#delphi chatter

[delphi-shield]

jill valentine sees that you shaved your pussy and gently caresses your mound, whispering "who did this to you"

[delphi-shield]

what is wrong with yall she's my baby why would you take her from me. look at her sweet face. you would take the kitty? from her mother??

tag game: pick stuff from your room and have people vote on which one they want to take home.

this was so fun oh my gosh THANK YOU @ghostdice for the tag!!

I HAVE THE EXACT PULSE OXIMETER YOU DO!! and i couldn't bear to take either leon from you...so i went with the stickers :) your collection is UNMATCHED!!

have fun ya kleptos, mis cosas son tus cosas <3

tagging: @celamoon, @hiya-itsamber, @delphi-shield, and @inkonparchment. i want what's in your rooms. nyeow.

and as always, join in if you'd like!!

[attic-club-sandwich]

"you look so cozy" with mammon and Shae please👀

Ahh thank you for the request, Hack! 💛 I thought those prompts were so adorable i'm so glad you sent one in! I hope you like it, it's just a short little drabble of what immediately came to mind!

Anon, yours is next it's waiting in my inbox for me <3

List of Gentle Prompts

Shae x Mammon

Summary: A short little piece about Shae and Mammon having a cozy evening in after being out in the cold winter air of the Devildom. (Where I headcanon that the Devildom seasonal conditions are way more extreme than a human world seasonal conditions lol)

Taglist: @amberrskiies, @obey-me-posts @sassykattery @delphi-dreamin, @a-hidden-gem @otomefoxystar @todothedodo @marvelous-maniac @nonbinary-disaster @selfmadender @animeismyhappyplace @vampire-tr4mp @ana-dear @gaychaosgremlin @sidgethegamer @meiloorun-tea @temnuk0 @starshineandbooks

You Look So Cozy

Shivering, Shae breathes a puff of hot air into her hands in an attempt to warm them. Even the thick wool of her gloves isn't enough to keep out the bite of the cold, winter air of the Devildom. They had just gotten dinner at Hell's Kitchen, and despite having a full stomach she was no where near warm. "You doin' alright, Shae?" Mammon asks, guiding her down the snowy streets of Deviltown. . "Y-Yeah it's just s-so cold..." Shae said, her teeth chattering. Mammon's eyebrows furrow together as he pulls her into his side. He knew Devildom winters were pretty extreme compared to what Shae was probably used to. "Don't ya worry, the Great Mammon will keep ya warm until we make it home!" Shae giggles, leaning into him as they made their way back to the House of Lamentation.

The warmth of the house welcomes them with a cozy embrace as they wander through the doors. Shae sighs, feeling herself begin to thaw out almost immediately. "I've never been so cold in my life." She mumbles, stripping off her jacket. Mammon chuckles, plucking Shae's hat off of her head, leaving her raven black hair tousled and messy. "Ugh, Mams, why-" but her words are silenced as his lips meet hers. "Cause you are just so damned cute, ya know? I can't help it." Shae blushes, leaning in to bury her face into his chest. "Well you don't have to mess up my hair." Mammon laughs, reaching his hand up to mess up her hair even more. "Go get into something comfy and meet me in the living room, I'll get us something warm to drink."

Shae makes her way to her room, slipping out of her cold, damp clothing. She pulls on a pair of leggings, along with one of Mammon's hoodies she had kept after she had asked to "borrow" it one day. Lastly, she pulls on a pair of fuzzy socks, hoping that they will help bring feeling back to her toes. Grabbing her blanket off of her bed, she hurries back down the hall to claim her spot on the couch in front of the fireplace. Snuggling down in her blanket, she waits patiently for Mammon.

Her eyes begin to droop as her body relaxes, finally feeling warm again from the fire. "Oi, you ain't gonna fall asleep on me already, are ya?" Mammon's voice startles her, causing her eyes to shoot open. He's standing above her, staring at her over the back of the couch as he holds a mug in each hand. She notices he's also changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t shirt. Shaking her head, Shae pulls the blanket up past her nose, attempting to hide the blush that she's pretty sure has formed on her cheeks. "Of course not, I was just bored waiting for you!" Mammon chuckles, his golden gaze shining down at her with adoration. "You look so cozy." Shae reaches a hand out from under the blanket to pat the vacant spot next to her. "Then come join me?" The white haired demon doesn't hesitate as he sets the mugs of tea down on the coffee table. He slides comfortably onto the couch next to her, his arms instinctively wrapping themselves around her. Shae sighs softly as he gently pulls her into his familiar embrace. "I love you, Mams." She murmurs, resting her head against his chest. Mammon hums, leaning in to press a kiss against her forehead. Shae's heart flutters in her chest as she feels his lips form into a slow grin. "Now don't go tellin' anyone or anything but uh...I love ya too."

[echoandreflections]

Behind The Scenes

Chapter 3:

Day one of filming

New York

-”On a scale of one to ten, how anxious should we be about this?” Percy asked, leaning against the wooden door as Grover continued to run around the filming set, the sound of chatter filling the room.

Charles shrugged next to him,” I don’t know. I would say about seven.”

-”Well I think Grover is currently at a twelve on the stress level scale. He hasn’t stopped checking everything and everyone ever since I got here to fix the broken camera earlier.” Leo added, peeking his head out of a nearby hallway. “ And no puns I’ve made until now have calmed him down. I am starting to run out of jokes.”

Charles turned to him, raising an eyebrow.”You? Running out of jokes? This might be more serious than I thought.” 

He waved goodbye to Percy before grabbing Leo by the arm and dragging him back to the maintenance room, probably to check all the material one last time before filming starts. If they spent any more time in the room with Grover running around, they might start getting anxious too.

Percy sighed, now that the maintenance team had left, he didn’t have anyone else to talk to. Every staff member he had tried talking to that day had been adamant on keeping all of the contestants separate, something about getting their ‘Live reaction on camera’ apparently. This just left him waiting on set while everyone finished setting up the last of the lights on set. He almost fell asleep three times, waiting for everything to be ready until Charles found him half asleep and gave him his energy drink. Something Percy would forever be thankful for.

He would’ve loved talking to Grover, best friend to best friend, but he feared if he even touched his friend, he might just combust on the spot. He had never seen Grover this stressed until now. 

His childhood friend barely slept anymore, he knew it since he slept at his house last night, hoping a guy’s night might release a bit of the tension Grover was experiencing. It was unfortunately a failure as Grover spent the night imagining everything that could go wrong today and Percy spent the night trying to calm him down. As much as he loved his friend, he wished Grover would have at least let him sleep an hour or two. Now, all Percy could hope was that the makeup crew was talented enough to hide the circles under his eyes. God only knew how Juniper was able to deal with this every night.

Thirty minutes later, Grover finally seemed to relax slightly. He called over Percy and made him sit in a room off of the main set with three other people he didn’t know. The room was silent, everyone sitting there just looking at the wall or ceiling, which wasn’t that pretty if Percy was honest. It was another one of those popcorn ceilings Percy despised for absolutely no reason. The blue walls, however, were decorated by gigantic murals of baked goods. It was obvious this place would be used during filming, probably the judge’s room, he guessed.

Someone tapped Percy’s shoulder.

Turning around, the red haired woman sitting next to Percy smiled. Her hair was kept in a low bun, wild stray hair softening the look of her sharp face. Splashes of yellow and red colored her shirt, hiding half of the letters written on her chest.

-”My name’s Rachel” she extended her hand, decorated by many rings and bracelets jiggling  around her wrist.

-”Percy” He shook her hand,”Are you another contestant?”

Rachel nodded, pointing down to the logo on her t-shirt “Yeah, I own Delphi’s Bakery”

Percy recognized the name. The bakery had often passed on Tv with it being known for its incredible 10 tiers cake that the New York Elite fought over to be able to get at every reception. It wasn’t the size that attracted so many people to the cake but the intricate art on it. Percy had once passed in front of the bakery while they were moving a cake and caught a glimpse of one of the cake tiers. The fondant had been painted with a reproduction of Ophelia. Ophelia as in the famous 1850 painting. He had been so shocked he stopped walking right in the middle of the street and almost got run over by an angry taxi driver. Gotta love New York.

To say Percy was impressed was an understatement. This girl looked barely any older than him, how she was able to own such a successful place was a mystery to him.

Before Percy could say anything, Grover walked back into the room, requesting everyone’s attention.

-”Uh..hi everyone. Sorry for the delay” He took a deep breath, looking around the room at everyone.”Before the filming starts, I just need to explain a few things about today’s episode” He paused,” As you know, each one of you will be assigned with a celebrity randomly. If you look under your chair, you will find a colored post-it.”

Percy looked down, blindly grabbing under the seat of his chair until a piece of paper fell in hand. He leaned back, blue post-it in hand. Rachel eyed him, a pink piece of paper now on her lap.

“Each of the celebrities will randomly pick a color. If they pick your color, you two will become teammates until the end of the show or until your team gets eliminated.” Grover continues, rubbing his hands over his sage green shirt. “Your future teammates are waiting for you in the main filming set. Once one of them picks your color, you will be called to meet them”

Charles opened the door behind Grover, pushing a Tv on a trolley inside of the room, causing him to jump in surprise.

“You’ll be able to watch live as they randomly pick a color.” Grover quickly regained his composure, “Most importantly, try to still have fun. And remember, everything is being filmed.”

Percy smiled as his friend finished his speech, proud of what he was able to accomplish. It had always been his dream to direct a successful show, it was no wonder he put so much of his being in this project.

Charles whispered something in Grover’s ear before turning to Percy and the other contestant still waiting. “We will start filming in less than sixty seconds. The moment you see the screen turn on” He pointed to the Tv, “Smile. because it means you’re being filmed.” 

After that, Grover and Charles left the room, leaving the four contestant to wait as they heard the countdown resonating from the speakers hidden around the room.

3…

An electronic voice said.

2…

1…

The screen lit up, showing a smiling Apollo standing in front of a high-tech kitchen.

-”Welcome dear viewer! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I missed being here too.” The white teeth of the man looked like pearls under the strong studio lights beaming down on him. “I am happy to once again be your host for our fifth edition of Baking with Olympus.” Cheers sounded behind him.

The camera panned toward a group of people standing next to him. Their faces barely out of frame, keeping the identity of whoever they were, a secret.

Apollo chuckled as he walked in front of them, the camera moving up and exposing everyone’s faces.

The guy sitting next to Percy gasped.

-”I think you all know my favorite part is presenting each season’s new contestants, not that they really need it” Apollo winked before pointing to a woman next to him.”Our first contestant is Silena Beauregard, who you might have seen on the cover of Vogue earlier this week”

He turned toward her, his smile unchanging “Welcome Silena. How does it feel being here with us today?”

She copied his smile, pushing her long hair over her shoulder, exposing the intricate embroideries on her off the shoulder red top. “Well, Apollo. Can I call you Apollo?” She chuckled politely, “I am exhilarated to be here. I used to always watch this show with my mother just a few years ago”.

-”Well the sentiment is reciprocated.” Apollo looked back at the Camera.” Now if you would just follow me toward the podium. We will discover who your assigned baker and mentor is.”

Apollo helped her up the stairs toward the podium, where a big glass box sat. Four black envelopes stood at the bottom, waiting to be opened and reveal her assigned teammate and color. 

Once in front of it, Silena put her hand inside of the deep box, swiftly catching the side of an envelope and taking it out.

The camera zoomed on her hand as she used the side of her acrylics to tear open the top of the envelope, revealing the green confettis in it.

