her jealousy makes her stand down and make her promise she would marry a mortal instead. In the same series fragments we see that Thetis is kinda presented to Peleus as his promised bride so we talk of an arrangement here. Stasinus also seems to agree and he claims to quote the lost part of Epic Cycle called Cypria, in which he claims is mentioned how Thetis had to stand down from her engagement to Zeus out of fear of Hera's jealousy. Apollodorous even speaks on how Zeus and Poseidon were rivals upon who would get Thetis as his wife.

Pindar seems to speak on the wrestling between them a bit and thatis confirmed in art as well given how often we see Peleus trying to overpower Thetis in some sort of a wrestling match. Apollodorous is more descriptive for he says that Zeus wanted really to marry Thetis off to a mortal and therefore centaur Chiron advises Peleus to grab her hand and hold it the whole time while she transforms till she reverts to her real form, thus making her succumb to marry him.

Melanippides seems to be touching on Pindar's mention on how Thetis's child would be stronger than the immortals and claims that Thetis was already pregnant to Achilles by Zeus instead of Peleus and had to hasten in marriage to cover that fact. This seems a bit far fetched given how Achilles was pretty much mortal and haven't seen that many sources that do comment on that version. The Prophecy of a "more powerful son than Zeus" is touched by Aeschylus though

Quintus Smyrneus seems to make Thetis adress Zeus speaking on her resentment on Peleus, feeling ashamed to be married to a mortal (maybe that is why in the Iliad she tells Zeus that she is the "least honored among gods"). Nonnus even speaks in his Dionysiaca how Thetis didn't want to marry at all but was given to marriage anyways.

Yes in the Iliad Thetis resides in the sea and not in Pthia. It seems like Homer is insinuating that she has left Peleus at that point. It seems this is also in the Argonautica how Peleus is horrified thinking that she was trying to burn Achilles while she was trying to make him immortal over the flame and thus she was furious and fled and never came back By some accounts their separation is simply yet another separation between a god and a human; no god remained close to their mortal lovers forever (see for example Aphrodite, Zeus etc all at some point leave their mortal lovers) to show the passage of time or the differences between gods and mortals.

I hope this helps

[sweetwriter]

Oh To Love

by Sweetwriter

I often feel like Hephaestus, the throwed away one; the ugly one; the crafter. People only care about the craft and never the crafter. 

I write this story, as a manifestation of a love I would like to receive. 

Hephaestus!Reiner x black reader (at certain points)

this chapter and a couple other chapters are going to be build ups to the love story of Reiner x YN

Heads up: abandonment, self hate, rejection, shame, angst, fluff, maybe smut (later) idk, happy ending :)

This story is based off the poem by Nikola Gill the story of Hephaestus 

“He is dismembered! He will bring shame to my womb” 

Hephaestus hears this conversation, ears pressed against the marble doors.  Looking down at his legs, they didn’t look different to him- I guess it should make sense that the rest of the Pantheon just chooses to completely ignore him. He thought that it was the fact that he wasn't as confident as his brother, Ares or well loved like his half brother, Heracles; nor was he wise like his half sister Athena. But, he thought that people did not mind, he is still young finding his way. 

“You know it is rude to eavesdrop, Hephaestus.” He turns around to see Aphrodite, his aphrodite. He had loved her for as long as he has known what love was. 

“They are talking about my appearance again. How come they never talk about my projects- the very crown she has on her head is a design I created.” He sighs. It has been a time where Hephaestus has conceded that he is gifted in crafts work. He often spent time mining near volcanoes to search for precious gems he will use for his next project. It is nearing his birthday, no one really remembers, so he decided to make a gift for himself.  

“Appearances are everything to an Olympian, we are perfect beings, when one is imperfect, what will that do to the Pantheon” she says softly. Hephaestus notices she often does that, she is harsh with her words and soft with her voice, it does not stop the sting, instead it prolongs it. He is use to the harsh tone. Soft tones are tattooed in his mind forever, for how can forget kindness. But as he grows, he questions whether softness is equivalent to kindness. 

“He looks like a beast because of your transgressions, whoring your love out to whatever you please but your wife. You have put shame on me, and I refuse to accept such thing as a son of mine.” Hera shouted, All Hephaestus saw was his mother storming his way with anger in his face, “mother, what are you” that was all he remembered. 

