#guest muse: Medusa

[notexactlyaninja]

Medusa, in the meanwhile, will flaunt her height at any given moment.

...Once she stops bumping her poor snakes' heads on the ceiling. And people wonder why she prefers the outdoors!

[fumanojotei]

>tfw medusa had the nerve to compare you to that thing

[whencyclopedia]

Pegasus

Pegasus (or Pegasos) is a winged-horse from Greek mythology which was fathered by Poseidon and was born from the severed neck of the gorgon Medusa, slain by Perseus. At the same time and in the same way, Chryasor was also born. Poseidon gave Pegasus to his son Bellerophon who put Pegasus to good use in his famous battle with the Chimaera.

The myth of Bellerophon begins with the hero visiting Tiryns and enjoying the hospitality of the city's king Proitos. However, trouble started when Stheneboia, the king's wife, fell in love with the hero and made inappropriate advances. Bellerophon, being a good guest, politely rejected these advances but predictably, Stheneboia saw red and went before the king and accused the visitor of attempting to seduce her. In punishment, Bellerophon was sent by Proitos to serve his father-in-law Iobates, King of Lykia. On arrival, Bellerophon was set a series of dangerous and impossibly difficult tasks, chief amongst them being to destroy the fearsome and rather bizarre Chimaera. This fire-breathing creature was a terrible mix of a lion's body with a snake for a tail and the head of a goat sprouting from its back. To aid him in this task, Bellerophon was fortunate to have at his disposal Pegasus. In some accounts he found the horse at the fountain of Pirene near Corinth, and Hesiod suggests this fact explains the name Pegasus, derived from 'water'- pēgē. Taming the horse with the help of Athena, Bellerophon rode (and flew) Pegasus and managed to kill the monstrous Chimaera with his spear.

Bellerophon and Pegasus went on to enjoy further success with other challenges Iobates set the hero including a battle with the Amazons. However, becoming rather boastful and thinking he could fly high enough on his winged steed to take his place amongst the immortal gods, Bellerophon was thrown by Pegasus and fell unceremoniously back to earth. Meanwhile, Pegasus kept on going and on reaching Mt. Olympus, he was given to Eos who was responsible for bringing Dawn across the sky each day. According to Hesiod in his Theogony, Pegasus also brought Zeus his thunder and lightning whenever needed.

Pegasus is also credited with creating a number of springs with a stamp of his hoof. Most famous of these were the Hippocrene spring on Mt. Helicon, close to the grove sacred to the Muses, and the spring at Troezen.

Pegasus appeared on Greek pottery, the earliest being Corinthian wares from the 7th century BCE. Pegasus was also a popular design on coins, in particular from Corinth from the 6th century BCE. A famous representation in sculpture is from the pediment of the Temple of Artemis on Corcyra (c. 580 BCE). The Bellerophon and Pegasus myth was also a popular subject in Roman art - especially engraved semi-precious stone cameos and floor mosaics - where the horse became symbolic of immortality.

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[gingermintpepper]

I spent something like six and a half hours in the hospital today so day 6 of my challenge is being further postponed but, in the lieu of not doing any drawing, I did end up rereading Ovid's Metamorphoses in between waiting and I just wanted to offer some of my favourite underrated bits.

Cadmus and Harmonia's twin transformations into snakes is so gentle? Cadmus goes first, transformed mid plea for his wife to caress him one last time before his face is completely covered in scales, then he rests gently between her boobs and wraps around her neck and shoulders like a big snake gorget. Harmonia follows him shortly and the two snakes intertwine with each other before gently slithering off into the bushes and I love that actually mwah mwah mwah (I also appreciate the sweet irony of Cadmus who slew a snake for his glory becoming a snake, toothless and gentle in the last of his days)

Everything about Perseus was hilarious. Like, I'm sorry - I've never done a lot of reading into Perseus but I did always remember the banquet massacre and the Andromeda rescuing and like, bro I know it's not meant to be funny but Perseus is funny. I think it's his politeness honestly? He goes up to Atlas and is like "hello kind sir, may I please stay a night in your lands? I've travelled an awful long way and I am weary and hungry. If you only accept noble guests, rest assured, I am of noblest birth and have completed the noblest of deeds. 🥺" and Atlas takes one look at him, has a That's So Raven vision about the one time Themis gave him a prophecy about a son of Jove stealing his apples and then told Perseus to kick rocks. So Perseus, like the well adjusted and noble individual that he is, turns Atlas into a mountain with Medusa's head. This is how a great many of Perseus' stories unfold. It is actually hysterical.

I am going to give a special shoutout to Athis and Lycabas who were two young lovers in attendance at Perseus and Andromeda's blood wedding. Athis died first - a skilled archer who never got to shoot and was burnt and bludgeoned across the face with a wedding brazier. When Lycabas saw that his dear friend's beauty was ruined, he picked up the fight against Perseus himself in Athis' name and was slashed to strips by Perseus' sword. Lycabas managed to drag himself over to Athis in his last moments and died beside him, so I thought that was a particularly touching bit of beauty in the otherwise extremely tragic blood wedding.

No one can ever make me feel bad for Niobe. In a lot of the Greek accounts I've read and heard, because they tend to be much shorter or references in a wider narrative, it's hard to really grasp how insanely disrespectful she was to Leto (not that her boasting she should be the goddess of motherhood to the actual goddess of motherhood isn't worthy of death and destruction enough) but Ovid really did go the extra mile to dig it home how far down her throat this lady put her foot because even at her sons' seven way funeral she did not stop boasting about how she was still glorious. I did find it interesting that the seemingly innocuous detail of Apollo killing off the boys first and then Artemis killing the girls was kept cross-culturally, I assume it's because boys were more auspicious than girls in both cultures.

