#flower queen of hell (Persephone)

[ladamedemartel]

✢ I like your characters. It is my unflinching belief that Aurora de Martel is the Sun.

She is

[aphroditelovesu]

Yandere Persephone love letters! Heart me out!

🌸🦋🌸

Dear mine,

Today, as the flowers woke up to greet the dawn, my heart was filled with a sweet melody that only you are capable of playing. In every petal, I see the reflection of your smile, and in every gentle breeze, I feel your gentle touch. Like the goddess of flowers and spring, my world comes alive with your presence.

On the days when I walk through the fields of daffodils and jasmines, it is your voice that echoes softly in my ears, like a heavenly song that lulls my soul. Every step I take is a step towards you, my beloved because it is at your side that I find the fullness of my being.

From the moment I laid my eyes on you, my dear, my heart was consumed by a fiery flame that burns eternally for you. As the Queen of the Underworld, my love for you is as deep as the darkest and most infinite abysses. My every thought is dominated by your presence, every sigh that escapes my lips is an invocation to have you by my side. My dear, I feel compelled to protect you, to guard you from any evil that dares to approach.

I am the goddess of spring, but for you, I would be able to make eternal winter fall upon the world, just so that we can be together forever, in a kingdom where only the two of us reign.

May our souls be intertwined like the branches of an ancient tree, growing together in harmony and eternal devotion. For, my beloved, in you I have found not only a companion, but an echo of my own essence, a radiant light amidst the darkness of the universe. Nothing and no one will ever take you away from me, my love. If anyone dares try to steal you from me, they will meet only the fury of hell.

With all my eternal love and devotion,

Persephone.

[pomegranatehymns]

PERSEPHONE

A informational post about Persephone:

Persephone is the goddess of spring, and passing of seasons as well as the queen of the Underworld. Kore being the epithet heavily associated with her connection to spring, translating to “the maiden”. Persephone also using many more epithets for diffrent aspects Associated with her. Persephone is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Persephone Deione- “Daughter of Demeter”. Being one of her many epithets.

"He [Zeus] came to the bed of all-nourishing Demeter, and she bare white-armed Persephone whom Aidoneus [Haides] carried off from her mother; but wise Zeus gave her to him.” (theoi.com- PARENTAGE OF PERSEPHONE)

stuff Associated with Persephone:

Pomegranate

Bats

Deer

Spring

Underworld

Flowers

Skulls

Garnet, gems, coins (stuff Associated with hades)

Cerberus

Dogs

The Eleusinian Mysteries:

i feel like this link sums up the mysteries pretty well.

https://web.archive.org/web/20030920115808/http://www.uwec.edu/Philrel/faculty/beach/publications/eleusis.html

“The Homeric Hymn narrates the founding story for the Mysteries as well. Demeter, disguised as a human, arrives at Eleusis while searching for her daughter, and the city takes her in as a nurse. She feels obliged to reward the city for its hospitality and reveals herself. Then she shares her secret rites, which consequently become the central theme of the Eleusinian Mysteries. But initiation to these rites was no simple task. Participants had to prepare for at least half of the year or more and nurture themselves spiritually to embrace the secret revelation.” (Eleusinian Mysteries: The Secret Rites No One Dared Talk About" TheCollector.com)

Proerosia:

(Demeter related but can Also involve Persephone)

“The Proerosia, is about the things to be done “before plowing”. The first fruits festival was in May, when the “first fruits of the cereals” were harvested. According to H. W. Parke (74), the offerings to Demeter were made to invoke her blessing on the plowing and seeding to come.” (proerosia- hellenion.org)

Hymn to persephone:

Orphic Hymn 29 to Persephone (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) :

"Hymn to Phersephone. Daughter of Zeus, Persephone divine, come, blessed queen, and to these rites incline: only-befotten, Plouton's [Haides'] honoured wife, O venerable Goddess, source of life: 'tis thine in earth's profundities to dwell, fast by the wide and dismal gates of hell. Zeus' holy offspring, of a beauteous mien, Praxidike (Avenging-Goddess), subterranean queen. The Eumenides' [Erinyes'] source, fair-haired, whose frame proceeds from Zeus' ineffable and secret seeds. Mother of Eubouleos [Dionysos-Zagreos], sonorous, divine, and many-formed, the parent of the vine. Associate of the Horai (Seasons), essence bright, all-ruling virgin, bearing heavenly light. With fruits abounding, of a bounteous mind, horned, and alone desired by those of mortal kind. O vernal queen, whom grassy plains delight, sweet to the smell, and pleasing to the sight : whose holy form in budding fruits we view, earth's vigorous offspring of a various hue : espoused in autumn, life and death alone to wretched mortals from thy power is known : for thine the task , according to thy will, life to produce, and all that lives to kill. Hear, blessed Goddess, send a rich increase of various fruits from earth, with lovely peace : send health with gentle hand, and crown my life with blest abundance, free from noisy strife; last in extreme old age the prey of death, dismiss me willing to the realms beneath, to thy fair palace and the blissful plains where happy spirits dwell, and Plouton [Haides] reigns.”