As he fell that day, all the pain and suffering settled in his chest; The humiliation of being discarded. “Who would want me if Olympus does not desire my presence?” Hephaestus questioned himself for hours as he fell. All the pain and suffering marinating into his bones, the agony wearing down his godly bones. 

He spent his 14th birthday falling from his godliness. His age progressed and his pride of being Olympian diminished.

When he hit the ground his heart rate picked up speed. Gods can not get hurt or feel pain, they say. The agony of falling must’ve weakened his goldy pride because when he fell. Everything held dearly, fell along with that: the pride of being his parent’s child, to be the sibling of all he cares for, the love of another. 

He felt as if his immortal life was over, that there was nothing that he needed to look forward to, all he had to do was aimlessly wander the earth. What he did not expect, was when Hephaestus was thrown off of Olympus and to the mortal realm, he experienced something he had never experienced, love. 

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A/N: HANBDJBFSB sorry it took me so long to get back to writing, I wanted to write all the parts out and then post them individually. I feel less stressed when all the parts are already saved and such. But yeah- leave notes or feedback or anything. maybe even some other mythology x anime ideas. Let me knooooowww

with love,

sweet writer

[chrysanthemumgames]

Me (finding out that “Persephonysus” and Hades share a common relative): …..okay.

Me (Immediately thinking about the culprit before I read further to confirm it): OF COURSE WE SHARE A COMMON RELATIVE!

But I ultimately gave the Zeus a pass, since it’s most likely he didn’t know about it before the forced marriage and he doesn’t seem like my enemy (at least not in my gameplay), though it always amuses me how he gets so angry, even when my joke at his expense is so trivial (and yes, I’ve tried multiple options). He also has a mega huge ego with all his “We” talk, but the Olympic throne situation and my throne situation in the Underworld—I’m not gonna lie, it made me swoon at first—but then after three more play throughs, I felt so bad for Hera that I made a few changes, and I was surprised at how much I love having Hera as a close friend (from her letter to the entire garden scene which was chefs kiss). I always thought FOA demo Hera was a bit cold and didn’t think too much about her—or Zeus—until I decided to merge two deities into one to form my personality/attributes and until the throne situation wouldn’t leave my head. I feel like a traitor for switching up on Hestia and Aphrodite, lol, but I genuinely love Hera’s bond on the friend route the most out of all the options (though I still haven’t tried the enemy Artemis route). I kind of felt bad initially, knowing the myth about how Hera treats Zeus’s children out of wedlock, but Friend!Hermes handled it way better than I thought he would, if confused, maybe a touch sad, but mostly supportive. True bestie material.

I didn’t think too much during the FOA demo, but since I have done multiple playthrough on Hades’ route, over the past two months, I originally thought Hades’s epic ‘arrival’ in the beginning was just to annoy Zeus…actually that might still be true, but from how I seem to always get immensely, yet thankfully momentarily on Zeus’s nerves no matter what I say (due to my people skills—for the “Nysus” part to my Persephonysus), I noticed that Hades might have done that also as a way to protect me via distraction. Even when we were strangers…Swoon 😂

I also love how we have more scenes with the core 6, but also with Makaria and Kerberos (even Daeira and Empusa). On my next playthrough, I’ll finally work with the fates (after doing every other job) and I’ll finally meet Hypnos—for the first time ever. Safe to say, I started playing the demo back in September 2023, but the finished product is way more than I expected, and I love how little changes can drastically change the gameplay and how all of the branching keeps the story cohesive enough, that even through my multiple gameplays over the last two months, I am still finding new options and dialogues, and I know I’ll find even more when I force myself to get off of Hades’ route to play the others. So far I did the initially scared of Hades route, boldly flirting with hades route, shyly flirting with Hades route, a mix of boldly and shyly flirting with Hades route, Platonic friends who stay married route (lol), etc. but the thing is…I never get bored of it and I still find different ways to play on Hades’s route. The only thing I think I can’t do is the (one-sided) enemies to lovers route with Hades, since I’ll doubt he’d be mean to me and it’ll crush my heart to read his responses to me being mean to him.

I'm delighted you enjoy the game, anon, truly.

I'm a little confused though; I'm not sure what common relative you're talking about. Of course, in the myths there are several relatives in common between almost everyone, but I have broken up the family tree quite extensively here.

If you're talking about Harmonia, Iasion (and thus the PC) are only related to her through her mother, and Hades is only related to her through her father, so I guess in some sense she's a common relative, but there isn't anything untoward about the Hades/PC match because of it, if that was the concern.