The detail of Athena bonking Arachne constantly with a wooden box and her being transformed into a spider because she begged to not be bonked to death. Also very interestingly, in Ovid's account, it's not a clear victory for Athena against Arachne - she gets flustered at the depictions of her relatives' affairs and rips the tapestry up - the judges didn't actually get a chance to opine. This is in contrast to the contest the Muses sang about where their representative Calliope unilaterally won against the daughters of Pierus.

The account of Apollo and Marsyas was much shorter than I remember it being. I recall it being touted as one of the more vicious and visceral tales in Metamorphoses' collection but it included neither the details of Marsyas' contest against Apollo, nor Apollo's feelings (or even any dialogue from him!) throughout his peeling of Marsyas' skin. Instead it is wholly focused on Marsyas - on describing the physical gore of his exposed veins and contracting muscles and the grief of the rustic crowd as they mourned his loss - which is curious indeed since the entire theme of the poems of Book 6 is divine punishment and it is otherwise filled with rather full accounts of these contests and insults.

Byblis and Caunus made me want to reread Euripedes' Hippolytus for the twelve thousandth time. Caunus made the right call of course but I also very much hoped he would have a huge big speech about incest being bad instead of just smacking the messenger.

And lastly, for now, Jove's speech as Hercules lay burning atop his death pyre where he addresses the host of his gods and goes "Man, wasn't Hercules a great guy? Look, there goes all his mortal attributes burning away in the fire, now he is all my son and surely we are all in agreement that any divine son of mine deserves a place on Olympus :)" was very endearing. I always feel quite bad for Deianira because she truly didn't mean any harm by her gift and I've always wished for an account of Heracles/Hercules' death from her perspective. There could scarcely be a thing more awful, especially given how long and drawn out and incredibly painful Hercules' death was.

Lowkey, I want to take a day and compare Ovid and Euripedes' Medeas. They're both very different women and they both handle their situations very differently. Partially for my own vindication - I adore Medea and Jason equally and since popular fiction cannot speak about Medea without flattening her or making Jason completely monstrous, this is just one of those things I'll have to do myself sometime.

[seiya-starsniper]

Another Get To Know Me Game!

Tagged by @windsweptinred, this was so much fun to do! Love seeing a new version

Who was your first fictional crush?:

Hmmmm, instinct says Tuxedo Mask! I'm sure I had other fictional crushes but that's the one I most vividly remember. That and Xanatos from Gargoyles djdoaisjdoaij.

What’s the first colour you think of when I tell you to think of a colour?:

Purple!

Which fanfiction emotionally scarred you and still makes you shudder to this day?:

Oh there's...a few lmao. I have a tendency to read fics that horrify me for fun, and since we're on the webbed site that likes to judge people for using the Dead Dove tag, or any of the main Archive Warning tags, I'd rather not put those fics on blast. But I have read some truly brilliantly written and fucked up fics from the Fantastic Beasts fandom, that's all I'll say.

I’m coming to your house for dinner, non-negotiable, what are you making me?:

Japanese curry with chicken! That or Fettucine Alfredo. I like to overstuff my guests with food and those are my two go to meals for company!

Do you prefer lions or kangaroos?:

Lions! I love kangaroos too, but my love for cats, especially big cats, prevails.

Which fictional villain do you brush past the glaringly obvious issues for because you really like them?:

Uhhhh....almost all of them??? jkjkjk

In all seriousness though, I think my big ones I can think of are Shigaraki and Dabi from BNHA. Are they both awful, ruthless people who only want to cause pain and suffering to all who have hurt them? Yes. Do I want them to keep causing even more pain and suffering, even to my favorite hero characters, as a treat? Also yes.

I hate to caveat that in no way do I think any of of their actions are justified and that the villains should win and then the world would be a better place yada yada yada but well. Woobifying villains is a thing and also why I stay out of the fandom because I cannot stand my faves being defanged like that. Let my faves be horrible people aoijdosijad.

What would accompany your picture in the Burn Book in Mean Girls?:

Either the "Mexican Asian" (I'm Filipino-American, and sadly this is a thing I was called a lot lmao) or "The Hugger." I know a shit ton of people judged me a bit in school for being a hugger because...idk, people thought hugs were weird lmao. But joke's on them, I still enjoy hugs and Mr. Seiya hugs me all the time!

How many days would you last in the universe of your favourite fandom?:

Uhhhhhh considering no one really dies in Pokemon...I'd be fine lmao.

In Sandman???? Also would probably be fine since I'm based in the States and also many many miles away from the Corinthian's hunting grounds 🤣

Have you heard of Mischief Theatre?:

Only the name :(

Do you feel sorry for Medusa?:

Yes and no. I do feel bad the foundation of her story was be a woman killed for the glory of a man. And then to be remembered only as a horror, a monster to scare people with.

The modern interpretation of her story is absolutely fascinating to me and while it is still a tragic story, I absolutely love what she's come to represent. I love that her story has been rewritten to be a story of survival, of perseverance, of power even.

Which song makes you think of your OTP?:

Ooooooh there's so many! And of course now that I'm being put on the spot I can't think of any 🤣🤣

Starlight by Muse is definitely a Dreamling song to me, so much so that I wrote a fic with the lyrics in the title, so I'm going to roll with that one!

Which song makes you disassociate and daydream the fastest?:

Oh lord, honestly any Taylor Swift song will do this to me lmao. Lately, I've been drifting back to Would've, Could've, Should've, so we're going to go with that one!

