#in the land of gods and monsters

[peachesofteal]

blood bag WIP:

[metvmorqhoses]

Artemis smiled as Apollo opened the door to their oikos.

It was a beautiful house surrounding a garden filled to the brim with wildlife and even some vegetables. The walls were painted by Apollo himself and some even had mosaics on them. Artemis told her brother it was unnecessary but he wouldn’t listen, saying that if the garden and the outer walls have been left just as wild as she wished then the inner walls could be as colorful as he desired.

He was as dressed as a newly hatched baby bird, not that she could judge, her weapons where the only thing covering her pale skin. She looked as ready for battle as she was for xenia, as Leto was returning to Hyperborea. Apollo assured her of that fact a fortnight ago, eyes unwavering even now, eyes of the predator that he really was. Artemis was absolutely convinced that they looked laughable, hunter and predator working together.

She left the nymphs on the edge of the river Eridanos, Artemis knew they would wait for her, days and even centuries if they had to, although Artemis wondered how many of them would be pure by the time she came back.

She let Apollo drag her to the gynaeceum, where, on the klines, was the lovelies dress that she had seen. Stars woven together to play the part of a dress, just like she was

“Couldn’t let my sister not look the part of the hostess, could I?” He kissed her neck, knowing that’s the most she will let him do, knowing that she was only playing, just as they had when they we’re in the lovely forest for only a day, that lasted weeks, she could still fell those mortal’s terror when they realized that the day would not end, just as Apollo will never end. For what reason, not even Gaia herself knew, much less Artemis.

Artemis looked at her twin and her smile widened. She felt ready, sparks under her skin and an almost satisfied heart.

She put on the dress that Apollo gifted her. He watched.

He went to the andron. She followed.

He dressed. She watched.

She started to set the table. He brought the wine.

They get a cow and rip out its heart.

Apollo sets up everything for the symposia. Artemis cooks them dinner.

Divine siblings sit at the table waiting for their mother. They wait and wait and wait and wait…

The dinner never gets cold. The hostess never rises and the host never speaks. Neither move.

The day doesn’t end. Babies are morn and made of stone. Mortal scream and scream and scream…

The door opens. Apollo smiles. Artemis rises.

Nyx runs free, cloak falling freely behind her. Mortals scream in ecstasy. And a mother smiles at a predator playing the role of a hostess greats her in a place that she can’t bear staying for long, let alone calling it home.

-

So, you inspired me to write this, I used some actual ancient Greek words

Oikos refers to three related but distinct concepts: the family, the family’s property, and the house.

gynaeceum - women's room

Greek houses would typically contain an ‘andron’, or men’s room. This was a sort of lounge where men would host friends and associates and hold ‘symposia’, essentially dinner parties.

By then the Greeks had a couch/bed called a “kline” that was used for lounging and sleeping (hence our word “recline”). 

I love this to bits.

[strawlessandbraless]

Get his ass

[astarionsilverbough]

i am Writing

[winter-wise]

Peter Cushing Characters + The Guide to Troubled Birds

[lilaccatholic]

I am once again thinking about the reluctant ruler whose arc justly and correctly includes assuming the throne and taking responsibility for the people set before them

[secriden]

Oh wow, what a monumental step for Diew to offer this!! I very much expected it to be something God would have to ask for.

But it also doesn't feel unnatural or unearned for Diew to be willing to try, because God is so clearly different from his ex. God has done such a good job of being honest about what he wants (in big and small ways) but giving Diew the right to choose whether he's ready to step out of his comfort zone. It makes so much sense that Diew feels safe enough to trust that God wouldn't bring him into a situation which will make him feel as terrible as his ex did.

Also it was really sweet how God offered to hang out with Game first, like he's showing how it's not a one-way street of Diew having to step out of what he's familiar because God is 100% willing to get to know the people Diew cares about and engage with what Diew likes (like with the puzzles). Unlike with his ex where it was Diew being told that he needed to change to be more like his boyfriend, God is showing he wants them to grow towards each other.