[11queensupreme11]

Ok so ngl piper is the type of gal that makes me very uncomfortable, like hehehe haha please don’t heat near me or talk to me kind of unconditionally.

Like hear me out here but if you find out the guy you thought were dating was affected by some weird mist thing. And that all those meme does were fabricated, wouldn’t you idk…. Be consented and not going gaga over him ?!? 😭

Erm also she always speaks about Jason but she’s all like “ but my pookie ookie Jason that I was dating snuck me out and did romantic stuff 🥺” she always fantasies about the fake Jason and doesn’t really get to know the real one. The real Jason from how I’ve read him is more mellow and likes to follow the rules, he’s a pretty loyal guy and by all means he does care about piper and wanted to make things work with her. But she’s had this twisted mist version of him and she keeps on comparing them 🧍🏻‍♀️

Like imagine going out with this girl and all she ever seems to see is some version of you that you never were.

I would be horrified.

Erm anyways i love how you also don’t really like piper cause a lot of fans always side eye me when I say she makes me uncomfy

Thansk queen !

the weirdest part is how desperate she was to make sure jason doesn't regain his memories 💀 she always got paranoid whenever he thought/talked about camp jupiter too 💀����

and how later on, piper kept blaming hera and aphrodite for "pushing her to keep her relationship with jason"??? aphrodite had nothing do to do with it and all hera did was give her the fake memories, PIPER was the one who chose to pursue it even after finding out it was all fake 💀

[mysticaldeanvoidhorse]

Forged in Love

Hephaestus x Aphrodite!reader

Page break credits @firefly-graphics

Master list

Part 6

taglist: @streets-in-paradise @floraroselaughter

taglist open :)

   It had been a while since the party, you weren’t sure how long given that time was pretty irrelevant to you as an immortal, and because it went by so slow and fast thinking about Hephaestus and Zeus’ proclamations, respectively.

You were brought to reality with a knock on your door.

“Hermes!  What are you doing here?”  You always liked him because he was always all over the place, literally and figuratively, but he was harmless yet so full of life.  He never seemed to grow dull of his immortal existence.

“Hi Aphrodite, I am just here to bring a message, but now I gotta fly!  You know Hades, if I am on time it means I am late!”  He said this while handing you a beautifully handwritten letter.  He didn’t even wait for a response before he flew away, and so you went back into your room to open the letter.

Aphrodite, 

     Please join me in my home tomorrow.  We have much to discuss concerning your future.

   ~Hera

     It was impersonal but beautiful handwriting so you had to admire it.  You were nervous it would have to do with Zeus’ comments at the party, as any prospects for a husband were revolting to you.  But there was no way you could say no to the queen, so you sighed and went to pick out an outfit to suit the occasion.  It gave you comfort to throw yourself in the beauty that is fashion.

     Upon arriving at the house of the king and queen once again, walking up the ornate steps seemed less daunting than you imagined.  You were resigned to the fact that they would make you get married, but you steeled yourself in preparation knowing you would say your piece wanting a choice in suitors.

“Welcome, Aphrodite.  Mother is just through there.” Hebe gestured to one of many doors lining the corridor.

“Thank you Hebe”  You said, kindly.  Everything you said came out in a sweet and alluring voice.

You knocked on the open door and walked in.  Hera was sitting, regally sipping on an ornate cup in a poised manner.  She always appeared so confident and poised, you couldn’t help but be a little envious of the regal vibe she projected.

“Come in Aphrodite, thank you for joining me”  She said kindly but with no affection.  You merely nodded knowing she said it out of social niceties knowing you couldn't’ say no.

“It is an honor to be invited as a guest of the queen.”  You replied with the socially expected response.

“There is no need to waste time, I think it is better if I just say it.  My husband has mentioned to you that you will be getting married.”  It was matter of fact, as she set her cup down on the ornate table.  She handed you a cup to which you took with a nod.

“Thank you, yes he mentioned it at the party for Demeter and her daughter, Persephone.”

“He could have had better timing I’m sure, but nevertheless he is convinced you getting married will solve many problems he faces.”

“And what problems do my singleness cause?”  You could tell any charmspeak you possessed was lost on her because she could see right through you.  She raised an eyebrow slightly which was enough to put an end to any tone you might have had, or wanted to give.

“He does not want a war to break out because of you.  He is in the middle of…a delicate matter with Demeter, and doesn’t want another problem on his plate.”  You knew very well he and Demeter didn’t get along, and he didn’t do well with multitasking.

