#and instead makes it so we have to call him when he's in Greece

[lunapwrites]

Me: [slowly eating my breakfast, mentally preparing for the day]

Phone: [pings]

Boss sent a text to me and like 3 other people asking for shipping updates that we are all already aware of him being anxious for and would have updated him on when we got to our desks and, you know, were able to check on the status.

Like... my brother in Christ it is 7am please go touch some fucking grass.

[two-stars]

fuck it. I’m analyzing Dr Ratio’s eidolons.

I interpret eidolons as different facets of a persons character, tying back into their journey in life. (Also this shit loooong so I’m putting it under cut)

1. Pride Comes Before a Fall: this phrase originates from the Bible (proverbs 16:18), which talk of how the sin of pride will eventually lead to destruction, and telling one to practice humility*. To me, this phrase refers possibly to Ratio’s desire to be noticed by Nous. His pride originating from his previous achievements, lauded and touted as a prodigy from a young age (this is, of course, speculation because MIHOYO WONT GIVE ME RATIO LOOREEE). Through this pride, we can obviously see what happens next: he is never noticed by Nous, this is his fall. Either in the eyes of others, or himself (as it is never outright stated that Ratio sought the gaze of Nous, but I subscribe heavily to this line of thinking, due to his voiceline when you max level him: “If this day I have not gained the recognition of Nous, it stands to reason I never will at any point in the future”).

2. The Divine is In the Details: This is an idiom, although it’s more commonly said as “God is in the details”. This phrase is meant to emphasize the importance of the smaller, overlooked details which make up the whole. This is used most often in art and architecture, but can be applied to many other things. I connect this to Ratio’s meticulous nature as a scholar and researcher, but I also draw lines to his 1st eidolon. After Ratio is rejected by the higher powers, he turns instead to the “insignificant” common people, realizing their importance— we know that Ratio values all life, even one’s “marked by failure”, which others may overlook. Real divinity is not the God, but rather the beauty of humanity’s falls and successes.

3. Know Thyself: This was a proverb written upon the temple of Apollo, in Delphi, Ancient Greece. This has many meanings, from knowing your limits (either as one’s place in the universe, or your own mortality), to the broader interpretation by Plato as knowing your soul, and a a common theme of through studying the self could one know the universe. All of these relate heavily to Ratio, considering his tenets of self-improvement. He also references in his line when he finds an enemy target, “You learn to know yourself before your enemy.” (Which is ALSO a quote from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.) I think this one is pretty self explanatory as a continuation to the previous Eidolons, after his rejection, he seeks to reevaluate (relearn) himself and his stance in life.

4. Ignorance Is Blight: This represents Ratio’s goal to eradicate ignorance and stupidity across the universe, but it is also a inverse on the popular idiom “ignorance is bliss”. This idiom is basically everything Ratio stands against, he will know and say the truth unfiltered, even if it is uncomfortable. I also see this as Ratio finally discovering his calling as a teacher.

5. Sic Itur Ad Astra*: Written in the Aeneid, meaning “thus one journeys to the stars”. It has merged over time with another phrase in the Aeneid, “opta ardua pennis astra sequi” (meaning: desire to pursue the difficult-to-reach stars) becoming the common encouragement, “Reach for the stars.” We know Ratio never settles for doing anything in halves, and as a teacher, he constantly pushes others and himself to reach for high goals. Although his methods can be harsh, it is ultimately through strife (“— it is only in moments on solitude and despair, when help is absent, that fools grasp how to pick themselves up.”), that he seeks to unlock the potential of every person. This is most obviously seen in the Trailblazer Continuance quest: Crown of Mundane and Divine where he leverages the situation to try and topple the blind worship of the Genius Society on the space station.

6. Vincit Omnia Veritas: Meaning: Truth conquers all things. Surface level, this one is pretty straightforward too, Ratio values truth highly, and to him, it is the antithesis to ignorance, and therefore knowledge. As his Ultimate voiceline goes, he says, “Knowledge is the measure of all things. It reveals truth, and falsehood.” What I want to focus on however, is his pose in the eidolon. It is the exact same pose as Michelangelo’s David statue. This depiction is of David before his famous battle with Goliath. In this eidolon, Ratio is the figure David, who was also known as a symbol of the protection of civil liberties. And in by interpretation, Goliath is the stupidity he wants to eradicate. Just as truth conquers all things, Veritas will conquer all ignorance.

*— I also think this is why he consistently downplays himself and avoids the spotlight (calling himself a supporting character).

*— fun fact, this phrase is also used as the motto of Cambridge University, very fitting.

[literallyjusttoa]

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

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

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

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

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

[thebubblesareevil]

Family grows, it evolves…

Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

There was a new exhibit on Ancient Greece at the museum, and as the resident expert Diana was given free range of the exhibit. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, normally the League doesn’t find a clone of one of its founding members and spend a, frankly, ridiculous amount of time deciding how to proceed.

Diana sighed as she looked at the large room filled with artifacts needing to be catalogued before display. She lamented not having the same speed as the flash for but a moment before getting to work. It was 5:00, if she wanted to get any sleep tonight, she needed to get to work.

She steadily made her way through stacks of paperwork, working with the efficiency that was drilled into her since birth. It had been hours since she began her work, and though she tired, she resolved to head home to get changed for the next day. It wasn’t until she made her way from the basement that she realized something was off. Doris was sitting at reception, though she should have left at 8:00, the sun was still high in the sky, not yet ready to make its decent.

“Calling it an early night, Diana?” Doris asked “Big day tomorrow! Finally setting up the new exhibit. I can’t wait to take the kids, they’re so excited to see it.” She said with a wide smile. Diana surveyed the desk, catching a glance the clock. There in bold numbers and as 7:00pm, she smiled as she replied.

“I finished things up sooner than planned, so I thought I’d head out for the night. I need to get dinner started before my guest arrives.” Doris’ face nearly split in two.

“A guest, is he handsome, oh how could you hold out on me Diana!?” She said excitedly “I need all the details!” Diana laughed.

“Nothing like that, my Grandfather decided to pop in for a surprise visit. I haven’t seen him in quite some time, so it’s a lovely surprise.” Doris nodded along.

“You’re a good grandkid. I miss my grandparents everyday, you never know how much time you’ve got.” She said with a sigh. “Have a good night!”

“All the time in the world.” She said to herself, checking her watch and grinning. It read 4:30 am, she yawned as she left, making her way back to her apartment.

Everything thing was silent when she arrived, though that was to be expected at this point. She wade her way to the kitchen passing by the figure on the couch.

“Would you like some tea? Do you drink at all?” She inquired.

“I am perfectly capable, though I rarely indulge.” He replied in a monotone voice, if she had been anyone else she like would not have caught the edge of sadness clinging to his voice. Diana set the kettle on the stove and made her way over to the couch.

“Something troubles you, something big enough to approach me after all these years.” Clockwork smiled “You’re much sharper than your father ever was” the smile dropped.

“You are aware of the multiverse.” He said, Diana nodded. “As the Master of time, I bear witness to each world, each time line. There exists a world where humans built a bridge to the Infinite Realms, creating a being both born and killed by the infinite.” Diana gave him her upmost attention. “Sometime ago I was tasked with the elimination of this creature, this child, to prevent the tragedy he would bring upon that world.” He smiled “I was never one to listen to orders though, and instead I set the boy on a path that would bring about great change… it had unexpected side effects.”

“What kind of side effects?” Diana asked, worried.

“He began to cling to me, seeking me out for advice. I even found him asleep in my clock tower more than once. I have admittedly come to see him as my grandson.” Clockwork have a soft smile “He reminded me so much of you when we first met.” He sighed “I am here to ask a favor, young Danny is approaching a crossroads. There are two possible paths his timeline might take, one where he lives of the rest of his years moving between living in dead, his truth hidden from those who wish him harm. However there is another path, one I fear is becoming more and more likely than the last.” Diana had never seen her grandfather look so old, his entire form shifting to match his tone.

“What is it? What is going to happen?” Clockwork looked at her with sad, tired eyes.

“He will be betrayed, from this betrayal he will suffer such agony that the Realms themselves will retaliate. Then he will sleep eternal, bound to the infinite. His world destroyed.” Diana gasped. She placed a hand over his,

“What do you need me to do?” She asked firmly.

“Should the worst come about, I intend to steal him away from that world. Cutting off its connection to the realms permanently. However he is a being of both life and death, he cannot neglect his human half. What I ask of you is this, that you allow this boy to stay here, with you. There is no one else I would trust with such a task.” Diana hesitated.

She was a warrior, trained for battle from birth. She knew nothing of caring for a child. She thought her grandfather intended for her assist him in battle but this…. She looked at her grandfather, his sad eyes resigned, as though he expected her to refuse.

“Very well, on one condition.”

“Anything my dear.” She smiled.

“You must visit more, when last we met I told you I needed time. You gave me that, now I ask once more for time, time spent together.” She nearly jumped as his form shifted to that of a child.

“Nothing would please me more.”

“And grandfather? Should the worst not pass, I would still like to meet tho cousin of mine.” Clockwork froze, before he practically melted.

“Of course.” His form shifted once more to that of a young adult. Diana smiled pulling her grandfather into a hug.

“Thank you.” He whispered and he was gone. The kettle screamed. Diana got ready for a long nights rest.

—————————

A week passed before she heard anything from her grandfather. It was to the night before the opening of her new exhibit and she expected everything to go as planned. Just as she was picking out what she was going to wear to the gala, the sound of cars outside her window stopped.

“What do you think? Red or black?” She asked as she turned around holding the two dresses. Her grandfather stood tall, a stern look on his face. Diana set down the dresses. “It happened, didn’t it?” Clockwork nodded. Making his way towards the living room he stopped by the couch. There, asleep on her couch was a young teen, not much older than some of her teammates protégés. He had pitch black hair and pale skin, with lightning scars crawling up his neck. He chest did not move.

“He’s not breathing!” She turned to her grandfather, but he appeared unbothered. He smiled, watching the boy sleep.

“As I said before, he is a being of both life and death, sometime pieces of one form bleed into the other.” He turned to Diana, “He needs his rest, as for your first question, the blue dress will suit you much better on this occasion.” Diana gave him a soft smile.

“Come, I shall make us some tea while you tell me more about my cousin.” Clockwork nodded, taking a moment to readjust the blanket around the teen, before heading to the kitchen.

