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

[buttercup-art]

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH OMG OMG OMG-

[wildwinterlunas]

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.

[englandsgirl18181234]

My brain is being mean today, so would any of y'all be interested in an AU where I make Zeus even worse than usual?

I have this vision in my head of where when Athena is born, Zeus, upon remembering the prophecy about how she'll be be better and smarter than him and Metis combined, basically decides to make her into his own personal weapon so she'll never try to overthrow him.

He does this in secret so that his brothers and the rest of the council won't realize what he's doing and try to turn her against him. It ends up turning into a sleeper agent/winter soldier kind of situation, with Athena basically blacking out when he gives her certain orders.

Pallas's death is one of those orders.

More, including Apollo and Athena angst, under the cut!

And up until God Games it works really well for him, but when she defies him over Odysseus he reacts the way he does in most of my fics and gives her brain damage.

From there, because I love me some angst, he brings Apollo into the same kind of training, basically wanting him as his own personal healer and a way to get his weapon back to full health more quickly.

But pulling in Apollo turns out to be a massive mistake on Zeus's part, not that he realizes it at first, because Apollo is kind to Athena in a way that no one else on Olympus has ever been. He talks to her, heals her, treats her as her own person and not an extension of Zeus.

Athena latches onto him hard, the two of them becoming extremely close and protective of each other.

Zeus actually makes things worse for himself on that front by further isolating the two, basically setting them up in public to be seen as his favorite children and turning the rest of their siblings against them.

Eventually, several millennia later, Zeus gets so out of hand that even Poseidon, Hades, and Hestia(though not Hera) agree that he needs to be brought down. So they call a meeting with the rest of the Olympian Council to decide what to do.

Apollo and Athena are in attendance, but they're both extremely worried about what Zeus will do to them if these efforts to overthrow him fail and he finds out they were part of it.

Aphrodite ends up using her charmspeak on Athena at some point* and Apollo freaks the fuck out upon seeing Aphrodite make Athena 'Go Gray' as they call it.

*Not sure why yet.

Apollo shoves Aphrodite away from Athena and it breaks the charmspeak, waking Athena from her trance.

Athena then also freaks the fuck out, asking Apollo what she had done in a total panic because holes in her memory never mean anything good for anyone.

Apollo calms her down, tells her what happened in detail, then flashes them both out.

Chaos descends.

Apollo pops back in 10 minutes later to threaten Aphrodite into never doing that to Athena again.

And that's all I have so far, but I'm working on more

[snoozify]

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ II. Ode To Aphrodite

Warnings: none

A/N: this is 8k words and I have been working on it since November of last year so hopefully its good and makes sense 😭 also the brown highlighted parts are the actual poem of Ode to Aphrodite.

Deathless Aphrodite, throned in flowers,

Oh, Aphrodite as beautiful as can be sanctifying only the ones she knows will carry her legacy oh so great. The goddess who tied down the fate you sadly can’t change. Roses of all colors, swans, and doves gifting you the prettiest of blessings. The day you were born the sky was as beautiful as can be, the flowers bloomed, and luck was in the air. People gathered around to see the blessing that you were the island cheered and danced all thru the night. Your parents couldn’t stop crying over the fact that Aphordite blessed them of all people.

Your mother prayed to Mother Hera everyday begging and wishing for a child but her prayers would go unanswered. She felt helpless, was she infertile? Was the gods cursing her? She wanted to give up and cried days and nights wanting the opportunity to have the gift of being a mother.

“My dear goddess Hera here my cries” she would breathe out asking just for a chance but she felt like that would never come. She prayed to Artemis, and Eileithyia the goddesses of childbirth and her prayers would go unanswered. She took this as a sign that she wasn't meant to be a mother and instead decided to teach young girls instead. That's where she met Cassandra Kiramman, an Aristocrat and a mother to a cute baby named Caitlyn.

Daughter of Zeus, O terrible enchantress,

“Some place you have” Vi lets out as you nod in agreement, Caitlyn turns to the two of you with a small smile before shifting things around in her room “I wonder what it feels like to live a life of luxury” Vi adds on moving around before she stops at a little jewelry box on a table in a corner.

She picks up the box simply looking at it “must be nice” Vi continues on, Caitlyn skims over at Vi in the corner before speaking “I guess you could say that” Vi places the box down before walking over to the empty bed.

You're still in the same spot you were in since you entered the place just looking at all the art Caitlyn has in her room in awe at how beautiful it is “did you paint all these yourself?” you ask as the blue haired girl nods her head with a soft smile “art is my escape from reality” she says sitting down on the bed she cleaned off you stroll over to lay flat on Caitlyn’s soft comfy bed joining the two.

Stretching out and feeling the expensive linen on your soft body, you wish to sleep here with how comfortable it is you wouldn't wake up a sleeping beauty you would be. “Oh how comfortable this is” you whisper, closing your eyes, Caitlyn and Vi snicker just staring at you, taking in everything from your soft snores to your semi-clothed body.

“You sleep in this big bed alone?” you ask opening your eyes and looking up at Caitlyn she nods her head tracing shapes into your skin with her fingers “does it ever get lonely? I bet it does” you look over at Vi laying her head on your stomach “it does sometimes” she answers. You wonder why a girl living in luxury gets so lonely, she has everything wrapped around her little finger and it seems like it's not enough.

You leaned closer to the blue-haired girl, catching the faint scent of lavender and something uniquely hers. It was comforting, grounding you in a way that nothing else could. Being here with her and Vi made you feel safe, happy like nothing in the world could touch you. You wished this moment could last forever, but deep down, you knew it couldn’t. War didn’t wait for anyone.

Caitlyn suddenly sat up, breaking the quiet. “I want you to meet my mom,” she said with a small, determined smile. Before you could even process her words, she was tugging both you and Vi off the bed, her grip firm and unrelenting.

Caitlyn led the two of you down a long, elegantly decorated corridor, the faint sound of your footsteps echoing against the polished floor. The air felt heavier the farther you walked, as if the weight of what was about to happen was pressing down on you. Finally, she stopped in front of a large wooden door, its intricate carvings hinting at the importance of whatever was on the other side.

She turned to you with a small, reassuring smile, her hand resting on the doorknob. "Wait out here," she said softly, her voice steady but laced with a hint of nervousness. Without waiting for a response, she opened the door and slipped inside, leaving you and Vi alone in the hallway.

As the door clicked shut behind her, silence settled between you and Vi. You glanced at her, trying to gauge what she was feeling, but Vi's expression was unreadable. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall, her usual confidence masking any unease she might have felt.

You shifted on your feet, the stillness of the corridor suddenly feeling stifling as you both waited for whatever came next.

With a mixture of curiosity and unease, you pressed your head against the grand oak door, its cool surface rough beneath your skin. The faint murmurs of voices from within stirred the silence of the corridor, drawing you closer. Though the words were muffled, the tones were unmistakable: Caitlyn's voice, sharp and unwavering, clashing with that of an older woman, measured and commanding.

You strained to make out the words, but the thickness of the wood betrayed you, distorting their exchange into a blur of sounds. Still, you could sense the weight of the conversation, the tension carried in Caitlyn's rapid responses and the occasional pause, heavy with unspoken meaning.

