#know that YOU have the midas touch and everything you touch can turn to gold if you so wish.

[babeyun]

Dear babeyun,

Falling Alone had me crying. I am a fan of angst but this time, I felt it. I was so immersed in the story due to your impeccable storytelling skills that I could feel that hurt, that unsettling pain and sorrow in the pit of my stomach. My eyes welled up so many times and I cried a lot. I relate to Y/N a lot and felt this story on a personal level. The career stagnation and having to restart, giving and giving too much and yet feeling like you're having to beg for love, the conflict with her mother; it's all so relatable.

When Y/N says, "I like that even when I don't feel loved by you, you wouldn't survive without me. In lieu of me, who?" and later during the shower scene Heeseung says, "It's only ever been you for me. I've never once thought back to when we started dating and thought that I'd would’ve been better off with anyone else. I've never wanted anyone that isn't you, and I think that is equally as beautiful as it is terrifying. In lieu of you, who? I'd have no first love without you, you’re the only love I want." Oh, I was sobbing.

Thank you for giving me the best for hours of this year. I feel so happy to have read something so raw and relatable. Heeseung realization and efforts prove that flaws and lacking are fine to have when one's willing to make a change for love. Lately, I've been spending hours contemplating if picking between love and career is the only way out for most and balance is that hard to achieve and your fic came in making me understand the complexities of humans, their priorities and the way they evolve.

 once again, thanks for making my year. I never thought a fanfiction could leave me in this state; contemplation about life and people. Just like Heeseung, I too happen to be seeking for answers, just like Y/N, I have a lot of insecurities, complex relationships that, etc but I hope to work on myself.

I hope you publish this work as a physical some day!

dear anon, i genuinely have no idea what to say. i did not expect someone to tell me that a fic i wrote made them feel such complex emotions. i'm glad that falling alone could do that for you, as it was a huge project of my own projection, my own feelings, and in a way, my life. it makes me a little sad that someone can relate, because that means that there are more people that suck in this world -- and not all of them have the capacity to self reflect the way i made heeseung's character do.

i have said this so often lately that it's just burned on the tip of my tongue -- we have to give ourselves more grace, because we are ever-evolving. as humans, we forget that life is full of challenges and proving ourselves, until it becomes too much -- and that is when we turn to love. we don't need to prove ourselves there, because it should be common sense that everyone is worthy of love and being loved, and everyone should experience it. a part of me actually hated writing y/n because not only did i think that she deserved better, but because i had that same experience earlier this year. 2024 has not been kind to me, i fear, and i wanted her to be angry. i wanted her to resent heeseung, but i couldn't find it within myself to be so...well, angry. so i let my anger go and took the story for a different turn.

your priority should always be you. you are born into this world for a purpose, to make a different, to serve YOURSELF of the buffet that is life. you are born ALONE, and you can traverse this life alone successfully. it is human will that makes us seek love, and it is human kindness that makes us worthy of it. you are worthy of it, just like you are worthy of having a career, a work-life balance, whatever you want! the world is your oyster, life is your pearl. polish it.

i'm glad that i could hit a profound part of your mind, and i'm so grateful that you shared this with me. i will cherish it deeply, thank you for allowing me to be a small sliver of what made your year. thank you for reading, and, in a way, for understanding me.

take good care of yourself. stay safe and have a wonderful new year. <3

[strangeandun-muse-ual]

I didn't even read the full post, I just saw "What's their McDonald's order" and decided that's the most interesting muse question I've ever seen, so gimme that one for every muse on the roster.

I lost the meme this was attached to ope lol || Not accepting

Thanks to @e-m-p-error responding to this same ask I'm kind of leaning towards "one large Powerade with no ice and all the McGriddles you can fit in a bag." It is, he will insist, The Perfect Breakfast Sandwich.

Three Filet o Fish, a medium fry, and a frozen Coke

One (1) black coffee

His canonical favorite food is pancakes, but I feel like he'd not be a fan of the pancake breakfast thing at McDonalds. I think he'd probably take after Vox and go for a McGriddle (just the one) and maybe a hashbrown, but he's mostly going to get a happy meal for 5.0.5.

Quarter pounder with cheese and an apple pie

There is no way Giovanni Potage isn't getting Chicken Nuggies. He gets a bunch of orders of them and four large fries and splits them with his Boys.

[cuppajj]

Neo Beast Head cannons?

WOOWOO

✨Saint Vanilla Cookie

He’s the only one who goes wherever he wants. The other beasts are pretty stationary for the time being, but Saint’s on a mission and he will show up literally anywhere

Still loves animals and thinks they’re incapable of sinning, so they don’t get the purifying touch. It’s why raisin’s crows are still alive

Speaking of raisin, he does miss her but he thinks she’s in a better place. Calls her his martyr and talks about her like she’s still alive

He has tea every morning

It’s unknown where he sleeps when he’s traveling the world

He keeps Crepe’s headset extra clean for the day they meet each other again

❤️‍🔥Dragonberry Cookie

She is still the same old Hollyberry who loves drinking berry juice like there’s no tomorrow. She even brings pints to Neo beast meetings

Even though her pride has given her a massive superiority complex, she still views her family and even Pitaya rather fondly, though it doesn’t prevent the latter from being spared any sort of pain. She sees everything as playful until it’s not

Does frankly miss Tarte Tatin and Royal Margarine even though one or both of them has Snapdragon, who she’s trying to get her hands on

Snores

❄️Frigid Cacao Cookie

Rarely speaks but when he does it’s usually to give orders, and half of that time he asks for food

His incense always remains lit

Alongside the cookies left, sometimes the licorice sea monsters that now roam his halls act as his servants. He can also use the licorice ooze to do wacky things like teleport from one place to another

Sometimes he appears in the fog of the snow like an apparition, something you can barely see but know he’s there. It’s one of the rare sightings of him outside

Another thing he does when outside is stare at a frozen Cacaoian. Sometimes he touches the icy surface, maybe kneels. Who knows what he’s thinking?

☀️Celestial Cheese Cookie

A lot of her mannerisms are akin to white diamond from steven universe, she was actually one of the main references I used for her design

She can summon as many golden arms as she wants and they operate on hydra properties. Cutting one will grow two

Despite this, she doesn’t have the legit Midas touch where everything she touches turns to gold, she can be selective. Which is good when she wants to pet jackals

Her growing kingdom is full of converted desert inhabitants and travelers, maybe a handful of townships, and it’s remarkable how she’s been able to grow a lot from nothing. She does get a bit of an inferiority complex when comparing herself to the likes of Dragonberry, but it motivates her to conquer more

🥀Midnight Lily Cookie

She picked up playing the harp after she became queen, and she plays often. The silver fae like to gather around to listen to their queen perform, and her harp can be heard across the kingdom

She’s grown more accustomed to speaking like the silver fae as well at times, her voice songlike despite how neutral it sounds. She’ll sing as she plays the harp as well

Despite being a beast, she’s the least accepting of that name for lack of a better word. She doesn’t see herself as being corrupt, only staying true to her decisions and her sovereignty, what she believes is right for herself and everyone. It just so happens that it enables the bad to do worse, but it’s not her problem anyway.

Her kingdom is still strict to outsiders, probably on the same level as cacao. You might need an invitation inside or risk the silver fae being free to do whatever they wish with you

As I mentioned previously they operate similar to the fae (unseelie in aesthetic) so you don’t want to bother chaotic neutral creatures

The only one allowed without invitation is Saint Vanilla, who has a habit of showing up in her garden to lay among the flowers. Lily can only imagine what he thinks of when he sees her

[akystaracer22]

Distrust Fall:

A leap of faith gone wrong, an eternal promise kept eternally. No matter how long it has been some things never truly change.

Notes

How to fail a trust fall: Step one

Vaggie's relationship with Adam is very complicated, but at the moment there is a lot of animosity and it shows.

Adam is of the opinion that Sorry doesn’t mean jack shit if you make the mistake again, so he just doesn’t apologise because he thinks he’ll just fuck up again so there’s no point.

The hotel needs a licensed therapist at this point dear lord.

Alastor still isn’t over the whole “Radio is fucking dead” thing.

If there is one thing that Adam knows off by heart, it’s the names of animals scientific or otherwise. That was the guys job once upon a time and assuming he doesn’t know that stuff is the true quickest way to piss him off. He’s also really good with animals which pisses off Anthony because Fat Nuggets *likes* Adam and it drives the sinner up a wall.

Alastor and Lucifer are on the ground. Angel, Husk, Charlie, Vaggie, and Adam are on the roof.

Alastor was going to let him get a cm from the ground before catching him dw.

Lucifer used to be friends with Adam in the garden because I live for that sweet sweet friends to enemies tragedy.

Adam really does not like people staring at his face, it’s a mild form of scopophobia caused by his time in heaven with people always giving him shit for how he looked, particularly his facial features (Yes I drew on everyone calling him ugly and average on twitter and shit). He used the mask to get around it, that way people couldn’t actually see what he looked like.

This was originally 1260 but then I got an idea that blew this out by 500 words lol.

The graveyard with be elaborated on in a future connected one shot.

This is officially a fully fledged AU

Regarding Adam's claws, they're gold to combat the greyness of his palette, but also as a nod to Midas, the arrogant king who's touched turned everything to gold. Angelic blood is also gold so if you want you can interpret it as having blood on his hands.

Fingerless gloves because I thing they're neat.

I based Lucifer's wings off of duck wings!

Also Lucifer's angelic appearance was based on space. I heard Sera call Charlie "Daughter of the Morning Star" and I went feral.

He has a full shifting night sky in his wings, clothes, and hat.

Angels have white pupils now I don't make the rules.

References saved my life.

Word count: 1725

(Comic and fic under the cut! Click for better quality)

@irregular-child

Adam leaned away from the edge as the wind drifted through his wings, keenly aware of the fact that his wings wouldn’t break his fall and he did not in fact trust jack shit in hell to break it except the ground.

“Are we sure this is a good idea?”

“I’m with princess perfect this is a fucking death sentence,” Adam agreed, a little reluctantly because it was still the princess of hell, “You’re trying to fucking kill me.”

Vaggie smirked, because of course she did because she was trying to kill him, he wasn’t that dense, and just shrugged, “I mean, worked for me didn’t it?”

“That wasn’t even a fucking trust fall that was to get you to fucking fly and you know it! Fucking bitch,” The first man scowled and tried to step away from the edge, the crack whore of an arachnid immediately shoving him back up, “Would you fuck off?!”

“Would you stop being a dick?”

“Would you stop sucking them?”

The white jumping spider stared at him for a long moment and Vaggie stepped away from him for once, great! Cool! One person was leaving him alone and soon a second one will!

Great! About fucking time they got the message-

-------]

Lucifer paced nervously around Dazzle’s statue; this was a terrible idea. Having Adam go through a trust fall this early was going to end in disaster one way or another.

The main issue being nobody liked Adam and wouldn’t care if he fell. Hell, Charlies girlfriend has already tried to kill Adam off for good multiple times since he got here!

This was going to be a mess; Alastor was supposed to be catching Adam but he was just standing there looking completely unprepared and-

“Are you going to get ready or not.” Lucifer snapped at the radio demon, wings flicking out behind him in agitation.

“Oh, I have no intention of catching him.”

Lucifer froze, his tail stilling before lashing behind him as he turned on the deer-eared sinner, “What.”

“You heard me.”

“Oh, I heard you alright, and I think you should try that again.”

“And why are you getting so worked up, hm?” The sinner hummed, sneering down at the king, “Last I checked, the first man was your enemy after he tried to kill your own daughter.”

“I-” Lucifer paused, then scowled because Alastor was right. Why was he getting so worked up over this. This was Adam they were talking about. Adam who was crass and rude and cold to everyone. Adam, who would rather sit in his room all day than even look at any of them. Adam who was…

“…Luci, do they all hate me?”

…

“I can see why they left me for you.”

…

“It is good to see you again my friend! Come, much has changed since your last visit!”

… Adam who was so much more than who he was now. Who was probably the only person left in hell that remembered Eden.

Damnit.

“That’s none of your business you son of a bitch,” The fallen angel snapped at the cannibal, eliciting nothing more than a growing grin from the bastard.

Not a day went by in hell where Lucifer wished that this wasn’t his circus and that the sinners weren’t his monkeys.

Someone screamed above him.

The seraphim whipped his head up, eyes widening as he registered Adam twisting the air as he was shoved off the roof by Angel Dust.

Fear struck his heart like an exorcists blade when the first man tried to use his wings to glide, only for a single wing beat to send him into a spiral hurtling towards the ground.

He caught Adams eye for a single moment before it was obscured by his good wing, the man was terrified. He didn’t know sinners reformed after death and despite it all. Lucifer would never wish someone to experience falling from their death after quite literally falling from heaven.

Not even on Adam.

Something in his heart spurred the king into action, kicking off the ground as his wings snapped open to catch the air. A single beat of his wings and he was already well off the ground.

Lucifer reached a hand up for Adam as the fallen angel reached out to him in kind, panic written across both their faces at the idea of a horrible accident.

Lucifer’s wings moved the air one more time and-

“And… you will catch me?”

Lucifer laughed softly, a gentle chiming sound from where he stood behind Gods first man. He was trying to show him a game Lucifer and his kin would play from time to time amongst the spires of heaven.

The game was simple, one angel was to stand up high with their wings folded and fall. Then the other angel was to catch them. It was supposed to build trust, not to mention it was a delight in and of itself.

