#helios rising hero imagines

[heliosrisingheroesimagines]

AAA URE BACK i'm so happy omg…you're one of my fav writers in this platform and i love rereading your fics and headcanons!!! ♪

i'd like to request coriander, daisy, fennel, peony and sweet pea from the plant asks for marion!! there's not enough marion content that i can find here I swear...I think he really deserves some more love 💔…but either way, thank you so much in advance and have a great day!! :] ★

(Marion is my beloved I'm always happy to write for him~)

Marion Blythe:

🌻coriander: what do they love the most about their s/o, both physical and personality-wise?

You’re some whose very easy for him to talk to. He doesn’t feel like you’re judging him, or underestimating his strength, or making any assumptions based on factors outside of his control. He feels like he could tell you anything, and having this emotional security is incredibly important to Marion; it’s always been difficult to let his real feelings shine through, but it wasn’t healthy for him to keep them inside constantly, so he needed a person who he felt could understand him. Even if you didn’t have the same opinions as he did, there was just something that made him comfortable speaking freely with you.

Marion likes your eyes. They’re like windows to the soul, or so Nova used to joke, but he never really understood the phrase ‘getting lost in their eyes’ until you. He could stare into your eyes forever if you let him but normally, you’d get too flustered, having to look away while Marion couldn’t possibly mirror you.

🌻daisy: what is their love language, both giving and receiving?

Giving: Acts of Service. This is more a goal set by himself but Marion likes to prove that he’s ‘useful’ to you; it’s nothing you’ve ever commented on, and you don’t quite know where it came from as its not like he has anything to prove. He just liked the feeling of knowing he was making your day easier, even when he was busy himself he still tried to fit in tasks that would make your day easier by the end of it. It’s not something he willingly admits to, of course, denying that it’s coming from the love he has for you as it would be too embarrassing to admit.

Receiving: Quality Time. Marion isn’t a high-maintenance lover, as much as his standards might have you perceive him that way. He doesn’t want you going out of your way to do things for him, nor does he have a need for endless gifts (although he won’t ever deny home-cooked breakfast). He always preferred doing things together when your free-time allowed it, like cooking together or watching movies with the entire family; at first he was nervous about spending time alone with you but now it’s exactly what he needs to keep his head on straight.

🌻fennel: what are their kisses like? where do they like to be kissed the most?

Marion’s kisses are thoughtful, always coming in a moment that you suspect yet still knocking you off your feet anyway. You can’t help but lean in to him and it’s exactly what he wants, that closeness that comes with being unabashedly in love. He preferred to take the moments slow, as much as his nerves were set alight when you kissed he couldn’t help but want to savor the moment.

He would say the lips if asked but he doesn’t have a preference, a kiss is a kiss but he does like ones he can reciprocate. When you’re quick with kissing him on the cheek or forehead he always tried to grab you before you could get away, which you now made into a game knowing he wanted to reciprocate any affection you gave him. It left you both giggling in a way you didn’t think Marion was capable of before dating him, kissing each other’s faces until your other responsibilities were remembered.

🌻peony: how do they get their s/o to blush? how does their s/o make them blush?

Marion is always proud when he managed to set up a perfectly romantic moment for the two of you to enjoy together, and the confidence he has about knowing you is something you can’t help but blush over. There are some partners who might take a more bashful approach to it but knowing you inside and out is a source of pride for Marion, who put endless effort into your relationship while training his hardest to be a great hero.

Marion is surprisingly easy to make blush, almost like its natural reaction to your presence. It happened when you leaned in close or suddenly start giving him physical affection before he can mentally prepare, or when you sincerely compliment an outfit you think he looks good in. Having any sort of praise coming from you pleased him, but romantic attention made him more nervous than other kids of attention from you.

🌻sweet pea: are they big on cuddling? what is their favorite position to cuddle their s/o in?

Marion enjoyed cuddling as long as he was in a good mood, as he preferred being left alone or not being confined if he was angry/worked up. There are times where he needs comfort that he’ll let you know it’s okay to be close to him, a comforting arm wrapped around his shoulder as he leaned into you and tried to get ahold of himself as he didn’t want your mood to tank alongside his. There’s something inherently comforting about having a person you can simply lean against and absorb their warmth without being questioned on it, although teasing is imminent especially when the cuddling happens on movie nights.

His favorite way to cuddle was when you were on the couch together, a nice blanket spread across your legs, either you curled up into him or him resting his head on your shoulder. He thought it was nice if somewhat distracting, the first few times finding it impossible to fully focus on the movie but eventually falling into a comfortable rhythm where Jacqueline wouldn’t constantly squeal about how cute the two of you were.

[talonabraxas]

Sun Talon Abraxas

Let us adore the supremacy of that divine sun who illuminates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understandings aright in our progress towards his holy seat. -The Gayatri

Where is the birthplace of the radiant sun that the Greeks rose to meet at dawn with a kiss upon their upraised hands? From whence came Helios, son of Hyperion "The High Going" and Euryphaëssa "The Far Shining"? What is the source of the light that shines from Loka Chakshuh, the Vedic "Eye of the World"?

The Egyptians symbolized the birth of the sun through descriptions of the infant sun-god Horus, who arose from within the petals of a sacred blue lotus floating upon an endless sea. This sun was the "Eye of Ra," the "good eye of heaven" as the Samoyeds say. The idea of the eye of god was and is very widespread in the world. The fact that many people have conceived of the sun as both a youthful hero and an aged father merely suggests the cyclic rebirth of the orb's penetrating gaze.

Loka Chakshuh or Surya is depicted in the Vedas as the Godhead. of Supreme Truth and Knowledge, the Lord of Light. His two functions are luminous vision and luminous creation, suggesting that the vision of Truth and Knowledge is followed by the creation of Light. The medieval alchemists spoke of the sol niger, the black or invisible sun which they related to prime matter and the unconscious. The visible sun is at the nadir, out of which depths it must ascend toward its zenith, the invisible apex that oversees the creation of light.

"Chaos ceases at the effulgence of the Ray of Primordial Light helped on by the Word of the Central Sun." During the active periods of being, this central, invisible source gives rise to a stream of ceaseless energy whose vibrating currents become more active at each descending rung of the sevenfold ladder of being. The equinoxes and various other cyclic phases and periods of the visible solar course are only symbols of the singular truth which remains hidden. The activity of this energy, increasingly involuting into gross matter, can be seen as a demonstration of numerical patterns which are arcane hieroglyphs containing the keys that yield an ever greater abstract knowledge of solar reality. The Secret Doctrine describes the Central Sun as an unseen point in sidereal space which constantly attracts our solar system. It is the Centre of Rest to which all motion is ultimately referable. It is the "reservoir within which divine radiance, already differentiated at the beginning of every creation, is focused." This focal point is everywhere and yet – like the logos – it is somewhere. As the earth is attracted to the sun in our solar system (though obviously the centripetal forces in the system are counterbalanced by the centrifugal), so our sun is a servant to a more remote centre around which it revolves. One may imagine increasingly expanded systems ultimately resolving themselves within a solar centre which encompasses all but which exists on an inconceivably homogeneous plane of matter. One may analogically imagine all systems resolving themselves into an essential, primordial point in endless space. In our cogitations, we are wise to remember the admonition that not even the Dhyan Chohans can penetrate the mysteries of the boundaries separating the milliards of solar systems from the Central Invisible Sun.

In The Book of Dzyan the Central Sun is portrayed as causing the mysterious force called Fohat to collect primordial matter into globules and impel them to converge together as aggregates. This recommencement of spiralling motion, brought on by the heat of the Great Breath, creates the conditions necessary for the birth of the first 'primitive family,' the differentiation of matter into elements and sub-elements or what Occultism calls "temporary appearances." Such heterogeneous and temporary appearances are the prototypes of the visible suns and systems of planets as well as all the various combinations of life that they sustain. The principle activating and extending this process is the centrifugal energy of the universe – Lucifer, Lux, the light made visible in our solar system. It conveys the radiant energy flowing from the Central Sun which thus called into being and electrified the visible sun and earth and created the tension responsible for the revolution of the latter around the former. The activating principle of the earth can be traced through the physical sun to an energy that rises on a less mundane plane of existence.

In this vast and multifarious universe, there are grades of solar bodies which are like 'organs' acting in the whole process of creation in conjunction with electrical channels that convey their collective influence to the earth. The Fiery Breath which resides beyond manifested nature emanates the Central Spiritual Sun, parent of electricity, the fire of life and the manifested universe. Through seven planes of being, like the many-storied universe envisioned by Siberian people, the suns beget sons which become solar centres of life energy at progressively more concretized levels. The Dhyan Chohans, the Seven Divine Sons of the One Light, are luminous suns existing in an incorporeal condition like divine parents of subsequent septenate life. These Holy Ones embody the emerging primal elements in their most pristine essence and harmonious balance. Like rays from a virginal fire, they give of their essence, instilling divine intelligence into the progeny of their sovereign lineage.

It was the descendants of these Lords of Light who took on increasingly material garb and eventually walked upon the earth among men of many races and conditions. These great Heroes, like the rising sun, always came from the East. As Divine Races among men, they gave out sacred teachings and provided the foundations for the development of all the great civilizations that have existed in human history. These were the Solar Races around whom religious cults developed in every inhabited part of the world. These cults reached great heights in India, Egypt, Africa and the Americas, including the complex form which developed in Peru. There the Ynca, the first children of the sun, were placed by their Father in Lake Titicaca, one of the highest lakes in the world. From this solar brother and sister issued a lineage of royal descendants who were all known as children of the sun and called ynca. They ruled as Divine Kings and through elaborate ritual maintained a living link between the Sun as Godhead and the people of the mountainsides. In India the Surya Vansa or 'race of the sun' laid down its dynasty in Ayodhya. The Rig Veda speaks of them as solar kings. Later these kings became deified and their worship was the earliest anthropomorphization of the great primeval faith which considered the sun as Master of Life and Death. From this early and inspired devotion eventually arose ancestor worship which, wherever it exists in the world, is usually associated with a cult of the sun. As the sun is eternally reborn, so men are inspired to seek the source of their own rebirth and immortality. In allegorical fashion they achieve a sort of lineal immortality by keeping alive the psychic link with ancestors who are reborn again in the children of devout worshippers.

The sun is sometimes symbolically described as the 'heart' and 'brain' of the solar system. From it sensations radiate into "every nerve center of the great body." But it is only a "window cut into the real Solar Presence" which reflects the interior work. From within there is a circulation of vital fluid that passes through our solar system like the circulation of blood within an organism. The sun contracts and expands like the human heart, its systolic and diastolic phases marking the eleven-year sun-spot cycles which are intimately connected with solar eruptions affecting the earth and other planets. Each year the solar 'blood' passes through its 'auricles' and 'ventricles' before washing out the lungs' and passing into the 'veins' and 'arteries' of the system to complete the eleven-year cycle.

Through a telescope, the appearance of the physical sun is that of a disk with sharply defined edges, its brightest area being at its centre. During a solar eclipse, the corona may be seen to radiate out from this edge like a luminous halo, its shape varying with the phases of the sun-spot cycle. Spectroscopic findings reveal that sun-spots are merely indicators of activity going on within the sun. Like tubes, they penetrate through the convection zones toward the central zone. Here atomic radiations, which are largely reabsorbed due to tremendous gravitational pressures, counterbalance the centripetal force by a steady radiation pressure. One could say that the work of the centre is 'pushing out,' which is significantly reflected in the Sanskrit word Surya, whose root su means 'to press out' and is compounded in the term asu meaning 'to breathe.'

During solar storms great streams of highly ionized particles spiral in colossal arcs out from the sun's surface. These predominantly hydrogenate particles rush through space and impinge upon the earth's atmosphere, vastly affecting its climate, stirring up its atmosphere and affecting rates of change and growth around the globe. These currents run along the 'nerves' described in occult doctrine and recharge the system, breaking down and refining material with their fiery sharpness. The hidden 'heart' of the sun expands with this ionized 'blood' and washes clean the lungs' of space within the solar system. With electrifying power it fills the 'veins' and 'arteries,' revitalizing all aggregates of life within its system. Despite their enormous effect upon the earth, these 'storms' are really minor aspects of the sun's own colossal cyclic scale. Given the amazingly balanced reserve of energy that the sun continually maintains, it is, relative to this larger perspective, almost calm and unchanging, as the poets and mathematicians say. At the solar centre, mass is extremely concentrated and, due to enormously high temperatures, only the most 'elemental' forms of matter could exist there. Chemical modification occurs as energy is convected out towards the surface of the sun where conversion to light energy takes place. The 'heat' in the dense solar centre is quite different from that which is produced by the radiating rays at its surface where the density of matter is less than that of air. This central heat, which continually maintains itself, involves a concentration of matter that suggests activities of incalculable power, controlled by an arcane principle of complete equilibrium at a primal level. To put it in terms of the solar 'heart' and 'brain,' the massive and thunderous beating of that 'organ' is contained by an autonomic system, as it were, which reflects the dictates of a highly synthesized and anterior light. This is directly analogous with the function of the pineal gland within the human brain which synthesizes light and regulates the performance of all the bodily rhythms. It is also the basis, intuitively or cognitively, of the frequent reference made by classical writers to man as a sun.

The Puranas tell how the Devas asked the Rishis to bring the Sun into Satya Loka. The Sun-God warned them that if he left his place the world would be destroyed. One of the Rishis offered to put his 'red cloth' in the place of the Sun's disk and thus originated the visible shell of the sun. In fact, the sun is thickly surrounded by a red shell of matter, and it is only during a solar eclipse that we can gain the "indisputable evidence" of the real sun. This 'robe' of the sun, as the ancients called it, is made up of all the chemical elements to be found on earth and on every other planet but they exist in a more 'developed' state of matter, and our globe must necessarily become far more 'refined' before its elements could match the condition of those within that chromosphere. The whole magnificent process, involving the replacement of our earthly molecules with the 'giant atoms' from the Infinitude 'above,' is a grand symbol of what takes place microcosmically along the Guruparampara chain between teacher and disciple. Like the magnetic sun, the teacher attracts the chela, but the very centrifugal force of his luminous power forces the disciple to discover his own orbit, that he may eventually become a source of light himself. And just as the 'storms' upon the sun's surface seem to almost overwhelm the humble planet, so the forces surrounding the Guru must be slowly approached and assimilated by the disciple. An infinite process of exchange and refinement must take place.