“Do you really think it would come to that?”  You asked, seriously.

“Yes.”  She simply replied.  This flattered you deeply.  Though you didn’t like the idea of the gods, the idea they would fight over you, gave you great strokes.  Fighting over your beauty, for love etc. how could you not be flattered as it was your very essence?  She watched you carefully.

“I do not blame you for enjoying the idea of that, given who you are, but you must understand a war on Olympus, no matter how small, would be…detrimental.  We are still recovering from the Titanomachy, and that was ages ago.  Not everyone was there, but those who were remember and we all feel the impact still.  So, to avoid this, you must be married.  You understand.”  You hadn't thought through it that much other than how it affected you, but you couldn’t argue with her logic.  It did make sense.  A deep sigh,

“What is it that you want of me?”

“Cooperation.  There is no need to fight this and throw any tantrums.”  She gave you a knowing look.

“Hera, I cannot promise to never throw a tantrum, as you say, but the worst of those days are behind me”  You knew she referred to your more immature, selfish, dramatic days in the beginning of your existence.  And you weren’t perfect, but you tried to keep your outbursts to a minimum, even though many situations seemed justified to you.

“Then we are on the same page.  Let me list the eligible gods.”  She pulled out a golden scroll and began.

“Ares, of course, Apollo, Hermes, Dionysus, Hades…” You started to tune her out becoming overwhelmed.  No one on the list was a shock, you had thought of them all too in anticipation for the day, but they all stood out to you, in a bad way.

“Now, these are just eligible, but not a logical choice.  Hades is out, you two would not make a good match, and he needs a strong match as one of the three, no offense”  She could care less if offense was taken and it was; it is never good to hear you are not good enough.

“Dionysus is out.”  You said.  She merely nodded.

“Obviously.” You were glad she agreed, you didn’t know what to expect.

“Hermes is a good choice so he will stay on the list, but Apollo cannot.”

“Agreed”  You said. You hadn’t talked that much with Apollo but he was rumored to be with multiple mortals, and you wanted a faithful husband, though you knew it was unlikely, even given your beauty.  Men can have it all, the most beautiful, the most lovely, the most caring, and they will still give it all up for a few minutes of nothing that doesn’t come half as close to what they have at home. One thing both immortal and mortal men had in common. Hera had her own issues with Apollo, so it was no wonder she wanted him off the list but there was more to it. There always was.  Besides, you felt a kindred spirit in her at this moment knowing finding a husband was important to her, not only because she was the goddess of marriage, but because hers was a sham.  For all her flaws, you never once saw her be unfair when it came to blessing marriages (those that deserved blessing).

“So that leaves Ares and Hermes.”  She said, looking up at you.

“So it seems” You murmured while thinking.  Ares you didn’t want, and Hermes was a nice acquaintance but could you truly make a life with him?

“Personally I do not want Hermes on the list, for a few reasons, but the one thing Zeus agrees with me on is that he wouldn’t care enough about a war starting he would just go with whatever is happening, and only until it was too late start to care about the damage.”

“I would have to agree with your majesties.”  You told her, knowing Ares was the only suitor left.

“So that leaves Ares,”  She said pointedly.

“And he cannot also be taken off the list?”  

“Other than the fact he is a complete oaf, he fits all the criteria needed.”  Hera said.  “Besides, no one else is left on the list.”

“I have to say, I am not surprised at this conclusion, but if it makes a difference I do not want to marry him.”  You told her honestly, without breaking eye contact.  She smirked slightly.

“I assumed as much and I am glad to hear you say it; offering it of your own volition.  I told Zeus you would not want to marry Ares, and it will go over better to tell him you offered it rather than him suspecting me of manipulating you.”

“I would like to think you wouldn’t try, and even if you did, I would be able to not allow myself to be manipulated again.  I am older and hopefully more wise, especially with the company I keep”  You hedged.  She bristled a little.

“Athena is wise, and there are worse friends to have.”  You thought this was the nicest thing she had said about Athena, ever.   “But I need to know, do you even want to get married?”

“I do.”  You didn’t hesitate which only slightly surprised you.  “I am the goddess of love and I want that for myself, and once upon a time I was desperate enough to believe Ares and I had it, but I was young and naive.  I want to marry for love.”

“We can’t all be so fortunate.  Even Posiedon and Amphtrite have their problems, and they put up the best facade.”  You could hear the pain in her voice.