Here are some of Persephone's epithets:

Azesia- “of the Dried Fruits” and/or “Who Seeks”. The epithet is shared with Demeter

Brimo- “the Angry” or “the Terrifying”..

Carpophorus- “Bringer of Fruit”. This epithet was specific to Persephone in the role of Kore.

Chthonia- “of the Earth” (used by several chthonic deitys)

Deione- “Daughter of Demeter”.

Despoena- “The Ruling Goddess” or “The Mistress.”

Eleusina- “of Eleusis”. This epithet is shared by Persephone and Demeter.

Epaine- “the Fearful”. (More like feared by her worshipers)

Hagne- “Pure” or “Holy One”

Kore- “The Maiden”. Usually used when referring to persephone before she became queen of the Underworld. I use it in reference to her spring aspects

Leptynis- refers to wealth with her role as queen of the Underworld and being a chthonic deity

Megala Thea- “Great Goddess”.

Praxidike- “Bringer of Justice”.

Sources:

theoi.com- PARENTAGE OF PERSEPHONE

Hesiod, Theogony 912 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.)

theoi.com- Titles of Demeter & Kore: Ancient Greek Religion

The Eleusinian Mysteries, Edward A. Beach

Homer, The Iliad - Greek Epic C8th B.C.

The Homeric Hymns - Greek Epic C8th-4th B.C.

Orphic Hymn 29 to Persephone (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.)

Tareen, Zeynep. "Eleusinian Mysteries: The Secret Rites No One Dared Talk About" TheCollector.com, February 18, 2022, https://www.thecollector.com/the-eleusinian-mysteries-ancient-greece/.

https://www.tumblr.com/diana-thyme/737747722995712000/greek-gods-101-persephone?source=share

https://www.hellenion.org/festivals/proerosia/

[princess-lilura]

No longer limiting myself to soft feminine energy or a dark powerful femme. If Persephone can be the goddess of flowers and queen of hell, then so can I 💋

[princessxlilac]

pomegranate

a poem inspired by my scorpio moon & rising:

vultures access the rape of sabine

hell has found its brand new queen

mother demeter wails in the streets,

“something precious has been taken from me!”

i am persephone

goddess of the spring and what’s buried deep underneath it

yes i ate the pomegranate

i was searching for something pure and romantic

i know now that my ignorance was taken for granted

it’s crimson seeds were not sweet,

they were bitter and poisonous

id fallen for someone soulless

when i stooped to a new low

you dragged me down into the basement

so i begged the gods in heaven for acknowledgment

red rubies look dirty on white snow

brandished to me a silver blade that whispers

seething hot words so dark and sinister

it tells me “he should wilt like my roses do in the winter!”

yet i try to remain my kindest through all the ice storms and violence

my tired heart grew violets

fertilized by the pain of my love’s departure

i know that i can flower regardless of your nurture.

[babygirl-isbad]

I believe in,

"If Persephone could be the the goddesss of flowers while being the queen of hell at the same time, so can you."

[the-girl-wh0-cries-w0lf]

Criminal Minds characters as Greek Gods: Pt 1

“Of all men’s miseries the bitterest is this: to know so much and to have control over nothing.” ― Herodotus, The Histories

Jj - Aphrodite - Goddess of Love and Beauty

Aphrodite was the Ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty. It is said her appearance was so enchanting to cause substantial conflict among gods and men alike. Aphrodite was honoured as a protector of those who travelled by sea and, less surprisingly, courtesans and prostitutes.

“They wanted you to believe that love is weak, that you cannot curse and kiss with the same mouth. They wanted you to believe that the root of love is romance, soft and wide-eyed...Regardless o whether you desire it, love is what sits at the core of the world."

Emily Prentiss - Athena - Goddess of wisdom and warfare

Athena in Greek mythology was the city protectress and the goddess of war, handicraft and practical reason. As a goddess of war she could never be dominated by any other gods of Olympus. The goddess was not to be trifled with and her sense of justice was such that acts of impiety were swiftly avenged.

“There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it.”

Penelope Garcia - Persephone - Goddess of Spring and Death

The sweet daughter, goddess of harvest and fertility, of goddess Demeter and Zeus, who was kidnapped by Hades and later became the Queen of the Underworld. It is her return to Olympus every six months which causes the flowers to bloom and the harvest to flourish.

"Lost in Hell,—Persephone, Take her head upon your knee; Say to her, “My dear, my dear, It is not so dreadful here."

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

Weiss: Gentle reminder that Persephone is the goddess of flowers and the queen of hell.