We are advised that in order to acquire an understanding of the refined condition of the solar photosphere and chromosphere we must possess a knowledge of the sixth state of matter. In man this would correlate with the lighting up of buddhi. To achieve this one must work backward from the kama rupic vehicle to the awakening of manas which, The Secret Doctrine states, is endowed by the "spirit of our Visible Sun." In wedding manas to buddhi, man approaches the "Equatorial Sun" at the third level of manifestation. Beyond this radiates the "Polar Sun" which gives to man the spark of Atman from the Central Spiritual Sun. In pursuing upward along this vital channel within his being, man gradually realizes the Kshetrajna within, "The Soul's Spiritual Sun."

At all levels the sun is the most perfect symbol for this divine process. It not only points to the source of all process itself but commands the central position of omniscience in the universe. As the Vedas teach, all the gods attain to vastness by following Surya. Being exalted, He sees all and therefore knows all and, as one who takes in the whole world at a glance, He was invoked by the ancient Greeks in taking oaths. Not only does He make clear the path of goodness and purity to those who seek to walk in it, but He is pure Himself. As Kepler understood, He is physically at the spatial centre of the solar system and is symbolically representative of abstract Oneness. He is Sol, Solar, the absolute 'Good' overbrooding Plato's Divided Line. Like the seed of the arcane ancestor, the sun never dies but is always reborn. The transformation of a mere one percent of its mass from hydrogen to helium supplies enough energy to insure radiation and life-breath for at least a billion years. The extinction of our sun lies so far in the future that countless stages of refinement shall have affected all life within the entire solar system, producing forms and levels of consciousness few men have dreamed of on this earth. "Before the hour of the 'Solar Pralaya' strikes on the Watchtower of Eternity, all the other worlds of our system will be gliding in their spectral shells along the silent paths of Infinite Space." All the compassionate and stormy exchanges between spirit and matter that will have produced the perfected harvest of this solar system will be completed and their refined essence will have moved on to other arenas of universal evolution.

The Tarot relates the sun to purification and tribulation, "the sole purpose of which is to render transparent the opaque crust of the senses so that they may perceive the higher truths." Man, in his efforts to purify himself, unites himself by degrees to his prototype in heaven. As he does, he is drawn higher and higher, into successive rays, each of which supersedes the one lower, causing it to break away, until he is at last drawn into the highest beam of the Parent-Sun. It is taught that upon the death of one who has attained moksha, the soul goes from the heart of the body to the crown of the head, traversing the sushumna nerve. Thence it goes to the region of Surya Mandala along the solar rays and, entering into the Sun, is released into Paramapadha, the realm of the essence of the body of Ishwara. Tat tvam asi – THAT THOU ART. Surya Gayatri Mantra: “Om Bhaskaray Vidmahe Martanday Dheemahi Tanah Surya Prachodayat”

[cuiizhu]

Helios Rising Heroes - Rage or Silence

Chapter 1: 

Asch: (There’s been no reaction from Substance and no movement from Eclipse)

[Motorcycle noises] 

Asch: …….Hm?

Asch: (Tch, it’s those guys again—)

Asch: (Damn biker, following me around)

Asch: (Bring it on. If you can keep up, then come at me!) 

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

Asch: (Hah, they couldn’t even keep up with that. What a pathetic bunch.) 

???: Don’t fuck with me! This is OUR territory! 

???: No. This isn’t your place.

Asch: (What’s going on? Some kinda fight starting?)

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

Biker A: Your little bitchass had better leave! What a sight for sore eyes!

Ren: Then you guys must be an ear infection. Stop yelling.

Ren: Claiming this place is some territory of yours is annoying. Get out of here with those motorbikes. 

Biker A: Hah!? Who the fuck you talking ‘bout?! 

Ren: ………..

Biker B: O-oi, wait a sec. I think I’ve seen this guy before…? He was with Gast Adler….

Biker A: Yeah I think I’ve seen him. Always hangin’ around with that guy, his name was…

Bikers: Akira Ootori!!!!!

Ren: Wh—....

Biker A: Ain’t that right! Gast Adler had some Japanese dude among his lackeys! He followed him around like goldfish poop…!*

Biker B: Heard rumors that he became a hero, but I never imagined he would’ve chased his own big brother that far~

Ren: ……Of all people, that name…..

Biker A: Hah? Y’say somethin’, Akira Ootori?

Biker A: Speak up, we can’t hear you, Akira Ootori. 

Ren: Don’t lump me in with that idiot—

Asch: Oi, all of you shut up.

Biker A: What’d you say!? 

Biker A: W-wait, you’re—!? 

Biker B: Asch Albright-san…….!

Ren: ……….

Asch: This place is under my jurisdiction. I’ll knock down anyone who dares object. 

Biker A: Sorry, Asch-san! 

Biker B: No objections here! 

Asch: ….Hah? 

Asch: The hell is up with you guys? Where’d that fighting spirit from earlier go? 

Biker A: We actually have a lot of respect for you, Asch-san! 

Biker B: Your motorcycle technique is amazing, and you’re the gold standard for all of us bikers! 

Asch: ….Huh?

Biker A: It’s so cool, that fearless way you drift corners and your systematic throttle work!

Biker B: Whenever I come across you in town, I get such an urge to race after you! 

Biker A: I know right. And yet he always leaves us in the dust~

Asch: Tch, is that why you were chasing me? 

Biker A: Sorry! I really wanted to try riding alongside you…. 

Asch: Well, whatever. More importantly, 

Asch: Why the hell are you fighting with these bikers? 

Ren: This is…. claimed territory. I can’t relax with the noise of their motorbikes. 

Biker A: The fuck did you say!? It’s because you thugs from Red South came here and caused all that fuckin’ chaos! Akira Ootori! 

Biker B: You’re not planning on causing havoc on Green East too, are you, Akira Ootori!

Ren: Stop making the same mistake over and over! Akira isn’t—

Asch: Your place is in North. Don’t go and stake claims within someone else’s area. 

Ren: …..It’s not my territory. 

Asch: Then whose is it?

Ren: Shouldn’t it be obvious….

Asch: Haah!?

Ren: Once things quiet down around here, then—

Cat: Meow

Masterlist || Next

TL Note: 

1. *This is literal. Goldfish poop tends to come out in a string that trails off behind them in the water as they swim instead of breaking off. I’ll leave you guys to google it if you want to see it. I could’ve also gone with the more common English phrase “follow him around like a dog” but goldfish poop was the original JP and it was objectively funnier. 

[absentmindedadmirer]

Welcome to the Circus~

Hey, hey!

The name's Sketch and I'm a professional mess!! This blog here is to keep a log of my works as well as just allow myself to be mentally ill and ramble about a lot of stupid stuff~ I'm a writer who acquires skrunklies like a neverending scroll and brainrots constantly. Attention is diverted a lot and I crave validation!

Fandoms Include:

Hypnosis Microphone, Ensemble Stars!!, Blackstar Theatre Starless, Helios Rising Heroes, Fire Emblem, Fate, Alchemy Stars, Twisted Wonderland, Paradox Live, Charisma House, iDOLM@STER; Side M, TECHNOROID, Voltron, + more~

Works include:

Fanfics, Drabbles, Headcanons, Sprite Comics, Incorrect Quotes, Imagines, Scenarios, Shitposts, and Random Thoughts I have

If that interests you, then follow if you want-! Or simply just enjoy what I have to offer you from the depths of my brain.

Comprehensive Masterlist of my Favourite Characters and Dynamics~

Sketchie's Fandom Archives-! [Complete List of All Works Published on Tumblr]

I also like ranting and talking to people about brainrots hgghg so join the Fandom Discord if ya want-! Everyone here are (mentally ill) the nicest people imaginable :] Also, just check out my caard!

[Requests are always open!!! Send me an ask, submission or request at any time! I'll respond to them as fast as humanly possible~]

GIF Source: Billy Wise from Helios Rising Heroes from Happy Elements~

[dajaregambler]

HeliosR - Sing in the darkness - Chapter 1 - Part 20

Translation of Sing in the darkness from ‘Helios Rising Heroes’, a new side arc alongside the current main story arc Like the dawning light.

Sage: This is, the Lost Garden….?

Sage: I’ve always heard the rumors, but it’s the first time I’m here…

Nico: Got nothing to come here for unless you have a good reason to.

Sage: Have you been here before, Nico?

Nico: ….I wonder, how many times was it

Sage: Did you have a good reason to?

Nico: ….Don’t know if it counts as one.

Nico: I’ll tell you another time. Now, we focus on Licht

Sage: Right…..

Nico: Wonder why they were after him.

Sage: Yeah…. I can’t wrap my head around it either.

Sage: Eclipse goes after substance. Does that mean Licht-kun is somehow related to that?

Nico: I verified with the measuring equipment when we were together, but it didn’t had any special reaction. It’s hard to imagine he’d be carrying anything.

Sage: Then, maybe something like knowing an important secret about substance…

Nico: Maybe it’s more simple, such as being targeted for a criminal connection. 

Sage: Criminal!?

Nico: Like human trafficking, or human experimentation?

Nico: It's a fact that a massive amount of people, who were experimented on by Eclipse, were discovered…

Sage: Human trafficking… human experimentation… 

Sage: Is that what Licht-kun’s got himself into…?

Nico: Maybe, is what I’m saying

Nico: The possibility ought to be considerably low. It’s okay, don’t overthink it.

Sage: Ngh…….

Sage: Gotta keep it together… I have to search for Licht-kun instead of sitting around imagining horrible things. 

Sage: I say that, but where and how do I---

Nico: Found him

Sage: Eh?

Nico: That Eclipse…

Sage: !! Licht-kun

Nico: After him before we lost sight of them again.

Sage: Yeah…!

[carb0riot]

my dnd oc aries!! close up & more about him under the cut 💯

⚔️Aries Evander Cavallero⚔️

Family History

Aries Cavallero is the second and youngest child of Markus and the late Elythia Cavallero. He is also the younger brother of Helios Cavallero, who has a rebellious spirit that was frequently looked down upon by his father. Markus Cavallero is the Commander of the Watch for the Open Lord of Waterdeep. His career routinely kept him away from home, so he turned to Elythia to raise Helios and Aries. Because of this, Elythia maintained the Cavallero household and created a strong bond with both of her sons before her abrupt passing. Shortly after turning 18, Helios moved away from his father and brother to live on his own. Since then, he has kept very little contact with Aries.

Early Life

Aries was born and raised in the prosperous city of Waterdeep. He and his family were more than comfortable thanks to his father’s career. Aries and Helios had a very close bond to their mother; Elythia practically raised them all on her own. She was a kind-hearted soul and did everything she could for her family. Aries looked up to his mother and was determined to be like her, even when his father pushed him incredibly hard to prepare to inherit his position as the Commander of the Watch. When Aries was only eight years old, Elythia was abducted. A few weeks later, she had been announced as deceased. Aries never gained much information about her disappearance or death, yet he began to have strange visions about what happened to her. They still occasionally happen to this day. After the death of their mother, Helios became Aries’ primary caretaker. As one can imagine, a sixteen to eighteen year old isn’t an optimal choice to be the custodian of an eight to ten year old, especially if both are suffering the loss of their mother. The first two years after her passing were the most painful for him and his family. Aries became determined to rise up to be a defender better than his father. He wanted to be where he can protect as many people as he can. He wanted to do more than follow around a noble.

Education/Career

Aries has been in the private school system all throughout his life. He started school at five years old, and at 11 transferred to a boarding school that focused on combat and heroism training. He was an exemplary student who graduated with high marks and a good reputation. Immediately upon graduation, he was offered a job as a Watchman in a small town near Waterdeep. He decided to take it, finding it to be a convenient distance away from his father, who honestly wouldn’t have time to visit him much even if he was closer to home.

Personality

Aries gained a personality quite similar to his mother’s, but it is encased in a shell of hesitation. It was assured to him at a young age that soldiers cannot love outwardly. Although he is quieter than most, it is not because of shyness. Aries is someone that will analyze a room to find the people he’d like to be near before he walks in it. He does not like to be caught off guard. He rarely speaks first, for lack of interest in talking inwardly. He takes things to heart and remembers small details. If he sees an interaction that doesn’t seem right, he will involve himself to mediate the situation, or escalate it if need be. He is not afraid to take a hit to protect someone in need. In summary, he is a pretty solid definition of the word “hero.”

Appearance

Aries is a 21 year old adult male. For a human, he is slightly above average in height, 5’9. He has a slim athletic build, and is lightly tanned with freckles spattered across his cheeks and shoulders. He has a sharp pointed jawline and a straight nose. His hair is short, pushed back, and messy, with the sides cut a bit closer to his head than the rest. It is a darker shade of strawberry blonde, although the sun naturally highlights several strands. He has wide, pale gray eyes. His right ear has two lobe piercings, while his left has one lobe and a helix. He has a scar that stretches from mid-forehead to the end of his nose across his right eye. This has made it to where a part of his eyebrow can no longer grow, giving him an eyebrow slit. He also has two smaller scars on his left cheek that run parallel to each other. One ends slightly sooner than the other. Many other frivolous scars are peppered across his body from countless stories regarding childhood accidents and school days in combat training.

[noircheols]

NERDING OUT !!!

(1) this is a reference to the song when the sun hits by slowdive. the song tells the story of the singer feeling nervous about burning through his current lover, and that their romance will fizzle out, despite how much he loves her. he loves her and is in awe of her, wanting to hold and cherish her. her beauty, after all this time, still manages to burn him. a core theme in the song is loss, with the singer saying "don't loose me." loss is a feeling that practically consumes seokmin after the reader passes. however, loss isn't necessarily an emotion that seokmin experiences in the start of the story, with it's tone as light and airy, like he's walking on clouds and on top of the world. seokmin is victorious, because he has achieved peace. he's an accomplished hero and the love of his life is marrying him. however, once the reader dies suddenly his life is defined by loss, with loss being one of the reasons he travels back to the underworld. the lyric in specific (which i highlighted) could be interpreted as a reference to catholicism, to mother mary in specific. in the original, she is "clothed with the sun," and in catholicism especially, she is a venerated queen of heaven. i chose this line in specific simply because i feel like that is how seokmin view's the reader and their love, wrapped in sunlight and greater than all the living things on their planet, sm so that he defies the laws of nature for them.