The show also makes it clear they DO have things in common - eg their love of dogs, their appreciation of peaceful spaces (since it was God who brought Diew to the riverbank), and art (even if they both have different styles, they both enjoy art/drawing). This is just such a believable relationship because it really feels like 2 people who have genuine compatibility whilst also having enough differences that each finds the other fascinating and being in this relationship is growing them both.

And God really continues to not disappoint!! Like, I definitely don't think he'd abandon his friends (he's not that kind of person) but he's also making it clear that he's willing to hear feedback from Diew and is actively checking in on Diew's comfort levels. <3

This whole episode was such a natural lead up to their becoming official boyfriends. And just look at the happiness radiating off the both of them!!

The swelling music; the way everything is shot in this kind of dreamy light, with the literal fairy string lights; the way their first kiss is so so soft and God clearly looks at Diew to check if he's okay with it before continuing! Just, great job, MND!!

[monstermoviedean]

14x02 takes place in late october (presumably 2018), 14x01 took place 3 weeks after 13x23 which was approximately may/june 2018. so dean has been possessed for 4-5 months now.

[fiftiesbbydolldress]

we get down every friday night

[lightning-squad]

bro someone give him a break they keep sending him flying

[ahopefulbromantic]

I just realized the most tragic thing - that I cannot gush about 31st October being Dziady / Forefathers' Eve because it's a Polish thing and none of my mutuals know what it is and no really good translation of the dramatic works exists to have them read it :(((

It's like a traditional Polish Halloween and nowadays it's mainly known from Adam Mickiewicz's (he's to Poland what Shakespeare is to England) 4-part drama centered around it. It follows a tortured poet (my blorbo, I love him) during the time Poland was partitioned and erased from the maps, its people oppressed but always fighting back. It is one of the most important and culturally significant Polish works ever created. And it's got, like so many themes, so many themes you guys. It's one of my favorite works ever one of my all-time dreams is to play Konrad, a protag from part 3.

So if anyone does know it or is interested in finding out more please please please message me or drop an ask I'd love to infodump!!!

[astarionsilverbough]

i’m still here 💕

[levtolstoiz]

[sayyestoheavensayyestome]

a nice walk will make you find god a walk on the treadmill will make you think I haven’t heard gods and monsters by Lana del rey in years

[-galeniss]

songs of summer

Katniss teaches Gale to swim, and learns something else.

(fluffy little summer story, AU in which everthorne happens)

ao3/ffn

[ircnwrought]

harmonia's timeline (bc lbr, the myths are a mess; read more since this is long af with cites for me to look back on later)

*quick side note that this is just how i portray/write harmonia and i'm not truly married to the particular order of how everything happens. there are so many retellings out there and everyone has their own version of what happened, so differences between portrayals is definitely expected

-??? yrs - before the start of harmonia's myth: the creation of the world, the overthrow of the titans, and the creation of man

-??? yrs - the start of the age of gods and mortals: the time when gods and mortals mingled freely on earth. the world is still very new when harmonia is born (she and cadmus are part of the fifth generation of beings folllowing the creation of the world)

side note of ancestry given how new the world is: gaia->uranus->cronus->poseidon->agenor->cadmus; gaia->uranus->cronus->zeus->ares/aphrodite->harmonia (both being five generations removed from gaia)

0 yrs - cadmus is born to agenor and telephassa in phoenicia; harmonia is born to ares and aphrodite in thrace (harmonia is the firstborn of this union)

let your daughter Harmonia go along with her yearsmate [same age] Kadmos as his bride (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 3. 373 - 4. 292)

less than 1 day - harmonia is sent to foster with electra of samothrace; she is born on the same day as electra's eldest son with corythus, emathion (electra is already the mother of dardanos and iasion by zeus)

The mother [Aprodite] did not nurse it--she was ashamed of the baby which told its own tale of the furtive bed; but away from the bosom of the sky she carried the suckling, lying in her arm, to the fostering house of Elektra [the Queen of Samothrake], when the childbed Horai (Horae, Seasons) had just delivered her baby still wet, when her breasts were tight and swollen with the gushing white sap. Elektra received the bastard daughter with equal rights, and joined the newborn girl on one breast with her newborn Emathion, held with equal love and care her two different nurslings in her arm. So Elektra then with loving breast foster-mothered her brace of newborn babes, the boy and the girl, and cherished them with equal care. (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 3. 373 - 4. 292)

