#let the dogs for hades and birds for zeus

[messymoonmad]

Poseidon: "DIE!!!"

His dog: *drops down and stops moving*

Poseidon: "good boy" *pets his head and gives him a treat*

[foreststarflaime]

Ok so I was translating the Iliad for fun last night as one does and oh my god it’s them?? Genesis Rhapsodos is a homeric hero in this essay I will

“Sing to me, goddess, of the accursed wrath of Achilles son of Peleus, who caused countless pains for the Acheans, and sent forth many stout souls of heroes to Hades, and made them spoils to dogs and to every bird of prey, and the will of Zeus was accomplished, from when first the son of Atreus ruler of men and divine Achilles stood apart in strife.”

-Homer, Iliad, I.1-7 (translation is my own)

But like the more I think about it, the more it just…fits him perfectly? Strap in boys this turned into a long one, I’m putting my ‘useless’ degree to good use

So a huge drive for Homeric heroes is pursuit of kleos (κλέος, meaning glory), it’s what their societal values are built off of, and it’s what Genesis builds his life off of too. It’s why he can’t let himself coexist peacefully with Sephiroth—for Genesis’ glory to spread, it can’t be eclipsed by Sephiroth’s. Kleos is earned primarily through being remembered in song, and you don’t see Shinra making any propaganda with Genesis in it (at least disproportionately not as much as Sephiroth).

And that’s another thing—Genesis’ desperate will to live. A big part of the appeal of kleos is that it grants you a sort of immortality, to live forever in the minds of humanity as long as the songs about you persist. There is a way to earn kleos without being the best hero around, and it’s to be killed by the best hero around—in passages where heroes go on killing rampages, there’s little catalogues of everyone they kill, like little graveyards of poetry that let them live on after death. It’s not a dishonor to them, rather the opposite since they died bravely fighting someone they just couldn’t beat.

This isn’t the way Genesis wants to earn his kleos, though, and he’s desperately afraid of it. We see in his reaction to degredation that he will do anything to avoid his own death, lashing out against everyone in pain and fear. He wants more than anything not to die, but he doesn’t want to end up a footnote in the rampage of someone greater. He wants Achilles’ fame, but fails to see that this fame was conditional upon his death. The most famous part of Achilles’ story that survived, after all, was his heel.

And then there’s how his friends fit into the story. As you can see in the quote from earlier, Sephiroth fits well as the Agamemnon to Genesis’ Achilles. Agamemnon leads the assembled Greek forces because he has the most men, the most fame, but Achilles (putting aside the matter of whether he is or not) doesn’t want to be seen as inferior to him, and is infuriated when Agamemnon does something he sees as a slight against his kleos. From Genesis’ perspective, this fits Sephiroth exactly. From Sephiroth’s perspective, naturally this is not the case, but therein lies the problem—he’s in a different genre from Genesis, one that becomes incompatible when put in the context it’s in, and this dooms them to tragedy.

It’s a similar problem with Angeal. Honor and glory are similar enough to be the best of companions, but they are not the same thing, and it’s something that is easy to forget. The difference is most clear, again, in the context they’re in. Genesis is so busy chasing immortality in kleos that he forgets that honor is not immortality, and Angeal’s will to live fails when his honor does, and he loses him.

Angeal and Sephiroth are both their own genres, causing misunderstanding and ensuring the tragedy that occurs, but they fit in just enough with the context of Homeric heroes to not let Genesis see his mistake.

Important for him also is the definition of monster to a Greek—two different creatures mashed together in a way nature isn’t supposed to go. That’s it. And by that definition, he is a monster, though we’d still call him human by our definition. And that’s just…ouch. In the fundamental rules of his world, he is inarguably a monster.

But the tragedy of that is that he’s just so painfully human, as are all Homeric heroes—so horribly, humanly flawed in such a loud way that the world cannot ignore it, and is pulled down with him.

Okayy wrapping it up with a few fun facts because this is turning into the essay I didn’t mean it to be, his last name Rhapsodos (Ῥαψῳδός) is a Greek word that translates roughly to bard, and specifically to a bard that recites epic poetry. Like the Iliad. It’s so unbelievably perfect for him, good job square enix! And the fact that this quote from the Iliad has goddess instead of Muse like the Odyssey, it was fated! Also, not that noun genders really mean anything, but the Greek noun genesis (γένεσις) is actually feminine, so win for genderqueer Genesis propaganda

Anyway where did my afternoon suddenly go, this was supposed to be a short fun thing, I should really be working on my thesis (which coincidentally was inspired by him, I’m in too deep send help) if you read all this I love you forever lol bye

[plangentia]

Bacchylides 5

Well-fated leader of the horse-whirling Syracusans, you will rightly understand this honour, if anyone upon the earth right now does, the sweet gift of the violet-crowned Muses. Calm your righteous mind, cease your anxieties, come on, consider this in your mind. Your guest friend sends a hymn, woven with the deep-girdled Graces, from his sacred island to your famous city, the famous servant of golden-headbanded Ourania. He wants to pour fourth his voice from his chest

and speak of Hieron. High above, cutting the deep air with his swift wings, the eagle, the messenger of wide-ruling, loud-thundering Zeus, is confident and trusts in his powerful strength, and clear-voiced birds crouch in fear. The peaks of the great earth do not restrain him, nor do the rough waves of the untiring sea. In the limitless void, he shifts his fine-haired feathers in the gusts of the West Wind, a conspicuous sight to sea for humans.

Now, in this way, there are countless paths in every direction for me to sing about your excellence, thanks to dark-haired Nike and bronze-breastplated Ares, the noble children of Deinomenes. May the god not tire of doing good. Beside the wide-whirling Alpheus, golden-armed Dawn saw the victory of the storm-swift foal, chestnut Pherenicus, in most holy Pytho. Laying my hand on the earth, I declare that he has not yet been sprinkled by the dust of horses in front of him, as he strains towards the finish line. In force he is equal to Boreas, protecting his rider, he speeds on, making fresh applause and a victory for his hospitable rider. Propserous is the man to whom a god has given a fate of good things and a rich life to lead with enviable luck. For no one living on the earth was born to be happy in every respect.

For in this way, even once, they say, the gate-destroying, unconquerable son of Zeus of the bright-lightning, entered the halls of the slender-ankled Persephone to lead the dog with saw-like teeth from Hades to the light, the son of the monstruous Echidna. There he saw the soul of wretched mortals by the streams of the Cocytus, which were like leaves that the wind shakes along the sheep-grazed headlands of flashing Ida. From these spirits, the ghost of Porthaon's spear-wielding brave-spirited descendent stood out. When the wonderous hero, the son of Alcmene, saw him, shining his his armour, he set the clear-sounded bowstring onto his bow, and then he took out a bronze-tipped arrow, having opened the lid of his quiver. But the spirit of Meleager appeared in front of him and spoke to him, knowing him well. "Son of great Zeus, stay still and cheer up your heart.

"Do not let your harsh arrow fly from your hands in vain against the souls of those who have perished. You have no need to fear." Thus he spoke. The lord, the son of Amphitryon, was astonished and said: "Who amongst the gods or mortals raised such offspring as you and in which land? Who killed you? Indeed, beautiful-girdled Hera will soon send him after my life. But I suppose that will concern golden-haired Pallas." Meleager replied to him, crying. "It is difficult for the minds of gods to be changed

"by men living on earth. For otherwise horse-driving Oineus, my father, would have stopped the anger of holy, flower-garlanded, white-armed Artemis, beseeching her with sacrifices of many goats and red-backed cows. But the goddess' anger was unbeatable. The girl sent a powerful and ruthless boar to beautiful Calydon, where, flooding with strength, he tore down vines with his teeth, and slaughtered flocks and whichever mortals came across him.