(2) a reference to a book i just read, called circe by madelline miller! her other book the song of achilles is super popular, but this one really caught my eye simply because i adore the complexity of her writing and just how lush her style feels. long story short i keep on returning to the novel whenever i'm in need of getting out of a reading slump. it re-imagines the story of circe (obviously) the daughter of an ocean nymph named "perses" and the titan of the sun, helios. much of the story focuses on her forging her own story, away from deterministic notions of what she can and cannot be. this is emphasized even at the start, where circe is born and explains her life as a nymph and struggles to fit in with her court, who engage in shallow, self-contentious politics. circe's youth is filled with her trailing behind her father and her younger brother, aeëtes (the keeper of the golden silk and father of medea), powerful male figures who do not recognize her skills. witchcraft gives circe the strength to rise above determinisim, allowing her to take on an entirely new entity between goddess and mortal and blur the lines between them. witchcraft is something the gods themselves fear, and it empowers her to choose her own destiny. the reader in this story defies the typical fate for nymphs, entering a marriage where they are viewed as an equal. seokmin as well believes that his individual identity as a champion of apollo exempts him from having his fate be determined. however, something special about the myth of orpheus and eurydice is that it highlights the nature of determinism, that their ends are pre-determined and death will find them.

(3) heraclitus of ephesus (l.c. 500 BCE) was a greek pre-socratic scholar, being known as the "dark scholar" by his contemporaries because his works are so difficult to understand. nevertheless, his ideas influenced the works of plato and aristotle. a common theme in his writings were and understanding of the nature of life and the purpose of human life (arguing that it was only the philosopher who was awake). his central claim is that "life is flux" (panta rhei), or, where nothing in life is permanent, because the very nature of existence is change. change is not just a part of life, but is in fact life itself. opposites would clash continously and create and destroy. “the way up and the way down are one and the same. living and dead, waking and sleeping, young and old, are the same.” these things are the 'same' in that they are all subject to change, arise from one change to vanish into another and all things, constantly, are in flux and are, in that regard, the same. (straight from worldhistory.org) in a way, wonwoo predicts the immense change that was to befall seokmin, when the reader dies in such a random and sudden way. even so, there is no way of knowing whether their marriage would be a happy one. even seokmin's fate is not provided with a definitive answer, leaving him hanging in the underworld and his story up to the reader's interpretation. even the memory of the reader which seokmin clings onto at the end might change. it might distort over time as he ages and his memory deteriorates, or maybe he will forget it. their ending is quite literally changing constantly.

(3) the pineios river is an actual river in greece, in the region of thessaly. the pineois river was named after the god peneus (cant stop laughing, im so immature), one of the three thousand rivers (or potamoi, gods and goddesses of rivers and streams on earth in greek mythology), and a child of oceanus and tethys. before the greek dark ages, thessaly was known as aeolia, and is appeared such in homer's odyssey. it's a mythical island, BUT please for your sake keep thessaly and aeolia seperate... my head hurts trying to explain the time and logistics about it.

(4) hubris is an iconic element of greek mythology. hubris, in greek tragedy, is exessive pride toward of defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis. "nemesis" comes from "nemein", meaning "give what is due." seokmin is (no brainer) equally as vain as he is in love with you. he has every right to be, and stands out from the crowd as an invididual. seokmin's vanity is expressed through his fear of death, as a consistent theme within the story is how in death everybody is treated fairly. he believes he shouldn't be judged as another brick in the wall, because he is more than that and has skills that challenge those of apollo. individuality is a huge theme in greek mythology. old greek and roman stories played an important role in renaissance culture, with artists like raphael and titian reimagining ancient narratives and adapting them to fit christian themes. the concept of indivudalism blossomed through a renewed focus on human potential and self-expression, with ordinary people having the ability to challenge the gods. orpheus goes as far as to challenge the laws of nature, but ultimately, his quest is fruitless.

(5) if you notice, throughout the story jun and minghao refer to seokmin as "mortal." on the one hand, you have jun viewing mortals as inseperable from each other. as immortal beings, they have witnessed so many humans pass them by that it's hard to tell when one is born and another dies. they lump them all under the title of "mortal". jun however is entitled to individuality as a deity. jun has seperate roles from the rest of the gods, and makes it clear to seokmin that he should not be conflated with them.

(6) a small wink at the plot, where the shipment number for the reader is hex code of a shade of aqua. aqua in colourology means compassion which transcends between the physical and metaphysical. seokmin's compassion and love drives him to rescue the reader from the underworld.

(7) a reference to plato! according to phaedrus in plato's symposium, plato represents orpheus as a coward. rather than naturally dying and following through on a guarantee of reuniting with eurydice, he chooses to mock hades and attempts to get her back alive. he fails as his love was not sincere.

(8) a reference to the opera of orfeo ed euridice composed by christoph willibald gluck, first performed at the burgtheater in vienna on october 5, 1762. in gluck's opera, orfeo (orpheus) is instructed to ignore euridice (eurydice). euridice becomes distraught until finally, her husband turns around to her. in this story, i reference a variation of interpretations (which i will go into later!) as seokmin walks, we see the reader's speech italicized. it could be interpreted as seokmin imagining what they would be saying, but also reader struggling to reach to seokmin as seokmin is forbidden to talk to them, and has no way of knowing if they really are behind them (magical logistics... ask minghao).

(9 - YELLOW) in many interpretations, orpheus can be interpreted as prideful of his skills. so prideful, in fact, that he believes his skills can rise above the underworld's laws, hence why he decides to turn around because he believes he can rise above the consequences. other interpretations however believe that orpheus turns around because he doubts his own abilities.

(10 - CYAN) another interpretation of the story is that its an allegory for grief, where we cannot stop looking back at the past.

(11 - YELLOW) in many interpretations, the myth is used to convey the message that death cannot be reversed and that it is everybody's final home, highlighting the harshness of death. in this way, eurydice's death seems inevitable.

(12 - CYAN) another virtue that can be taken from the myth is to never doubt the god's and their blessings. definitely not one i agree with, simply because the gods (to me) are conceited and too absorbed in their own power... butttt i suppose that moral applies to people like me who doubt a ton lols.

(13 - YELLOW) the interpretation i chose for this story was that orpheus had heard eurydice stumble (in some way) and out of too much care for her, recklessly abandoning any convictions. to me, this was something that could humanize seokmin beyond all the vanity he posesses, that at the end of the day, the thing he cares most about is his love. sure, triumphing and bringing the reader back would add another feather to his cap, but at the expense of everything he's worked for, seokmin chooses the safety of his love.

(14 - CYAN) this line is a direct reference to the poet virgil! you may know him from the aeniad :3 the most well-known version of the story is from him, with the story serving as an attempt of art crossing the realm of living and dead. the ending is definitely more gruesome (read at your own discretion).

(15 - YELLOW) this is a nod to feminist re-examinations of the myth. some scholars noticed that many re-tellings of the myth were male centred, barely giving any attention to eurydice, who only dies at the start (i'm guilty of this, i fear.) many have not asked what is it eurydice has wanted, and so many have re-imagined her as yearning to be free from orpheus, to be an individual. death gives eurydice a second chance at freedom, away from orpheus. she may have been forcefully brought to walk behind orpheus by hades and persephone. orpheus turning back could be a recognition that eurydice would be happier here.

(16 - CYAN) a portrait of a lady on fire talks about the myth of orpheus and eurydice! rather than choosing to grow old with eurydice and witness her die slowly and grow weaker, orpheus chooses to turn around to willingly preserve her youth.

(17 - YELLOW) seokmin doesn't know for certain whether their love would really survive the millions of trials and tribulations along their way. sure, he loves you more than anything, but that isn't a guarantee. if he were successful, what would have happened? in some interpretations, orpheus leaves the underworld with a blissful memory of love with eurydice, and can look back on them knowing he loved her.

(18 - CYAN) once again, a reference to the feminist re-interpretations of the myth. this time, a reference to those that paint orpheus unfavourably. he turns back not because of love, but rather knowing the burden of being married. having a wife will distract him from producing music and travelling the world, basically being held back by a ball and chain. however, having a dead wife would be a source of inspiration for his music.

(19 - LIME) references to please stay by lucy daus. it's a sentimental ballad that had me crying my eyes out. this song holds such a special space in my heart, because it was probably the only thing keeping me alive when i was at my worst and embracing a self-destructive streak. the speaker is basically in conversation with a loved one who is suicidal, and looks back on ordinary mundane things we only acknowledge when a loved one may disappear. life is something we all take for granted.

i'm so gagged if anybody actually read all my yapping...

˗ˏˋ  AS THE SUN HITS ; l. seokmin ´ˎ˗

she'll be waiting, with her cool things, and her heaven. (7.6k+)

⋆ SYNOPSIS. ― you were his muse, the motivation behind every note he strummed on his lyre, and every verse he sang. but now the air that would rush through his lungs as he'd sing could only be pried from your cold dead hands.

⋆ INFO. ― angst, fluff, ancient greece!au, historical fantasy!au, greek mythology!au, hurt no comfort

⋆ PAIRING. ― orpheus!dokyeom x eurydice!reader

⋆ PRNS. ― they / them

⋆ CW. ― MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, blood, seokmin can carry the reader, seokmin is afraid of dying cus of hubris, hades!minghao and persephone!jun take on gender fluid-esque forms for my sake (dont question it), mentions of starving, s3xu4l 4ssault mention (verbal), alcohol, food, kissing, pet names (my love, darling), possible historical/mythological inaccuracies, mentions of a beheading, mentions of poisoning, mentions of vomitting, light smut mention (if u blink u probs won't notice)

⋆ 💬.  ― special thanks to @seokmn for proof-reading!! inspired by a post which quite literally stated "orpheus seokmin x eurydice reader" BUT I LOST IT I WANT TO CRYYY. basically op wanted somebody to write something along those premises so i done just that (not shocked if somebody else got to it first tbh...) IF SO THIS WAS NOT COPIED FROM ANYBODY INTENTIONALLY THIS CAME OUT OF MY TINY BRAIN. i forgot who the original poster is but if anybody figures it out PLEASE TELL ME IMMIDIETALLY !!! this idea isnt mine i just wanted to bring it to life :(

Seokmin's favourite pastime was to have you running your hands through his hair. He loved the way your fingers gently brushed through his scalp, as you coaxed him with sweet nothings after a long day. It's what kept Seokmin going, his knees buckling as the musician climbed the hill to your cottage. Every day followed a very specific routine, you would be diligently looking over your garden, and he would wrap his arms around your waist from behind. It was your voice that renewed his love for music. Every word you spoke perfectly pieced together like a song. The way the corners of your mouth curled into a cheeky smile, the shape reminiscent of his lyre. Everything about you sounded right. It's why you made so much sense as his fiance.

Domestic life, despite his rich imagination, was something Seokmin never envisioned. He had travelled across the globe, seeing all that grew upon Gaia's skin. Kings had discovered his talent from messengers, and out of curiosity, invited him to perform. Everybody that heard his voice was bewitched, with rumours spreading that he was Apollo, the God of the Sun and Music taking on a mortal disguise! For his performances, Seokmin had been offered sparkling gems from the King of the Sea, pearlescent ivory from foreign lands in the South, and olive oil that flowed like honey from the finest of orchards. But Seokmin believed the best gift he had received was the gift of song. The gift of your song. With your song came his most stunning melodies. Melodies which tell the story of a wandering bard’s love for a valley nymph, an auloniad. The bard had only hoped the auloniad would notice him. Fortunately, Seokmin could conclude that the bard had a happy ending, because he was living it.

"You've been working too hard, Minnie."  you giggled as you gently tucked a flower behind his ear. You two sat quietly on your shared bed. Seokmin felt his body sink deeper into the linen with how gentle you were, treating him like he was made from the finest glass. Even with his eyes closed, could feel the warmth of your gaze. "You should tell the King to give you a day off, spend it with me, no?" you winked at the man, whose head rested on your lap. A blissful smile rested on his features. He looked angelic with the way the sunset cast its glow upon him.

"My love, he's invited to our wedding tomorrow! I can't afford to accidentally disrespect him. You know how these things work. There are too many stories of courtesans being beheaded; you don't want your fiance dead just before the fun starts!" he laughed. "Wait— are you planning on getting rid of me!?" his eyes looked like they were about to fall out of his sockets.

"Well, your big brother Wonwoo has been looking so good after becoming a scholar in Athens. It would help if you were out of the picture," you smirked, eager to see your fiance's reaction. Seokmin scoffed loudly, getting up from your lap.

"I'll kill Wonwoo before he can even see you!" Seokmin jokingly yelled before tackling you into the bed to be tickled mercilessly. You squealed "stop" repeatedly as your laugh filled the small house. Seokmin was pleased with your reaction, and finally released you from his grasp. He was hovering on top of you, hair falling in front of his eyes. You wanted every day to be like this. You wanted to see that same hair of his turn white and his face aged with time. You wanted to drown in his neverending love. Marriage would finally make you one being, an entity that shares a future and a past, and two breaths walking.

"I can't wait for us to get married tomorrow," Seokmin sighed, as he reached for your hand to kiss. You smiled as his lips brushed against your knuckles. You had heard from fellow nymphs that marriage was a poison that seeped into your bones, immobilizing you and keeping you trapped in a moment. Nymphs were born to be nothing more than bargain pieces, their names alone meaning "bride". However, you begged to differ.

When it came to Seokmin, you felt free. Never did you feel that you were inferior. Waking up next to him peacefully sleeping, as he spooned you. His soft pleas for you to "stay in bed a little longer". When he'd come home from a long day of performances and litter your face with the sweetest kisses, where he would thank you for "being his muse". Looking into his eyes after a long day felt like staring into the wide skies in the valleys you would live in.

You couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

"You look good," Wonwoo chuckled as he placed a wreath of gold leaves on his younger brother's head. Seokmin took a good look at himself in the mirror, the gold illuminating the spark in his eyes. It was Wonwoo's wedding gift he brought with him from Athens. His brother supposedly enlisted the best of the best goldsmiths with the very little money he had left to his name to make the stunning crown. The gold metal felt heavy on Seokmin's head, but your love was something he would proudly wear.

It was the day of your wedding. Seokmin had invited his human friends he had met on his adventures, and you invited nymphs of every kind. It was still early in the morning, much before the ceremony would commence in the evening (a personal touch Seokmin included; he remembered how you would get up in the middle of the night to stargaze). Still, the garden was bustling with life. He could hear the joyous hollering of well-wishers from outside his thin house walls.

"Look at you, getting married before me." Wonwoo teased. "I thought you were going to die in a tavern as a spinster— thank the Gods that you found [Name] before you met your fate drunk in a random street."

"Please, I'm not THAT miserable." Seokmin pouted at his brother's remarks. Seokmin's chest heaved. He wanted to see you, he wanted to kiss the bridge of your nose and tell him he was honoured to be your companion in life. He wanted to lift your veil off your face and see your doll-like eyes stare into his.

"Do you think..." Seokmin began to trail off. "Do you think they will love me forever? I know I will love them forever, but what if they become too good for me?"