Standing amongst the grasses of Eden, Lucifer saw no reason not to share this game with Adam. He’s already grown fond of the way that Gods creation would go out of his way to show the angel what he’d been up to since his last visit.

“Be not afraid my friend!” Lucifer’s wings spread quietly to punctuate his point, divine magic threading his words, The Voice ensuring that the first man would hear and believe him.

“No matter how far you fall, I shall always be there to catch you.”

Lucifer wrapped his arms securely around the fallen angel as his wings curled around wing and man alike, bracing himself as the added weight as they both fell together.

It’s funny, it reminded him of when Adam first fell, a fiery ball that could have almost been mistaken as a shooting star had Lucifer not known better.

They hid the ground with a slam and the fallen seraphim had to bite back a shriek as his wings took the brunt of the force. They’d be left aching for a while.

Lucifer grunted as he pushed Adam off of him, sitting up and folding his wings in, allowing them to slip out of existence while they healed, he definitely didn’t want to do that again.

He slowly got to his feet while the first man got his bearings, dusting himself off and rubbing his shoulders to try and alleviate the pain.

“Why the fuck did you save me?”

Lucifer jerked and looked down at Adam from where he was glaring up at him, a note of confusion held carefully in his gaze before it dropped.

“I-”

“Well, isn’t this quite a surprise!”

Lucifer’s expression shot into a scowl as he rounded on the radio demon very blatantly interrupting the moment. The bastard just grinned and stared down at the both of them.

From the corner of his eyes Lucifer noted Adam’s good wing hitching up instinctively to cover his face from the demons gaze before dropping.

Lucifer turned his attention back to the radio demon with a glare that could melt steel, “You were going to let him fall,”

“I was going to do no such thing,”

“You just said-!”

“I said nothing you just assumed I was going to do nothing at all!”

“Listen here you!” Lucifer was just off again by the main doors opening and the other’s all barrelling out at the commotion.

Lost in the sudden onslaught of attention and having to field Alastor’s snarky comments, Anthony’s suggestive remarks, and Charlie’s concern, he didn’t see Adam flee the scene.

It wasn’t until much later that he was able to recognize the first man’s absence, searching the hotel to see if Adam was okay.

He found him at the graveyard, sitting among the many tombstones for the exorcists slain in the battle that caused Adam to fall.

Lucifer paused at the entrance to the burial ground, watching Adam sit there facing away from him for what felt like an eternity.

Despite the dead being gone, the king of hell still felt like the exorcists weapons were pointed at him, a warning that if he made one wrong move they would rise from their graves to protect their leader, to avenge him, to strike Lucifer down in an instant.

The once-angel of the morning star carefully stepped away from the cemetery, making sure he didn’t break the silence. Even if Adam wanted to be disturbed, he wasn’t the right person to do it, not in this place.

Besides, he still had his own thoughts to sort through, like why in the name of the divine he saved Adam when he would have survived regardless. He would have been fine even if he did hit the ground unimpeded so why-

Lucifer grimaced as the answer stuck to him like a parasite, he knew damn well why he saved him. It was the same stupid reason he preened Adams wings for him, the same reason he treats the first man’s wing rot and the exact same reason he made that deal with Adam after he fell.

He was attached.

Stupids horribly foolishly, Lucifer still cared for Adam even after everything.

By the stars he beat Adam within an inch of his life! Adam tried to kill his daughter!

But emotions were hardly logical. They weren’t logical when he fell for Lilith in the garden and taught her and Adam both The Voice, they weren’t logical when he freed Eve, and they weren’t logical now.

Lucifer cared for Adam, even if by all logic he should hate the man.

“Dad?”

Lucifer looked up to meet his daughters eyes, a small smile letting her know he was okay, “Hey there Duckie.”

Charlie’s expression softened at the nickname even if he still looked concerned, “Dad��� are you sure you’re okay?”

“If I’m not now, I will be, so stop worrying about little old me Char-char,” Lucifer chuckled, “However… Adams in the graveyard if you want to talk to him, he seems like he needs some company right now.”

He made his exit quickly after that, he knew what Charlie would do, it was in her nature to help people, it was what made her so special.

But Lucifer, he helped people once, and now… he had a new person he could help again.

And he might just know where to start.

[1969chevycamaro]

Ok, I got inspired to make a stupid poll. Choose one of these superpowers with drawbacks that are rules-lawyerable and exploitable.

1. Cabin teleportation. You can teleport to any cabin in the world with a one-minute cooldown.

2. Midas touch. Everything your forearms and hands touch turns to gold, except for trash and waste.

3. Invisibility. No-one can see, hear, or touch you. You still can interact with the world.

4. Know all languages. You can write and speak in any language with perfect grammer, but you have no clue what the words mean.

5. Immortality. You are Immortal as long as the world has under 50% of the mosquitos it had when you gained the power. If it goes above 50%, you have 10 years left to live unless you get it back under 50%.

6. Super speed. You can run at mach 3.5, but your brain still processes information at normal speed. (Look to the insect world for a solution)

7. Perfect accuracy. You have perfect aim, unless you are using a firearm-adjacent or slingshot-adjacent weapon.

8. Mind reading. You can read minds, but only of those who don't speak your native language.

I'm curious to see the ways these will be rules-lawyered

@sky-is-purple-because-i-said-so @so-no-headpats @2006-chevytahoe @dh-ng @trashsouppossum @jacktheeldergod2 @i-like-swiss-cheese @transasfuck30 @bananapudding752 @i-love-dopamine @ibuildblasters @lesbianseaweed @nerdybluehairandpronouns @acebutnotthehardwareplace @parsley-and-lesbianism @friendly-neighborhood-gambler @mintbecrazy @maryland-officially

[nataliasquote]

Masterlist

Welcome to my masterlist! Alongside my work on Wattpad and AO3, you can find all my mini series and oneshots linked down below. I usually only write for Natasha Romanoff and occasionally Yelena Belova, but feel free to send in any requests. But no smut, I’m not comfortable with that :)

Natasha Romanoff | Series

[F = fluff, A = angst, H = hot af ]

⧗ Double the Trouble AU | WandaNat x daughter: [F] Natasha and Wanda have their work cut out raising twin girls. But despite the struggles and the arguments, there is nothing that would break the bond this family has created

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5

Canon oneshots:

A Day Out: [F] summer and sunshine calls for family trips out. To the zoo, naturally[2.9k words]

Groceries: [F] Natasha volunteers to do the weekly shop. Mundane, perhaps, but with two babies, things are never smooth sailing [1.4k words]

Cuddles: [F] a tipsy Y/n only wants one thing when she comes home from a party- Natasha’s hugs. And who is Natasha to refuse cuddles from her teenagers? [800 words]

New Families: [F] Natasha was content keeping her little family to herself. But Yelena and Melina weren’t. Which is how the family of four find themselves in Ohio, resurfacing memories for Natasha and challenging the three year olds in a whole new environment. Isla loves it, Y/n… not so much [4.4k words]

Yelena’s Day: [F] it’s finally Yelena’s turn to babysit the twins… a big responsibility for a usually messy Russian. [4.3k words]

Switch Up: [F] Yelena is back, the twins are older, and her scheming ways do nothing but backfire. a mother always knows… [3.3k words]

⧗ My Songbird AU | Natasha x Willow (O!C): It’s the 70s. Final summer of high school. Why not spend it getting high, partying and sneaking off with your girlfriend in a town that is so disapproving of anything deviating from the norm.

Mood board | part 1 [F]

⧗ Back in Time | Winterwidow x daughter: Natasha and Bucky’s daughter seeks comfort in her Aunt Wanda as her parents go missing on a mission. She doesn’t ask for much, she only wants to see them again.

part 1 [F] | part 2 [A]

⧗ Midas Touch | Maid!Natasha: no amount of money will ever save a broken marriage or a broken woman. But maybe the right person can turn everything she touches into gold and this time won’t be cursed to break everything she cares about.

part 1 [F + A] | part 2 [F + A]

Natasha Romanoff | Oneshots

⧗ Promises: [A] Natasha and Anastasia didn’t know love… not until they found it in each other. But the Red Room was cold, in more ways than one [2.6k words]

⧗ Ghost of You: [F + A] Learning to move on after Natasha’s sacrifice is the hardest thing in the world [3.2k words]

⧗ Lost in the Fire | f1 AU: [A] A horrific crash tests Natasha’s nerves to the limit as she has no choice but to sit back and watch from the garage. Her girlfriend and her sister push themselves for that all important win. [4.5k words]

⧗ I Will Rescue You | natasha romanoff x adopted daughter reader: [F + A] An alert from the Red Room sends Natasha, Yelena and Bucky on a last minute mission. But what they find is far from expected… [3.7k words]

⧗ Can’t You See This is Breaking Me: [A] Natasha isn’t quite ready to give her entire life for the woman she loves [5.2k words]

⧗ Tattoos For Troubled Minds: [F] Natasha struggles to trust anyone when it comes to touching her body. But that becomes rather difficult when a tattoo idea comes into her mind that she just can’t shake [3.6k words]

⧗ Midnight: [A] Natasha has never learned how to rest, and at midnight is where she is most vulnerable [1.1k words]

⧗ I Know What You Are: [A] The bane of Natasha’s existence had finally slipped up but when sent to eliminate her, feeling get in the way far too easily. [5.9k words]

⧗ Mustang | cowgirl Nat AU: [H] The mayor’s daughter. A bounty hunter. One has freedom, the other does not. But will one fleeting night be enough to convince Natasha to leave everything she’s ever known behind? [4.3k words]

⧗ Is It All For Nothing?: [A] You just want a friend. Is that so bad? How is it fair that everyone else gets one but you. What did you do that was so wrong? [1.3k words]

⧗ Welcome To My Head At Midnight | song fic: [A] Natasha Romanoff is her own worst enemy and maybe this fight isn’t one she’s so sure she can win. [2k words]

⧗ Sunkissed By An Angel: [F] the perfect lazy morning in the Romanoff summer beach house. [1.5k words]

Yelena Belova | Oneshots

⧗ For Her: [F + A] Yelena tries to find the balance between spending christmas with her girl and tracking down Clint Barton… [1.7k words]

[rebouks]

Something inside Tristen snapped, Vicky’s grating voice quivering over his shoulder almost made him want to smash his head against the pavement just so he wouldn’t have to hear it anymore. “Trissy-…” He cut her off, whirling to face her with such a crazed look in his eyes that she actually balked. “I don’t fucking want this-.. you; I never have!” Her lips twisted into a pout as she regained her composure. She didn’t like it when he was sober, her little games didn’t work so well when he wasn’t shackled to her approval, her money, her connections.

“You’re acting crazy, can we just-…” He cut her off again, getting up in her face this time. He didn’t care if he scared her, didn’t care what he looked like-.. he wasn’t backing down now, lest she get under his skin again. “You created a life you don’t even want, and what for? Out of pure pettiness, because someone dared treat me with the tiniest amount of decency-.. and you couldn’t even keep your panties on long enough to make sure it was mine!” Still intent on keeping up the charade, Vicky tried to interrupt. “But it is y-…” “IT’S FUCKING NOT!” Tristen spat. Her shoulders drooped, a tiny shift in body language that told him he’d finally won. She’d given it her best shot, but the folded wad of paper hidden in Tristen’s pocket had broken her spell on him. It wasn’t his, she wasn’t his; he was free.

He’d tried to keep it together until he was alone, but the tears had fallen long before he’d managed to reach the solace of his makeshift bedroom. Courtney had followed him shortly thereafter, speaking words he didn’t hear, offering consolation where he didn’t want it.

The shame he’d tried so hard to bury bubbled up without permission, an ugly, strangled sob suddenly muffled by her closeness. She cradled him like one of her own. Like Robin after a bad dream, like Byrd when he hurt himself doing something he shouldn’t, or Wren when she couldn’t sleep; and to her surprise, he’d let her.

He could hardly remember what she’d said, or how long she’d held him like that, but before he knew it, he was alone again; drifting off into an emotionally spent slumber like a soothed child.

Tristen had grown fond the Bay, though like anywhere else he’d been, it’d soon become tainted with failure, regret and embarrassment. Oscar had tried all morning to convince him to stay, but it was no use, he’d made up his mind. He didn’t know where he was going, he didn’t care what happened to his flat or what useless possessions lay within; he’d snapped his phone in half, he had his bag, he had his hat, his shaky sobriety and his sanity. That was enough to get by, for now.

Tristen was going to do what he did best, run away; except this time, he’d accepted the situation for what it was. So, what if he was fleeing? Maybe he wasn’t meant to stay in situ, wasn’t meant to let his rotten roots take hold anywhere. The longer he stayed somewhere, the more time there was for things to go pear-shaped. King Midas’s illegitimate bastard, turning everything he touched to shit instead of gold.

Oscar sighed. “You can’t just.. leave.” “I can’t stay either…” Tristen pleaded. He didn’t want to argue, and his resolve wasn’t infinite. Shaking his head, Oscar released Tristen’s shoulder with one last squeeze that said; okay, but you better look after yourself. There wasn’t much more he could’ve said with words. The silence between the pair was broken as Tristen straightened himself, adjusting his hat with a forced, lopsided grin; almost like he was trying to feign excitement. “Thanks for everything…”

Oscar nodded, standing helplessly at the edge of the driveway as Tristen set out. He wondered how many times he’d done this; how many places he’d abandoned, how many people he’d cut off. “Maybe I’ll see you around…” he suggested. Tristen threw a rueful smile over his shoulder. “Maybe.”