The staff cheered as one of the other bakers in the room with Percy was escorted to the main set. On screen, he appeared, joining a smiling Silena on top of the podium. The contrast was jarring. While Silena was adorn by Color and jewelry, her teammate was clocked in shadows. His whole outfit as black as his hair. He didn’t seem particularly impressed by the top model next to him, but nevertheless shook her hand before the two of them walked down the podium to one of the cooking stations.

Apollo appeared once again on screen, next to a curly haired blond woman Percy immediately recognised.

-”Now unto our second contestant who doesn’t need any introduction, Annabeth Chase!” Apollo said cheerfully, placing a microphone in front Annabeth’s face. “ It’s so good to see you back here in town. I bet you missed New York during your world tour. After having to fly around the world, it must be nice to be back home.”  He paused for a second “Have you done something to your hair? I love the new look.”

She nodded slowly, fixing her bangs with one hand “Thanks, Apollo. I am happy to see you again too.”

She didn’t look much different from the time Percy last saw her, he noted. She was still clad in lilac, except for the silver headband in her hair. The only major difference was the way she looked at the camera. 

Her eyes were still the same gray shade as last time, but this time instead of looking like a thunderstorm was going to jump out of her, her eyes reminded Percy of a dark snowy day. The kind of days where he and Sally would make hot chocolate and spend the day inside, binge watching any random shows on netflix. Back before Paul and Estelle entered their life.

It was with a sense of deep nostalgia that he watched as Annabeth made her way up to the podium, the purple lace at the end of her sundress twirling around her legs as Apollo instructed her to take an envelope. 

Leaning forward, she put her hand inside the box, hesitating between the three envelopes left.

Percy watched her grab an envelope to the left.

The paper fell out from between her fingers as she tried taking it out of the box. 

She huffed ,but picked another one, a closer one this time.

The camera focused on her reaction, waiting for her to reveal the color in the small envelope. 

She tore open the side of it, letting the blue confetti scatter to the ground around her feet as someone called Percy up.

The staff member led him back to a door he hadn’t noticed earlier while visiting the set. He got pushed through it and was met by blinding light hitting him in the face. Percy winced but took a step forward, noticing a blond woman in a light purple dress standing in front of him.

He extended his hand as Annabeth’s smile dropped, recognition filling her features.

- “Percy Jackson.” He introduced himself, “ Happy to finally meet you Annabeth Chase. Let’s work well together.”

Hopefully, the camera won’t catch the goosebumps forming on his arms.

Or the daggers she was currently sending him with her eyes.

[consistentsquash]

Hp Rec Fest 2023 Recs by Squash

AO3 collection for the recs I made during this fest!

The fest mods deserve everything <3

Rec masterlist - links are for my rec blurbs.

31. A fav among favs: Almagest by eldritcher (2018). Harry/Voldemort

30. A precanon fic: The Unspoken and the Unsent by hollycomb (2013). Dumbledore/Elphias Doge

29. A postcanon fic: Candles Lit Against the Dark by perverse_idyll (2023). McGonagall/Grubbly-Plank

28. An underrated fic: A Cliff in July by Miss M. (2013) Millicent/Marietta.

27. A Muggle AU: Commonplace Magic by Acid, Sinick (2010). Snarry

26. A fic with an ending you can't stop thinking about: In Infinite Remorse of the Soul by perverse_idyll (2011). Snarry, Snape/Dumbledore.

25. A fic rated T: On Wednesday by Tryfanstone (2006). Snarry

24. A holiday fic: 10 Snarry Holiday fics.

23. A soulmate fic: Inch by Inch We Crawled Toward Each Other by Chatter (2017). Fleur/Hermione

22. An unfinished fic: The J. Alfred Prufrock Arc by vain (2003). Snarry.

21. A thought provoking fic: Brown Sugar by eldritcher (2018). Voldemort/Tom Riddle (Diary).

20. A G Rated fic: The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife by eldritcher (2021). Snape/Giant Squid.

19. Hottest smut fic: Both Sides Now by Predatrix (2006). Snarry.

18. A fairytale fic: The Lost World (short version) by perverse_idyll (2013), Snarry + Omphale by eldritcher (2015), Harry/Voldemort

17. A fic that made you cry: 10 Snarry fics to make you cry

16. A fic that made you laugh: 10 Snarry fics to make you laugh

15. Most recent bookmark: De Aegypto by squibstress (2023). Minerva/Rolanda

14. A fav series: Pandemic by eldritcher (2021) Harry/Voldemort

13. A fic over 100K words: Catullus 16 by eldritcher (2014) Harry/Voldemort

12. A WIP: Year of the Thestral by perverse_idyll (2022) Snagonagall, McGonagall/Hooch

11. A dark fic: King of Fat by rinsbane (2006) Snarry

10. A fest fic: A Matter of Time by danpuff (2022). Snarry

9. A rarepair fic: Extraordinary Lengths by MaxWrite (2009). Percy/Barty Crouch Jr.

8. A canon divergence fic: When the Rose and the Fire Are One by perverse_idyll (2010). Snarry

7. A canon compliant fic: Storytelling by kellychambliss (2010). Hermione/Minerva McGonagall

6. An unreliable narrator fic: Remember Me to Cheetham Hill by Delphi (2021). Snape/Filch

5. A non AO3 fic: Down the Rabbit Hole by RaeWhit (2008). Snarry

4. Fic + art: PS, I love you by mywitch and groot (2022). Snape/Hermione

3. A podfic: [Podfic of] Bad Girls, Bad Girls, Whatcha Gonna Do by wilfriede (2023). Minerva McGonagall/Rolanda Hooch + [Podfic of] Plenitude by wilfriede (2023). Amelia Bones/Hermione

2. A comfort fic: Epic of the Forgotten by eldritcher (2017). Viktor Krum/Voldemort + Sexing the Pumpkin by ratherbrightred (2007). Snape/Sirius Black

1 . A fav fic under 5000 words: Corresponding with Snape by asnowyowl (2010). Snarry

[i-iko]

MY DARLING MEDIC

“Pharma has to supervise an organic doctor who’s determined to reel herself into Cybertronian medicine.”

chapter three ; complications

“Why not, doctor?”

YOU'VE been on his mind, then. The little nurse who waddled along the muddy halls of Delphi. Organic, squishy and pliable — unlike his outer metal casing sheathed of cold hardness. Pharma reigned in the ability not to openly seethe when you threw the smug look you always donned his way. Gentle eyes, gentle smile. The connotation behind those reveries, he’s sure are not as prim as Starscream’s insolence. 

It’s been several weeks, now. And, naturally you’re immediately acquainted with the Nurse and The Decepticon. Always, together. Always, hunched over into a small circle — voices hushed as they giggle along your varying words. He’s not one to conjure unruly assumptions — but with how often he’d purposely stride by and the hushed whispers fade to a halt, spinal struts are to the brim straightened — he can only assume the subject of their amusements are him : Doctor Pharma. 

Now not only does he has a chatter box to deal with but the chatter box is an exceptionally sly fox yet to wring his neck parched of air. 

And, now, to  the problem at hand…..

“Oh, she’ll manage.” Pharma clips, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

The hallways are, as always, deserted with the only sound echoing across are the metallic footfalls of Pharma and nurse beside him. 

“The best she’ll manage is a charred limb.” First Aid gawks in disbelief, plodding after the as they rounded the corner. “You’re just going to leave her in a room full of mechs just like that?”

“She’s a doctor, is she not? Charading with patients is a top priority and she knows that.”

And, it gives me time to sort another prdicament. He thinks grimly.

“An organic doctor.” He clarifies. “There’s a difference.”

“And that justifies her incapability of performing her duties?”

First Aid narrows his eyes. A step forward to match Pharma's quick long stride. “You know what I mean. Those mechs over there? They’re no saints and if it weren’t for them hunting down those crackhead, rod sniping assholes behind enemy lines — the council would’ve never tolerated them in the first place."

“Splendid observation,” He scoffs, “ But what does that have to do with our lovely doctor?” 

“They hate humans!” He hissed lowly. "It was clear when they stepped in. Can't you see they're going to tear her apart if left unsupervised?" 

Pharma rubs his face. Oh, of course, how could he possibly forget. Humans and bounty hunters. They might as well merge like water and oil. 

“ Your concern is admirable. But you’re aware we’re lacking medics, yes? Do you expect me to hoard all the responsibilities to Ambulon when he’s got enough patients on his servos? Or, you for that matter with the fresh patients from Teran?”

“All I'm saying is this 'checkup' can be held off until I'm free—“

"Then they'll stay here for a week."

"Whatever is good if it keeps them at bay." 

Pharma halts and whirls around, gritting his dentas. "I'd rather those Rogues not taint my hospital with their insolence any further. The council wishes to accommodate them and we will do so. For a day." 

"But sir—" 

“She’ll handle herself well since that is what she signed up for.”

“I—"

He held up a servo, halting the discussion. 

“You are dismissed.”

YOU slip on the gloves once you're inside, palms unusually clammy. With a swish the habsuite doors slid close behind you and the luminescent light of the ward bathe the room in a teal blue hue. You adjust to the transition from green; the hallways of Delphi were quite the lush colors of moss and this blue was a little hard on your eyes.

"Good evening." You bow. 

Six pairs of optics bore a hole through your head, each with varying expressions you'd rather not dwell much on. They sat languidly on the berths, sprawled over the chairs with their guns loosely hanging from their hips and servos. Before you came in, you were aware of their animated conversations about their 'duties' off Messatine and a mech grinned when your eyes fell on the obvious energon splatter across his chassis. 

Silently, disregarding the tack of your boots on the metal floor, you made your way beside one of the medical berths and organized the tray, carefully lining up the scalpels s and tools. 

Your back was to them and the silent whispers behind made your neck burn with a prickle. Eight foot tall, seven foot tall, bulky metal Cybertronians. A swat of their servo would reduce you to a stain but you persisted, opting for cool, smooth movements of your arms as though a slight jerk of your fingers would trigger a hostile response.  

"Any one of of you." You turned around.

Silence. And with a grunt, a mech stepped up, the one with energon splatter across his chassis. You glanced behind him and others are strangely solemn. Especially the purple sleek Cybertronian who leaned against the wall, arms crossed, who appeared miffed by your presence. They were now chatting in low tones — the content of discussion unheard. Although, you caught a familiar word : Alphoras, was the term, then all was a blur of sentences. 

You gesture to the berth, a scanner in hand, and he sat down while you stood on a stepping stool to level with his chassis. He held out his arm and you begin scanning the plating.

“You use those often?” You point to his fusion canon in light of making a conversation. 

The mech doesn't grin but there was some kind of mischief as he held it up — surprisingly close to your face. “More than some mechs using their processors, fleshie."

Your nose was assaulted with the ozone smell of gunpowder. It sizzles your face, pricking the skin. Energon, you realize, was quite corrosive. 

"I....see." 

"And a little flick of a trigger—" You head tilts back as he nudged the muzzle against your forehead. It was cold to the touch. "—In blasted pieces they go. Fireworks ablaze. A lovely image." You try not to stumble as he withdrew his canon, amused by your expression. "It's open for experimentation." 

"I'll...decline that offer." You say.

"You scared? I thought fleshies were all high and mighty with their saviour complex." He crooned, amused and mocking. Strangely enough, it almost bordered on spite.

"I would say it's not the most ordinary proposition." You manage out, now scanning his wrist."Though, I am sure you have seen our rules about bringing weapons into the wards?" 

He barks out a laugh and points the canon to your face. "Can't handle a little bit of gunpowder, eh?"

You set down the scanner once it was clear there were no anomalies. 

"That is... not the case, I'm afraid. We have delicate solutions here that could be triggered easily and start a fire—" 

A servo clamped over your wrist and yanked you close. The canon pressed against your cheek.