"Well, Heraclitus had famously stated 'you cannot step into the same river twice' with his Doctrine of Flux—"

"Please don't go all scholar on me! I'm going to my wedding, not to school,"

"All I'm saying is, love never remains constant. It's a dynamic entity, but then again, you and [Name] are pretty dynamic too. You match each other perfectly, it's like Aphrodite blessed you. Although, my little brother has always been loved by the Gods." Wonwoo smoothly explained.

Like Aphrodite blessed me.

Seokmin gave himself a proud smile in the mirror before putting on the rest of his wedding garments.

Brushing the blackened ash of incense over your lashes, you grinned satisfied with your reflection in your hand mirror. You didn't previously imagine marriage or starting a family because you had heard so many stories from fellow nymphs of their nightmare affairs. But once again, Seokmin was different. He had the sincerest of emotions for you, and you for him.

You took a good look outside of your window, inhaling the fresh air. The air was particularly sweet today, maybe it was from the plethora of figs and wine available. Or, maybe it was because your heart swelled so much with excitement from the wedding all your senses were being overshadowed. The cottage you and Seokmin resided in was looking exceptional today, with the bouquets of wildflowers and candles. The cottage was a gift bestowed to you and Seokmin by the King of Aeolia, who adored Seokmin's music. The orchards were bountiful, the fruit plump and sweet. The garden was your favourite place, as you were previously a follower of the nomadic forest deity, Pan. You remember vividly how you first met Seokmin.

You were stringing flowers up from the Earth when you heard a scream ripple through your valley. You chuckled softly to yourself. Humans. Still, there were many stories of them searching for greatness, ignorant to the fact that they were designated to ultimately become the dirt they walk on. Your previous lover, a minor God of trickery, would boast about his status and the inferiority of humankind. You’d laugh at his stories of luring humans to their death, but you were aware that nymphs were just as weak— if not weaker, than humans. Really, nymphs and humans were two different sides of the same coin— two entities that were used by the Gods as playthings to pass their time as immortals. However, a key difference was that humans spent their time locked away in their big marble palaces and scriptures, and nymphs would be imprisoned by the freedom of the wilderness.

What would a human be doing out here in auloniad territory?

You tracked down the origin of the sound, finding yourself deep in the forest. "STAY BACK!" the man shrieked. You peeked behind a willow tree, its long branches acting as a disguise, and you cracked a wicked smile. The man, clutching his lyre, was cornered to the back of a tree by a boar. The beast snarled, showing off its sharpened and bloodied teeth. Boars, to auloniads, were like what puppies were to humans. If this were any other human, you would have allowed the beast to have its way. But something about this man, with his big doe eyes and perfectly sculpted face made him seem... different. He held an aura— no, a glow, that made you interfere.

"Alright, Sherman, please don't eat the nice guest." you stepped out from your hiding spot, cooing at the beast. The boar stopped its hunt once it heard your voice. It trotted over to you, for you to cup its face. "Aren't you just adorable!" you gushed, ruffling with its fur.

Seokmin's eyes fell onto you, fear evaporating from his body. You were... magnificent. He had seen beautiful people before, when he was entertaining royalty. Princes and princesses would throw themselves on him, begging to take him to bed. But you were beautiful like the waterfalls he'd see on his journeys, birds chirping signalling a new day, the rocky steppes of mountainous terrains in Crete.

"His name is Sherman?" Seokmin began to laugh.

"Her." you giggled, as the beast revelled in your affection. Seokmin began to laugh to himself, wondering how the same vicious boar, who had chased him from across the forest, could resemble the same characteristics as a harmless puppy under the right touch.  You released Sherman, letting her go to run off into the wild. 

"Thank you for saving me," Seokmin spoke up, drinking in the nymph's beauty. You laughed— goodness, how could somebody be so charming? "Next time when you come into this neck of the woods, I'd advise you to not play any instruments. Boars are extremely sensitive to noise. Rather, go to the Pineios River to practice." you advised. "What were you playing, anyways?" being a nymph, curiosity bested you. It’s not always you get a human in your hand.

"Oh, just this old thing!" Seokmin brought a rather strange thing from his dilapidated satchel, a gold tubular instrument.

“And… what is it?”

“A salpinx! Its pretty loud though, soldiers use this in battles. Maybe this thing is why Sherman wanted to kill me…” Seokmin thought out loud. You giggled at the human's cuteness. He was endearing, like a fawn.

“Well, I should get going now, back to doing absolutely nothing.” you chuckled. As you began trekking up the forest, you heard Seokmin call out to you.

“Wait!— Why don’t I play something for tomorrow, just the two of us? At the Pineios River!” Seokmin offered.

He was composed when it came to playing in front of giant cyclops to convince them to let him live, at weddings of huge political significance, impressing the Goddess of Arts and Crafts, and setting wild lions to sleep with gentle lullabies. But to have you in his audience was the most nerve-wracking thing to him. To feel your eyes bore deep into him was… tantalizing. To be the object of your attention, as you spend your days together lazing in each other's company. He had never felt stage fright before. But that only motivated him to perform the best he could.

Grinning, you turned your head around. “I’d love to.”

He knew at that moment he wanted to marry you, and that feeling only grew stronger every time he played for you.

The festivities were in full swing. Guests took it upon themselves to feast on the multiple honey-flavoured sweets prepared and the platter of goat's cheese with cucumbers and figs. There was an overwhelming amount of wine available to wash it down. "Eat it all up and vomit it all out" was the Ancient world's favourite way to pass the time. Amongst all their excitement, Seokmin was oddly quiet.

"You aren't eating anything," Wonwoo observed, eyeing his brother's untouched plate.

"Something feels wrong," Seokmin responded, voice hushed so only his brother could hear.

"How?" Wonwoo asked before going for a second lamb rib.

“It feels like… my life is going to change tonight.” Seokmin solemnly spoke. “I mean— aside from the fact I’m literally getting MARRIED. But, I don’t know, something is telling me I should check in on [Name].”

"Maybe you’re just experiencing pre-wedding anxiety. It's common.” Wonwoo explained. Wonwoo was Seokmin’s polar opposite, in that he viewed convoluted situations as simple problems with logical answers. Wonwoo was reasonable, a characteristic all scholars possessed. Growing up, in difficult situations, it was Wonwoo’s brain that triumphed over Seokmin’s heart. “I'm sure [Name] is alright, they have all their friends. Just trust me on this and eat your food." Seokmin gave a weak nod before picking up a fig to eat.

Seokmin wishes he had listened to his heart before it was too late.

By evening, Seokmin was expected to have wed you already. By now, you would be dancing to his lyre with a careless smile with the stars smiling down on your union. But as Seokmin searched tirelessly for you, he could hear the stars laughing wickedly.

“My love?!!” Seokmin called out for his love. "Please, answer me!" Seokmin's eyes frantically scanned over the almost endless rolling hills. He felt like he was staring into the ocean. At first glance, the ocean was inviting and almost harmless, but the danger was in its infinite grasp over the world. But Seokmin would claw through the waves if it meant he could be with you.

"No sign of them here!" one of his wedding guests shouted.

"Over here!" one of your nymph friends called out, waving at him. Seokmin ran over to see what was happening, and his heart sank. You lay peacefully on the tall grass, as though you were just in a deep sleep. The earth was waiting for you to finally return to its arms. It had yearned for your return ever since you left the valley to travel alongside Seokmin. Now that you have returned to it, Seokmin knew better than anybody it wouldn't let you go. 

"We were all just dancing, like we normally did and—" another nymph choked on her tears, rolling down her cheeks at the same tempo of the beads of blood rolling down your ankle and staining the lush bed of grass underneath. "We were startled by an entourage of hunters, threatening us with all sorts of crude things, because that's all nymphs are good for. But [Name] wouldn't take any of it, and soon enough, it delved into an argument— and the huntsman just shoved them so hard that they stumbled onto a stupid venomous snake."

Rage.

There had never been a moment where Seokmin felt so much rage.

What was even more bitter was that your blood was trickling into the Pineios River, the same place he had given his first performance to you. The sounds of the water gently crashing against the shore did nothing to soothe him. His world, you, had just stopped. But the rest of the world still flooded past your body, reminding him that he was just another pebble in the riverbed that was life. The river, which was supposed to be a natural monument to your love, was now stained by your death. You had deliberately chosen to get married by the Pineios River and to have your cottage here, because this is where time would stand still for you and him.

"Where are those hunters?" Seokmin questioned, as he scooped you into his arms. It hurt him that you were so perfect. Even in your final moments, you chose to remain generous and protect the people you love most. How he wished you could have been more selfish.

"They ran off into the woods, laughing to themselves..." another responded.

Seokmin's fingers clung to your figure, hoping to feel your blood rush. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to bring you back and finalize his vows with you. He was supposed to carry you into your shared cottage as blushing newlyweds, staring up at the ceiling together because that was your favourite thing to do. But here he was, carrying your cold lifeless body. That same body which he spooned to sleep. Just moments ago, he woke you up with a kiss on the forehead. How did moments seem so distant?

Burying his face in your chest, Seokmin sobbed. Maybe he could hear your heart beat once more? Maybe you could feel his warmth, and then you would regain your spark and miraculously come back to life. Your eyes would flutter open, and you could spend your last moments with him in the sweet bliss of domesticity. Seokmin thought that if he wailed loudly enough, the Gods would hear his pleas and give him his greatest love. His big brother's words, "Beloved by the gods," echoed in his mind, ringing painfully in his memories.

No human could ever be loved by a god. Not the same way he loved you, at least.

He loved you. And that's what was going to be his undoing.

It had been days since the wedding. Seokmin hadn't been eating regularly. Some twisted part in his mind lashed at him for not being there to protect you. He should have been the last thing you saw. He should have held you so as you shut your eyes and left this world he could have been able to say goodbye. He wishes he could have been able to say goodbye. Or maybe, he wouldn't need to say goodbye, because he would keep you away from those hunters and you would have never tripped. It doesn't matter now, because while your breath was faltering and your heart slowed he was feasting without a care in the world.

Seokmin also stopped sleeping. It's grown to hurt him too much. Every time he would close his eyes to rest, he hoped that when he woke up, it was all a part of a cruel trick his mind was playing on him. But it never was. It then grew to become him trying to sleep forever, so that time would pass by seamlessly and he would shrivel and find himself in the Underworld with you. But it would never work. It was because he was selfish. He would wake up in the middle of the night, his chest heaving and gasping for air. As much as he was terrified of losing you, perhaps most importantly, he nursed a fear of dying. He was a coward who turned his back on death, the only time humans are treated equally. But he was not like the rest, he was a jewel amongst the rock garden of humanity, and you were supposed to adore him. He was vain, but any artist with self-respect was. Why should he be treated the same as other humans, when he was a hero of far-off kingdoms and Apollo's champion?

Rather than disappointing himself, he took to roaming the gardens you tended to so ardently. "I'm still a nymph, after all! I’m good with plants" your voice rang clearly in his head like a bell.

Staring mindlessly at the flowerbed, meddling with the strings of his lyre, singing to himself. All he could think about was how spring was treading forth on its heels, bringing flowers in their bloom. But when you died, you left him none of the bright colours that dotted your shared world. Maybe, he could catch the Goddess of Spring, Persephone, and beg her to convince her husband to bring you back to him. The Goddess of Spring, or as he likes to appear to humans, Jun.

Seokmin knelt before the once flourishing bed of flowers, singing once more. Louder. With more strength. Maybe Apollo won't fail him, and will take his golden chariot mounted by swans to pluck you back from Hades and return you back home. You would emerge from the shining beams of sunlight, and you will both laugh about this cruel dream. If Apollo could gift him his lyre, surely he could gift him his love?

Seokmin's eyes fluttered, feeling those restless nights catching up on him. His exhaustion made him mistake the dirt as a gigantic pillow. Seokmin's shoulders sank, as he lowered his head. Maybe the dirt will consume him and crush him into a fine dust that will leave nothing but his soul, free to travel between worlds and free to reunite with you. But— then he would be gone. He would be nothing more than the dirt people stepped on. He could no longer hear the music of the world he loved so much.

"No!" Seokmin shook himself awake. His eyes slowly enlarged. That once large brown pillow suddenly had flowers sprouting out of its barren surface. Soft pink blooms with thin twig-like stems, native to the craggy stony steppes of Aeolia, called evia. Your favourite flowers. There was only one possible explanation of how this could have happened.

A figure walked towards the bard, long pastel pink silk trailing to the ground and flowers from every part of the world woven into his hair. Jun. The manifestation of the Goddess of Spring.

"A nymph was sobbing in the Underworld about you, mortal." his voice echoed.

"How did you find me?" Seokmin bowed in front of the Goddess, making sure to keep his eyes glued to the ground.

"Please, enough of these formalities! I'm not going to drag you down to the Underworld." Jun chuckled, finding Seokmin amusing. The Goddess of Spring was much kinder than his husband, that's for sure. Although, that didn't mean they didn't share the same sense of gallows humour. It makes the Ancients let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't Hades allowed to crawl the service and take all who frustrated him back underneath the Earth's crust to never be seen again. "As one finds all champions of Apollo, find where the sun shines brightest and where the music sounds sweetest."

"What are you doing here, then?"

Jun merely laughed at that question. "What gall you have, mortal! Asking why spring goes where it wishes?" Jun stopped laughing, catching his breath.

"Normally, I don't care about the dead. That's Minghao's job. It's so glum, don't you think? Listening to whining brats isn't really my forte, thank goodness he's so patient." Minghao was the chosen mortal name of Hades, the malevolent ruler of the Underworld, waiting for the fall of every being from the shadows. “Patient” was certainly one way to describe him.

"But this one was special. Wailing as loud as possible so Apollo could hear them, but alas! His home is high up in the sky, he's too brilliant for us! Minghao told me that this was the soon-to-be spouse of Apollo's champion. Naturally, I was curious about them, since they had managed to capture the attention of one who is in Apollo's favour."

"I'm honoured to have caught your attention, but..." Seokmin paused, wondering what to say. "Will you please bring them back?"

"Bring out your hands, mortal." Jun sighed, reaching down to pick up an evia. Reluctantly, Seokmin laid his palm flat. "Minghao always explains to me that mortality is chained to time. The second a mortal is born, the clock never stops ticking. Second after second" Jun tears off a petal. "day after day." and another. "Year by year." and another. "Your darling was already dying. Until finally—" SNAP! Jun rips the stem in half. "The clock stopped." Jun brushed off the broken flower into Seokmin's palm. "Now if you excuse me, my curiosity has been satiated."