——————-

When Danny woke, to the sound of people talking he had a horrid migraine. He did his best to ignore the pain as he tried to remember where he was. The last thing he remembered was a dream of his parents yelling and the GIW knocking down their door. He slowly sat up, looking around the room, every wall was covered in pictures. Danny slowly stood and made his way over to the pictures. They all took place over varied times, ranging from, at the earliest, the 1920s all the way to the 2000s. All of the featured the same woman, she remained unchanged even as those around her grew old.

He listen to the voices, one familiar, one not, as he made his way towards the source of the noise. When he opened the door he was greeted by the familiar face of Clockwork. Next to him was the woman from the photos just as unchanged.

“Good afternoon Danny, did you rest well?” Danny did his best to disguise his flinch at the sound, grinning at the old ghost.

“Just fine thanks, what….what exactly happened? Where are we?” Confusion dripping from his voice.

Clockwork looked Danny in the eye, what he said next nearly broke him.

“I’m so sorry, Danny.”

Danny’s legs almost gave out under him. “It happened didn’t it? They tried to turn me in, to the GIW. That wasn’t a dream.” The ancient stayed silent, Danny's eyes went wide. "Is Jazz okay!? She... she was upstairs... if they hurt her!" Clockwork stopped him.

"Your sister is fine, they were only there for you." Danny took a deep breath, trying to process everything.

"So what comes next? Where are we?" Clockwork looked at him with a deep sadness.

"We are in a world separate from your own, connected by the Infinite Realms. I saw the possibility of what was to come and made arrangements. Due to the crimes of your world against you, the Observants and myself decided the best course of action would be to remove you from your world, and cut the living off from the Infinite Realms entirely." Danny looked down, resigned to knowledge of what they planned to do to him. "As you know, as a half-ghost you must tend to both sides of your being." Clockwork turned to the woman, "Danny, this is my granddaughter, Princess Diana of Themascyra. She has agreed to have you stay here, with her." Danny frowned.

"Your granddaughter? But she's...uhh" he paused, not sure how to continue. Diana laughed.

"Alive? Yes, I do believe I am. I'm assuming my grandfather has neglected to explain his past life" Danny nodded "How much do you know of the stories Ancient Greece?"

"More than most I think, there are a lot of constellations named after the myths. That and it's hard to visit Pandora and NOT get an hour lecture on Greece" Diana's eyes went wide.

"You know Lady Pandora? How wonderful, I grew up hearing stories of her bravery!” She smiled “That being said, that will make things a bit easier. My mother is Hippolyta, her desire to have a daughter was so great that she molded me from sand, Zeus, king of the gods, used his power to give me life.” Danny blinked once, then twice.

“So…you’re a Demi-god? I don’t understand how that makes you Clockworks granddaughter.” Diana smiled. “I mean, I know Clockwork probably used to be Chronos, Jazz and I had a whole debate about that, but what does that have to do with Zeus?” Diana smiled patiently.

“Danny, Chronos is the primordial god of time, yes?” Danny nodded “Okay, well he is also the primordial form of Kronos, the father of Zeus, my father.” Danny froze, looking over to Clockwork who merely nodded, as though Danny’s brain was currently trying to shut down. After a moment the dots finally seemed to click.

“YOU ATE YOUR KIDS?!?!”

Clockwork sighed, Diana laughed, Danny had a mental breakdown.

It took close to five minutes for Clockwork to fully explain as Diana grinned in the background drinking her tea. Once he calmed down, Clockwork finished continued expaining.

"As for your ghostly half, I will be providing plenty of ectoplasm for you to eat as well as bringing you to the Infinite realms each week until you learn to create portals of your own." Danny nodded.

"What about school? Or hell, anything really. I don't exist in this world, how exactly do I go about doing anything?" Clockwork smiled.

"I called on the power of the ghost writer for any legal documents and I personally filed them in the proper time period to ensure you have what you need. I have given those to Diana" she nodded "as well as giving her legal custody of you. As far as the law is concerned you are her recently orphaned cousin. Son of her estranged Uncle Haiden and Aunt Penelope, who tragically died a few days ago." Clockwork smiled, rising from his seat.

"I'm afraid I have over stayed my welcome, I think it's best I take my leave and allow the two of you time to acquaint yourselves better." Danny stopped Clockwork, giving him a hug he whispered.

"Thank you." Clockwork gently carded his fingers through his hair before stepping back.

"If either of you need anything, just ask." and he was gone. Suddenly there was an influx of noise coming from outside, just enough to tell them that the world outside was moving once more.

Danny stood awkwardly by the chair their grandfather was occupying.

"You know, I don't bite." Diana said, trying to break the ice.

"I do." Danny replied on reflex, before covering his mouth. He looked at Diana, she looked back before they both burst out in peals of laughter.

"This is so weird, what even is my life?" Diana wiped a tear from her eye.

"Well, considering one of my teammates dresses up as a bat and beats up criminals, while another talks to fish, I think it's safe to say neither of our lives can be considered normal." Danny broke out in another fit of laughter.

"No shit?" he asked. Diana lifted a single brow at the term.

"No shit."

"What kind of team are you on exactly? Extreme cosplaying? Underwater battle royale?" Diana smirked.

"How about we get you some food and I tell you all about it?"

Danny smiled "Sounds like a plan."

@a-salty-sal@impulsiveasshole@meira-3919@alcorbearson@cute6troll@samgirl98@skulld3mort-1fan@addie-lover-of-stories@amercurio@chronicallyonline-fandomwh0r3 @heirxofxtime @gin2212 @thegatorsgoose@wanderer-of-worlds@terzatheunderscorerima@bright-shade@satanicrutialspecialist@mur-ururu@birdie-24-05@ascetic-orange@cyber-geist@thatrandomsarahchick

[sparkypantaloons]

I Protí Forá

Bruce loves his kids, he just really doesn't know how to say it. So he shows it instead, usually with ridiculous displays and gestures of affection. Because he's a billionaire, ya know? And also a massive dork.

Eleven year old Jason comes to realise all of the above, from the middle of the Aegean Sea.

The first time Jason gets on a plane he's eleven.

Bruce is taking them to Greece for a vacation. He says it's because work has been hectic, but Jason's pretty sure it's because he (Jason) has been reading The Odyssey. Bruce might be the whole big boss of Wayne Enterprises, but every meeting Jason's ever overheard from the study starts with Bruce saying "Hello!" all cheery before going "But let me hand you over to the most important man at Wayne Enterprises", and then Mr. Fox takes over, so it can't be all that hectic.

Besides, Bruce does stuff like this sometimes. Like once, Jason told him he'd never seen a basketball game and Bruce took them to see the Gotham Guardsmen versus the Chicago Bulls the very next week. They sat courtside, and Jason had the biggest load of nachos he'd ever had in his whole life, and Bruce even let him try a sip of his beer (which was gross, by the way). And then after the game Jason got to meet both teams and try and shoot some hoops with Michael Jordan, who just "happened" to be there (yeah right, Bruce) and he got a tour of the entire stadium.

So, when Bruce looked over the top of his paper one evening, with the same look he had when he asked if Jason wanted to be adopted, and said "Shall we go to Greece next week?" Jason's pretty sure it's 'cause he (Jason) was reading The Odyssey. And nothing to do with work.

They fly from Newark to Athens, in the first class suite on Etihad. They have their own mini apartment on the plane, with two wide-screen TVs and a double bed, their own bathroom and a shower. It's almost as big as Jason's old apartment in the squat he was living in before Bruce found him, but not quite. It's a lot nicer though and Jason can't quite believe all this is on a plane.

The air crew greet them with a smile and give them bags full of expensive 'amenities' and stuff and hand Bruce a glass of champagne. He tells them he used to have a private jet, but that they're terrible for the environment and he's trying to reduce his carbon footprint. He says it in that stupid voice he does when he's pretending to be what Dick calls a "himbo billionaire" but there's the secret grin at the corner of his mouth that's just for Jason, that makes Jason feel like he's with the best man in the world.

When they're somewhere over the Atlantic, the lady looking after their section asks if Jason would like to see the cockpit. It's not normally allowed, she says, but Mr. Wayne is such a good customer (and man, she adds, batting her eyes at Bruce over Jason's head, as though Jason wouldn't know what she meant) that the Captain has agreed to make an exception.

It's dusk, and the sky from the cockpit is bigger and more brilliant that Jason has ever seen. A glorious canvas of pastel pinks and purple hues, stretching up into a deep dark blue where stars are slowly beginning to blink into life. The Captain greets Jason with a smile and Bruce with a handshake. Explains what all the different lights and buttons and switches mean, and let's Jason wear her hat for a photo.

By the time they land in Athens, Jason is pretty sure this is the second best day of his life. (The first best is the day Bruce adopted him).

They're spend the night at a fancy hotel, in a room on top of a cliff over looking the Saronic Gulf, which Jason has never heard of but is apparently part of the Aegean Sea. They have their own private swimming pool and two huge beds - one each, though Bruce says Jason can still share if he wants to.

The air is warm and thick, even as the day begins to fade, and though he's not that good at swimming yet, Jason is desperate to jump straight into the pool. "After some supper," Bruce promises, sounding a lot like Alfred. But he keeps his word and the two of them lie on their inflatables as night falls. Above them, in the dark, there are more stars in the sky than Jason has seen in his whole life.

~

The first time Jason has been on a boat he's still eleven.

He and Bruce wander down to a little dock below the cliffs wearing matching boat shoes and shirts. Jason is wearing his Gotham Guardsmen cap and Bruce has a white strip of sunblock under his eyes.

"Technically it's a catamaran" Bruce tells Jason, explaining the difference between hulls of the two as they step aboard. "Kalimera George!" He says, "O gios mou, Jason. Jason, this is our skipper, George."

Later, many years later, Jason will know enough Greek to realise Bruce introduced him as his son, but as he steps aboard the cat all he can do is wonder what Bruce said, smile shyly and shake George's hand.

They sail south from Athens, passing the Temple of Poseidon in coastal Sounio and onto the Aegean Islands. Jason has finished The Odyssey by now, but has moved onto other Greek myths, Theseus and the Minotaur, Artemis and Apollo, Icarus and Daedalus. The sea is a brilliant, turquoise blue, diamond bright under the warm Mediterranean sun and by the time they reach the island of Kythnos, Jason is itching to jump in.

They find a secluded cove, with a small rocky beach and George drops anchor.

"Last one in is a Green Lantern fanboy!" Jason crows, and he leaps from the back deck into the crystal cool water.