18 yrs - cadmus is sent to rescue his sister europa from zeus and slays ares's dragon in the process of founding thebes; cadmus begins sevens yrs of indetured service to ares; corythus dies, leaving emathion king of samothrace as the only child of his union with electra

Kadmos (Cadmus) approaches the palace of King Emathion of Samothrake [when courting Harmonia] (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 3. 124 - 4. 212)

25 yrs - cadmus finishes his indentured servitude and is gifted harmonia's hand in marriage as reward; harmonia protests the marriage and aphrodite tricks her daughter into accepting the suit; the wedding is the first wedding the gods and mortals celebrate together

When the maiden heard of this marriage of much wandering and this unstable husband, this homeless man under their roof, she declared she would have no stranger, and refused all that Kadmos' patron proposed on Zeus his father's behalf ... But now tricky-minded Aphrodite girt her body in the heart-bewitching cestus-belt, and clothing herself in the love-robe of Peitho (Persuasion) she entered Harmonia's fragrant chamber ... As though in love with Kadmos and suffering from some hidden sickness, with but little brightness in her pale face, she chased away the maids; and when Harmonia was alone she sat by her side and said as in shame with deceitful tongue ... [Harmonia] changed her mind, and with divided purpose wished both to have the stranger and to live in her own land ... When Mene [Selene the Moon] saw the girl following a stranger along the shore above the sea, and boiling under fiery constraint, she reproached Kypris [Aphrodite] in mocking words : ‘So you make war even upon your children, Kypris! Not even the fruit of your womb is spared by the goad of love! Don't you pity the girl you bore, hardheart? What other girl can you pity then, when you drag your own child into passion?" (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 3. 373 - 4. 292)

This wedding of Kadmos and Harmonia was the first, we are told, for which the gods provided the marriage-feast (Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 48. 2)

cadmus gifts harmonia the cursed necklace at their wedding; hephaestus fashioned the necklace to punish aphrodite for her affair with ares and in turn gave the necklace to cadmus; the necklace gifts its wearer youth and beauty (and those around her, hence cadmus being alive for so long); harmonia's foster brother iasion is struck dead at the wedding by zeus for sleeping with demeter and is the first unrecognized victim of the curse, dardanus goes into exile in grief; harmonia wears the necklace nearly everyday after, including when her children are conceived thereby transferring the curse into the blood of the theban royal family; the couple returns to thebes immediately after the wedding

The dread necklace of Harmonia . . . The Lemnian [Hephaistos], so they of old believed, long time distressed at Mars' [Ares'] deceit and seeing that no punishment gave hindrance to the disclosed armour [with his wife Aphrodite], and the avenging chains removed not the offence, wrought this for Harmonia [the child born of the armour] on her bridal day to be the glory of her dower . . . The work first proved its worth, when Harmonia's complaints turned to dreadful hissing, and she bore company to grovelling Cadmus, and with long trailing breast drew furrows in the Illyrian fields. (Statius, Thebaid 2. 265 ff)

Kadmos (Cadmus) gave Harmonia a robe and the necklace [on her wedding day] fashioned by Hephaistos (Hephaestus) (Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 25)

Iasion and Dardanos, two brothers [sons of Elektra (Electra)], used to live in Samothrake (Samothrace). But when Iasion was struck by a thunderbolt because of his sin against Demeter, Dardanos sailed away from Samothrake, went and took up his abode at the foot of Mount Ida, calling the city Dardania. (Strabo, Geography 7 Fragment 49 )

the rest of the gods spoke them fair and gave the pair their aid in the celebration of the wedding. After this Kadmos, they say, in accordance with the oracle he had received, founded Thebes in Boiotia (Boeotia). (Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 48. 2)

26 yrs - birth of autonoe (side note: that harmonia has very human births in which she carries her children for nine months and births them herself)

Soon Harmonia yoked by the cestus-girdle that guides wedded desire, carried in her womb the seed of many children whom she brought forth soon one by one: turn by turn she was delivered of her teeming burden by the birth of daughters, after four times nine circuits had been fulfilled. First Autonoe leapt from her mother's fruitful womb, her first birthpangs after nine months' course with child.  (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5. 88 ff)