This must be her mother, the woman of power and influence that Caitlyn had mentioned before.

Behind you, Vi stirred, her arms still crossed but her attention now fixed on the door as well. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of concern crossing her face.

"What do you think they're saying?" she muttered, her voice low, almost reverent, as though the corridor itself demanded silence.

You didn’t respond immediately, too focused on the strained tones filtering through the thick barrier.

Whatever was being said, it was clear this was no ordinary exchange, it was a clash of ideals, of expectations, and Caitlyn was standing her ground. You could only hope that whatever awaited beyond the door would not prove too great a trial.

“It sounds like an argument,” you whisper, glancing up at the red-haired woman beside you. Your voice barely carries in the stillness of the corridor, but Vi hears you clearly. Her sharp blue eyes meet yours, and she nods slightly, her expression unreadable.

For a moment, she just stares at you, as if weighing her thoughts, her arms still crossed tightly over her chest. Her presence feels steady, almost grounding, but there’s a flicker of unease behind her confident stance.

You shrug lightly, breaking the silence. “Whatever it could possibly be about…it’s foreign to me,” you admit, your voice softer now, almost hesitant.

You glance back at the door, as if it might somehow reveal its secrets, but it remains steadfastly closed, the voices inside too muffled to decipher.

Vi doesn’t respond right away. Instead, her gaze lingers on you, her brows furrowing slightly. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” she says finally, her voice calm but carrying an edge of tension.

She leans back against the wall, but her eyes never stray far from the door, her jaw tightening as you both return to your uneasy vigil.

The heavy wooden door creaked open, and Caitlyn stepped into the corridor, her expression tight and troubled. The dim light from within the room framed her figure, casting faint shadows that seemed to mirror the weight on her shoulders. Her blue eyes, through clouded with lingering frustration, softened the moment they met yours.

She managed a small, almost apologetic smile, her lips curving faintly as she reached for your hand. Her fingers were warm, trembling just slightly as she gently squeezed yours, as though seeking comfort in your presence.

"My mother would love to see you," she said, her voice steady but laced with a subtle vulnerability that hadn’t been there before. It was an invitation, but also a request, one that carried the weight of trust and the unspoken hope that you’d stand beside her, no matter what awaited inside that room.

Caitlyn and Vi followed closely behind as you stepped into the room, their presence steady and reassuring at your back.

Your gaze immediately fell on an older woman seated elegantly by a small table, a teacup poised delicately in her hand. She looked strikingly like Caitlyn, her features refined, her posture commanding, yet there was a warmth in her eyes that softened her sharp demeanor.

"Y/N, dear, come sit," she said, her voice smooth and inviting, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority. You nodded silently, obeying without hesitation as you crossed the room and took the seat she gestured toward. She watched you closely, her smile growing as she set her teacup down on its saucer with a gentle clink.

"My, I haven’t seen you in ages," she said, her tone tinged with nostalgia. "You were just a wee child the last time I laid eyes on you. And now look at you—practically grown." Her gaze lingered, as if she were trying to reconcile the memory of a child with the person sitting before her.

The weight of her attention was palpable, yet there was a strange comfort in it, like being under the watchful eye of someone who had always expected great things from you.

Caitlyn and Vi settled into the chairs beside you, their silent presence a show of solidarity for whatever Mrs. Kiramman was about to say. The room felt heavier now, tension creeping in like an unseen force. Caitlyn’s mother shifted her gaze, her attention landing squarely on Vi.

Her expression changed almost instantly, a flash of disdain crossing her refined features, sharp and unmistakable. It wasn’t loud or overt, but it was enough to cut through the air like a knife. Vi noticed it immediately.

With this sorrow, with this anguish, break my spirit Lady, not longer!

Her confident demeanor faltered, and she glanced down, avoiding Mrs. Kiramman’s piercing stare.

Caitlyn stiffened beside you, her hand clenching into a fist on the armrest of her chair. You could feel the shift in the room as unspoken tension thickened, a silent battle beginning to brew between mother and daughter.

"As we are all aware, the Romans are at war again," Mrs. Kiramman states, her tone calm but firm as she lifts her teacup to her lips. She takes a delicate sip before continuing, "And my dear daughter is to help."

You glance toward Caitlyn, her blue eyes flickering with sadness as she avoids your gaze. Her hands fidget in her lap, betraying the unease she’s trying to hide. The air in the room feels heavier with each passing moment, the weight of her mother’s expectations pressing down on all of you.

Caitlyn’s jaw tightens, as though she’s holding back words she can’t quite bring herself to say. A pang of sympathy grips your chest, the unspoken tension between the three of you crackling like the distant rumble of a storm on the horizon.

"I don’t want her distracted by lust or love," Mrs. Kiramman adds sharply, her words cutting through the room like a blade. Her focus remains fixed on you, leaving a heavy tension in the air that’s impossible to ignore.

Mrs. Kiramman’s voice was sharp and unwavering as she delivered her verdict. "So, whatever relationship you three have..it ends."

The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating, each syllable cutting like a blade. Caitlyn’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and defiance. "Mother," she said, her voice trembling slightly, though there was a growing steel beneath it.

Vi stiffened beside you, her posture rigid as her fists clenched tightly in her lap. She didn’t say anything, but her jaw tightened, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. You could feel the tension radiating from her, as if she were a coiled spring ready to snap.

"Enough," Mrs. Kiramman continued, her tone icy. "This war demands focus and discipline, not distractions. Love…lust, whatever this is- will only weaken her resolve. I won’t allow it."

Your stomach churned at her words, but you couldn’t find your voice. Caitlyn’s mother’s gaze shifted to you, piercing and unyielding, as if daring you to argue.

But Caitlyn didn’t back down. She rose from her seat, her hands trembling at her sides, but her eyes burned with determination. "You don’t get to decide that for me," she said, her voice firmer now, though you could hear the hurt beneath it. "This isn’t just about war, Mother. It’s about the people I care about. And I won’t abandon them because it’s convenient for you."

The room remained heavy, the air suffused with the weight of unspoken conflict. Mrs. Kiramman’s gaze bore into Caitlyn, her sharp tone slicing through the silence. “Care?” she repeated, her voice cold and incredulous. “How can you care for them when you don’t even know them?”

Caitlyn’s shoulders straightened, her expression hardening into a mask of defiance. “I know enough, Mother. I know their hearts. I know their loyalty. I know they’ve stood by me when no one else would.” Her voice was steady, but the raw emotion behind her words was unmistakable.

Mrs. Kiramman scoffed softly, her teacup clinking against its saucer as she set it down. “Loyalty? Is that what this is? Infatuation wrapped in pretty ideals? You think they’ll stay by your side when things become difficult? When the weight of duty and sacrifice bears down on you? Love is a weakness, Caitlyn. It will blind you, distract you. And in war, that distraction will cost lives.”

Your heart pounded in your chest as you watched the tension rise. Caitlyn, standing at the center of it all, took a deep breath, her voice soft but unshakable. “Mother, you don’t have to approve of them. But you do have to accept that they’re part of my life. I won’t abandon the people I love because it doesn’t fit into your plans.”

Mrs. Kiramman’s voice rose sharply, cutting through the tension like a blade. “Are you stupid, child? You don’t know what love is! You can’t possibly be in love with people you’ve just met!”

