#both for his and Athena's sake

[mattoidmeerkat]

HE DESERVES ALL THE HUGS

I don't think we, as a community, talk enough about the trauma Harry went through. I mean, his sister tried to kill herself when he was 8/9 years old (may is also a whole situation on itself, I could make the same post about her, just more intense) then someone pointed gun at him when he was around 11(?). THEN, there is the whole "his mom nearly got beaten to death" thing, and after that, he got kidnapped by the guy that nearly killed his mom and now, in the new season? The whole mom and other important people in big danger thing again.

I know there are characters with more traumatic things, but he still has some, which I've never seen discussed in the fandom

[o3o-lapd-o3o]

do you ever think that the ending of six hundred strike, actually added to the poseidon & athena beef? like i can just imagine them both in beds in apollo's olympus infirmary, just arguing with/at each other! meanwhile poor apollo is just tying to heal them both.

athena: *ranting* i've been odysseus' mentor/friend since he was a teenager! and he still didn't listen to me!

athena: i told him to put his emotions aside but noooooo, he had to let the cyclops live!

apollo: athen-

poseidon: are you forgetting he literally stabbed me? repeateDLY? WITH MY OWN TRIDENT?

apollo: poseid-

athena: *ignoring poseidon and continuing her rant* ruTHlesNEsS iS meRCy UpOn OUrseLVEs. isn't that what you said?!

poseidon: well yeah, BUT HOW WAS I TO EXPECT THAT SAD WET CAT OF A MAN WOULD BE FILLED WITH SOME FORM OF DIVINE RAGE?

apollo: please you two are gonna open your stitche-

athena: oh you deserved it. you literally showed the man his island before trapping him AND THEN you started THREATENING his wife and son? oh that was your final mistake.

poseidon: whatever! so much for you calling him a warrior of the mind. he's a monster!

athena: *wipes tear away* i know, im so proud.

apollo: *tired of their bickering & now glowing in anger* please for "dad's"sake will you two just shut up and let me heal you both?!

poseidon & athena: *shuts up immediately* o-ok

[kittenscookie]

Listen listen!

Odysseus finding a baby Percy, why he alive no one knows maybe Hades doesn’t want to deal with him and he takes one look at the baby realizes Poseidon is a dead beat and said mine

Percy is now badass for being trained by the warrior of the mind and Athena loves him because that means he is her grand baby and she approves of him for annabeth

Ody adopting baby Percy implies that Sally is dead and I can work with that.

Zeus finds out about Percy's existence a whole 11 years earlier and sends a hurricane and monsters to kill him. When the dust settles Sally is dead and Zeus assumes he got the baby too and under normal circumstances he would. But these aren't normal circumstances—these are Odysseus of Ithaca circumstances. Sally and Odysseus had been friends for a couple months at that point (Ody having never found the right time to tell her who he was/used to be if he's been reincarnated) and he could not leave his friend's baby to die.

Now Poseidon knew Percy had survived—he didn't know how but he wasn't about to question a miracle. He didn't question it for a whole 11 years until Percy was right before him giving him the vilest stink eye imaginable. And as he was questioning that specifically he was sucker punched, pinned to the ground and trident ripped out of his hands as he summoned it. Then he saw his attackers face and his ichor ran cold.

Poseidon: You...

Odysseus: Me.

Ody is ripped off him before he can start stabbing. And 3,000-year-old beef is reignited, though they both try to keep it to a minimum for Percy's sake.

[heraxic]

I’m sorry if you already answered this (I didn’t find it mentioned) but why was Kyril/Karl mutated, imprisoned and hunted in the Greek Myth AU? This definitely feels like Miranda/Athena was punishing him. What happened?

Thanks for asking!

Here’s pre-curse Kyril (story under cut, body horror/gore warning)

Yes, it was meant as punishment (unlike Alina and Daphne), and to no one’s surprise his crime was hubris.

Kyril worked at his father’s forge, far surpassing his skills in both metalworking and stone masonry. As such he was blessed by Hephaestus himself.

He got commissioned to make a statue of Athena in honor of her craftsmanship. He rolled his eyes and set to work, complaining that it’d be more fitting to make one of Hephaestus, who picked up the slack, since Athena abandoned her craft and stopped making beautiful things for the sake of her sick game (Athena’s Gauntlet of Monsters, so far containing a living whirlpool and a sphinx, was widely known and many daydreamed of or even sought the glory of defeating the beasts). In spite of his grumbling the statue came out stunning with clean cut stone and gilded detailing.

The next day, a weaver came to Kyril’s forge saying she’d heard his complaints about her goddess, which confused her cause with a statue that beautiful a blessing would naturally be in order, yet he burned that bridge. ‘What if she could give you the power to make the most life-like statues in the world?’ Kyril laughed and said it wasn’t her domain, and besides he didn’t need it.

Refusing a blessing from a god is one thing, but to mock them and be telling the truth at the same time is unforgivable.

The weaver lifted her shawl from her head and revealed a brilliant blue plume and with it a golden helmet. Athena arose to her full dreadful height, one hand holding her winged spear, the other pointed towards the terrified sinner in front of her. ‘You will know what power is when you see it. You shall have my blessing whether you wish or not.’

In a second, Kyril fell to the floor screaming with blinding agony, feeling horrible squelching and crunching as bone and muscle grew where it shouldn’t. His nails fell out and out of the raw empty spots grew thorny black claws; his spine extended to accommodate a tufted lion tail; the skin of his back ripped to tatters to unfurl two sets of bloody grey wings; his black curls turned to angry, writhing snakes, each more venomous than the last; his teeth grew sharp and pointed, cutting rifts on his tongue so blood filled his mouth; and lastly his eyes grew heavy in their sockets as they were imbued with the last of the goddess’s curse.

Hearing the commotion, Kyril’s father rushed in and cradled the strange figure he knew was his son, turning his head towards him. He instantly froze in place, a perfect image of paternal worry, and the monster felt the arms holding it turn hard and grating like stone.

Athena took him away to her islands somewhere in the Cyclades to become the next glorious creature on her roster, the Gorgon. There he lied writhing in pain for 12 days without sleep or food (besides the right leg of Pallas, which further changed his body and gained him far more muscle and size). When the pain subsided enough to let him speak he prayed for his patron Hephaestus to help him, but alas gods can’t break each other's curses. Instead he carved out a spacious cave for him in which to seek shelter as well as several unbreakable stonemason and smithing tools to keep up his spirits.

700 yrs later Elias comes to the islands.

[polyhexianbirb]

OOKOSJEKJ SO I HAVE AN AU FOR EPIC I call it the Double Mulan au.

So Penelope, who is blessed by Ares does a Mulan and dresses in Odysseus's armour and head to war disguised as him. She cuts her hair and binds her chest and Ares gives her a gift that will make her voice deeper than it is. She can fight bc she is Spartan ofc.

But there cant be two Odysseus's running around, so when Odysseus realises she is gone, he starts dressing like her and pretending to be her, and he looks after Telemachus. He keeps the country in tact and gets to stay with his son, and Athena teaches him to weave. Just for authenticity's sake, he also grows his hair, and Athena gives a similar gift to him that Ares gave Penelope, just to make his voice more feminine.