[ineffablebardwrites]

Good Omens Fic Masterlist

Aziraphale/Crowley (Ineffable Husbands)

The Ties That Bind

Not too long after time began, Aziraphale learned how to braid hair.

Not too long after that, Crowley's hair became his favorite thing to braid.

Little Talks

Crowley wakes in the middle of the night to the feeling of being watched.

A brief investigation leads him to the kitchen where God is waiting for him.

Things Unseen

Aziraphale honestly didn't think his time in Hell had affected him that much.

He was wrong.

Flash Flood

Aziraphale Fell on a Sunday afternoon.

The rain started shortly after.

Wait For Me (I Will)

After his Fall from Heaven, Crowley wants nothing more than to return to Aziraphale's side.

Their reunion doesn't go quite the way he'd imagined.

The Principles of Protection

Aziraphale reveals what it really means to be a Principality.

Crowley ends up witnessing it firsthand.

Out of Time

Crowley knew that falling in love with a vampire would have consequences.

He didn't think bleeding out in an alley would be one of them.

A Song of Selkies

All Aziraphale wanted was to go home.

Crowley doesn't understand why he can't.

Things My Heart Used to Know

Aziraphale always felt like Crowley reminded him of someone.

He's just not sure who that someone is.

Journey to the Past

Anthony Crowley is searching for the lost heir to the throne of Eden, Prince Aziraphale.

Enter Ezra, a young man with no memory of who he is or where he comes from, but bears a strong resemblance to the missing prince.

Spring Flowers, Autumn Leaves

Aziraphale, Lord of the Underworld, was used to waiting for Crowley to come home.

However, he wasn't used to Crowley being late.

--

A Hades/Persephone AU

Make A Wish

In the aftermath of Aziraphale's choice, Crowley finds comfort in a star shower and the hope brought on by a human's tall tale.

If You Hadn't Found Me (I Would Have Found You)

Aziraphale Fell, renowned cellist and musical prodigy, yearns for more than the hand he's been dealt.

Anthony Crowley, lead singer for the band The Fallen, is trying to find a new sound.

The two meet under unusual circumstances and somehow manage to find everything they'd been looking for.

Trials of the Serpent King Trilogy

The Fallen Prince

Ezra Fell had read The Trials of the Serpent King numerous times throughout his lifetime. He could quote nearly every line by heart and owned multiple versions of the entire series, including a recently obtained first edition of The Fallen Prince.

Upon opening the cover, Ezra finds himself within the pages of the book and traveling alongside Anthony J. Crowley, the exiled king of Eden, while he marches the path towards the redemption of his throne.

The Road to Eden

In the aftermath of The Fallen Prince, Ezra Fell continues his journey alongside Anthony Crowley as they make their way towards the Kingdom of Eden.

But the journey back is filled with perils and with a traitor lurking in their midst, Ezra's task of keeping Crowley alive has suddenly become a lot more difficult than before.

Salvation of the King

Following the events of The Road to Eden, Anthony Crowley and his company find themselves reeling from an unexpected betrayal, but continue to push toward their goal of reclaiming the throne which is now well within their reach.

However, their journey, while being so close to ending, is still far from over and Ezra Fell will find himself not only fighting for Crowley, but also fighting to remain in the world he now calls home.

Ineffable Wives

To Noise Making (Sing)

There had been a time when Aziraphale had loved singing.

Crowley isn't sure why she ever stopped.

Heart of Ice

The legend of the Snow Queen told a sorrowful tale of a woman whose heart turned to ice upon the loss of her beloved.

The Snow Queen herself has little memory of this person.

Antonia Crowley is intent on helping her remember.

Rhythm of the Night

Aziraphale and Crowley explore the evolution of fashion at the Moulin Rouge.

or

Aziraphale dresses up and Crowley loses her mind.

Ineffable Spouses

Through the Centuries

In order to assist Aziraphale with an assignment, Crowley suggests they pretend to be married.

When the end draws closer, Aziraphale is surprised to find she doesn't want it to end.

Love Is A Song (That Never Ends)

Upon their Creation, every angel was given half of a song.

The other half was given to their soulmate.

--

In which Aziraphale and Crowley are soulmates connected by a single song and how they slowly come back together following the Fall.

A Quiet Place

Once upon a time, a silent angel and an outspoken demon met on a wall.

Over time, they manage to find some common ground.

Ineffable Bureaucracy (Gabriel/Beelzebub)

It's Quiet Uptown

Gabriel hadn't always been this way.

In fact, he used to be very different.

Then again, after the Fall, no one was really the same.

---

Prequel to Things My Heart Used to Know

[fabdante]

Hello I was wondering if you had a favorite flower and a favorite flower for kat & Vergil to have, since I was thinking what Fetch's would be upon only now noticing that there are flowers in her little nest 10 years later. Look & meaning in flower symbolism preferred for explanation

My favorite flowers are dandelions! When they're yellow, not when they're puff balls. This is perhaps an odd choice, as I think people might argue against them being flowers asdfghjk but I personally like them. My reasoning is definitely a sentimental one, they remind me of someone important to me.