" Listen here, fleshie." He spat, "Just because the higher council accepts 'Organic' aid doesn't mean we owe you slag."

"You are mistaking my intentions, I never said—"

" You're still an organic, still inferior. Still stupid. So, if you don't want to be smeared like a stain on a floor —" He growls. " Don't tell me what to do."

Quick footfalls patter by in a swift stride. 

Red digits clamp over the Mech’s wrist and you blink as you're suddenly pulled away from his grasp. You're met with Pharma's back. He stands in front of you and his smooth croon is all that is heard when he spoke,  ” How about you behave like the polite little mech that you are and get back to business?”

[lucy-the-cat]

Oh my god, as someone with BPD I’ve been screaming about Maven displaying BPD traits since forever lmfaooooo

I know he is not written with the disorder in mind but it is a head canon of mine that he has it and no one can pry that from my cold dead borderline hands.

I write him with the disorder in mind! Especially in his relationship with Cal. There's a section of Lover's Curse where they argue and I definitely used Borderline disinterpretation as the basis for it.

Cal is terrible at remaining inconspicuous.  

First, he nearly gets us captured by chattering with the locals in Naercy.  Then, a guard starts chasing us down in Delphie because someone didn’t hide his flamemakers properly.  (“That someone was you.”  “Don’t change the subject!”).  And now he’s going to blow our cover with his inability to slouch.

“There’s nothing wrong with--”

“Everything is wrong with it.  No commoner has a back that straight.  Are you trying to get us caught?”

Cal sighs.  “You yelling at me for being conspicuous is infinitely more suspicious than my slouching.”

“And now we’re deflecting.”  I throw my hands in the air.  “All this effort, just for you to ruin it.”

“I haven’t done anything!”

“Exactly!  I’m doing all the work.”

“Sirs?”  A shopkeeper taps me on the shoulder.  “Is there a problem?”

It takes all I have not to point at Cal.

and

The water taunts me, lapping at and spilling over the sides in tiny droplets.  One lands on my skin and I flinch.  Ugh.  The paddle slashes through the river, but the canoe spins in a circle.  “Are you kidding me?”

“You’re paddling wrong.”

I sneer.  “Of course.  It could never be your fault.”

Cal massages his forehead.  “Please work with me.”

“Fine.  Order me about.  It’s what you do best.”  I stab the water without looking.  “Am I too slow?  Too delicate?  Tell me, Cal.  I’m all ears.”

Cal reaches for my hand, and I pinch him.  He yelps.  “Do you want to get to the Lakelands or not?”

“I want you to treat me with respect.  The bare minimum, and you can’t do it.  Is it a wonder I hate you?”  I shake my head.  “You never change.  Doesn’t matter how competent I am, how intelligent, how skilled, you’ll never see me as anything but poor little Mavey.  Never good enough.  Always lesser.”

Cal frowns.  “Weren’t we talking about paddles?”

“No.  We were talking about me.”

Borderline is the most treatable of the Cluster B disorders, so I definitely lean on it a LOT when writing redemption arcs for him.

[braveclementine]

Part 17

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (However they are very few so those under the age of 18 can still read a majority of this book. However please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. Also, all of Severus and Elizabeths' childrens names are mine and mine alone.I also do not condone any copying of this.

ST. OSWALD'S HOME FOR OLD WITCHES AND WIZARDS

🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶

Mari could physically feel her skin crawl as her, Albus, and Scorpius entered the old persons home. Sure, it was all magical and fun and they all looked like they were having a great time but. . . they were still old people who were going to die soon. Mari held Snowball a little tighter to her chest. 

"Um, excuse me?" Albus asked as a group of older wizards moved past them, doing the tango. "Excuse me?" 

"Excuse me?" Scorpius asked while Mari scanned the room for a service desk. "Okay, so this place is wild." 

"We're looking for Amos Diggory." Albus said aloud. 

It was like one of those Muggle movies, with the recorded coming to a scratching halt. The music turned off, the wizards and witches stopped dancing, and there was absolutely silence in the opening hall while they all stared at the three children in front of them. 

'Great' Mari thought. 

"And what do you children want with that miserable old sod?" A woman who was using magic to knit asked. 

Mari looked over as Delphi came through the door with a large smile on her face. "Albus? Mari? You came? How wonderful! Come and say hello to Amos!" 

Mari, Albus, and Scorpius followed her through the old persons home. Behind them as they passed out of the room, Mari heard the music and chatter start up again. 

Amos Diggorys' room was set off from the other rooms. Judging by the way the others had reacted when they'd asked for him, Mari harbored a guess that he was isolated for the others sake. 

Albus proceeded to tell Amos the conversation that he'd overheard. Meanwhile, Mari observed the room. There weren't many personal effects, reminding her much of her own bedroom. The difference was that Amos had a Hufflepuff blanket across his lap, worn and clearly from his own years of being at Hogwarts. And along his dresser were several photos. Most of them were family ones, of Amos, his wife, and his son. But there were several of just Cedric. All of them were laughing and smiling. 

There was one photo that was laid face down so no one could see it. 

"So let me get this straight." Mari drew her attention back to the elderly man in front of her. "You overhear a conversation- a conversation which was not meant for you to overhear- and you decide- without prompting, in fact, without leave- to interfere, and interfere hard, in someone else's business." 

"My father lied to you- I know he did. They do have a Time-Turner." Albus said. 

"Of course they do. You can move along now." Amos said uncaringly. 

"What? No. We're here to help." Albus protested. 

"Help? What use could a trio of undersized teenagers be for me?" 

"My father proved you don't have to be a grown-up to change the wizarding world." 

"So I should allow you to get involved because you're a Potter? Relying on your famous name, are you?" 

"No!" 

"A Potter who is in Slytherin House- yes, I've read about you- and who brings a Malfoy with him to visit me- a Malfoy who may be a Voldemort? Not to mention, a daughter of Snape." He sneered at her with disgust and Mari was actually hurt by that. "Who's to say you're not involved in Dark Magic?" 

Mari wasn't used to people hating on her or her family. Her mother was adored by the public and her father was considered a hero. She had forgotten that there were still some people out there that still saw her father as an evil Death Eater, rather than the man who had sacrificed everything to play Dumbledores' spy. 

"But-" 

"Your information was obvious but the confirmation is useful. Your father did lie. Now leave. The three of you. And stop wasting my time." 

Mari was actually slightly relieved that he didn't want their help. She had a bad feeling about all of this. 

"No, you need to listen to me, you said it yourself- how much blood is on my father's hands. Let me help you change that. Let me help correct one of his mistakes. Trust me." 

"Did you not hear me, boy? I see no reason to trust you. So go. Now. Before I make you leave." 

"Albus!" Mari hissed, backing up towards the door. 

"Come on, mate, if there's one thing we're good at it's knowing where we're not wanted." Scorpius said, grabbing Albus by the arm, the three of them making to leave. 

"I can think of one reason why you should trust them, Uncle." Delphi said, the three of them stopping. Mari turned and watched the nurse walk forwards, propping the photo that Amos had laid down up now. "They're the only ones volunteering to help. They're prepared to bravely put themselves at risk to return your son to your side." 

Mari looked at the photo, feeling another drop of dread fill her. She saw now why Amos had laid it down, because it was probably hard for him to look at it. It was a moving picture of Cedric with her mother, the two of them dressed in their Hufflepuff Quidditch gear. He had his arm wrapped around her, the two of them laughing. 

"This is Cedric we're talking about. . ." Amos protested. 

"And- didn't you say yourself, having someone inside Hogwarts might be a massive advantage?" Delphi asked, before kissing the top of his head. 

"Why? Why do you want to put yourself at risk? What's in it for you?" Amos demanded. 

"I know what it is to be the spare. Your son didn't deserve to be killed, Mr. Diggory. We can help you get him back." 

Amos' voice cracked as he responded. "My son- my son was the best thing that ever happened to me- and you're right, it was an injustice- a gross injustice. If you're serious. . ." 

"We're deadly serious." Albus said. 

"This is going to be dangerous." 

"We know." 

"Do we?" Scorpius asked. 

"Delphi- perhaps if you were prepared to accompany them?" For some reason, that made Mari very uncomfortable. She felt the same aversion to this woman as she had when she'd come upstairs when they'd been visiting her house. 

"If that would make you happy, Uncle." 

"You do understand even getting the Time-Turner will risk your lives?" Amos questioned. 

"We're ready to put your lives at risk." 

Scorpius and Mari exchanged a frantic look, "Are we?" 

"I hope you have it in you." Amos said gravely. 

But as Delphi led the three of them out of Amos' room, Mari looked back at the photo of her Mom and Cedric. There was this adoring look in her mothers' eyes as she looked up at the son of Diggory. It was clear in the photo that her mother loved him. Had loved him. 

And for the first time, Mari wondered if they were doing the right thing. 

[delphi-shield]

my fave thing is seeing people describe raccoon city as a huge city and it's like. that is a town with a population of 100k. i understand the portrayal is wack but literally it's a town of 100k people.

that is, at best, a mid-size town. they got lucky and were selected as a pilot program for a subway system that never got rolled out to the rest of the us because our infrastructure is garbage. umbrella put their lab there BECAUSE it's unassuming. everywhere we walk through in re2 and re3? that's just downtown. the rest of the city doesn't look like that. it's wide roads and cospes of businesses. chris leans over jill's desk in the morning and asks, "did you see they're building something on the corner of north and main?" and jill doesn't even look up because "it's probably another bank."

when rebecca, fresh out of college, selects STARS out of all the organizations vying for her talent, people scratch their heads. she could be living somewhere much more glamorous. somewhere you don't have to drive 45 minutes to find something to do. but rebecca sees potential in everything. she's got a real sixth sense for when a place is about to blow up.

[shayera-the-magpie]

The Hawk Takes Flight: Chapter 8 Sneak Peek

The Aerie was not too far from the Delphi. The chatter and music audible the moment she was outside the doors. Taking an moment to gaze at the diorama of the Polaris system over her head at the vestibule before turning to the Off-World attendant.

            “I am here for Administrator Andar Pul’s party,” she said.

            “On the second level, ma’am,” he answered.

            “Thank you.”

            Shayera paid no mind to the guests on the first floor. Especially paid no mind to the couples dancing palm to palm in front of the orchestra.

            “Ah, there is our girl,” Thal beamed when she neared the table. “A little late I see, but after all, you are an busy bird these days.”

            “A circumstance we shouldn’t fault her for,” Andar Pul pitched in. “Have a seat, my dear girl.”

            The smile she gave felt painful as she had taken the empty seat between her guardian and Andar Pul. She supposed that her mother anticipated the moment she and Commander Hol could leave the room. For she was not paying Andar Pul no mind.

Read on AO3 & FFN

[youngvoice-and-gameplayer]

The imp chattered melodically and leapt down to sniff at Delphi.

Delphi? Would you rather have Harmony keep you physical company, or are you gonna be alright with just my Voice in and out of your head?

[An American Girl crawls out of her bedroom window, stumbling around as they follow the music. Delphi's soul still had some connection to her body, not enough for full apotheosis to have taken effect, but enough that she wanted to find Coda.]

@delphi-sees-all

Coda heard the familiar tune.

Delphi?

He followed her song, much quicker.

[abalonetea]

Prompt: A person walks into the same Barber Shop his or her whole life and the same Barber never remembers the customer’s first name. And the customer orders the same exact haircut every time. (Use a pirate theme)

this was a really fun prompt!!! i ended up making characters to fill it, and i actually really like them!