Au notes down below:

And i have a whole plan for this au like. Penelope still gets gifted the Moly by Hermes bc he can respect the dedication to the bit. Penelope only reveals herself as a woman during Other Ways bc Circe had thought it was a man's chest and disnt mean to touch actual women Boobas how embarrassing--

Oh and the Cyclops thing is different. Penelope doesn't care enough about her crew and Ares is all about the passion of war (which is why he and Aphrodite are a thing, they're both passion and ugliness and desire and red and blood) eo he gets upset that she didn't care to bring back the dead bodies of the crew. She still yells Odysseus's name to puss of Ares, except literally only Ares and Athena know about the swap rn so Poseidon is just forever angry at the wrong person.

Sirens well just say that the only person to see the illusion is the person they're targeting, so only Penelope sees Odysseus, the others just see a siren. Otherwise it'd make Odysseus look like a second Narcissus. And she still kills them.

"I see your man with a wife who is haunting, a lady with a trail of bodies"

"WHO?"

Calypso is just happy to have someone there. She definetly knows this is a woman, but Penelope still tries to keep up the ruse. By God Games the gods who were all in it all found out by now about the switch, and hold up lemme wrote their arguments:

Apollo: she fought against Troy, she is one of the main reasons one of his temples is in disarray! How dare she! Plus the prophecies state Odysseus should've been the one to fight, that didn't happen though!

Hephestus: she literally didn't care, like seriously. His argument mostly stays the same, and Ares finds it hard to defend her on this one, because yeah, her family is her main priority, but she's passionate about them at least?

Aphrodite: my man is weak to Aphrodite. Her argument is that she left her beloved alone, disappearing to the middle of the night with no word of where she went, that isn't love, she disnt even say a proper goodbye. He tries to say that she loved him enough to leave, and Aphrodite is like 'you're lucky I love you, we're having such great ******** tonight"

Athena: she is upset because Odysseus has been alone, Penelope is cunning yes, but her champion was meant to be the one in the war, not Ares's he stole her spotlight, her champion is suffering now, and he should deal with the consequences. He basically uses logic against her, saying she is being emotional for a change and explains that if Penelope stays away, Odysseus will just keep suffering.

Hera: "look how much she loves him! They're so in love they think alike! They have both been loyal!" And Hera ofc eats that shit up.

And I feel like for Odysseus's side of things he couldn't really teach Telemachus too much in fighting, bc the suitors are there messing with everything. Instead of Athena helping Telemachus in a fight it's Ares, an then when he sees how stressed Odysseus is, how far the charade has gone, he realises Penelope has to get home.

Oh and Penelope definetly makes some Poseidon Sashimi on the way home.

[deadbaguette]

What with the Wisdom Saga out now AND me having major Odypendio brainrot that involves Telemachus, I ended up giving him a sorta temporary design (I haven’t fully decided if I wanna adjust it) much earlier than anticipated

It’s like halfway there, and honestly it’s just me wanting to see in what ways can I make him look like his mom and dad😭 more thoughts below

I want him to look a lot more like Penelope, but there are certain qualities of Odysseus that shine through quite obviously. Namely his hair (which no matter how he or Penelope try seems to always fall similarly to the way Odysseus’ did) and if you look close enough his eyes. This is due to a personal head canon that those favoured by the gods can take on certain qualities of them (I usually do this in the form of their epithets/attributes of how they’re described), and for Athena specifically I usually give those favoured by her grey eyes (ofc this means my Odysseus and Diomedes). I imagine Telemachus’ eyes have always been somewhat grey as a result from inheriting it from his dad, but when Athena becomes more present in his life during the Odyssey they become visibly more grey.

I just want this kind of vibe where he looks so much like Penelope, but some days she’ll stare at her son a little too long while doing his hair. For just a second he looked so much like his dad and Penelope is filled with the feeling of how much she misses him. Telemachus knows this and has pointedly, for maybe both his own and his mom’s sake, kept it reasonably short. On the fence abt giving him facial hair but here’s what it would look like. If he managed to grow a beard it would look like the one Odysseus has!

I have a lot more thoughts about a dynamic between Diomedes and him, but that’s for another post for another day <3

[paracozmistari]

911 s8 e15 rant

This whole thing was a shitshow. Very poorly written too. And beyond unnecessary.

How dare you? How fucking dare you? I cannot even begin to list the ways you wronged everybody here.

Your main character, the heart and soul of the show deserves a proper ending. Not a last five minute out of the blue death for shock value. Bobby’s character growth and him learning to live after everything that happened to him is one of the best things in the show. And to throw that all away just because you couldn’t come up with something better and thought this was creative. Rot in hell. This sends an awfull message. Bobby Nash deserved a happy ending he deserved better. Athena deserved better. They deserved to grow old together, spoil their gandchildren together. Bobby deserved to die in a comfortable bed surrounded by his loved ones. Not in that lab in the most painful way possible while he has to worry about Athena witnessing all of it, his organs failing and him collapsing. This was just disrespectfull to both of their characters. And plain stupidity.

Cause what do you mean they didn’t rush him to a quarantined hospital in a hasmat suit? Chim had the antidote in him and the rat too. I guess it was very convinient to write it in a way that he only had minutes left and there wasn’t time, he sacrificed himself. At least the sacrifice part clicked but nothing else. Also he wasn’t showing any simptoms for so long while Chimney had been dying for hours in there. There was no lead up to this. Not in the two parter and not in the season. Bathena have been building their dreamhouse, things were finally getting back to how they should be and now Athena has to go back to that house without Bobby. Cruel, so so cruel and uncalled for.

Now the other thing that’s making me want to sue dear timmy is the amount of disrespect to Peter Krause, Angela and hell even the other actors. Peter did not want to leave. All the other actors asked him not to do this. And then he just shits on everybody kills Bobby for the sake of killing a character off, essentially firing Peter. It makes me sick to my stomach. After this much time he deserved waaayyy better. And his true character is shown in that letter he wrote, bless his heart.

Also the whole of the fandom is pissed and I mean EVERYBODY. (We are finally united in all of this madness isnt that great?) You have to fuck up real bad to make the actors not want this, the fandom outrage and even the journalists. Nobody wanted this. Nobody watches the show because it’s realistic. The reason it’s a comfort show for so many people is because no main dies. Ever. And this was taken VIOLENTLY from us. I really hope Tim gets bullied to the point where he realises he fucked up big time and goes to reshoot stuff. If not I’m done with the show as a lot of others. I may watch through the end of the season just to make sure Bobby is really dead but not the 9th season. If Bobby doesn’t get resurrected this shit deserves do be cancelled. (And for many other poor choices too)

Also i have a theory to how to make all of this right but thats for another post.

[maddiesentmehere118]

Between the Sirens

An offshoot of A Stranger's Jacket Series. Can be read as a one shot. Warnings below the cut.

Evan Buck Buckley x Plus Size Reader!

Word Count: 2k

Author's Notes: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 8. Might update this, not sure. With the plot up in the air regarding Bobby, I don't want to jump the gun. But I had to get this out of my head.