"The best of the Greeks enduringly fought the hateful battle continuously for six days. But when a god gave strength to the Aetolians, we buried those who where slain by the loud-roaring boar rushing at them with force: Ancaeus and Agelaus, the best of my noble brothers, whom Althaea bore in the very famous halls of Oineus.

"Ruinous fate destroyed more of them. For the battle-minded and fierce huntress, daughter of Leto, did not cease her anger. We fought hard for the fiery hide with the Couretes, who were steadfast in battle. Then I killed, along with many others, Iphiclus and noble Aphares, my swift maternal uncles. For strong-spirited Ares does not discern a friend in battle. Blind missiles flew from my hand amongst the souls of the enemy and brought death to whosoever the god wishes.

"My ill-fated mother, the hostile daughter of Thestius, did not consider these things and she planned my destruction, the fearless woman. She took from the ornate chest the log of my swift doom and set it on fire. Fad span out then that this would be the boundary of my life. I happed to be stripping the unblemished body of Clymenus, the son of Daipylus. I had overtaken him in front of the towers, since they fled towards the well-built anciennt city

"of Pleuron. My sweet spirit faded. I knew that I had little strength left. Oh no! I breathed my last breath and wept, wretched, as I left behind my glorious youth." They say that it is the only time that the courageous son of Amphitryon wetted his eyelids, pitying the fate of the man who had born great griefs. Then he replied to him and said this: "It is best for mortals to never be born

"or see the light of the sun. But there is no profit in worrying about these things. One must speek about what can be accomplished. Tell me, in the halls of battle-loving Oineus, is there an unwedded daughter, who looks like you? I would like to make her my splendid wife." The spirit of Meleager, steadfast in battle, said to him: "I left behind the pale-necked Deianeira at home; she is still unware of golden Cypris, charmer of men."

White-armed Calliope, stop your well-made chariot here. Sing of Zeus, son of Kronos, Olympian ruler of the gods, and of the untiring stream of Alpheus, and the strength of Pelops and Pisa, where glorious Pherenicus won victory in the race with his feet, bringing to well-towered Syracuse and Hieron, the laurels of happiness. For the sake of truth, we must praise people and push back ill-will with both hands, if someone amongst mortals does well. A Boetian man, Hesiod, attendant of the sweet Muses, said this: he who is honoured by the immortal gods, has a reputation amongst men as well. I am easily persuaded to send my famous voice to Hieron, outside of the road of justice. For in this way, the roots of the good flourish, and may great father Zeus keep them undisturbed during peace.

[coolgirl32]

What pets does she have

You all know the rules, I'm not going to explain the rules to you all because you guys already know them so well, so let's get on with the post and please do enjoy.

Hydra

Ladon

Wild boar

Chimera

The golden ram and golden sheep (I made up the golden sheep part )

Peacocks (Hera gave Jacqulyn a peacock egg as a birthday present)

Doves and pigeons

The nemean lion

Finches

Foxes

Owls

Hawks

Eagles

Ostriches

Secretary birds (if you don't believe me that it's a real thing go look it up on what a secretary bird is)

Bulls and cows

Oxygen

Bison

Elephants

Giraffes

Zebra

Lions and lionesses

Tigers and tigress's

Leopards

Bears

Pigs

Dogs

Cats

Lizards

Snakes

Fish

Sharks

Wales

Cerberus (okay so remember when I said that Hades Poseidon and Zeus rule all three realms together that includes them ruling the sea together, the underworld together and Olympus together so obviously Cerberus is Jacqulyn's pet dog, that she shares with Persephone and amphtrite)

Ravens and crows

Desert rain frog

Monkeys

Porcupines

Meerkats

Groundhogs

Chameleons

Iguanas

Goats

And so many more animals on the list but I can't name them all because there's too many also I hope everybody enjoyed this post I will be writing another post on why she has so many animals that it's basically an entire zoo so have a good day be safe and don't forget to request what you want me to write I've been wanting to hear what you all want to request so be safe out there and have a good day

[gayometer]

What the crazy shit that Lost s/o and Qin get into together.

Ah shit, here we go again

^ Hades, at 3 am

Does he deserve a break? Oh absolutely. Is he gonna get it? Oh absolutely not

Platonic✨

First and foremost, congrats on escaping the leashes. No really, he upgraded them to thick chains

One time you and Qin where, you guessed it, lost. Qin likes to punch walls, and he did just that, you two ended up in the Norse pantheon. Odin called Hades to "pick up his mutts" and he did! H o w e v e r......

You took Munin, in your opinion he looked cute, so you took him. You and Qin gave that bird a whole ass spaw day, until eventually Odin came to take him back.

No worries! Cerberus still exists! And he's a good boi and triple the floofy head.

So you two "got to work" and by that I mean Cerberus didn't look scary at all, he looked like a fashion dog.

Another thing y'all did was manage to get into a Walmart without Hades noticing the sudden silence that fell onto Heilheim, you both took the scented wax cubes, melted them and "decorated" Hades room. He forgave you two cause Zeus has done worse.

Speaking of Zeus......

You two tied him to Poseidon's door (with his consent, Zeus wanted in on the chaos) just to give Poseidon and good ol' spook

It worked, he let out a short scream. It was glorious.

After a long day of you two getting into trouble and getting lost with Hades apologising for you two, you both hang out in the living room.......and start playing Splatoon.

Chaos starts in the living room

It's gonna be a looooong night for Hades

[classicschronicles]

Hi lovelies,

Today’s entry is a little different from usual in that rather than talking about about something, I thought I would just share a few of my favourite extracts from ancient literature. I hope you all enjoy!

Homer- Iliad Proem:

“Goddess, sing me the anger, of Achilles, Peleus’ son, that fatal anger that brought countless sorrows on the Greeks, and sent many valiant souls of warriors down to Hades, leaving their bodies as spoil for dogs and carrion birds: for thus was the will of Zeus brought to fulfilment. Sing of it from the moment when Agamemnon, Atreus’ son, that king of men, parted in wrath from noble Achilles.”

Homer- Iliad 19:

"As Dawn, in saffron robes, rose from the stream of Ocean, bringing light to gods and men, Thetis reached the ships bearing Hephaestus' gift. She found her beloved son groaning aloud, his arms round Patroclus' body, while his men stood by, weeping bitterly. The shining goddess came and took his hand, saying; "My child you must let him go, however great your sorrow, and leave him here, dead for all time, slain by the will of heaven.”

Virgil- Aeneid 2:

“Laocoon, the chosen priest of Neptune, was sacrificing a huge bull at the holy altar, when suddenly there came over the calm water from Tenedos (I shudder at the memory of it), two serpents leaning into the sea in great coils and making side by side for the shore. Breasting the waves, they held high their blood-stained crests, and the rest of their bodies ploughed the waves behind them, their backs winding, coil upon measureless coil, through the sounding foam of the sea. Now they were on land. Their eyes were blazing and flecked with blood. They hissed as they licked their lips with quivering tongues. We grew pale at the sight and ran in all directions, but they made straight for Laocoon. First the two serpents seized his two young sons, twining round them both and feeding on their helpless limbs.Then, when Laocoon came to the rescue with his sword in his hand, they seized him and bound him in huge spirals, and soon their scaly backs were entwined twice round his body and twice round his throat, their heads and necks high above him as he struggled to prise open their coils, his priestly ribbons befouled by gore and black venom, and all the time he was raising horrible cries to heaven like the bellowing of a wounded bull shaking the ineffectual axe out of its neck as it flees from the altar. But the two snakes escaped, gliding away to the highest temple of the city and making for the citadel of the heartless Pallas, the Tritonian goddess, where they sheltered under her feet and under the circle of her shield.”