It's his first time in the sea, any sea, and he can taste the salt on his lips. The water is calm and he bobs lightly, laughing as Bruce makes a strangled cry and leaps in after him.

"You love Green Lantern!" Jason teases, giggling with his head thrown back to keep it above the surface. He's not so good at treading water yet.

Bruce drifts over to him, pouting. "I wasn't ready, no fair." He says, pulling Jason towards him and onto his back.

Jason closes his eyes to the sun as Bruce swims them round the cove a little.

"Let's swim back to the cat." Bruce says, and Jason chews his lip because it's a little far. "I'll be right beside you." Bruce promises and they swim back to the boat, together.

That night they lie out on the deck and Bruce points out all of the constellations from the Greek myths; Orion and Cassiopeia and Hercules, though obviously Herakles is the proper Greek name for him.

"Whose your favourite Greek hero, B?" Jason asks, his head on Bruce's stomach.

And because he's corny like that, Bruce says "Jason."

~

Jason's first crush, the first one where it feels like something, he's eleven still, and he and Bruce are on a tiny island called Nykterides. It's a nature reserve for bats and other animals and, honestly, sometimes Bruce is such a nerd, because of course he owns the island too. And of course it's a bat-island. Bat species in the Aegean are vulnerable to habitat loss and climate change (apparently), so the island offers a safe refuge. He tells Jason all of this with a very serious look on his face and all Jason can think is what a huge dork Bruce is. There's a tightness in his chest as he listens to Bruce explain, but it takes him a little while to realise the feeling is fondness.

Only a few local families live on Nykterides, Bruce says, as they sail up to the tiny harbour. The buildings are square and white, with some blue domes but mainly flat, low roofs. Conservation staff also live on the island, scientists and biologists too, and there's a small taverna on the shore where they can eat and drink together.

A boy, no more than 19 greets them as they approach. "Kalispera, Mr. Wayne." He flashes them a smile and Jason feels a little breathless all of a sudden. The boy's skin is a glowing golden bronze, his hair falling in dark, rich waves.

"Kalispera, Giannis." Bruce says, a hand on Jason's head. "This is Jason."

"Ah, like the Argonaut?" Giannis asks with a wink, and something in Jason's stomach flips. He thinks about Apollo, most beautiful of all the God's and tries not to blush.

Giannis serves them lunch, and they sit with George and the others on the island, in the shade of a few palms. They eat fresh caught mussels and clams, with salad of tomatoes and cucumber and olives. Fresh cheese with honey, and rice and vegetables wrapped in vine leaves. Jason feels like he's living in a dream, grins up at Bruce and smiles shyly at Giannis as they clink their glasses and say "Yamas!".

As the evening wanes, Giannis tries to teach Jason a few words of Greek.

"Efcharisto," The words roll off Giannis' tongue and Jason finds himself staring at the older boy's mouth.

"Eff-ha-rist-oh" Jason repeats, and Giannis laughs and says it's close enough.

That night Jason goes to bed giddy and breathless and dreams of Apollo.

~

The first time Jason realises he loves someone, truly loves them, other than his Mom that is, he's twelve. Just.

He and Bruce have been sailing for a week or so now, island hoping across the Aegean and the Cyclades. The sea breeze is just enough to keep away the mid-August heat and Jason is sure there isn't a more beautiful part of the world to be found.

Bruce has been promising something special for Jason's birthday. He's spent a lot of time on a ridiculous satellite phone (because there are zero bars in the middle of the sea) trying to sort whatever it is out. If he thinks too much about it, Jason's stomach flips with excitement, because what could possibly top all of this? Bruce is ridiculously rich, and just plain ridiculous, so it's probably a helicopter up to Mount Olympus or something totally crazy, which to be fair, would be beyond cool.

But when the night before his birthday Bruce comes to him looking forlorn, Jason is worried.

"I'm sorry Jay," Bruce says, and it looks like he's in physical pain for how sorry he is. "I really wanted to do something special for your birthday but it isn't going to work out."

"That's okay," Jason says, but before he can continue Bruce speaks again and says,

"I wanted to take you to Themyscira, and Diana thought she could get you in, but Hippolyta said no."

For the briefest of moments, Jason thinks he might be disappointed, but instead there's a rush in his chest and he laughs, head back and heart full. "Bruce, you big boob!" He says, shoving Bruce's arm. "Men aren't allowed on Themyscira."

Bruce slips his arm around Jason and pulls him in close for a hug. "Yeah, but you're just a little man, not a whole one. I thought they might make an exception."

"It would have been cool," Jason muses, from where his face is squashed against Bruce's chest. "But then I couldn't have spent my birthday with you."

Bruce makes a noise in his throat and hugs Jason a little tighter.

"Love you, B." Jason says, and it's the first time he's ever said it to anyone that wasn't his Mom.

Bruce grunts again, and hugs Jason even tighter. "Happy birthday, lad." He mumbles.

The air is warm, and the catamaran bobs lightly in the water. Waves lap at the hull and Jason grins.

He and Bruce sit and watch the stars together.

[monzabee]

beach read - mv1

masterlist

Summary: The one where you and Max go on a holiday for the first time, and you realize just how much you love 'Vacation Max'.

Pairing: max verstappen x reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: fluff!! vacation max, bagels and beans slander (from someone who lives in amsterdam, guys, i’m just the messenger here), max is an angel. 

Request: “Yn is the new girlfriend of max verstappen, and they are going for the first together on a holiday, first location Greece and then the netherlands where he gets her a promise ring with a lot of fluff thanks” - this was requested by @maximeverstappen !!

Author’s Note: hi, hey, hello!! a request came in with a holiday concept and you know I had to use a title from an emily henry novel. can you tell i wrote this while listening to the entire mamma mia soundrack? The first AND the second one because we don’t discriminate. thank you, anon, for the request, i hope you guys enjoy! good morning, noon or night wherever you are, xoxobee

Please also note that all of my works are protected under copyright, and not available for reposting on other platforms. 

There is a big difference between on-season Max and off-season Max. After dating for a few months, you begin to see the differences between the two, which is a lot. He is a man of habit, Max is. He wakes up at the same time every morning to train during the season, and he has his breakfast a certain way before going about his day – which you guessed it, is planned from start to finish. But he’s different when he is on break. If the two of you decide to go back to Monte Carlo to enjoy the sun for a little bit, his demeanour changes from the ‘Mad Max’ everyone deems him as into what you like to call ‘Vacation Max’.  

The first location of your vacation is a small island in Greece called Skopelos. With all of his alarms turned off from the minute the season enters into a break, the two of you have the luxury to sleep in. You try your hardest not to let the sun shining through the windows bother you because of how comfortable you are in your current position – snuggled into the covers with Max cuddling into you. But since the two of you were very tired last night and forgot to close the curtains, you’re unfortunately the victim of the sun shining through the room. You try to get under from Max as slowly as possible to not wake him, but his arm tightening around your waist paired with a groan are both indicators of the fact that you’ve failed to do so.

He mumbles in a deep morning voice as he hides his face in your hair to get away from the sun. “Stay, liefje, we’re on a vacation.”

“Max, the curtains.” You whine, wriggling in your place, you try to get away from his hold while you let out a groan. 

“Shh,” He shushes you, as his arms slowly turn your body towards his and gently makes you place your head on his chest. “Better?” You let out an appreciative hum, followed by a yawn, which makes you close your eyes and promptly go back to sleep. You wake up much later and decide to find a breakfast spot to try instead of spending your morning in the small boutique hotel. You’re in the middle of putting on sunscreen when Max pops his head into the bathroom, his head tilted to the side with wonder. “What are you doing?” He asks while moving to stand behind you and wrap his arms around your waist. 

“Sunscreen.” You mumble, blending the SPF into your skin. You turn in his arms towards him once you’re done with yours. “Your turn.”

He shakes his head in disagreement, voicing it with a whine as you start applying the crème on his face. “It smells disgusting, liefje.”

“But it’ll keep from burning like bacon.” You smile at your handiwork once you’re done, giving him a small kiss on the lips. “Perfect.” 

You end up having breakfast by a small café near the sea, the table your waitress sits you in is so close to the water that it’s basically seafront. You share pancakes and fruit for breakfast, and you convince him to try Greek frappe, a type of whipped iced coffee. You’re surprised when he drinks the entire glass in one go, claiming that it’s his new favourite way to drink coffee. The rest of the day is spent on the beach; the two of you go for a swim in which Max’s competitive side takes over for a second when you decide to race to the shore. He pulls you towards him by gently tugging your leg when you’re just about to pass him and get to the shore first. 

You let out a loud laugh while splashing water towards him to slow him down. “You’re a cheat, Max Verstappen!” You yell as he comes out of the water, sending a boyish grin and a wink towards your way, in which you poke your tongue out to him in response.  

He helps you to dry off with a towel before he does it himself, and you thank him with a small smile and a kiss to his cheek. When you lay down on the lounge chair, he’s quick to follow you, finding himself a place between your legs, face down, with his chin resting against your stomach. Not a long time pass before his breathing evens out and he drifts off to a sleep. One of your hands occupy itself by playing with his damp hair whilst the other one hold the book you’ve specifically packed in hopes of reading it on the beach. With Max taking an afternoon nap, you read your book in peace for a while. 

“What are you reading?” Max asks, a sleepy look in his eyes. 

You dog-ear the page you’re on before turning you attention to the man who’s looking at you with a drowsy pout on his face. “Beach Read, it’s a book I picked out at the airport.” 

“Is it good?” He asks before putting his head back down and this time leaning his cheek against your stomach. You smile softly and let out an affirmative hum as your hand’s movements continue and slowly lull him to another nap. “Can you read some to me?” He asks, his arms also wrapping themselves around your body. 

You chuckle as you open your book to the page where you left off. “Of course, Max.”

The rest of your week in Greece is filled with sun and sea induced sleeps and fresh fruit, and you see another side of Max, which is relaxed and laid back. You think you like this side of your boyfriend. 

The next location of your vacation with Max is actually Amsterdam. You’re not really sure why you’ve chosen such a lively place after spending two weeks in a calm Greek island, but you’re excited to explore the city with him. 

“We are not going to Bagels & Beans, schat.” He announces as he passes through the hotel room, looking for his wallet and phone. 

“What?” You ask, poking your head from the bathroom and thus taking a break from doing your makeup. “Why not?” 

“It’s filled with tourists, that’s why.” He says, smiling as he shakes his head because of the perplexed look on your face.