Masterlist | Taglist

Warnings: needle, bodily fluids, cursing, talks of death

You had just put your niece Jee and daughter Evelyn down for bed when you got the phone call. The house is quiet, almost too quiet. And you haven’t heard from Buck all day. When your phone rings, you brighten instantly.

“Hi handsome. I was getting worried about you. How’s your shift? I just put the girls down in our bed, since you won’t be home until the morning. But I think I’m going to have to fight our daughter for my body pillow.”

“You haven’t seen the news?”

The world starts to tilt.

“I don’t want you to freak out when I tell you this. Could you uhm, sit down for me?”

Your mind kicks into overdrive. Is he hurt? Is someone on the team hurt? What could have happened that gained news coverage?

“Yeah.” You softly murmur, heading towards the couch to lower yourself down. You keep a hand on your belly, wincing. 

“Are you okay?”

Your back has been in pain all day, starting as a dull ache to a spasming pressure. You didn’t want to add stress to Buck while he was at work. You’ve gone through labor before— this wasn’t it. 

“Yeah, it’s nothing. My back’s just been bothering me all day.”

“No contractions or cramping?”

“No Dr. Buck.” You laugh. When you’re not met with another laugh, you frown. “Buck, what’s wrong?”

“We responded to a biohazard fire in a lab.” His voice catches, breathy. You hear the soft rustle of his uniform as it rubs together. He’s pacing. “I’m okay. But Hen, Chim, and Bobby—” 

It sounds like he’s choking, clearing his throat before he continues. 

“They’re trapped. It’s not good.”

You gasp, bringing a hand up to your mouth. 

“What happened? Why did you guys respond? Shouldn’t it uh— someone more experienced with biohazards have done it?”

“We didn’t know the extent of the danger.”

“I—Buck. Should I come down there? I can—I’ll call May to watch Jee and Evelyn. I need to be with you.”

“As much as I want you here, it’s safer for you at home. I don’t want you on your feet more than you need to be.”

“I can’t just sit here, Buck! That’s my family too!”

You hear chatter in the background. Then you hear that honey -smooth voice- firm, effortless, controlling the room without raising her voice. 

“Give me Athena, now.”

“Babe, they’d want you to stay at home with the girls.”

“Evan, put Athena on the damn phone.” 

You hear some hushed discussion and the sounds of the phone being handed over before her honey like voice pours through the line. 

“Hey. I heard from a little birdie that you wanted to come down here.”

“Yes, tell him it’s okay for me to go down there. I’ll call—”

“Sunshine, you and I both know that he’s right.” She cuts you off. Her voice is soft, much more vulnerable than normal, tone wavering slightly. “You’re pushing nine months pregnant, sister.”

“Athena.”

“This isn’t a negotiation. It’s a command. You understand me, baby?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’m going to hand you back to Buck, okay? We will keep you updated, but everything is going to be okay. You rest for your sake and that baby’s, got it?”

“I will.”

You make out a relieved thank you from Buck. You’d been doing so good at holding back your tears. This pregnancy you had been a hormonal mess, and everything made you cry. Hearing the seriousness in Athena’s voice, where she wasn’t trying to protect you from the high stakes of the situation, made it sink in. 

“I know this is scary. But I promise, we’ll get through this. But please, try to get some rest. How are you feeling, Mama?”

Your heart warms at that. You grab the arm of the couch, pushing yourself up. Then you waddle over to the kitchen, each sway of your hips sending pain down your nerve.

“She’s been pretty calm today. As you can guess, she sensed her daddy talking because she’s slowly moving around now.”

“That’s my girl.” He laughs, but you can tell it’s forced. “Make some tea and put that magnesium cream on your back. Hell, if you can’t reach it, wake Evie up. You know she’ll love rubbing it on your skin.”

“Our little helper.” You breathe out, reaching for a mug. You stifle a cry, swallowing down the pain as it shoots down to your pelvis. “I’m going to let you go. I’ll be okay. Making my tea right now.”

“Listen, I love you— and the girls. Give Jee and Evie a kiss for me.”

“We love you too, Buck.” You hold your belly as tears flow freely down your cheeks. If he doesn’t come home, you don’t know how you’ll hold your family together. “Please come home to us.”

“I promise.”

And as you bid your goodbyes, you hold that to him. You don’t think you’d ever forgive the universe if someone, something, took him from you. You still had a lifetime to go— and you needed him for it.

After the call ends, silence crushes you. You somehow manage to get the cream on your lower back and hip before settling into bed, sipping on tea.

Small breaths serve as white noise. You watch the two girls sleeping peacefully, chests rising and falling steadily. You try to relax, not to think about Buck and the 118. But no matter how hard you try to follow their breathing, your heart pounds in your ears, plagued with heartburn and nausea. 

They had a busy day today at the Preschool Easter bash. It was three hours filled with giggles and bunny festivities, carefree and the happy children running around. Now both of the girls sleep peacefully, unaware that their fathers are in danger— and you plan to keep it that way. 

Evie’s curls, which she inherited from her dad, cover her forehead. Jee-Yun is stretched out, her arm splayed across her cousin. 

When you lean over to peck their foreheads, your muscles spasm. A cry ripples through the air as you clutch the nearest pillow, your fingers turning white as they dig in.

“Fuck.” 

“Daddy?” 

You glance down, pushing through the pain to brush your hand over your daughter’s forehead. 

“Not yet. Go back to sleep baby.”

She nuzzles back into the pillow, tugging the blanket up to her chest.

This was the worst possible timing— but the pain wasn’t waiting. You needed to get to the hospital. Now. 

Carefully, you reach for the phone. Your skin feels tight, sweat coating your chest. You’re sobbing as you dial 911.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“I’m thirty-six weeks pregnant, and I’m in a lot of pain— my back, my pelvis—” You cry out, as a contraction squeezes your spine, lightning-like pain shooting to your hips.  “Please, please get me Maddie Buckley-Han. She’s my sister!”

“Can you tell me your address?”

“Ugh” You whimper, closing your eyes. “Get me Maddie, please.“

“She’s currently on the line with the first responders at the lab explosion.”

“Let her know, now!” You grit out. You don’t have time to wait. You’re in too much pain, getting short and irritated. “My husband, Evan Buckley is at the scene, and I swear to god, If you don’t get me my sister in law right now—”

“I’m getting her.”

You groan out a thank you. You feel the bed shifting, one of the girls stirring. You barely register your name being said by Maddie. 

“It hurts Maddie.”

“Okay, tell me what’s wrong.”

“My back’s spasming. It hurts so bad, fuck! My nerve, my pelvis.”

“I’m sending an ambulance to you right now. I’ll call a sitter to pick them up at the hospital. Do you want me to call May?”

“Yes!” You grunt out, throwing your body to the side as another spasm starts. You wrap your body around the pillow in an effort to take pressure off your spine. “Maddie, what if the baby comes? It’s too early.”

“Hey, even if she comes now, she’ll be okay. She’s a fighter, just like her parents. The hospital will do everything they can to take care of you and the baby, okay?”

“Don’t tell him, Maddie. Not yet. He can’t worry about this.”

“Sunshine, he deserves to know.”