  The curse of goldis not one that ends just because the Age of Piracy is over.   No. Far from it, in fact.   The curse of gold is one that laststhrough the aions, stretching out until there is no world left to be bound too.Delphi thinks about it, sometimes. At least, she used too.   There have been many years forthinking, and many years for doing nothing, and many, many years in which herhair has grown.

  No one can recallthe day that Spellbound Barbershop opened.   One day, it was an empty brickbuilding. The next day, it seems as though everyone’sgrandparents have been getting their haircut forever. A handwritten sign ishanging in the front window. It has read the same thing since forever, too.   I’llmeet you where the land meets the sea.

  “Donna,” says Bani,cheerfully. Her dreds are tinged with shades of green today, pulled into a mesybun on the top of her head. “I was wondering when you’d be in here! You know,it’s at least a week past the second Sunday. You’re late!”   Delphi smiles. The barbershop isfilled with nautilus themed items. The air smells like the sea. “Sorry,” shesays, already sliding into Her Chair. “I was dealing with a few things.”   Bani shakes out the plastic apronbefore wrapping it around Delphi’s neck. “Nothing bad, I hope?”   “Nothing bad,” lies Delphi. She closesher eyes, relaxing into the feel of nimble fingers carding through her wildcurls. “Not this time, at least.”

  A long time ago,there was a ship, and a pirate, and a captain.   A long time ago, there was a love, anda battle, and a witch.   A long time ago, there was a curse,and a death, and a rebirth – and a rebirth – and a rebirth – because piratecurses don’t just stop when the ships no longer fail. Magic adapts to keep upwith the time, twisting through the veins of its victims, erasing, always, thememories of what was, and what should be, and what will never happen again.

  It’s raining out.   Bani wears her hair stained red. Shesmiles, gap toothed, and laughs. “You look like a wet sheep!”   “Seen a lot of wet sheep?” Delphipushes the hair out of her face. She comes here every two weeks, likeclockwork.   “You know, Sarah, I have.” The slipcuts, even after all these years, after all this time. Bani spins the chairaround with a flourish. “And you know what every wet sheep needs?”   Therewas a flock of white sheep living out in the hillocks and a girl that tendedthem every day and the pirates landed on the shore after a storm, so many rocksand so much rain and Delphi knew then, knew just like she knows now -   “A good sheering,” answers Delphi,more cheerful than she feels. She sits down in the chair and breathes in untilher lungs ache. She doesn’t breathe back out.

tag list -

@writings-of-a-narwhal​ @elaynab-writing​ @writer-grandma​    @cometworks​ @deadlyessencewhispers​ @nora-wrote-a-book​ @georgiacambrielwritblr @rmorada​ ​ @drabbleitout@inked-foundry @ruins-of-gold @groovytheoristbat

[delphi-dreamin]

Pact Marks

Note: This is probably gonna be the shortest part of this series. Levi is...not my favorite. Especially at the beginning. In later lessons I started taking a liking to him, but, well...

Pt 1: Mammon | Pt 3: Beel | Pt 4: Asmo | Pt 5: Satan

Pt. 6: Belphie | Pt 7: Lucifer

Part 2: Levi

The planetarium isn’t the most private place in the house, but Delphi agrees to meet the third-born there anyway. She’s honestly shocked when he declares her the winner of the TSL quiz and agrees to form a pact with her, but she was always taught not to look a gift horse in the mouth. She’s nervous to be close enough for him to put a pact mark on her skin, as he had just tried to rip her limb from limb not too long ago, but she steps forward anyway.

“You need bare skin, right?” she sighs, rolling up her left jacket sleeve.

“W-w-what?!” Levi stammers, stepping back and throwing his arms up in front of himself.

“For the pact mark,” Delphi clarifies, rolling her eyes. Clearly Levi no longer presents a danger. Her jacket sleeve will only roll to her elbow, so she just sheds it, discarding it onto a chair with a huff. She’s tired and sore and ready to get this over with so she can go to bed. Turns out being thrown around like a ragdoll is exhausting.

Levi swallows hard. “O-oh. Right. W-where..?”

“My arm,” she snaps, gesturing to her left bicep.

“R-right! Okay! So I just-“

With a sigh, Delphi grabs Levi’s wrist, pulls him toward her, and places his hand palm down on her bicep. The searing pain begins immediately as the magic of the pact burns itself into her skin. Already in a shit mood, she grimaces at the sensation. She hisses once through gritted teeth, but that’s all she allows herself.

Levi watches her with amber eyes wide. He doesn’t actually know too much about pacts himself, but from what he’s been told, the marking process is incredibly painful. And here’s this human in front of him, wincing sure, but just standing there. Taking it.

The pain subsides after a few more moments and Delphi lets go of Levi’s arm, letting him jump back like he was the one who’d just been branded. The hook-shaped mark glows orange for a brief moment, then fades to black, looking for all the world like a tattoo.

“Great, now that that's over, I need to borrow your cursed vinyl copy of the TSL soundtrack,” Delphi says, picking up her jacket and shoving it back on.

Slack-jawed, Levi nods.

---

Heavy pounding on his door startles Mammon out of bed. He’s shocked and annoyed to find Levi standing there when he opens it.

“D’ya have any idea what time it is, Levi?” he yawns, scratching his shoulder. Levi shoves his way into the room, standing in the center of the floor until Mammon shuts the door.

Levi starts, “When you marked Delphi for your pact, did she just-“

“Stand there and take it?” Mammon finishes. “Yeah. It was like she barely felt it.”

“What kind of human is she? Does she just not feel pain?” Levi asks.

“Nah, she felt it,” Mammon replies, shaking his head. “She just took it.”

Throwing his arms up, Levi exclaims, “But that’s insane! Isn’t the pact mark literally-“

“Hell fire,” another voice finishes from the doorway.

Both the second- and third-born jump at the sudden intrusion. They both spin around to see their younger brother standing in the doorway, his massive frame taking up the entire entrance.

“Beel!” Mammon shouts. “Didn't anybody ever teach ya how to knock?!”

Beelzebub shrugs, stepping inside the room. He explains, “I came to ask you something, but then I heard you talking about Delphi and the pact marks. She really just didn't react to the pain?”

“I mean, she reacted,” Levi says. “But you wouldn’t have thought she was being burned by hell fire.”

“She barely even flinched,” Mammon adds, his eyes practically sparkling.

“Hmm,” Beel hums, no longer looking at either of his brothers. He shoves his hands in his pockets staring absently at the floor. Mammon and Levi continue chattering away about the human, but Beel doesn’t hear what they say. Could she really be that strong?

“Beel!”

The sixth-born looks up with a jolt hearing Mammon yell his name.

“Ya said you came to ask us somethin’, what was it?”

Beel shakes his head. “I don’t remember.”

---

[asktheheirofslytherin]

Did you accompanied Delphi to platform 9 and 3/4? What was it like? Was Bella emotional?

I did, unfortunately, for her first year. Bella was not emotional in public - she seemed very cheerful, excited to see Delphini embark on this new chapter of knowledge and experience.

I did not like being so exposed in a public place, the idle chatter of the other families, even the other Death Eater families. It was entirely too domestic.

When we returned to the manor, Bella decided to write the headmaster immediately to ensure we would be told at once upon Delphini's safe arrival. I told her she was being absurd, and she raged at me - her rage turning to tears shortly thereafter.

She was excessively moody for the next several weeks, and at one point had to be talked out of just, going to Hogwarts and visiting. For Merlin's sake, I had no idea what had gotten into her.

[thegeneralguy]

The Champion of Olympus - Hera´s Hatred

Hello everyone! I wanted to take a moment to thank all the amazing support and positive feedback the stories have gotten. I’m very glad this community is so welcoming, and I hope you keep enjoying my creations. Credits to @amalianetwork​ for the picture and correction.

The thunder palace had been in complete chaos since Zeus announced his plan to stop Typhon and save Olympus. Winged servants flew swiftly back and forth across the residence, organizing the more organizational aspects of such an event like the upcoming ritual. Nervous chatter reigned across the halls, uncertain of what was about to come. It was usually the lesser creatures of the heavens who suffered the most casualties during the original monster´s assaults to Mount Olympus. The celestial Sentinels stood silently guarding the palace´s many different rooms. Their muscular solid gold bodies reflected the shining sunlight entering through the building´s many skylights. They were fierce pieces of weaponry when activated with heavenly power, but until then they represented little more than beautiful statues adorning the already opulent palace interior.

The queen of the heavens watched the palace´s eastern garden with apathy from her balcony on the uppermost level of the residence. Long golden hair was flowing magically around her back, giving the impression of being permanently swinging under a non-existent wind. Her slender frame was covered by a luxurious white robe that shone like the sun itself, with beautiful peacock feathers adorning the neck and sleeves from the garment. She stood impassively watching her servants move in a panic once again due to the capricious whims of her husband. Although she was the queen of the heavens, Zeus outranked her in the divine hierarchy. And that drove Hera mad with anger.

Not to mention her husband´s many romantic escapades, each one of them an extra nail on the coffin of her compassionate heart. After a life full of intrigues and plotting revenge, the goddess of marriage was left ironically with an unhappy marriage, together with eons worth of hateful feelings against her husband. She tried everything to stop him, from harassing his offspring to tear other gods down to shreds out of pure jealousy. But nothing could change the king of the gods, who felt his birthright was taking whatever he pleased, especially sexual satisfaction. His rage was left permanently marked on her perfect body, leaving the scars of her ankles as an imperfect reminder of what Zeus was truly capable of. In the end, Hera limited herself to watch somberly each one of her husbands' movements, waiting for a moment to strike. A knock on the door resonated in the room and Hera turned around to receive her expected guest.

"Come in."

She said with a melodious, but a somewhat cold voice. Like a beautiful snowflake falling on warm skin. The strong celestial Sentinels then opened the door, and Hermes entered the room. He bowed reluctantly to the goddess; his sense of duty much stronger than his utter repulse for the beautiful monster.

"The package you requested, my queen."

He said presenting Hera with a little crystal bottle with shining water inside. The queen got close and grabbed the bottle in her delicate hands. Hermes stood up once again and looked at the goddess. Her beauty was unheard of, making everything else seem mundane and worthless. A curvaceous and elegant silhouette leads to an aesthetically perfect face, her beautiful features harmonizing with each other to the point of being unsettling. Her irises were also an iridescent gold, standing out like beacons from her emotionless expression. But the god of travel could see something dark lurking beneath the otherwise bright eyes. The true form of Hera´s sinister demeanor printing itself as a red halo emanating from her pupils, fading into the shining gold. She was surrounded by a permanent bright halo, completely solidifying her status as heavenly royalty and a warning sign of the unmeasurable power the goddess possessed.

"Thank you, Hermes, you may now leave the premises. I'm sure the king has other tasks for you to complete."

Said Hera with a glimmer of disdain in her voice. The fast god of travel was indeed always busy. As the head of trade on all realms, he was constantly flying back and forth from every corner of the universe. The queen of the heavens always saw someone complicit to her husband´s deeds in him, because Hermes knew everything and everyone of interest for Olympus.

Hermes analyzed the goddess´ unusual rushing of their encounter, which normally ended with Hera insisting on him telling her Zeus´s antics to the point of threatening with violence. But this time, Hera seemed impatient, quickly dismissing him without even trying to squeeze some information out of him. He quickly glanced at the ornamental bottle in the queen's hands.

"If I may ask, my Lady, why is it that you needed water from the river Styx? It is certainly not fitting for a queen to be asking for such mundane favors."

"That's none of your concern, godling. Now please leave the premises, or I´ll have my guards escort you out."