Euripides- Bacchae:

Dionysus is glad when someone in the mountains falls to the ground from the whirling bands, wearing the sacred cloak of fawnskin, hunting the blood of goat-slaughter, the joy of eating raw flesh, racing to the mountains of Phrygia, of Lydia, and the leader is Bromios. Eugi! The ground flows with milk, flows with wine, it flows with the nectar of bees the Bacchic god holds high the blazing flame of the pine to and lets it stream from the shaft, fragrant as the smoke of Syrian incense with running and dances he spurs on stragglers, rousing them with his call, tossing his long, thick hair in the breeze amid the joyful cries he bellows: “On, bacchants! On, bacchants! Wearing the splendour of gold-flowing Iaccus. Sing praise to Dionysus with the sound of the deep booming drum. Joyfully singing Eugi!" to the god of that cry. With Phrygian calls and incantations, when the sweet holy music of the pipe sounds out its holy notes.

Ovid- Love and War:

Lovers all are soldiers, and Cupid has his campaigns:

I tell you, Atticus, lovers all are soldiers.

Youth is fit for war, and also fit for Venus.

Imagine an aged soldier, an elderly lover!

A general looks for spirit in his brave soldiery;

a pretty girl wants spirit in her companions.

Both stay up all night long, and each sleeps on the ground;

One guards his mistress's doorway, one his general's.

The soldier's lot requires far journeys; send his girl,

the zealous lover will follow her anywhere.

He'll cross the glowering mountains, the rivers swollen with storm;

he'll tread a pathway through the heaped-up snows;

and never whine of raging Eurus when he sets sail

or wait for stars propitious for his voyage.

Who but lovers and soldiers endure the chill of night,

and blizzards interspersed with driving rain?

The soldier reconnoiters among the dangerous foe;

the lover spies to learn his rival's plans.

Soldiers besiege strong cities; lovers, a harsh girl's home;

one storms town gates, the other storms house doors.

It's clever strategy to raid a sleeping foe

and slay an unarmed host by force of arms.

(That's how the troops of Thracian Rhesus met their doom,

and you, O captive steeds, forsook your master.)

Well, lovers take advantage of husbands when they sleep,

launching surprise attacks while the enemy snores.

To slip through bands of guards and watchful sentinels

is always the soldier's mission - and the lover's.

Mars wavers; Venus flutters: the conquered rise again,

and those you'd think could never fall, lie low.

So those who like to say that love is indolent

should stop: Love is the soul of enterprise.

Sad Achilles burns for Briseis, his lost darling:

Trojans, smash the Greeks' power while you may!

From Andromache's embrace Hector went to war;

his own wife set the helmet on his head;

and High King Agamemnon, looking on Priam's child,

was stunned (they say) by the Maenad's flowing hair.

And Mars himself was trapped in The Artificer's bonds:

no tale was more notorious in heaven.

I too was once an idler, born for careless ease;

my shady couch had made my spirit soft.

But care for a lovely girl aroused me from my sloth

and bid me to enlist in her campaign.

So now you see me forceful, in combat all night long.

If you want a life of action, fall in love.

Homer- Odyssey 24:

Past the ocean-stream they went, past the white rock, past the portals of the sun and land of dreams, and soon they reached the field of asphodel, where spirits dwell, spectres of worn-out men. Here they came upon the spirit of Achilles, son of Peleus, and of Patroclus too.

Messermoon- Choices 40:

(Okay strictly speaking this one isn’t actually from ancient literature entirely- I just really love it- @little-shit-soph)

After Patroclus fails to convince Achilles to fight for the Greeks.

After Achilles lets Patroclus face the Trojans without him.

The great warrior tilts his head back and asks the gods to “grant that he may return unharmed.”

Bring him back to me, he begs them.

Bring him back to me.

Bring him back.

Gods are a Muggle invention and from what Regulus can tell they are rather unreliable when it comes to keeping people safe. But then, he’s not sure that magic has ever really protected anyone he loves either.

He stares at the door a long time after James leaves.

Bring him back to me.

Bring him back to me.

Bring him back.

But Wizards don’t know how to pray. And Regulus doubts the gods would listen even if they did.

There you have it! These aren’t all of them so maybe I’ll do a part two at some point. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!

~Z

[antihero-writings]

Before it Kills You Too (Ch2 Snippets 1, 2 & 3)

Fandom: Lore Olympus

Chapter Summary: When Hera gets into a car accident after a fight, Zeus has a moment to ruminate on their relationship. Written using the song “Wait” by Maroon 5 as a prompt.

Character Focus: Zeus

Please note!! This is the previous Ch2 snippets I posted + a new snippet (the new snippet starts with “I would venture to guess she was driving too fast.”)

I’ve been having trouble with this chapter for a very long time, so I’ve decided to post it snippet-by-snippet, because that seems like the only way I’ll successfully finish this fic. 

While this should be as close to the final version as it can be, anything in this snippet is subject to change when the full chapter comes out. (And, hey, to that end, if there’s anything you think needs to be edited here, please kindly let me know!!)

Im really excited about this snippet!! Definitely one of my favorite parts of the chapter!!

Thanks again SO much to those who support this fic and want to read more!! The fact that you want to read more really does mean the world to me!! I appreciate your kind comments so much!!

I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a comment and/or reblog!!! I’m not kidding when I say that makes my week!!

Tagging some folks who’ve shown interest!! @jayyy007 @autumnmoon21 @sunsetsofanemoia, @lynnie51 @what-the-fuckaroni @masquejj

And please do let me know if you’d like me to add you to a taglist for this fic, or message you when new snippets/the next chapter come/s out!!

Chapter 2 Snippets 1, 2 & 3:

Hera was standing in the crowded meadow, surrounded by her friends, laughing that girly little giggle full of sunshine that just about made Zeus’ heart ooze in a puddle out of his chest.

Her blue dress made her eyes look like two shimmering sapphires.

“Have I seen her in a dress that color?” Zeus inquired excitedly from behind the bushes.

“How can we know what you’ve seen?” Aidoneus muttered. “With you creeping around, you might have seen her naked for all we know.”

Zeus punched him in the arm, (lightly).

“I don’t think she’s worn a dress that color!” Posiedon bubbled.

“Thank you, Posiedon. At least someone can answer a question.”

“I think she looks like the sea on summer day.” He put his hands on his face, them sliding slowly.

Zeus eyed him. “Alright, keep it in your toga, Little Green Man.”

“Should we really be here?” Aidoneus muttered. “We weren’t invited.”

“Oh come on,” Zeus stood up, putting his hands on his hips. “Who wouldn’t want to see the King of the gods here?”

Poseidon grinned and stood up behind his brother. “No one!”

“Hestia, Demeter… assorted sane people.” Hades muttered as he stood to follow.

“If that’s sanity I’m glad I’m insane.” Zeus trilled as he strutted up to the entrance.

A cute pink nymph—(rather well endowed in the chestal region—not that he noticed!)—greeted them at the archway.

“Oh! Zeus!” She flushed and bowed. “It’s an honor. Welcome!”

“Why it’s an honor to meet you, my lady.” He kissed her hand, and she giggled. “See?” he turned to his brothers. “They’re delighted to have us.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling.” Hades muttered.

Hera was closer now; she smelled like summer, and she looked like it too. Poseidon was right about the ocean thing; she practically shimmered as she spoke with her friends.