You let your pout take over your expression. “But it’s supposed to be very good.” You try to argue, stalking towards him and fisting his shirting gently. “Can we try it out, please?” 

“Schatje,” He groans, placing his palm over your cheek and letting his thumb caress your cheekbone. “The tourists.” He seems to remind you. 

“They’ll be all over the city too; maybe we should just pack up and leave, then.” You argue while rolling your eyes but leaning against his touch, nevertheless. “I heard they made really good sourdough bagels.” You sing in a light voice. 

“You are trouble, you know that?” He asks you with raised eyebrows. 

“Yes, but you love me.” You grin, he doesn’t disagree with you as he rolls his eyes. 

The breakfast over at Bagels & Beans go swimmingly if you say so yourself. There’s a smug look on your face as Max eats his bagel in record time and goes inside to get a second one because “Have you tried their wasabi mayo? It’s simply lovely.” You choose to go for creme cheese and strawberry jam on a sourdough, which is to your liking. The two of you walk around the city the entire morning and afternoon, taking pictures on the bridges over the canal, even though Max complains that it makes you look like tourists – “We are, tourists,” you remind him, or going into shops which sell knick knacks, you end up buying a small model of a clog for your parents, liking the bright colour of it and the painted details. You eventually find yourself in a farmers market, looking at blooming flowers and sampling all kind of cheese, Max even shows off his juggling skills to you at a fruit stand with tangerines and lemons. Before you end the day with dinner, you convince him to get some tulip 

seeds for your garden back home. 

“You don’t have a garden, Y/N.” He reminds you while holding all the different pack of seeds you hold out his way. 

“Well maybe I’ll start one with these ones.” You argue – and you end up planting them in small pots over you balcony when you get home, too. 

The next day, he takes you over to the Van Gogh Museum. You’re looking around you in awe the entire time, dragging Max from painting to painting and reading all the descriptions. For some of the displays where there’s only Dutch descriptions are provided for the moment, he’s more than happy to take on the role of translator for you. The two of you spend some time in an immersive part of the exhibition for a while, just sitting down and talking about life while also enjoying the paintings being reflected onto the surfaces of the room via the projector. He smiles so widely when you attempt to pronounce some of the Dutch words you’ve encountered over the past few days, and the glint in his eyes making you smile the same way. After leaving the museum, he takes you over to a stand to try Dutch pancakes for the first time. 

“What’s the difference?” You ask him while eyeing the pancake on the carton plate. 

“I’m not sure,” He replies. “But it has Belgian chocolate on it as well, so you’ll probably like it.” 

“Max, I think this is you in a dish.” You joke, making him send an unamused glare to your way. 

“No, schatje, that was a very bad joke.” He announces as he shakes his head. 

You shrug, taking a bite of the oversized pancake as you let out a small sigh. “But this tastes so good, though!” 

Still full from your little culinary tour over the city of Amsterdam, the two of you opt for a very late dinner. By the time you and Max arrive onto the boat he rented out for the night, the night sky is filled with stars, and you can see all of them through the sky roof of the boat. Everything is the epitome of romance, from the way the table is set with a singular rose as its centrepiece, to the moonlit atmosphere of the boat, to the way Max pulls out you chair for you to sit. The two of you enjoy your dinner over a bottle of wine, and by the time the dessert is served, there is a slight tint to both of your cheeks from the alcohol and the laughing. Max holds your hand over the table in his, leaning forward slightly as he makes sure he’s not missing a word of what you’re saying. He realises, in that moment that it doesn’t matter if you’re talking to him about the most exciting thing in the world or the most tedious, he will give up everything to hear the excitement in your voice. 

“Do you remember that restaurant we had dinner in Greece, the one where you had to catch your own fish? The look on your face was hilarious, Max! I don’t think I had more fun in my life than I had in this past few weeks.” You laugh, tilting your head to the side as you lock eyes with the man sitting across from you. “Thank you, my love.”

“You’re welcome.” He replies, tangling his fingers in yours as he smiles – though there is more of a mischievous undertone to it than usual. “I have something for you, but you have to promise me you won’t freak out.” 

You let out a giggle while shaking your head. “Just what every girl wants to hear before receiving a gift from their boyfriends, Maxie.”

“Oh, hush.” He shushes you as he leans sideways for a moment to take out the small bag which was behind one of the legs of his chair. There’s a smile on his face which indicates that he’s proud of himself. “There you go.” 

“Was that there the whole time?” You ask, eyeing the small bag while cautiously playing with the small ribbon tied to one of its handles with your free hand. 

Max gives you yet another one of his unamused looks, motioning the bag with his head. “Will you please just open it?”

“Okay, okay,” You breath out, pulling your hand from its and carefully opening the package, being mindful so that you don’t destroy it completely. You eyebrows furrow as you notice the small box, taking it out and inspecting it before you open it. “It’s a ring.” 

“Yes! Do you like it?” Max asks with a boyish smile. 

“Ring.” 

He nods. “Yes, liefje.”

“Why is it a ring?” You ask, your eyes finally finding his once again. “What kind of ring is it?”

“Well I think it’s gold, darling–”

“Max!” You exclaim, head shaking in disbelief. It is a gold ring, and on it there are engravings of small flowers with carefully placed, small gemstones. 

His expression remains serious for a second, and then he smiles. “I’m not proposing.” He continues as you exhale a relieved breath. “It’s a promise ring,” He clarifies, “I’m not proposing, yet.”  

Your voice is almost inaudibly soft. “A promise ring?”

“Yes, liefje.” He nods and get up from his seat, walking towards your chair and getting on his knees while takin the ring box out of your hands. “It means,” He starts explaining as he takes the ring out and places it on your ring finger. “That one day I will replace it with a real one, and that I can see myself getting old with you.” 

“You can see yourself getting old with me?” You repeat in a breathy voice, even though you’ve been sitting down all the time. 

“Yes, schatje. I call you my ‘love’ at least once a day, I thought that would be an indication of how I feel about you.”

“I know how you feel about me.” You say in a confident voice. “You love me and I love you.” 

“I love you.” He confirms. “And I can’t wait to marry you, one day.” 

“One day.” You affirm. He presses his lips against yours, and as you kiss under the moonlight on a boat in Amsterdam, with Max’s lips tasting like red wine and crème patisserie, you realise just how much you like ‘Vacation Max’. 

[bangchansgirlsblog]

Baby bump?

-Hyunjin

Warnings: fluff, pregnancy?😂

Pairing: Hyunjin x reader

Summary: he travels to Greece and comes home to a surprise

!not proofread!

This is a quick little story because I’m working on requests lol🩷

**

I quickly run up to my bathroom and throw up the lunch I just had ate. Felix quickly follows behind me and hold up my hair.

"Your gonna have to tell him eventually." He says. I let out a whining sound before I was interrupted with vomit.

"I don't want too" I cry while flushing the toilet and getting up to brush my teeth.

"He's coming back home today, his gonna be suspicious." Felix reasons with me.

"I know but I haven't even taken a pregnancy test yet." I sigh as we walk back into the living room where the other boys were playing the ps.

"Should we go grab one right now? I'll come with you." I smile and give him a hug.

"I would love too" Felix was my bestfriend, all the boys were but me and him were just different. We understood eachother we told eachother everything.

"Guys we're quickly going to the store to get something." He tells the guys.

"Grab us some sodas!" Chan calls and we make a mental note before getting it or he car and driving to the stores.

Hyunjin had left a few days ago to Greece for a Versace fashion show and I had been throwing up. Only Felix knew this because he caught me one time and asked me what was wrong. After doing some research we found out that i could be pregnant. My worst fear. I was so terrified that I decided I would rather not know but what if I actually was and one day a baby just pops out of my virgina. Crazy right?

I finally gave in when Felix convinced me to take a test but I had been so busy with my classes and training that I didn't have time but now that we had a day off and Hyunjin was coming back I had to do it now or never.

"What about these ones?" Felix points at the digital pregnancy test and I just nod.

"Hey it'll be okay. If you really are pregnant we'll or raise him or her and turn her into a stay warrior,"

I let out a laugh and poke him on the side.

"As if" I scoff "I would never let them listen to y'all"

"That's offensive!" He gasps.

"Whatever major loser" I tease him and he pokes his tongue out.

"Come on let's pay." He grabs my hand and we walk to the counter where the lady stares at us weirdly. Great.

My phone buzzes and I quickly look at it:

Babe❤️

Hey baby, just got home but the boys said you went to the store with Felix. You okay?

I sigh. I couldn't say 'oh welcome home btw I may be pregnant surprise!' That would be crazy. Instead I just sent a simple text saying we would be home in five and indeed we were home in 5.

I walk through the door and up to Hyunjin room where I walk in. He was drying his hair meaning he had just come out the shower.

"Baby!" He squeals and hugs me tight.

"I missed you Jin!" I squeal and he chuckles. "How are you? How was your trip? Come on you have to tell me everything!" I pull him over to the bed and we sit down.

"Wait before that look what I got you!" He pulled out a bag from his suitcase and hands it to me.

"I told you not to get me anything" I roll y eyes but open it anyway.

"I had to get my girl something! I was in Greece don't blame me." He pulls me onto his lap and I open the the little box where I see a locket made of gold.

I gasp and look at him.

"Hyunjin..."

"Look it even has out names engraved and when you open it, it has pictures of us together." My heart starts to beat faster and I feel tears prick my eyes.

"I love it so much babe, I love you so much" I put it down and hug him giving him so many kisses causing him to laugh but thats when it hit me. I hadn't told him about the pregnancy stuff. I didn't know how he would react. I didn't want to ruin this moment. What if he freaks out?

"Babe are you okay?" He asks looking at me a bit worried.

"Yes yes, I'm just so lucky to have you in my life Hyunjin."

"And I'm so lucky to have you Y/n" he kisses my cheek and helps me put the necklace on.

I run downstairs to show it off to the boys and he just stood by the kitchen door watching and laughing at how excited I was about it. Showing it off.

"I'm gonna grab some food, do y'all want anything."

We all said a quick no and continued admiring the necklace.

He walks into the kitchen and a few moments later I hear a something fall and crash.

"Hyunjin?" I call but no response. I walk over to the kitchen to check on him and that's when I find the most scary sight (well at the moment) he was holding the bag with pregnancy tests.

"Uh..."

"Y/n..." he slowly looks up at me "why are there pregnancy test in a bag, by your keys and wallet?" He asks slowly.

"Well you see.."