The gigantic automatons opened the door and looked inside expectantly with their solid gold eyes. Hermes sighed and quickly took flight, passing both guards faster than lightning and heading to the outside court. He might be a god, but the celestial Sentinels were heavenly weapons designed to give even deities a hard time, and he had better things to do than being dismembered by the queen´s guardians like some of his half-siblings.

Hera was then left alone in her chambers again. Her unfazed calm expression was briefly interrupted by a sinister smile. Hermes was a nosy deity and he certainly was going to keep investigating, but at least she had bought some time to start executing her plan. It was true that with a simple command she could go to the riverbank in the underworld and get as much water as she wanted, but her plot required absolutely no suspicion from anybody. The god of travel could be curious, but his honor for his duty was stronger than his petty need for gossip, so she was sure he would not talk a word to anyone else about the mysterious gift he brought for the queen. Many creatures in his brother´s hellish realm could sense her overwhelming presence with ease, so this was considered the safest way to acquire what she was looking for.

She then approached a big chest next to the bed, and with a movement in her hand released a golden wave of energy that swiftly seeped into the lock. She heard a complex mechanism on the inside clicking, and then the chest opened. The queen of heaven had many secrets. Some were very easy to hide like her curses against lesser beings from her husband´s bloodline and others were a bit harder due to their intense radiation of divine energy. The true golden fleece for example, along with some golden apples from the Hesperides and Ariadne´s golden thread. Relics she had quickly collected from the terrestrial plane for safekeeping mostly. But on the bottom of the trove laid what she was truly looking for.

Hera pulled out an ornate mirror from the chest and took it to a big marble altar in the far corner of the room. The queen of heaven´s magical ability was rivaled only by a few other deities, and she enjoyed performing all kinds of rituals and curses to execute her will everywhere she needed to. She didn't feel the necessity of dirtying her energy by traveling down to the realm of mortals, far preferring a more indirect approach. The mirror in her hand was one of the strongest divination tools ever created, crafted as a gift from her son Hephaestus from ores coming from the Delphi temple itself. Its ability to watch over the currents of time was only inferior to Apollo himself and the Delphi oracle’s vision. The relic had been the inspiration for epic tales down on the Earth, as Hera allowed it from time to time to fall into the hands of mortals only to plant the seeds of conflict for the goddess´s enjoyment.

She put the mirror in the middle of the altar and took out the tiny water bottle. She then sprinkled a few drops of the Styx´s water on the surface of the mirror, and chanted the required incantation, releasing powerful divine energy from her body into the artifact. The mirror´s surface then became liquid, absorbing the river's water and flowing outside the ornate frame. Hera walked back and watched as a potent stream of liquid mirror flowed down the altar, forming a large puddle in front of her. A strong wave of energy pulsed out of the liquid. Hera raised her hands and finished the incantation, and from the puddle raised an identical copy of the goddess. The only difference was that her light halo was missing, along with her golden eyes, which were a reflective polished silver. Like a mirror.

"Oh, oracle of truth, knower of the unseen and progenitor of the universe´s secrets. Hear my command and show me my destiny."

The doppelganger smiled, as it lifted its robe to show a vast firmament full of stars. A deep vibration came out of the black veil. The marble columns of the queen's chamber vibrated, as a black fog started seeping out of the creature´s robe. An ominous voice came out of the veil, answering the Goddess´s call.

"What is it that you seek, Hera. Daughter of Rhea. Heiress of the heavens."

The fake queen stared impassively at Hera with her mirror eyes fixated on her, the expression vacant like a statue´s. The mirror´s creature was only a conduit for the true knower of all, the origin of the universe. It was unusual for an Olympic deity to contact the primordial progenitor. The magic required was too ancient for it to be remembered, even by the gods. But Hera was an erudite, her thirst for revenge driving her to uncover the darkest secrets of existence.

"Tell me, why is my husband trying to raise a mortal to divinity? What is the truth behind Tartarus´s veil being broken?"

"The balance in Tartarus remains the same. The inescapable abyss has not been disturbed in eons, but I can sense a will to breed discord in the world. Be careful, queen of the heavens. The king acts mostly on a whim, but such a decision is rarely unplanned."

Hera pondered on the answer of the oracle for a moment. Zeus was impulsive and arrogant, but he was not an idiot. He knew the implications of the ancient ritual, and the fact he was so keen on getting all gods involved so the ascension would be guaranteed and a new deity on earth could be born meant only one thing.

"It seems you already know the answer, my child. Look within yourself and act fast. Your time is running out."

The doppelganger then closed its robe and was consumed by the mirrored pool on its feet, leaving Hera alone to meditate on her next move. The words of the oracle resonated in her mind. She could beat her husband in his own game, winning a powerful ally in the process that could help her once and for all to enact her revenge on the king of the gods. Most importantly, she could not let Zeus acquire any more power. The rivalry between her three male siblings was the cause of many disasters in the past, and she couldn´t let the celestial realm suffer due to the quarrel between the gods.

Hera then pulled out the golden sharp head of an arrow from her robes. It was the artifact the bastard Heracles had used to try and harm her with. She held her palm on top of the mirror pool and slid it open with the weapon. Bright golden drops of ichor fell to the molten crystal, and it started glowing as bright as a star. The queen was going to find a knight worthy of Olympus, and she was going to use him as a conduit to spill out her hatred against her husband. Flying in the distance, Hermes witnessed the queen´s spell and heard what Chaos said. Could it be that his father was deceiving everyone? Or was this another of the goddess of heaven´s many antics to move against Zeus?

Dr. Richie Couccou was not having a good day. He woke up too late, he dropped his coffee on his lap on his way to work and was faced immediately with the plethora of problems his patients bombarded him with. Being a psychologist was the dream of his life, wishing to help people find their way through life with the least amount of suffering possible. His specialty was marriage counseling, so he wasn't unfamiliar with the burden marital life could bring. Adulterers, narcissists, abusers, addicts, pathological jealousy, Dr. Couccou had seen it all. When he imagined his life as a young professional freshly out of university, he imagined himself mapping the human psyche and developing exciting new theories that would laurel him with the recognition of his most prestigious peers, only to discover that the academic pathway in his profession leads mostly to a dead-end in careers. His lack of initiative and his unwillingness to take risks pushed him more and more to financial security instead of spiritual fulfillment.

In the end, he specialized in marriage counseling, which was where the money was, in an affluent neighborhood in the outskirts of San Francisco. Couples could put on a very convincing façade of stability, but deep inside the relationships grew rotten with remorse and frustration. The young doctor still conserved an altruistic nature, which when combined with his innocent idealism produced a very professional therapist who cared for his patients and tried his best in finding the best outcome for them. Besides, he couldn't complain about his own life. Living close to a more liberal city allowed him and his husband to live as freely as they pleased, together with a beautiful house and an expensive sedan to complete Richie´s suburbia fantasy.

The young couple had married just a couple of years ago when Richie finished his professional formation. The 25-year old men were madly in love with each other and decided to take the next step and move in together. Mario, his husband, was originally from Honduras and had come to the U.S. to work as a model and an aspiring actor. They met in a club during one of Richie´s very few nightly adventures, and they both hit it off immediately. Mario was everything Richie had hoped for in a man: attentive, charismatic, charming, and very attractive. His job as a model kept him in top shape constantly, in contrast to the young therapist whose body was never awe-inspiring, to begin with, and had only withered more and more due to a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. At first, he wondered why Mario was with him, but his new lover´s romantic attention just worked their way into his young heart.

Now just a few weeks shy of reaching the age of 30, Dr. Couccou was settled in a marriage that kept him happy, and had the financial security to live a comfortable life. All those thoughts crossed his mind every time he heard another tragic story about a failed relationship, keeping him sane for the most part and away from the abyss of depression, to which he was prone. Session after session made the man grow more impatient, nervously waiting for the day to end so he could drive home and celebrate his anniversary.

He finished his work schedule for the day on time as usual, and after the routine paperwork, he hopped in his car and drove back home. He remembered to pick up some flowers and a nice bottle of wine to celebrate the special occasion together with his husband. He arrived at the two-story family home just a few minutes after seven, like a clockwork. The sun was already setting down painting the sky in a romantic shade of red. He enthusiastically opened the door with a bouquet of lotus flowers on one hand, and an expensive bottle of wine under his elbow, only to be greeted by dead silence inside his home. The lights in the whole house were off, along with the kitchen stove and the set of candles he picked up at Bath and Bodyworks to illuminate this special evening. Richie hung his keys and left his presents on the dining table, noticing the open envelope of Mario´s accepted citizenship application. Another reason to celebrate, he thought.

"Honey?"

He asked, looking nervously for his husband.

"No. Not again."

He held back the tears in his eyes, as he hesitantly headed towards the garage. Once he opened the door his suspicions were confirmed. His husband´s Range Rover van was gone, so that meant he wasn't in the house. Richie then went back to the formal living room and left himself to be swallowed by the lavish leather couch.

"Maybe he went to get groceries. Maybe he ran late in the gym. Maybe he had an accident and ended up in the hospital."

Anxiety overwhelmed the therapist, the thoughts praying on his fears like hungry vultures. Richie was a prodigiously intelligent man, his only flaw being his foolish naivety. This same couch was a witness when the same scene happened a year ago. The hunky Latino lover he had for a husband wasn't very thoughtful when it came to dates, so this hadn't been the first time he forgot about their anniversary. Last year´s night ended with Richie begging his husband for forgiveness, his only mistake being that he started an argument about Mario´s recent lack of attention. The Latino heartthrob had a way of twisting every problem to his favor, constantly gaslighting Richie into believing he was being too needy and demanding, or that he spent too much time at work. Either way, it always ended with Richie bending to the whims of his husband. Last year Mario had made the generous offer of cooking a very nice dinner for both of them next time they celebrated their anniversary. But judging by the empty dark kitchen, he had forgotten once again.

Richie let out a loud sigh, as he went upstairs heading directly to their shared bedroom. Their bed was not made, and there was an explosion of bright clothes hanging off of every corner of the room, hinting that Mario had gone off partying again, as usual, trying out every outfit in the closet before heading out. The doctor's husband loved the nightlife, leaving Richie staying at home so he could go partying and enjoy the benefits the big city offered. The tired man headed then into the bathroom for his routine before bed. He took off the ill-fitting suit he was wearing, along with his thick-rimmed glasses, and splashed some water on his face. When he put them back on, he was greeted by a vision he was constantly trying to avoid.

He looked with sadness at his body. His naturally thin frame was filling up with some fat, forming a small belly and starting to accumulate on his chest. His love handles were being pushed out by the elastic band on his boxer shorts. His arms and legs were just as slim as they were when he finished puberty, unable to gain the coveted muscle mass every gay man was chasing. His husband signed him up for his gym as an idea to spend more time together, only to be completely ignored once the hunky social butterfly found his usual friends and left him on his own. Prey to his insecurities, he stopped going altogether, much to his husband´s annoyance who wanted him to get in shape. His blond hair was dry and messy, styled in a boring way. He barely had any beard growth on his round, to begin with, unable to hide the soft jawline and little chin, and the one he had was very patchy and light blond, so it was practically invisible. Otherwise, he wasn't a very hairy man, just sporting unkempt armpit and pubic hair, along with some sparse sprinkling around his nipples. His blue eyes were the only feature he kind of liked on himself, being an icy blue that was magnified by the thick glasses he wore all the time.