"Forgive me for my intrusion, but you're immortal. I don't think you should be explaining how death works to me." Seokmin spoke up without thinking. What had gotten into him!? Why was he challenging a goddess!? Guilt sunk into him. "I'm so sorry! I— I was speaking without thinking!" Seokmin got on all fours. Jun once again laughed.

"Mortal, do you think I'm enraged? On the contrary, I'm amused!" Jun smiled, kneeling to grab Seokmin's chin and make him look into his eyes, bright like flowers emerging from the cold winter snow. "I'm nothing like those old hags on Olympus! I like your attitude. I was worried that Apollo favoured idiots, but I'm glad he finally chose somebody with a mouth!"

"I— Really??" Seokmin was at a loss for words, getting back up on his feet. "All I ask is, I have a word with Hades. I'm sure he will understand my plight."

"Are you saying you want to challenge him?"

"I mean, you are his bride. You have his affections, surely he will listen to you!" Seokmin pleaded. "Please, I need to see [Name]. Every day has been worthless for me. Food has no taste, music has no rhythm." Seokmin stumbled on his words, his mouth clogged by the emotions plaguing his heart.

"You do understand, mortal, that the dead is not my kingdom. Once we head to the Underworld, I won't be able to protect you." Jun explained. Seokmin sighed, weighing the options.

"I've travelled oceans and fought monsters, talking with the King of the Underworld seems like nothing if I can have [Name] back," Seokmin answered.

Jun wryly smiled, his eyes mischievously glinting with the opportunity to witness a game, as he began his long walk back home. "Well, onwards we go then. It's a long way back." Seokmin firmly nodded, picking up his lyre, as that was all he'd need. "Seriously? That's all?" Jun quirked an eyebrow. Seokmin nodded. Jun scoffed. Maybe all of Apollo's favourites were idiots.

Finally done climbing up the stony steps, Seokmin arrived at the large entrance of Hades's palace. Dark obsidian columns with silver accents and a large door handle of bone, except large bouquets crawling down its walls (courtesy of Jun).

"Let's go over some basics before you meet him, alright?" Jun turned to Seokmin. "Number one, don't touch anything! Otherwise, you're stuck here for good. Instead, let me open this door for you." Jun leaned against the cool frame of the door. "Number two, Hades isn't nearly as cruel as you mortals make him out to be. He's actually quite fair, as death should be."

"Death wasn't fair to my love." he huffed, letting his true feelings show. Jun knew this feeling of resentment toward Minghao wasn't uncommon. So many mortals beg for his forgiveness, to make their deaths as seamless as the flow of time. But even then mortals resent death for taking their loved ones away.

"That's what they all say." Jun rolled his eyes. "Third, play by his rules. Minghao normally finds you mortals championed by the arrogant Gods of Olympus to be so prideful, so it'll be refreshing to see something opposite of that, and you'll be in his graces." Seokmin's ears perked at the last bit. Could he wager immortality, then? Could he have you and him enjoying the future without the fear of it ending?  "Number four, and most importantly. It's easier to get into the Underworld than to leave it."

"Alright so no touching, Hades is nice, listen to him, and it's hard to leave." Seokmin recounted.

"Exactly!" Jun gave a thumbs-up before the gates opened for him.  "Now put your game face on, Champion of Apollo." Seokmin quietly followed after Jun, his eyes glazing over the palace. Each wall held engraving of different stories, all stories which shared an ending in the Underworld. The final destination for all.

"Hao!" Jun called. "I brought you somebody!"

"Leave them at the front desk, the clerk will sort them out!" Minghao replied, his voice booming. Seokmin covered his ears, he forgot how loud the voices of Gods appeared to regular people. Jun opened the last gate, and into the throneroom. Seokmin's jaw dropped. He could only imagine being back at the cottage with you, composing a song of Hades and rescuing you. The large throne perched upon stairs of what looked like sizzling magma. Seokmin gulped looking at the throne, composed of skeletons, all of them belonging to those who had mocked the King of the Underworld. Most importantly, was the very king that sat comfortably on his throne. Seokmin imagined the king to be hot-tempered, like the fires which scorched wrong-doers. But it was very much the opposite. Cold. Cold like a corpse when it stops breathing.

"I bring to you, a Champion of Apollo! This is the one we were talking about earlier, the fiance of the nymph." Jun turned to Seokmin, signalling for him to follow.

"Um, uh— greetings, your... awfulness? I would say highness, but we are at the lowest part of the Earth. Would your lowness work better?" Seokmin mumbled, awkwardly, kneeling in front of Hades.

"Isn't this exciting!" Jun forced a smile, mentally face-palming.

"He isn't dead." Minghao finally spoke, a chill piercing through the room. "Stand, mortal. I want to look at the one who dares challenge me." Minghao stepped down from his throne as Seokmin's legs struggled to stand up without wobbling. Jun sighed, knowing this was where his power over Minghao ended. As Jun walked up to his own throne adorned in flowers, he turned to Seokmin and mouthed "Good luck."

"Mortal, you dare mock me? Using my bride as a bargaining piece, breaching my palace, and all while your heart still beats?" Minghao threatened, analyzing the man in front of him. Minghao was perfect. Perfect in the way all Gods are. But he was impressed with Seokmin, that even compared to a God he was able to stand proud. "It makes sense that you caught Apollo's attention, but I detest the Gods of Olympus. They keep me underground, send me humanity’s worst, and expect my generosity." he scoffed.

"I— I only have one wish for you." Seokmin finally spoke. Minghao raised a brow. "I suspect it has something to do with shipment #50A194. The auloniad." Minghao thought out loud.

"You assign numbers to everybody who comes here?"

"People die every day, I have to keep track somehow." the God casually shrugged. "They were nothing like other nymphs. Normally, nymphs are relieved to come to my arms, as humans and gods alike toy with them. But this one was upset. This one says you have shown them something special, something that makes my kingdom pale in comparison. I wonder what it is." Seokmin's answer of “music” hung in the air.

"All I ask from you is that you return my love to me." Seokmin blurted. A beat of silence. Seokmin felt the air around him suffocate him, his body growing numb. Another beat of silence.

Minghao stepped closer to Seokmin. "Are you afraid of dying, mortal?" Seokmin froze.

"W-what?" he tried playing it off, but Minghao knew the living just as well as the dead, and the racing of his heart gave him away.

"You champions are all the same. You lead fruitful lives, you find great loves and great riches. But you all are terrified of the end." Minghao smoothly explained. "Just because the sun bends in your favour, doesn't mean death will. You are a coward, is what you are. A coward that fears his end! You will not do what is natural and wait for death to find you. No, instead you will mock death. You will find death, and you will demand it give you what you deserve. Your love for [Name] is not true!"

"OK ENOUGH!" Seokmin roared back, tears dripping down his face. "I love [Name]. More than anything. You can call me a coward, I don't care." Seokmin spoke. From the corner of his eyes, he could see a satisfied Jun enjoying his performance. His vision began to obscure with tears falling once more from his eyes. "Yes, I'm scared of dying. I hate the idea of it. I know it is everybody's fate, but the journey has to be completed alone. I cannot bear the idea of being alone. I cannot bear the idea of being without [Name]." Seokmin looked at the god, gaze unfaltering and filled with rage, the same that filled him on the day of your death. 

"Fine. I admit, I empathize with your cause." Minghao reluctantly sighed. "I shall retrieve your love, and dress them in the finest of Underworld garments and jewels so you can have a wedding ceremony even better than the last." "Really?" Seokmin blinked.

"There is an exit out of the Underworld only Jun and I know, you two can hike up it and will be back home in the blink of an eye. However, I have a condition"

"Anything!" Seokmin grinned, already imagining how he would hold you the second you two reunite. You two will exchange stories of brushing with the Underworld and the sights. He’ll tell you about his encounter with Persephone and her husband, and you will tell him about your trip across the River Styx. 

"You by any means cannot turn around. Not even go as far as to check on the nymph that will be right behind you. You will only have one chance. If you fail, you shall be separated from each other in eternity." Minghao sternly spoke. Seokmin's smile dropped as quickly as it quirked up. "You are forbidden from communicating to them, as well as touching them. You will also be unable to hear them."

"But, how will I know they are with me!?" "Not my problem." Minghao sighed. "This is the most you're getting from me. Now, shoo." Rolling his eyes, Minghao made his way back to his throne. "The next time I see you, you better be dead. If not, I'll make sure of it."

Seokmin waved goodbye to the kind Goddess of Spring and bowed to Hades to signal his respects to the Underworld. He took a deep breath in, looking up at the glittering light seeping through the cracks. The only exit out of here, and his ticket to freedom. He could imagine the sweetness of your lips kissing him. Your voice sighs in relief that he came to rescue you from oblivion. Standing in his way was a long, steep and rocky path, its width shrinking the closer it was to the exit.

"My love, how I missed you!" you grinned. "You can't believe how abysmal it is here! God, it felt so lonely, I just– I couldn't stop crying."

As he gently stepped forward, he could feel the loose soil underneath him shift and slip. Normally, he would have no concern. You're an auloniad, for crying out loud. Rocky terrain dotted with grass is your home. But the snake bite that pierced your ankle was bound to compromise your movement. He figured he'd just move slowly, for your sake.

"Ah, I fear my leg still hurts from the bite. Could you go a little slowly?"

As Seokmin carefully climbed the rugged steps, a thought popped into his head. Hades did not specify that he was forbidden from singing to himself. It just happened to be a coincidence that you overheard him. Humming to himself (and maybe to you, as well) he strummed the strings of his lyre.

"My favourite song!" you gushed. "Do you remember the first time you performed for me, at the Pineios River? Goodness, you just get better every single day!"

Normally, his song would penetrate through the deepest of depths, and his voice would triumph above all. But it all felt hollow like the darkness of those depths was consuming him whole and slowly pushing him back into the Underworld. He wished, so desperately, to know you were listening. Seokmin couldn't hear your steps or your breathing. It was haunting, how you weren't here on this long climb, yet he could vividly remember you. Grief is strange. How you must restrain yourself from looking back on memories of loved ones corrupted by their death.

"Please, turn around so I can get a good look at you. Don't you think I deserve that, at least?"

Maybe he was doomed. How could he know that Hades wasn't mocking him? The light which had guided Persephone to him and the passion which motivated him was being waned.

"Seokmin, why are you ignoring me?" your voice grew softer. "Is it something I said? Have I upset you? Please, just answer me already. You're making me nervous." You reached out for his hand, but he moved it away.

Feeling the chill of a cold wind brush past his palm, Seokmin moved it closer to his chest, hoping the Underworld hadn’t drained him of his life. When will he get to hold your hand again?

Knees buckling, he let out a sigh of relief that he was finally halfway up, already smiling knowing Apollo was waiting for him with the way the light grew even brighter.

"Darling, please, just talk to me. Say something." you huffed. "Why can't you just turn around!?" You hobbled on your ankle, trying to keep up with your lover, watching him disappear as he moved closer to the light. "I don't understand, what is wrong with you!? Please, just turn around already!" Your eyes began welling with tears, raising your voice as much as possible.

As Seokmin treaded higher up, he noticed the crack enlarge just enough so that he could pop his head through. He let out a long sigh of relief, as cold sweat dripped down his forehead, his knees stinging from exhaustion. What would be the first thing he would do with you on the Overworld? Roll in the grass? Breathe in the fresh air? Hoist you up and listen to your heart beating in your chest? Seokmin tries to think, but the Underworld is unforgiving. The air felt thick and heavy, gravity dragging him down as he tried to tear himself away from its clutches, taunting him that your death was inevitable and that he would soon be ensnared in the Underworld’s net. It casts doubt upon him. Does his music have the strength to pierce through the darkest of moments as he prides himself on? Was his passion enough? Was Hades and Persephone lying to him? The Gods are not exactly above toying with mortals, as that is their favourite pastime. Doubt settled in his mind. 

Seokmin shook his head. He must stay firm. He mustn’t listen to the doubt in his mind and push through. He feared death. He feared the cold wind brushing behind his back, echoing how his story would end. Cold. Dark. Alone. He needed you back with him. He needed your body’s warmth, your light. He needed to die in your arms.

The grating sound of a rock falling off the ledge and into the abyss below obstructed Seokmin’s train of thought, realizing the sound could mean only one thing. “I got you!” he snapped his head back. Seokmin’s jaw dropped, realizing the horrible mistake he had made. “You finally turned around.” you weakly huffed, tears sparkling in the dark. Minghao had kept his word. You were otherworldly. Contrasting against the darkness, you were a bright star, shrouded in a bright white glow. Your beauty only made him even more upset, as his eyes grew wide with the realization he had squandered his last chance. This was easily a pardonable offence, if the spirits knew how to pardon. In their long-spent immortality, never could they empathize with Seokmin’s plight. 

“I… thought.” Seokmin slowly blinked, tears dripping down his face. Breathing heavily, he tried to calm himself down. He thought you had fallen, and your body would crash against the ground like a fallen star. It wasn’t that his love for you was small, but that it was too much. It was overflowing and reckless, just like the nature of youth. He couldn’t resist turning around to help you, especially with the knowledge of your snakebite. The same stupid thing that sent you here. You frowned, heart hurting at the sight of your lover in disarray. Stepping forward, you cupped his face, your touch still lingering with the frost of the Underworld. “Darling, what’s wrong?” You tried to make eye contact with him.

“I’m sorry.” he choked on his sobs. “I wasn’t supposed to turn around… but I just got so nervous, I thought you fell,” Seokmin confessed. “I’m an idiot. I failed you. I’m so… so… stupid. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.” Seokmin screwed his eyes shut, unable to muster the strength to look at what would happen to you now that he failed. Minghao hadn’t specified what would happen if he had failed. Would he send furies to tear you apart? Would he force him to drink poison?  

“No! You’re not an idiot. Don’t be so cruel.” swiping your thumb against his cheek and wiping away his tears. “You’re so brave, coming all the way to rescue me… all because you love me. You failed… because you love me. I’m happy knowing that.” You smiled, knowing the bitter end that was to come to you. They needed to kill you twice for him to let you go. But you had to be strong, for his sake. He was strong enough to challenge the Underworld, the unforgiving end. He was strong enough to face death, his greatest fear, challenging its irreversibility. He was strong enough to defy the laws of nature. The least you could do was comfort him. “I’m so… proud of you.” your touch felt feather light against the heavy mortal flesh weighing him down. “Please… just look at me.”

“But, you’ll be gone!” Seokmin wailed. “I… I’m not strong enough for this! I can’t go on!” 