“We can hope.”  You offered.

“Perhaps.”  She seemed diplomatic and unconvinced.  “Anyway, if Ares is so repulsive to you,”  She gave you a knowing look, “There is one more option that wasn’t on the list.”

“And who is that?”

“My son.”

[randomthoughtsfromkaitorodrigeuz]

So I gave different Percy Jackson characters parts in the campfire song for a fanfiction I'm writing and I want to know what you guys think

Will Solace My dad is Apollo He raises the sun He has lots of kids ‘cause he has lots of … fun We wish he would stop Because our cabin is full Oh no He’s kind of a bro And bi as hell too And all of his kids of daddy issues

Beckendorf My dad’s Hephaestus, forger of flames At least my mom didn’t throw me away he’s busy with blueprints and work every day Oh no I know he’s real busy, but I try not to mind I just wish there were time off in his grand design

Leo Valdez So my dad Hephaestus, he’s the god of forges; Gotta admit, he’s not quite that gorgeous; And he gave me powers that make my hands blaze like torches, Oh no And these powers aren’t as great as you’d expect; Because after my mom, all I got was neglect

Pollux My dad’s Dionysus, God of the vine, He is kinda crazy but I do not mind Maybe he‘ll slip me a glass of wine- Mr.D from far away: Uh no! Pollux: Say what you want, I’m not even mad At least I get to see my dad *mic drop*

Mr. D Random camper: Hey Mr. D, who are your parents? Mr. D: No, I don’t sing. Chiron: It's for the kids. Mr. D: You owe me horse… My dad is Zeus … but he’s also my mother It’s really weird, don’t know why I bother See he killed my mom with his true form Oh no Ripped from my dead mom, sewn in a thigh, was born a demigo- Oh never mind!

Holly and Laurel Victor Holly sung: Our Mother is Nike Goddess of the Games Laurel sung: You'd think it'd be cool But turns out it’s lame Both: Oh no Holly: Cause she won't even look at me if I don't win, Laurel: So I keep training every single day, Both: Or she'll show up and take our talents away

Butch My mom is Iris, she sends Hera’s things You’ll know who’s her kids when we start to sprout wings So you can think of my mom the next time you mail things, Oh no! things can be rough When that’s your mom I mean yeah, she’s all right, but one messenger is enough

Nico di Angelo Will: Your turn Nico: No I don’t sing Will: Please Nico: … Fine Nico *sung flatly*: My father is hades, lord of the dead Shadows surround me ghost fill my head. The others all fear me alone I tread Oh no He sits in the underworld watching me weep Meanwhile, I haven’t slept or eaten in over a week Will *spoken*: Are you okay..? Nico *spoken*: …no (…)

Hazel Levesque So my mother decided to summon Pluto And he gave her a curse before going abroad the good of my jewels always being a fraud Oh no For it was too late when I realized And to save us for then I gave up my life

Piper McLean So my mom Aphrodite the goddess of beauty and grace Her powers let me steal things Like it is a race; All I want Is uninterrupted time with my dad Oh no I went from school to school to be reformed yet all I got was one hell*someone yells Hades* of a storm

Percy Jackson So my dad Poseidon is not really that bad I just wish he supported me as my mother had it wouldn’t kill you to pay your child support dad Oh no But I survived two wars now and that’s pretty cool But I wish the first thing said to me wasn’t that I drool

I got a lot of this from the internet and rewrote some of it so that may be why some of it may be similar.

Let me know if you guys have requests, some of my friends have made requests so there might be some more.

[songsofdivinity]

@seaprofound sent a meme: + 👪 for a family-themed headcanon

hc + 🧡 for a friendship-themed headcanon

hc + 💌 for a romance-themed headcanon

for all of your muses !!

Aglaea

Family - She loves being a mother, far more than she thought she would. Raising her daughters was a delight, and they are her pride and joy. She would certainly not be upset if she were to have more children, because building her own family is a joy she never expected but is glad she is now aware of.

Friendship - Her closest friend is probably Aphrodite. She serves her loyally, but the relationship is more of a friendship than anything else. She cherishes it greatly, which is why I hc that she asked for Aphrodite's blessing before she pursued anything with Hephaestus.