Onto the rest of the question, I have thoughts on this!! I'm coming at it from two angles, the first being what flowersI think the two of them would associate with and second being what flowers I would use if I were crafting a bouquet or trying to get across like symbolism for them.

My favorite flower for Kat and Vergil together is lilacs! From my understanding a lot of meanings around them revolve around first love, remembering first love, purity of emotion, that sort of thing. They bloom very unpredictably and very briefly. I also just find the purple of lilacs very melancholy? All of this together made them very fitting for the relationship (on their first date, Vergil gives Kat a bundle of lilacs)

I tend to associate Kat with odd flowers, for a lack of better words? Like things like any sort of night bloomers, lantern flowers, bleeding hearts, I don't know how to describe them. Odd flowers fghjkl here's some images I was collecting on pinterest for art refs and forgot about:

I was largely collecting these for my demon queen Kat AUs where she's got a lot of flowers in her design, I was going for Persephone vibes, but I wanted things that felt suitably fitting for a queen in hell. So I wanted otherworldly, odd plants.

And in general I think she'd just gravitate towards those, I think she finds unusual plants more interesting then something like roses (hence, the lilacs for the first date)

I think though if I were to represent Kat on her own I'd lean towards lilies of the valley (representing a return to happiness and renewal), hyacinths (blue for sincerity, understanding, and, again, that kind of melancholic look), and forget me nots (perhaps self explanatory asdfghjk). I wanted to keep her in a cool palette because I wanted to keep a sort of melancholy to it. Like the blues and the tear like shape of the lilies of the valley, despite their positive meaning, I think creates a bitter sweet kind of vibe. The blues to I think contribute to the notion of Vergil, their relationship, how that relationship impacts her and what not. I would like to bring in some purples, though. Perhaps bring back the purple lilacs (I associate Kat with purple, I think because purple is the least common color in nature which gives it a sort of magical quality). Perhaps just some bleeding hearts to, for fun. No particular reason.

In a less...old school victorian way I do associate Kat heavily with night bloomers. To me there's something about the rarity of them and the short span that they bloom that feels fitting for something as unique and magical as Kat. They remind me a bit of stars to in a way, and I associate Kat with stars as well so that feels fitting. There's just something so delicate and fleeting about night bloomers which I think goes along with Kat's whole vibe.

As for Vergil alone...my first answer is probably very predictable but blue roses. But there's something to me about the fact they do not exist in nature which feels fitting for his whole being? Like he to probably doesn't quite feel like he's meant to exist, like he's a thing that was carefully crafted for a specific purpose. There's also their ties to Eva. I like to think in the reboot canon, Eva did grow blue roses, that in some capacity they exist outside of the man made ones but that their an angel thing. An unnatural plant that Eva spent a lot of effort in cultivating and growing on the grounds of Paradise, even if they're not meant to grow here. In my mind he's sort of adopted the blue rose as a symbol and representation of himself as well. Like he often will include them in bouquets for Kat, even if she's not much of a rose girlie, because they both associate the blue rose to him and such. Also blue is his color.

But coming at it from a flower symbolism angle, hydrangeas (blue, for forgiveness/a desire to be forgiven, a subtle apology) and purple hyacinths (tying into the hyacinths with Kat but also purple hyacinths represent similarly, regret and sorrow). I wanted to purposely keep him in a cool palette as well due to his whole color scheme being cool tones, that's his whole thing. But I liked the inclusion of purple because 1, Kat is very purple to me and 2, you get purple by mixing red and blue so I think it brings in a bit of the symbolism of both his angel/demon heritage but also the inking in of Dante and the presence he has in Vergil's life, kind of lingering in the corners, always there. And of course, blue roses. Perhaps bleeding hearts also for funsies because he did get stabbed in the heart that one time and there's the whole part of Downfall with his giant heart just kind of lingering in the background with holes in it and what not.

[genericpuff]

Okay I need someone to know there is an equally bad Hades x Persephone story (it might've been self published? But I'm not sure. I read it years ago as a gift from a friend).

But the basic premise of the story is very similar to a touch of darkness and lore Olympus. The names are changed slightly - Persephone is now Persy or something and hades is Hayden.

Persephone works at an accounting firm or something as a new hire and guess who the new business partner is that her company is trying to strike a deal with? Hades who's Uber rich and handsome. Only difference is for some reason Persephone has the power to make people tell her their deepest secrets so like for example when she was a kid people would confess creepy things to her - like her middle school teacher blatantly admitting to being a pedophile and she does nothing about it. (Granted it's like what would she do even magic powers aren't admissible in court but still). And there's a love triangle with some random human guy? Who is immune to her powers through sheer will power (and masturbation. Yes this is a plot point).