Her words hung in the air, laced with disbelief and scorn. Caitlyn flinched slightly, but her expression quickly hardened, defiance simmering beneath her calm exterior.

“You think I don’t know what love is?” Caitlyn shot back, her voice steady but filled with quiet fury. “Love isn’t about how long you’ve known someone, Mother. It’s about trust, loyalty, and connection. And I have that with them.”

Mrs. Kiramman’s eyes narrowed, her tone biting. “They’re strangers, Caitlyn.” Mrs. Kirraman repeated, her tone sharp and unwavering. "You’re placing your faith in people you barely know. Do you really think they’ll stand by you when things get difficult? When the weight of war and responsibility becomes too much? You’re being foolish."

Caitlyn’s eyes narrowed, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "They’re not strangers to me," she replied firmly, her voice steady despite the rising tension in the room. You don’t understand what we’ve been through together, what we’ve already faced."

Mrs. Kiramman scoffed, her expression filled with disdain. "What have you been through? You just met them Caitlyn, this is war, not some childish adventure. You can’t afford to let your heart guide you it will only lead to ruin. Love blinds people, and in your position, you can’t afford that weakness."

Vi’s jaw tightened as her voice calmed but laced with anger. "Weakness? You think caring about someone is a weakness? Caitlyn’s stronger because she has people who care about her, who have her back no matter what."

Mrs. Kiramman’s gaze flicked to Vi, her eyes cold and piercing. "You’re bold to speak about strength, considering you don’t know the first thing about what it means to lead or sacrifice for something greater than yourself."

Vi smirked, though her hands were clenched tightly at her sides. "You think you’ve got me figured out, huh? Guess again. I’ve fought my whole life for survival, for my family, for the people I care about. I know sacrifice better than you think. And I know Caitlyn doesn’t need you trying to control her life."

Mrs. Kiramman’s lips pressed into a thin line, her composure faltering for just a moment before she turned her gaze back to Caitlyn. "Is this what you want, Caitlyn? To tie yourself to people who will only drag you down? To risk everything for fleeting emotions?"

Caitlyn straightened her shoulders, her blue eyes blazing with defiance. "Yes," she said firmly, her voice steady despite the weight of the moment. "If fighting for the people I love means risking everything, then so be it. You can’t control my choices, Mother. Not anymore."

Your heart raced as the tension in the room grew heavier, every word sharpening the divide between them. Caitlyn took a step forward, her hands trembling slightly, but her resolve unwavering.

"Mother," she began, her voice carrying a quiet strength, "you’ve spent my entire life trying to mold me into your vision of who I should be. You think you know what’s best for me, but you don’t. I’m not a child anymore, and I won’t let you dictate who I care about or who I stand with."

She paused, her gaze never leaving her mother’s. "That choice is mine. It always has been."

The room fell into a thick silence, Mrs. Kiramman’s sharp glare meeting Caitlyn’s unwavering gaze. Her mother’s lips pressed into a thin line, the air between them electric with unspoken conflict.

"You think you can make those choices," Mrs. Kiramman said coldly, her voice cutting like a blade. "But you don’t understand the consequences. This isn’t a game, Caitlyn. Lives are at stake, including yours."

Caitlyn’s jaw tightened, her hands curling into fists at her sides. "I know exactly what’s at stake," she replied, her tone firm but not raised. "But what’s the point of fighting if I can’t fight for the people who matter to me?"

Vi shifted beside you, her posture rigid as she crossed her arms. "She’s not alone in this," Vi said, her voice calm but laced with defiance. "Whatever happens, I’m with her."

Mrs. Kiramman’s eyes flicked to Vi, her disdain evident. "You? What could you possibly offer her? Trouble? Chaos? I’ve seen your kind before people who talk of loyalty but leave when it matters most."

Vi’s expression darkened, but she held her ground. "You don’t know me," she said quietly, her voice carrying an edge that made the room feel even smaller. "But I know what it means to fight for someone. To stay when it’s hard. And I’m not going anywhere."

Caitlyn placed a hand on Vi’s arm, her touch gentle but grounding. "Mother, this is my life. My fight. And if you can’t support me, then at least step aside."

Mrs. Kirraman’s expression faltered for just a moment, a flicker of something…fear? Resignation? crossing her face before her composure returned. "You’ll regret this, Caitlyn," she said, her tone icy and final. "When the dust settles and you’re left with nothing, you’ll realize I was right."

Caitlyn didn’t flinch. Instead, she reached for your hand and Vi’s, her grip steady and reassuring. "We’ll see," she said quietly, turning away from her mother.

Vi turned to you as you looked empty, her gaze softening as she noticed the emptiness in your eyes. Caitlyn walks over to you and bends down grabbing ahold of your face.

You hadn’t realized it, but her mother’s words were still ringing in your ears, louder now than ever before. "Love is a weakness, Caitlyn. It will blind you, distract you. And in war, that distraction will cost lives."

Each syllable felt like a dagger, and it was hard to shake off the weight of them, the cold certainty in Mrs. Kiramman’s voice that made you question everything you ever felt.

“Y/N, you’re scared. I can sense it,” Mrs. Kiramman’s voice sliced through the air like a blade. The words were cold, almost accusing, but there was something more in them, something calculating. She was watching you closely, her sharp gaze trying to read your every movement, every shift of your expression.

You felt your heart quicken, a strange tightness growing in your chest. It wasn’t just her words it was the way she said them, as though she had already seen through you, as though she knew exactly what you were thinking before you did. There was a chill in her voice that made you feel small, vulnerable, and exposed.

You tried to steady your breath, looking over at the older woman standing in front of you. Her cold, unyielding expression never wavered. It was like she could see every fear, every doubt you had. The weight of her stare pressed down on you, making it hard to think, let alone speak.

Your eyes then drifted to Caitlyn, who was leaning in front of you, her presence the only warmth in the room. She caught your gaze, her blue eyes softening immediately, as if sensing the storm of emotions that was brewing inside you.

Her expression was filled with an unspoken understanding, a quiet comfort that was at odds with the tension in the room.

Caitlyn gently reached out, placing a hand on your arm, grounding you with her touch. "Hey," she whispered, her voice low, but filled with reassurance. "Don’t let her get to you." Her words were like a balm, soothing the fear that had begun to rise in your chest.

You swallowed hard, trying to push down the unease that was creeping up on you. Mrs. Kiramman’s words echoed in your mind, twisting everything around. Scared? Was that what this was? Was fear really all you were feeling?

Looking back at Caitlyn, her calm demeanor steadied you, even as the older woman’s harsh words rattled your thoughts. Caitlyn wasn’t afraid. Vi wasn’t afraid. Why should you be?

"I’m not scared," you said, your voice coming out a little shakier than you intended, but there was a spark of determination in it now. Caitlyn’s eyes brightened, a small, proud smile tugging at her lips.

“Good,” she murmured, leaning closer. "You don’t need to be. Not now. Not with us here."

Hear anew the voice! O hear and listen!

“You can deny it all you want,” Mrs. Kiramman said, her voice sharp as ever. "But you are afraid, Y/N. Don’t try to pretend otherwise." She paused, her gaze turning cold again. "Fear is natural. It’s how you deal with it that determines if you’ll survive in the end."