“I know, but— fuck!” You groan. This time when your pelvis spasms, you feel a small amount of fluid being released. “Maddie, I— my water just broke.”

A beat of silence, then frantic typing. She’s switched over to dispatch.

“They’re almost there, hang in there for me.”

“I’m so sorry.”

You press your palm to the underside of your belly, trying to settle her. Trying to keep her in. 

You glance at the girls— still asleep, still safe. Still blissfully unaware. Still innocent.

“This is my fault. I know it’s not, but I can’t— I should have listened to my body!”

“Hey, this isn’t your fault. If anyone can do this, it’s you.”

You think of everything you have to fight for— Maddie, Buck, Evelyn, the baby. You have to believe it’ll be okay.

“The door’s locked.” You close your eyes, rolling onto your back, desperate to ease the pain ripping through you.

“It’s okay. They’ll get to you.”

“If anything happens to me…” You choke up, slowly coming to terms that something could go wrong. “Her name is Brynlee Madison.” 

“Don’t you dare.” Maddie’s voice breaks, the sound of sirens adding to the panic. “You are going to be fine! No one is dying today, do you hear me? If you give up— I swear, I’ll never forgive you.”

“Maddie—” You scream, your whole body tensing. The pain is excruciating, causing your vision to be clouded with black spots. 

“I said no!” Her voice is harsh, firm in her decision. Then it softens. “Hold on, please.”

The door crashes open before you even hear it.

“LAFD.”

“In here!” You whimper. Lena Bosko rushes in with a stretcher, followed by two men. Relief washes over you. Once Maddie hears help is there, she leaves the line.

“Hey Buckley.” She crouches down beside you. You wrap your fingers around her hand, squeezing tightly. She smiles, showing no signs of discomfort or shying away. You throw your head back, knees shaking as you tense up. “Hang in there, sweetheart.”

One man moves to the other side of the bed to monitor the girls, while the other hovers above Lena, preparing supplies.

“Are you nauseous?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. I’m going to start a line to stabilize you and ease some of those back spasms with some magnesium and something for that nausea. Okay?”

You give a grunt of approval. Your head lulls to the side, eyes finding Lena’s. 

“Must be the Buckley name. Can’t stay out of trouble.”

For a moment, a quick beat, the pain is forgotten as you laugh along with her. 

“Seriously, what is it with your family and dramatic entrances?”

“Keeps it interesting.”

Then, your arm is straightened out, but her grasp doesn’t waiver. She keeps whispering encouraging praises as the cold alcohol wipe is swiped against your hot skin. When the needle pierces your vein, you whimper.

“I know. You’re doing such a great job, Buckley.” You open your eyes, forcing yourself to not look at your arm. The man tapes the line in place. “There, the hardest part is over.” 

“When it kicks in, you may feel a bout of nausea or a flash of heat, but hopefully that medicine keeps it to a minimum.”

Surprisingly, as the girls wake up, they don't panic. They know that these people, dressed like their dads, are here to help, to be safe. 

The entire way to the hospital, Lena never lets go of your hand, making small talk with you, talking you through each painful contraction. 

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s my job.” She teases, pushing a stray hair away from your cheek. “Besides, we take care of our brothers and sisters— even their spouses. You’re one of us, too.”

“Can you—” Your body violently jolts, your wail echoing inside the ambulance. The paramedic barks at the driver to push the limit. “Buck, he’s-”

You swallow hard, willing back tears.

“I've got you. I’m not going anywhere.”

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

Let me know if there should be a part two!

[bloodyshadow1]

something I love pre-wisdom saga is the way the fandom viewed Athena. everyone assumed she had completely given up on Odysseus and replaced him with Telemachus from the snippets we saw of we'll be fine and god games. we'll be fine Telemachus says he's not sure if her friend was worth the hype, when he talks to someone we don't know is there. and in god games, we saw ares and Aphrodite insult Odysseus and while Athena defends him, she only gets pissed when Ares insults Telemachus.

It's a very normal thing to think with what we got, that Athena doesn't care about Odysseus, that she wants him to be free for her friend's sake instead of his own. I've seen it on both sides of the argument. Odysseus stans view and portray Athena as a cold uncaring bitch while Athena stans view it as a necessary evil to save this worthless ungrateful wretch

But then we get the full version of the songs and it completely shifts the perspective. Athena does regret how things ended between them, she has spent the past 10 years in her own head about their fallout and blames herself. Her finding him, her answering his prayers, petitioning Zeus and playing his game is her taking responsibility. Athena saving Odysseus isn't because he's Telemachus' father, but because he's her friend who she loves and she knows how hurt and scared he is, how close he is to the breaking point and she'll do anything to save him.

[starfata]

Arsinoe's woven child 9

Master Post

Perseleia's grip on his arm did not relent as she lead him far from the festivities, blurring out of mortal sight.

Not that he'd tried to escape, it was merely an observation.

Eventually, she lead him into a walled garden.

"So. Messenger." Perse smiled, the gaping maw of the ocean behind her eyes. "What news will you bring from Ithaca on this day?"

Ah, so that was her concern.

"Why would I bring news from Ithaca? I was just popping in to see my great-great granddaughter. I might tell Eudoros that she's a lovely princess for Ithaca, he was curious."

"Ah, yes. Eudoros." There was no trace of laughter loving Athenide before him. Were a mortal to see her now, they would name her Protectoress, Avenger, Brimo, her mother's wrath as much as her father's pride.

"Odysseus was quite surprised to hear from your son. Phthiotis is quite a way from Ithaca. To think news of a new Princess could have spread so far, so fast..." She met his eyes. "And yet, he would not be surprised if his messenger to Sparta had only just arrived."

Ah. A foolish mistake, to forget mortal limitations in that way, and one he'd have laughed at anyone else making. Trust Athena's protege to spot such a thing.

"I learned of her from the Epeians four days passed." Hermes admitted. "And I became curious. Her birth is a fantastical tale, I merely wished to see the truth of it."

Perse's eyes were fixed on him, evaluating him. "And what truth did you find?"

"Were I to be asked, I would say that however she came to be, Agarista of Ithaca is a cherished daughter of Odysseus and Penelope, with the blood of King Laertes and Icarius both." Hermes said. "Perhaps, if pressed, I would say that I believe you will grant her your favour, as your mother has granted Odysseus hers."

He left unsaid that Perse Athenide's favour was quite a different thing to her mother's. She was half a mother to the children in her care, and unlike most mother's who raised demigodlings, she wanted them to be happy.

Not famous or glorious, but happy.

"I do not believe I will be asked." Hermes finished.

Finally, Perseleia relaxed from the careful preparedness of a warrior. The defender of Demigods took him at his word, almost trusting him in a manner her silver eyed sister would not.

"Then, dear cousin," Perse said, "I believe I have a tale for you of your son."

More of her strange behaviour- she had always trusted him to care for his children, in ways she didn't trust any other god save for her own father. Even Apollo had needed to earn that trust, however quickly it was granted.

"Which one?" He asked.

"Philolaos. The one who constantly has to tell newcomers that he's your son, not Apollo's."

Hermes couldn't help but laugh. "It's the lyre. And the singing. He's courting Timaea, daughter of Ares, yes?"