“I’m gonna go talk to her.”

“Wait—!” Hades was soon swallowed by the crowd.

Zeus scooched behind her at lightning speed. One by one her friends began to take notice, their eyes widening.

Hera took a step back and would have tripped in surprise if he hadn’t caught her.

“Careful there, you might fall, Birthday Girl.”

“Oh, Zeus!” She looked up at him, the back of her head hitting his chest, “hi!”

That golden smile.

“I made you something!” As she spun to face him, he produced a little carving of a bird from his pocket. (And, no, he didn’t make it).

“Oh!” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, gently taking it from him, “It’s beautiful!”

All his responsibilities and stresses melted away with the sight of that smile, and he forgot there was anyone else at the party…in the world.

(…He wished he saw that smile anymore.)

Zeus’ chair was spinning empty at his desk before his assistant could say another word—

And Olympus wept, distant peals of thunder rending the sky into pieces.

Lightning crackled and cackled through his hair, creating violet tracks through the air, as Zeus sped through the sky.

It was freezing, and people were staring, but he didn’t care.

All that mattered was getting to his wife.

“My you look stunning.” Zeus sidled up behind his wife, running his fingers gently along her arm. “Is that a new dress?”

“New as that girlfriend of yours.” Hera grunted.

His eyes widened with shock, his voice with an indignant undertone to it. “Is something wrong?”

She paused a moment. He could see words fluttering behind her lips—(like they did so often, too often)—the words Yes you did something wrong, how can you not know?

He knew she wouldn’t believe him when he said he didn’t mean to hurt her.

“You weren’t invited,” she said softly.

“Not invited? Me?” He put his hand to his chest, like the thought of him ever not being welcome to somewhere was absurd. “To what?”

“The party, you nitwit!” She whirled around, her hair nearly whipping him in the face. “You just came barging in like you owned the place!”

“Well…to be fair—”

He stopped short at the look in her eyes, like two blue-hot flames.

He knew it was taking her a great amount of effort not to slap him.

“Do you know how long I’d been preparing for that?! How long it took me to get everything just right? I told you, but you never even listened, did you? And then you just barged right in!”

“Why are you so upset? What’s so important about a party?!”

“They were my friends.” Her gaze softened, and her tone became more serious. “They were—” Until she cut herself off, and her expression hardened as she whirled around, her hair billowing behind her.

“Bunny, wait!” His tone was softer too.

He wished she’d just turn around. That he could say sorry.

Was it really so hard? He should have started there.

Had he ever apologized for that?

He was always doing that; barging in where he wasn’t welcome. The world was his, yes but…he had to concede there were some parts of it he ought not just barge in on.

When he burst into the hospital, however, they wouldn’t dare tell him he wasn’t invited, wouldn’t dare tell him he couldn’t see her.

“Where. is my. wife?” Lightning slammed into a lamppost just outside the front door, shattering its glass box, and making the light spark, the rain pounding at the window like rabid dogs.

The desk clerk looked like she was about to pee out of sheer fear.

“Sh-sh-she’s not out of surgery yet, your majesty...I understand you want to see her, but I can’t let you…until-until they’re finished.” She was practically vibrating. “I assure you the moment she gets out, we’ll notify you.”

Surgery? He wanted to demand. She’s the queen of the gods, how could she be in surgery?

Electricity sparked in his eyes, trailing throughout his hair. He could say I demand you let me see her. He could say I don’t care! She’s my wife, and I’m not waiting! She’s fine! She’s the queen—she’s my queen—she won’t be hurt from a little car accident!

But there were some places he ought not just barge in on… and the surgeons room was probably one of them.

The lightning let out a sighing crackle, before he closed his eyes, his hair falling back upon his shoulders. It was then that he noticed he was dripping wet from head to toe. He sighed himself before muttering something like a garbled “I understand, thank you.” And turning to sit in the lobby. Behind him the desk clerk’s coworker held her to keep her from fainting.

He snapped his fingers, drying off, so as not to get their nice, barf-colored carpet all wet. Once he sat down in a chair—(the cushions didn’t have any cush to them)—a kid in the chair across from him scooched away.

He could have that kid lightly charred if he wanted.

Instead he settled for a nice glare, and reached over to pick up last month’s—(or maybe it was a few months ago)—issue of  “Goddess weekly” listening to the rain die down to a drum.

The same old gossip. Usually if he picked one of these up he’d check for any news he ought to be aware of. You know, as the king. Not to mention the ladies weren’t unappealing. Now he flicked through without seeing any of it.

Speaking of ladies, there was a nymph sitting across the room from him, her skin blue, her ears down, and a cute little half smile. She surely wasn’t in here for anything serious. She kept glancing from her own magazine to him—but not in a nervous way. If he wasn’t mistaken, she wouldn’t be opposed to a session of hide-the-German-sausage.

If he wanted he could take her there in a darkened closet in the hallway. It wouldn’t take long—(if it didn’t need to…or it could take all night). That would be a nice way to relieve the stress bubbling in his body.

—Someone was laying next to him, her skin smooth, practically glowing. There was rather a lot of it exposed.

She turned over, her eyes fluttering open, a small smile creasing her features as she rolled onto his chest, tickling his chin with her fingers.

“I had a wonderful time,” she twittered, and he practically purred, staring into those big blue eyes, glittering like river stones.

He pushed her green hair behind her ear.

“Is that all? I’d like to think a night with the King of the gods would be more than merely ‘wonderful.’”

She giggled. “No no, it was much more than wonderful! It was spectacular! Mind-blowing!” She threw her arms in the air.

“That’s more like it.” He grinned—

When was that again? Two years ago, or two days ago?

It could have been either.

Had he apologized for that?

Would it have mattered if he had? Would she have forgiven him? Would he have stopped?—

Bile rose in his throat, and he dove his nose so hard into the magazine he almost smacked himself with it.

His wife was bruised and bleeding, and potentially worse in a nearby room, at the mercy of some quack holding a scalpel and a few comforting words…and here he was thinking of betraying her for the…

How many times had it been now?

He threw the magazine back on the table and sank in the chair till his head was nearly on the bottom cushion, his lip flapping his he blew out a breath, making his hair fly up a little.

The kid and his mom got called, and seemed glad of a reason to leave.

After a healthy dose of moping he pulled out his phone. After checking fatesbook and playing a few games he decided it was time to open his messages.

He didn’t want to be alone. He wanted some sensible and non-conjugal company.

He scrolled through and clicked on a name.

A number of old conversations sprinkled the page, often detailing Zeus asking about getting together and the correspondent saying they were busy.

He thought a moment about what to say—(a rare occurrence for him)—before deciding any vague requests would probably get ignored, so he simply decided the boldfaced truth:

Hera’s been in a car accident. She’s in surgery.

“WHAT?!” The word was spoken aloud—and very loudly at that.

Hades was standing in front of him. If the king being here wasn’t enough reason for weird looks, this outburst had sent more than a few eyes their way.

Zeus did a finger wave at the nymph, before he grabbed his brother’s arm, whisking him off to a less crowded hallway.

The only thing here was a vending machine, and a few overly picturesque pictures of trees.

“How did this happen?!”  Hades shout-whispered.

“I would venture to guess she was driving too fast.”

“I could have gathered that myself, thank you very much!” Hades was clearly trying not to shout. “What was she doing?! Where was she going?!”

Zeus rolled folded his arms. “Does it matter?”

“Sure it matters! Well at least it’d be good to know!”

“…I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?! What do you mean you don’t know?! She’s your wife—!”