Romance - Funnily enough, Aglaea never actually gave much thought to finding love before she fell for Hephaestus. She was perfectly content doing her duties as one of Aphrodite's attendants. I think because so many marriages among the gods are strained, forced, or broken, she decided she could live without any kind of relationship. That isn't to say that she didn't have the occasional dalliance, but she never had or really craved anything serious until she met Heph. She does enjoy romantic gestures though, and a good love story does make her sigh dreamily.

Medusa

Family - Medusa has a pretty good relationship with her gorgon sisters and visited them often prior to her punishment. She felt sad they were unable to mingle with others as she did, and her awareness of their hardships is what made her own transformation so difficult for her. After her transformation, I HC they still visit her from time to time and try to comfort her.

Friendship - While she received attention from plenty of admirers with a sexual or romantic interest in her, I feel like Medusa did struggle to make friends with people, as despite her beauty she still was something inhuman, and so always felt a bit of a barrier between herself and humans. I feel like she had acquaintances more than anything. And of course, post transformation, any chances of friendship with people died.

Romance - Medusa did dream of romance as a young girl, however, she gave up the notion when she dedicated herself to Athena. Her love for the goddess outshone any advances she received, and she knew even if she fell in love, most would be put off by her vow that wouldn't allow for copulation. Poseidon was the only one who made her think about romance again, and in the end she couldn't resist the pull she felt towards him.

Amphitrite

Family - One would think that having so many siblings would be hard, but Amphitrite loves each and every one of them in her own way, though I think she's closest to Thetis and spends the most time with her. She'd never admit to having a favourite sister, though.

Friendship - I like to think she's good friends with her fellow Queens, happily spending time with both Hera and Persephone when she can. They probably have a great time gossiping about the happenings in their respective kingdoms, as well as confiding in and supporting each other when things get tough.

Romance - Amphi had a very idealistic view of romance when she was young and wanted something much like what her parents have. It was part of the reason she fled upon being betrothed to Poseidon, upset that she wasn't getting the romance she'd dreamt of and was instead to marry a god she'd never met. Initially I think she was quite cold in her marriage, but eventually she was won over, and she did fall for Poseidon in the end. Turns out she did get her romance, the order was just a little jumbled.

Pasithea

Family - She doesn't get to see her father as much after her marriage, but I think she gets on well with him and enjoys it when she gets to spend time with him. He's her sole parent, so she tries to keep that connection and would like to see him more often.

Friendship - She's great friends with the Maenads and sometimes roams with them if the mood strikes. What's better than roaming about with the girls and having wild parties?

Romance - Pasithea had a fair few relationships before her marriage, but none were ever particularly serious or led anywhere. She never really gave thought to falling in love beyond 'if it happens, it happens'. She was surprised when she was promised to Hypnos, but she was actually pretty chill with it, and once she got to know him, she tumbled quite surprisingly in love.

Minthe

Family - Minthe's only immediate family is her father, Cocytus, and she makes every effort to see him when she can. When they're together, it's easy to see where her gloomy personality comes from, so they actually get on pretty well because they understand one another. She loves her father, and truthfully, he's one of the only people she trusts implicitly.

Friendship - Minthe has no close friends, unless you count her father. That's it; that's the headcanon. She is... very lonely.

Romance - Before she met Hades, she had a rather naive view of love, and she assumed her love with Hades would last forever when they were together. After her punishment, that view became tainted, and she now is more guarded with her heart. She still yearns for love, but her already low confidence got knocked even lower after her punishment and separation from Hades, so she fears she will never have it. Especially because she still has some lingering feelings for Hades, making it hard for her to move on.

[kallistcs]

17 for all (or just the main ones) and 9 for paris 👀

Choosing violence, I see. ;) Let's start with nine lol and go from there.

Have you tweaked the character from canon? If so, what did you tweak? Hmm... it feels weird to say "the way he earnestly leans on the divine" both for when it comes to Helen and his faith in that things will turn out right at least initially, war-wise, since we don't have any surviving material that reveals what arguments Paris might have used for himself. But if I have done any big, obvious tweaks, it's probably this.

Like yes, it's at least a little an excuse for him, but also, it has been really interesting to have him earnestly believe that the divine influence and gods involved means he has, if not not done wrong, then done it with more understandable reason, and that they (Troy) will surely be fine because they do still have divine protection. It works out very well together with his general carefree and light personality/attitude.