“You are strong enough. So open your eyes.” your words gently coaxed him. Seokmin inhaled one last time, bracing himself for the horror he was about to witness. As his eyes fluttered open, you were gone as quickly as you had appeared before him. There was no dramatic murder, just a hazy glow left in where you were standing before him. That was how mortality worked, in the eyes of Gods. Mortals come and go on this Earth, in the span of a blink. Mortality, which feels like entering a room and just finding the exit. Mortality, which weighed Seokmin down, and held you in its clutches. It was a signal to him that it was time to wake up from the dream that was you. It was time for him to grow up and to accept mourning the loss of his muse. Falling to his knees, Seokmin sobbed, the noise drowned by the hollow abyss of the Underworld. His voice, which set him apart as a champion of Apollo, was indistinct from the rest of the wailing of the Underworld. 

Maybe you will have a greater fate than him. You will drink from the River Lethe, whose waters flowed through the God of Sleep's cave, causing one to forget the mortal world. Sure, it meant you would forget the blisses and joys you shared above the surface, but it also meant you would forget the pain and sadness. You would wake up, yawning as you ponder the strange figure in your dream named "Seokmin". You would be reborn and would carve a path through the foreign wilderness of the underworld. You would be trapped in a moment, a distant memory of a time of idealistic, passionate, youthful bliss. You would be free. Like you were destined to be. Free from mortal anguish. Free from him. Your skin could never wrinkle, your hair couldn't gray, and your health wouldn't deplete.

Who knows what would have happened if you had returned to him in the mortal realm. Would the love between you dry up? Would your love only be immortalized in a contract, and not in real life? Maybe life will ravage your happy marriage and shred the love that once existed. You would part ways and leave him behind, as you could never truly be his. When would be the last time in your unhappy married life you tell him "I love you"? Would he bar the door when you got sick of him and tried to leave? Would he welcome your newfound hatred of him and show you the way out?

The memory of you would be his prized possession, something to draw inspiration for his music, to know he had the pleasure of experiencing such a love, and to wonder the many possibilities if he were successful in bringing you back. He was fine if you could just stay. It didn't matter if you only stayed in his memory and never talked to him again. But please, stay.

thank you so much for reading — @noircheols do not copy or translate ♧ mlist

[spademuses]

❛  how can you be this cheery already? we haven't even had breakfast.  ❜ from annabeth chase to michael @multistoty

It's no secret among Camp that Michael despises mornings. He can never understand how some of his fellow campers find it in themselves to rise before the sun, let alone summon energy to start their busy days before the first light of dawn kisses the tops of the pine trees.

Unfortunately for him, seasoned campers have to conduct morning rounds near the perimeter for the safety of the other campers. Michael doesn't mind the night shifts; there's something calming about the soft chirping of the cicadas in summer, or the gentle crackling of the fires in the torches around Camp-- it's the unbearable morning shifts he can't stand. Everything gets on his nerves, whether it's the twittering robins flying over his head, or the giggling nymphs who seem to find enjoyment in his suffering.

Today's different. Michael and Annabeth are scheduled for their rounds at the Beach near the northern border. Refreshing salty air from the coastline carries over on the soft breeze, blowing his dark curls wildly in every direction. High tide pulls tumbling waves against the shore, white foamy sprays crashing on the golden-sand in a loud and rhythmic dance. He smiles. This place remind him of home and the hot summers at Coney Island he'd spend with his mom back when she was still alive. Beaches will always be a happy place for him.

He thinks of her as he absent-mindedly plays with his weapons of choice, dual Celestial Bronze daggers fitted perfectly to his palms. Michael tosses them in the air until they flip and land securely in his hands, light but deadly. Every child of Ares has a favourite weapon and for a long time, Michael's had been a sword. Only recently had he discovered the flexibility that comes with dual-wielded weapons, and now he can't imagine life without them. He still carries a sword with him but he's finding that he uses it less and less.

Annabeth, observant as she is, notices his good mood.

❛  how can you be this cheery already? we haven't even had breakfast.  ❜

He usually can't stand most Athena's kids because he's an action-oriented guy and they're all about planning and strategy-- none of that shit's gonna get 'em anywhere in a real fight with real stakes. He's always telling them, ❛A hydra ain't gonna wait 'round for a hero to come up with a seven step plan to take it down. Don't think, just do.❜

They don't tend to agree.

Annabeth is like her siblings in a lot of ways, stubborn and set in her ways, but Michael respects her. She's good at what she does, and he's seen her in action in the Arena-- she's damn near lethal, even when she's holding back.

❝Can't help myself,❞ he shrugs, gesturing vaguely at the water with an outstretched arm. ❝Hard to stay mad with that kinda view.❞

He gazes out at the horizon, hazel eyes taking in the wide open landscape, tiny stars slowly fading out of view now that Helios has begun his ascent. The water looks gorgeous as it reflects the streaks of faint violet and pinks painting the sky with the first signs of dawn.

Michael turns towards Annabeth, a smirk playing at his lips. ❝You up for a little friendly competition, Chase? Bet I could reach the shore before you. How 'bout a race?❞

[hypnomicimagines]

Everyone go get invested in Helios Rising Heroes so I have an excuse to make another imagines blog

[hajimariwaquartet]

Introduction

Hello there! I'm February, but you call me Feb! I opened this account as a writing account! I write drabbles, headcanons, and small imagines (includes x-readers and shippy stuff)!

I write for:

A3! (I'm caught up with everything)

Genshin

Enstars!! (as of 4/21/2021)

Sk8 (as of 5/6/2021)

Tears of Themis (as of 7/31/2021)

Helios Rising Heroes (as of 7/4/2022)

Project Sekai (still learning; mainly focused on 25-ji)

Thing I am not comfortable writing:

NSFW (sexual/gorey stuff)

incest/pedophilic ships

I have the right to refuse to write certain things if they make me uncomfortable.

You can send in requests with characters and a prompt or two! I'll get back to you when I'm done. Please send in requests, I'd like to get practice!

Notes:

I might take a while to reply since I'm a college student, but I will get back to them!

X-readers and s/o hcs will be gender neutral. Unless a gender will be specified, they will all be gender neutral.

Emoji directory:

💭 - Reqs open

📝 - Writing

❌ - Reqs closed

Masterpost of Written Work

[jeromecolby]

Jerome Backstory

Circe ranks as one of the greatest witches of mythology. A beautiful enchantress . Circe, in Greek legend, a sorceress, the daughter of Helios, the sun god, and of the ocean nymph Perse. She was able by means of drugs and incantations to change humans into wolves, lions, and swine. The Greek hero Odysseus visited her island, Aeaea, with his companions, whom she changed into swine.

The daughter of Helios and Perse, Circe was a powerful enchantress versatile in the arts of herbs and potions and capable of turning human beings into animals. She did just that to Odysseus’ sailors when they reached her dwelling place, the secluded island of Aeaea. Odysseus, however, managed to trick her with the help of Hermes and, instead of becoming an animal, he became her lover for a year. The couple had three children, one of whom, Telegonus, eventually killed Odysseus.

Family

Circe was the daughter of Perse, one of the Oceanids, and Helios, the Titan sun god. As such, she was part of a family of formidable sorceresses. Pasiphae, who supposedly charmed both Minos and Procris, was her sister, and the even more notorious enchantress Medea was her niece, since she was the daughter of Circe’s brother Aeetes, the guardian of the Golden Fleece. Circe had another brother, Perses, who was slain by Medea after he had deposed her father Aeetes from the throne of Colchis.

Reaching Circe’s Island

Disheartened and dispirited from their horrendous encounter with the man-eating Laestrygonians – after which they had been left with only one out of their twelve ships – Odysseus and his remaining men land on Aeaea, Circe’s island.

At first glance, it seems to them like a desolate island, since the only visible sign of life is a column of smoke rising from somewhere deep in the woods. Naturally, Odysseus sends his men to investigate, putting his brother-in-law Eurylochus in charge of the scouting party.

The Transformation of Odysseus’ Men

After some time, the men reach Circe’s house and are surprised to find many fearsome beasts – mostly lions and wolves – slouching around and acting as domesticated as the tamest pets imaginable. From the inside, they hear a woman’s voice: it’s Circe singing melodiously.

Eurylochus suspects danger, so he chooses to stay outside as Circe comes out of her house and welcomes the rest of the scouting party indoors. Odysseus’ men are treated with some fine-flavored wine they gulp down in a second with the utmost pleasure. However, once they do that, Circe makes a quick move with her wand and, suddenly, all of Odysseus’ men are transformed into pigs. They still have their human brains, so they start grunting and weeping as Circe puts them into her pigsty.

Odysseus Tricks Circe

Eurylochus runs back to Odysseus and tells him the whole story and Odysseus decides to confront Circe. Fortunately, on his way to Circe’s house, he is met by Hermes, who gives him a magical black-rooted white-flowered plant called moly which, the divine messenger says, will make Odysseus immune to Circe’s spells.

As indicated by Hermes, Circe’s wine has no effect on the cunning Greek hero and so, after the enchantress pulls out her wand, Odysseus responds by pulling out his sword. He makes Circe swear that she won’t hurt him and forces her to restore the original form of all his sailors. Circe does precisely that and, furthermore, taken aback by his bravery, offers Odysseus her sincere love and unconditional devotion.

Odysseus accepts them, and, as a result, his men stay in Aeaea for almost a year, after which Odysseus becomes restless to go back to Ithaca and once again see his mortal wife, Penelope.

Odysseus’ and Circe’s Offspring

If we are to believe Hesiod’s genealogies, however, we must deduce that Odysseus returned to Aeaea once or twice more after this, or at least that he stayed there for a little longer than a year. Since Circe – says Hesiod – bore him no less than three children: Agrius, Latinus, and Telegonus. The last and youngest one of the three ended up killing Odysseus by mistake using a poisoned spear given to him by his mother.

Circe in Other Myths

Circe plays a smaller part in few other myths: she purifies Jason and Medea from a murder, and she transforms PIcus and Scylla into a woodpecker and monster respectively.

Jason and Medea

Circe shows up in the second most famous Ancient Greek story of sea adventures, the voyage of the Argonauts. According to Apollonius, after Jason and Medea treacherously and brutally kill the Colchian prince Absyrtus, it is Circe who purifies them from the sin, though she also chases them away from her island once she learns the full gravity of their transgression.

Circe, a Vengeful Lover

Before falling for Odysseus, Circe felt an attraction to at least three other men, the first one a mortal, and the second two a god.

The mortal was Picus, who was too faithful to his wife Canens for his own sake: after fiercely rejecting Circe’s advances, Picus was turned into a woodpecker. Unable to fight through the unbearable sorrow, six days later, Canens threw herself into the river Tiber.

Another time, the sea-god Glaucus asked Circe for a potion which would make the beautiful nymph Scylla fall in love with him. Circe, however, loved Glaucus for herself, so, when he scorned her, she gave him a potion which turned Scylla into the hideous sailor-preying monster Odysseus and his crew had to evade soon after leaving Circe’s island. The third was the God Odin. Odin was known for taking more than one female. Though he loved his mate, Odin had an affair with Circe keeping her happy so nothing bad fell on him.

Who was Circe?

The daughter of Helios and Perse, Circe was a powerful enchantress versatile in the arts of herbs and potions and capable of turning human beings into animals. She did just that to Odysseus’ sailors when they reached her dwelling place, the secluded island of Aeaea.

Where did Circe live?

Circe's home was Aeaea.

Who were the parents of Circe?

The parent of Circe was Helios.

Who were brothers and sisters of Circe?

Circe had 3 siblings: Pasiphae, Aeetes and Perses.

How many children did Circe have?

Circe had 4 children: Agrius, Latinus, Telegonus and Jerome.

Father: Odin

Odin (/ˈoʊdɪn/;[1] from Old Norse: Óðinn, IPA: [ˈoːðinː]) is a widely revered god in Germanic mythology. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates Odin with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet, and projects him as the husband of the goddess Frigg. In wider Germanic mythology and paganism, the god was known in Old English and Old Saxon as Wōden, in Old Dutch as Wuodan, and in Old High German as Wuotan, all ultimately stemming from the Proto-Germanic theonym *Wōđanaz, meaning 'lord of frenzy', or 'leader of the possessed'.

Odin appears as a prominent god throughout the recorded history of Northern Europe, from the Roman occupation of regions of Germania (from c.  2 BCE) through movement of peoples during the Migration Period (4th to 6th centuries CE) and the Viking Age (8th to 11th centuries CE). In the modern period the rural folklore of Germanic Europe continued to acknowledge Odin. References to him appear in place names throughout regions historically inhabited by the ancient Germanic peoples, and the day of the week Wednesday bears his name in many Germanic languages, including in English.

In Old English texts, Odin holds a particular place as a euhemerized ancestral figure among royalty, and he is frequently referred to as a founding figure among various other Germanic peoples, such as the Langobards. Forms of his name appear frequently throughout the Germanic record, though narratives regarding Odin are mainly found in Old Norse works recorded in Iceland, primarily around the 13th century. These texts make up the bulk of modern understanding of Norse mythology.

Old Norse texts portray Odin as one-eyed and long-bearded, frequently wielding a spear named Gungnir and wearing a cloak and a broad hat. He is often accompanied by his animal companions and familiars—the wolves Geri and Freki and the ravens Huginn and Muninn, who bring him information from all over Midgard—and rides the flying, eight-legged steed Sleipnir across the sky and into the underworld. Odin is the son of Bestla and Borr and has two brothers, Vili and Vé. Odin is attested as having many sons, most famously the gods Thor (with Jörð) and Baldr (with Frigg), and is known by hundreds of names. In these texts he frequently seeks greater knowledge, at times in disguise (most famously by obtaining the Mead of Poetry), makes wagers with his wife Frigg over the outcome of exploits, and takes part both in the creation of the world by way of slaying the primordial being Ymir and in giving the gift of life to the first two humans Ask and Embla. Odin has a particular association with Yule, and he provides mankind with knowledge of both the runes and poetry, giving Odin aspects of the culture hero.

Odin is a frequent subject of interest in Germanic studies, and scholars have advanced numerous theories regarding his development. Some of these focus on Odin's particular relation to other figures; for example, the fact that Freyja's husband Óðr appears to be something of an etymological doublet of the god, whereas Odin's wife Frigg is in many ways similar to Freyja, and that Odin has a particular relation to the figure of Loki. Other approaches focus on Odin's place in the historical record, a frequent question being whether the figure of Odin derives from Proto-Indo-European mythology, or whether he developed later in Germanic society. In the modern period the figure of Odin has inspired numerous works of poetry, music, and other cultural expressions. He is venerated in most forms of the new religious movement Heathenry, together with other gods venerated by the ancient Germani Odin, also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan, one of the principal gods in Norse mythology. His exact nature and role, however, are difficult to determine because of the complex picture of him given by the wealth of archaeological and literary sources. The Roman historian Tacitus stated that the Teutons worshiped Mercury; and because dies Mercurii (“Mercury’s day”) was identified with Wednesday (“Woden’s day”), there is little doubt that the god Woden (the earlier form of Odin) was meant. Though Woden was worshiped preeminently, there is not sufficient evidence of his cult to show whether it was practiced by all the Teutonic tribes or to enable conclusions to be drawn about the nature of the god. Later literary sources, however, indicate that at the end of the pre-Christian period Odin was the principal god in Scandinavia.