“I said I don’t know!” he kicked the vending machine.

The air shattered and reformed itself.

Zeus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, his voice softening. “I…I don’t know.”

Two sides of him warred. One wanted to shout at Hades. He expected him to know where she was at all times? Oh yeah, that would go over well with her. What kind of helicopter husband would he be then?

And yet, it felt wrong for him not to know. Like some sort of failure. She was his wife. Shouldn’t he? Shouldn’t he have asked? Shouldn’t he care?

Hades’ gaze softened.

“I upset her.” Zeus murmured. “We got into a fight.”

Hades leaned against the wall. He was probably resisting the urge to say he could have gathered that too.

Zeus leaned his head forward onto the glass of the vending machine, his hair falling to the side, his reflection vaguely eyeing him.

“We got into a fight and she…I hadn’t even realized she went for a drive.” He paused, observing the chocolate and chips sitting in neat rows in the machine. “Do you think she liked Twyx?”

“Huh?”

“Do you think she liked Twyx?”

Hades pondered it a moment. “Probably. She tends to like things with caramel in them.”

Zeus smiled wryly. “See? I didn’t even know that.”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to ask her all your burning questions about her favorite candy flavors very soon.”

“That’s not the point.” Zeus whispered.

Zeus was feeling a little off-kilter.

He nearly fell into a three-thousand drachma vase.

Okay, make that a lot.

The sound of heels on the staircase. The white one they’d painted for that one event…what had they been celebrating again?

His hazy gaze made her glitter even more than usual.

“Have I ever told you that you’re like the sea on a summer’s day?” Zeus’ voice came out blurry. He put his hand in his hair, trying to look sexy, you know, like the kind of guy you’d wanna forgive.

This was met by her hair slapping him in the face as she walked by him. She paused a few steps below him, turning.

“Is that alcohol I smell on your breath?”

“I may have had one—“ He hiccuped, “or five, appletinis.”

“And this is what? An intelligent conversation you’re trying to have?” She folded her arms over her chest.

“Actually,” he held up a finger. The action made him feel off-balance so he leaned against the railing, trying to land in a sexy pose. “There is something I wanted to say.”

“You’re barely coherent when you’re sober, at least spare me until then.”

He rolled his eyes—(and made himself feel even dizzier).

She turned to go back up the stairs.

“Wait!” He shouted.

She stopped, looked over her shoulder, eyes narrow as a cat’s. “What?”

“I-hic!” He covered his mouth as if embarrassed. Clearly emotion was dangerous. “I wasn’t trying to get wasted! I just-hic!-needed more than three or four to say this.”

“Oh yeah? Spit it out Grape Sorbet.” She folded her arms over her chest.

“I’m…” he held on to the railing for support. “I’m sorry.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“You…You were right.” He took a step closer.

“About what?” Her breath bated.

“I just…I didn’t want to admit it. I couldn’t…” He looked away. “I couldn’t tell you sober.”

“About what?” The words had a rough edge to them, her chest heaving with breath.

Ah. She knew. She knew what he was going to say, even before he said it.

“I…I did cheat on you.”

“Wh-What?” Her eyes tinted red…but there was so much hurt in the word.

Fear and shame rose in tandem like ocean waves, threatening to bowl him over, and he realized that the truth wasn’t going to help at all. But all he could do was let it pour out of him.

“You-hic-You asked if I was with-hic—”

“Stop.” She covered her mouth as if to keep the worst words from spilling out, tears welling in her eyes.

“But I—”

“I said stop!” Her voice rang through the room like something shattering.

Maybe something was.

Her heels against the stairs, fast and sharp, and away.

“Wait!”

Turn around please, let me apologize, let me explain, I won’t do it again.

He threw up in the vase.

“Daddy? What was that all about?” The small voice made his blood run cold. “What did you cheat at? Were you playing a game?”

Zeus turned, horrified, to see Ares, hiding behind a crack in the door.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at her.” He breathed. “It was stupid, really.”

Hades put a dollar in the vending machine and punched in a number.

“People say all kinds of things when they’re angry. Doesn’t mean you’re bad, just means you’re people. Which…” Hades looked him up and down, adding under his breath, “I wonder about sometimes.”

“...You must think I’m a terrible husband.”

Hades grabbed two chocolate bars and handed one to his brother.

“I think you need something sweet, maybe a little hydration, and some rest.”

Zeus unwrapped the bar and took a bite, not really tasting anything.

After a moment Hades sighed.

“It’s not so simple as that.” Hades said between bites, “I don’t necessarily think there’s such a thing as a ‘terrible husband’ or ‘the best husband.’ I…I don’t even think there’s such a thing as good and bad people. There’s just…people. There’s just husbands. But there are rules that come with being a person, and/or being a husband and…” he paused, trying to choose his words carefully, “you don’t always follow those rules.”

Zeus fell back against the wall, looking at the floor, denials dying in his throat.

It was raining.

No, actually it was pouring. And thundering. The lightning was like cracks in a collapsing sky, and Zeus’s gut was twisting like the snakes on the head of a gorgon.

“What? You-you think you can just undo this?!” Hera’s words were biting. “It’s done!” Her laugh was wry and sardonic, like an ache in her throat, red tainting the blue of her eyes. “You can’t just fix something like that! Once someone cheats at the game no one else just keeps playing!”

“It was a mistake! One stupid night!”

“One stupid night, huh?! Then how do you explain this?!” She held up his phone. The pictures. The…Oh Gaia.

The snakes in his gut bit down, and he bit his lip looking away. He hadn’t known she knew about that.

“You’ve got it all wrong! That was just—!”

“I thought you were different!” She bit off his excuse, the anger cracked, and the pain was bleeding through, and he wasn’t the only one making it rain: A tear fell down her face, then another, her mascara running black along her cheeks. “You made me smile, you made me laugh! You saved your brothers from your father. And I thought we could make a kingdom—a world—together!” She shook her head, grimacing, trying and failing to keep more tears from falling. “I thought we could be something!”

“We are! We have! I just made a mistake! I—!”

“No, Zeus.” There was a finality to her tone.

Tears streamed down her face now. He hated it when she cried. She didn’t do it often, and whenever she did he was ready to smite whoever hurt her but…he’d hurt her worst of all.

“I thought you were different. But you’re—“ the words were like an antique vase, riddled with cracks. “You’re just another bad guy.” She punched him in the arm, and the vase broke, the defiance into pain. She punched him in the arm…but it was weak and far too soft, and that’s how he knew she was really hurt; she could bring the sky down on him if she wanted.

She looked down at her hand, twisting her wedding ring with a finger.

“I’m staying with a friend tonight.”

Her wedding ring tinkled on the floor.

As she turned and walked away the word rang out like he was hoping his voice alone could rewrite his sins and bring her back:

“Wait!”

She didn’t stop, didn’t turn, didn’t make any indication she’d even heard him.

“Please…Please just wait.” These were soft.

He fell to his knees on the marble, scooping up her wedding ring and enclosing it in his fingers, holding it to his forehead, and trying not to bring the sky down upon himself.

He’d seen her angry. He’d seen her sad. But this? Seeing her break for him…was so much worse.

It reminded him too much of another time. Of a scar on her stomach. How she broke herself just to be his.

—(And he wondered, for a fleeting moment, if it would have been better if he had been the one to break.)—

“There you are!” Said a voice. “You can come see her now,”—a cleared throat— “your Majesty.”

*

Notes: Aright, so this chapter had a few things I was unsure about I thought I’d ask about here!