No pressure tagging: @tj-dragonblade @bazzybelle @verminetroglodyte @tryan-a-bex @4typercent and anyone else who wants to play!

[thewriterandthekiller]

Medusa looks over. "So... Am I muse here now?"

Ishtar shrugs. "Guest muse, only one mun interacts with you.... But if more do, you might be upgraded to main."

Touko grumbles. "At this rate we need a bigger apartment, one bed room is small enough, but if tall boobs moves in, we need more room."

Ishtar smiles. "Home shopping? Oooh that would be so nice. I could get a room with a bed instead of sleeping on the couch."

[lightmythos]

“Bring me back, Tempest.”

(Nope. You’ll have to make me.)

[hyrulesmash]

“Please tell me he’s not going to try killing me again. I literally just came back.”

[hydrocrew]

someheartlesslady replied to your post: meanwhile my half dead medusa muse is just looking...

“Proper manners do not impact your alignment.”

“She gets it.”

[montereybayaquarium]

Mythological Sealebrities Give Wave Reviews Of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s New “Into the Deep” Exhibition

Several blurry mythological creatures tour the Monterey Bay Aquarium's New "Into the Deep" exhibition. Photo: Nessie/Associated Pisces

MONTEREY, CA – The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s latest exhibition “Into the Deep/En Lo Profundo” opens April 9, and it’s already making waves through the mythological aquatic community worldwide.

“I can barely believe what I saw in there—and I’m me!” exclaimed legendary Norse cephalopod the Kraken in today’s exclusive preview.

They were among several VIP entities invited to tour the Aquarium’s new deep-sea gallery.

“I’m so amped up I gotta go sink a brigantine ship or something!!” added the gargantuan squid.

Snake-haired Gorgon Medusa seemed equally pleased to see the exhibition after a long odyssey from the Greek Isles: “Oh yeah, the whole exhibit rocks—well, maybe more so since I went through, but still!”

“I dropped everything—helicopters, high-tension wires, skyscrapers, you name it—to come and see this,” stated Japanese kaiju and international movie star Godzilla, who had nothing but praise for the Aquarium’s mix of never-before-seen video footage, ethereal soundscapes, innovative interactive displays, and world-firsts for animal husbandry. “Honestly if you’re still stomping around a metropolis right now, you’re missing out!”

“Couldn’t agree more!” chimed in mythical ghost-whale Bake-Kujira. “I don’t want to spoil anything, but there are bones! BONES!! I usually say ‘Boo!’ to most things, but not today!”

“Into the Deep/En Lo Profundo” is the culmination of many years of collaboration between the Aquarium and its science partner MBARI, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, a leading oceanographic organization whose ships and robots explore the briny depths of “inner space” that many of the visiting cryptids call home.

“Utterly impressive,” offered the colossal Arabian fish Bahamut, the foundation of Earth’s support structure. “I know a little something about heavy lifts, and this effort is massive in scale.”

“It’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for,” shared the Dark Lord Cthulhu, who made a special trip from R’lyeh to explore the new gallery showcasing animals from the midwater to the seafloor, all adapted to survive the extreme conditions found in the deep sea, “Honestly, it’s what fhtagns are made of.”

“This kind of exhibition is a white whale if there ever was one,” chimed fabled American sperm whale and open-ended metaphor Moby Dick, “Call me impressed!”

“Most of my pictures turned out blurry, but I still had a blast,” mused the elusive creature/unidentified floating Scottish object Nessie, “Even if I tried to describe how cool it is, I just don’t think you’d believe me.”

When it opens, “Into the Deep/En Lo Profundo” will be the largest display of deep-sea life in North America. It’s expected to run for many years, with a rotating cast of midwater drifters and seafloor staples, like giant isopods, to bring guests face-to-carapace with life from the planet’s largest habitat that’s rare-to-see but not rare-to-the-sea.

“I’m just so proud of all my hidden babies getting their time to shine like this,” stated a clearly emotional Yacumama, Peruvian goddess-serpent and mother of all aquatic beings. “This space is so full of wonder, it just draws you right in.”

“Communing with the abyss brings a deep serenity I hope that everyone can enjoy,” offered Mami Wata, venerated West, Central, and Southern African water deity and occasional mermaid. “Seeing such otherworldly creatures and understanding the challenges they face—not only to survive, but to deal with human impacts going forward—it helps hold a mirror up to our reality so that people can see themselves as part of a larger, more profound web of life on this water world.”

“Whoa, that’s deep,” chimed in Bobo, Monterey Bay’s own cryptozoological ambassador. “We’re really not fooling around on this one, even with it being April 1 and all.”

Bobo concludes proudly, “It’s just so killer. Whale deep-sea you all very soon!”

[notexactlyaninja]

"Of course I'm going to scroll past without saying howdy."

"I suppose I can say 'hello', though."

[musas-muse]

The Initiation of Sela Musa into the Brotherhood

December, 1989

@c23tasks

At first, Sela had only wanted to offer her own services to the Brotherhood’s cause- having handled most of her own agenda on her own. But they explained that wasn’t how things went- theirs was an organization of give and take. Too much was at risk for it not to be, Sela understood that. The only problem, if it could be called one, was that she wanted for nothing that they could give her- at least, so it seemed. But that’s where the Brotherhood’s brilliance was shown. 