Mrs. Kiramman’s words lingered in your mind, sharp and unrelenting, like a dark cloud that refused to dissipate. The heaviness of what was said still gripped you hours later, each echo twisting its way deeper into your thoughts. You tried to push them away, but they clung to you with an intensity that made it impossible to escape.

Caitlyn, sensing the turmoil, moved behind you. She wrapped her arms around your waist, pulling you close against her, her body warm and steady against yours. She kissed the bare places on your skin where your peplos left you exposed your shoulder, the curve of your neck, the small of your back.

Her lips were soft, gentle, and filled with an unspoken promise of reassurance. Each kiss was a quiet, loving reminder that you didn’t have to face this alone. The feeling of her closeness, the warmth of her embrace, was a soothing balm, but even in the comfort of her arms, you could feel the weight of Mrs. Kiramman’s words still pressing in on you.

Vi, who had been pacing in the background, her restlessness matching the tension in the room, finally stopped. She walked toward you and sat down at your feet. Without saying a word, she gently laid her head on your legs, the coolness of her hair brushing against your thighs.

It was her way of grounding herself and you. You felt the softness of her hair beneath your fingers and instinctively reached out, your hands finding their place in the silk of her hair. The simple act of touching her, feeling her warmth, was comforting. It anchored you in the present, reminding you that you weren’t alone in this moment.

Vi’s steady presence and Caitlyn’s soft whispers in your ear formed a quiet sanctuary from the chaos swirling in your mind.

As your fingers threaded through Vi’s hair, she sighed, her breath soft and steady. The action seemed to calm you as much as it calmed her, both of you finding solace in the simple touch. Caitlyn pressed her cheek against your shoulder, her voice a soft murmur. “Don’t let her words take away your peace. You don’t need to carry that weight.”

Vi lifted her head slightly, her eyes meeting yours with a look of fierce loyalty. “She doesn’t get to make you doubt yourself, it's ok to be afraid” Vi said, her voice strong and unwavering, a stark contrast to the chaos in your mind. “She doesn’t know you, not like we do. You’re more than what she sees.”

Her words resonated within you, a quiet strength building in the place where Mrs. Kiramman’s judgment had tried to take root. Caitlyn’s hands moved gently up your arms, pulling you into her further as she kissed the side of your neck. You closed your eyes for a moment, letting their love wash over you, drowning out the harshness of the outside world.

The tension in your chest loosened slightly as you felt Caitlyn’s warmth against your back and Vi’s grounding presence at your feet.

Slowly, the sharpness of Mrs. Kiramman’s words dulled, replaced by the unwavering certainty of those who truly cared for you.

“You don’t need her approval,” Caitlyn whispered. “You have ours. That should be enough.”

Come, as in that island dawn thou camest,

Caitlyn continued to place soft kisses along your skin, her lips tender and soothing. Gently, she turned your head to face her, her eyes locking with yours, a small smile tugging at her lips. Her gaze was warm, and her lips seemed to beckon you closer.

She reached out and caressed your cheek, her touch as gentle as a breeze rolling over the hills. It was a comforting gesture, one that made your heart ache with both longing and uncertainty. Slowly, she leaned closer, her movements deliberate, her intentions clear. When her forehead finally came to rest against yours, the world around you seemed to still, leaving only the two of you in its quiet embrace.

Her eyes searched yours, soft and patient, but as you held her gaze, the fear bubbling inside you began to surge. It was an instinctive, unshakable wall you couldn’t tear down. Before you could stop yourself, you pulled away, the distance between you growing as the unspoken emotions lingered in the air.

Caitlyn didn’t move for a moment, her head tilted slightly as though trying to read the thoughts you couldn’t put into words. Her expression softened, her lips parting with a quiet sigh, a sound filled with understanding but also the slightest twinge of disappointment. The space between you seemed heavier now, her breath lingering as a faint reminder of what almost was.

“Do you think we are gonna die?” you whisper, the weight of your words hanging in the air between you and the two women. The question feels heavy, a thought you can no longer keep inside, but the silence that follows is almost unbearable.

Neither Caitlyn or Vi respond. They both sit still, as if the question has momentarily taken them by surprise, leaving them to search for the right words. Their eyes meet, unspoken understanding passing between them as they consider what to say.

Finally, Caitlyn exhales softly, her voice steady but full of emotion. "I don’t know," she admits, her eyes filled with an honesty that pulls at your heart. "But whatever happens, we're together. That’s what matters."

“But what if they separate us?” you ask, the fear creeping into your voice despite your best efforts to stay calm. The thought of being torn away from them, from the only two people who made you feel safe, feels unbearable.

Caitlyn gives you a small, comforting smile, her thumb brushing across your cheek. “We’ll be alright,” she says quietly, but with a certainty that you feel in your bones. “As long as we stick together, we’ll always find a way back to each other.”

Billowing in thy yoked car to Sappho

The next day, you find yourself in the flower garden with your mother, the warm Mediterranean sun casting its golden light across the vibrant blossoms. The garden is full of colored roses, lilies, and violets in every shade imaginable, each blooming is a testament to the care and love your mother has poured into the garden over the years. The scent of the flowers fills the air, a delicate perfume that seems to calm the restless thoughts swirling in your mind.

You carefully pluck a cluster of wildflowers, your hands moving mechanically as you continue your conversation with your mother. “She’s very...” you begin, searching for the right words. Your mother looks up from where she’s tending to a bed of lavender, her eyes soft and knowing. She waits patiently, as if she already understands there’s more to what you’re about to say.

“Judgmental,” you finally say, your voice betraying the frustration you’ve been carrying since your encounter with Mrs. Kiramman. “She speaks as though her opinion is the only one that matters, and it makes me feel so... small.”

Your mother pauses for a moment, a slight frown pulling at her lips. She reaches out to gently brush a stray flower petal off your shoulder, her touch comforting and grounding. “What did she say?” she asks softly, sensing the weight in your sigh.

You glance at her before looking away, your mind drifting back to the conversation in the room with Mrs. Kiramman. The memory stirs something inside you, and you find yourself repeating the words that still echo in your mind. “She says I'm afraid”

Your mother’s expression softens as she listens, her brow furrowing slightly in concern. She doesn’t speak right away, giving you a moment to process. “But what if she’s right?” you whisper, your voice barely audible, as though you’re afraid of the answer. “How do I know if I’m afraid?”

Your mother’s gaze softens, and she steps closer, her presence warm and steady beside you. She takes a deep breath, as if carefully choosing her words. “Fear is not always obvious, my child,” she begins, her voice gentle but firm.

“Sometimes, it’s hidden in the doubts that creep into your mind, in the way you question yourself or shrink away from something you care about. Fear often disguises itself as uncertainty or hesitation.”

She pauses, her hand still resting on your arm, grounding you in the moment. “But fear doesn’t define you. It’s how you face it that matters. Acknowledge it, yes, but don’t let it rule you. The more you try to avoid what scares you, the more it will control you. But when you stand in front of it, when you confront it with courage even if that courage is small, that's when you begin to truly see how strong you are.”

You glance at her, the weight of her words settling in your chest. She offers you a small, reassuring smile. “Fear is natural, my dear. But it’s not something you need to fear. It’s just another part of the journey. And you—” she places a hand over your heart, “you have everything you need to move through it.”