1. Does anyone have any other clever play-on-words for candy brands? I feel like Zeus would know that she likes caramel in general, so it’d make more sense if Hades said “she likes [X similar candy] so she’d probably like Twyx.” But Twyx is all my brain came up with and I don’t even know that it’s all that good XD

2. I’m aware that the gods don’t call each other “people” they call each other “beings.” However, Hades’ lines don’t have as much impact with “beings.” Did the fact that I used “people” stick out too much? Should I change it to “beings”?

3. I know Ancient Greek wedding ceremonies are different from ours, and they might not even have wedding rings. But that image was so impactful for me I decided to use it. Should I remove it? Or did you find it impactful?

Please let me know if there’s anything you felt was inaccurate to their characters!!

Thanks so much for reading!! 💕💕

[ta-ether]

Something I’ve been thinking about lately is Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship. Not in how it’s presented in any particular property – this isn’t an analysis of how they appear in The Song of Achilles, or Hades – but more how their relationship is in the Iliad.

I guess the thing that’s been in the back of my mind ever since I read the Iliad (god, was it the summer before junior year of high school?) seven or so years ago, is that while Achilles and Patroclus are held up as this wonderfully romantic couple, this often comes at people glossing over certain aspects of their relationship that are complex or ask questions that have hard answers. Namely, the one that’s been niggling at me is the question that if Achilles is supposed to have loved Patroclus so much, why did he let him go out to fight?

The wonderful thing about Homer, the thing I so desperately love about Homer, is that there is such ambiguity to things. Homer seems to deliberately sidestep giving us concrete answers. The Iliad is a poem that thrives on nuance, and that extends to the exact nature of the relationship between these characters.

While Achilles swears early in the Iliad he won’t fight until his dignity is restored, Patroclus has a much softer heart (in addition to not having been wronged by Agamemnon). Patroclus’ arc from Book 1 to the beginning of 16 is watching the effect Achilles’ absence has on the rest of the Acheans. Achilles himself retreats into his ship and sends Patroclus out for news of how the battles are going, meaning it is Patroclus who is privy to the pain being wrought, and it is also Patroclus who Nestor eventually asks to intercede on the Argives’ behalf.

After the Trojans start seizing the Achean’s ships in Book 15, Patroclus finally goes and asks Achilles if he’ll return to the battle, or failing that, if he can go in his place and armor. He runs up and Achilles asks him why he’s crying like a little girl. Patroclus starts by saying “don’t be angry with me,” but then quickly himself becomes angry at Achilles after explaining how all of their friends and allies are wounded and suffering on the battlefield:

“But it’s impossible to deal with you, Achilles. I hope anger like this rage you’re nursing never seizes me. It’s disastrous! How will you be of use to anyone in later generations, if you won’t keep shameful ruin from the Argives? You’re pitiless. Perhaps horseman Peleus was not your father, nor Thetis your mother— the grey sea delivered you, some tall cliff, for you’ve an unyielding heart.”

He finishes by putting forth Nestor’s suggestion that if Achilles won’t rejoin the fight, he should. “I could be a saving light for the Danaans,” he says. Achilles responds that since the Trojans have come to the ships, he will allow Patroclus to go out in his armor. Now, this is where, famously, Achilles tells him not to go press past the ships:

“Now, pay attention to what I tell you about the goal I have in mind for you, so you’ll win me great honour and rewards, so all Danaans will send back to me that lovely girl and give fine gifts as well. Once you push Trojans from the ships, come back. If Zeus, Hera’s mate, who loves his thunder, gives you the glory, don’t keep on battling those war-loving Trojans with me absent. You would decrease my honours.”

While Achilles is undoubtedly worried about Patroclus’ safety, he mentions his desire for the honor and rewards that his “returning” to battle would bring him. He also brings up (before he says Apollo might make an attempt on Patroclus’ life) that the reason he wants Patroclus to retreat is that it would decrease his own honors. You can chalk this focus on the honor he may or may not receive to many different things, the most charitable of which is that Achilles isn’t taking this very seriously, and perhaps neither is Patroclus. This is backed up by Patroclus’ flippant approach on the battlefield:

“Well now, there’s an agile man! What a graceful diver! […] I suppose these Trojans must have acrobats as well.”

The point still remains that for all the love that Achilles has for Patroclus, his first instinct – like it has been for the entirety of the Iliad to this point – is concern about his own pride and honor, not the safety of his closest friend or fellow Argives. War takes, but Achilles was more focused on what it gives, and then it took his closest companion.

While Patroclus has more of an idea of the horrors of what the Achaeans have been going through in recent books – specifically Book 11 – he still hasn’t been on the field of battle since before the Iliad started. Patroclus pushes on beyond the ships because of his desire to fight and his own refusal to stop, and it is for this reason he is killed by Hector and Apollo. The narrative remarks:

“How blind he was, poor fool! If he’d done what the son of Peleus had told him, he’d have missed his evil fate, his own dark death.”

We learn later from Patroclus’ ghost in Book 23 that one of his flaws, perhaps his greatest and deadliest, is that he can become blinded by passion and lose reason.

“I killed Amphidamas’ son, in my foolishness. I didn’t mean to, but I was enraged over some game of dice.”

The narrative and Patroclus himself admits that if he’d taken a moment to consider, to think rationally, he wouldn’t have felt the need to continue fighting the Trojans, or to kill Amphidames’ son. The thrill of war and perhaps his own desire for honors hid this from him, and this in effect kills him.

As I alluded to earlier, this isn’t something I think many people touch on when thinking about Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship: the idea that ultimately, it was perhaps Achilles who killed Patroclus – or at the very least, lead to his death. The Iliad does start like this, after all:

“Sing, Goddess, sing the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus— that murderous anger which condemned Achaeans to countless agonies and threw many warrior souls deep into Hades, leaving their dead bodies carrion food for dogs and birds— all in fulfilment of the will of Zeus.”

One of those souls sent to Hades was Patroclus. Achilles even acknowledges this in Book 18.

“Then let me die, since I could not prevent the death of my companion. He’s fallen far from his homeland. He needed me there to protect him from destruction.”

Patroclus’ death isn’t tragic merely because he died, but because the man who loved him could’ve protected him but didn’t, and he knows it. I don’t want to downplay Patroclus’ own hubris’ role in his death or place all the blame on Achilles – merely point out that for all the love Achilles had for Patroclus, he still didn’t go out to fight when asked: first by his friends and allies, and then by his closest companion. He instead lets Patroclus go out in his place. Achilles’ love ultimately wasn’t stronger than his own pride.

This isn’t to say there’s not a deep, meaningful relationship between these two characters. There clearly, textually is. These two people love each other, however that love is interpreted. But they are also deeply flawed people. And, for all his faults, Patroclus knows that about Achilles. He knew that Achilles might put his own pride over the lives of all the Argives, including him, and so he asked if he could go instead. Even Hector knows this, as before he kills him he says:

“You poor wretch, even Achilles, for all his courage, was no use to you. Though he stayed behind, he must have given you strict orders as you left.”

And, for what it’s worth, Patroclus doesn’t say that he blames Achilles, either here in front of Hector, or when he comes to Achilles as a shade in Book 23 (and characters in the Iliad are decently prone to blaming people for their deaths). Ultimately, he seems to accept Achilles, flaws and all, and desires for them to be reunited in death, as does Achilles.

Their relationship isn’t simple and it’s not straightforward, because these characters aren’t simple or straightforward. Achilles both loves Patroclus more than any other Argive including himself, and also loves his own honor and pride over Patroclus. The incapability of these loves directly leads to Patroclus’ death. Patroclus is also more measured and rational than Achilles, and also is clouded to reason, and this incompatibility leads to his death. If the point of the Odyssey is (in part) that the Trojan War caused unnecessary death, then perhaps Patroclus’ death is that in microcosm.