Her contact dug further that she thought was possible, and presented her with an offer: They’d found that the same ‘non-profit’ organization that had run the horrible system of group homes she’d been raised in, up until she got her mutation, was not only still thriving where they didn’t deserve to, but was setting up a charity gala to potentially expand to the east coast. The gala was invite only, and the Brotherhood could get her in and put her in a position to cut off as many heads of the hydra that she wanted to. And once an auditor of their choosing reported back to them, she’d either be in or be a loose end. They made it clear that she did not want to be a loose end. 

Sela accepted, obviously. She’d put on a nice gown, complete elbow length gloves and a diamond bracelet for added elegance, and attended the Giving Back Winter Gala. She sat at one of the round, ornately decorated tables- and took note of all of the faces and names of the other attendees. Only fifty in total, all among the highest sects that New York had. They weren’t her mark tonight, so she’d let them live. But they were added to her ever growing list of potential muses. 

She sat, fake smile on her face, as Jon and Lorriane Fredrikson spoke about their organization- all the good they did. There was even a slide show presentation, showing what they said were glimpses of goings on in each of the homes. Kids of all ages smiling, laughing- posing in perfectly lit rooms and lush, green yards. Their clothes were pristine- not a hole or patch of dirt to be seen. There was even a little girl who looked remarkably like herself, hugging one of the wardens of the home. Sela’s nostrils flared. What the pictures didn’t show was the gruel they were fed. The iron rods on all the windows. The rats that were always scurrying in the corners. The mold and general dampness that they were forced to live in. The vice grip that warden had on that little girl. 

There were consequences for not making the pictures look good. Jon had seen to those personally. Still, Sela sat and waited through the presentation and mingling. Until most of the guests had left, or were getting ready to leave. When the power couple moved on to their office, just down the hallway from the event room, to process the generous donations to their cause. Sela waited a few moments before she followed them. They’d be alone for a while- no one was allowed around them while they were with their money. 

With a pleasant smile, she knocked on the open door to their large, private office. “Excuse me, I’m sorry to barge in like this- but I wanted to make sure you got my donation personally.” She said, holding up her checkbook. The Fredrikson’s grinned and beckoned her in. 

“Well that’s mighty generous of you, miss..?” Jon started, taking his seat in front of the computer at his desk. 

“Oh please, call me Medusa.” Sela answered smoothly, waltzing in from the doorway. She gave their befuddled looks a small shrug. “It’s the moniker I use for my art. And since this,” she waved the checkbook lightly. “is in an official capacity from my brand, it seems appropriate.” Their confusions fade as they accept her explanation. Lorraine turns back to their state of the art cheque scanning machine, to continue batching their collected donations. 

“Well alrighty then, Miss Medusa it is. Please, take a seat here.” Jon’s southern drawl, and saccharin kindness as fake as she suspected the patch of dark hair on the top of his head was, were thick as molasses as he gestured to the chair on the other side of the desk from where he sat. 

Sela accepted his offer with a teasing smile. “I do hope you’ll be able to indulge me- what was the highest donation you received tonight? I’m hoping to match it.” She was hoping to stall long enough for Lorraine to finish setting up the cheques to automatically scan.

“Well, now.” Jon laughed, and handed her a pen that she hadn’t asked for. “Naturally, I can’t divulge that information, darlin’. But let’s just say that we met some *wonderfully generous* people tonight. Simply wonderful!” 

“Of course, I understand.” Sela chuckled. She took the pen but set it down on top of the open booklet, so that she could remove the glove of her writing hand. “Well then I’ll just have to be my own version of wonderful, now won’t I?” Another saccharin smile and she lifted the pen. “I just make it out to the organization then?”

“That’s right, darlin’. Fredrikson Inc.”

“Wonderful.” She murmured as she began filling out the check. “Almost as wonderful as that presentation you both gave. Those pictures were just lovely.”

“Well, you know, that’s why we do what we do.” Lorraine piped up, turning slightly to smile at Sela. “Those kids, why, like they say- they are our future. And they deserve a warm place to call home.” She turned once again, focused on the machine. Jon nodded in agreement. 

“You’re so right.” Sela said as she signed the cheque. “Of course, that’s not quite how I remember things being.” She ripped the cheque out of the booklet and met Jon’s eyes. 

“Come again, now?” His voice had just a hint of that panicked strain she had been looking forward to. 

“Well, I just mean that, while I lived in your establishments- I don’t think the heat was ever turned on. Not even in the dead of winter.” Her smile never faltered. “And I was moved between a couple of them.” She held the cheque out to Jon with her gloved hand. Moved by greed as he was, he reached for it. In one, graceful move, she covered his hand with her bare one- and before Lorraine could turn around to question what she had revealed, Jon Fredrikson was nothing more than a statue wearing an expensive suit and cheap toupee. 

“What do you mean you move– LORD ALMIGHTY–” Lorraine had finally turned around. Sela stood and clicked her tongue in disapproval. 

“Now, now Lorraine. Don’t make a scene.” Moving quickly, Sela rounded the desk and placed her gloved hand on Lorrain’s gaped mouth. “Listen to me very closely: if you want me to fix him, you’ll need to keep your voice down and follow my instructions. Do you understand?” The tears were already welling in the older woman’s eyes, but she nodded. “Good. Now, come sit down, pet. I know this is a shock to you, but time is of the essence for your husband. The window to turn him back to normal is rather small.” She moved so that Lorraine could take the second seat behind the desk, rolling the now heavy seat her stony husband was occupying out of the way of their computer.

“What do you want?” Lorraine breathed.

“I’m so glad you asked. There’s two parts to my wants. First, you are going to ensure that your organization will stay in it’s corner of the country, where it belongs. And second, well..” Sela chuckled, throwing her arm around the woman as she rolled her into place. “I want your money, dear.” Lorraine opened her mouth to argue but Sela cut her off. “You don’t have time to waste, Lorraine. He has maybe fifteen minutes before the effects of my ability become permanent. And we both know how long these bank transfers can take.” 