"Don't lie to me y/n,"

"Fine.. I was gonna tell you I really was but then you were so happy and I didnt want to ruin our moment and you've been gone and it's just so scary," I rant and feel tears in my eyes.

"Hey babe, it's okay. Don't cry. I've got you" he pulls me towards his chest and let out a sob.

"What if I am Hyunjin, my career is over."

"Well we'll figure it out, I promise. Do you wanna go test right now?"

"Hyunjin.." I sob again and he tightens his grip around me.

"Hey it's okay, I'm right here with you." He assures me and kisses my forehead.

"Okay I'll do it." I wipe my tears and he holds my hand as we walk to his room.

"I'll be right outside I promise." He gives me a kiss and I quickly go into the bathroom and take the test.

I come back outside and sit on the bed with Hyunjin as we wait for the 5 minutes. Longest 5 minutes of my life.  He kept assuring me that everything was going to be okay but I could sense that even he was nervous. My stomach was churning and the alarm clock did not make it any better.

"You ready?" He asks as he holds the test in his hand.

"Just do it." I sigh and he turns the test. His reaction was blank.

"W-hat is it?" I asked scared.

"Negative babe." He says.

I swear to God I wanted to jump up and down. It felt like all the weight in the work was lifted off my shoulders.

"Oh thank God." I let out a relieved sigh and he chuckles.

"In my opinion you would look good carrying my baby." He says and kisses me.

"One day babe, one day." I smile.

**

[superscrub323]

So a thought occurs to me...what does make a 'Good Ares'?

Well the tl;dr is basically Norse Era Kratos but he's renamed Ares but since I technically said that in a previous blog post I'll elaborate. Alright, we all know how most media just gets Ares...wrong. He's either evil, ineffective because Athena exists, or just plain an asshole. Which if I was a God of War and Bloodshed who Loves bringing Fear, Dread, Strife, and Destruction where ever I go on a battlefield I can see why people would call me an asshole but if you followed me or most of my mutuals you probably know that's not entirely the case which makes it sad when that's the part where post people home in on. So, going under the assumption that we have enough on Ares from original tellings to paint a full picture*, here's what I would use to paint a picture of a 'good Ares'

Well he has to be violent, I know shocking right? A God of War being violent! Alright serious time, While certain War Gods and Philosophers love to paint a picture of a War that can be won without fighting, that's called diplomacy, and while it is valid, wars are inherently violent and confrontational and any Ares needs to reflect that. And since being a hothead that always looks for a fight doesn't automatically designate one towards being an asshole as proud warrior race guys, and hotheads can attest, he can be violent and still not be an asshole. Second off he has to be handsome. Yeah apparently original tellings of Ares describe him as one of the handsome among Greek Gods which is really impressive when Apollo and Adonis, two names synonymous with male beauty, exist. Granted you think most would figure that out from his legendary love affair with Aphrodite but apparently some people just can't resist making him ugly, which sucks but long story short, he has to be handsome. Third off, no misogyny. The whole dubiousness of Ares being a 'Protector of Women' thing notwithstanding and the fact that Greece already had Goddess who were 'Protectors of Women' (whether or not they were good at it from the stories we have vs how they were worshipped I leave you), Ares is a God in a pantheon that follows 'no means yes and yes means anal' rules to a T and the fact that he's one of the primary Olympians who has a cleanish track record with the opposite gender and is patron to an Island Nation of Badass Female Warriors who would go on to inspire Wonder Woman herself shows that by Ancient Greek Standards he's...not a misogynistic asshole (which in Ancient Greek Terms makes him a radfem but again, that speaks more poorly on his male cohorts if anything else). Fourthly, he has to be effective contrast to Athena who's no less necessary in the Art of War. Okay the running joke among Greek Mythology nerds is that Ares is the 'crybaby War God who gets his ass kicked by Athena and her pet heroes and goes crying to mommy and daddy who tell him to stop being a little bitch' and if I were to take his 3 most embarrassing moments in a vacuum I might come to that agreement. But I didn't and what I instead see is that Ares is a physically and martially superior to Athena who has to resort to tactical yet dirty tricks to get the win. Which isn't bad in and off itself, I do like Athena being a boss bitch, but when we say 'Athena kicked Ares ass twice in the Iliad' without the 'by using an invisible helmet and a mortal as a misdirection the first time and by having Zeus's 'Everything Proof Shield' and taking advantage of him being distracted the second time' we get painted an...incomplete picture. Which would be all fine and dandy but while Athena's domain of Strategy and Wisdom are important as shown in those examples (and said examples are no less impressive even if the impressiveness lies in her preparedness and strategy rather than her pure martial ability) Ares and by proxy War...kind of need the whole...violence, fear, dread, chaos, and destruction as I said before. So a good Ares needs to be a reminder that wisdom, strategy, and even diplomacy are no less essential to warfare than violence and bloodshed. Heck Ares sired a Goddess of Harmony so he himself knows this. So yeah, that's my list on what makes a good Ares...now who did Ares best... Well...Hades by Supergiant Games has the best Ares by default. He's violent to a borderline creepy degree but not impolite and/or rude to any of the Chthonic Deities, we don't know if if he has any children, but if he does we can also confer that if how he treats Zag is any indication he doesn't treat them like shit, he's handsome in a boyish way and looks cute in a game where 'looking cute' is a requirement for all the character designs, and he's a good contrast to Athena who's conversations between the two are nothing but pure gold.**

* New things get discovered everyday.

** But if he turns out to be evil in Hades 2 I'm going to recant that while resisting every urge to send hate mail to Supergiant Games.

[thealtoduck]

Being Helen of Troy’s son and being ”rescued” by Percy Jackson…

Percy Jackson x Male Reader

Warnings: Reader is kidnapped by a creepy giant who wants to marry him…

Summary: You get taken by a giant for your beauty and Zeus sends a hero to rescue you…

——

After Helen died in ancient times Zeus brought her up to Olympus and made her immortal, but that wasn’t the last time she set foot on earth. She had a child with a mortal, a son she would name ”Y/n”, leaving him to be raised by his father in New York.

Many years later he would find out about his heritage but in a harsh way…

One day when you were walking home late at night a giant man had snuck up behind you, grabbed you and shoved you in to a giant burlap sack.

You didn’t know how long you were in the sack but the next thing you knew you were emptied out of the sack on to hard cobblestone floor, looking around it looked like you had been taken to some kind of dirty old castle or fortress.

You looked up at the person who had taken him, it was a giant man dressed in torn ancient greek robes, he was tall and muscular but with a nasty looking face. ”Who are you? What do you want?” You questioned scared.

The man spoke up in a hoarse sounding voice saying ”I am Tityos, i have taken you son of Helen to be mine”. ”Son of who?” You questioned confused. He ignored you and picked you up, throwing you over his shoulder and carried you up to a tower.

He pushed you in to a room and growled ”We are to be married in a week”. He then slammed the door behind you and locked it.

Despite being extremely confused by the fact that a man dressed as if he was from ancient greece had kidnapped you calling you a ”Son of Helen”, you did your best trying to think of a way to escape.

After being carried in the burlap sack for hours your clothes were sweaty, the only type of change Tityos had provided were greek chitons kind of like the ones he was wearing. You changed in to one.

After changing you got an idea, there was a window in the room, you opened it, the fortress you were in was on the top of a tall mountain, further down the mountain you could see the lights of a village.

If you could tie together all of the chitons, the curtains and sheets, you could make a makeshift rope to climb out of the foretress and down from the tower and then go down to the village and find the authorities.

You immediately got to work tying together the different fabrics. It was going to take a while to make a rope that was long enough to go down to the ground and also hold your bodyweight.

It took days and you had to hide what you worked on everytime Tityos came by to give you food. Luckily you could always hear him coming because he wasn’t exactly quiet.

The rope was almost finished and it was the night before the day you were meant to be married to Tityos. You frantically worked as you tied the bed sheets to your now probably almost 70 feet long rope. Then you heard something behind you, a loud thump.

You turned around and saw someone scrambling to climb up in through the open window. The person in the window then managed to get in and said to themselves while panting heavily ”Gods, i’m never taking a mission for him ever again”.

The stranger then looked up making you see he wasn’t actually much of a stranger, that black hair, those green eyes…

”Percy…? Percy Jackson…?” You questioned confused. It was one of your classmates. But a bit different… instead of being dressed as usual he had a orange t-shirt covered by some light armour.

”Y/n?!” He asked loudly making you hush him and whisper ”Tityos might hear you”. ”You’re the son of Helen?” Percy questioned. ”I don’t know, i don’t even know what that’s supposed mean and why are you here?” you stated.

Percy then started ”Boy, this is gonna take a while to explain, so basically…” he then proceded to explain that the greek gods were all real, that you were the son of Helen of Troy and that he had gotten a mission from Zeus to rescue you from Tityos.

”Okay that was… that was a lot” you commented. You then realised something ”Wait? How did you get up here? You’ve got a ladder?” You questioned going over to the window to check.

”No, i flew here” he stated. ”You can fly?” You questioned. ”No no no, but my pegasus can, the winds were strong so he couldn’t stop outside so i had to jump and grab on to the window and climb in, but when we get out he’ll be waiting a bit further down the mountain” he said and then realised something.

”But first we have to find a way out” he said looking around you then gestured to your several feet long makeshift rope. ”That could work” he said and he helped you finish it. You then tied the rope around the bed and threw the rest out window.

It reached all the way down, you and Percy started climbing out the window and down the rope. You were starting to regret the fact that you were wearing a chiton, as the cold mountain wind hit you.

Once you got down from the tower you and Percy quickly started moving down the mountain. You followed a trail taking you down towards the village and at the end waited a black horse, but it had large wings on it’s sides.

”Y/n, this is Blackjack my pegasus, Blackjack, this is Y/n, my classmate” Percy introduced you to the pegasus. He then helped you climb up on it’s back, he then climbed up in front of you while saying ”Hope you’re not scared of heights”. ”I just climbed out of a 70 feet tall tower, i should be fine” you stated.

”Hold on to me” Percy said and you wrapped your arms around his waist, the pegasus then took off and flew in to the night.

You flew until sunrise and eventually landed in what looked like a summer camp and soon the two of you were surrounded by campers. Suddenly you felt really exposed in your short length chiton.

The campers then parted and half man half horse walked over between them. ”Good job, Percy” he praised the hero. The man then turned to you and said ”Son of Helen, welcome to Camp Half-Blood”.