Are there any ships you can’t stand, why? All righty. I'm going to put this under a cut because it'll get long lol

Ganymede: he doesn't really have any other big ships... I guess the closest would be Hera/Ganymede which I have seen at least once. Aside from how it's definitely been from a "oh, look at them ditch the bad man in their lives and sticking it to him ~together~" or whatever, I definitely... kind of hc Ganymede as way, way too gay for him to ever, ever think of this as a possibility. Never mind that she, you know. Very intently set about destroying his home and family. (Bonus: dark and non-con takes on Zeus/Ganymede. Like. I know why people would interpret it in that way, but I just seriously can't stand it. It's just upsetting, because it goes out of the way to put someone who is completely powerless in a never-ending misery. Aside from that I'm not at all into angst in that manner, part of the point of the fun for me with this ship is that Ganymede, otherwise powerless, gains a whole lot of power exactly because he is loved.)

Paris: ... :') People don't really like Paris enough for there to be any ships to be annoyed by lol Except for Paris being used as an obstacle in Achilles/Patroclus, but he gets that less than Hektor does. Otherwise, the closest would be is that 99% of the Helen/Paris stuff on AO3 is negative in a way that isn't even interesting. To a lesser degree, I guess, Oenone/Paris. But only because of the way it's hammered home he ~abandoned her~ and I'm like. She's a nymph. She doesn't need him in any way a mortal woman might. It's definitely sad to be left by someone you still love, but even if they were, by mortal standards, recognized as married, divorce exists and like. She would have married a teenager while undoubtedly having lived for longer than he has. I don't care about that, but expecting a forever-love from that... (She also definitely is the one with the power between them.)

Adonis: Persephone/Adonis, because I do have some lines in the sand and "woman raising this child as her son and then becoming sexually interested in him" is just... over that line for me lol. Besides, them as purely familial mother&son and Persephone still not wanting to give him up to Aphrodite is much more interesting and fun! (You get fun parallels with Demeter&Persephone that way!)

Angelos: ... girl doesn't have any ships! She doesn't even exist in the same way people have made Makaria exist, fandom-wise! But theoretically, since I hc her as a lesbian, seeing het ships with her would displease me.

Antilochus: ... doesn't really have any ships either. I think what would really piss me off would be making any potential Achilles/Antilochus(/Patroclus) about Patroclus instead (as I just saw a fic imply it was, even when it wasn't even an Achilles/Antilochus ship fic).

Hermaphroditus: The same as above. Buut, honestly Hermaphroditus/Salmacis would just skeeve me out. If one goes with Ovid's version (as my Hermaphroditus does not) she is attempting to assault someone who wants nothing to do with her!

Penthesilea: Oh, this one's easy. Achilles/Penthesilea. Hate any iteration of this, especially when it's not just presented as mutual but her pursuing him. Fuck off about that now. What we have canon-wise is Achilles falling in love/lust with an already-dead woman, no indication of what SHE feels about it. And why would she even be interested in him, anyway??

Teucer: Nothing here, really!

Achilles: ... All right. Achilles/Patroclus, but only because of what fandom and this ship's fans have done with the ship, the characters, and everyone else when it comes to their ship and these characters. It being a juggernaut is just frustrating, but how literally EVERYTHING is made to be about these two, that they are ~the most~ tragic and their story is ~the most~ saddest is like nails on chalk-board. Trojan characters are used as props for this ship, especially Hector who gets pulled in as a handy "third party interested in one of the two", or, in modern AUs, used as a fucking murderer in weird versions of Patroclus' Iliad death.

Dryope and Sinope: Like several others in this list, there's no ships, really. The only thing, I guess, would be for Dryope to be in some sort of tragic love with Apollo, mostly because the version of her story I go with, Apollo and the son she has by him is a byword, at most. It's her nymph companions that are far more important!

[late-to-the-party-99]

Shattering Ivory Keys, Part Four (Finale)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

----------------------

The following day, Hephaestus does as Aphrodite suggests, acting the jealous husband. It feels like bathing in curdled milk. He hates clinging to her wherever she goes, staring down anyone who gets too close. 

Still, it leaves only the fourth and final component of their play: the very public breakup. So he begins to make a fine, shimmering net.

He throws himself into it, staying up late in the forge to get the strands right. He has to get this right; ending this whole sham marriage depends on it. His fingers ache from weaving and re-weaving the invisible threads. 

One night, another set of fingers help unsnarl his wrists from the tangled net. “Two people can work faster than one,” Aglaia says, her voice a low murmur.

A shiver runs through him. It’s selfish, and he hates himself for it. Undoing his tangled net, she’s undoing him all over again. He almost pulls away.