Lorraine’s frightened tears spilled as she looked towards the stone face of her husband, his features twisted in a look of horror and pain. 

“Oh, shh, hush now. Don’t cry, darling.” Sela cooed as she removed her arm from around the woman’s shoulders. “You’ll ruin your mascara.” Gloved fingers wiped at the inky streaks running down her cheek. Lorraine squeaked and flinched at the touch. Sela smiled. “Don’t worry, Lorraine. I’ll turn him back to the wrinkly, old man that you pretend to love- so long as you do exactly as I say.” She was lying, of course. It wasn’t possible to turn stone back to flesh. But the weaker of the Fredrikson’s didn’t know that. Her ungloved hand gently brushed the bald spot the toupee had been covering. “Let’s do the memo first, hm?” Lorraine only nodded, her hands shaking as she hovered over the keyboard. 

“There’s a good, old girl. Now remember: your wording is important here. You must tell your son, and your board, that you’ve..” Sela waved her ungloved hand in the air, purposefully a little too close to the side of Lorriane’s powdered face for comfort. The woman flinched again. “..changed your mind. That Jon, and yourself, have decided against expanding your operations to the East Coast. Too many restrictions and regulations, not enough incentive. Tell them that your little friend in the governor’s ear has refused to help you.” Her gloved hand came down to once again rest on her abuser’s shoulder. Lorraine whimpered. “That should be all the convincing they need to back out of those pesky little preliminary agreements Jon was raving about.” 

There was a sniffle and a nod from the bottle-blonde, and Sela watched with a careful eye as Lorraine began typing the email. She’d freely admit that she was impressed with how composed and firm the email read- especially considering how violently Lorraine’s fingers shook as she typed each and every letter. Sela gave the order to send the email, and her hostage obeyed. 

“Well done, Lorraine! We’re halfway there. Now there’s just the matter of that transfer–”

In a strangely brave moment, Lorraine collected her sniveling and turned her watery eyes towards Sela first, then her husband’s statue. “How do I know you’ll keep your word? That you’ll bring him back and leave us alone? That y-y-you– y-you’ll–” Her bravery stuttered to a stop as frightened blue met sharp brown. 

“‘Y-yuh-you–’ You don’t.” Sela spat, leaning closer. “But then, you don’t really have another choice, do you? There’s only eight minutes left.” The mutant leaned back, her tone full of unwavering command. “Pull up your accounts.”

Lorraine, once again, did as she was told. It took a few moments to load, but soon enough, all of the Fredrikson’s personal and ‘non-profit’ accounts were displayed on the blocky screen. Sela leaned down to Lorraine’s ear and carefully, so as to not accidentally touch her, told her the account number of a rather cooperative client. She watched, painfully, as Lorraine typed the number in one digit after another- first transferring the entirety of the couple’s personal checking account, then two of their savings accounts. She left one untouched, the only one with their son’s name on it. It only had a couple hundred thousand in it- and for a boy that hadn’t worked a day in life so far, having to rely on that and whatever he got from selling the stocks would be shocking enough. Then, it was onto the business accounts. Lorraine hesitated a little more with those, probably thinking about how many lawyers the Organization’s Board of Investors would send once the payroll failed in a couple of days. But with a defeated sigh, the woman hit the button- and there was no going back. Sela smiled as she watched the loading bar process the transfer, gloved hand gently stroking Lorraine’s hair. 

Save for Lorraine’s erratic sniffling and Sela’s steady breaths, it was silent as they both watched the progress bar tick closer, and closer to the end- until they heard the little ding. Transfer completed. 

“There. I’ve done what you asked.” She didn’t turn to look at Sela. “Now turn my husband back! Like you said.” Her shoulders stiffened with the firmness in her tone. Sela took her hand away.

“Well, that was the deal, you’re right. Unfortunately..” Sela spoke slowly, and leaned down to once again speak into Lorraine’s ear. “I lied.” She pressed a quick kiss to the woman’s temple, the skin there cold and gray before she could even pull her lips back. 

The clicking of heels on marble drew her attention, and Sela looked up at the woman who stepped out of the shadows. Irena only smirked and nodded her head before she turned and walked away. 

Come tomorrow morning, the news would break that Jon and Lorraine Fredrikson had not only drained all bank accounts associated with them and their organization to an untraceable offshore account in the Caymans- but they’d also stolen every penny of the donations they’d collected tonight, and ran. An investigation would start, and soon, the whole truth behind what went on at the Fredrikson’s group homes would be revealed. Come tomorrow night, while law enforcement was trying to figure out how two high profile figures could possibly have just *vanished* into thin air, that offshore account would also be drained and divided up. Some would move into one of Sela’s other accounts, some would be left as payment to her client, of course. But most would be a gift- an offering- to her new alliance. 

With no funds available to pay their retainers, the Fredrikson’s son and sole inheritor, wasn’t given the family’s lawyers to help in the legal battle that ensued. Everyone wanted their money back, and when the son couldn’t provide that- they turned on the organization’s board and drained them of their ill-gotten gains too. The organization, their buildings, and everyone associated with them, would crumble out of existence within the first six months of the new decade.  

As for Jon and Lorraine Fredrikson themselves.. Their stone bodies were dumped into the Hudson where, presumably, they still sit. Their heads, however- those rough, terrified faces- are each still in their own clear, protective box-displayed in Sela’s personal vault.