Forth from thy father's

“You must stay with your mother,” your father says, his voice firm as he tightens the straps on a leather satchel. His movements are swift and precise, the practiced efficiency of a warrior preparing for the road ahead. The clinking of bronze armor and the dull thud of packed supplies fill the space between his words.

“But Father—” you begin, stepping closer, your heart heavy with the weight of everything you wish to say.

He stops for a moment, straightening to his full height, and looks at you. His eyes, weathered and stern, soften as they meet yours. “I know what you want to say,” he says, his tone gentler now, though no less resolute. “But this is not your battle. Your place is here, with your mother, keeping this home safe. This is how you serve our family, our people.”

Your mother, standing quietly nearby, glances at you with an unreadable expression. There is strength in her gaze, but also an unspoken sorrow. She understands your father’s decision, even if it weighs heavily on her as well.

“Father, I want to help,” you say, your voice steady but tinged with desperation. He shakes his head, his expression unwavering. “You have the heart of a warrior, my child, but this is not your time. The gods will call upon you when you are ready, but until then, your role here is just as important. Protecting your mother, tending to the land this is no small task.”

Golden house in pity! ... I remember:

You clench your fists, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. “And what about Caitlyn and Vi? They’re going. Why not me?”

At the mention of their names, your father pauses, his brows furrowing slightly. “Caitlyn is a trained soldier,” he says, his voice measured. “And Vi... she fights because she has nothing left to lose. But you, my daughter, have everything to protect. Do not envy their paths, for they are not as free as they might seem.”

His words cut through you, leaving you silent. He steps forward and places a firm, calloused hand on your shoulder. “You are strong,” he says, his voice low but filled with conviction. “Stronger than you know. And that strength will be needed here. Trust me, child. This is the right path.”

You lower your gaze, the weight of his words settling over you. You don’t want to accept it, but deep down, you know he’s speaking the truth. There’s a purpose in staying behind, even if it’s not the one you long for.

“I will return,” your father continues, his voice softer now, a promise carried in the wind. “And when I do, we will celebrate. But for now, I need to know that you will stay safe.”

You nod reluctantly, your throat tight with unspoken emotion. “I promise,” you whisper.

He smiles faintly, then pulls you into a brief, strong embrace. “Be brave,” he murmurs, before stepping back and turning toward the soldiers waiting at the edge of the garden.

Your mother steps closer, her hand resting lightly on your arm as the two of you watch him walk away. The sound of sandals on stone grows fainter with each step, until the only thing left is the stillness of the garden and the weight of his absence.

Your mother squeezes your shoulder gently, her eyes fixed on your father as he disappears down the path. “The gods watch over him,” she says softly, though her voice carries a hint of doubt.

Fleet and fair thy sparrows drew thee, beating Fast their wings above the dusky harvests,

The breeze fades, leaving the garden shrouded in an unsettling stillness. In the distance, the faint sound of marching feet drifts away, growing softer until it dissolves into the horizon. The sun continues to shine, but its warmth feels dimmed, as if a shadow has begun to creep over everything you cherish.

The silence in the garden lingers, heavy and oppressive, long after your father and his soldiers disappear down the winding path. You remain frozen, staring at the empty space they’ve left behind, a hollow ache settling in your chest. Beside you, your mother moves slowly, her fingers brushing over the blossoms, her touch tender yet distracted, as though trying to dispel the tension that clings to the air like an unwelcome guest.

You should come inside,” she says softly, her voice steady but tinged with weariness. “There is much to prepare.”

You nod absently, though your feet feel heavy as you take a step toward the house. Your mind drifts, replaying the image of your father walking away, his back straight and his shoulders carrying the weight of both duty and family. A part of you wonders if you’ll ever see him again, but you push the thought aside. Such fears are not yours to voice not yet.

As you step into the cool interior of your home, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes through the halls. You glance over your shoulder to see Caitlyn and Vi approaching side by side, their expressions serious but softened when they catch sight of you.

Caitlyn’s armor gleams faintly in the dim light, her spear resting at her side, while Vi carries her gauntlets slung casually over her shoulder, her usual confidence tempered by the gravity of the moment.

Down the pale heavens, Lightning anon! And thou, O blest and brightest, Smiling with immortal eyelids, asked me:

They stop a few paces away, Caitlyn nodding respectfully toward your mother before her gaze shifts to you. “We thought we’d find you here,” Caitlyn says, her voice low and warm. Vi remains silent but steps closer, her eyes flicking between you and Caitlyn.

Your mother, who has been watching the exchange, presses her lips into a thin line. She glances between the three of you before sighing softly. “Don’t keep them too long,” she says, addressing you this time. “The gods know we have little time to waste before the world turns upside down.”

With that, she turns and disappears into the house, leaving you alone with Caitlyn and Vi in the entryway. Caitlyn steps forward first, her gaze meeting yours with an intensity that makes your chest tighten.

“We’re leaving at dawn,” Caitlyn says simply, her voice steady but tinged with something deeper. “We wanted to see you before we go.”

You swallow hard, your throat suddenly dries as the knot in your stomach tightens. “I know,” you reply softly, looking down at your hands. “My father has made it clear I’m to stay behind.”

Vi lets out a frustrated huff, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. “It’s not right,” she mutters, her tone sharp. “You should be coming with us, not stuck here like some helpless child.”

Caitlyn shoots her a warning glance, but there’s no denying the agreement in her expression. She steps closer to you, her hand brushing gently against your arm. “We will protect you,” Caitlyn says softly, her voice steady yet filled with a sense of promise.

"Maiden, what betideth thee? Or wherefore Callest upon me?

Vi nods firmly, her gaze unwavering. “No matter what happens, we’ve got your back. You’re not alone in this.” You look down at your hands, clenching them into fists as the uncertainty swirls inside you.

“But I’m not made for this,” you whisper. “I’m not strong, like you two. I don’t have what it takes. I'm supposed to be a maiden... someone untouched by the world’s harshness.”

Vi steps forward, her expression fierce and unwavering. “You don’t need to be a warrior to fight. You just need to be brave enough to stand with us, to fight for the things you love. And I know you’re capable of that.” You let her words settle in, the weight of her belief in you beginning to lift the heavy burden of doubt that you’ve carried for so long.

Maybe, just maybe, you're more capable than you’ve allowed yourself to believe.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” you admit softly, your voice shaking slightly, “but… I’ll try. For you, for my family, for us.”

Caitlyn gives you a gentle smile, her eyes full of pride. “That’s all we ask.”

"What is here the longing more than other, Here in this mad heart?

Your mother’s voice cuts through the moment, laced with both practicality and a touch of humor. “Y/N, don’t keep the poor girls waiting, come inside.” Her gaze softens when it meets yours, a gentle nudge for you to move forward, yet there’s an undeniable sense of urgency in her words.

You turn to face your mother, offering her a smile, then look back at Caitlyn and Vi, the weight of the moment settling into your chest. The bond between you and these two women is something you can’t quite put into words, yet you know they would fight for you without hesitation.