"He is most certainly trying." Perse smiled. "He hasn't yet noticed that she is trying to court him- Aphrodite's daughter Rhodippe is helping. For the sake of her sanity, of nothing else."

Ah, he could certainly sympathise with Rhodippe. How many times had he seen Perseleia and Apollo act as a married couple in all but name? Looking into each other's eyes, fond caresses and comforting holds, and Yet...

He settled in to hear the tale of Philolaos's courtship- he knew some of it already, from checking in on the Camp and the occasional accidental half prayer from his son, but Perseleia always had the best gossip on her Demigods.

And perhaps it was nice, to be a God that Perseleia trusted to care about his children. He should tell her about Elaphia, when the tale came to an end.

He didn't want to see disappointment on her face, or worse. The resignation on Arsinoe's whenever a Demigods parent failed to care.

Part 10

[catcas22]

Maedros in Troy AU

Long, long post about my very niche obsession. Original AU by @sweetteaanddragons can be found here.

Every so often when I'm listening to EPIC, my mind will play six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon and I'll end up back at this AU. This particular addition was inspired by my remembering that Achilles was a redhead (Or maybe strawberry-blonde, idk enough about the Greek language to say for sure. His son was a redhead, and he once went by the alias of "the redheaded girl.")

The morning after the sack of Troy is a somber affair, even, surprisingly, amongst the victors. The surviving Achaean princes limp their way back to the feet of the horse, finally able to take a headcount. Odysseus and Ajax the Lesser are missing, Neoptolemus is nursing a nasty leg-wound, and less concerning but equally inconvenient, Menelaus and Helen have absconded to Sparta to start their second honeymoon.

Neoptolemus, in particular, has been having a day. First he got paired with Odysseus, which he has come to learn means he's going to be acting as the muscle while the Ithacan takes the credit. Then Odysseus was granted the honor of ending Hector's bloodline, and Neo couldn't even say anything because the order came directly from the mouth of Zeus. (Odysseus already took his father's armor. Could Neo not at least be allowed his vengeance?) Then Hector's woman took a swipe at him with a dagger, which Neo handled quite easily, then a madman burst out of the crypts and nearly cut his leg off, which presented a bit more of a challenge.

The princes compare notes, slowly piecing together a picture of The Stranger who carved a bloody swath through their armies and then disappeared as quickly as he materialized. Finally, Eurylochus says what everyone else has been thinking (fearing). Towering in stature, redhaired, wearing armor that turned their blades and wielding a sword that pierced through bronze like soft clay? They all know who that sounds like.

Yes, the others reluctantly admit, The Stranger is most definitely the ghost of Achilles, returned from the grave to once again punish them all for the sake of some personal slight. (Neo can't stop thinking about the look in the man's eyes, that look of pity or maybe disappointment before he left the youth bleeding on the steps of Hector's tomb).

Diomedes is the only one to object. Aside from Neo, he was the only one to get a good look at The Stranger and live to tell about it. That wasn't Achilles. In fact, he made the man bleed, so he wasn't a ghost either. No one else seems convinced.

Neo confirms that Odysseus went into Hector's tomb alone, and only The Stranger emerged. Sage nods are exchanged amongst the other princes -- Achilles must have returned to avenge his old comrade, Greater Ajax. But then why would he kill so many Achaeans after presumably taking his vengeance on Odysseus? (Agamemnon scoffs. As if Achilles ever needed a reason to be a pain.)

Then a messenger arrives, breathlessly announcing that Ajax the Lesser has been found. Specifically, he has been found dead by a blow from The Stranger's magic sword, lying at the feet of a toppled statue of Athena.

Now that's clearly an omen of some sort, though no one can agree on what message to take from it. Athena is Odysseus's patron, but is the toppled statue a sign of judgement or of disrespect? Does this have anything to do with The Lesser's cousin The Greater? Nestor suggests consulting the Trojan oracle Helenus. They left the boy tied up on Agamemnon's ship after Odysseus finished with him, and he was still alive the last time they checked. Perhaps he can interpret the omen.

This plan only makes it as far as the beach, where the gang discovers that both the oracle and Agamemnon's flagship have been stolen.

Suddenly it all makes perfect sense. Diomedes explodes -- yet again, Achilles is punishing them all for the sake of his feud with Agamemnon. The High King sputters out a denial -- he and Achilles were square when the man died. His conscience is perfectly clean. He still looks as if he is actively having a heart attack.

Nestor attempts to intervene. Diomedes shouldn't jump to conclusions... But if Agamemnon knows of anything that might have brought a vengeful Achilles back from the grave, he really should tell them. They promise they won't be mad.

Agamemnon has the horrible, sinking feeling that this might be about the fact that he took a leak on the ashes of Achille's funeral pyre. But he's certainly not going to admit to that. Wounded or no, Neo has a good couple of inches on him, and the kid is built like he strangles oxen for a hobby. He has that same twitchy look in his eye that his father always had.

This man cannot have been Achilles, he insists, and Agamemnon is going to bring back his head to prove it! (No one else is willing to set sail while the son of a Nereid might be after their heads, and Agamemnon is quite sure that they're one more bad omen away from sacrificing him to appease Achilles. It's what he would do, were he in their position.) Eurylochus and his crew quickly get pressed into service -- they need a captain, and Agamemnon needs a boat. And don't they want to avenge their fallen king?

Neo insists on coming along, much to Agamemnon's horror.

Maedhros isn't ready to panic just yet. Disorienting as that first night was, he's now fairly certain that he knows where he is. He's on the eastern side of the Sea of Rhûn. This is an inland sea, and the climate and general look of the people suggest that he's somewhere south and east of Dorwinion. He's a long way from home, to be sure, but at least he knows how to get back. He takes a moment to privately curse that storm Maia for dragging him so far out of his way.

He's fairly certain that the woman he rescued is the baby's mother. At least, she seemed very relieved to have him back. So if he recalls the storm Maia's threats correctly, that would make her the prince's widow. The others seem to tentatively consider her to be in charge, and she's at least attempted to communicate with him. Maybe she can help him get his bearings.

Unfortunately, she doesn't speak any of the Easterling tongues he learned from Bór. That's not terribly surprising. Rhûn is a land of many nations, and this particular clan must be rather isolated if they're still casting weapons out of bronze. That's fine. He might not invent new languages on a whim as his father did, but he does enjoy learning them.

The golden-haired girl hasn't stopped watching him. She looks away with a pained expression every time he catches her at it, but even now he can feel her eyes boring into the back of his head. He saw eyes like that once before -- the first time he saw a mirror after Thangorodrim.

The others give her a wide berth, though she does nothing apart from sit curled under the mast, arms around her knees. During their flight, she broke from her stupor long enough to lead them to this ship -- the same ship where they found the prisoner who Maedhros assumes to be her twin brother. It almost seemed as if she knew where...

But that would be ridiculous. She couldn't have known. Maedhros rather forcibly shrugs the notion off. They're twins. He's seen Amrod and Amras do far stranger.

On his first night, Maedhros was too preoccupied to look up. Even had he chanced to look at the sky, the smoke of the city's burning would have blotted out the stars. He spends the following day tending to the wounded, despite having nothing but torn clothing and seawater, and offering what comfort he can, despite speaking not a word of their language. When the sun sets, he forces himself to stay awake. One look at the stars will give him his heading, and from there he can plan the route home...