At some point Persephone travels Hayden's domain (which is somewhere in Asia like Shanghai for some reason and not Greece). I gave up at that point. There was lots of creepy things going on in the story a la "young new girl Persephone is constantly almost assaulted at every turn due to her irresistible beauty and people's need to tell her their secrets").

Worst book I've ever read. It's so bad I cannot for the life of me remember the title but it fashioned itself as a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone.

Could it have been The Cursed God? That's what I pulled up from a google search at least LMAO

Here's the summary:

"Hades is coming for me. But that doesn't mean he can have me . . . He says he knows me. Who I am. What I am. I'm pretty sure my boss Hayden is on some sort of weird power trip. He's sexy as hell, but has an arrogance that spells danger. I'm only serving drinks in his seedy strip club until I can afford my own flower shop. I just have to avoid the inexplicable pull between us in the meantime. Then he claims I'm Persephone and he's Hades, the God of the Underworld. He says I was taken from him and now he's here to awaken my spirit so he can take me back to the underworld. That his position in the underworld depends on it. Either he's crazy . . . or I'm a mythical goddess. A queen of the underworld. His Queen."

There was another one I found called Descent. And its summary is equally crazy:

"He was my savior once. Twice. Now he’s become my tormentor.

Hayden Montgomery was my best friend’s big brother. The last time I saw him was that Halloween night. The night he found me in the ruin of the chapel. The night he carried me home through a storm that was the omen warning us all of what would come.

That was five years ago. Now, he’s back. But he’s not the same man he was.

Once upon a time, I’d fantasized about our happily-ever-after. Once upon a time, I think I loved him.

But that was before he stood in the wreckage that is now my life and offered me the solution to my problems. And the cost? My body and my soul.

There’s something dark between Hayden and me. It binds us for better or for worse. Mostly worse. Like the moth to the flame, we can’t seem to resist the draw.

I just don’t know which of us is the moth and which the flame, but either way, we’re both going to get burned."

That last bit about the moth and flame is just- it's so delightfully Twilight "the lion fell in love with the lamb" vibes.

Anyways. Those are the two closest ones I could find that matched your description, but this has me learning that there are ... a LOT of 'modern' retellings of H x P that involve Persephone being an uwu babygirl and Hades being some wet rag abusive dickhead named Hayden. This is a sub-genre I didn't know existed and now I'm wishing I could just scrub my brain of it LOL

On the one hand, part of me now wants to believe that this issue goes deeper than Rachel, that Rachel is just yet another side effect of a bigger problem... but then I spot all the publication dates on these H x P "dark romance" books are from 2019 onwards. Obviously LO doesn't exist in a vacuum either, it's clear it took influences from works that existed before it, it's not the first "modern" retelling of Greek myth. But I can't help but feel a sense of dread that really makes me wonder just how much LO's existence has subsequently oversaturated the market with these "retellings" of a story that was originally a tragedy and meant to sympathize with the mothers whose daughters were forced into marriage, the same way 50 Shades and Twilight oversaturated the market with the "dark romance" genre itself, which is really just a dog whistle for abusive relationships at this point.

Don't really have anything else to say to close out this post. It's just depressing and I desperately want us all to hurry the fuck up and outgrow it instead of dressing up the same abusive "relationships" with a new coat of paint every 5-10 years.

[lettingogh]

a reminder that persephone is the goddess of flowers and is also the queen of hell, so don’t ever think you have to fit into just one mold.

[f0rlorn]

road to hell

yuji itadori x reader, hadestown au

notes → teaser/prologue to a series that i might write. jjk x hadestown. on a side note, i am extremely dissatisfied with the length/final product. but hey, it's only the prologue!

     ONCE UPON A TIME there lived a world of gods and men, distinct in their capabilities, alike in their natures. The gods of old had always been impulsive creatures, the mortals, their creation of reckless abandon. Sometimes the gods regretted their creation, but with no obligation to morals, their regret was overshadowed by their eternal desire to be worshipped.

Among these gods were Hades and Persephone. They had loved each other once before. Whether their marriage had been destined from the start or the mere fault of six pomegranate seeds, Persephone spent half the year with her lover, King of the Underworld. Their state of affairs suited them well for quite some time, creating the balance of the seasons. The daughter of Mother Nature, the embodiment of life, and the King of the Dead sparked a bright burning fire of passion. But it was near impossible for the embodiment of life to thrive when death was all that surrounded her.

     Beneath your feet, far below the ground, Persephone bided her time, causing the winter weather in the mortal world above. Still, despite her suitcase filled to the brim with sunshine and summertime, flowers never bloomed in Hadestown. King Hades was selfish; his craving for total dominance and obsessive desire for order over his domain created a tear between the two lovers. As time passed by and their love grew cold, so did the winters, leaving a cruel, icy sting. Hades had built a wall around his heart and was beginning to work on his wall around the Underworld too. If the King of the mine was going to busy himself with work, the Queen of the Underworld would be certain to busy herself with booze.