You decided to stay with Percy at camp for the rest of the summer and as you were technically a legacy of Zeus, you were allowed to stay in Cabin 1.

As you had inherited your mother’s great beauty people were quick to start flirting with you. And as you had no siblings Percy’s friend Annabeth made sure to keep your admirers at a distance. She also gave you a knife and taught you to fight.

Once summer was over you and Percy returned to New York as close friends. And in the future even more if Aphrodite had anything to say about it.

[phoenixyfriend]

IDK how many of you remember @professorsparklepants's post about the unintended tragedy implied in Avril Lavigne's Sk8er Boy from a while back, but uhhhhhh it's basically Ballerina Farm.

If you've heard the edges of that drama and are curious but don't want to get in too deep, here's the rundown:

I heard about it in two videos:

Tyler Bender has more focus on the ways that an influencer may be specifically presenting herself for the interviewer, and the impact of Mormonism on the choices (Bender is herself a former(?) member of the LDS church, and speaks from that perspective, and has experience in the field of marketing)

Film Cooper, while I often have issues with his videos, does a lot more focus on just how relevant Julliard and the 'first student in decades(?) to get pregnant' are to the story, and clips of how happy she seems to be when dancing on camera

If you'd rather have a summary in text form, here we go:

BallerinaFarms is an influencer considered a big name in the tradwife community. Mormon, eight kids, runs a farm with her husband. She got a lot of press earlier in the year for winning Mrs. America two weeks after giving birth.

As a result, a journalist interviewed her ,and the 'perfect' image that has been presented to the world has been firmly shattered, and that's after a lot of cracks were showing in the socials already.

(Mrs. American is not a typo. It's not a tradwife pageant, to my knowledge, it's just a Miss America for married women.)

Basic timeline/summary of the article...

She got into Julliard. She was on track to be a world famous ballerina.

She did not want to date this man. She turned him down for six months. He snagged a seat next to her on a plane ride from salt lake city to nyc, by making a call, becaus his dad OWNS JET BLUE. They talked a lot on the plane, and then she agreed to date him. Insisted on a year of dating before engagement or marriage.

They get married after three months instead. She gets pregnant pretty quick. First Julliard student to get pregnant in a Very Long Time because generally, if you get into Julliard, ballet is your life. She was also on scholarship. She was That Good. Performed overseas and everything.

So that's her career ambitions down the drain. But it's Fine, Totally Fine, because she's got a baby, and a husband, and he is moving them to South America for a few years.

She has about one baby a year.

They move back to the US to a semi-isolated farm in Utah, not too far from civilization but not all that close, either.

She does not get to have childcare. No nannies. Babysitters are allowed one night per week (date night) and otherwise not at all. She is also homeschooling the eight children.

She did not get to have any painkillers for the kids… except one, which she only mentioned to the reporter when the husband was out of the room, and says that the epidural was amazing.

She still loves ballet. It's the only time in her videos that she seems truly happy.

Her husband really wants to be a cowboy but, again, his dad owns airlines. He's a billionaire trust fund baby.

This was his dream life. She repeatedly Seems To Stop Herself from saying things about how unhappy she is and how it wasn't her plan in life. (Is this calculated to get enough attention that she can get away? To get more clicks on her videos? Actual slips? Unclear.)

There's a notable video where she's filmed opening a birthday present and she keeps talking about tickets to Greece (clearly something she's been dropping hints about enough for her to assume that he got it for her, especially since she's on camera) and it's... an egg apron.

One of her only requests for the farm was that they would renovate a barn into a ballet studio for her. It is, instead, a schoolroom for the children.

She apparently collapses of exhaustion regularly, from having to look after eight children with minimal help, in addition to the content creation, the cooking--they have cleaners, but she does the food herself--running the farm, homeschooling, and being pregnant more often than not.

It's a shitshow and people are rightfully horrified. I'm sure I missed some stuff but it's really sad.

The snippets of video that FilmCooper shows, and the excerpts that both videos have from the article, paint a picture of a REALLY controlling husband even in settings where you'd think the man would at least try to act like he's not evil.

Explains the title on that Film Cooper video.

(You can also see why this made me think of the Prof post.)

[maverickgalathynius]

Throne of glass head cannons I wholeheartedly believe and you can’t convince me otherwise

————————————————————————

• Aelin essentially became a wyrdkey at a certain point due to her knowledge of the wyrdmarks and her skill of using them to be able to open portals to other worlds (hell realm from CoM) with the addition of having a goddesses power

• Aelin would’ve had matching hand burns with Az bad Maeve not rebuilt her completely

• Aelin bound her life to Fenrys to save him which means someday when Aelin dies so will Fenrys

• If Sam had survived Rowan still would’ve waited for Aelin

•Aelin is Ambidextrous due to when she had to break her right hand when she was with Arobynn

•Bryce and Aelin share a title ‘The Queen who walked between worlds

• Aelin also gained another name where she was referred to as ‘Queen of the Underworld’ bc of her murder streak and success in war

• Eva just calls Aelin her aunt bc Aelin and Aedion act so much like siblings instead of cousins that Eva just got the impression they were brother and sister at one point and even after being corrected it just kind of stuck that she called her her aunt

• there have been several occasions for when Aedion points at Lysandra and says that’s his wife to a stranger but Lysandra is in her ghost leopard form so Aedion just looks crazy

• when Celaena was in the dungeons after Nehemiah’s death she was only drinking the drug infused water bc she hopes that there would be just enough sedatives in there to kill her

• you cannot convince me Celaena and Nehemia didn’t kiss each other at least once romantically

• when Aelin uses her magic and flames form in her hands or something she’s directly touching, the veins leading up to her wrist start to faintly glow a golden color like her fire bc her magic ‘flows directly through her veins’.

•Same with her eyes where she can do the thing Nesta did and make her flame appear in her eyes where the golden ring is when she wants

•Imagine how it would be if death in the TOG world was similar to how death was believed to be in Ancient Greece where if the death was not acknowledged through a burial of some sorts or prayers sent up for the dead then the soul would forever be tied to the living world and not allowed to pass on, and then Celaena would just always be residing by Sam or Nehemia’s graves for the rest of eternity bc no one, not even Aelin thought to truly acknowledged that she was dead bc Aelin didn’t think it was possible for Celaena to become her own person after she died and everyone else didn’t like Celaena enough to try it

• it’s possible that Aelin has two carrenems, bc we know Rowan is one of them but we saw in the part where her and Dorian killed the king both of their magics worked together in a similar way, so it’s possible Dorian could also have a similar kind of thing with her but the reason it’s partly different is bc he’s human and doesn’t have some of the advanced abilities fae do.

•I fully believe that Aelin and Manon treat Elide like a divorced parents kid, Manon and the witches get her on the weekends, Aelin and her court get her on the weekdays

•friendly reminder that Gavriel could’ve used his magic to hold back the valg while he went through the gate but decided to stay behind because he couldn’t live thinking his son hated him

• I feel like Aelin has one small scar that survived Maeve and it’s a small scar on her cheek (which would’ve been covered by the mask) that she got from Arobynn absolutely back handing her and she got cut by a ring on his finger

• I can image Aelin being absolutely shit at social cues because Arobynn raised her practically separate from other people for the first few years apart from training with the other assassins in the guild sometimes and when he’d send her on assignments. Rowan realized that quickly and whenever they are in a situation where she’s not picking up certain looks or gestures Rowan just sends down the bond a little reminder to help her

•friendly reminder that Aelin’s fingers were slightly crooked in places before Maeve took her

•We also always had foreshadowing that Elide would end up with lorcan bc Anneith always is protecting Elide and whispering to her, Anneith is the consort to Hellas, and Hellas blessed Lorcan

•I feel like a core memory for manon would be when Lysandra threw up valg guts on lorcan

•I can imagine Aelin going to Rowan asking if he can cut into her back and pull out shards of iron that got caught in her skin bc Yrene was busy and then Rowan just being like a dear in headlights at the request so manon just strolls up and uses her nail like a scalpel and prying out shards of iron that Aelin’s Fae healing couldn’t get out bc Manon is fr a girls girl

•A reminder that when Aelin ran for the wall when she was “escaping” Endovier and when she was “escaping” from Carin. She never planned on escaping either, she planned to have them kill her so she could insure they’d never see her break

•Manon if she could use the internet:

If my boyfriend turns into a girl and I have sex with him does that make me queer?

•If memory works the same for the Fae as they do for humans Aelin will eventually forget what Sam looked like and what his voice sounded like

• After Celaena was sent to Endovior she lost the sheet music Sam gave her and she’s constantly guilty because it was the only gift from him she had apart from his clothes in their flat

•Rowan is Aelin’s mate.

But Sam was Celeanas

•I feel like when Lysandra get into an argument with Aedion and then when Aedion says some stupid shit she just shifts into his body and repeats what he said in a sarcastic/mocking tone

•When lorcan bound him and Elides life together instead of making him have a mortal lifespan it made her have an immortal life span.

————————————————————————

Anyway that’s all for now, sorry for the shit grammar I didn’t proofread

[tamaruaart]

Keep in mind this isn't me hating on Kirke, I love that fucked up goddess she's such a fun character. But goddamn I hate her fans.

It's all just people trying to push feminism where it wasn't 🙃 Yes, it's true ancient Greece was kinda shitty towards women. But goddamn that was 3000 years ago. We can enjoy these stories but it's important to not push modern perspectives and view points on these stories while also not condoning these actions. Not to mention we may very well experience this kind of thing with future generations that will come after us so it's important to simply stay humble. Civilizations and humans are constantly evolving and viewpoints are constantly changing so it's not exactly fair to history nor ourselves to take these ancient ideologies to heart. Grow up.

Anyways Circe/Kirke is not your hot little witch cutie ���� She's a goddess and the daughter of the Sun Titan. She's done terrible things and that's what makes her iconic. Istg if she wasn't so infamous no one would even know about her. She's morally gray and that's what makes her so neat >:D Now, is it unforgivable to paint jer in a good light? No, but I think if you remove ALL of her questionable morality she losses her charms. She isn't the same Kirke anymore. (Looking at you MM, your writing is good but holy shit.)

It's not unforgivable, but it's simply incorrect. If anyone wants to learn more about Kirke's original/actual character, I don't really recommend most modern interpretations- (MM's novel, Hades 2, DC, Odyssey Movies, my bbg Epic the Musical etc...) I'd say just read the Odyssey, reasurch some older mythos and read the Argonautica.