Oh. Maedhros doesn't know those stars.

Maedhros is beginning to suspect that he isn't in Rhûn.

More coming soon, by request of @sweetteaanddragons !

[katerinaaqu]

Heyo!

I don't know how exactly to phrase this but I was wondering if you know anything about Odysseus trying/planing to kill Diomedes while they were stealing the Palladium. I have heard some people say that Odysseus did try to kill Diomedes while doing so but Diomedes noticed him so Odysseus stopped.

This feels so strange to me as Odysseus and Diomedes aren’t antagonistic in the Illiad and Diomedes is loved by Athena like Odysseus so betraying him, especially for hubris, seems like a good way to end up on Athena's bad side.

Also the translated summaries of Little Illiad I know don't mention it either but I know those translations can be missing out context. I suspect the Odysseus Betrayal is a "later adition" to the Epic Cycle but I am not that confident on that opinion.

Yes absolutely and I understand completely what you say. That is because the Palladium Heist betrayal story was peobably not part of the original epic cycle but rather a later adittion. More specifically through the work called Bibliotheca by Photius I, the ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinopole in 9th century seems to be mentioning in his work a Roman mythographer named Conon.

Conon lived and created during the times of Augustus. It seems that he is one of the oldest if not the oldest mythographer to ever mention this story. So the story quoted by Photius goes as such;

Basically after the revelation of Helen's Diomedes and Odysseus enter the city. Odysseus helps Diomedes on his shoulders so that he could climb but when he reaches out his hand Diomedes doesn't take him in and goes for the Palladium himself. When he comes back apparently Odysseus asks him on it and, according to Photius who quotes Conon, Diomedes "knows his cunning" and says that he didn't find it. That a spirit stole it and that he has another one. Odysseus realizes he is lying so he eventually draws his sword to kill Diomedes and take the Palladium to the Greeks himself. Apparently as he goes to stab Diomedes in the back, his sword casts a shadow by the moonlight or the glint of the weapon, Diomedes sees it and deflects him. He draws his own sword and threatens Odysseus with it wishing to "punish him for his cowardice" but eventually he decides otherwise (arguably knowing that the war needs him) and thus he drives him back to the camp while hitting him on his back with the flat of his sword. And according to Photius this is what gave the famous phrase to Greek language διομήδεια ανάγκη (Diomedes Need) which basically means "do something unpleasant out of necessity for the greater good"

So as you see the story does seem pretty bizarre. First it implies mutual distrust and rivalry between the homeric heroes for Diomedes doesn't take Odysseus in the temple, Odysseus asks him on the Palladium obviously with intention to steal it and Diomedes lying to him and of course the actual act. For starters Odysseus ready to kill Diomedes for the sakes of fame (while he literally saves his life in the Iliad) and not only that, be greedy and stupid enough to hold a sword to the moonlight. So it holds many contradictions to the entirety of Epic Cycle even Iliou Persis which also shows a more unpleasant side of Odysseus.

My guess is that the story is mostly linked to traditions of later years especially Roman sources and is not directly linked to the Epic Cycle. Even art of later years doesn't depict the Palladium Heist as a negative aura between the two heroes. If anything they seem to be cooperating just fine. And as I said this myth as told by Conon shows BOTH Diomedes and Odysseus as rivals and equally antagonizing and deceiving each other which doesn't usually appear to the Epic Cycle. Although of course we cannot be 100% sure given how the Epic Cycle is lost, it seems to me more like a roman legend that usually depict Greek heroes of Troy in general and Odysseus in particular, in the most negative light possible given how Odysseus is known for taking Troy, the mythical city of origin to the Romans (given how Aeneas who barely escapes with his life from Troy is the ancestor of the founders of Rome)

I hope this answers your question; to summarize it seems to me that this story of the Palladium Heist has as much connection to the Epic Cycle as Ovid has to Medusa legend; seems more like a version either created or told by Conon based on traditions of his time and the general anti-Odysseus climate.

[altis-of-olympia]

Let's talk about King Zeus's Epithets. Or, more specifically, the difference between the Location Based Epithets and the Domain Based Epithets. But before that, let's talk about what an Epithet exactly *is.*

1) What is an Epithet?

An Epithet, defined by Oxford Language, is an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned. In the context of the divine, an Epithet is used as a surname. An example of this is Zeus Akriaos. The individual goes first - in this case, it is Zeus, and the descriptive phrase expressing a characteristic follows - Akraios, which is typically used for Theoi with sanctuaries and temples atop hills.

Epithet comes from the Greek word epítheton, which means "to add" or "attributed to." Hence why it is added as a surname and used to describe a characteristic of an individual. Epithets were then used to create a deeper, more personal bond between God and Worshipper. When you can identify a specific Epithet that is reaching out to you, it makes it much easier to feel a connection. It also assists worshippers when praying - it allows for a much more specific prayer.

Another example. If I were to pray to King Zeus after experiencing pain or being harmed by someone else, I may pray to King Zeus Alastor and ask Him to avenge me. This epithet is given to several Gods and it's known as "the avenger of evil deeds."

Now that we have an understanding of Epithets and what they can be used for, we can move on to the next topic.

2) Domain Epithets vs Location Epithets

The two terms are rather self-explanatory. Every deity has a myriad of Epithets under their name, and I tend to separate them into two sections. Domain Epithets and Location Epithets.

Domain Epithets encompasses all of the surnames given to a God based on the things they rule over. Lord Apollo, for example, has Apollo Akesios - Averter of Evil. These epithets are based on a Gods characteristic.

Location Epithets encompasses all of the surnames given to a God based solely on location. Locations in which a God is said to reside, to have been born, or is said to have been worshipped there in a different manner.

There are far more Location Epithet than Domain Epithets, and so for the sake of simplicity, I won't be listing all of King Zeus's location epithets, but I'll talk about their importance.

3) Why are Location Epithets important?

Aside from being helpful in identifying where the God is said to hail from, it is also helpful for research.

Once you have a location Epithet, you can deep dive into it and do some research on both why this God was worshipped here and how they were worshipped, and from there, you can incorporate that into your own practice. King Zeus, for example, has three different Location-Based names due to all of the location-based Epithets he has: Arcadian Zeus, thought to have been born in Arcadia; Dodonaean Zeus, based on the location of his Oracle, also the epithet of King Zeus who I think may be around me the most; Cretean Zeus, where he is believed to have been hidden and raised before the slaying of Kronos; and the National Hellenic Zeus, the Supreme God and Father of Gods and Men.

Knowing which Location Epithet is approaching can aid you in worship and in addressing them. You can get more specific when you talk with them and pray to them.

4) What is Zeus's Domain Epithet?

King Zeus is the God of the Sky, Weather, Law and Order, destiny and fate, and Kingship (Theoi.com). From here, He has a plethora of Epithets. Here are His Domain Epithets.