[almighty-horriness]

Guest Muses

Fate

Astolfo

Artoria Pendragon

Rin Tohsaka

Sakura Matou

Illyasviel von Einzbern

Irisviel von Einzbern

Medea

Medusa

Mash Kyrielight

Jeanne d’Arc

Mordred

Jack the Ripper

Frankenstein

Nero Claudius

Tamamo no Mae

Kiyohime

Nursery Rhyme Scáthach

Ishtar

Musashi Miyamoto

Marie Antoinette

Osakabehime

Medb

BB

Passionlip

RWBY

Ruby Rose

Weiss Schnee

Blake Belladonna

Yang Xiao Long

Pyrrha Nikos

Velvet Scarlatina

Neopolitan

Okegom

Yosafire

Froze

Rawberry

Macarona

Chelan

Dialo

Wadanohara

Memoca

Dolpi

Igls Unth

Relicuf

Moge-Kov

My Hero Academia

Ochaco Uraraka

Tsuyu Asui

Momo Yaoyorozu

Mina Ashido

Mt.Lady

Camie Utsushimi

Konosuba

Aqua

Yunyun

Wiz

Re:Zero

Rem

Felix Argyle

Overlord

Albedo

Shalltear Bloodfallen

Mare Bello Fiore

Senki Youjo

Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov

Blazblue

Noel Vermillion Litchi Faye Ling Taokaka

Mai Natsume

Senran Kagura

Yumi

Asuka

Ikaruga

Katsuragi

Hibari

Haruka

Persona

Yukiko Amagi

Rize Kujikawa

Ann Takamaki

Makoto Nijima

Haru Okumura

Futaba Sakura

Kasumi Yoshizawa/Sumire Yoshizawa

Rosario + Vampire

Kurumu Kurono

High School DxD

Rias Gremory

Akeno Himejima

Asia Argento

Koneko Tojo

Gasper Vladi Baka and Test

Hideyoshi Kinoshita

Mizuki Himeji

Minami Shimada

Steins Gate

Kurisu Makise

Faris NyanNyan

Moeka Kiryu

Ruka Urushibara

Doki Doki Literature Club

Monika

Sayori

Natsuki (Female and Trap)

Yuri

Gurenn Lagann

Yoko Litter

Pokémon

Wally

Misty

May

Dawn

Serena

Lillie

Leaf

Kris

Lyra

Whitney

Jasmine

Roxanne

Flannery

Elesa

Skyla

Hilda

Rosa

Selene

Gloria

Solana

All Pokemon (including Gijinka)

Disgaea

Etna

Flonne

Rozalin

Sapphire

Artina

Seraphina

Usalia

Majorita

Food Wars

Ikumi Mito

Akame Ga Kill

Akame

Sheele

Mine

Leone

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Tohru

Quetzalcoatl (Lucoa)

Elma

Shouta Magatsuchi

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Rimuru Tempest (human form)

Milim Nava

One Punch Man

Tatsumaki (Tornado) Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girl in a Dungeon

Hestia

Code Geass

C.C

Kaguya-sama

Kaguya Shinomiya

Chika Fujiwara

Assassin Classroom

Nagisa Shiota

Kaede Kayano

Rio Nakamura

Manami Okuda

Toka Yada

Irina Jelavic

Negima

Negi Springfield

Konoka Konoe

Haruna Saotome

Ayaka Yukihiro

Makie Sasaki

Akira Okochi

Ako Izumi

Yuna Akeshi  Chizuru Naba Misa Kakizaki

Sakurako Shiina

Madoka Kugimiya

Darling in the Franxx

Zero Two

Ichigo

Miku

Kokoro

Blend S

Maika Sakuranomiya

Kaho Hinata

Mafuyu Hoshikawa

Miu Amano

Hideri Kanzaki

Heaven’s Lost Property

Ikaros

[monsterfuxxxxer]

Fated Meeting

     The snakes on top of Medusa’s head went silent when the woman in question did not turn to stone. It was the first and only time someone was immune to her power and she was dumbfounded.  The stranger had not yet seemed to register Medusa’s presence; perhaps she was in shock, and then Medusa found herself looking again into the eyes of the trespasser.

Unlike the rest of the woman’s warm, brown body, her eyes were a ghostly blue. They were still and expressed no emotion as the woman stared out in front of her while Medusa stared back, silently moving closer. The eyes looked aged and wise, a sharp juxtaposition to her young face; the woman must have been in no more than her late forties, close to Medusa’s age. Her locks of human hair were styled in a way that reminded Medusa of her own snakes; soft ropes cascading down her back met with unruly braids embedded with beads and feathers. Medusa could not help but to notice the bead’s resemblance to the bright curious eyes of her scaly pets and without saying a word, she felt understood in a way she hadn't before. The hair fell over the woman's shoulder and landed in front of the calm blue orbs as she inhaled through her nose. The woman’s thick, full lips curled into a crooked toothy smile that Medusa, against her own typically hateful nature, admitted to be very beautiful.

     “I can smell you, you know,” the woman said. “I know you’re there. I heard you when you approached. What is your name?”

      Upon feeling the need to hide her blushing face, Medusa reminded herself that her company could not see, and cursed herself for feeling relief from the woman’s condition. But how could Medusa not, when she was blushing like a fool and choking on the words stuck in her throat? Sputtering, Medusa swore that her heart skipped a beat upon hearing the woman’s voice. Her words flowed effortlessly from her molten mahogany lips, gentle like honey. Her voice was sweet and deep and raspy, which Medusa could only assume was from not speaking for so long. It is a long trip to the isolated cavern lair, obscured as it was by miles of deserts and mountains, and Medusa could sense that the woman came alone.