From earliest times Odin was a war god, and he appeared in heroic literature as the protector of heroes; fallen warriors joined him in Valhalla. The wolf and the raven were dedicated to him. His magical horse, Sleipnir, had eight legs, teeth inscribed with runes, and the ability to gallop through the air and over the sea. Odin was the great magician among the gods and was associated with runes. He was also the god of poets. In outward appearance he was a tall, old man, with flowing beard and only one eye (the other he gave in exchange for wisdom). He was usually depicted wearing a cloak and a wide-brimmed hat and carrying a spear.

JEROME

As everyone knows, what Circe wanted, Circe got. When she set her sights on The father of Gods, Odin nothing would stop her. Odin, the God seen a beautiful God who could help him win his battles with her potions. Little did he know she would trick him, and keep him at her island for months while the plan all along was to impregnate her with a son. One she would cherish above all. He would be a brother to Thor. Only his powers would be that of not onky strength, he was a sorcerer as well. Jerome is out going, the life of the party. He has many abilities and ones he is still finding he has. He isn't like Father, or his Mother and is actually a nice guy with a huge heart. Yiu fuck with what's his, or family and he will make you pay.

 

[heliosrisingheroesimagines]

Would you be willing to do the Venus Signs for the Yellow West too? I loved reading the previous headcanons so much! - from a fellow astrology geek 💖💫

(Me not doing this for the groups with my top 2 fave characters..... for shame

For Junior's I imagined him a little older and little more mature, when he'd be more invested in romance than as a baby like he is in canon rn lmao)

WEST SECTOR VENUS SIGNS

Dino Albani:

Pisces Venus. Dino has always been a highly intuitive person, not to mention emotionally intelligent, so it’s only natural that the connection you felt with him was almost instantaneous. He’s a partner who wants to have fun, finding creative ways to bond and experience life together. You’ll never experience a love more unconditional than the one Dino displayed for you, though his Aries sun makes him rather direct so don’t think he’ll allow you to run from any problems you might have.

Faith Beams:

Aries Venus. Faith is someone who needs that excitement, that thrill, a real challenge since people throw themselves at him with reckless abandon. He wants a person who can keep him on his toes but isn’t annoying about it, still displaying an interest but making it known they won’t let him give them anything less than the world. He naturally takes the lead but it always sparked his interest when you decided to take the reins, trusting you not to lead you both to your demise.

Keith Max:

Scorpio Venus. On the surface, Keith doesn’t seem to fulfill the ‘Scorpio Venus’ stereotype of ‘obsessive’ or pro-active but he’s a person who loves deeply. He wants to know you intimately and that includes knowing the negative parts of you, the ones you’d be embarrassed or horrified for others to see. His vices are on display for all to see, which he hated, but it didn’t quite feel right if he didn’t know what your weaknesses were too. Ultimately, he wanted to know and love the real you, which meant having to dig a little deeper as frustrating as those conversations may be.

Leonard Wright Jr:

Taurus Venus. Ever the hard worker, Junior is motivated to work twice as hard to provide you a life that you deserve. Loyalty was a serious thing to him, and there’s no one else that would catch his eye after he determined you were the one for him. He doesn’t get people who cheat or those who have a partner yet still flirt with others, because he felt no inclination from the moment he set his heart on you. You find that he’s a true romantic, always trying his hardest to set up nice dates for you to be alone together (and he even wrote a song for you once, but he’s too embarrassed to bring that up later in your relationship).

EAST SECTOR VENUS SIGNS

Asch Albright:

Leo Venus. Asch is a man whose lived in luxury his entire life, so it’s only natural he wants to give his partner the same life he had. He will not let you accept anything less than extravagant and he will complain if you try to make him tone it down, wondering if you just don't know what it's like to be loved by someone like him. He liked when you looked good together and would be even happier if you were considered a power couple, thinking the name fit you both perfectly.

Billy Wise:

Gemini Venus. You’re in for a ride with Billy, if you couldn’t tell from what you know of his personality already, but you’ll never have a dull time. He can run hot and cold but not because his feelings for you fluctuate, but because committing wholeheartedly to a person makes him nervous. Giving your heart away is a big deal, and making friends was far different than falling in love, though the pain of losing that might be equal in his mind. You’ll have to earn his friendship first and even then it might take time, but Billy’s constant flirting and allowing you to get closer to him than he’s ever let someone get before.  

Gray Reverse:

Cancer Venus. Gray needs some security and affirmations, even with his confident (very slowly) building up; he needs to know he’s not a burden on you, that his faults aren’t deal-breakers, and that you’ll love him despite the great amount of patience it requires to be with him. He’s naturally thoughtful and intuitive, knowing what you need before you even know, and there’s a part of you that wanted to tease him on what an expert boyfriend he was. He truly loves you unconditionally, to the point it’s almost worship, which can throw others off but you know better than to take advantage of your loving boyfriend.

Jay Kidman:

Sagittarius Venus. It goes without saying that Jay was a difficult man to pin down, something that might be odd for a man who had a wife at one point, but he admitted to being swept up in the adventure of it all when he was young. He tries to take romance a little more seriously now which is why he doesn’t ‘commit’ to long-term arrangements often, a man who fully enjoyed his singleness as he focused on being a hero. He’s someone who needs the space to be who he is but once you show you not only support him but seek out a life and adventure of your own, he’s more than happy to change what could’ve been a temporary connection into something more permanent.

[nikaido94]

Helios Rising Heroes - Oscar Bale Character Story - Part 1

Translation of Oscar Bale First Character Story

Oscar : ...Oh? Brad-sama?

Thank you for your hard work today. You’re back already, I thought you wouldn’t be until late at night today, too.

Brad : I simply wrapped up the meeting with the higher-ups. The matter we were talking about was going anywhere, so there’s nothing I can do right now.

Oscar : Is that so? Then, please spend your time relaxing, it’s a day off after all.

Brad : Yeah. Don’t mind me,  just continue taking care of your pet.

Oscar : Ah… Even if you say “taking care”, I’m just feeding him .

I wonder if he still hasn’t gotten used to the new environment, when I try touching him his spines point up.  As I suspected, hedgehogs are a hurdle...

Brad : You found him, so take responsibility and raise him.

Well then, I’ll go take a shower for the time being.

Oscar : Yes, sir!

(…… Isn’t this the first time Brad-sama is properly taking a day off?

He does not only carry out his duties as a mentor, but as a leader and a hero, too, so he has no time to rest.

Even though I served the Beams family for a long time, there is a limit to what I can do. Brad-sama would tell me not to poke my nose into his stuff.)

I want to become useful to Brad-sama, more than just taking care of the hedgehog and the rookies.

… Ohh. Did that offend you, Alexander? You’re suddenly throwing tantrums?

Okay. I take it back, so please open your heart a bit more.

Brad : Oscar. What’s that thing stuck to the refrigerator?

Oscar : That thing…? Aah, you mean the paper with “Don’t put shiitake in here!” written on it?

It looks like it was Akira’s doing. He seems to hate shiitake for some reason…

Yesterday when we were training, he was talking with plenty of confidence about issuing a shiitake ban or something.

Brad : ……

Oscar : I can take that off if it annoys you, and make sure the same thing won’t happen again.

Brad : How will you control that?

Oscar : That’s… I’ll warn him using my strength...

Brad : It’s unnecessary.

Oscar : Yes, sir! I’ll just leave that note for now, then.

Ah… speaking of refrigerators…  It seems that Akira ate the lobster that I’ve bought and kept in reserve.

Brad : .. The lobster that disappeared when we were thinking of eating it?

Oscar : Yes. It seems he cooked and ate it without permission on the day he joined.

It was before I taught him about HELIOS detailed system, so I just let that go. If he does that again next time, I’ll scold him without mercy…

Brad : It’s important to set conditions and make them comply. Looking out for the rookies is up to you. Just do whatever you see fit.

Oscar : Yes, thank you very much.

Brad : It seems you started to open up a little.

Oscar : You mean, me and the rookies…?

Brad : Yes, that’s right. From what I see as a mentor, you don’t have much experience as a hero. This is your first time instructing your juniors, isn’t it? I worried about it a little, but I’m relieved that there are no remarkably major problems.

Oscar : Eh… Have I worried you, Brad-sama?

I’m taking care of the rookies to lessen your burden, or perhaps I should say so that you won’t have to worry about unnecessary things and yet…  I’m sorry, Brad-sama.

Brad : Don’t apologize. You aren’t a burden at all. It’s because I trust you.

You’ve served the Beams family for about 8 years... You’ve grown so much, you with that glint in your eyes like a wolf in the wild.

Oscar : Please don’t flatter me that much... I was simply desperate, and poorly educated.

But, if  you think so, I’m happy. Well, when I think about that time it’s certainly kind of nostalgic.

Akira and Will right now...  and Keith-san, when I look at them it reminds me of that... I feel a bit jealous of them.

Brad : Jealous? What do you mean?

Oscar : I can’t say that clearly… I’m jealous that they are being scolded by you, Brad-sama?

Brad : ……

Oscar : Ah.. That’s… That just now... I didn’t mean it in a weird way…

Brad : I understand. I’m certainly not scolding you as much right now, after all.

But if that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t be able to let you be my aide... And Keith is out of the question… I don’t want to even imagine that.

Oscar : I’m honored to hear you say that.

That aside, Brad-sama, what do you want to do today?

Brad : Right. I thought I’d finish my chores, but spending an occasional day off like that feels bland...  

I suddenly want to work up a sweat. I’m going to the training room.

Oscar : Eh… but, haven’t you just showered?

Brad : If I sweat I’ll just wash up again. I’m going to spar, so join me, Oscar.

Oscar : …! Yes, sir! Gladly!

Brad : Give it all you got.

Oscar : Please stop joking. I will win today, Brad-sama.

[thatfanfictionchick]

MLQC SONG LIST

Does that make sense? Basically, songs I hear that I think fit different characters.

I’m a chronic over-explainer so, some of them fit because of the lyrics. Some of them fit more for the tone or the general feel it inspires, ya know?

There will probably be regular updates to this. 

[Gavin]

One Thing Right - Marshmello w/Kane Brown (MC, obvs)

T-Shirt - Thomas Rhett (morning aaafteeeerrr)

Just Like Fire - Pink

Gone, Gone, Gone - Phillip Phillips

Crush - David Archuleta 

South Of The Border - Ed Sheeran/Camila Cabello w/Cardi B (that Mediterranean Date, y’all)

I’ll Be - Edwin McCain (this one was a little hard because I feel like it could fit all the guys, but “I’ll be better when I’m older” is so uniquely Gavin)

[Shaw]

Accidentally In Love - Counting Crows

Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain) - Gary Allan

When Your Heart Stops Beating - +44

[Kiro]

10000 Hours - Dan + Shay, Justin Bieber (I’ve seen other people use this song to describe Kiro and they’re all right)

Drag Me Down - One Direction

Tell Me You Love Me - Demi Lovato (Kiro can’t be perfect all the time, and at those times when he feels low he needs reassurance)

Hanging By The Moment - Lifehouse

Slide - Goo Goo Dolls

Geronimo - Sheppard

Intentions - Justin Bieber feat. Quavo

Like You Love Me - Tauren Wells

Fire And Dynamite - Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors

[Helios]

When Legends Rise - Godsmack (y’all have seen that bloodied Helios karma yeah?)

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

I’m With You - Avril Lavigne (MC & Helios, makes me think of that bone-deep sadness of finding someone you don’t know anymore)

Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes

The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy (Kiro into Helios: “I’m gonna change you like a remix, then I’ll raise you like a phoenix”)

[Victor]

Love Someone - Lukas Graham

Wherever You Will Go - The Calling

Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx (that Victor-going-to-the-future period hurts man)

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - Green Day (in-the-future Vic again)

Graveyard - Halsey (MC & Victor)

You And Me - Lifehouse (the man loves hard alright)

Adore You - Harry Styles (okay but imagine Victor taking MC to some private beach destination and then they never leave the bungalow)

Never Let You Down - The Verve Pipe

Bubbly - Colbie Caillat (he's soft for MC okay??)

Nobody But You - Blake Shelton/Gwen Stefani

[Lucien]

Anti-Hero - Sekai No Owari

Memories - Maroon 5 (”there’s a time that I remember when I did not know no pain, now my heart feel like December when somebody say your name”)

Iris - Goo Goo Dolls (don’t cry...don’t cry...)

I’m Still Here - Goo Goo Dolls (cries really, really hard)

Cradles - Sub Urban (general creep and melancholy + “honesty is a one way gate to hell, I wanna taste consumption”)

Dissolve - Absofacto

Alligator - Of Monsters and Men

Joker And The Thief - Wolfmother 

Halo - Beyonce

Bad Blood - Taylor Swift

[MC]

Higher Love - Whitney Houston, Kygo remix

Dance Monkey - TONES and I (she always seems to be stuck on someone else’s stage)

Fight Song - Rachel Platten 

Brave - Sara Bareilles

Invisible Touch - Genesis (how does she manage to get all these high profile guys wound around her little finger??)

Absolutely - Nine Days

How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty

[wychive]

𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨

pairing(s) // hero!(he/him person of choice) x commander!reader

genre(s) // helios rising heroes!au, co-worker!au romance

warning(s) // walking late at night, mention of food

author’s note // heyhi this was originally for gast adler but since im a kpop blog i decided to make it optional bias kind of thing. this is my first time doing this so i apologize for any mistakes hh,, thank you so much @miffythoughts​ for requesting this <3  remember, acab except them yes and as always, enjoy the story! i love you all so much chefs kiss ❤️

general taglist // @noya-sannnn, @crvgio, @luthenia

send an ask to be in my taglist !