Previous // Next

[lou-struck]

Golden Touch

Mammon x reader

~A cursed piece of Grimm gives Mammon what he has always wanted, but there is a price.

WC: 2.2k

Warnings: Mention of Mammon potentially being dangerous to the reader, a bit of crying but it's sweet I promise.

a/n: Another Prompt that I was placed into a folder and forgotten about!

It has been a long yet rewarding day of volunteering at the animal shelter with Satan. In preparation for an upcoming adoption event, the two of you got to pet and socialize with dozens of cats who are looking to find a new fur-ever home. 

You feel like you are covered head to toe in enchanted car hair, but it doesn’t bother you in the slightest. The day was long but definitely rewarding.

“Oh my, there it is,” Satan says, walking over to a side table by the front door and holding up his leather-bound wallet. The lucky cat keychain you bought for him swings happily from the bottom of it. Earlier today, he was so excited to join you on your day out that he forgot to bring it with him. “That’s odd; all my Grimm is still here,” he murmurs. 

“What is so strange about that?” you ask, peeking over his shoulder. “That’s a good thing, right?”

He raises his brows and counts through his Grimm again with a Frown. “Normally, it would be a good thing, but Mammon has been home with my unattended wallet for hours, and there is nothing missing.” He states as if it were obvious. “He must be up to something.”

“But he didn’t take anything; maybe he is trying to be better.”

Your optimism brings a soft smile to the Avatar of Wrath’s face, “Sometimes, Mc, you are too trusting for your own good. It’s going to get you in trouble one of these days.”

Before you can respond to Satan, your DDD chimes from your pocket. “Who is it?” he asks, watching as you pull out the device. 

“It’s from Mammon,” you say, reading the message. “He says he wants me to come to his room as soon as I can.

With your time being stolen away from him so quickly, Satan’s brow twitches in annoyance, but he doesn’t object. “He is probably up to something shady,” he warns. “Don’t let him drag you into one of his stupid schemes.”

“No worries,” you say brightly, tucking your DDD into your waistband, “He probably is just bored.” Giving the blond demon one last smile, you head off down the hallway toward Mammon’s room. 

As you walk, you ignore the sense of unease in your gut.

One that tells you that this already long day is going to only get longer. 

~

You arrive outside Mammon’s door, knowing how embarrassed the Avatar of Greed got the last time you poked your head into his room without announcing your presence, making sure to knock loudly.

“Come get in here, you silly human,” you hear Mammon’s muffled voice call from inside. “And shut the door behind you.” You shake your head with an amused sigh; of course, Mammon seems to be up to something. You place your hand on the golden doorknob and twist it until the door clicks open. 

Wait, golden?

Since when has Mammon had a golden Doorknob?

But as you step fullying into Mammon’s room, the little doorknob is soon pushed from your mind when you glance around at the once-familiar bedroom. His stereo system, his sports car, and even each ball on his pool table are made of solid gold. Everything is golden and glowing. The rich glare is so intense you have to squint your eyes just to make your way across the floor. 

“Do ya like what I have done to the place?” Mammon calls, lounging on his solid gold mattress. 

“Mammon, what is all this?” you ask curiously. “What did you do to your room?”

“I just made some improvements.” he grins, flashing you a pearly white smile, “Check this out, Mc.”

His hand goes toward a still normal-looking snowglobe that rests on his bedside table; before you can object, he grabs it, and the whole thing instantly turns to solid gold. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“Mammon, how did this happen?” you ask in disbelief. Mammon’s initial enthusiasm for what can only be a curse is concerning. He really looks like he has the Midas Touch. 

He just smiles and takes a piece of Grimm off of his nightstand. “I was walking home, and I found this Grimm on the road. I picked it up, and once I got back to my room, everything I touched with my bare hands turned to gold.” He flips the coin into the air playfully before placing it into his stiff golden jacket pocket. “Do you know what this means?”

“That you’re cursed?” you answer plainly. 

“No, It means we are going to be rich.” he grins, an excited blush appearing on his cheeks. “We can have all the gold we want with this power; I can take ya out and spoil ya anytime you want; the only thing is I need to find something to cover my hands with when I’m eating.”

“Has that been an issue?” you ask, wondering why he seems so unbothered by this curse. 

“Yea, I accidentally turned my cup of ramen into gold earlier.” he sniffs, looking over at the golden container on his coffee table. “At first, it was pretty annoying, but then I realized I could buy as much ramen as I wanted now. Honestly, I can buy anything I want.” His eyes shine with eagerness, and you can only imagine what kind of lavish plans are going through his head.

It’s hard to reason with him when he is this excited. You know you’re going to be the one who asks Lucifer to break this curse for him before he accidentally hurts someone. “How did you even message me?” you ask, looking down at his still-normal DDD. 

“I used the voice typing thing Levi uses when he is playing those games,” he smirks, sliding his now useless sunglasses off of his head where they rest upon his white hair like a crown. Their golden lenses are impossible to see out of. “You gotta admit, this is a power worthy of the Great Mammon.”

“As far as curses go, I do admit this is very you.” you giggle, “But do you really want to stay this way forever?”

“Why not?” he asks, “I’ll never have to worry about being short on Grimm ever again.” his blue eyes sparkle dreamily at the statement. He is so caught up in his fantasies you know that you’ll have a hard time bringing him back to reality by yourself. 

“That’s true,” you agree, the wheels in your head cranking up a plan to get Mammon to want to break the curse. “But could we go to Lucifer and just make sure that this curse doesn’t have any weird catch…” 

Your words cause a momentary flicker of fear to flash across his face. “What do ya mean by catch?”

“Just like a side effect,” you shrug nonchalantly, “You know, like every time you turn something into gold, you lose a bit of your hair or something like that.”

His eyes immediately dart to his reflection in the mirror as he looks for any signs of magical balding, finding none. He breathes a deep sigh of relief. “Yer pretty smart for a human, I knew there was a reason I kept ya around.”

“The only reason?” you tease, stepping out into the hallway, “I really thought I meant something to you.”

“N-not the only reason.” He stammers, cheeks flushing a deep red as he stumbles after you, His hands brushing along the wall as he walks, leaving a trail of gold in his wake. 

~

Lucifer sits at his desk, a blank expression on his face as Mammon tells him everything about his little Midas Touch problem, but he truly doesn’t have much to explain after accidentally turning Lucifer’s Record player to gold. For your own safety, Lucifer has you standing on the opposite side of the room from his brother. At least he sees the danger in this current situation. 

“That is all very interesting, Mammon, but I’ll need to inspect that Grimm you found to truly understand the effects of the curse.” He says, his voice is steady, but there is a look of tired annoyance in his eyes. 

“My Grimm?” Mammon repeats defensively. “Yer gonna give it back r~” he is cut off by a menacing glare from the Avatar of Pride that has him pulling the coin out of his pocket and dropping it on the desk.

With gloved hands, Lucifer analyzes the Grimm; there is a strange flow of magic radiating off the coin as he works. Mammon shifts nervously in his standing position as he watches the dark-haired demon mutter incantations under his breath. 

“There, now, was that so difficult?” Lucifer smirks, tossing the coin back to Mammon teasingly. “from what I can tell, your curse is to simply turn whatever you touch with your bare hands into gold. And it is breakable. If you wish for it to be broken, then it will fade away on its own.”

Mammon laughs boldly in his brother’s face, “Why would I ever want to give this up?”

Lucifer’s crimson gaze lands on you so briefly that, at first, you thought you were just imagining it before giving Mammon his full attention. A devilish lift to his lips. “Because, so long as you continue to feed this curse, you are forbidden to have any sort of contact with Mc.”

Mammon’s jaw drops comically fast as he registers Lucifer’s declaration. “Wh-what do ya mean I can’t be around MC?” he asks. “It’s not like m’ gonna turn’ em to gold.”

“You very well could, Mammon,” Lucifer frowns. “And we both care about them too much to put them at risk.”

Mammon looks distressed as he looks quickly between you and his brother. His eyes turn glassier by the second “B-but I could wear gloves or somethin. Please, Mc, ya trust the Great Mammon, right?”

“Mammon, gloves can rip.” you say solemnly, “I understand that if you are going to be happy with your new power, I can no longer be a part of your life.” with Mammon’s full attention on you, Lucifer sends you a knowing look. You are playing your part well, albeit a bit dramatic.

He’s quiet for a moment as he looks down at his hands, his brow furrowed as he weighs his decisions, a life full of endless riches and a few golden inconveniences, or you, the kind human who has stolen his heart. 

There is only one real option for the Avatar of Greed.

“Ahhhh damn it, don’t look at me like that, Mc,” he cries, “Just break the curse, Lucifer.”

Pleased at Mammon’s decision, Lucifer struggles to hide his affection for his brother. Having placed the cursed coin in the Avatar of Greeds path earlier to teach him a lesson. A soft silver light radiates from Mammon’s tanned hands, dispelling the curse’s magic trend into nothingness. Any objects that he had turned into gold return to their normal forms as the magic is wiped away. 

There goes Mammon’s plan of selling whatever he had turned earlier.

When the light fades, Mammon carefully touches the arm of one of Lucifer’s office chairs; instead of turning gold, it remains in its perfectly polished state. “It’s gone?”

“Obviously,” Lucifer replies. Although he doesn’t show it, he is happy that Mammon made the right choice. In fact, he is proud of his brother. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have much work to do, and you are only a hindrance to my progress.”

“Fine, we were leaving anyways,” Mammon huffs, striding across the room, taking your hand with his, and leading you out the office door. As the Avatar of Greed guides you away, you glance back at Lucifer and shoot him a knowing smile that he slyly reciprocates.

Now back in Mammon’s less golden bedroom, he has yet to let go of your hand. His eyes are fixated on how comfortably your fingers are intertwined. “Are we just going to stand here?” you tease, slowly pulling your hand away from his. 

Greedy as ever, he is reluctant to let go of your warm skin, “Hey, I gave up a lot to hold yer hand.” he pouts, his cheeks turning a deep red as he looks at you. He closes whatever space that was between the two of you and pulls you in for a tight hug. “B-but I had to do it; I knew how much you would miss getting to hug the Great Mammon.” 

You know he’s projecting; you saw it on his face back in the office. All that vibrato about how he wanted to keep the power was just an act. As much as he hates to admit it, Mammon is clingy; he needs touch and reassurance to make him feel loved. 

Not just from you but from all his brothers, 

When he is not dragging you across the Devildom, he looks the most content when Asmodeus is touching up the polish on his fingernails, Supporting a sleeping Belphie with his shoulder on the sofa, or Bumping shoulder with Levi trying to break his concentration during a game of Devil-Kart. 

“I was going to miss you,” you murmur into his shoulder. “I’m glad you chose to break the curse.”

His breath hitches as he squeezes you tighter. He trembles softly as a few teardrops land on your head. 

“Me too.”

Tagging: @enchantedforest-network

[loonarii]

Idolizing Imperfection: The Ancient Allusions of 'Midas Touch' - KISS OF LIFE (an essay)

I have missed writing kpop essays so much and after watching the new Kiss of Life MV, I couldn't resist doing a scene by scene (with some lyrics) breakdown of the allusions to ancient mythology - (there are lots of other modern references, especially to Britney Spears, but the ancient ones are what I will be focusing on here, believe me there is more than enough to talk about.) I don't have any official qualifications surrounding this field (yet), but I am studying classical civilization and roman literature for a qualification, and I have a long time obsession with Greek mythology especially. Obviously all of these are my interpretations, this is not a definite guide to what exactly the creative direction team at S2 Ent. were thinking about for this comeback, and if you think I missed something or have a different interpretation of one of the scenes, please let me know in the reblogs/comments.

Let’s begin with the title of the track, ‘Midas Touch’. It references the Greek myth of King Midas, who (according to Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’) after winning the favour of the god Dionysus, was granted any wish he desired. Midas chose the ability to make everything he touched turn into gold, a wish driven by greed. Midas revelled in his new found powers, but the problems arose when he realised that all food he touched would be turned to gold too - he had condemned himself to starve to death. The myth is essentially a cautionary tale about the effects of greed; Midas is a tragic hero that brought about his own suffering due to his hamartia (tragic flaw) - his blessing becomes his curse. Today, having a ‘midas touch’ means that everything you are involved with is successful, but the main association of Midas with greed still remains. In the context of the song, KOL are saying that a relationship with them, although destined to end in tragedy, would be worth it for the ‘gold’ they can bring - “위험할수록 재밌잖아” (“The more dangerous it is, the more fun it is”).  Midas may have died a tragic death, but his time alive was quite literally golden. Still, it feels slightly odd that KOL are associating themselves with someone so flawed - an idol should be the image of perfection, and in this way, the meaning of the song becomes quite subversive on a meta level. Keep this interpretation in the back of your mind, we will return to it later.

Within the music video itself, each of the four members are given solo scenes that I believe allude to different women of Greek mythology. Julie is first, depicted lying on a blush pink velvet heart with gold embellishments, shell and heart shaped boxes littered around her. The composition of the framing, as well as the beach imagery seems to allude to Boticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus’, linking Julie with Aphrodite/Venus, the goddess of love. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is seen as beautiful beyond compare, but is also often characterised as highly vain and self absorbed. After hearing that some Greeks had begun to worship the ludicrously beautiful mortal woman Psyche instead of her, (and also out of protection of her son Eros to whom Psyche was married), she sent Psyche on a series of impossible trials designed to kill her, so she could remain the most beautiful. Once again, KOL compare themselves to people in the ancient world who were famously flawed.