Richie put on his pomegranate printed pajamas and got into bed. The emotional shock from earlier had exhausted him, along with the stress of his intense work schedule. He then turned to the side to take off his glasses and turn off his bed lamp when he caught a glimpse of the beautifully framed photo of his husband and him on their wedding day. Richie was a bit taller standing at 6 feet and was wearing a black tuxedo that hung off his even thinner body. His soft features shining with happiness. Next to him stood the hunk he married, his beautiful brown skin contrasting with the white tuxedo Richie had bought him for that day. The elegant garment was taut over the Latino man´s body, showing off the volume of his arms and the prominence of his chest. It was tapered to his thin waist, which made him look like he jumped out of a GQ magazine cover. His raven black hair was beautifully styled back, and he was beaming a white smile at the camera. The handsome man was truly a sight to behold. Richie didn't like looking at his reflection because it was a painful reminder of the abyssal difference between them. No wonder Mario never wanted to get in bed with him anymore. He took off his glasses and closed his eyes, unable to fall asleep with a million worries circling on his head.

 "Good morning amor"

Richie opened his eyes to the deep melodious voice of his husband. Mario was standing next to his bed holding up a box of chocolates shaped like a heart. Richie put on his glasses and managed to squeeze out a faint smile. He then extended his arm and accepted the gesture without saying a word. His husband remained unfazed, beaming a bright smile, and acting with his usual confidence.

"You didn't wait for me last night. The boys from the gym invited me to a birthday party, so I couldn't say no. Still, I brought some pizza for us to eat late only to find you sleeping!"

The Latino hunk then pouted like a little kid making emphasis on the last word.

"I know better than to wait for you to get home Mario. Besides, you arrived at 3 in the morning, high as a kite. I really thought you remembered this time."

Mario could feel his husband´s sadness in his voice, but he didn't let his facial expression change.

"I still brought you dinner as I promised. I even got your favorite pizza. Come on, let's go have breakfast. I have a photo shooting later and I cannot be late again."

Richie sighed and got out of bed to get ready. He then joined his husband in the kitchen who was sporting one of his usual skintight tank tops that made the defined muscles in his body pop out more.

"The pizza is in the fridge."

He said taking another spoonful of oatmeal without even raising his gaze from his phone. Richie then took out a cold slice and sat down on the opposite end of the kitchen island. He stared at the pepperoni pizza on his plate, unable to take a bite. He took a deep breath and looked at his husband.

"Mario, we need to talk."

The hunk barely raised his eyes from the screen, giving Richie an impatient glare. Even when he was annoyed, he remained strikingly handsome, with sharp masculine features decorated with a dense black beard.

"Does it really have to be now? I´m already running late amor. We can talk when I get back from work."

"No, it has to be now."

Said Richie fighting the breaking of his voice. He had a lot of feelings, but he had to remind himself of his practices at work and how to emote his thoughts without overwhelming his partner.

"I think you´re not paying a lot of attention to me, and that makes me feel sad. Remember when we first moved into this house and had that candlelit dinner on the floor? I miss that Mario. The romantic detail Mario."

Mario´s gaze remained fixed on his husband, meditating the best way to squirm out of the problem. It wasn´t the first time he messed up an important date, but he could always count on his husband´s weak character to do the trick for him.

"I´m sorry amor. I´ve been stressed with work now that my career is finally taking off. My diet is also killing me, making me tired and irritable. You should have a bit of consideration with me. Besides, I brought you your favorite pizza. I remembered. It's just that you know how important these parties are for networking amor. And you´re always at work. You never come to the gym with me. The least you could do is being more comprehensive."

He managed to finish his monologue with a little tear under his eye. Richie fell victim once again to his husband´s bulldozing charm. His bitterness turned quickly into concern for his hard-working husband, who just wanted to make his dream come true. He stood up and headed towards the hunk´s back, embracing his muscular body tightly.

"I´m sorry love, I had no idea you had that much on your head. I´ll take you to dinner tonight, to that fancy place you like."

Mario smiled triumphantly, knowing there was no sin his pushover of a husband was not going to forgive.

"If you really want us to go then fine."

Richie jumped excitedly at the prospect of having a romantic evening with his man again. The sorrow in his heart turned again to the blind happiness that had imprisoned him for a long time. He took his briefcase and kissed his husband´s cheek, who winced a bit at the gesture.

"I'll pick you up at eight."

He said as he headed outside for his car. Mario remained sitting down eating his oatmeal impassively, completely dismissing his husband´s nice gesture.

 Richie could barely keep his excitement in check during his day at work. He responded with automatic answers during his sessions, his mind wandering through all the possible outcomes of the night. Mario did care for him, and that made him very happy. It was ironic the best marriage counselor in town couldn't see the shipwreck his marriage was. The therapist remained oblivious to all the red flags life was throwing at him constantly, in the hopes that everything was a product of his overanalyzing mind. He never had anyone like Mario before, his few past relationships being sacrificed to achieve his dream profession. That is why he was so self-conscious about spending so much time at work and not paying enough attention to his handsome man. But this night was going to be different. He was going to take his husband for a nightly stroll on the boardwalk after dinner, and then home for hopefully more intimate marital activities.

His last patient for the day canceled, leaving Richie with two hours to go back home and prepare for the evening. He even made a stop at the mall to buy a luxurious watch for his husband, to surprise him along with his regular anniversary gift. He bought a lotus flower bouquet again and rushed to his home to get ready. This time his husband´s car was parked on the driveway, so he was sure Mario was inside. He stealthily went inside, only to be greeted by an empty ground floor again.

"He must be upstairs."

Said Richie for himself while he quickly hid the expensive presents and quietly headed up the stairs. But as soon as he arrived on the top floor, his blood froze inside his veins as he heard giggles and whispers coming from the furthermost door. He felt vertigo as the hallway appeared to extend, separating him from his bedroom. He approached the ominous door quietly, his heart sinking further down with every step.

"I swear I heard something."

Said an unknown deep voice inside the room. Richie stood in front of the door, unable to grab the knob and see with his own eyes what had been written on the wall for a very long time.

"I told you, he never comes home earlier. Stop being such a pussy. I´ll go downstairs and check so you don't get distracted anymore."

Richie saw the doorknob turn in slow motion, only for the door to open aggressively. The doctor stared then at the half-naked image of his husband, his brown skin shining with sweat. The hunk couldn't keep his cool this time, widely opening his eyes, completely speechless. Both stood in front of each other for an instant in complete silence. Richie diverted his gaze to look inside his bedroom. He saw another muscular man behind Mario, recognizing him as one of the personal trainers working in his husband´s favorite gym. Mario was the first one to break the silence, managing to squeeze out a few nervous words.

"Richie, amor. I know it looks bad, but I can explain."

The doctor didn't wait for another second, storming down the hallway and out the front door. He started his car and sped away from his once safe haven. He couldn't spend another second in there, feeling breathless and heavy. He just needed to get away as soon as possible.

A storm of feelings quickly mined what was left of his rationality. He suddenly recognized all the signs. The late-night escapades, the forgotten details and the general apathy his husband emanated suddenly became beacons for Richie, illuminating the ruins of his falsely happy marriage. His insecurities bubbled up, making him hate himself for even considering that what happened was his fault. He had this talk almost daily with his patients. But he still couldn't let go of the feeling that he simply wasn't enough for Mario.

He stopped at a red light and looked to the back of his car. His untouched gym bag laid on the backseat, almost taunting him for his lack of discipline. If he made an effort to keep up with his gym obsessed husband, none of this would've happened. In the middle of his crisis, he made the absurd choice of heading to the gym. He thought that maybe if Mario saw him there, he would think Richie was trying to be attractive for him, and he wouldn't have the necessity of looking for pleasure somewhere else.

 It was already dark when he made it to the 24-hour fitness center. The upscale gym had everything necessary to train a professional bodybuilder, and then some more. The sleek interior with shiny chrome finishing sported mirrored walls on all sides of the establishment, including the reception. The doctor couldn't escape the haunting image of his reflection, no matter where he tried to hide. He nodded with courtesy towards the young clerk checking the patrons in and headed to the dressing rooms. He tried his best in avoiding eye contact with anyone, so no one could see his red eyes or swollen face product of the intense night he was having, and quickly changed into his simple workout clothes, grabbed his headphones, and headed to the training floor.

He instantly regretted his decision in coming to the gym, as he stood there in the middle of the training ground with no idea where to start. Mario had never actually explained to him how to work out with weights, and he never dared to ask any of the trainers that roamed around the room. An infinity of machines of all types and sizes decorated his surroundings, along with four giant mirrored walls that gave the impression of an infinitely big area. Big men paraded around like peacocks, preening their bodies and flexing in front of their reflection. Groups of girls and teenagers chatted next to the machines and the big water fountain where people could refill their drinks. It was an entirely foreign ecosystem for the nervous doctor, who carefully made his way to the free weights area.

He looked at all the big men pumping iron all around him, their sweaty bodies practically bursting out of their tight clothes. He then turned around to face the inevitable. The mirrored wall reflected all of the doctor's miserable existence once again. His graphic tee depicting a cartoonish cow was snug against his midsection, and his black shorts made his legs look even thinner. He pondered in his sadness for a while, reflecting on how little he was in comparison to his husband. No wonder he looked for someone else.

But something happened once Richie turned around to grab the lightest pair of dumbells around. He thought for an instant he saw his reflection blink just before diverting his gaze. He put the dumbells down once again to examine his reflection closely. A wicked smile formed on the doctor´s soft face, completely contrasting with his innocent eyes. Richie felt a chill go down his spine, as he immediately recoiled from the mirror, only for a hand to come out and pull him towards it. The hard mirror of the surface rippled like water, and the doctor soon found himself in an identical mirrored room. All equipment, towels, and water bottles were there, except for the patrons. The new training area was empty, except for Richie, who instantly went back to the original mirror. He could still see the people walking outside, but when he tried to knock on the glass and ask for help, no one realized he was there. His increasingly panicked screams echoed through the big empty hall.

"Why aren't you a nervous one?"

He heard a voice talk to him from his back. It sounded like his own, only with a rasp metallic cling to it. He turned around and went white in fear as he saw an exact copy of himself staring back. They were even dressed the same. The only difference was the most disturbing part of that living nightmare: the eyes. The doppelganger sported a pair of mirror eyes, which gave it a supernatural look.

"Wha-at are yo-ou?"

Stuttered the terrified doctor slowly walking backward until his back hit the glass. The reflection smiled broadly; its sinister mirror eyes fixed entirely on Richie.

"I´m you, or better said I´m the worst part of you. The one that haunts you every time you look at yourself. The one who blinded you from the truth. The one that represents the shackles of your pathetic existence."

Richie fought the tears in his eyes and was able to muster a glimpse of courage, answering with all the aggressiveness he could muster.

"That's not true! You don't exist, you´re just a product of my own trauma. I must have hit my head with a weight or something."

The reflection cackled loudly, its cold voice breaking like a tuning radio.

"This is exactly why he cheated us now. Your passiveness, your naivety, and of course your appearance drove him away. But look at me, look at us. Who thinks someone like that would want to be with someone like us? Damn, a Ph.D. in psychology and you´re still as stupid as an infant. You must feel pretty miserable. We wasted so many years of study for nothing."

Richie looked down, the tears finally rolling from his eyes. The monster was right, he was stupid. The signs were there, signs he would´ve recognized on anyone else's relationship. But things got different once it was personal. What was clear turned opaque, as his naiveness drove him to excuse everything he saw and felt.

"Don´t cry! You don´t deserve pity. It is your fault we're miserable, but this situation can change."

The doctor looked at his doppelganger once again. A bright halo of light seemed to flicker around him, making the monstrous eyes glimmer with a golden hue from time to time.

"I was sent here as a catalyst for change. There is someone interested in our innate potential. But first, you must shatter. We can finally put a stop to your insecurities, and be free."