“ah yes, the lively city of blue north”

the voice said, after a relieved sigh. leaving the headquarters behind, you walked with the rookie that was often described as ‘obnoxious’. though you wouldve described him like more of a 'lighthearted bastard’. the night breeze hit you both which made you slightly regret going for a walk with the giant. after all, he was the one who invited you.

you were sitting at your desk, tired from doing some work at the office. stretching your arms above your head, you realised everyone else had gone home - except for you and him. he looked a little beaten up from the combat that afternoon; a huge bruise covered his left bicep. it looked like it would sting but the way he kept pushing the area made it seem harmless. 

your giggle made the other get up and walk over. you were surprised at this sudden action, yet you didn’t expect much of it. maybe, a little 'goodbye’ or 'see you’ as it seemed like he was about to head back home but instead he shot a sweet smile. 

“want to go for a walk?” he asked, spontaneously. 

“what?”

“you heard me, just answer yes or no”

you were blown off by his statement so you needed a little time to process what was happening. “but i have a huge amount of work.”

“and? that doesn’t mean you can’t relax for an hour or two. come on, ill walk you back here once were done,” he persuaded in a genuine tone. you remembered what your mentor said, 'just do it, he won’t stop bothering you unless you go along’

thus, there you were, walking around with him. the sound of cars moving around and music blasting from the karaoke clubs made the journey less awkward. not to mention the amazing blue lights that made the stars seem like meaningless polka dots. you couldn’t believe what you were witnessing as you rarely go out this late, especially on a work night. imagine what you would’ve missed if you had just stayed in doing boring paperwork. 

“don’t you love the bustling city?” he asked, after some time of walking in meaningless directions. the pacing of yours and his feet slowed down upon entering the huge evergreen park that was located in the middle of it all.

“yea but i prefer something a little more calmer,” you told him. “it’s one in the morning and everyone’s still out, probably more energized than ever”

he let out a small laugh - it sounded like warm matcha tea. you grinned at the sight even though you were tired. you both walked in silence once again as the city provided some background tracks. the exit of the pathway was still a long way to go and with that, you decide to ask another question. 

you cleared your throat before saying anything. “do you often take walks like this?”

he placed his hands in the pockets of his uniform vest before answering. “no.” his answer, short and enough for your understanding. yet, you carried on, asking a secondary question.

“then why did you go for one tonight?”

“just felt like it,” his answer had a shortage of words once again, which just seemed like a repeating matter at this point. “plus, you looked like you needed one.”

his response made you stop in your tracks right before the gateway out. he stopped, too, just a few paces after your place. you both had never talked to each other before, in fact, that night was the first time you both had spoken proper sentences outside of meetings. most of the time it was just a bunch of hi’s and hello’s and suddenly he wants to care for you? 

“want to know a secret?” he asked, his voice now more gentle than before. he turned around to face you before you answered with a yes. 

“i know i won’t ever be better than the others but i still try my best. they try to put me down too, but that’s okay,” he said in a melancholic tone and ending it with a chocolate flavoured smile. you were surprised at how well he said that without stuttering or even breaking into tears. that smile, was genuine too. no sort of pain could be detected in that moment. 

“why did you tell me this?” you abruptly asked the hero. the leaves on the trees began to sway as wind danced in the moonlight. a leaf fell on your head but you stood your ground. not wanting to move before he answered your simple question with more than one word. 

“because we’re strangers. aren’t we?” he said in a relaxed tone, and for some reason that pissed you off.

“well, then isn’t it better to tell a close friend rather than a stranger you had just begin talking to?" 

"you say that and yet you trust going on a night walk with me. hypocrisy at its finest.” he was right. this made you want to slap him, but you didn’t. instead, he was the one who went back to you. you closed your eyes, nervous on what he would do to you. you felt his steps coming to a halt before your bodies could touch. you opened your eyes to find him brushing off the leaf earlier. you felt heat creeping onto your cheeks. being flustered and embarrassed wasn’t ever a good combination but why did it feel so.. tingly? like the feeling of your skin brushing against a rough surface. you were getting into something,, but you didn’t know what it was.

the walk back to the main headquarters was quiet too but instead of awkwardness, it felt comfortable as if you both were able to relate to each other. but that was impossible, considering you just started talking today…right? connections build over time,, but in this situation it seemed like time was the hare. your steps felt heavy approaching the entrance, as if your heart never wanted to leave. 

you turned to face him as you felt his gaze from the sidewalk. your smile, soft with a hint of cloud fluff. you both stood there for a while, knowing that neither would make the move to leave. the eye contact between you both felt intoxicating, the good kind. he knew it, too. well, of course he did, he’s a psycho. that bastard rushed up to you, and stood in front of you, close. 

“may i kiss you?” he asked. you nodded, agreeing to whatever he was saying. you were exhausted from the walking and all the fast heart beating he caused. yet, you were still here as he placed his lips on yours.

they were cheerful - like sun rays on a beach day or laughter of children at a playground. his hands snaked around your waist, gripping your form firmly. this felt so wrong. kissing a rookie? your mentor was going to kill you. but was it worth it? yes. fuck, you wanted to kiss him forever but alas every moment has to end. he parted with your lips as a satisfying smile appeared on his face.

you finally snapped back to reality and took your arms off his neck, but his hands were still on your waist. 

“let’s keep this between strangers,” he said before giving a small peck your lips. what the heck? was this a joke? you were confused as to what was going on once again. he filled your mind with questions not even he could answer. you wanted him to stay the night, to make him fall for you like you gradually did for him. you knew he wasn’t a player, as far as you knew, he only had one relationship and they broke it off after a year.

“do you go around kissing other people like that?” you asked, intertwining your fingers with his. 

“sometimes.”

“you’re so messed up.”

“but you were the first one who i genuinely wanted to kiss,” he answered. there he goes again, with the meaningless sentences that could end his life in a second. he was reckless and oh so stupid but god, was he charming. he finally pulled his hand away from yours, signalling it was time to say goodbye. 

“see you never, stranger,” he exclaimed as he reached the sidewalk. he waved goodbye and so did you. as you sat back down on your desk, all that you could think about was him and only him. kissing a stranger was an experience you always wanted to have, yet you were there half regretting it. you kept feeling your lips after that, wanting to light the other matches in that matchbox of emotions. you wanted so much more but nothing else ever happened between you both. 

everything returned as to what had happened before, just greetings and meetings. but this time, butterflies appeared in your stomach whenever you locked eyes with him. it was frustrating to you but he seemed relaxed as ever. stolen glances would make you hope for another good spark, but alas there were none.  after all, you did fall in love with a stranger. 

[dajaregambler]

HeliosR - Tonight at 8 o’clock, at that place (drama track)

Translation of the drama track "Tonight at 8 o’clock, at that place" featured on the CD of Helios Rising Heroes ED Second Season Vol.1.

This is my first time posting a HeliosR drama track translation, if there are any mistakes due to potential mishearing, please do notify me about it. I mostly TL'd it by intense repetitive listening.

I might dabble in some others that I personally really enjoy and think it's crucial character lore(tm), but for now drama track TLs for Helios are mostly a side gig for the fun.

(Opening) 

Victor: Tonight at 8 o’clock, at that place

(Drama track start)

Gast: (This is pretty sudden but I, Gast Adler, am currently at a sushi bar in Green East. As to how I ended up here, I have no idea myself. The other members I’m with are Doc, Jay and also Brad. No but why, like seriously, why the hell did I get invited out here?) 

Jay: Brad, Gast. Many thanks for accepting Victor and I’s invitation today. Man, talking about aquariums with Victor made me crave some sushi.

Gast: (No, no, no, why!? Why did talkin’ about aquariums make you wanna eat some sushi? Is that normal? Or am I overthinkin’ this?)

Victor: How unbelievable, I wouldn’t have imagined appreciation for marine life would take a sudden turn to sushi.

Gast: (Oh thank god, I ain’t the only one. Didn’t think Doc would be on the same page as me, but thank god!)

Brad: I appreciate the invitation. I had been interested in conveyor belt sushi since this place opened its doors in Little Tokyo.　

Jay: Haha, can’t leave Brad out when it comes to sushi. Not a chance we wouldn’t have invited you.

Victor: It’s my first time eating conveyor belt sushi. For what reason would one go out of their way to make sushi get transported in such a manner?

Brad: Originally, sushi had a strong luxurious image to it, thus as a result of trying to make it more affordable for the general public, conveyor belt sushi was born.

Incidentally, the idea of serving sushi in such a way had come from how they used said machinery in factories. 

Jay: Hahaha, look at you go Brad. Usually you keep it cool but when it comes to sushi, your passion bursts out.

Gast: Huh, so Brad likes sushi. Think Akira told me ‘bout it before. Makes sense as to why Brad would get invited, but why did I get called out here today?

Jay: Ah that’s because---

Victor: You just so happened to be there, that’s all.

Gast: Eh?

Victor: Since Jay invited Brad, I was told to take someone with me too. Without anyone coming to mind in particular, I coincidentally ran into Gast, you, first while walking in the hallway.

Gast: J-just so…?

Victor: Is there anything?

Gast: Not really!? Nothin’ at all. Like nothin’ at all.

Gast: (Was wonderin’ there was something due to how I was suddenly called over but, to think he seriously just took me along like that. S’giving me some mixed feelings though.

Well, that's how things go normally? It’s true I tagged along ‘cuz I had nothin’ to do. If that’s how it is, then I’ll have my fill of sushi and go home.)

-

Jay: Your short courses on substance are great, but why not throw in some classes about fish for the kids at the aquarium too? How about it, Professor Fish?

Victor: You’re tenacious, Jay. Please stop with calling me that.

Jay: Hahaha, sorry, sorry! Can’t wipe that scene from the kids calling you so from my mind though.

Victor: Good grief…

Gast: Huh, Doc and Jay surprisingly get along pretty well.

Jay: We’ve been getting along for quite a while, you know! Especially from the time we both got admitted to Helios. 

Gast: So when you were a rookie? That’s amazin’.

Victor: We did indeed interact, although I’m unsure if it’s correct to frame it as being on good terms.

Jay: Wha- Don’t say something so lonely now, Victor! You know we were there for each other during our tough time as rookies. 

Gast: When Jay was a rookie then… Doc was, uh… 

Victor: I was about 13 years old back then. Just as Jay, I joined the research department at Helios early.

Gast: I see! So Doc had a time like that too, eh. I totally can’t imagine it though.

Jay: Wanna hear about what kind of boy Victor was?

Victor: It’s not your place to discuss that, Jay.

Jay: Huh!? You won’t let me talk about it!? Even though we’re having such a blast tonight. Brad’s curious about it too, no?

Brad: Well, it’s not right to disregard him. I agree with Victor on that front.

However, personally speaking I am interested about both of your pasts. It’s not often I get to hear you talk about such things, which honestly makes me happy when you do. 

Jay: Exactly, exactly! You get it, Brad. You’re enjoying your sushi, no? Make sure to eat to your heart's content since we’re here after all.

Brad: Yeah. Gast, is it to your taste?

Gast: Ah, yeah. Been havin’ my fill since earlier, the salmon’s so tasty I’m on my 10th plate already!

Brad: I see, that’s good then.

Gast: (Man, s’kinda feeling like a waste to just eat sushi and head home. Thinking ‘bout it for a sec, everyone here ‘cept me are all major heroes. Reminiscing about the past is nice and all, but there’s also lotsa things I’d like to ask.

Guess I’ll air out some of my worries now that I got the chance.)

Victor: What’s the matter, Gast? Your chopsticks froze in place.

Gast: Er- How should I go on ‘bout being more reliable for my team members? Everyone here are adults from the 13th gen, and all have this dependable vibe- in my opinion.

That’s why I wanted to try askin’…

Jay: Nice one, Gast. These are the types of questions you should come at with full force.

Let’s see, I recommend following Brad’s example in this case. As a Mentor Leader he’s leading the 13th generation, which makes him quite dependable.

Brad, if there’s any advice you got, lay it out on him.

Brad: When it comes to earning the people’s trust, I believe Jay to be the most suitable example to follow.

The idea of Mentor Leader is a mere title in comparison. Jay operates without it, and is trusted by friends and allies, being someone you can rely on. I tried to follow Jay’s teachings myself.

It’s no exaggeration to claim that’s where my roots come from.

Jay: Guh- It’s kind of embarrassing when you put it like that… It’s true that I taught you, but you’ve been firm on your feet ever since your days as a rookie. 

Victor: It’s true that there’s a difference in types, I’d even go as far to say that they’re both extreme variants. Neither can you deny that both Jay and Brad are suitable to be leaders.

Brad is the character of order, a leader that exemplifies what oneself ought to be. Jay on the other hand garners respect, a leader that leads the people- is what I would say.

I can’t clearly say which Gast resembles closely, however since there are many different types, I think it’d be best to look at the good points of each respectively, and apply it to yourself. 

Gast: Apply the good points, huh… I wanna be a bit more reliable but it ain’t like I wanna become a leader.

Victor: Is that so? I do believe that you have it in you though. On the same aptitude as these two, even.

Gast: Huh?

(*mysterious distance noises*)

Jay: Huh, what’s that noise?

Victor: It sounds like something’s on the move. Which is that train-like object heading over here…!?

Brad: Sorry… This is… the sushi train I ordered.

Jay, Victor & Gast: Sushi train!?

Brad: I’ve heard this is something unique to conveyor belt sushi, so I’ve been curious about it for a while… Although I had no idea there would be an actual train…

Jay: Ooh, it’s a toy train. The sushi’s hitching a ride on each cart. 

Victor: It seems to be an item from the kids menu. 

Brad: U-ugh…

Jay: Pay no mind, Brad! For today- or rather, amongst us, there’s no need to worry!

Victor: Indeed. You can ask for whatever you’d like after all.

Brad: T-that’s not the problem here…

Gast: (Huuuh, so that’s how Brad gets when he’s with these two. Kinda hard to imagine when keeping in mind how the Mentor Leader’s usually like. It’s a given with these people though.)

Jay: Gast, don’t sweat the details either and just kick back and relax.

Gast: Eh?

Jay: You’re somewhat similar to Brad in a way. Out of all the rookies you came with the most maturity, and I often brought up to Brad how you might have an issue that would be hard to talk about at that time. 

Brad: Yeah.

Gast: Huh!?

Jay: Victor, you’ve honestly had that on your mind too, which is why you invited him, no?

Gast: EEEEEH!?

Victor: How many times have I told you to stop talking on my behalf now.

Jay: Ahahahaha, my bad! After all said and done it was a worthwhile outing for Gast, you think so too don’t you?

Victor: Sigh. 

Gast: (What… so in the end there WAS a reason I got invited!? Or there wasn’t!? Gaah, I don’ really get it- but I mean, I’m glad I was asked to.

Ate some tasty sushi, and I was able to hang out with mentors I don’ usually have to do much with. Since I’m here, might as well take ‘em up on their offer for today and go all out enjoying myself while kickin’ it back.

Just kidding♪)