You take a deep breath, your voice quiet but full of conviction. “Fight for me,” you say, your words both a plea and a promise. “Come back. I’ll be waiting.”Your heart swells with a mixture of hope and fear, but as you look at the two of them, you know they’ll do everything in their power to come back, even if fate itself has other plans.

Your mother stands just behind you, her presence steady and grounding. She places a hand on your shoulder and squeezes gently, offering silent support.

“Don’t worry about us,” Caitlyn says as she steps back, her voice softening. “Focus on yourself, and what you need to do while we’re gone.”

And who the lovely One beloved that wouldst lure to loving?

You nod, the knot in your stomach loosening just a little, knowing that they’re not just leaving for the fight they’re leaving for you, for the future, for the promise of what could be.

With one final look at each other, Caitlyn and Vi turn to head out, the quiet determination in their steps. Your mother gives you a reassuring smile before pulling you gently inside.

Tears streamed down your face as you watched Caitlyn and Vi walk away, the weight of the unspoken words between you heavy in the air.

The abruptness of their departure left a bitter taste in your mouth; you longed for a farewell that truly captured the depth of your feelings.

Wait!" you cried out, your voice trembling with emotion.

You dashed after them, your heart pounding, but your mother’s hand caught your arm, pulling you back gently. "Y/N, don't keep them waiting," she said softly, her concern evident.

But you couldn't stop. You had to make sure they knew.

"Please," you whispered, more to yourself than to her, as you broke free from her grasp and continued toward Caitlyn and Vi.

Sappho, who wrongs thee?

You run after them, your heart pounding in your chest, and as they hear your footsteps, they turn around. Without hesitation, you leap into their arms, tears streaming down your face.

"I know I just met you yesterday," you sob, your voice thick with emotion. "But it feels like I've known you for centuries!"

Between cries, you look up at Caitlyn and Vi, your heroes strong, unwavering, and now holding you tightly, their presence offering a comfort that goes beyond words.

I just wanted to say," you began, your voice thick with emotion, "that I love you both. Please come back to me. I know I said this but I mean it."

Caitlyn and Vi held you close, their presence a comforting anchor. After a moment, Caitlyn pulled back slightly, her hands resting on your shoulders.

"We will," she said softly. "We'll come back. For you."

Vi nodded, her usual fierceness softened by the sincerity in her eyes. "We promise," she added.

"See, if now she flies, she soon must follow;

“I love you," you say once more, the words trembling on your lips as they hang in the air between you. Caitlyn’s eyes flicker down to your lips, and for a brief moment, time seems to slow. It's as though the world around you pauses, the sounds of the wind and distant chatter fading into the background, leaving only the intense connection between you two.

Caitlyn’s gaze softens, her breath catching as she looks back into your eyes, her emotions visible in the way her chest rises and falls. She reaches out slowly, her fingers grazing your cheek, a silent question lingering in the space between you. Without saying a word, she leans in, her lips brushing against yours for the first time soft, tentative, and full of the unspoken promise that has been building since the moment you met.

The kiss deepens, not just with the passion of the moment, but with everything that has come before it, the fears, the uncertainties, and the bond that has formed between you. When you finally pull away, your breaths are shallow, hearts pounding in sync.

Caitlyn smiles softly, her hand still cupping your face as she whispers, "I love you, too."

Vi stands behind Caitlyn, watching the exchange with a smile of her own, a silent understanding passing between the three of you. The weight of the world may still be ahead, but in this fleeting moment, you know that no matter what comes next, you will always have this—this love, this connection, and this promise that you’re never truly alone.

Yes, if spurning gifts, she soon must offer;

Vi walks over, her steps slow and purposeful, and without a word, she gently presses a kiss to your forehead. It’s warm, tender, filled with a care that only someone who truly understands you can give. You close your eyes, savoring the softness of her touch, feeling the bond between you deepen in that quiet moment.

But it isn’t enough. The desire to show her just how much she means to you rises in your chest, and before you can think, you lean up, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. It’s hesitant, but filled with the raw emotion you’ve been holding inside. Her lips are warm, her surprise palpable for only a heartbeat before she kisses you back, gentle and knowing.

When you pull away, both of you breathless, Vi’s eyes meet yours surprised, but softened by understanding. For a moment, words aren’t needed. The kiss speaks everything you couldn’t say.

“Take care of yourself,” she whispers, her hand gently brushing your cheek, the tenderness in her touch making your heart swell.

You nod, feeling the weight of her gaze linger on you, a silent promise that even if you part now, the connection between you will never fade.

Yes, if loving not, she soon must love thee, Howso unwilling..."

You step back slightly, feeling a mix of emotions swirling within you gratefulness, fear, love, and longing. The moment feels suspended in time, as though everything around you has quieted just for this brief exchange. But reality tugs at your heart, reminding you of the dangers that await.

Caitlyn, standing just a few steps away, watches you both with a soft, almost understanding smile. Her eyes flicker between you and Vi, as if sensing the shift in the air. Her hand rests on Vi's shoulder, grounding both of you in the weight of what’s to come.

“We should go,” Caitlyn says gently, though her voice carries the strength of someone who knows what lies ahead. "Dawn is getting near."

Vi nods, her gaze still locked with yours, a quiet resolve in her eyes. You watch as she steps away from you, but not before giving you one last lingering look, a promise, a silent vow to return.

With a final glance at both of them, you watch as Caitlyn and Vi begin to walk away, their silhouettes growing smaller in the growing light of the morning. The cold wind bites at your skin, but the warmth of their presence stays with you, as if their touch lingers in your heart.

You remain standing for a long moment, watching them disappear into the distance. Each step they take feels like a piece of your heart walking away with them, but deep down, you know they’ll carry your love, your strength, and your wish for their safety with them. You only hope that one day, they will return.

But for now, all you can do is stand and wait, praying that this war, this conflict, won’t steal the people you care about from your life.

And as the wind swirls around you, carrying the scent of the earth and the promise of the gods, you whisper softly, barely audible over the wind, "Come back to me."

Come again to me! O now! Release me!

You stand there for a while longer, feeling the weight of the silence settle around you, the landscape stretching out in front of you. The sun begins to rise, casting long shadows across the ground, but all you can focus on is the image of Caitlyn and Vi, disappearing into the horizon. The ache in your chest feels both unbearable and bittersweet.

Your mother steps up beside you, her presence comforting but quiet. She doesn’t speak at first, perhaps knowing that words won’t help in this moment, but she places a hand on your shoulder, offering what little solace she can.

“I know how you feel, child,” she says softly, her voice low as she watches the same distant spot you do. “But they’re strong, like you. They’ll fight for you, and you for them.”

You don’t respond right away, unsure of how to voice what’s going on inside of you. A part of you wants to run after them, to be with them, to stand by their side, but you know you can’t. Not yet. Not while your father’s wishes hold you bound to this place.

Instead, you squeeze your mother’s hand, the words stuck in your throat. There’s a deep, heavy feeling in the air, a strange stillness that makes it feel as though time itself has paused. You wish you could say something, anything, that would make everything seem less overwhelming.

End the great pang! And all my heart desireth

"Do you think they'll be okay?" you finally ask, the question tumbling from your lips before you can stop it. It's a question that hangs in the air, unanswered, but you feel the weight of it regardless.