     Enter: a railroad line in the mortal realm, in a town far, far away, at a time long, long ago. It was the road to Hell. On this road, a young boy with eyes full of life, a heart of gold, and a purpose to fulfill. He was working on a song. Young Yuji Itadori was determined to bring the world back into tune one way or another. The son of a muse, touched by the gods with a talent for songwriting, Yuji had the ability to entice many- living or not- with his melodies. He grew up in that railroad station on the road to Hell, where he was looked after by a god with feathers on his feet- Hermes, the messenger god, who carried a certain charisma while leading others to their final destination. He was the orchestrator of the working chorus, there, on the railroad line. At the end of this railroad line lay Hadestown; always overcast by a shadow of darkness, though a glint of light would be sure to catch your eye if you ever happened to pass by it.

     Men and gods alike passed by the railroad line. It was there they met the Fates. Always singing in the back of your mind, but not the pretty kind. Dissonant; songs of the jarring truth of life. Songs you are forced to ring your brain dry to keep out. It always seemed like you were on the run from these Fates, from the incessant hunger, from the wind. You were no stranger to the cruel ways of the world, where the seasons, once an annual cycle of equanimity, only brought blistering heat or excruciating cold. That was what forced you on the road, no time to stay in any one place when you were always on the run from death's door, from the Fates. It was they who ensured you remained alone, defenseless to their attacks. No one to trust, no food to eat, and certainly no bed to sleep in. Maybe they were the ones you had to thank for chasing you into that railroad station one fateful night. After all, it was the only way to escape the harsh bite of the cold, and it was there you met Yuji. And well, you know how the story goes.

     It's a tragedy; a tale of love from long ago. But you'll live it again, won't you? Perhaps it will go well this time.

[not-oliwolly]

After being gone for a..very long time, here’s days 17 through 23 of @wisdom-devotee ‘s 31 days of hellenic polytheism!! :D (TW!! mentions of animal remains on day 23!!)

DAY SEVENTEEN QUESTION: Send out some love! Are there any Helpol blogs here on tumblr that you follow and really like?

DAY SEVENTEEN ANSWER: @stalkerofthegods has amazing deep dives for a handful of deities!! forever thankful for them����

DAY EIGHTEEN QUESTION: How can you best describe your relationship with each of your deities?

DAY EIGHTEEN ANSWER: With Queen Persephone, it’s like a motherly type of relationship, or parental. When i really need to get something done like schoolwork or clean, i’ll usually light her candle since for me her presence is almost like a scolding mothers sometimes/pos😅 with Lord Dionysus, it feels like a more like a..”teenager and a slightly over the age of 20 adult who will most likely adopt them in the future”friendship? It’s hard to explain- and i’m afraid i’ll explain it wrong..but, that’s just kinda the vibe, yk? with Lord Hermes, i’d say its definitely a friendship. One of my favorite offerings to give him is showing him my favorite wolverine edits, if that says anything. With both Lord Hypnos and Lord Thanatos..i would say it’s more of a mentor/student relationship. Last thursday, i was super upset about something my parents said, and the both of them gave me the courage to go talk to them about it wich was something i almost never do. i am forever eternally grateful for them🙏🙏 And lastly..Lord Apollo. To be honest, i feel like my relationship with him is just a mix of all of the other relationships. A mix of parental, friendship, much older possibly soon to be adopted parent..mostly because i can’t really put my finger on a spesific one.

DAY NINETEEN QUESTION: If you had to assign one song to each of the deities you worship, what songs would you choose?

DAY NINETEEN ANSWER:

Apollo: Apollo-Momma

Dionysus: pretty much any/all showtune(s), also will wood

Hermes: upbeat/rock songs! I really like playing Speed Drive-Charli xcx for him spesifically

Persephone : Pomegranate Seeds-Julian Moon

Thanatos: Overture-Phantom of The Opera or anything mitski

Hypnos: anything mitski too tbh

DAY TWENTY QUESTION: Do you have a favourite aspect of Hellenic Polytheism?

DAY TWENTY ANSWER: I think i’d have to say the way you can have like..genuine one on one relationships with the gods. Ofcourse, not saying you can’t in other religions, but..i really enjoy being able to light a candle or set out an offering having the reassurance that they’re with me, yk? it’s really refreshing, especially after living 13-14 years of my life praying and nothing ever happening or ever getting a response.

DAY TWENTY-ONE QUESTION: Are there any retellings/ adaptations of greek mythology that you LIKE? Why/ why not?