Zeus Agoraios - Protector of the assemblies of the People

Zeus Alastor - Avenger of Evil Deeds

Zeus Alexikakos - Averter of Evil

Zeus Areius - The Atoning God, frequently worshipped alongside Athena due to its warlike nature

Zeus Asbamaios - Protector of the Sanctity of Oaths

Zeus Catae'bates - The God who Descends in Thunder and Lightning

Zeus Catharius - The Purifier

Zeus Chyrsaor - The God with the Golden Sword

Zeus Clarius - The God who Distribute things by Lots

Zeus Conius - The God who Makes Dust

Zeus Ctesius - Protector of Property

Zeus Eleuthereius - The Deliverer

Zeus Evanemius - Giver of Favorable Wind

Zeus Genetaeus - The Hospitable

Zeus Homagy'rius - The God of Assembly

Zeus Horcius - Watcher of Oaths

Zeus Hyes - Fertilizing God

Zeus Hypatus - The Most High

Zeus Lechaetes - Protector of the Childbed

Zeus Limenodkopos - The Protector

Zeus Maemactes - The Stormy

Zeus Mechaneus - The Inventing

Zeus Meilichios - The Gracious

Zeus Moiragetes - The leader of Fate

Zeus Morios - Protector of the Sacred Olive Tree

Zeus Nomos - Personification of Law

Zeus Olympius - The Olympian

Zeus Ombrius - The Rain-Bringer

Zeus Panhellenius - The Common Zeus

Zeus Phuzios - Protector of Fugitives

Zeus Pistios - Faith and Fidelity

Zeus Polieus - Protector of the City

Zeus Soter - The Savior

Zeus Sthenios - The Strong/Powerful

Zeus Stratius - The Warlike

Zeus Xenius - Presides over the laws of Hospitality, Protector of strangers (Paired with Athena Xenia)

Zeus Zygius - Presides over Marriage (Paired with Hera Zygia)

When you worship a God, you aren't worshipping just one Epithet of them. You're worshipping the God as a whole. Epithets just aid in distinction and specific prayer and offerings.

I hope this post was informational - Have a magnificent day, and feel free to leave any comments, questions, or concerns in the comments or reblogs. You're also free to add on to this post. Thank you.

Xaire, Altis.

[desos-records]

Fascinated and devastated by EPIC: The Musical flipping the moral script of Odysseus' arc, yet coming to the same conclusions.

There's Classic Odysseus, who accepts that his fate and the fate of his men are out of his control. Classic Odysseus, who knowingly sacrificed six men to Scylla and accepted the cost without second thought. Classic Odysseus, who mourns his men then blames them for their own deaths because of disobedience or cowardice or hunger, comparing them to the goats herded on Ithaca.

And there's EPIC Odysseus, who from the start chafes against the will of the gods in favor of his compassion. EPIC Odysseus, who does not accept that his fate and the fate of his men are out of his control and suffers because of it. EPIC Odysseus, who is clever as ever, yet reckless with his heart.

But they are not so different as that. Troy did make Odysseus kinder. Patroclus demonstrated to them all how compassion is more honorable than any act of glory when he lied and took up arms and fought without thought to his own prestige, but only so that the slaughter of his friends would end. Odysseus saw the horrors committed after Troy's walls fell. He--the liar, the schemer, the man of many turns--understood the dishonor more than anyone and refused to repeat it for the sake of others.

They both come to understand that the wicked, vicious, ruthless aspect of their nature is acceptable when used in defense of their own. They slaughter their enemies with honor, but they will slaughter their enemies. They draw the line in the sand. Every man will be given the chance to prove their honor--hospitality and strangers, it always returns to hospitality and strangers, Zeus is the god of both and demands their sanctity--and every man who crosses that line will prove himself an enemy. And enemies will be slaughtered and sacrificed like cattle.

Ruthlessness is mercy--mercy for Penelope and Telemachus and Laertes who have suffered by his absence, who survived twenty years unprotected and three years under siege only by Penelope's cleverness. Not even to mention Ithaca and its people left without a king. Who else could have saved them? With Laertes too old and Telemachus too young and Penelope confined to only her loom and her tongue as weapons.

Were they worth the deaths of 600 soldiers? 108 young men? 12 enslaved women?

Athena, and through her the epic itself, declares that they are worth the bloodshed, for they are on the right side of the line.

[java-lava]

Hi!if ya do headcanons could you maybe do platonic Headcanons for Percy Jackson x Fem reader who’s a daughter of hades?And he’s readers only friend also she’s very passionate about books and sparring!!

Platonic! Percy Jackson x Daughter of Hades! Reader Headcannons

(A/n; Hi! Thank you so much for the request! I’ve never really done headcannons, so I’m sorry if this isn’t that great…. Hope you like it!)

First of all, you met Percy when you were skating outside the library near his home. You were on your way to the library to check out some new books (for the third time that week) when you crashed directly into someone.

Percy was stunned as he was waiting for Annabeth to finish checking out her books when some girl that looked like she just robbed a hot topic store crashed her skateboard right into him (seriously? Can’t he catch a break?)

After you apologized profusely, you two began to talk. Percy thought you were pretty cool, and he told you that you reminded him of this short Italian kid he knew.

You soon said your goodbyes and you went inside, never to see each other again… or so you thought

When summer came you were brought to chb, and you felt so out of place, ESPECIALLY when you were claimed by Hades himself.

You were shocked to see Percy at camp. He immediately recognized you and you two started to catch up.

During your time at camp, you didn’t really make many friends, so Percy would talk to you and you both quickly became good friends.

Being at camp made you realize quite a few things. 1. The Athena kids are pretty cool (aka they let you set near them to read and since no one bothered them, no one bothered you.) 2. You LOVED sparing, and you were GREAT at it too! 3. The Stoll brothers looked hilarious when they got pushed into the lake (a view you got to see curtesy of one of the Aphrodite kids, something about putting slime in their leave-in conditioner)

Percy would sometimes spar with you, although you were loath to admit that you couldn’t win against him, although he was quick to offer tips to help you improve.

Percy might not have been much of a reader himself, but he is always happy to lend you an ear for you to rant about the book you’re reading.

All in all, Percy is a great friend and while he might not always be into what you are, he’s always ready to listen and show interest for your sake.

(I’m REALLY sorry, this is my first time doing headcannons so they’re not that good…. I hope this is at least what you were looking for!)

[bones4thecats]

┗ Merry Winter!; Future! Rise × F! S/O ┛

Characters: Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) A/N: I decided to give Casey Jr. a father in this story for context sake. His name is Jasper Michaels, currently known as Jasper Jones (I just love names that have the same initial). He is an absolute sucker for his wife, Cassandra, and is a great father. I might actually do something special by designing him later on, who knows? Anyways, hope you guys like this! ⇘ Summary: Since the Krang were defeated by you and your lover's family long ago when you were teenagers, you are able to live normal lives. You both married (as best as a mutant and human can) and began your small lineage. But, what is it like spending Christmas with such a mixed family? -> P.S.: Their design refs are lined below this - CREDIT TO ALL ORIGINAL ARTISTS! Raphael - Here / Leonardo - Here / Donatello - Here / Michelangelo - Here

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Rise! Raphael's Favorite Activity: Decorating

❤️ A smile was laced onto Raphael's face as his children danced around the lair's floors. They sang little carols you taught them and threw decorations everywhere. Despite the obvious annoyance of a few members of the family (Donnie), they continued.