Natty is seen next, intertwined with glittering spider webs. This is perhaps a reference to the tale of Arachne, a mortal woman who was highly skilled at weaving. She boasted that her skills were greater than Athena herself, the goddess of handicraft (and many other things), and Athena transformed her into a spider as punishment for her hubris (excessive pride). Like the tale of King Midas, Arachne’s story also centres around a fatal flaw bringing your own downfall, and like Midas and Aphrodite, Arachne is not typically remembered fondly within Greek Mythology canon.

Perched on a half dress, half throne that resembles a peacock, Belle is seen next. Originally I wasn’t certain who was being referenced here, but after some research I believe it may be Hera, although if you have another interpretation here I would love to hear it. Hera, the goddess of marriage and fertility, queen of the gods, and wife to Zeus, is affiliated with peacocks as they are one of her sacred animals, and are said to pull her chariot like horses. Hera is also, like Aphrodite, a goddess often portrayed in a negative light in mythology, repeatedly characterised as jealous and spiteful. A famous example of this is when Hera sent two snakes to strangle Heracles/Hercules, the illegitimate son of her husband Zeus, out of spite and jealousy for the boy’s mortal mother. Whether Hera had a right to be annoyed at her husband’s repeated adultery is another discussion, but generally speaking, when Hera is in a myth, she is often the villain.

Finally, we see Haneul, perched upon a corinthian style column (we love a greek column) surrounded by severed heads on spikes, a clearly war ridden scene. This is the allusion I am the least confident about, but I think perhaps she is supposed to be Helen of Troy? Helen is famous for being the catalyst for the Trojan War (perhaps this is the war scene she sits within?), she is the ‘face that launched a thousand ships’. Depending on the source, Helen is either a victim, kidnapped by the Trojan prince Paris, or she was seduced and went willingly, abandoning her Greek husband King Menelaus. The second seems to be the accepted narrative among many Roman authors, with writers such as Martial (in Epigrams 1.62) portraying her as the polar opposite of Penelope, who was seen as the image of loyalty. As a result, Helen is commonly portrayed as disloyal and unfaithful, the opposite of what an ideal woman in the ancient world was supposed to act like.

In their group scenes, there is also SO MUCH Medusa imagery - with snakes crawling all over their faces and hissing at the camera, and half broken stone statues littered here and there. As I am sure you are probably aware, Medusa is very much a villain in the myths she is depicted in, and despite modern reevaluations of her story (that I agree with) portraying her as a victim, in the primary sources, she is essentially an evil monster for Perseus to destroy - her death marks Perseus’s ascension to hero status.

So why oh why are KOL comparing themselves to figures so flawed? In their previous releases, especially their first comeback with ‘Bad News’, the girls are depicted trying to fix injustices in society - they expose corruption in corporations, they combat casual misogyny and sexual harassment, and they call out bullying and abuse. In ‘Midas Touch’ I believe they continue their addressing of injustices and double standards, this time with a focus on the idol industry, their own stomping ground. In the kpop industry, idols are expected to be perfect in every way - beautiful, highly skilled, never controversial, and loyal to their fans. Should an idol fail to uphold these impossible standards, they are relentlessly punished, especially if the idol is a woman. Last month, Karina’s earnest apology to ‘fans’  for falling in love exposed how ludicrous the standards are to the world, and other idols like Sakura, Wonyoung, and Jennie, continue to get bullied on a daily basis for not meeting all of the bars the industry sets them. A kpop idol should be talented, but never show off, they should be beautiful and care about their looks but never be vain, confident but never egotistical, and driven by passion, not the desire for fame and money. It’s all fucking impossible, especially when what constitutes being called the second traits is utterly arbitrary and depends on how many people woke up on stan twitter and decided they didn’t like you that day. In ‘Midas Touch’ KOL calls this out by openly depicting themselves with the traits that kpop stans hate - Julie is Aphrodite, beautiful but vain, Natty is Arachne, talented but boastful, Belle is Hera, confident but jealous, Haneul is Helen, influential but disloyal, and they all are Midas, spurred on by greed instead of passion. They recognise that these accusations are unavoidable, and by reclaiming the imagery of these symbols of undesirable traits, they call out and reject the standards the idol industry places upon them. Like Medusa, they may be seen by many fans as a villain, a hurdle for their favourite groups that have more promotion and budget to overcome on their way to the top, but in actuality, they are victims of an industry desperate to mould them into products to be bought and sold. I’ve seen lots of discussion online about what KISS OF LIFE’s concept is, as it seems to vary every comeback, but after ‘Midas Touch’ I am led to believe that their concept is rebellion, against society, idol culture, and the things they deem as wrong in the world. Other groups have  done concepts similar in the past, such as LOONA in ‘Butterfly’ (you really thought I wasn’t going to bring them up at some point?? Are you new here??) but KOL is doing it explicitly, and consistently, and to me, that's very exciting. The kpop industry is ever changing, and with the foundations of the new 5th generation being established as we speak, perhaps KOL could cause it to change for the better. In summary, I am SO excited to see what they do next.

That honestly took a turn I wasn’t fully expecting at the end, but I hope you enjoyed regardless - I didn’t really talk about the actual song here, but I fucking loved it, and my full review will be part of my April monthly roundup - see previous installments on my masterlist. I encourage all of you to listen to ‘Midas Touch’ if you haven’t already, congratulations KISS OF LIFE for graduating nugudom, stream Birth by ARTMS, stan loona, and prepare for the loossemble comeback - lmk if you have any thoughts on my analysis or any other interpretations, or any topics you want me to write an essay on. cya next time ~ ari

[localcanadiancreature62]

Gravity Falls Sona/Self-insert

I made a guy and ofc her backstory/half of her personality is tied to Bill lmaoo. @aria-greenhoodie This is partly your fault btw. You made me redo my old ass gfsona from months ago because of Curly being such a fun character and i figured i should make a fucked up guy too. Backstory under the cut.

Lex/The Skillstealer is a purple haired woman who's name is a placeholder name short for "Skil(l) ind(ex)",as a reference to her power absorbing ability as she doesn't know her actual name due to a certain triangle messing with her memories.

She can not only take supernatural powers but also general skills that people have such as fire powers or a violinist's talent,she often merges powers with skills which make her insane antics all the more entertaining.

For example; One time she stole a man's ridiculously good guessing ability/intuition and also some golden goose's midas touch,and then she used both of those abilities to correctly guess lottery numbers which is why she won a million dollars that she then turned into gold.

She lives in a big castle in some In Between Realm where space-time doesn't exist as it is an area outside of the timestream,which is why she never gets caught from her crimes as she escapes to the literal outside of space-time soon after causing a ruckus on Earth.

Her castle is maintained by herself as she uses a speed god's super speed to swiftly clean the place and her rewinding ability from a clock being to fix anything that's broken there. Lex is fully aware of how powerful she is,but she only uses her ability to prank or hurt others because "Where's the fun in power when i can just mess with those humans?",in her own words.

However such power was only obtained after so much pain,and loss. When she was eight years old,Lex lost everything after Bill destroyed her dimension Suburbia (a medieval world with no war no drama no pain only peaceful farmer humans and plant people) by burning everything to the ground and then he also killed her parents while kidnapping her soon afterwards.

He killed her parents because he wanted to see what it would be like to break such a happy person living in a happy go lucky world. Soon after kidnapping her,Bill forced the girl to become one of his Henchmaniacs as the only human one out of a group of freaky monsters and then he gave her advanced weaponry to help him destroy and conquer worlds as well as kill people,and she did as told as he threatened to torture her or feed her to Teeth if she didn't obey.

Bill and Lex grew to have a babysitter child/friendship type relationship as the triangle found himself having to take care of the damn kid,actually letting her play in sandpits or hang out with other children just to keep her sane and or from whining. However,the girl eventually started to hate him as she slowly started to see how horrible her dear triangle babysitter is whenever she saw him mistreat the Henchmaniacs or torture innocents without hesitation,Bill didn't want his new little pawn (backstory happens pre canon. this happened like,a hundred years before Bill met Ford) to betray him one day so he decided to erase all of Lex's memories from before he kidnapped her and thus making her believe that he was the only one who cared after her parents supposedly abandoned her as well as making her only remember the fun times they had in laser tag earth playgrounds etc.

This instantly fixed the betrayal issue as Lex now believes that Bill is the only one who cares about her and she is now less hesitant about helping the isosceles conquer worlds and or kill innocent people as she knew it made her only friend happy. This act also made her forget her own name which is why she's only known as "Kid" by Bill in an attempt to not accidentally make her remember everything.

But then Bill got bored of the whole "Human Henchmaniac" thing so he decided to grab her soul and put it inside of a cane for five years just to play around with the concept of loose souls,Lex was fully conscious during this time which is why Bill deliberately tried to make her soul go through a living hell for his own amusement. He smacks the end of cane on the ground to get the Henchmaniacs' attention while knowing it hurts Lex,he swings it around not just to be dramatic but also to make Lex dizzy,and he has snapped that cane in half countless times just to torment the girl. He then later got bored of that too by the time the girl is now 13 and so he grabbed Lex's soul and forced it back into her body. The fact that her friend tormented her in a "I have no mouth but i must scream" situation for YEARS greatly betrayed her and made her hatred of the triangle from five years ago resurface into a bubbling rage,as she then tried to kill the triangle with his own weaponry that he summoned for her but then he warned her to not do that as he strangled her while making her promise to not try anything like that again lest she get hurt even more and also made her promise to keep serving him,and so she did as told as she kept serving the insane isoselces while still having a dormant anger toward him.

She kept killing others helping destroy and conquer worlds as well as torture innocents like usual,with no hesitation but she hates that she has to be that triangle's underling for the rest of her life. Then one day,she started to notice her body changing and not just in a puberty way,her body was LITERALLY changing as her limbs started to grow cracks on the surface. She then confronted Bill about this and he explained that whenever a soul is without a vessel for too long then the soul is forced back inside it's original vessel,it starts to make the vessel deteriorate as the vessel is used to being an empty husk and is thus now rejecting the soul and then it'll eventually fully reject the soul entirely as time goes on.

Either that or the soul starts to get corrupted from being separated from it's vessel for too long.

Bill knew this from the start when he was first going to grab Lex's soul,yet he did it anyway as he wanted to have fun regardless,this made the girl rightfully angry but she didn't do anything about it as she feared getting hurt by the triangle. Then the soul corruption started happening,as she started to become angrier and more chaotic and more sadistic,eventually starting to lose her conscience as the corruption took over her. She is now just as cruel as her master without any doubts or guilt over her behavior,the corruption turned her mind into a husk just as her body used to be.

Then things only got worse after she made a wish upon a shooting star to become powerful enough to overthrow her triangular master as she still hates him despite the triangle sparing her multiple times,and the wish was actually effective as she suddenly got her trademark Skill Stealing ability soon afterwards. She then decided to steal Bill's fire ability after he tried to blast a flame at her as "punishment" for not hanging out with the Henchmaniacs in his place,discovering that she can now fight against him without any fear,and she then proceeded to burn his eye while putting her hand on it,making him scream in agony as he begged for her to stop and she did but only if he let her go. And so he did.

Lex then went over to Earth after absorbing Bill's dimensional rift opening ability,deciding to live a new life with a new name,Lex. She then went on to become the world's mysterious menace as she started to gain abilities out of nowhere to terrorize others,and the press dubbed her to be the "Skillstealer" after someone witnessed her take an ability by literally absorbing it with her hands as their ability glowed in a bright line. And she found herself a new home after killing and replacing the owner of a Victorian castle by removing all the water in the person's body using her water manipulation power,dubbing it the Skillstealer Fortress.

Lex was living the dream,but then a few nightmares started to come back as she remembered her former friend/master Bill Cipher,she couldn't shake the thought of sparing him after everything he had done to her. So she immediately went to his location after she got word of his whereabouts from the Henchmaniacs as she confronted them about Bill when she teleported to the Nightmare Realm,with them telling her that he's in space prison now. She then began to torment him with burning electrocution acid squeezing him until he cracked and the like,finally managing to take revenge on her abuser as she torments him within the Theraprism over and over and over. (End)

[ateez-himari]

[240824] ETERNAL PROJECT

[NEW UPLOAD FROM TAEMIN]

태민 (TAEMIN) @/TAEMIN_BPM

[#태민] ETERNAL owes its success to the talented young producer at the head of this project, who spent time within hectic schedules creating this masterpiece. Himari has now been part of my team for four years and keeps surpassing previous works with every release, I truly would not have made it to this point without her creative vision.

From recording demo tracks in hotel rooms to putting together instrumental drafts in the car between events, she truly did put everything into this album. At only 22 years old her leadership has brought divided opinions together and her artistic soul made unique harmonies from unexpected styles. I can not properly express my gratitude towards this wonderful young woman, but know that without her this album would not have been what it is today.