A bright flash of light beamed out of the doppelganger´s eyes, completely blinding Richie for an instant. The air felt heavy, humming with energy and the temperature started rising. The light was gone as soon as it came, leaving the doctor unable to see for a couple of seconds. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes slightly annoyed at the inconvenience, blinking frantically until the blur around him reformed into the weight room. The creature was not in front of him anymore. He looked around, only to find it standing next to one of the bench presses. He approached his double, his face contorted with an exasperated look.

"What the hell was that? I almost went blind! And what do you mean by shattering?"

He asked angrily, his former nervous demeanor replaced by new assertive behavior. He felt animosity towards the creature for trapping him inside this trick room. A new aggressive defense mechanism triggered by hearing the doppelganger´s plan for him.

"Nothing, forget it. As you are now, we´re completely useless for our lady."

Richie clenched his fists tightly, as the light annoyance started turning into sheer anger, an emotion completely unexplored for him. The doctor was usually very calm and passive, rather bending to other people's will to avoid confrontation than approaching issues with an aggressive attitude. But something about the creature in front of him made his blood boil, but he couldn't put his finger on the reason yet.

"What lady!? Besides, I´m not useless"

His angry remarks echoed through the empty halls of the mirror world. The doppelganger smiled knowing the doctor was being lured right where it wanted him to.

"You are useless, there is no question about it. Let´s do a little bet. Prove you're not a failure, and I´ll let you out of here."

The doctor squinted his eyes, giving the creature a suspicious look. But it might be his only chance of getting out of there, so he reluctantly decided to go along with it.

"Fine, what do you want?"

His double then pointed at the bench press; its eerie mirror eyes fixated on Richie´s slightly confused expression.

"Show me we´re not weak. We came to the gym fleeing from the problems you were too weak to face on your own. That is what caused this whole problem. If you want my help you have to earn it."

Richie stood nervously next to the bench. He had never been able to train with weights before, so having his freedom be conditioned on such a test was terrifying, but he didn't see another way of escaping. The people outside were completely oblivious to what was happening inside the mirror, so the only chance of getting out was beating his double in its own game. He laid then on the machine, unsure about how to continue. The creature scowled at him, lifting the barbell and throwing it on his arms.

"You're such a worm. Pathetic."

Richie´s anger returned, fueling his strength. With some effort, he lowered the empty barbell to his chest, and pushed it back up with all his strength, putting it back in its place. He looked at his double expectantly, but the creature's face remained with the same expression of disgust.

"Is that all you got?"

The roof started filling up with thick golden vapor. It looked like ink being dropped in a glass of water. Small tendrils descended towards them, picking up two 45-pound plates and putting them on each side of the barbell. Richie opened his eyes incredulously. That amount of weight would certainly crush him, permanently ending the possibility of escaping. But judging by the doppelganger´s expectant gaze, he sighed and lowered himself back on the bench. His face went red with the effort from pushing the bar out of its base, holding it above his chest. A little droplet of sweat dripped down his forehead.

"What are you waiting for, pussy? Do it."

"I'm not a pussy…"

Grunted Richie as he once again lowered the bar with all his might. He then tried to push it back up, only for the barbell to remain static above his chest. The scared doctor started panicking, completely sure this was going to turn into his grave. But then, all the insults the reflection had thrown at him came back into his head, breeding a violent emotion that provided the energy he needed. With an angry grunt, he started lifting the bar slowly. He felt like his chest was on fire, each muscle fiber screaming in agony as the barbell completed its route and was left back in its base, only for the tendrils to load another six plates on it.

"You disgust me. Again."

Richie didn't even bother to discuss this time, as the violent emotions in his head slowly took control over him. He grabbed the bar with fury and pushed it over his chest with a roar. As the bar fell, the muscles in his chest expanded a bit to the sides, and when he pushed it back up, the pectorals rose a few inches. He then proceeded to repeat the movement, each rep adding mass to his chest like inflating cantaloupes. Once he was done, he put the bar back on its place with a heavy groan and got up from the bench. The evil reflection smiled as the doctor got out of his trance and realized what had just happened to him. He touched the now-massive muscles hanging from his chest, his white t-shirt strained to the maximum, deforming the cartoon on the front. His pectorals twitched with newfound power, his enlarged nipples rubbing against the fabric sticking out like thumbs.

"What happened to me?"

The doppelganger didn't say a word and simply moved towards the squat rack. Richie stood up, tumbling due to his center of gravity changing drastically, and followed the creature. The barbell was already loaded with two plates. The doctor stared at his reflection once again, only to find the same disgusted sneer.

"Do it again you pussy."

The feelings of anger kept bubbling out of Richie. He got under the bar, completely unsure of how to move without falling back. As soon as he got into position, he returned to his trance-like state, performing a squat with perfect form. The bones in his legs cracked and lengthened slowly, along with his feet, which grew gigantic to provide a better base for the exercise. He then proceeded to complete the set, each repetition slowly adding inches to his frame. The vertebrae in his back cracked and elongated, each joint growing stronger to support his now towering frame. When he finished, he was more than half a foot taller, his overstretched t-shirt now looking more like a sports bra containing his herculean chest, and his shorts riding up almost to his crotch. He then threw a sneer at his impassive reflection, which stood there only smiling.

"You're still weak. We didn't deserve someone like Mario."

"Shut up!"

Roared Richie. The golden tendrils then loaded the bar with enough weight to put it well above 300 pounds. The furious doctor then got under the bar and grasped it with both of his hands. He then pushed it up with all his might. The veins on his temples popped out, as his face went red like an apple again. The bar then slowly budged, unhanging itself and resting on the doctor´s slim shoulders. It was marvelous to behold those toothpicks he had for legs support such a monstrous amount of weight. Concentrating on the fiery rage in his stomach, Richie started going down. The muscle fibers in his legs were burning, unable to keep up with the amount of power being demanded from them. As a result, they started to quickly multiply, leaving the doctor with two slightly thicker legs once he finished the first repetition.

But the real change was just starting. He then started going down and up again, his legs working like heavy-duty pistons carrying a massive amount of weight. Each pump added muscles to his thighs, which grew bigger than most men´s waists. The deep divide of his quadriceps etching itself painfully into the muscles, making the skin covering them look paper-thin. His ass swelled so big it looked like it was defying gravity, swallowing the now tiny black shorts and providing the beastly strength he was needing. His calves grew bigger than football to stabilize Richie´s increasing mass. Even his feet grew muscular. During the last repetition, the strain was so much, he felt his legs were dipped in molten metal from the sheer output of energy. He felt his knees buckle, as he felt himself falling on his back. The now-massive cushion he had attached to his rear attenuated the fall.

The doppelganger then let out a crackling cruel laugh. The doctor came out of his trance again, unsure of how to move his much larger lower limbs. He was sweating profusely, the white t-shirt now completely translucent showing the deep divide between his humongous chest. Tears fell down his reddened cheeks, completely overwhelmed by the situation he was in.

"Please let me go. I don't want this. I beg you."

His double then stopped laughing and barked back at him in that metallic voice.

"Beg of me? We don't beg, we demand. You will keep us drowning in misery. Is that what you want?!"

The doctor's painful memory then entered his head once again. A lonely childhood, an unfulfilled dream, and heartbreaking betrayal. His eyes pulsed for an instant in a bright golden color. He managed to get up and sneered back at his reflection, hatred once again taking over him.

"No. I'll stop the misery."

"Then you know what you must do."

He then approached the bar, which was already loaded again by the mysterious force in the room putting it above 500 pounds. He positioned himself to do a deadlift, grasping the bar tightly with both hands and pulling with all his might. Sweat practically cascaded out of every pore and thick veins bulged and pulsated on his neck, and the straining muscles grew. His growl slowly went down a couple of octaves as his Adam's apple grew along with the rest. Two giant triangles grew on the back of his neck, connecting it to his shoulders and leaving the doctor with a pair of massive traps.

The muscles in his back rippled as new nerve connections were made recruiting more mass for the movement. Two thick poles grew along his spine, spreading outgrowth to his lats. The back of the man grew so much, it looked like the spread wingspan of an albatross, each hill and valley carving themselves like on marble. The small t-shirt didn't stand a chance as it fell in tatters to the ground, exposing the sweat coated skin of the man´s back.

As he pulled the bar above his knees, the muscle in his midsection started burning to stabilize the movement. The fat on his stomach melted away, replaced by a convex thick eight pack bulging with veins. His lower back developed strongly, forming an upwards arrow between the muscles.

Once he was able to stand straight, he quickly jerked down to push the bar from underneath. The burning sensation spread to his arms, as his hands grew around the bar grabbing it with a vice-like grip. The forearms formed thick muscular columns with more than enough strength to hold the lift, veins quickly traveling towards his upper arms like a complicated crossroads. The fibers on his biceps ripped and grew rapidly, quickly inflating the biceps to a formidable size. Iron triceps etched themselves to the hinder part of his arms, pumping and growing bigger the more the bar was lifted. Lastly, as he pushed the bar over his head, his shoulders raised and rounded out like big medicine balls, condemning Richie to a life unable to go straight through doors.

With a mighty roar, he put the bar in its place, panting exhaustedly. The man inside the squat rack was unrecognizable, having almost doubled his body mass in lean muscle. The only vestige of his old self remained his soft rounded face, along with his icy blue eyes, which squinted when the wave of pain woke him up from his trance. The doppelganger stared amused at the new Richie, its mirror eyes gleaming with a golden glow.

"Well, this is definitely what I had in mind. We're still not quite there though. You remain a pathetic wuss inside."

Richie looked at his practically naked body and was left speechless. He was completely terrified of what happened to him. This monster had completely ruined his life. He clenched his fists in anger, while he slowly walked towards the creature.

"Look at what you did to me. I'm a freak. I´ll never be able to get back to my life."

The creature looked at him mockingly, smiling cruelly at its creation. Richie´s anger only kept rising until everything else other than his double disappeared from his vision. He took out his glasses, crunching them with his fist. His new body bulged menacingly with new strength.

"Do we want to get back to that life? To be deceived and betrayed? No. We hate Mario, but we also hate ourselves."

Richie thought for a second about what the creature said. It was right in saying he hated Mario, and he hated himself for being weak, for not being enough. But now he was enough. He looked at his body and felt each muscle fiber vibrating with new power. He then looked at his double, which was a physical reminder of his past and the painful betrayal.

"No, I hate you. For being weak. For keeping me down."

The creature glared at the muscular titan towering over it, now inches away from its frail body towering over him. It produced one last cruel smile knowing its purpose had been fulfilled.

"Then you know what you must do. Pussy."

Richie raised his fist with a deafening roar and struck his old self-right in the face. The creature then exploded in a million mirror shards which remained suspended in the air and released the contents of its vessel. A glowing blob of ichor was left floating in the place of where the monster once stood. The doctor stared dumbfounded at the thing he had in front of him. The golden vapor floating on the ceiling then condensed into the liquid, and it started emitting a powerful light that mesmerized Richie. He then moved forward to touch the liquid.

As soon as his fingers made contact with it, the blob glued itself into the hands of the doctor, who then woke up again from the trance for the last time. He screamed in panic as the golden substance traveled up his massive arm, coating it in glimmering reflective gold. The rest of his body got quickly invaded by the liquid, leaving his face for last. His scream was then drowned once the substance entered his throat. He felt the scorching heat of the liquid melting away his mind. Memories of love and romance, from hope and peace, bled out of every pore, being sucked away by the golden coating. The heat then intensified the anger in the pit of his stomach and raised it to his mind, corrupting it. Feelings of hatred and arrogance melted into his brain, molding a new persona out of the doctor.