Your mother sighs, pulling you into a gentle embrace. “None of us know what the future holds, child. All we can do is hold on to hope. They’ll do the same for you.”

You nod, a small, shaky breath escaping your lips as you try to believe in her words. But deep down, the fear lingers, gnawing at you, feeding the uncertainty that you’ve tried so hard to push aside. You can't help but worry about what the battle will bring, the loss it will surely leave in its wake.

As the sun climbs higher, its golden rays beginning to warm the earth, you turn back to the house, feeling the weight of the world pressing on your shoulders. Your mother’s steady presence beside you is a reminder of everything you’ve left behind, of everything you stand to lose.

But you know, in that moment, that you must hold onto the hope that one day, Caitlyn and Vi will return alive, whole, and ready to live again. Until then, you will wait.

Now of fulfillment, fulfill! O Aphrodite, Fight by my shoulder!

You whisper softly, your voice carried away by the faint breeze, as memories of the promises you made with Caitlyn and Vi flood your mind. “I’ll fight by your side,” you vow, the words filled with quiet determination.

The garden seems to hold its breath, the flowers swaying gently as if bearing witness to your resolve. Above, the sky glows with the soft hues of twilight, a reminder that dawn and the unknown it carries is not far off.

Your heart pounds, heavy with fear but also with purpose. Whatever lies ahead, whatever fate the gods have written, you know one thing with certainty: you will not let your promises fade into the wind.

Finished finally done let me know if you wanna be tagged in the rest of the parts have a nice day Ⓒ︎ seulszn.

[cupcake-hearts]

So I'm watching 'Class of the Titans' and I have some opinions, mainly about the gods.

Keep in mind I've only watched up to episode 18 of the first season.

Hermes - goofball. Love him. Like most on this list I wasn't sure about his design, but I have to get over the fact this isn't 'Blood of Zeus' (they can't all be sexy.) also him being Odie's mentor is so cute. Especially if you listen to 'epic' the musical.

Hera- honestly, I like how she's in charge. I still don't know where Zeus went but I really don't miss him. Very mature, very mothering, very different from ancient Greece Hera. I think she is supposed to be Jay's mentor, but nobody said it specifically.

Athena - 'badass in the arena', and best den mother. Not sure about her running around barefoot but they definitely leaned more into her warrior fighting side than the wisdom side.

Artemis - HAS KIDS!? what part of virgin goddess did they not understand? Atlanta being her descendant just throws me off. I love her but they should have made an Amazon her ancestor (more thoughts on that for another post). At this point I haven't seen enough of her to say yeah or neigh. Definitely don't hate her and she seems fun.

Herakles- like Artemis, not much to go on. He seems cool. I do head cannon that Harry's grandma is also a descendant from Herakles. How else do you explain this 80 something year old bad ass riding a giant eagle in battle?

Ares- considering his representation in modern media it could have been a lot worse. In the show he's still this gruff and sometimes rude warrior type, but never even close to evil or bad. I think he's supposed to be Archie's mentor. Weird choice considering the gods I listed above all have some close connection to the kids' ancestors. Closest connection would be the Trojan War, during which Achilles kills one of Ares's daughters.😬

Persephone - wasn't thrilled with her first appearance but I actually like her, demon tantrums and all. From what I remember, Theresa doesn't know much about Greek mythology, but she knows that Persephone spends time in both the underworld and living world, meaning that they must have talked about their personal lives to each other. I find that adorable.

Aphrodite - my queen! Just shallow enough to be vain but not uncaring or unkind. Much like the others, I'm sad we don't get to see more of her. Her relationship with Neil seems to be the closest and I have a feeling they knew each other long before Kronos broke out of Tartarus.

[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.

[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

[shipcestuous]

Kaos

There's a show on Netflix called Kaos about the Greek Gods that from what I can see didn't get very much attention.

It was cancelled by Netflix, so there won't be a second season, however, for anyone interested in the series, I would say the first season is still worth watching. There are some completed arcs, even if the main story is still revving up.

A darkly-comedic and contemporary reimagining of Greek mythology that explores themes of gender politics, power, and life in the underworld. Zeus has a wrinkle. He's worried it might mean the end of the world and it might. Because on earth, six humans unaware of their importance or their connection to one another learn that they are component parts of an ancient prophecy. Will they discover the truth about the gods and what they're doing to humans? And if they do, will they be able to stop them?

It's definitely a "reimagining" of Greek Mythology and not just a modern retelling of myths.

The gods we see are Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Persephone, Prometheus, and Dionysus, along with some other figures from Greek Mythology like the Fates and Ariadne.

Zeus makes phone calls to Ares, Aphrodite, and Apollo, if I remember right, establishing them all as his children. (Possibly also Athena?) Unfortunately, they don't appear. But Ares/Aphrodite is one of my favorite Greek Gods ships, so I'm thrilled they were siblings in this. Hera mentions a son, which is probably Hephaestus, and unfortunately the series ends with her going to see him. It would have been great to see him and the others in season 2.

Zeus and Hera: Hera is introduced as Zeus' wife and his sister. This series is in many ways about Zeus freaking out and becoming the worst version of himself, with his downfall hanging over everything, so all of this brings him into conflict with Hera. However, they generally seemed happily married. They both have lovers, which they talk to each other about, but they also have sex with each other, including once onscreen. Though Hera doesn't mind him having other lovers, if any woman bears him a child, she turns them into a bee.

Hades and Persephone: Hades and Persephone are depicted as being happily married and Persephone specifically says that she loves him. They're pretty cute. Hades is established as Zeus' brother, but Persephone's parentage is never discussed, except for one reference to "Mom". Demeter is never mentioned by name at any point and there's no mention of a Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and Hades having a sister. It seems pretty clear that Persephone is not Zeus' daughter in this. Hera calls a gathering of the family (but it's only the characters on the show) and Persephone argues that she's not part of the family. However, she discusses the mythology around her, saying it was a story that Hera told, and though she corrects several things she never corrects her parents from the myths. So ???

Hera and Poseidon: This was actually the best one. Hera is allowed to have lovers but for whatever reason she is definitely not allowed to have Poseidon as a lover and she is terrified that Zeus is going to find out about their torrid affair. She doesn't seem to have any intention of leaving Zeus, even though that's what Poseidon wants, but that's not because she loves Zeus more. Poseidon is in love with Hera and says that he always has been. They have sex onscreen several times. The fact that Poseidon and Hera are siblings is never actually mentioned, but it's certainly implied by Hera being Zeus' sister and Poseidon being his brother. Unless we're supposed to believe he's half siblings with each of them by different parents. But at one point Poseidon says he doesn't f--k family, or something to that effect, which I think was supposed to be a joke.

SPOILERS: Interestingly, in the mythology of this series, Zeus and his siblings were originally human. Zeus was the first god and he became a god after having been born a human and living for however many years. So the incest between Zeus and Hera and Hera and Poseidon is occurring in what was a originally just a human family

[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

[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.

[e-r0da]

Eros, part 3.

cw: reader is a princess and referred to as a woman. idk if this counts but there is a mention of the myth of pasiphae, so beastiality, but it is not related to any of the main characters. lmk if there is anything though and I'll add it!

a/n: this is a continuation of a thread with Eros/Cupid!Ness, Psyche!reader, and Aphrodite!Kaiser. here's pt.1 & pt.2 if you would like to get caught up. I was gonna make this short but um then I blacked out and here we are >.< don't look at me I am feeling soft. ness is my baby man I can't help it. Not proofread!!