The influence she has had on the industry at such a young age is truly something rare, and I can confidently say that her and ATEEZ's careers will see nothing but success. Turning everything she touches into gold no matter how nonsensical it may be, she truly is the second Hand of Midas. Please enjoy plenty of rest when these next schedules end and take care of your health, our Himari ❤️I will ETERNALLY be grateful for your presence

#TAEMIN #ETERNAL ##히마리 #애이티즈

Translated from Korean by Google

09:35pm · 24 Aug 24 · 4.3M Views 85K Reposts 859 Quotes 2.5M Likes

mikah @/himaswife Replying to @/TAEMIN_BPM I can't believe she went from thinking about leaving the group because of hate to leading huge projects for idols as successful as Taemin. It's kind of strange seeing her growing up this fast right in front of our eyes 🥹 The talent this girl has is really unbelievable especially considering how different his style is to ATEEZ

Hotteokie N.1 @/yunhosbuckethat Replying to @/TAEMIN_BPM we forget too quickly that she was given a FULL KOMCA MEMBERSHIP before 3Racha, who are an absolute production powerhouse and even won 'best creator' at the AAA last year (also with all those royalties this girl has to be secretly rich-)

GOTTA WORK GOTTA WORK @/lightuptiny Replying to @/yunhosbuckethat it's not even a secret anymore 😭some people noticed that she was using a black card in certain videos and are pretty sure it was pulled out of her wallet. Bang Chan and her are also standing at the same number of credits right now (193)

왔다 갔다 @/yeosangiecookie Replying to @/TAEMIN_BPM I love their synergy so much, every album is always somewhat experimental in the style it uses but even though it's risky the results are breath taking 🙌 sexy concepts are pretty common for Taemin or the industry in general but this really makes you feel the sensuality, it drags you in, I honestly can't get enough of this duo

Uyu @/bulleobulleooo Replying to @/TAEMIN_BPM I'd like to remind everyone that S-Coups himself wrote in an instagram story; 'There's something very special about this girl, it's almost like she was created to make music, she's almost music herself.' when he shared a screenshot of 'Shadow' playing on Spotify

sweethwa @/weonfirewihomhae Replying to @/TAEMIN_BPM J-Hope and Jungkook went to her for their solos for a reason and as much as people like to say it's because she's privileged to have known them for a long time, they've known other producers for a long time as well. she's so versatile in her own sound that she's able to work with almost anyone because she takes their creative vision on as her own. just look at behind the scenes where she talks with Hongjoong and Mingi, she's able to use everyone's ideas to create something that has one single voice. artists tend to gravitate towards her because she finds inspiration in the people themselves, in their souls, that's what makes her so special

[janus-cadet]

After all the sinners I drew, it was high time I drew an angel. Will Adam even stay one? I don't know- but here he is, as, ironically, the King of Pentacles.

As usual, some explanations for the choice of card under the cut!

Upright, the King of Pentacles is a provider; he uses his ambition and confidence to create wealth for himself, and generates his self-worth from what he has accumulated in his life. He is a winner, you could say, having won the lottery of life and enjoying himselft in the after life. But he also is a guiding figure for those around him, like Adam seems to be for the exorcists under his orders. The King is a confident person: he knows he'll succeed in all he will try to achieve, especially related to his work (which, true, can lead him to be a tad overconfident. Would be a shame if he got stabbed in the chest, then punched into oblivion, then stabbed to death by a filthy janitor). The figure can be approach to King Midas, turning everything he touches into gold- but, careful of what you wish for, as your dream could easily turn into a curse. Either way, he has nothing left to proove: he achieve the highest situation he could have dreamed of, and no longer has to struggle to achieve his desires. Ideally, he should now be enjoying his well-deserved life up in heaven, enjoy all that was accomplished. Even more, the King should remember that he will only remain successful as long as he takes methodical, well-thought-out approach to the matters presenting themselves to him. He should not take anymore risks. Like, really, no. Come on, Adam.

Reversed, the card encourages you to look at the relationship you have with your situation. You may not be treating what you have with respect, or has a winning situation; you might be lacking self-discipline (like, really); or you might be putting all you achieve above anything else, negatively impacting your relationship and well-being. For example, you might let all your life revolve around your work as leader of the exorcist army, and neglect other parts of your life that might bring you actual joy. You are obsessed with you status, dismissing people you dim "below" you, feeling the need to brag about what you accomplished and your own self-worth. At time, the King of Pentacles can also represent someone who is very stubborn and rigid in his approach, and doesn't accept different opinions.

I mean. Hell is forever, right, end of the line.

And that's it for today! Next time, we'll have our dear cannibal Overlord, Rosie. Stay tuned...

[nysus-temple]

Dionysus' lesser-known myths [or perhaps you do know them, but i will tell you about them anyway]

Some of these myths have already been shown in my blog, but i decided to bring some of them up again in a more elaborated way, plus some new too. Perhaps you've heard of them, perhaps you haven't, but i can tell you i haven't seen them much around here.

And my job isn't reading your minds, it's about writting essays, so here we go.

1. Ampelos (Αμπελος):

According to Nonnus of Panopolis, Ampelos was a satyr (tho not many art represents him as such) who loved Dionysus, and was loved by him as well. Not much of a surprise, since we do know many gods had male lovers.

The problem is that, we're still talking about a satyr, we know how those guys are and act. According to Nonnus, Ampelos was riding a bull while mocking Selene, angrily, she sent a gadfly to sting the bull. The bull ran and threw Ampelos all over the place. Nonnus describes it as a very gore-like death.

Dionysus, upset, ended up turning Ampelos' corpse into a grape vine, and from there, he created wine with his blood... THANKFULY, it was the blood.

Roman mosaic with Ampelos and Bacchus.

2. Midas (Μίδας):

"But Nysus, everybody knows Midas" yes yes, but do you KNOW the actual Greek myths? Or do you know the later, VERY later-on version that appears in Wikipedia? Midas never turned his daughter into gold in the folklore, for example.

Midas was a foreign king who married a greek woman, he was the king of Phrygia, and according to Pausanias, he had a daughter named Zoe. I have absolutely nothing about her except this.

Anyways, going to the important part: Silenus, a companion of Dionysus who used to be one of his foster fathers, got lost while he was... Kind of drunk ( come on, Dionysus can't keep an eye on everyone 24/7 ). Some peasants found him and took him to King Midas, who, as a very loyal follower of Dionysus, recognized Silenus and took care of him. When Dionysus arrived in order to take him back, he thanked Midas and said he would give him in return anything that he wished for... And here it comes: Midas wished to be able to turn everything that he touched to gold, and Dionysus agreed, even though he felt sorry he hadn't thought of it twice.

Midas was happy turning stuff into gold, obviously. But when he touched food and it turned into gold as well and he was unable to eat, he returned to Dionysus asking him to turn it back to normal.

Surprisingly, Dionysus didn't say "no" or "live with the consequences"; he told him to wash himself in the river Pactolus, and, good enough, the gold thingy dissappeared.

I don't have this myth fully narrated by a Greek, instead, from a latin author. The good thing tho, thanks to Herodotus and Pausanias, i know it's realiable.

Monument dedicated to Midas, in the old Prhygia ( now part of Turkey )

3. The Minyades (Μινυάδες):

According to Plutarch, king Minyas had three daughters ( whose names i honestly don't know, they appear in Ovid's Metamorphosis ). He tells that Dionysus appeared in the form of a maiden to invite them to the Dionysian Mysteries, since the rest of the women had already gone there. And they declined, politely, but still declined. This is one of those moments in which we see Dionysus' weak points, no justified anger. They neglected the cult, but had nothing against it anyways.

Still, for him, that wasn't enough.

He drove them mad, like very. Something that for Plutarch was even worse than death, apparently. They even killed their own children and ate them (yikes) dismembering them like Dionysus was once dismembered. The sisters were wandering around the mountains, without Dionysus caring at all.

Until finally, Hermes took pity on them, and turned them into bats, freeing them from the madness.

One of the Minyades showing the dismembered body of her son - Étienne-Barthélémy Garnier

4. Zeus' lighting bolts

This one is short, so i'll get to the point.

We all know what Nonnus' was up to when writing about Dionysus. He said in his work that Zeus recognized him (when being Zagreus) as his heir. Since when he was still a little kid, he was able to climb to his throne and to hold Zeus' lightning bolts. Of course, then the very well-known myth of Hera calling the titants to dismember Dionysus arrives here, since she wanted no heir to the throne.

Things happen, you know.

5. Lykurgos (Λυκοῦργος):

Remember when i talked about this guy in the anger essay? Wellp, here he is again, it's the same, but i'll elaborate on him a bit more.

He was a thracian king, and when he heard that Dionysus was going to Thracia, he ordered to trap all of his female followers in a prison.

Yes, only the women. I guess no men followed Dionysus in Thracia during his reign, not like i can ask him about it.

OF COURSE Pentheus 2.0 would imprison the FOLLOWERS of the god of MADNESS. Of course...

Dionysus got angry ( what a surprise ) and sent a drought towards Thracia + making Lykurgos go mad. It's not Dionysus if he doesn't punish you by making you go mad.

He then proceed to tell the people that the only way to stop that punishment was by killing Lykurgos, and, well, they did. They all killed him, and were freed from the punishment.

Dionysus then stopped the drought, he kept his word, indeed.

Lykurgos attacking his own wife after being induced into madness

6. The punishment of the titans

You think they got away? No, the fuck, of course they didn't.

After Zeus' found out what had happened to Dionysus (Zagreus), he imprisoned them in Tartatus, which caused Gaia to be all sad again, since many of her children had already been imprisoned there. What she did was, as scary as Gaia has always been, burning down everything she could.

The only way Zeus could take pity on her in order to stop that, was by sending a flood.

7. Coresus (Κόρησος):

Callirhoe was a Calydonian woman who scorned Coresus, a priest of Dionysus, who threatened to afflict all the women of Calydon with insanity as the good Dionysus priest he was.

The way to stop this was with a sacrifice, to kill the woman who scorned him. Coresus was ordered to sacrifice her, but he killed himself instead since apparently, he was in love with her and couldn't do it.

Callirhoe was overcome with remorse, and cut her throat at a spring that later received her name.

As always.

Coresus sacrificing himself to save Callirhoe - Jean-Honoré Fragonard

8. The Frogs (Βάτραχοι):

At this point, this isn't lesser-known anymore, and i'm not the biggest fan of Aristophanes' work (i love Euripides way too much, oops) but i'll still summarize what Dionysus has to do with this play.

Dionysus, as the god of theatre he is, wanted to bring back to life one of the great tragedy authors. And he descends to Hades for that, it's a way to mock his connection with it, this is still a comedy.

And after a poetry slam, Aeschylus is chosen in preference to Euripides. Smh, fucking Aristophanes, way to put your preferences.

9. Orpheus' death:

I'm not gonna elaborate on this one THAT much, since i wanna save it for the Apollo & Dionysus essay i have unfinished, which was the second most voted one and it might take more time to finish it.

In any case, do you know all these modern retellings in which they paint Dionysus as the "chill, calm, who only wants to party" dude? And Apollo as the "feral, envious, angry" dude? Well, ya'll are wrong...

Dionysus killed Orpheus due to his jealousy of Apollo's worship. I'm leaving you with this sentence, wait for the other essay to know why Dionysus and Apollo are so complex in terms of feelings. Or, at least, i will try to elaborate on it.

Apollo welcoming Dionysus to the sanctuary of Delphi, which they shared.

10. Dionysus IS physically incapable of getting drunk, live with it:

SHOCK i know. So if i see any of ya'll saying he's drunk 24/7, you better have your testament written.

NONNUS OF PANOPOLIS. DIONYSIACA. LITERAL TEXT: "Only to Dionysus gave Rhea the amethyst that saves the drinker from the chains of madness."

Yes, obviously going for scientifict facts, this doesn't work. It was believed in this world that the amethyst would prevent people from getting drunk. But this is mythology, Dionysus is a god, he can't get drunk even if he wanted to. And it's not like he should, he needs to keep an eye on his followers 24/7. Or do we want to remember what happened to Silenus?

Dude, how the hell do i have to tell you all, that in all text in which people were drinking for honoring Dionysus, they always stopped saying "he wouldn't like to see us this way" HE DOESN'T WANT YA'LL DO GET DRUNK. THAT'S NOT HOW HIS MADNESS WORKED

No. The women in the Bacchae are not ✨girlboss slaaaaay✨ they were feral women. The madness Dionysus used to punish Pentheus and the Theban women is NOT something you should idealize. Euripides didn't want ya'll to call him an icon because "omg the Bacchae is so progresive" GUYS... NO. IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT. It's about showing Dionysus' wrath. Of showing why like with any other god, he's feared.

The Greek gods are not your free playground OC's. You can't invent their sexualities or gender identities just for yourself. They're important figures of a culture and country that still lives. If you want an icon to feel identify with, create one. But don't go around there saying Dionysus is genderfluid JUST because you like seeing him young. No.

I know, personally, genderfluid people, and all of them agree THIS is wrong. I already had the whole pronouns drama with Dionysus, don't start over again with this. Please.

* AHEM * In any case... Hope you enjoyed !

I needed to work A LOT for this essay, since most of these myths weren't listed with sources. Whenever you wanna write a guide about folkore or anything similar, please, list your sources ! i don't want anyone else to go through the pain of needing to research though the catacombs of information JUST to confirm one sentence. Because i went trhough that, there's a reason why i've been researching about Dionysus for more than three years already and i still don't have everything. Thanks for your support and essay requests as always, it makes me INCREDIBLY happy to see so many of you willing to learn about a figure that has been so underappreciated and reduced into nothing like Dionysus, and who is still being misinterpreted to this day.

As always, reblogs would be very appreciated, it's the way people can find my blog for something else than copypaste incorrect quotes, and i always appreciate that kind of support. Of course i do this "por amor al arte" as i would say in Spanish, but still takes time and effort and i'm just a university student. I still will need A LOT of time to be able to work into something more accesible to everyone for the Greek folklore.