Still, I can’t help but read Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship as one that – to be blunt – failed. They couldn’t make it work, in life at least. If you read it as a sexual-romantic relationship, maybe that’s its own tragedy. I don’t say this to make people angry or even because I necessarily wholly believe it, but more because their relationship is imperfect and should be recognized as such. Personally, I think this relationship, broken but full of love and affection and flaws, is much more compelling than a perfect or unexamined one.

It goes back to why I love the Iliad in the first place: the characters are messy and rather than this detracting from their ability to impact the reader, it only heightens their ability to speak to us. Homer doesn’t provide concrete answers for things, but he doesn’t have to. Everything we need is on the page. Every time you return to the book, the characters show you something new. I noticed a ton of new things about Achilles and Patroclus while writing this, which really only strengthened my belief in the points I made here. The tragedy of Patroclus’ death is, in part, one of how pride hurts those you love the most. The idea that Achilles caused Patroclus’ death is one that shouldn’t go unexamined because it’s perhaps unsavory, because it is in examining it that the true depths of their relationship are brought to light.

There are so many more things I could’ve mentioned: Achilles and Patrolcus’ status as equals, the role the idea of “fate” plays in Patroclus’ death, how the role the gods play in Patroclus’ death effects all this – but I felt that I would let those be for perhaps another time. As it stands now, I feel as though I have (at least personally) answered my initial question. It’s not a simple answer, but it wasn’t a simple question about simple characters in a simple work. And that is both fine and also, in its own way, beautiful.

[silkhy-john]

HEADCANON:

Nico saying "I smell like death and animals fear me for it" is incorrect. Here's reasons why:

1. It's really no secret at this point that Nico is the most powerful demigod alive in-canon. He's so powerful that he has enough reserve strength and vitality (after recovering as much as he possibly could from Tartarus, starvation, and using the seeds in the state he was in. You don't ever fully recover from things like those) to constantly have his fear aura and cryokinesis emanating low-key, kind of like his wavelength.

But, it's at its lowest when he's with Will/Jason/Hazel/Reyna/Gleeson/whoever you ship him with, but never fully off. The fact that he emanates an aura puts him one step closer to god than mortal by the way.

ANYWAY, the constant emanation of the fear aura definitely makes animals skittish, but as he doesn't really let it off when he's alone with animals, they crowd him and glomp him whenever he's alone with them.

2. A lot of the animals he interacts with are probably animals tied to gods who don't have the best of relationships with Hades.

This one should be pretty self-explanatory. When you make an enemy of a god, you make an enemy of practically everything they represent (imagine permanently pissing off Hygeia or Asclepius... yeah, let's not).

Think of Annabeth and cows. Her Bovine Majesty, Hera, that goat skin gal, Queen of the gods, doesn't like Annabeth, and cows, by extension, do not (why are there so many commas???). The difference here is that Hera actively does things to screw around with Annabeth, and the only thing stopping her from screwing up Annabeth's relationships and (eventual) marriage is Athena giving her the look. Enough about my Annabeth|Hera head-canons though.

So whenever Nico interacts with a horse and equine creatures, or an eagle, or a cow, they get skittish and violent because of the gods they're tied to not liking Hades, and by proxy, him (exception here is Zeus, who genuinely dislikes Nico and would kill him if that didn't mean dying at Hades' hands, quite literally btw).

3. Animals don't really fear death (itself), which Nico represents.

Here's an important distinction for you and a head-canon from me (one I might write a piece on): Hades' children are representations of death itself, while Thanatos' children, as children of the god of death, represent it's causes.

I don't want you to think of to confuse it with him repping death by old age (that would be children of Geras).

Anyway, all creatures seem to take comfort in death, and thus Nico. And when an animal is comfortable with you, it tends to either leave you to your business, or seek your attention.

This one is cracky and feels like something I'd write a piece for at 3AM when I can't sleep.

4. This one is about Artemis|Nico.

Basically, as a sort of apology to Nico cause she knew what it meant to take away the only person he had at the time (and for a long time, really), I head-canon that Artemis has marked Nico with one of her blessings (a boon for my Hades players out there).

This specific mark is the one that numbs wild animals'/animals with violent dispositions' instinct to attack creatures they perceive as "dangerous".

Animals aren't daft. They can tell a dangerous individual, and some attack on sight to get the upper hand. Of course, Nico is too powerful for a non-mythical beast to so much as scratch him (he wouldn't kill them, just scare them off).

Anyway, with the mark, wild animals basically act as their domestic counterparts would around Nico.

I head-canon that when he first started shadow-travelling and would wind up passed out on totally different continents or in different places, he woke up one day in Tsavo East National Park with man-eating lions (look it up, fairly interesting) curled up around him and purring.

Anyway, now that we've dived into my mind and swam steadily downwards, we've finally reached the bottom where one thing is left: SHITPOSTING. Let's do it.

Animals when nico's fear aura is on: I do not know this man. I could see him walking down the streets and I would not recognise him. Sorry to this m–

Animals when nico's fear aura is low: cuddle time. Time to cuddle. Yup. Did someone say snuggling? Come here, boyo *glomps said boyo*

Nico:

Nico: so do you like me or not???

Zeus [on mount olympus]: I think it's about time I sent an eagle to pluck his ey–

(ground rumbles)

Zeus [nervously]: *clears throat* –to pluck the twigs out of the boy's hair, why is he so bad with maintaining his hair?

(Will is doing some stuff for a Veterinarian son of kymopoleia. Nico accompanies him to the vet's like the supportive boyfriend he is)

Will: why are you covered in cats???

Nico [covered in cats and enjoying every second of it]: cause you're giving the dogs a check-up, doctor

(Will got turned on when nico said doctor, guys, don't blame me)

(Hades and Hera get into a cat fight. It's for a very petty reason; their pet peeves with each other's children)

Hades: time-out! Can't we just try to get along now that our boys are dating each other?

Hera [pensive; the expression looks fake]: *adjusts goat skin on shoulders*

Hera: . . . no

(Cat fighting continues)

(Snow-white!Nico AU with Reyna and Hazel as main supporting cast, Percy as prince, and Hera as misunderstood evil queen with her own character arc? Closer than you'd think)

Reyna: stop singing nico

Nico: why?

Hazel: You're covered in birds nico. BIRDS, PLURAL!

Nico: makes me even more fly :)

Percy: omg literally so hot *swoons*

Hera: *strokes cow behind ears* can we skip to the part where he eats the apple and gets trampled by my trusty cow?

(The story falls apart. Not even the Apollo kids can save it. Lesson is not to let the aphrodite cabin do storytime at the campfire).

Hazel: oh, I didn't know you had pets, Nico

Nico: I don't

Hazel: why all the random animals, then

Nico:

Nico: you're not trying to kick out my other visitors, are you

That's it, guys. Deuces. Yes, some of the head-canons here might feature in my next nico-centric (ooohhhhh, *interest sounds*).

I'd like to do more posts like these, but they're a bit time-consuming to write up. It's still so worth it though.

Should I do more like these? (The "head-canon/opinion dump-into-shitpost" format). You tell me. I mean, I'll still make them, just more frequently if yes is the answer.