If Kaiser was a treasure for all to behold—the literal pearl that rode in on an open oyster—Ness likens you more to a an exotic bird, one that only knows the bounds of its golden cage.

You're deep in sleep, that first time Ness slips in through your window.

The darkness did nothing to stop him from navigating through your castle's security. He was a god, after all. And moving barefoot across stone tile, bow slung across his back, he didn't expect anything, really, to get in his way. This was just another mission. Just another tribute to his one true god, Kaiser.

Ness had descended from Olympus earlier in the day, a few hours before sunset. He had decided to give himself the afternoon to gain his bearings and identify the princess who had become the source of Kaiser's anguish. When he landed, he assumed a human exterior and tucked away his wings, thinking he would need it while it remained light out.

He padded first through the empty temples, lain on the outskirts of town, which were once dedicated to Kaiser. A dull pain pulsed between his brows at the sight. Ness was no stranger to the way mortals so quickly threw away their convictions, their promises. Their memories were fickle, their proclamations of love even more so. But if Ness closed his eyes, he could remember the echoes of their voices coming from far and wide, thick with praise and prayer to the God of Love and Beauty.

It pained him, how far that memory was from what stood before him now, soft layers of dust found coating every surface and crevice.

When this mission was over, he thought, Ness would force them to remember where the true magic laid.

He turned his path towards town, next.

It was nothing grand, your city. This helped him, as it meant that your family—although royal—were still personably to your citizens. Every evening, at least since you and your sisters had come of age, your family stepped out onto your castle terrace to wave good night to the people. As he made his way to the town center, Ness found himself caught in the migration of individuals of all kinds, discussing with hushed excitement to see your face. The reasons were as varied as your audience.

Some remarked how nice it would be to look upon you after a grueling day. Others were itching to see how you had styled your hair, or your dress, in hopes of recreating the aesthetic. More seemed convinced that your beauty was somehow religiously divined, and had come to bring you their prayers. A few simply wanted to know when you would be married—both your sisters were, after all. To this Ness cocked a brow. But others simply argued that such pure beauty was better left untouched. That they preferred it this way. Where else would they go for their evening prayers, if you weren't there to serve them?

Ness held himself back from reminding them of the God which they had seemingly forgotten. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold himself back. And Kaiser had made it clear, Hera could hear none of this.

But it was curious, he thought, watching you and your family as he stood in the town square below. Comparing you to Kaiser wasn't something he could do as easily as he imagined. He quickly concluded that thinking as much wasn't disloyal—in truth, the two of you were just so...different. You were as lovely as they claimed, in such a...human way, if he had to describe it. He wouldn't, at least never out loud. But it made him wonder—why hadn't you married?

Ness asked around. From the sounds of it, you were not lacking in suitors. He met quite a few of them in fact, and interrogated them softly with a bit of suggestive magic mixed in. He learned that albeit overwhelmed with eligible suitors, requests for your hand were essentially non-existent. He initially figured that your temperament must have scared them away, but not one had a mean thing to say. You were pleasant, well-mannered by all accounts.

What else? Ness had asked.

Beautiful. Most importantly, you were beautiful. Is what they said.

Too beautiful to touch.

Which is how he had arrived now at your bedside, his lithe figure towering over your defenseless one. He watched you intently. Noticed the fragile up and down of your chest as you breathed softly. Then the delicate curves of your expression. His gaze slowly moved to your closed lids, the wispy nature of your lashes enticing him. He found himself wishing that you might wake up, so he could see the way your eyes lit up as you did.

Ness blinked hard, and took a step back, remembering himself. Instead of imagining about how you might sound when you laughed, he had to be planning how to ruin your life.

Your downfall had to seem accidental, if not natural, even. Men were easier, in this sense, to ruin physically. Enchanting an animal to mar them while on a hunt, or a tool to go awry while in use made the task simpler and believable. Noblewomen, on the other hand, typically fared fewer physical dangers, although horrific families and the evils of men were not ones that Ness was blind to.

A cursed object would work much easier, in your case. Hence, why he was now searching your room. To be effective, it would be best if the object was one that you used often, so Ness looked for items that showed signs of wear. Nothing in your closet or dresser struck him. It seemed that with the amount of gifts you had been receiving (evidenced by the large pile of boxes in the corner of your room), that your maidens were switching these things out frequently. It was only when he reached the far end of your room, the side covered in tapestries, did he find what he was looking for.

A loom. Your loom.

That night, Ness never should have looked up at your woven stories. He should have never become curious about the mortal whose beauty was proclaimed to exceed that of a God. He should have never wondered about the woman with so many suitors but not a single hand to hold.

So many nights before, his abilities as a god had served him in adapting to pitch darkness. He had used it countless times before to bring lives to a miserable end, or if Kaiser was feeling merciful, to bring one life to that of another. But this night, seeing too much was what had failed him.

Intricately lain into the fabric, weaving each strand together, was a feeling that now seemed to be bursting out of the seams in front of Ness's very eyes, as if waiting for him. It was a feeling that Ness had spent his entire existence trying to fill.

Yearning.

Yearning for true love.

Yearning for a magic that only exists when one soul experiences the privilege of what it is like to be known in another.

An ironic emotion, he knew, for a god which seemingly orchestrated love. When Ness had met Kaiser, a God that could command hearts and minds through proclamations of love, Ness thought he had found the closest thing to the version of it which maybe only existed in his head.

He had shot enough arrows to know that love was not only something that was easy to engineer, but manipulate.

Just look at Queen Pasiphae and her bull. Apollo and Daphne.

Ness had told himself that this fickle version of love might be all there is to it. Had come to terms with that. At least, that's what he thought.

Attention traversing through the scenes in your tapestries, Ness watched as the true love you desired passed you by, no matter how hard you prayed to the Gods, to even Kaiser himself. So many scenes showed you wondering what it might be like to be loved for who you were, rather than who you looked to be.

In your most recent one, you transformed into an old woman. Now free from the shackles of expectation, Ness watched as you searched for love with your new found freedom. A note read above the last scene:

Will I have to wait until I am no longer recognizable, until I am no more than wrinkled and grey, to find someone who might truly love me?

Then, below:

I fear by then that I'll be too late.

Ness only felt the tears when one slipped past the broken skin of his cheek. It added only a minute pain, at least compared to the one that now threatened to tear away at his heart, but grounded him nevertheless.

In a place where power exists in every form imaginable, true magic lies in that which can only be organically formed. The same can be said about true love. Ness had denied that fact for so long that he began to take it as truth. But how could he deny it of you? How could he, when like him, true love was all you ever wanted?

The shuttle of the loom, the part that you touched most often, shook in his hand. Conflicting loyalties and beliefs pulled Ness apart. He felt himself unravel as if made from cloth himself.

He looked back upon your sleeping face. Imagined it old and grey, and still thought it beautiful. Would you still work the cloth, bony hands weaving your hopeless search until the very end? Those bony hands that never had ones to hold? He looked down at his own palms. Then he put the shuttle down.

[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

[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 💀