27 yrs - birth of ino

Then came Ino to be her sister, the beautiful consort of Athamas who bore him two children. (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5. 88 ff)

29 yrs - birth of agave

Third appeared Agaue (Agave), who afterwards married with the giant stock and bore a son like to her fangform husband [Ekhion (Echion)]. (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5. 88 ff)

31 yrs - birth of semele; despite a difficult labor, semele's birth was under auspicious stars and she is the daughter that looks the most like aphrodite/the graces, beginning a cycle of resentment amongst the other sisters that lasts a lifetime

Then Semele fourth of the daughters grew up, the image of the Kharites (Charites, Graces) in her lovestriking looks, preserved for Zeus; although youngest of the sisters, she alone was given by nature the prerogative of unconquerable beauty. (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5. 88 ff)

shortly after semele's birth, zeus transforms electra and the rest of the pleiades into stars after they are pursued by orion; harmonia is devastated by the loss of her foster mother but takes comfort in her new daughter

when the Pleiades flee mighty Orion and plunge into the misty deep (Works and Days 618–623)

44 yrs - semele is dedicated to the temple of zeus on her 13th birthday; despite the tradition of older children being settled before the younger, cadmus waited until semele's dedication to betroth autonoe, agave, and ino, believing the dedication would bring good luck to the unions

Kadmos (Cadmus) [king of Thebes] now chose husbands for his daughters, and gave them over in four successive bridals, settling their weddings one by one. [I choose to interpret that Semele's "wedding" is as a priestess to Zeus in the temple] (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5.212)

marriages of autonoe to aristaeus and agave to echion; ino refuses to marry, claiming she has given her heart to the already wedded atahamas, scandalizing her parents

After the bridals of Nephele [Athamas's wife] of the earlier marriages, maiden Ino went with revels to the bridal chamber of Athamas. (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5. 556 ff)

45 yrs - athamas divorces nephele to marry ino, despite already having two children (phrixus and helle), the start of a theban golden age as all the daughters begin to have children

Athamas, lord of Boiotia (Boeotia), sired by Nephele a son Phrixos and a daughter Helle. Then he took a second wife, Ino, by whom he had Learkhos (Learchus) and Melikertes (Melicertes). (Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 80)

agave gives birth to pentheus, semele reaches her majority at 15 yrs old and cadmus, still without a son, bucks tradition and names her his official heir over his other daughters

46 yrs - autonoe gives birth to actaeon

47 yrs - agave gives birth to epirus

48 yrs - zeus and semele have an affair; semele conceives dionysus while wearing harmonia's cused necklace; while six months pregnant, semele dies after seeing zeus in his true form; zeus sews dio into his thigh and gives birth three months later; harmonia's remaining daughters, unable to come to terms that their own bitterness caused a large part of semele's doubt in zeus, widely circulate rumors that semele's lover was mortal

Zeus fell in love with Semele and slept with her, promising her anything she wanted, and keeping it all from Hera. But Semele was deceived by Hera into asking her to come to her as he came to Hera during their courtship. So Zeus, unable to refuse her, arrived in her bridal chamber in a chariot with lightning flashes and thunder, and sent a thunderbolt at her. Semele died of fright, and Zeus grabbed from the fire her sixth-month aborted baby, which he sewed into his thigh. After Semele's death the remaining daughters of Kadmos (Cadmus) circulated the story that she had slept with a mortal, thereafter accusing Zeus, and because of this had been killed by a thunderbolt. (Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 26-27)

Next, scarce had shameless Semele put the hurtful gift about her neck, when lying Juno [Hera] crossed her threshold (Statius, Thebaid 2. 265 ff)

ino gives birth to twins, learchus and melicertes

ino agrees to raise dionysus as her own given how close in age he is to her own children, angering hera; hera strikes athamus with madness and he kills his son learchus; ino throws herself off a cliff with their remaining son melicertes

And, in this madness hunting her [Ino], tracked down his [Athamas's] wife and snatched Learchus from her arms, his little laughing son with hands outstretched, and like a slinger whirled him round and round and wildly smashed the baby's head against a granite block; and then his mother, crazed by grief or by the sprinkled poison's power, screamed madly and with streaming hair rushed out with tiny Melicerta in her arms (Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. 416 ff)