DAY TWENTY ONE ANSWER: The song fo Achilles is super good…but besides that, im not sure i’ve seen/heard any others that has any good responses😭

DAY TWENTY-TWO QUESTION: Is there an aspect of Hellenic polytheism you haven't yet gotten to try but hope to in the future? Do you have any other Helpol-related goals for next new year?

DAY TWENTY TWO ANSWER: Celebrating the different festivals! Though i have high doubts in my ability to remeber to celebrate them (i can’t even remember the pagan holidays for hells sake) but i’m definitely going to try to remember!!

DAY TWENTY-THREE QUESTION: What's a bit of UPG you have with your deities?

DAY TWENTY-THREE ANSWER: i’ve been SOO excited for this question!! (most of these are quite random too LMAOO)

Apollo: dogs (spesifically golden retrievers), blue flowers, albedo from genshin impact, chappell roan, the smell of my watercolor paints

Dionysus: olive garden (thats basically it)

Hermes: Basically all birds (not sure if that’s upg tbh), my carnival cruise keycard collection (there’s literally only two but it’s ok), the feeling when i taste test my coffee in the morning to see if i need to put more creamer in it, a bracelet i got from Honduras with a coin on it and orange turtle beads (not really upg but i thought if ad it in since i love it so much)

Persephone: moths. idk they give me a very “queen persephone” typa vibe, this skull my mom got me from a trip to mexico that’s made out of fish bone and plaster and it’s so cool and there’s a little cave with TWO BABY DRAGONS in it it’s so awesome, this one squishmallow keychain my friend got me specifically for her (ilysm lorelei)

Thanatos: more moths!! ik he’s heavily associated with butterflies, but tbh moths give me a heavy underworld vibe i can’t explain it, Phantom of the Opera, this one hoodie that i have with a little grimm reaper embroidered on it

Hypnos: also moths (mostly because they’re night (??) creatures), asmr, anything aromatherapy, blue goldstone, anything nasa/space related, chocolate(?)

[presefone]

*takes a deep breath* ok so i want to talk about my personal criticism regarding the myth of persephone in common media etc because this has been told so many times across enternainement that i feel like some of its meaning has been lost through time. i'm a huge history enthusiast so this plays a role, definitely, and i'm not saying anything else besides what i'm writing here is wrong ; these are just my thoughts on it. basically, hades and persephone are not the protagonists of the story and they never were. it was always demeter. homer called it 'the hym of demeter' and praises her love for her daughter instead of anything else. there's truly no discussion about 'hades and persephone's love'. hell, persephone doesn't even have a line in the hym ; we don't hear her thoughts at all, which of course opens to a very welcomed interpretation but alas, let's move on. zeus' offers his daughter to marriage without hers or her mother's consent and awareness. his daughter, who he never helped raise and nor was involved in any way. his daughter who was never truly his daughter in anything but conception, but was above everything else demeter's creation, her most treasured companion, her gift and sole happiness in a world of mortals and olympians. a young 'maiden', stolen by death, never to be seen again. all gods knew of zeus' allowance and where persephone had been sent to but couldn't tell demeter, at all, by orders of their king. yet one god took pity of demeter's pain, hekate. demeter, who roamed the earth crying for her baby, who was taken too soon, without warning, to the darkest place in myth ; death. and demeter, who raged like the mother earth herself to get her child back, who cried and screamed in pure agony : all of this is the central theme of the hym, not hades, not even persephone herself. this is a clear story about ancient greek lives where fathers would send off their daughters to marriage without questioning their wives, and where daughters died too young in the process. i say this because normally what we have is a very ''cool but brooding hades'' who is ''misjudged by everyone'' and a ''sunshine and flowers persephone who is the only one who makes him smile'' and against that we need a clear antagonist, so common perception has a demanding, cruel, controlling demeter. this is not accurate at all. demeter is not the villain and again, neither is hades ! but he isn't the victim here too ! did persephone go willingly? only two myths tell that, so, it isn't the wildly accepted version. in most, she was kidnapped, taken, or lurred. and after that, we don't hear what happened because unfortunately her view does not matter, nor hades', nor their possible bloom of love. it is not really her story nor hades'. i personally fufill that gap that yes, she did come to love hades, hence the eating of the seeds and the marriage bond (and after all, hades was hit by eros' out of aphrodite's demmand to avoid kore from becoming yet another virgin goddess, so again, outside forces). her position as queen became more and more tempting as she is a goddess and any god wants power and glory, a maiden to be rival to hera, and stand up to her mother as equals, and not just a tool to her existence. my persephone longs for that power, for that duty, for that respect, and i take into accord the other myths she comes by as the dreadful, just, allurring queen. i also complete in my head that it was always her destiny from the beggining to be a god of underworld, since her name itself is leading to a destroyer and not just spring. but it all comes down to the meaning of the hym, of demeter, of her being 'kore', being a girl, a young girl, stolen and taken too soon. dead too soon. like the many greek women who were sold off to marriage never to be seen again ; dying in more ways than one.