     “My, uh…M-My name is Medusa," she finally answered after observing her visitor for so long. Years of nothing but her quiet gargoyle sisters for company had left Medusa at a loss for words. What does one say when meeting someone new? What is supposed to be asked? Is it okay to be standing so close? Is it okay to want to stand closer? Medusa took in a breath and decided to follow the woman's lead. "What is your name?" she asked, voice cracking on the last word.

     "My name is Atlas."

     "Hm. What an unusual name for a woman," Medusa mused, before realizing that she may seem very rude for voicing such an assumption and tried to remember how to apologize correctly. "I mean! No, it's a very suiting name, I'm sorry! It's just, is it normal for parents to name their children odd- no, I didn't mean that, I can't think of the words-" Medusa babbled, panicking. Atlas showed no reaction and Medusa was sure she had offended her guest.

     That is, until she heard laughter.

      Atlas’s laugh was the first song that Medusa had heard since she moved into her cave. The sound was enough to make her forget where she was, who she was. It was as if everything surrounding her melted along with it, the countless statues of men who had tried to kill her dissipated from her peripheral vision and there was only Atlas. It was a real, genuine, squeaky-snorting guttural laugh. If all Medusa had to do to hear it was act like the fool she is, she’d have done that from the start.

     “Cassandra said you would be honest. You're right though, aren't you? It is a strange name for a woman! But then, I do not always feel I am a woman. I feel as though I am not just one thing. I am many things, so I named myself," Atlas said between laughs. Medusa nodded as she listened intently, and without seeing it Atlas continued, "You understand. I know you do. She said you would be understanding as well. I didn’t believe it of course, but neither does anyone else, and Cassandra always happens to be right, doesn’t she?” Atlas smiled again, radiating patience and warmth, and cautiously, they lifted their hand to Medusa’s face. “Would you mind if I-”

      “Not at all!” Medusa interrupted, open to kind touching as she was, eagerly leaned into Atlas’s hands.

     “Mhm,” Atlas mused, gently familiarizing herself with Medusa’s face. The snakes leaned down to sniff her and she didn’t shy from them either. “It’s just as Cassandra said. You’re absolutely beautiful.”

     ...Beautiful?

    Breathless and blushing, Medusa responded, “Would you like to come in? I have..." Medusa realized that she didn't have much aside from a cave and some statues. She thought over what she could possibly offer and settled on, "...I have... a lot of time."

    "As do I," replied the lovely stranger as they lowered their hand from Medusa's face to her hand and fearlessly stepped inside. "Let's spend it together. I've been told we'll both enjoy it."

[carniebalism]

👹 mr. nastee 👹

1 ) what does your muse smell like ?  Egoiste by Chanel is a favorite of his. Top notes are rosemary, lavender, neroli and petitgrain; middle notes are galbanum, clary sage, jasmine and geranium; base notes are amber, sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver and cedar. it’s mostly composed of spice, wood, and vanilla notes.

2 ) how often does your muse bathe / shower ?  any habits ? Souma is very particular about his hygiene routine. He always showers before bathing (to get the bulk of the dirt off) and will do bath daily. Bathing sometimes lasts hours, and he often brings a book to read or some sake to sip on while enjoying himself. This is usually right before bed and will put him right to sleep.

3 ) does your muse have any tattoos or piercings ?   Souma has lots of piercings: right eyebrow, bridge, tongue, nose (left side), septum, medusa, canine bites, dahlia, chin/labret, industrial, daith, snug, helix, vertical industrial, navel, hips, nipples, smiley frenulum, prince albert, and 5/8" (16mm) gauged earlobes. Though it’s technically not a body mod, he has two tongues which are both pierced, and most people mistake it for a split tongue. No tattoos.

4 ) any body movement quirks ( ex : leg shaking ) ?  He jiggles his leg a lot when he’s excited or anxious, usually tapping his toes up and down against the ground. He also touches his hair frequently. Tosses it, twirls it in his fingertips. And his mouth piercings are a constant distraction; he flicks his tongues against them when in thought or bored.

5 ) what do they sleep in ?  It all depends on how exhausted he is. Souma will typically sleep in nothing if he’s really tired, more out of laziness than anything. If, however, he’s expecting company, sending photos out for attention (he’s a nymphomaniac; it’s a regular thing), or otherwise just feeling into himself, he’ll wear anything from expensive silk pajama pants - riding way low, to plain black boxer briefs, even black, lace lingerie.

6 ) what’s their favorite piece of clothing ?  Wish I could say otherwise, but he loves his black thongs and body stockings.

7 ) what do they do when they wake up ? Souma is the kind of person that cannot be in bed unless he’s sleeping or with someone else. His mind wanders too frequently to bad thoughts, past experiences, and he knows that if he allows that to happen, he’ll be consumed by it. He used to suffer really badly from nightmares and night terrors, which lead to intense insomnia, but he acquired a baku for the menagerie (a dream eating yokai) which has since eased this discomfort. Unless busy with a guest, he usually rolls out of bed begrudgingly around four in the morning. stubs his extra toes on the way to the bathroom where he has his morning piss, brushes his teeth and washes his face. After that it’s breakfast and coffee, usually something sweet, and then it’s time to head down to the menagerie for a headcount of his critters. After they’re fed and the imps are released to clean and start the day, Souma heads back to his trailer to get properly dressed, do his makeup/hair, and then head out to oversee the raising of the carnival tents.