For now, this small Tumblr pieces is what i can give. But as always, thank you and χαίρε Διόνυσον 🍇

[flowers-of-io]

Legacy First [the Bray family fanmix]

Listen on Spotify

//song list and lore under the cut//

Queen of Peace – Florence + the Machine

I understand you're angry with me. I would be too, if I'd watched my father come so close to salvation, only to die the way he did. Believe me-the groans and snaps of his exobody tearing itself apart haunt me almost as profoundly as the things we said over his deathbed. [...] But what I am working on here could have saved him. Could save him still.

His only son Cut down but the battle won Oh, what is it worth

Moons of Jupiter – Freezepop

“Europa has relit the fire in my soul; one that even its freezing winds cannot chill.”

I think you are the moons of Jupiter I think there's something hiding underneath the ice

Nice to Meet Me – Zack Hemsey

The K1 artifact promised me an offering. A gateway to the secret of immortality. I call it Clarity. It is waiting on Europa.

And I feel like I got a gun Like I've been changed more ways than one And this whole world has just begun

Kingdom Fall – Claire Wyndham

“Agatha, clearly we have not found our solution. I'll leave this, hm, mess in your incapable hands. Don't ever bring me up to witness an event like this again. Disgusting.”

Nothing here is shining Shining like it should

Her Father In The Pool – The National

“That's your son's quote,” she snapped. “You know, I've seen the video of his final days. That naked, white exo, just paramuscle and soft membrane, writhing in its cradle. When you were done with him, he looked like nothing more than a slug, Clovis. A twisted, limbless giblet. Did you 'support and nurture' him while you tortured him to death?”

Mistakes – PHILDEL

I know how much you've lied It's too much to discuss numbers I know how much I've let slide

Numbers – Daughter

Fine. I’m coming. […] If you tell the family I’m sick, I’ll never speak to you again. I won’t even let you treat me. You’ll have to watch, helpless, as your own granddaughter falls victim to your mistakes. I hope you’re still someone capable of being troubled by that.

You’d better make me better

Organs – Of Monsters And Men

“I activate this... and it all goes away. [sniffles] Cheers to that.”

And I cough up my lungs Because they remind me of how it all went wrong But I leave in my heart Because I don't want to stay in the dark

Rabbit Heart – Florence + the Machine

She’s done it. My girl has transubstantiated. My legacy is safe. […] The scan was flawless, and of course, fatally toxic. My granddaughter’s human form died on the table 14 hours later.

And Midas is king, and he holds me so tight And turns me to gold in the sunlight

Destroy Everything You Touch – Unwoman

“Of course you dreamt about killing us. Your grandfather made you this way. And he kills everything he touches.” 

Destroy everything you touch today Destroy me this way Anything that may desert you So it cannot hurt you

Over Cold Shoulders – Eliza Rickman

“The memory bank you just slipped in your pocket. That belonged to Elisabeth-1.”

You come in here looking for more And oh, you take all you can fit in your arms When you walk out the door

Make Up Your Mind – Florence + the Machine

If I do not survive the construction and delivery of this weapon, I ask that you share the news of my death with Ana and Willa so they can make proper goodbyes. I do this for them. Not for you. Pray for grace, Grandfather.

And although the axe is heavy It just sits in my hands

Landfill – Daughter

“You’ve always been my favorite, Elisabeth. Please…”

Wipe away your tear stains Thought you said you didn’t feel pain

Which Witch – Florence + the Machine

“Perhaps our legacy should be burnt to the ground,” she says

And it’s my whole heart While tried and tested, it’s mine

Legacy – Unwoman

The new Elisabeth has no mouth or nose. She did not consider them necessary. She'll see. But somehow, I could still see the wonder in her eyes as she leaned over me. “You're my grandfather,” she seemed to say. “Aren't you?”

The End Of Love – Florence + the Machine

“Legacy first… Elisabeth,” he says.

We were a family pulled from a flood You tore the floorboards up And let the river rush in

Tomorrow – Daughter

Repeating myself over and over, hoping something will change, but I know it's coming. Blood and betrayal.

But don't bring tomorrow 'Cause I already know I'll lose you

Lament – Destiny 2: Beyond Light OST

There was a world where we were a happy family. This isn't it. We both know it.

[valeria-fortnite]

[There is a large, flat box sitting in the middle of the bed's golden silk sheets when Valeria comes into the room either to retrieve something, or simply have a moment alone. The box is red, with a gold ribbon.]

[Although King Midas is undoubtedly nearby, likely with the crew in the atrium as they all drink and talk to one another, there is a letter along with it all the same.]

αγάπη μου, Valeria

I know I have already given you a gift, one that was indeed from the very bottom of my heart, and that seeing you wear the last few days has warmed me so. However, as I have sent others a gift with a personal note, I only felt it was right to do the same for you. As well, there is much I wish to express to you that I didn't in that moment. At least, not in words.

There is so much in my heart for you, Φοῖνιξ. Gratitude, appreciation, admiration, affection; all manner of comfort and joy that I wish I was better capable of expressing to you. I owe my life to you, in more ways than just the literal salvation of my soul due to your actions.

You have kept me grounded. I do believe I may have eventually lost myself to my lingering anguish in the night, were it not for your company. While being in the presence of my family has been a balm to my troubled soul, it is you whose touch is warm enough to pass through the curse that often feels suffocating.

You have many things that trouble you in much the same way, that of which I am certain. And yet you still have the capacity for compassion for a man like me.

I feel seen by you, my dear Φοῖνιξ. I will do everything I am able to return the feeling,

For you.

~Midas

[Inside the box is a fur shaul and an evening gown. Both are perhaps more simple in their designs than most items in Valeria's wardrobe, but nonetheless elegant and notably luxurious.

The shaul is white, black fur at the base giving it volume when it moves. It is impeccably soft to the touch, with a gold clasp in the center.

The gown is a deep red suede. A halter top, it is form fitting with a loose flair down at the knees. A slit up the right side, with a subtle ruffle trim.]

@king-midas-fortnite

[ Valeria's reason for leaving the small party to enter what, arguably, is now her room as much as the guest room was is completely lost when the present on the bed catches her eye. Another smaller package does the same on her nightstand but she ignores it for now in favor of reading the letter Midas wrote. ]

[ The greeting is enough to take her breath away. Surprised, curious and ever the one to overthink she reads the letter as if it's the last thing she'll ever read. And then she rereads it three more times while all she can do in response in the moment is smile sweetly at the words, thumb brushing over his name at the end of it. She learned a lot about the man Midas used to be and it was...almost inconceivable that the man she knew now was the same. Of course she knew it was very plausible, bad men turning good, because she'd seen it countless times. ]

For you,

[ Because she'd wondered countless times if being a good man was worth it. ]

He really is a sap, isn't he?

[ Her words are heard only to the empty space next to her where her peripherals catch a dark blue coat leaning in to look at the present itself. ]

Right right, hold your horses.

[ She shoos away hands that aren't there as she opens the gift and can't help the exclamation of delight at the new garments, pressing the shawl's fur against her shoulder to feel just how soft it was without ruining it with her makeup. The gown is fully revealed next and she practically purrs out her delight over it. ]

Oh, isn't it just perfect? I need to host a party just to show it off as soon as possible, oh! Maybe New years, that'll be fun, no? I...

[ They blink a few times, sobering up in a sense, before tenderly hanging up the new pieces of their wardrobe and stashing the letter into their nightstand with a smile. Valeria couldn't speak to herself for forever, not when Midas and the crew were enjoying the night out there. Not when she badly wished to rejoin them. ]

[ Ignoring the figure in her vision to the best of her ability she picks up the second gift on her nightstand before setting it back down, deciding to save it for later when she heard Tina's booming laugh from the atrium. There's only a small moment of hesitation before she speedwalks out of the room to rejoin the others, eyes a little watery. ]

[dr-pepperrrr]

A Parallel I Would Lay My Life On - Part 2

A story of second chances told in fragments. Posted on AO3 under the same name.

He felt the shake vibrating the walls around him, eyes fluttering open. Wondering what was happening now. Trapped in the same cell that he had been in for what felt like a century. No way to tell when day or night was, the brief reprieves blessed by Persephone giving him no clues either. The Underworld trapped in a permanent dusk. It could have been a few years, it could have been a hundred. 

The shaking continued, growing stronger. Something big was happening. He felt a harsh thud in his chest, gasping as he tried to curl in on himself. Heart racing in his chest, something he hadn't felt in so long. Unsure what it meant, still locked into the shackles that kept him in place. Time still passed slowly, energy building in his muscles. Glancing up, he willed the shackles to gold, jerking slightly as he watched it spread. Mind racing at what it could mean. He let it cover the chains, yanking harshly, stronger that he had been before. Pausing when they finally snapped, arms falling to his side. 

He stood, legs still shaky with nerves. Unsure of what to expect if he managed to escape. Where did one go when faced with the endless void of the Underworld? He pressed his hands against the door, watching as it turned to gold under his touch. Using his one hand he had left, he aimed a punch at it, the door denting in. His strength was returning quickly, grateful that his curse granted him more than the average person. Another hit, the door crumpling in further. A third, the door flying open, metal locks that had blocked it from the other side scattering loudly across the worn marble floor. 

He glanced up, jerking backwards at movement in front of him, the shadow of a person standing in his path. Fear filled him, it was too soon to be caught. He had just managed to start his escape, was expecting at least a little bit more time. 

A familiar voice hit his ears. "Couldn't even wait for me to unlock the door?" Brows furrowing as the person stepped forward, matching scar to him. Both hands still, both covered in gold. He staggered forward, taking in the sight of Marigold in front of him. She was grinning at him, and he felt his heart race. A sadness creeping through him. 

"When did you die?"

She frowned at that, a confused look on her face. "I didn't. I came to get you out." She seemed to pause, looking around. "Come on. We need to get out of here first, back to the yacht. I can explain more once I can stop worrying about turning around to a god standing behind me." He followed after her, confused as she led him down a set of large marble stairs, the same ones that Persephone had taken him down when she felt graceful enough. Forward, through the murky green waters, shifting around them as the faint screams of the souls trapped in the river echoed off of the walls. Ahead, instead of darkness, there was sun. He paused as he stepped into it, forgetting the feeling of warmth on his skin.

"Hurry up," Marigold called out from further ahead. "We need to get away from here right now. I don't know when Hades might show back up." At the mention of the god, Midas quickly darted forward. He could take the time process everything later, now he needed to get as far away from here as possible. 

Dark rocks covered the land, the coastline unfamiliar as they made their way forward. He continued to glance behind him, expecting to see a wall of guards, a chain flying towards him, ready to snatch him back to his cell. Every time he looked, the landscape remained empty. His steps faltered slightly as he took in the yacht, looking the same as it always had. Almost unable to believe he had escaped, wondering if this was just some elaborate hallucination forced upon his as punishment. Maybe his mind had finally broken. Marigold went along the zip line first, and he quickly followed. Eager to be off the ground of the Underworld. When he landed, he saw two people standing still, weapons drawn. A woman with a sword in hand, and tiger hybrid with a shot gun. 

He stilled, Marigold nodding her head towards them. "Sit," the woman with the sword commanded. "You will wait here until he arrives." Marigold motioned for them to sit, lounge chairs spread across the deck. 

As they waited, the armour that he had worn while in the Underworld, a gift from Persephone after one of the more unpleasant experiences he had, was slowly becoming uncomfortable. The air was warm, humid. His hair stuck to his neck now with the length. He knew they must be somewhere along the southern coast, nothing that he could see looking familiar. The coastline nothing like he had seen before he had died, wondering what had happened to the island while he was gone. What he had missed. He glanced over to Marigold, studying her. She looked older, but not by much, so he knew he couldn't have been gone for more than a couple years. 

"Do you know who this leader is?" He asked quietly. She shook her head, giving a small sigh. 

"They've all been on the move since they summoned the gods here. They were originally at war with another group, which somehow Agent Jones is the leader of, but none of them seem to care now that the gods are actually here. Which, I guess we can thank them for that, or else we wouldn't have been able to find you." She was keeping her voice low, eyes trained on the other two as they paced the deck. 

Sweat slowly dripped down Midas's neck, grimacing at the feeling. He stood, pausing as the other two raised their weapons towards him. He raised his hands in slowly as a show of peace. "I'm just looking to take this armour off. It's a little hot." The women seemed to think it over before she lowered her sword, tiger following suit. He groaned as he unclasped the buckles, letting the metal fall onto the deck with a loud clang. The shirt that was underneath was damp, sticking to his skin but infinitely cooler than the metal that had been on him.

The sound of a zip line caught their attention, Midas back on edge. Marigold watched the stairs intently, waiting for the groups leader to make an appearance. He seen a flash of white hair first, mismatched eyes scanning the deck as they landed on him. He felt like his chest caved in, air leaving his lungs quickly. His blue eye had two scars crossing it now, similar to his own, wondering what had happened to him here. Wondering how he managed to survive. Marigold heard his gasp, following him to her feet as he stood, taking a step forwards. 

He paused at the cool look of indifference on the mans face as he turned to face the other two. "Montague?" Heart racing as the mans eyes slid over to him, confusion crossing his face. 

"Do I know you?" Still condescending, still accented. Midas faltered at his words, taking a step back. Something was off. He looked to Marigold, a frown on his face.

"Where are we?" 

She looked to the other group, then back to him, seeming to debate on her words. "You're not on the same island as before," she told him slowly. "Through a .. Series of unfortunate events, the island we were on was destroyed, for lack of a better word. We barely made it through to this one." Midas looked back to the Montague that was here now. The same. Completely different. No memories of whatever snapshot of himself had been placed in the Loop. 