Can you still like these interpretations of Kirke? Yes. Of course. I love Epic's Kirke even though she is pretty inaccurate. You just have to acknowledge they aren't the real thing! :D That happeneds with most characters ngl, no adaptation nor interpretation is going to be 100% accurate to the original, but with Kirke it's always so... Apparent? So visible. They never make her at LEAST 50% accurate. Which 🤬

She was not a victim, she wasn't incredibly horny, she wasn't a girlboss, she wasn't love sick for Odysseus (it's hinted she only found him to be an 'interesting mortal' of sorts) she wasn't 100% cartoon villain of the week either. She's MORALLY GRAY 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

She holds Odysseus' men hostage, she turns Scylla into a monster out of jealousy, she turns a man into a woodpecker because he didn't want to sleep with her. But she ALSO helps out Medea and Jason (even though it's because Medea was her neice but STILL) and she gives Odysseus instructions on how to head home.

She does BAD things that shouldn't be forgiven and aren't at all justified, but she also does GOOD things that should be acknowledged. She's a goddess. She's a character. She's morally gray. WHAT THE FUCK IS NOT CLICKING???? 😀

I just don't like modern interpretations of Kirke and I'm a meanie so I made this ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

That's why I stick to my 3000 year old books instead of these puny ones that were written in my century 💪💪💪

Do not apply feministic messages or themes on Kirke. Nor any Greek mythology figure for that matter. This was 3000 years ago 😀 if you want to focus on feminism FOCUS ON WOMEN WHO ACTUALLY HAD TO STRUGGLE ABOUT THESE THINGS AND THAT EXISTED IN THE 19-21 CENTURY 😀😀😀😀 WHEN PEOPLE KNEW OR WELL WERE SUPPOSED TO KNOW FUCKING BETTER. OR JUST FOCUS ON MODERN FEMALE STRUGGLES THAT ARE RELATABLE??

Also, if I haven't already made it clear. LIKING A CHARACTER ≠ CONDONING THEIR ACTIONS. I'm just talking about all the people who either call her a girlboss, hate on other figures for being morally questionable but turn a blind eye when it comes to Kirke, and people who make fun of Odysseus and call him a man whore for sleeping with Circe and Calypso. (Despite the fact he's a literal victim)

And for the last time:

👏 THIS 👏 IS 👏 NOT👏 A 👏KIRKE 👏 THE GODDESS 👏 HATE 👏 POST. 👏 THIS 👏 IS 👏 ME 👏 SLANDERING 👏 SOME 👏 OF 👏 HER👏 FANS 👏 AND👏 MOST 👏MODERN 👏INTERPETATIONS👏 OF 👏THAT 👏TWISTED 👏MORALLY 👏GRAY👏 BITCH.

Also I made a typo in the meme. God damn it dyslexia. (It's should be 'transforming' not 'transformed')

[henke-penke]

If Eva was in world tour instead of in the peanut gallery, how do you think Lovers and Fools will play out?

oooooooo inch resting~

There are two ways this would go; Eva replaces Duncan, and Evs competes alongside Duncan. I'm gonna focus on the latter for now. Might come back and do the other but I make no promises.

Eva obviously ends up on Team Chris, and the story stays relatively the same up until after Izzy's elimination in Paris. There, Eva pulls Noah to the side and demands answers. She might not be a genius or the best when it comes to people and making observations, but she knows Noah. And she knows he wouldn't cozy up to Heather just for fun.

And Noah tells her the truth. He's made a deal with both Heather and Alejandro to try to make them both jealous and throw them off their game. The reason he tells is quite simple; Eva hates liars and most importantly, can keep a secret.

Eva will have her opinions on the scheme, because it kinda feels cheaty to her, but is ultimately very 'sure whatever' about it. Mostly because Noah assures her that no real feelings are involved, it's just pretend for the sake of the game and a million dollars.

"I'm not actually crushing on them. And I'm very certain they're not crushing on me either." "Alright. I trust you know what you're doing. Though be aware, I won't come to the rescue when they bust your ass." "Don't worry. That's not gonna happen."

Things continue roughly the same. I think the only real difference would be a quick conversation in Newfoundland where, after having observed the whole Alenoaheather situation, Eva will straight up ask if Noah's sure he isn't actually crushing. Which he will vehemently deny, of course.

On the flight to Greece, when both the Amazons and Team Chris are in first class, Noah will pull Eva to the side and update her on the scheme;

"So, they caught me." "I told you I wasn't going to rescue you-" "Not asking you to. Just letting you know that they're in on it." "... What?" "The scheme. Or I guess it's a fully-fledged alliance now. Either way, the figured out I was tricking them and suggested we work together all three." "Congratulations? Why are you telling me this?" "I... don't know. You were the only one who knew of the original plan, and while this doesn't change how we'll behave since we're keeping it a secret, I figured you should know." "Oh. Well, thanks. I appreciate it." "No problem."

So yeah, Eva knows they're in an alliance. She doesn't know the specifics or their schemes because I don't think she'd care that much about it. I also don't think she'd intervene much, aside from telling Duncan to back off when he's snapping at Noah, and calling him out for his bullshit in Sweden.

Now, I have no idea how Eva gets eliminated in this. My first thought was China, but that would take away a major scene for Courtney, so idk. We're skipping it for now. All that's important is that Eva makes it to the wedding challenge at least. There, much like he did with Heather and Cody, Duncan will approach Eva to try to convince her to vote for Noah with him. He's convinced Noah's a master manipulator, and even crosses the line and questions the legitimacy of Noah and Eva's friendship. Eva is having none of it and tells him to fuck off.

However, Noah failed to give her a crucial update before her departure; the cheating plot. Because as established, Noah falling in love, especially under these circumstances, exasperates his self-destructive behavior, that's part of why the plot happens in the first place. It's therein not unreasonable to assume it slipped his mind.

This then leads us to Eva arriving on the aftermath set, and being greeted by the bombshell that is the villain-Noah-narrative. And that shit activates her fight or flight. Every interaction she's had with Noah is put into question. Hell, even Duncan's fuckass attempt to 'trick' her is put into question. Eva ends up stuck between both sides. Noah is her friend. He trusted her enough to tell her his plan way back when, and even updated her when needed. But, can she really trust he was fully honest ? Is it really outside the realm of possibilities that he was lying for his own benefit ? That Heather and Alejandro had never actually caught onto him ? But would Noah really be capable, or willing, to emotionally manipulate people ?

Only one surefire way of knowing.

Thus, when Noah arrive, before Geoff can truly stir the masses, Eva tells him to shut the fuck up. And Geoff does. Eva then lays it out exactly how she feels to Noah, no exaggerations, and no sugarcoating.

"I don't trust the narrative they're presenting. I don't. But right now, I don't know if I trust you either. Until Heather or Alejandro or both get here and can vouch for you, stay away from me."

Noah will be visibly hurt by this, but is understanding and so agrees. His depressive episode here won't be as severe as it is in the fic, but he'll still turn to isolation as a 'coping mechanism'. Izzy will make her reappearance earlier and make it her duty to ensure he actually eats and has some form of company. Noah will also not have his breakdown, but he will still worry about the legitimacy of his new relationship, venting to Izzy how Alejandro and Heather can very easily throw him under the bus and leave him with nothing.

Eva's confrontation will also sow seeds of doubt with the rest of the cast. Like, maybe there's more to the story than what we're told. This is further solidified when it's time for the aftermath, which Noah attends. This is where the continues the villain role and there is a noticeable difference between him off and on camera.

(This is also where we'd get the hilarious bit from the original reblogs where, when asked to pick a contestant to root for, Noah would pull out a chair and sit between Heather and Alejandro's bleachers. "I couldn't choose on the plane, what makes you think I will now?")

When Heather and Alejandro arrive they have to restrain themselves from immediately running up to Noah. He also has to nod to the cameras like 'not yet not yet they're still rolling'. However, the second Chris ends the episode, it's polycule hug time babey !! Heather hugs normally and then Alejandro tackles them. It's cute, fluffy, and all-around a fun time.

The rest of the cast is a bit confused, but things are quickly cleared up. Chris and Blaineley has their argument but it isn't as intense as in the fic. All the apologies still happen after the finale, but before the final aftermath, because Noah doesn't faint here nor was he treated half as poorly, so there's time to spare and not the same levels of animosity between the cast.

For the final episode, they all act like the off-screen reveal didn't happen, Noah keeping to the villain role, with Heather and Alejandro as the unsuspecting heroes. Now, I'm unsure if Chris will have the scheme reveal happen on the volcanoes or save it for the aftermath, but the reveal will happen trust.

And that's that ! Snipp snapp snut, så var sagan slut !

Yeah, whether she's in the game or not, Eva is important to the story of Lovers and Fools <3

[literallyjusttoa]

What’s better Christmas present than a bit of angst huh?

When Apollo was young, not yet a year old, he was banished from Olympus due to his crime of murder. Gaea called for his head, but Zeus shielded him.

“I will not rule as my father did,” he said “The boy can learn, he can be better.”

Apollo was sentenced to exile. Nine years, though he was not told this. No, Apollo was certain that he had lost his chance to join his family in the heavens. His father had spared his life, and as penance he now had to stay on the mortal realm for all eternity, alone.

The young god made due with what he had. He wandered through the fields of Greece, tending to the animals he found along the way. He would sing, as light and clear as the birds, and mortals would flock to the sound. Apollo was never allowed to linger long, but he fell in love with that feeling of warm comfort mortals seemed to carry with them, that joy that he could never quite reach. When he could, he worked, often for little reward. He wanted another taste, another glimpse of a less lonely existence. So he became a shepherd, a soothsayer, a musician, always a few steps away, watching but never being.

One day, in the middle of the coldest months, Apollo was hired by a farmer in the Vale of Tempe. He had a large herd of cattle and was in desperate need of a someone to care for them. Apollo traveled through the backroads and forests, making his way to the valley. When he arrived, however, he found no farmer, and no cattle. Instead, a lone man sat at the base of the river that flowed through the vale. The water was near frozen over, but the man did not shake. Instead, he turned, and smiled wide.

“Apollon,” Zeus said, “Olympus has missed you.”

Apollo was shocked. Had his father truly come for him? He dropped into a low bow, too nervous for words.

Zeus chuckled, low and warm, “Rise, son. There is no more need for humility. It has been decided you have done enough.”

“Truly?” Apollo asked, “May I truly join you on Olympus?”