❤️ Raphael noticed Michelangelo in the kitchen cooking away, and it just made his smile larger. Meanwhile, you yelled for Raphael to catch you. He looked up and caught your falling form. You always had a habit of decorating the highest spots of your home, so it was practically engraved in his memory where you dropped from to get caught.

❤️ He laughed as you scratched the goatee he grew over the years. Your smaller fingers managed to hit his skin and scratch his unknowing itch, causing gentle clicks to come from his throat. His comfort around you was immeasurable. You smiled back at him and cupped his face, making him stare into your shimmering eyes. The same eyes he pledged the rest of his life too. The same eyes he wants to look into every night and morning.

"Mama! Papa! Look what me and Athena did!" Scooter called.

❤️ You and Raphael looked up, cackling when you saw Splinter walk out of his room with wrapping paper around his feet and a bow on his tail. He smirked pridefully as he walked around, happy his grandchildren saw him as such a wondrous specimen as a present.

"Scooter! Let's go wrap up Uncle Donatello's present!" Athena said, grabbing her little sister's hand and dragging her to their room.

"Goodness, they're a handful." You said, arms around your love's neck as he nodded and chuckled.

"Just like their mother."

"And their father." you taunted back.

❤️ He smirked and hugged you, one arm underneath you and his other around your back. Raphael buried his face into your neck, a tiny hum coming from him as the background music met his ears again.

"Merry Christmas, Sweetheart."

"Merry Christmas, Dear."

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Rise! Leonardo's Favorite Activity: Dressing Up

💙 Sitting beside your brother-in-law, Raphael, you laughed as he tossed his nephew in the air and caught her over and over again. Little Casey sat beside his mother, Cassandra, as his father, Jasper, helped in the kitchen.

💙 Turbo, your son, had the same markings as his father, and, due to having Hamato blood in him, he could teleport to a degree. He had to be filled with determination to do so. And, thankfully it didn't happen often. It'd be disastrous for Leonardo and you to handle that little boy if not.

💙 Speaking of your turtle boy, he walked inside, holding a box and handed each of you one. He called out Michelangelo and Jasper, handed them both a box and told everyone to open them. You were all surprised to see matching outfits corresponding with your favorite colors and family.

💙 Leonardo sat beside you and picked up your piece of clothing, a headband with little deer ears poking out. He smirked as he put his own on, antlers and ears poking out, and put one of his son, smaller antlers and ears on his. Everyone put their own pieces on as you spoke, they wondered why Leonardo did this for them all, but you knew exactly why.

💙 He was looking through little things to do with the family just the other night, and while he scrolled through different activities, he found matching outfits. He sent you a picture and you just told him he was a dork. You knew he was thinking of doing this, but so soon?

"Hope you guys like your gifts!" He said.

"You got us all these... clothing items for gifts?" Donatello asked.

"For the first round of gifts, yes."

"Mama, Auntie, look! Casey's Santa and I'm a deer!"

💙 You smiled as Casey and Turbo ran around together, acting like Rudolph was leading Santa's sleigh. Leonardo noticed you laid your head on his shoulder, and he leaned his own on top of yours.

💙 Leonardo may have aged, his markings spreading throughout his body, acting like he had yellow-triangles for facial hair, but he was still the mischievous and snot he was when you started dating.

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Rise! Donatello's Favorite Activity: Making Gifts

💜 Donatello, from the moment you met him and up until current time, adored to make things with his three-fingered hands. Whether it be some kind of technological advancement or a watch for his beloved wife, it all was hand-made and filled with his love for the user.

💜 You had just awoke and noticed your husband wasn't in bed, his glasses missing from his nightstand. After groaning and trying to wake up, you decided to finally go out and check on your three kids. But, when you reached their room, you saw they were gone. Your eyes widened as you began running around in an attempt to locate them.

"Nikola? Galileo? Marie? Where are you three?" you called.

💜 A small set of giggles made it to your ears, to which you cocked an eyebrow and walked towards it. You noticed you made it to the doorway of Donatello's lab. Ever since you first found out you were pregnant with Nikola six years ago, he installed doors, only boosting them when Galileo and Marie found their way in just last year.

💜 Instead of entering and possibly disturbing them, you opened up your phone and checked the security footage inside the lab. You looked around and noticed your husband there with his three kids surrounding him. He spoke and you listened, though this was unknown to your family inside.

"Now, what do we do to prepare for welding?" Donnie asked.

"You make sure your workplace is cleaned up, well-ventilated, and safe from any dangers." Nikola started.

"Yeah! Then you move fluidly to push the melted pool-like stuff back and forth between the two metal pieces. Though, you said to use a figure 8 motion." Marie added.

"You also use shielding gas." Galileo sewed in. "It protects the welded material from air until it's complete."

"Good job, you three. You think Mama will like her present?" He asked, handing each of them a pair of goggles almost identical to his own.

"Yeah!" They cheered, making you smile.

💜 Before they said what your present was, you closed the app. You looked at the wall next to the door and, instead of there being a photograph of Donatello and S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., there was one of him, you, your kids, and the robotic turtle all together. Smiles were plastered on your faces as you laughed and sat together.

💜 It's hard to imagine that you could've lived in a world without your four geniuses and S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.. But, you're beyond happy that you managed to change that fate for you all.

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Rise! Michelangelo's Favorite Activity: Baking

🧡 When Michelangelo and you found out you were pregnant, it came as a shock to everyone. But, despite being only 20 and new adults in the world, Mikey and you did everything to make sure your daughter, Squirtle, and son, Yoda, were raised in a perfect home. No faults being there, unless his brothers wanted Dr. Delicate Touch to come for a visit.

🧡 Michelangelo and your daughter was a lot like her father, always doing something creative. It was because of this little quirk of hers that he was like a little art-teacher for her. His brothers, father, April, and you handled teaching her more school-things, he handled the hobbies and art-related things.

🧡 Your son on the other hand, was far more in debt on the more traditional parts of schooling. But, Mikey did find ways to bond with him. He brought him on some projects with his sister and father, allowing him to both use his 'planet-sized' brain and artistic ability to help make a mural in the sewers.

🧡 It was because of the qualities your children shared that Mikey liked baking more with them. Yoda was able to keep their measurements and timing perfect while Squirtle handled the decorating of the foods. It didn't matter what it was, meats, desserts, even side-dishes, she managed to make them look delicious, while Yoda made them taste delicious.

🧡 Every year since they were three, you watched them cook with their father. You just leaned on the wall as they moved around as if they were dancing. Michelangelo smiled and raised his mitten-covered hands, high-fiving his kids' matching hands.

🧡 Michelangelo's slightly-long black hair with colorful streaks always made you chuckle, reminding you of when he drew his planned 'future-hairstyle'. But now, seeing it all decked out with frosting and batter, same with your children's faces, just made you laugh.

"Hey, Sugar! We finished the treats. You need to see how Squirt decorated the sugar cookies and how Yoda color-coded them perfectly!" Mikey said, taking his mittens off and dragging you to see their hard-work.