He shook his head, glancing back to Montague, letting himself sit back in the chair. "Sorry, no, you don't." The man hummed, raising his brow as he turned, speaking to the woman again. Words too soft for Midas to hear. He watched as Montague frowned, crossing his arms, glancing back at them. The same look of annoyance on his face that Midas had been so used to seeing. 

He sighed, rolling his eyes before making his way over. "You may stay here if you wish, but it remains my yacht." Midas felt the frown on his face as he stood, not missing the way Montague's flicked over him. His stare still full of judgment as he raised a brow, meeting Midas's eyes. 

"It's my yacht."

A smirk was on Montague's face now as he leaned forward, pressing into Midas's space. Eyes locking onto his, smirk growing as Midas sucked in a breath at the proximity. His voice was low as he spoke. "Says who?" 

Midas spluttered, indignant as he opened his mouth to reply, Marigold cutting in quickly. "Thank you, it is very much appreciated." Glaring at Midas, she motioned for him to walk inside, shooing him along. He glanced back, meeting Montague's eyes, his stupid little smirk still on his face as he winked. When he turned, Marigold was frowning at him. 

"What the hell was that? How do you know him?"

Faltering at her question, Midas debated on how to answer. He hadn't told anyone about Montague before, keeping everything that happened between them to himself. He crossed towards the bar cabinet, stacked with liqour that he would never buy for himself. With an annoyed sigh, he poured himself a drink, taking a sip before meeting the woman's eyes. 

"I met a version of him on the other island. Before the Device event. He was just a small time thief, but we grew to know each other .. very well." He paused, tossing back the rest of the drink. "We.. It was.." Sighing as he shook his head. "He went looking for me at the Agency when the Device first came out and I was going to his place to get him. He didn't make it out in time." 

Marigold listened as he spoke, knowing Midas well enough to piece the story together with the parts that had been left unsaid. Her hand slid over his shoulder as a show of comfort. "Well, this one is not whoever you think he is. Don't act so star struck next time, you're going to scare him away, and we need all the help we can get right now." Midas scoffed at that, rolling his eyes. 

"I did not act star struck."

At that, Marigold laughed loudly. "Okay, buddy. Whatever you say." 

--

The next time Midas had seen him, Montague was lounging on one of the chairs on the main deck. The woman he now knew to be Nisha was beside him, frowning, smacking the palm of one hand with the back of her other as she seemed to try to explain something to him. He watched Montague raise an eyebrow, roll his eyes and then wave her away. She stood abruptly, a look of anger on her face before stalking away. He heard the zip line not long after, signaling she had left the ship. 

He glanced over, watching as Midas seated himself in another chair. Studying him. "Why do you look like that when you see me?" 

Midas looked away, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about." He heard the man hum, glancing over, his eyes still locked onto him. He stood, slowly crossing to where Midas was. He picked up his arm with the missing hand, Midas's heart quickening at the feeling of his touch. 

"What happened?" 

Midas gently pulled his arm away, meeting Montague's eyes as he stood above him. "A man decided he wanted my powers for himself, and thought cutting off my hand would give it to him. Instead, he didn't get what he wanted and I died." 

"And what are your powers?" 

Midas's eyes narrowed at him. "I can turn things into gold. And I'm stronger than normal people." The man made an interested sound, studying him. Motioning him to stand as he took a step back. Midas slowly got to his feet, watching Montague curiously. 

"I would like to see how strong you are." 

With a scoff, Midas shook his head. "I'm not fighting you." With a flash of movement, he ducked just as Montague's foot flew by his face, a blade tucked along his shoe just grazing his cheek, the feeling of wetness trickling down his face surprising him. His brows furrowed as he took a step back, Montague taking one forward, a grin on his face. 

"If that is what I want, then you will do it." 

Midas laughed. "That's the most entitled thing I've ever heard." He paused as he seen Montague's hands shift, diamond coating over them. Fingers lengthening to sharp tips as it slowly crept up his arm. Just as Montague launched himself forward, Midas let the gold flow through him, covering his body, the man tackling him to the ground. 

They struggled back and forth, both gaining the upper hand before losing it. Over and over. He gasped as he felt his back slam into the ground, diamond fingers wrapped around his wrists above his head, the other gripping at his neck. The diamond disappeared from Montague slowly, a sly grin on his face as he leaned forward. Midas let the gold fade away, feeling Montague's thumb dig into his chin. "I guess diamonds are better than gold," he purred. As soon as Midas felt his hand loosen around his wrist, he ripped them free, flipping them easily as he pulled his knife that was sheathed along his hip, pressing it lightly against the skin of his neck. 

Montague grinned up at him, something flashing in his eyes. "How did you know I like knives?" 

Midas felt his chest constrict. Memories of Montague under him in a moonlit hallway, saying the exact same words. He gasped in a breath as he stood quickly, needing to get away from the man that was not the Montague he had known. Not bothering to look back, knowing the man was probably confused at whatever had just happened. 

--

He sat in the sun once again, shirtless as he basked in the warmth, watching the light reflect of his new prosthetic. Still reeling from Jules arriving on the ship, eager to have a chance to make things right with her after everything. He watched the fingers move, unused to the feeling after spending so long with nothing but a stump at the end of his wrist. He glanced towards the stairs at the sound of the zip line, Montague appearing. His eyes raked over Midas, a smirk crossing his face as Montague finally seemed to falter. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Nothing. Did you need something." 

Montague nodded, motioning with his head for Midas to follow. He could feel his eyes on him as he leaned forward to grab his shirt, tracing over his tattoos. When he stood, Montague's cheeks were dusted with pink, looking out over the water. He leaned in as he walked by, their eyes meeting quickly. "Lead the way." With a shaky breath, Montague gave a quick nod, guiding them towards the zip line. 

"So where are we going?" 

Montague gave him a sly grin as he slid behind the driver seat of the car. "We are going to spy on a god." Midas's stomach twisted. Uneager to see a god after escaping such a short time ago. With a laugh, Montague pushed at his shoulder as he buckled himself in. "Relax, it is not the same one who trapped you. We are going to watch Zeus."

With a roll of his eyes, Midas sighed loudly. "Right, cause that's so much better."

Fiddling with the radio before he took off, Montague continued to smile. "Do not worry, I will keep you safe." Midas wanted to smack him with how condescending he sounded. 

"I can keep myself safe just fine," Midas scoffed.

"Well, I am not the one who died am I?" He laughed, glancing out of his window as he continued. "That was you." Missing the way Midas seemed to freeze at his words, lip twitching down. He looked back finally, confused at the expression on Midas's face. "What is that face for? You look like someone has just kicked your puppy." 

With a shake of his head, Midas managed to tear his eyes away from the man, shaking his head. "Nothing." Montague hummed, narrowing his eyes at him as he drove them towards the marble city. 

--

Tipping back his glass, Midas drained the rest of the liqour that was in it before he grimaced. Still not to his liking, but he guessed there couldn't be a complaint considering he was alive in the first place. He stood, legs starting to feel loose as he walked back to the bar to refill his glass. The conversation he had with Montague in the car replaying in his mind. Memories accompanying the words. 

I am not the one who died, am I? The sight of the Agency crumbling, burying Montague's body somewhere in it. One of the first times he found himself regretting his actions, wishing he could turn back time. Let Montague know the plan before he had gone through with it, so he wouldn't go looking for Midas. He grabbed the bottle, bringing it back with him. 

The sound of a zip line, Montague appearing on the deck not long after. Midas nodded to him, keeping himself laid back in the lounge chair he was occupying. Montague looked around before raising a brow. "You are drinking alone?" Midas gave him a nod. "Well, then I suppose I will join you." He grabbed a glass for himself, letting himself fall into the chair next to Midas. 

"What is the celebration of the night?" Montague asked, a small smirk on his face. 

With a short laugh, Midas shrugged his shoulders. "I'm alive, and I want to." 

"That is a good reason." Montague seemed to hum to himself, eyes flitting around the deck before finally landing on Midas. He stood quickly, motioning for the man to follow. "Come." Midas wanted to roll his eyes, grabbing the bottle of liqour and standing instead. Trailing behind Montague as he led his way through the ship, towards the upper level. He watched as Montague glanced behind them as he walked through the bedroom, making sure Midas was still following before crossing onto the deck, placing his glass on a table beside the hot tub. Meeting Midas's eyes before he pulled his shirt over his head, smirking at his faltering steps. 

"Will you join me?" Montague asked softy, still smirking as he unbuttoned his pants. Watching as Midas's eyes flicked down, away just as quickly before he nodded. He slid them off, leaving his briefs on as he got into the pool. Eyes heavy as they watched Midas pull his shirt over his head, fingers fumbling over his belt to get it off. He slipped into the hot tub not long after, heart racing at the way Montague was watching him. Unused to having that stare focused on him after so long. Taking a shaky breath as Montague crowded into his space, flushing at the proximity. "Why do you get so flustered around me?" 

Moving himself backwards, Midas aimed for a casual tone, grimacing when he still sounded offended. "I do not." The man laughed at his response, Midas's heart beating quicker at the sound. They even had the same laugh. Once more, Montague pressed into his space, faces close together, grinning as he watched Midas's eyes flick down to his lips. 

"You do." He watched as Midas's breath seemed to catch. "Can I try something?" Swallowing thickly, Midas took another deep breath. 

"What did you have in mind?" 

Fingers brushing at Midas's jaw to lead it up, eyes low as they stared at each other. "Just a bit of fun," Montague murmured, lips brushing against the skin of Midas's jaw. Another shaky breath as he nodded his head, wanting whatever Montague would give him. He felt another hand trace along his thigh in the water, reaching his own out to run his fingers against Montague. Lightly brushing over his hip, watching as the man's eyes fluttered, sensitive there just like he had been before.

Finally pressing their lips together, a soft sigh leaving him as his body seemed to relax. The two of them continued, Montague sliding himself forward to seat himself on Midas's legs, hands roaming before he stood, motioning for Midas to follow, across the deck and into the room before pushing him back onto the bed. Their hands working quickly between themselves, Midas watching every reaction that crossed Montague's face intently. Drinking in the sounds that fell from his mouth. 

Eyes heavy as he watched Montague clean them off, before slowly crawling along the bed, head tilting slightly. "I trust I am not overstepping if I stay the night?" Instantly Midas was shaking his head, moving backwards to make room for the other man. Montague smirked, falling onto the bed beside him before he lifted himself up on his elbow. 

They spoke lowly through the night until Montague started to drift off. The conversation reminding Midas of when they had spent the night in his office of the Agency, going through the papers Montague had stolen for him. He found himself watching Montague as he slept, tracing over his face, the new scars, trying to memorize everything. Thinking back to Marigold's words when they first arrived. Maybe he was acting a bit star-struck, but that was neither here nor there. 

--

Montague continued to spend more and more time on the ship, half of their days spent with him dragging Midas somewhere across the island. Frequenting the hotel, his hotel, that was nestled at the base of a mountain range, Montague bickering with the blue haired woman there. He smirked as he watched her and Montague argue, glad that his attitude was being directed towards someone else. 

The other days were spent with Marigold, sometimes Jules. Gathering what information they could while he scoured over different maps. The thought of being able to leave foreign to him. Exciting. Praying Montague wouldn't put up a fight when it came time to leave. That he would be leaving with them. 

He woke up to an empty bed beside him, sunlight streaming through the windows. Quietly walking towards the deck, he heard voices outside, on the deck below him. It could hear Montague say something, annoyance clear in his voice. A woman responding. He crept forwards, standing next to the railing to listen to their conversation. 

"You have never spent this much time on your boat. I only worry that you are forgetting your duties." Montague scoffed. Midas wanted to as well. It was his boat. 

"I did not forget. And now that I can not run the hotel, where else should I spend my time?" 

This time, the woman scoffed, recognizing Nisha's voice. "Are you sure that's the only reason you're here?" 

"What is that supposed to mean?" 

"I've seen the way you look at Midas. He's with you every time I see you now." Montague remained silent, and he could picture the glare he was probably sending Nisha. Heart beat quickening at her words. The silence continued to grow before Nisha spoke again, voice softer. "What is it about him that has you like this?" 

Midas waited, feeling like he shouldn't be listening to the conversation. Staying anyways, wanting to hear Montague's response. 

"I do not know," he finally told her, voice quiet. "He feels familiar to me. Like I have known him in another life. He makes me curious." The woman hummed, sighing softly, the sound of a chair scraping along the deck. 

"Just be careful, okay? And don't forget about next week." 

At that, Montague let out a sharp laugh. "How could I forget that?" Footsteps echoed across the deck, Midas's curiosity growing. Wondering what would be happening the following week. He stepped away from the railing, slowly making his way towards the main deck. Wanting to ask Montague about it, wondering if he should. The sound of the zip line rang out, and he watched two bodies cross towards the grassy cliff with a sigh. He would have to ask another day.

--

The humidity along the coast seemed to continue to build, almost suffocating with the heat. Midas sprawled himself in the shade, already warming up even though he had just gotten out of the water. Montague was groaning, still floating in the water before he seemed to still. Even with sunglasses covering his eyes, he could tell that the man had caught sight of something. Instantly on guard, wondering if they were about to be attacked, he stood from his chair to ready himself. 

"That is moving fast," Montague commented. Midas finally followed his gaze, heart settling even as his body tensed. Dark grey clouds ahead of near black ones were converging towards them, quickly crossing the sky. Already the sun seemed to dim, heat and stickiness maintaining. Thunder rumbled low through the sky, and Midas half expected to see them turn purple like they did in the Loop. Instead, lightning flashed through them, white illuminating through the grey. 