“You may join me at home, Apollo.” Zeus responded, “Your home. Come, we shall perform a rite of purification in these waters, and then you will ascend to your throne.”

And so the rite was performed, and Apollo was cleansed. As far as the rest of the world knows, the two immediately ascended to Olympus, to the glorious applause of the other members of the divine court. Apollo took his throne, next to his dear sister, and began his immortal duties.

But there was a moment, one moment, which was kept away in that sheltered vale. Once Apollo had been cleansed, he stood at the bank, waiting for the next step. Any demand his father asked of him, he would have agreed too. But Zeus held nothing over his head. Instead, he summoned a cloak of sheep’s wool, and placed it over Apollo’s shoulders.

“A gift,” he murmured, “The golden treasures you were born with will bring you glory, but this my son… I hope this will keep you warm.”

And Apollo believed, with all his heart, that he would never be lonely again.

Time is a cruel master. As years bled into centuries that bled into millennia upon millennia, Apollo realized that loneliness would be his most constant companion. He realized that the source of this loneliness, this suffering, would often be the very man that promised to keep him warm. The fire of his father’s hearth burned everything it touched, leaving Apollo with blistered hands and a scorched heart.

But he still wore the sheepskin. When the loneliness crept into his bones. When the lightning crackled across his limbs with a burning pain, as warm as his father promised with an agony he’d never mentioned. When all seemed lost to the ground and the dust. Apollo found that wool cloak and cast it over his shoulders. Even broken promises can bring some sort of comfort. Even old sheep’s wool can bring an illusion of warmth.

I was his child once. He used to love me.

If only the bite of a king’s cruelty could be chased away as easily as the chill of a winter’s day. The wool does nothing, and the loneliness remains. Apollo shivers, and goes to rest.

[aliciavance4228]

Before starting to talk about this subject I want to make one thing clear: Hephaestus is one of my favourite Greek Gods (either in Top 5 or Top 10), so I'm not writing this post because I dislike him, but because I cannot stand superficial/surfface-level depictions of greek gods' personalities, nor the simplification of them and the erasure of their nuances (either through romanticization or demonization).

I do appreciate the fact that a lot of people start to realize that the relationship between Aphrodite and Hephaestus was a disfunctional one and that both of them are happier with different people (Ares and Aglaea, respectively). However, the fact that many people are usually focusing only on Aphrodite's actions and ignore Hephaestus' abusiveness rubs me in a wrong way.

Now, referring to Hephaestus as an Incel or choosing to villainize him for that is not the best solution either. He wasn't the only god asking Zeus for a wife, nor the only one who presents a more or less misogynistic attitude towards women. We're talking here about Ancient Greece, so expecting the deities to act how we would expect them to act based on nowdays' principles and standards is unrealistic and juvenile. I would also like to point out the fact that Hephaestus is, according to Hesiod's Theogony, happily married with Aglaea, who is also described as his first and only wife. They also have four daughters according to Orphic Rhapsodies Frag. And yet he is the exact same deity that you guys claim to be an Incel, which is a contraditiction to the original meaning of the term. The word was ment to reffer to a category of men who blame their appearance for not being able to have sex (when in truth the reason why women don't want them is rather due to their personality and beliefs; and by beliefs I mean their tendency of objectifying women and having ridiculously high standards for their future wives while simultaneously getting offended when a woman has her own standards too). I can see Apollo and Hades falling into more Incel Stereotypes than him, considering the fact that one of them cursed many women for refusing to sleep with him, whereas the other literally had to kidnap a woman in order to have a wife. And yet nobody dares to call them Incels, just because they two aren’t described as being disabled nor falsely considered unattractive, unlike Hephaestus.

That being said, negating his wrongs and turning him into a woobie who did nothing wrong just because you cannot stand Aphrodite isn't a good way of perceiving their relationship either. While Aphrodite was indeed manipulative towards Hephaestus and her sleeping with his own brother in his bed was hardly admirable, I would also like to point out the fact that Hephaestus was pretty much toxic and revengeful towards her too.

Now, there are a lot of versions on how they got married as well as a lot of lost fragments, which leads to speculations rather than something 100% certain. So I won't talk about it purely because I want to avoid misinterpretiation and misinformation, and discuss directly about what intetests me the most.

Wheter or not Aphrodite willingly married him or loved him, what do we know for sure is that she preffered Ares more and had an affair with him all this time. Being cheated on is a form a betrayal from a partner, so Hephaestus being angry on her is understandable. However, instead of divorcing her directly, he decided to humiliate her in one of the worst ways possible before separating from her:

Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 14. 40 ff (trans. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) :

"With cheek shame-crimsoned, like the Queen of Love, what time the Heaven-abiders saw her clasped in Ares' arms, shaming in sight of all the marriage-bed, trapped in the myriad-meshed toils of Hephaistos : tangled there she lay in agony of shame, while thronged around the Blessed, and there stood Hephaistos' self: for fearful it is for wives to be beheld by husbands' eyes doing the deed of shame."

On top of that, Hephaestus directed his wrath towards one of Aphrodite and Ares' daughters (Harmonia) and her descendants as well, despite the fact it wasn't technically her fault that she was fathered by his brother:

Statius, Thebaid 2. 265 ff (trans. Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) :

"The dread necklace of Harmonia . . . The Lemnian [Hephaistos], so they of old believed, long time distressed at Mars' [Ares'] deceit and seeing that no punishment gave hindrance to the disclosed armour, and the avenging chains removed not the offence [of his affair with Hephaistos' then wife Aphrodite], wrought this [a cursed necklace] for Harmonia on her bridal day to be the glory of her dower [description of the necklace follows] . . .

The work first proved its worth, when Harmonia's complaints turned to dreadful hissing, and she bore company to grovelling Cadmus, and with long trailing breast drew furrows in the Illyrian fields [the pair were turned into serpents in Illyria]. Next, scarce had shameless Semele [their daughter] put the hurtful gift about her neck, when lying Juno [Hera] crossed her threshold. Thou too, unhappy Jocasta, didst, as they say, possess the beauteous, baleful thing, and didst deck thy countenance with its praise - on what a couch, alas! to find favour; and many more beside. Last Argia shines in the splendour of the gift, and in pride of ornament and accursed gold surpassed her sister's mean attiring. The wife of the doomed prophet [Eriphyle wife of Amphiaraus] beheld it, and at every shrine and banquet in secret cherished fierce jealousy, if only it might be granted her to possess the terrible jewel, nought profited, alas!"

Furthermore, I would also like to emphasize the fact that Hephaestus had a considerable amount of lovers. And while timeline is another uncertain aspect and he might have slept with those women before he married Aphrodite and/or between the moment when he divorced her and the one when he remarried, the possibility of him cheating on Aphrodite isn't an impossible one. In this case, that could be taken as a Double Standard, and his reaction when he found out that Aphrodite was cheating on him would be completely hypocritical.

As I said, Aphrodite was abusive and toxic towards him as well. But deciding to solely demonize her instead of acknowledging that both of them were abusive and toxic towards each other -I don't like to use this term but I can't find another one for the moment- is purely slut-shaming. Some of you guys are complaining about how "Hera has no agency" and were praising Kaos for portraying her as cheating on Zeus despite the fact that this is out of her character because "He finally got a taste of his own medicine", yet when Aphrodite cheats on her possible unfaithful husband she's suddenly a whore. You guys want a goddess who can be sexually active without any sort of inhibitions, yet when Aphrodite is brought into discussion there's at least one person who won't hesitate to call her all slurs for that, whereas Demeter is turned into a prude on top of being a Helicopter Parent in many fanfictions and retellings (because apparently when a woman becomes a mother she cannot care about anything else).

So instead of choosing one extreme or another where a) Aphrodite is a brainless slut and Hephaestus a poor woobie or b) Aphrodite is a helpless victim and Hephaestus an Incel who deserved to be cheated on, perhaps it would be a better idea to treat them as humane, realistic figures, instead of some sort of cartoonish caricatures who can easily fit into whatever labels and tropes you want them to fit in.

[alicentsgf]

i do sometimes forget most white americans cant necessarily tell what version of white someone is. and to be very clear this is not me at all criticising - homogenous whiteness is part of american culture and that has an impact on how european features are percieved, it makes total sense they have a different perspective. But like personally i can look at most white people and take a pretty good guess what region of europe their familys from, and so can most other europeans. I remember studying in america and finding out the girl i was sat with was irish american and saying 'oh i could tell. you look irish' and her being shocked, saying she was surprised i could tell. like girl you are the most sterotypically irish looking person i've ever seen. There are always exceptions obviously, but as a general rule you can at least take a good guess.

I think maybe this why some movies seem so badly cast to me sometimes. They'll be casting for a movie about ancient greece or something and it'd be fine if one or two actors looked more western or northern european... but all of them? I just cant concentrate. It takes me tf out. I'll be sitting there like "that is an anglo saxon i can tell just by looking at him". I remember being so not okay with logan lerman getting cast as percy jackson when i was a kid, because the book described him as mediterranean. And i felt gaslit because everyone else was calling him the perfect percy, when he looked so british/irish to me. Like e.g. I can tell Emma D'Arcys heritage is likely scandinavian, just from looking at them. They have a mix of features you can pinpoint on a map somehow. Its just something I know immediately upon looking at them without having to even think about it.

Maybe this is why some americans seem confused by where 'tall, dark, and handsome' comes from, and the concept of dark features in general. "Olive-skinned" as well. Like these terms dont really work very well with a culture that enforces homogenous whiteness. My cultural experience with the term "olive skinned" has always been that its used as a way of referencing the green undertone (i.e. has nothing to do with the depth of colour) usually seen in the countries around the Mediterranean. It suggests that that person's skin tans easily, but it doesnt necessarily mean it IS tan. It can go very pale without sunlight, but even when its pale its yellow/green tinted. But seriously, where does that term fit in when it comes to homogenous whiteness? It just doesnt really, it wasnt made for that.

All i can think is Europeans dont really have a concept of overarching whiteness amongst ourselves the way white americans do (please dont think this is me saying we dont benefit from whiteness, we do). Im not saying this is better or worse than the american concept either btw, Im really not making any kind of moral or political statement here. I just think its kinda fascinating how much culture affects our ability to categorise certain traits. Our perception of stuff like this depends sooo heavily on culture/how we're exposed to it, and I think maybe this is something we need to keep in mind when we're having cross-continental conversations, instead of assuming our way is the only way to percieve something and the other person is stupid for seeing something different than what we see.