[b1ueoff1ine]

Pomegranate Lips

more otto content from me yay

Otto Octavius FanFiction

Otto x Reader

Summary: Your boyfriend ditches you, so you go to the club to get away from him. But you dont know that the song you sing happens to be sung in the presence of his adoptive father.

Word Count: 1k

Warnings: Age Gap.

A/N: I love this song so much XD and decided to make it into a revenge fanfic. and yes, im bringing henry back for another otto fic.

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Your heels clacked furiously along the sidewalk, rain dripping off your hair and down your dress.

Fucking asshole. You thought, heading to your nearest club.

Your boyfriend, Henry, had just ditched you to run to the aid of another woman. So you decided to go to the club to sing your heart out; to show your feelings to the world.

You banged the door open and advanced towards the stage.

You stopped to ask if you could perform, and the man you asked said you would have to sign up for it. So you did. You sat on one of the bar stools, watching the band play until it was your turn.

Once it was over, your name was called over the microphone.

"Next up we have Y/N L/N singing Pomegranate Lips by Derivakat."

The room was silent as you stepped on stage.

Multiple gasps were heard as people saw the condition you were in. Other than that, all that filled the air was the clacking of your heels.

You could tell the band knew the song, for they nodded and prepared to play the music.

You gave them a count down, and when you reached zero, the music started and you began to sing.

"You picked me like a flower, didn't expect the thorns. You say that I'm too frigid, didnt know what you were in for. The second that you leave, I'm tearing down your tapestries.

"Its funny that you think your still the king." Then the bass dropped and the whole club was cheering.

"Damn, I look good in these pomegranate lips, baby I don't owe you shit. Karma is a bitch. Bite the seed, lean in for a kiss of death from these pomegranate lips. Pomegranate lips." You were just vibing to the music now, dancing like no one could see.

"Pomegranate- Pome- Pomegranate lips. Karma is a- Karma- Karma- Its Persephone. Pomegranate- Pome- Pomegranate lips. Karma is a- Karma- Karma is a bitch.

"Been through nine circles of hell, even dragged some people down. I can cut right through a soul with a snap, don't need a spell. So what gave you the right? I'm the queen of death and life.

"Whether you like it or not." The bass dropped again and the club went wild.

"Damn, I look good in these pomegranate lips, baby I don't owe you shit. Karma is a bitch. Bite the seed, lean in for a kiss of death from these pomegranate lips. Pomegranate lips.

"Pomegranate- Pome- pomegranate lips. Karma is a- Karma- Karma- its Persephone. Pomegranate- Pome- Pome- Pomegranate lips. Karma is a- Karma- Karma- Karma is a bitch.

"You really dont know what you're doing with a god, a queen, divine, no myths. So bite your toungue and watch your back. Show some respect or you'll get a taste of these pomegranate lips- a taste of these pomegranate lips- just a taste of these- Damn, I look good with these pomegranate lips." The bass dropped once more.

"Damn, I look good with these pomegranate lips, baby I dont owe you shit. Karma is a bitch. Bite the seed, lean in for a kiss of death from these pomegranate lips. Pomegranate lips.

"Damn, I look good with these pomegranate lips, baby I dont owe you shit. Karma is a bitch. Bite the seed, lean in for a kiss of death from these pomegranate lips. Pomegranate lips."

Then the song was over, the stage going dark and you walking off to a booth.

You sunk into one of the booths, relieved to have gotten that anger off your chest but still dripping wet. Your thigh was showing, and your lipstick was smeared on your face.

Out of nowhere, your boyfriend's adoptive father appeared next to you.

"You have a beautiful voice." He complimented you. "No wonder Henry likes you so much."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. He decided to ditch me to run to the aid of Little Miss Popular." You rolled your eyes.

"That doesn't sound like Henry... Are you sure that's what happened?" He leaned over to clean the smeared lipstick from your face.

"Yup. Fairly certain the two of us are over now." You smiled darkly. "If not, the next time I see that loser I'm breaking his pathetic heart."

"Sounds fair." Otto commented.

"So your not going to object to me breaking his fucking weak pathetic-ass heart?"

"Nope."

You made a face of realization. "Would this perchance happen to do with that phone call I over heard you on? The one about liking someone way younger than you?"

Otto smiled. "Maybe."

You appeared to be giving it some thought, nodding. "Care to show me who you like then, if it's not me?"

Otto stood and beckoned you to follow him. You exited the building only to find Otto had turned to you. His eyes held a longing, a longing you had felt before you started dating Henry.

A longing for who you yearned for to yearn for you back.

You blinked your response to the longing in his eyes, and his lips crashed against yours.

You had to break the kiss to move somewhere more... private. Like his car, or his house.

More specifically, his bed.

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