"Get out of the water," Midas ordered. Montague sighed, pouting as he swam towards the deck. A few drops fell from the sky, landing lightly on Midas's skin. Even the rain seemed warm right now. He sighed as he noted some of the chairs on the lower deck had cushions on them, not wanting them to get soaked. He quickly crossed the deck as Montague pulled himself out of the water, grabbing what cushions he could carry. He motioned for the other to grab the rest, flinching as thunder rumbled loudly overhead. A few seconds later, lightning flashed through the sky just over where the Underworld now rested. 

Before they could take a step, rain fell from the sky in sheets, drenching them almost instantly. He shouted in surprise, Montague dropping the cushions in favour of running for cover. He felt a laugh bubble out of him from the sight, deciding to follow suit. Already the cushions were heavy with water, no way to save them from the rain this time. As he ran towards cover, he seen Montague flail his arms as he tried to steady himself, the deck slippery from the downpour. He tried to slow himself, a look of surprise crossing his face as he slid forwards, barreling straight into Montague. Groaning as he hit the deck, Montague landing heavily on top of him, he felt another laugh slip from him at the absurdity of the situation. Not five minutes ago they had been swimming under a hot sun.

The sound of Montague's laugh made his heart race slightly. He guided Midas back up, pulling him into the yacht to finally get them out of the rain. The temperature was noticeably dropping, still warm but no longer unbearable. 

"Come with me," Montague murmured, leading him by the wrist through the ship. Bringing him up to his room, drying himself with a towel before he crawled onto the bed. "I like to watch the storms from here." Midas felt his breath catch, watching Montague pat the bed beside him. 

Midas slowly laid himself in the bed, mind swimming with memories of him and Montague waiting out the Storm on the yacht. Watching purple clouds and lightning flash through the skylights. Montague lifted his hand, tucking himself in under Midas's arm, letting his hand fall onto his chest. He traced circles across his skin, overly conscious of the way Montague's body rested against his. 

"Why is your heart beating so fast?" Montague asked quietly. He flushed, pausing as he opened his mouth. Unsure of how to answer the question. Settling on something as close to the truth as he was willing to admit. 

"You make me nervous."

Montague twisted in the sheets, face dangerously close to Midas's as he grinned at him. "I am the reason your heart races like that?" He seemed to purr at Midas's words, and he fought the urge to roll his eyes. Knowing the mans ego had no doubt grown in size from that confession. He let out a soft breath and the feeling of Montague's lips brushing against his, eyes meeting as lightning continued to flash in the sky, further out over the ocean now. "Good. You make mine race too." 

Midas groaned softly at the feeling of their lips pressing together, pulling Montague closer as they waited for the rain to stop. 

--

Once again, Midas found himself driving around the island with Montague. This time he was behind the wheel, the other changing the song over and over as he searched for one he liked. They passed by the large lake, Midas's stomach twisting as he imagined the Agency there. Unpleasant memories flooding him. Up ahead, the sight of a tent caught his attention, before he slammed on the brakes, Montague sliding forward in his seat with a sound of annoyance. 

Midas was already out of the car, walking up the hill towards the banana that was standing a top it. He hadn't seen Peely in too long, missing his friend, wondering how he had managed to come to this island. Raising a brow as the banana froze, he turned, watching Montague slowly cross the grass, him and Peely staring at each other with narrowed eyes. 

"Do you know him?" 

"I may have met him once or twice," Montague said with a frown, ignoring the frustrated sound that left the banana. Hands quickly moving through signs. Midas turned quickly, staring at Montague. 

"Why would you kidnap him?" 

"I did no such thing." Hands flying, Midas watched intently, nodding. Pausing, eyes meeting the bananas. A shake of his head. A sound of annoyance left Montague behind them. "What is he saying?" Another car pulled up beside the one they had driven, Montague groaning as Jones stepped out of the vehicle, hand already resting on his gun, pausing at the sight. 

"How are you alive?" His eyes darted between the two men, apprehension on his face, back to Midas. He turned, watching Jones coolly before a slow smirk crossed his face. Thinking back to his brief time in the IO headquarters, finding files filled with information of himself in Jones' office. The man had been intent on figuring him out, never quite getting enough information to stop Midas. 

"It's been a long time, Agent Jones." Jones tried to raise his gun, Midas darting forward to rip it out of his hands, turning it to press it against his forehead. Behind them, Peely made a sound of distress. Midas frowned at Jones before looking back, taking in what was being said by Peely  before he sighed, rolling his eyes and pocketing the gun. 

Montague watched the interaction with curiosity now, trying to figure out how the trio knew each other. Peely motioned with his hands, Midas watching before he nodded, beckoning Montague forward as he seated himself in one of the chairs. Still on alert, Montague stood behind Midas, not wanting to sit down and let himself be at a disadvantage. Jones watched the interaction before he rubbed a hand over his eyes, sighing. "Please tell me you're not working together." He stared at Montague blankly, eyes narrowing. "Why would you bring him out of whatever hell finally managed to trap him." 

At that, Montague seemed to growl, anger flooding him. "I am becoming tired of being blamed for others actions. I did not release the gods. I did not steal the banana. And I did not free Midas." 

At that, Jones rolled his eyes. "Of course you didn't. You just happened to be apart of all of them. Coincidentally." With a sigh, he leaned back into his own chair. "What are you doing here?" Midas shrugged at his question, gesturing to the banana. 

"Catching up with an old friend." Jones huffed, crossing his arms as the two began signing to each other. Watching Montague pace behind them with narrowed eyes. Finally, as the sun started to set, Montague ducked behind Midas's chair, murmuring something low into his ear. Tilting his head to meet his eyes, Midas nodded at whatever was said, a small smile forming, Jones watching intently. Midas stood, nodding to the banana. "It's been good to see you. We'll head out now." Turning to meet Jones' eyes, he raised a brow before giving him a curt nod. "Hopefully I don't see you again." 

Montague let out a loud laugh, hearing Midas's words as he crossed the grass towards the car. Jones watched them go, shaking his head as he looked back to the banana. "I will never understand how you could be friends with that man." Peely shrugged, a small smile on his face, waving at the car as it drove away. 

--

Waking to a cloudy sky, Midas groaned as he sat himself up. His wrist was aching, storm clouds seeming to roll over the island quickly. Ready to open up, spill their contents over everything. He sighed, making his way to the deck. Marigold was pacing, glancing over towards the large statue that jutted from the mountain. 

"What's got you so worked up?" He asked, frowning. It was rare to see her on edge like this. 

Glancing his way before turning back to the mountains, she let out a soft breath. "Montague and the others left about fifteen minutes ago. They had a lot of weapons and ammo, and I heard the tiger say something about Zeus not knowing what was coming for him." She paused, finally looking back to Midas. "I have a bad feeling about that." 

Thunder rumbled over the island, clouds twisting around themselves as Midas's heart started to beat faster. Anxiety crashing through him. Unwilling to lose Montague a second time. Lightning flashed across the sky, travelling towards the statue. Marigold picked his guns off the chair, handing them to him as he crossed the deck. Her own weapons already holstered, ready to go. She followed Midas quietly, across the zip line to the car that had been left there. He could feel the jittery feeling in his limbs, praying that they could make it to the marble city in time. Praying Montague wouldn't actually be stupid enough to try and take on a god. 

Slamming the car into park, the two of them darted out, taking the stairs two steps at a time as lightning crashed into the building in front of the statue. He could hear gun fire starting, not bothering to look at Marigold before he was running. Rain started to pour from almost black clouds, blurring his vision, blocking out the sounds of the fight. 

He took the last step towards the building, a loud boom echoing through the building before he seen Oscar fly across the room, slammed into a far wall. A harsh yell, more gun fire. Lightning illuminated the inside of the building, and he watched Montague lunge forward, crashing into Nisha as he dragged her to the ground, the flying bolt just barely missing them. He shoved her away, Midas pausing as diamond glinted across his skin, covering his arms as he darted forward, fingers sinking into the gods chest. 

A deep laugh sounded through the room before Zeus swung his hand out, sending Montague flying backwards into another wall. Fully incased in diamond now, slowly disappearing as he stood with a grimace. "Get Oscar out of here," Midas instructed, turning his gun to the god. Marigold ran forwards, lifting the tiger with ease as he slung an arm over her shoulder, legs barely able to keep himself upright. 

Midas let his gun fire as the god darted forwards, aiming for Nisha. She flew back, the smack of her head against the marble loud even over all the other sounds. Montague lunged forward once more, still oblivious of the extra help. Oblivious to his team's disappearance. Midas growled as he opened fire once more, watching as Zeus turned to him instead. That finally made Montague pause, surprise crossing his face at the sight of Midas. 

As if sensing his distraction, the god quickly sent a bolt of lightning hurdling towards the man. Midas shouted out, knowing he wouldn't be able to warn him in time, watching as the lightning struck, diamond only half covering his body. He ran forwards, ignoring the god that was letting himself drop to the floor, a dark grin on his face at the sight. Montague's breaths were shallow, a web of red lines creeping over his neck, disappearing under his shirt. The world around them seemed to fall silent, Midas's breaths overwhelmingly loud in his ears as he yanked Montague off the ground, letting gold cover him as he dragged them towards the front of the building. 

He heard the sizzle of electricity in the air, the crack of a bolt being thrown as he dropped Montague, groaning as sharp heat shot through him, body freezing for a moment. Gone just as quick, the metal of his body managing to absorb most of the hit. Again, he picked Montague up, dragging him forward, Marigold outside of the door with her gun trained at the god a welcome sight. Oscar was finally standing again, picking Nisha up off the ground where Marigold had dropped her. Turning without a backwards glance as he started towards the stairs that led out of the city.

Shots continued to ring out behind him, knowing Marigold was trying her best to keep the god distracted as he took Montague to safety. The man was still barely concious, head lolling to the side. Finally, he felt the weight lifting from his shoulders, watching Marigold slip under the mans other shoulder, helping to get him away. 

Arriving at the ship, Nisha was finally awake, a look of worry and something else crossing her face. She paced along the grass as Midas worked on getting Montague out of the car, watching as they started towards the zip line. Finally, she let out a deep breath. 

"Tell Montague that I am done." Midas paused, brows furrowing in her direction. "The Society is done. Everything I have done was to try and keep my family in good standing, but after this... I have a chance to do some good. With Hope and Jones. Tell him I'm sorry," she glanced away, shaking her head as a look of sadness crossed her face. "I just can't do this anymore." Oscar turned with her, walking beside her without a word. Midas knew he felt the same, knowing that him leaving with Nisha was more than enough to show how he felt. 

With a grunt, Midas lifted Montague to his shoulder, attaching himself to the zip line with one hand as the other held the man, making sure he didn't fall to the water below. His breaths were still shallow, and Marigold followed him to the top floor, bandages in hand. He tugged what was left of Montague's shirt off, grimacing at the network of red lines and cuts that seemed to cover his torso. Suddenly his hand felt heavy, surprised to find the shirt turned into gold. 

With a shake of his head, he grabbed a bottle of saline to wash out some of the wounds that littered the marks, growling in frustration as that turned to gold as well. He reached for a stack of gauze before Marigold's hands stopped him. "Go sit, you're too worked up to do this right now." 

He took a step back, watching as Marigold's hands worked quickly. Pacing back and forth behind her before she huffed, turning to look at him. "If you're going to be breathing down my neck like that, I'll make you leave." Midas paused, eyes narrowing at her before he let himself fall into a chair. Leg bouncing, worrying his lip. Almost standing as Marigold pressed something along Montague's skin, making him wince even in unconsciousness before she whipped her head towards Midas at the sign of movement. "Stay put." Letting himself lean back into the chair in an attempt to relax his body, unable to but at least out of the way. 

Finally, she took a step away with a deep sigh. Glancing towards Midas, she raised a brow as his eyes stayed trained on Montague, lost in thought. Replaying the sight of the lightning bolt hitting him. Replaying the sound of his racing footsteps echoing through his phone just before the Agency fell. The sight of him cresting the stairs after he had first escaped the Underworld. Crashing into him in the hallway of the Agency as he ran from Midas's guards. A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts, Marigold meeting his eyes with a soft look. 

"He's going to be okay. He'll just need some time." With a curt nod, he trained his eyes back on Montague, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. 

"Thank you." 

She pat his shoulder lightly, disappearing down the stairs. 

--

From the lounge chair he laid in, Midas watched as Montague slowly walked along the deck, a look of frustation on his face. He remained silent, waiting for the man to sit. Finally, he heard a loud sigh, almost veering into a groan. Comically dramatic. "I am sick of this island." Midas nodded slowly, glancing over at Jules sitting at a table further back. She was watching him, just as Midas was, eyebrow raised. 

"Then let's go," he finally replied. Montague's eyes met his, confused. 

"Where will we go?" 

"Anywhere." He paused, glancing over to the black rocks that still covered the land to the north of the island. "I wouldn't mind getting away from the gods for a while." Montague crossed the deck, eyes darting behind them as Jules stood to leave. When he looked back to Midas, there was a small smirk on his face. 

"You would leave this place with me?" He traced his finger along Midas's jaw, guiding his head up for their eyes to meet. Midas felt a soft smile cross his lips as he nodded slowly. 

"I might just follow you anywhere." 

Montague bit at his lip lightly as he seemed to think over his words. Letting his thumb brush over Midas's lip as a small smile slowly crossed his face. "Good. Then we will go."