8 ) how do they sleep ?  position ?  Alone, Souma sleeps curled around a body pillow. With another person, he’ll try to fall asleep facing away but always ends up rolling onto them with his top half, cheek pressed to their chest.

9 ) what do their hands feel like ?  Souma’s hands are remarkably soft for the work that he does, but still strong. His fingers are slender and his joints are prominent.

10 ) if you kissed them, what would they usually taste like ?  As Souma almost always has some kind of chocolate on him, I’d imagine it’d be a sweet and warm taste like cocoa. A hint of bitterness depending on the darkness of the chocolate, and sometimes a hint of cream or fruit. He’s a sweets fiend!

👹 TAGGED BY: @90smagicalboy​ 👹 TAGGING: you!

[missymarysthings]

“Just...look at some of them Medusa,“ Perseus whispered to his sister. “It’s...almost pathetic. Do we really have to be here at this event?”

“I’d rather not be here either Perseus,“ she whispered back. “However, I must remind you, we are not in the proper position yet for the kind of statement not showing up would make. Even with us and a fair few of the other guests here being in agreement about our feelings of the host...“ she explained. Her brother tsk’d and lightly crossed his arms for the moment. 

“Still...the way some of them are just...bending over backwards to seem all enamored but our host is, well like I said, almost pathetic. It is one thing to remain cordial and civil, yes, say your hellos, make small talk, and go ‘enjoy’ the event. It is an entirely different thing, however, to do what they’re doing. At that point you should be asking yourself ‘is this really worth it?‘ I can almost guarantee that every one of them would say no if they really stopped to think about it,” he said and sighed with a shake of his head. Medusa placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Glad we got our small talk out the way earlier I take it? It would be such a hassle to try and go speak with them now. It would be a fight for attention that, as you said, is not worth it. However, we can’t leave just yet either. It is too early still and making up an excuse or emergency is below either of us,” she said. He scoffed and uncrossed his arms.

“True...” he conceded and continued to watch the group.

Vetzio ‘Perseus’ Stellato and Lorena ‘Medusa‘ Stellato are the current heads of their family’s business and business related matters. Even though Vetzio had the chance to be the next leader of their clan when the time came, their cousin Ruba was chosen instead. Their father was not happy about that, as could be expected, but they could care less about that. Vetzio was content to continue working along side his older sister Lorena on the business and changing things around. 

Granted, while Vetzio sees and acknowledges that the family isn’t taking their changes too well, Lorena remains in slight denial of it. Lorena believes if she and her brother can make a change in the perceptions of their family, gain enough partners and respect, gain positive notoriety, the rest of the family will come around and see what she and her brother have been doing was for the best. 

It hasn’t been easy for Perseus and Medusa to bring back some power and status to the Stellato name. Not when they have to contend with the big three, the Schwarzschilds, the Richters, and the Roses(who have their own personal grudges against them), the steadily rising Reinhardts(with Sein being something of a rival for Lorena; possibly one sided), and others trying to make a name for themselves in the business world. As well as fighting against the negative history and distrust their family has had for many years thanks to the ones before them.

Still they attend each and every meeting, and each event they’re invited to without fail, and with hardly any late entrances. Most of the time they are together, but there are occasions where it’ll be one or the other. Most times so they can attend two different meetings occurring at about the same time, or one is taking care of something important and cant make it.

This event, however, both would rather not be at. They would rather be back at their office working on paperwork or scheduling meetings for the next few weeks, or checking on other matters. Dealing with their father would almost be preferable to this. Almost.

Medusa sighed herself and removed her hand from her brother’s shoulder. “Do you want something to drink Vetzio?“ she asked, no longer whispering. Her brother scrunched his face and looked at her in slight disbelief. 

“Lorena...did you not know? Our...dear host thought it would be absolutely acceptable to only have alcoholic drinks be available. Varying strengths to be certain, but the fact still remains, you would be lucky if a server...took pity and got you a glass a water if you asked. Impossible to get two as I am sure the host was adamant about this choice,“ he explained.  It was her turn to scrunch her face. 

“I should have known. Ugh. That has the potential to be disastrous. Would explain some of the behavior we’ve seen though,” she mused and sighed once more. “Well that’s a wrench in plans then, isn’t it? I prefer not to drink anything alcoholic as we both know what it can do to me. Same goes for you,” she said and placed a hand on her hip while the other went to her chin in thought. 

“And we’ve both had enough sweets for the day. Nothing here really compares to certain places in town though,” Perseus said and then snickered. “Shame, I’m sure our host thought he was getting the best of the best with their expensive caterers. Which, I suppose to most here it is the best, but...our opinions lie elsewhere...“ he said with a cheeky grin. Medusa let out a short laugh and then covered her mouth.

“Vetzio, behave,“ she lightly scolded as she lowered her hand. “But I do agree,“ she added. “I suppose right now we’ll just have to move around a bit. Maybe strike up quick conversations with some of the more...sensible people here?“

“I suppose...“ he half-heartedly agreed and began to move from the spot they had grown comfortable to.

“Don’t look completely unagreeable Perseus,“ she said softly as she followed. “Just a few more hours.“

“Says my stone faced sister?“ he quipped in return. “Oh right, that’s how most only see you anyway...”

“Behave, you know what I mean. Besides you know why, if I’m to get through to some of these more thick headed businessmen, I can’t show any weakness. You know they are just waiting for some reason to prove I am not capable of being on the same level they are. You have it just a bit easier dear little brother,” she said.

“Yeah, yeah. I suppose I should remember that your true smile and more gentle looks and demeaner are a privilege that I, and our cousins, get to see,” he said and chuckled a little.