60 yrs - harmonia gives birth to a miracle son, polydorus, 29 yrs after the birth of her last daughter, cadmus is convinced to make his newborn son his heir apparent

Harmonia added a little son to the brood of sisters, and made Kadmos happy--Polydoros (Polydorus), the morning star of the Aionian [Theban] nation, younger than rosycheek Semele. (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5. 88 ff )

66 yrs - dionysus, now an 18 yr old demigod, comes to thebes and prophesizes the downfall of his family; given cadmus's advanced age (though he doesn't look like it due to the slowed aging effects of the necklace) and the prophecy, cadmus and harmonia adbicate the throne; polydorus being underage is usurped by his 21 yr old cousin pentheus; cadmus and harmonia are exiled from thebes

"[The god Dionysos addresses old King Kadmos (Cadmus) of Thebes :] ‘Now Kadmos, hear what suffering Fate appoints for you. You shall transmute your nature, and become a serpent. Your wife Harmonia, whom her father Ares gave to you, a mortal, likewise shall assume the nature of beasts, and live a snake. The oracle of Zeus foretells that you, at the head of a barbaric horde, shall with your wife drive forth a pair of heifers yoked, and with your countless army destroy many cities; but when they plunder Loxias' oracle, they shall find a miserable homecoming. However, Ares shall at last deliver both you and Harmonia, and grant you immortal life among the blessed gods.’" (Euripides, Bacchae 1346 ff)

67 yrs - cadmus and harmonia join the fight to overthrow the illyrian kingdom; illyrius, harmonia's last child, is born

"Kadmos (Cadmus) and Harmonia left Thebes and went to the Enkhelean (Enchelean) people. They were being harassed by the Illyrians, and learned from the god through an oracle that they would overpower the Illyrians if they had Kadmos and Harmonia as their leaders. Trusting this, they made these two their leaders in the campaign, and did indeed defeat the Illyrians. Kadmos ruled the Illyrians, and fathered a son named Illyrios (Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 39)

68 yrs - dionysus returns to thebes and is rejected by pentheus and the sisters; in retliation, dionysus strikes autonoe and agave with madness; they tear pentheus apart with their bare hands and are exiled from thebes as kinslayers; polydorus ascends the throne at age 18; autonoe's son actaeon is eaten by his hounds

"Mother," he said, "I am your child, Pentheus, son of Echion. Mother, pity me! Don't kill me Mother. I made mistakes, but I am still your child." But she was foaming at the mouth, her eyes rolled all around; her mind was mindless now. Held by the god, she paid the man no heed. (Euripides, Bacchae, 1119-1131)

69 yrs - polydorus marries nycteis; after 2 long years of war, agave marries the king of the illyrians, lycotherses, and murders him to hand the kingdom to her parents

70 yrs - agave dies in exile as a kin and spouse slayer; polydorus has his son labdacus

71 yrs - autonoe dies in grief from the loss of her son actaeon; polydorus dies of illness; polydorus's son labdacus becomes king, but as he is underage, nycteus and lycus rule as regents

84 yrs - cadmus, in his grief, asks the gods to turn him into a snake and they comply; harmonia, unable to bear being parted from her husband, begged for the same fate, which ares gave her; illyrius becomes king of illyria

"Cadmus . . . overcome by sorrow and his train of troubles and so many warning signs, he left the city, Thebae (Thebes), that he had founded, as if that city's fortune, not his own, were crushing him, and with his pilgrim wife [Harmonia], after long wanderings reached Illyria. And now, worn by their woes and weight of years, the two were talking of their early times, the fortune of their house and their said toils, and Cadmus said ... 'I pray that I may be a Snake and stretch along the ground' ...  Beating her naked breast, his wife cried out ‘Stay, Cadmus, stay! Throw off that monstrous shape! Cadmus, what now? Your feet, your shoulders, hands where are they? And your colour and your shape, and, while I'm speaking, everything? Ye Gods, why don't you turn me too into a snake?’ (Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. 565 ff)