The liquid then started to melt away his features, making his head grow inside the golden suit. The bones in his jaw cracked and squared off, leaving a prominent glass-cutting jaw behind. His nose broke and rearranged, expanding to a more masculine form. His forehead grew larger, hooding his eyes and printing a permanent scowl on his face. Once the change was completed, the liquid started to seep into the pores in all of his body, stimulating the growth of thick dark body hair that slowly revealed itself the more the coat absorbed into the skin. His armpits and pubes grew thick hair, marinated with his newly acquired masculine essence. A thick treasure trail escalated to a dense covering of his pecs. The liquid on his face then condensed into his eyes, revealing a full bushy beard. His blond hair had grown long on top disappearing on the sides and darkened to a dark shade of brown. As the final drops of the liquid were absorbed into his eyes, he was left with a pair of solid gold eyes, the anger condensing as a red halo surrounding his pupils.

The new man then cracked his neck and flexed his body. He felt incredibly powerful, more than any mortal could ever be. He looked at the mirror and saw his rugged hyper-masculine face staring back at him. He looked very menacing. And he liked it. The titan relished in the satisfaction that gave him in being an intimidating wall of muscle. He had no desire of being nice to anybody because he could bulldoze his way over anything to get whatever he wanted. He was the biggest dick on the planet. Dr. Richie Coccou was reborn in the form of Richard "Dick" Coccou.

"Speaking of dicks."

Grumbled the new goliath as he grabbed his manhood over the makeshift thong he was still wearing. The gold liquid started coming out again of his palm, burning away the garment and coating the already enlarging member. The former small penis then inflated to a menacing size, just like his owner, until it reached the size of a small children´s arm. His balls grew proportionally, like two small pomegranates hanging from a branch. The titan grumbled with pleasure as he played with the large head.

"You´ll have plenty of time for that later, my child."

Dick then looked around attentively, like a predator hearing a small branch snap. The broken glass shards floating around him condensed into a body size mirror in front of him. Out of the deep infinite loop appeared a beautiful woman. Her shapely silhouette surrounded by a bright halo. And her glowing gold eyes cold as ice. Dick smiled, all kinds of lascivious thoughts crossing his mind.

"Do not get distracted by primal necessities my child. You have a mission to accomplish. I´m Hera, queen of the heavens and your ruler."

Dick´s mind was suddenly filled with awe and respect for his progenitor, having been born out of her own blood. He kneeled before her and bowed his head.

"What can I do for you, my queen?"

Hera smiled, very pleased with the results of her spell.

"I gifted you with divinity for one reason only my child: to kill my husband. You know the sorrow of a broken heart, and have a thirst for revenge of your own. You will get your chance, but afterward, your destiny will belong to me. Meet me on Mount Olympus in thirteen days. I will make sure you ascend."

With those last words, the mirror shattered, and Dick was left alone with his hatred. Hera´s work was impeccable, fully turning the intense loyal love of a mortal into her own personal thug. And Dick was the spitting image of a muscular thug. The image of his still husband came to his mind, along with an unquenchable thirst for revenge. He smiled and knew immediately what to do next.

 The last patrons left the 24-hour gym at high hours of the night. Mario had been looking desperately for his husband all night without success. He looked around the places he thought he frequented most, like his office or his favorite pizza restaurant. But the meek therapist was nowhere to be found. The last way to look for it was the gym, although Mario was going more out of pure necessity than of real worry for his husband.

He got into the establishment and found it empty. It was unusual to find people after midnight, but not even the janitor was around. An eerie presence haunted the many mirror walls, making the usually cocky Latin hunk feel uneasy. He looked into the dressing room hoping he would find his husband there, but there was no one inside. He shrugged his worries off and thought he´ll find it back home once the tantrum was over. He had to be more careful though, or his citizenship process would be interrupted and he'd have to leave his life there. Richie was nice, but Mario was more into the life he provided other than the man himself.

He stepped out of the locker room and could immediately hear the cold clashing of iron from inside the weight room. Low grunts accompanied the metallic echoes, letting Mario know he wasn't alone in the gym after all. He went inside the room, only to find a behemoth of a man half-naked pumping a monstrous amount of weight on the bench press. A strong musky scent permeated the room, asserting the titan´s dominance over anything that stepped into his dominion. He finished his set and immediately fixed his gaze upon the stud.

"I knew you would come."

His golden eyes completely infatuated Mario, who felt an almost magnetic pull towards the man. He put a hand on his sweat covered giant chest, relishing in the feeling of having such a specimen so close to him. Dick smiled triumphantly, completely aware of the power he now possessed over simple mortals. He grabbed both shoulders of the smaller man with his massive mitts and aggressively pushed him down. Mario was completely enthralled by the intimidating piece of meat he had in front of him. He wanted desperately to please the bigger man, but he was unsure his anatomy would allow it. Dick didn't wait for Mario to prepare, taking his head with both hands and slamming it against his pelvis, impaling the choking stud with his massive endowment. Mario struggled to breathe, tears flowing down his cheeks as big Dick sodomized his face.

"You’re a lousy sucker kid. Let's see if you're a lousy fucker as well."

Said the titan as he lifted Mario like a feather and put him facing down the bench, spreading his legs. Mario already knew what was coming and was glad he was ready. He always found a good fuck or two in the gym at this hour, and this was not going to be an exception. Dick then slammed down the still closed cheeks, impaling his former lover. Instead of feeling the searing pain, he was awaiting due to the sheer size of the manhood, Mario felt incomparable bliss. Every nerve ending in his body was burning with pleasure, his face drooling due to the intense sensations he was feeling. The titan then pumped him full for a while, giving him the best sex, he ever had.

Once it was over, the behemoth took a humongous black shirt that was hanging on a nearby bench and put it on, heading towards the exit. Mario then felt terrible despair, as he ran to the man to not let him go, only to be sent flying away and crashing against a pile of weights. Dick gave him a menacing look, his golden eyes sparkling with anger.

"You will never be able to enjoy intimacy anymore or feel any kind of pleasure. Everything will remind you of tonight, and what can no longer be yours. I will let you live, but the future that awaits you will only be painful. Now, get out of my sight before I change my mind."

His newly acquired divine power gave Dick full power over mortals, including the ability to move the boundaries between pain and pleasure inside them. Mario watched with tears in his eyes as the giant walked forward into a mirrored wall next to the entrance, and was swallowed by it. He had no idea this hateful god was his once pure-hearted husband, corrupted by a jealous´ goddess hatred against the one who had been her greatest lover.

[warlordfelwinter]

The One Where Pythia Dies

..

note: I have decided to change Delphi’s Ghost’s name to Artemis to keep on theme. I’ll be honest, I’m like 90% sure she might have been Artemis originally and it got changed to Athena at some point. But Artemis is more fitting. I may go back and change it in old fics or I may not, we’ll see how lazy I am (I think I also gave him a cat named Artemis so the cat will need a new name)

anyway

..

Delphi wandered the Gardens of Esila, the quiet tranquility peacefully familiar. The Curse had retreated somewhat and the Corsairs had been hard at work clearing out the Taken. For the first time in a very long time, he could walk unaccosted, without a weapon in his hands, and lose himself in his thoughts.

They were, at the moment, particularly morose. He was indulging, somewhat. The Gardens brought him back to the times he had spent here before he died. Now, after everything that had happened in the past few weeks, he resented his choice to ever leave the Dreaming City. He probably would have died when the Curse struck, but maybe he wouldn't have had to go through everything he had. He wouldn't have known the Speaker, or Andal, or Cayde. Maybe he never would have been Risen, he never would have met Crow.

Crow… Delphi hadn't heard from him for days. He wasn't going to look for him. He could ask Ikora where she had sent him, but he wasn't going to. Crow had asked for privacy and Delphi was going to respect that. He couldn't imagine what Crow was trying to sort through right now. The most Delphi had done was send an open invitation to meet in the Gardens, attempting to word it so that Crow felt no pressure to respond or show up. As much as Delphi wanted to see him, he was somewhat relieved he hadn't yet. He didn't know what he would say and who knew what memories being here would trigger.

"Delphi!"

He looked up, startled out of his thoughts, and smiled when he saw a familiar figure. Pythia trotted over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I heard the Taken were clear—"

"Thank you, thank you," Pythia said, taking a bow. He laughed. She straightened up. "Nice isn't it? Quiet."

"Mm. Almost like it used to be." Delphi looked over the struggling plants, overgrown with lack of care, and remnants of Taken energy. "Almost."

"Well, maybe once you take care of those Hive gods it'll go back to normal. Would be nice to have a home again." Her light mood seemed to fade for a moment before she shook it off. "Anyway, what's up with you? Any word from Crow?"

Delphi shook his head. "Not that I can blame him. I doubt I'd want to see me either."

Pythia frowned. "If he remembers Uldren, he remembers all the shit Uldren did. He has to understand why you did what you did."

"I still have nightmares about being behind that gun. How do you think he feels? Regardless of whether it was justified or not, it must be hard to look at me."

"I think you're both drama queens," Pythia muttered, and Delphi laughed quietly.

They were distracted from the conversation by the arrival of a few Ghosts. One, Artemis, was Delphi's. The other, Apollo, was one who had started following him around a few weeks before. He had been startled at first, until he remembered it had happened to the Speaker too. Unbound Ghosts were attracted to them. Apollo was fairly certain his Guardian hadn't died yet and so was content to follow Delphi around.

At the moment, he was chattering cheerfully to Artemis and Delphi could feel her quiet desperation as she flew over to join him.

"Apollo," Delphi said, getting the rogue Ghost's attention. "Meet my sister, Pythia."

Apollo stopped short, staring at her.

"Hi," Pythia said, and then glanced at Delphi. "Are you collecting them? I thought Guardians only got one each."

"I'm… uh… I haven't found my Lightbearer yet," Apollo said slowly. He shook his shell out, trying to dismiss whatever confusion had just settled over him. "I don't think they've died yet."

"Oh, well, I wish you luck," Pythia said.

"Thank you."

"He wanted to see the Dreaming City," Delphi said. "With the Taken cleared, I thought it would be safe enough."

"It's beautiful," Apollo said. "Do you live here?"

"Mostly," Pythia said. "It used to be a lot nicer. You'll have to come back once we kick this Curse, I'll give you the grand—"

A soft, building noise made Delphi tense before Pythia was cut off by the shot. He didn't recognize it quickly enough. Line rifle. Artemis vanished before Pythia hit the ground and Apollo darted into Delphi's coat.

Delphi dropped to his knees at Pythia's side.

"No, no, no, no, not again, not again," he whispered, unbidden, panic rising in his chest. She wasn't moving. Eyes wide, unseeing. Blood starting to pool under her head.

Over the ringing in his ears, Delphi heard another shot. Sniper rifle. He couldn't bring himself to look up. His vision blurred and he thought he might be speaking but he couldn't hear his own voice. He didn't notice the Ghost peek out of his coat and startled back when Light surrounded Pythia.

She lurched up, gasping, wound healed. She took a few deep breaths and then looked at Delphi. Her eyes widened.

"Whoa, hey, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

He stared at her, uncomprehending.

"How did I...?" Pythia said quietly, looking around. Her eyes fell on the pool of blood and her face twisted slightly with disgust and confusion, lifting a hand to the back of her head. She looked at her brother again. "Delphi...?" she asked slowly.

Delphi held her gaze for a moment and then looked at Apollo, who was hovering close to his new Risen. Pythia looked at him. His shell twisted slightly, eye light flickering brightly, clearly delighted.

"I guess you just hadn't died yet," he said.