But he sees that look in her eyes again — the softness, the eagerness to be close to him. It might not be selfish.

He agrees. They finish the net together. 

Hephaestus drapes the net over his bed in front of Aphrodite. She doesn’t touch it, now that it’s set. “You know, you didn’t have to make it nearly invisible,” she says, admiration ringing in her voice.

He shrugs. “I had to make it believable that you and Ares wouldn’t notice it. And Aglaia helped too.”

“Did she?”

“...yes.”

Aphrodite puts her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. “I’m the goddess of love.” 

He shifts his weight, looking away. “I know that.”

“I know how you feel about her.”

“I do too,” Hephaestus says after a long pause. It’s the first time he’s admitted it to himself. 

“I’ll tell her,” he continues, surprising himself. But now that the words are out there, he doesn’t want to take them back. He wants a new kind of future. He wants her to look at him the way she looked at him on that balcony every day. And he wants to look at her that way too — if she’ll let him.

He opens his mouth to say so, but Aphrodite smiles at him. “I get it,” she says. “If she’ll have you, you’ve got my blessing.”

“Even after everything?”

“You’re making up for ‘everything.’ I think you’re a good person, even with all of this. And she likes you.”

He picks at the calluses on his thumb. “I don’t deserve it.”

“Nobody deserves anybody or their affections. We earn it. Maybe you’ve earned hers.” Her voice softens. “You’ve definitely earned my forgiveness.”

“I’m glad,” he says, and he means it. He didn’t expect it from her. But it doesn’t remove the weight of his oath on the Styx from his shoulders. It doesn’t kill the anxious, squirming creature in his stomach. Tomorrow. It’s all tomorrow or never.

*********

The net deploys as expected. Aphrodite manages to shed some tears, Ares snarling and thrashing beside her. They sound frantic, near-hysterical. Somehow, they keep from bubbling over into shared laughter. 

The other gods do laugh, but Hephaestus doesn’t care. He only cares about the look on Zeus’ face. He sees the moment his glittering, ivory smile shatters once he realizes he has to return the dowry. 

Hera doesn’t frown. She doesn’t smile, either. Her face spasms into something unreadable, her eyes darting between Hephaestus and the writhing net. 

Cold sweat slides down the back of his neck. Does she know? 

Her eyes settle on him. He forces himself to meet her gaze, even and steady. He doesn’t know what she’s looking for, what she knows. He doesn’t know if she sees a stranger or a son. 

For a moment, her mouth softens in a sad smile. She dips her head in a nod. 

Then her face is blank and smooth again, cold marble turning upwards to Zeus. “Oh, be done with it. This marriage is clearly a farce.”

She puts a little too much emphasis on “farce” for Hephaestus’ liking, but she doesn’t continue. She doesn’t correct Zeus’ interpretation of her words: “I suppose he and a goddess of love and beauty could never work together,” he sighs, massaging his temples. “But the dowry—”

“I’ll pay it,” Poseidon says, exasperated. “Now can we let them out and finally settle down for the evening?” 

“You’re such an old fart,” Hermes shouts back.  There’s no further protests. Hephaestus reaches into his apron and depresses a small button, causing the net to fall away. Aphrodite sits up, grabbing Ares’ arm and hauling him up with her. “Alright, alright. Show’s over.”

It’s over more than the others know, Hephaestus muses. Barring, of course, the final glance he receives from Hera before she sweeps out of the room. He still doesn’t know if he’s a son, but she might not want to be a stranger. He’ll have to decide what he wants.  The other gods follow after Hera. It’s not until they’re gone that Ares stands up from the bed, wincing. “Your net does an excellent job at restraining even gods.”

“I can make some for you,” Hephaestus says, thinking of the battlefield. It’s an apology and an offer to keep talking to each other. It’s a start.

Ares studies him. “I’d like that.”

Aphrodite shakes out her hair, laughing. “That was brilliant! Great performances, all of you. We’ll have to share the good news with Aglaia.”

“I heard it all,” Aglaia calls out, sliding out from behind a curtain. Her face glows with a dazzling smile. 

Hephaestus has a brief debate with himself about whether now is a good time or not. He doubts he’ll work up the courage to do it later. “Can we talk about—”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t even—”

She takes his hand, squeezing it. “We’ll see how it goes, hm?”

And as the weight from his oath on the Styx falls away, he lets himself squeeze back. “We will,” he says.