[pelideswhore]

demeter vs chryses

it's mother's day in germany today, so i made a post about the best mother in greek mythology :D also upcoming post about ares on father's day

TW—kidnapping

the idea of this post is basically just a shower thought and is as follows: both demeter and chryses lost their daughters to forms of kidnapping, but while chryses is praised for how he handled it, demeter is antagonized .... let's get into that.

fyi, the meaning of this post is not to drag chryses down. i do believe that he did the right thing and is a great father. however i do mean to uplift demeter because she deserves it :)

also, i'm going to be referring to Chryseis as 'Astynome' in this post so you don't mix her up with the nymph from Demeter's myth or even her father himself, since the names are similar/same.

first of all, a summary of each of their stories:

demeter — Persephone and Demeter were chilling with their girlfriends on some field somewhere when Persephone went to pick a daffodil, which was a trap set by Zeus and Hades. When she reached the flower, Hades emerged from through the ground k!dnapped her. Demeter was extremely saddened by this incident and when no one would help her find her daughter, she left Olympus and plants stopped growing because she was sad. Harvests failed and that was shit for mortals, so Zeus had to do something. Meanwhile, Persephone has eaten a pomegranate in the underworld, meaning she can't leave. Zeus strikes a deal with Hades and Demeter: Persephone is to stay on Olympus with her mother for 2/3 of the year and the rest with her now-husband (the greek calender is different from ours don't be confused lol, they had shorter years).

chryses — During the ninth year of the Trojan War, the Greeks captured a city allied to Troy and took many citizens as slaves. Amongst them was Astynome, daughter of Apollo's priest Chryses. Chryses entered the Greek camp despite being considered an enemy and offered money in return for his daughter, which Agamemnon denies. Angry at him, Chryses prays to Apollo to send a plague on the Greeks – he does just that, and Agamemnon realizes where he went wrong (everywhere). He sends Odysseus to bring Astynome back to her father and the plague ends.

now let's compare the two:

both asked for their children back before getting serious.

"For Chryses sought with costly gifts to gain, // his captive daughter from the victor's chain." (source)

"She [Demeter] sped off like a bird, soaring over land and sea, looking and looking. But no one was willing to tell her the truth." (source)

both were respectlessly denied this plea.

"The Greeks in shouts their joint assent declare, The priest to reverence, and release the fair. Not so Atrides [Agamemnon]: he, with kingly pride, Repuls'd the sacred sire, and thus reply'd: Hence, on thy life , and fly these hostile plains, Nor ask, presumptuous, what the king detains; Hence, with thy laurel crown and golden rod, Nor trust too far those ensigns of thy god. Mine is thy daughter, priest, and shall remain; And prayers, and tears, and bribes, shall plead in vain; Till time shall rifle every youthful grace, And age dismiss her from my cold embrace, In daily labours of the loom employ'd, Or doom'd to deck the bed she once enjoy'd. Hence then, to Argos shall the maid retire, Far from her native soil and weeping sire."

both more or less caused the death of hundreds of people.

"The fleet in view, he [Apollo] twang'd his deadly bow And hissing fly the feather'd fates below. On mules and dogs the infection first began And last the vengeful arrows fixed in man."

"It [the year] was so terrible it makes you think of the hound of Hades. The Earth did not send up any seed."

however

chryses explicitly asked for the people to get ill and die. demeter can't change the fact that her emotions effect harvests etc.

chryses is 'merely' a priest. demeter is a deity, and is hence worthy of more respect.

chryses is a male. demeter is female.

the definition of double standard according to the Cambridge Dictionary is as follows: "a rule or standard of good behaviour that, unfairly, some people are expected to follow or achieve but others are not." (source)

this definition applies to this situation because Demeter is expected to not get angry while Chryses' emotions are justified. And objectively, Hades and Persephone's relationship started out just as problematic as Agamemnon and Astynome's, so that can't be the reason.

It is literally unacceptable to hate on Demeter for displaying her emotions like Chryses did while praising him. It’s just wrong.

The final statement: You are legally not allowed to hate Demeter cus she's awesome.

edit: there was an incorrect quote somewhere here which @littlesparklight pointed out. it has been changed :)

[kingburu]

[FIC] Birb Funeral

Someone asked me a long time ago what would happen if in the Dearly Departed universe (where Jason is a Son of Hades and Nico is a Son of Jupiter, and everyone is conveniently where I wanted to place them) what would happen if Bianca ended up in Camp Jupiter and Nico ended up in Camp Halfblood. I wrote this a while back for funsies and probably won’t expand, but take an au of an au!

tl;dr: Godswap AU where Jason is a Son of Hades, Nico is a Son of Zeus, and they grew up as childhood friends!

A storm hits first. In twelve-year-old Jason’s ten years at Camp Halfblood, he’s never seen anything as abrasive and harsh as the dark clouds that consumes all winter sunlight, dimming the heavens as though he’s staring at his father’s domain itself. Thunder and lightning boom like a commandeering force, and the rain rattles against the magical barrier around Camp Halfblood, like pelting against hollow tin, but falls on campgrounds like a soft shower.

It rains for three days straight, weakening Hestia’s hearth, cancelling Capture the Flag, and irritating all of the Apollo Cabin, who grow antsy without the sun. Jason is nonplussed by the storm, comforted by the additional shadows that linger—but he’s never quite liked the silence it forced in Cabin Eleven. The silence that used to be comforting, but now hurts as he has to look at the empty bed—the one that reminds him his own chest feels empty, too.

 On the third day, the eagles appear.

 Jason’s already awake, inspecting the other demigods without cabins of their own as he hears the righteous call of three bald eagles flying through the forest. Other campers wake to their squawk, if not the thunderous storm as it seems to boom louder and demand their attention.

��Then, a little boy appears through the forest, sopping wet and looking meager and small as he wobbles through the trees, with a nest of dark hair and bright blue eyes that reminds Jason of the days before the storm. He’s dressed in a ratty pair of jeans, caked in monster blood and—other blood, that immediately worries Jason—and a bright shirt with a lotus symbol on it. The eagles cry out again, encircling the little boy, and flank to either side of him like royal guards.

 Jason jumps as those blue eyes scan their small crowd—widening as they make contact with Chiron—but then turns to him.

 One of the eagles nudges the little boy, who stumbles forward.

 “This,” the little boy says curiously, “is Camp Halfbird, right?”

Halfbird, Jason thinks, puzzled, and he swears he sees both eagles puff their chests out with pride. He doesn’t get to contemplate long—of all the people that are surrounding this little boy, those blue eyes are fixated on him, waiting for an answer. “It’s actually Camp Halfblood—but, yeah, welcome.”

 “Oh,” the little boy says, and his shoulders heave. “Finally.”

 And he collapses forward. There’s a cry in surprise—and out of reflex, Jason steps forward and catches him. His eyes trail over to the may stains on this boy’s shirt—the monster blood, the human blood—and he hears Lee Fletcher crying out for someone to get ambrosia, nectar, and all the works.

 “Wait,” Jason hears himself saying, and the older son of Apollo stares at him in disbelief.

 “Why would we wait, Grace?” Lee demands.

 Jason props the boy up on his arm, the nest of dark hair bobbing as they move. “Because he’s snoring.”

 *

 Upon carrying the little boy to the infirmary, they all discover their newest camper has a vice grip and refuses to let go of Jason. Beckendorf, a much older camper, tries once while Jason takes this boy who can’t be older than nine or ten, and Jason’s head almost comes off with it. They stop trying when they hear a little sob. Jason thinks he hears a name—Bianca?—and confines himself to carry the boy to one of the cots.

 Jason has to rock on his feet and stand to the tips of his toes—and practically falls over as he sets the boy down, arms still bound around him, but eventually manages to wriggle out of the grip. He stares at the boy, puzzled, as this new demigod just rolls into a ball, expression unseen.

 The eagles caw outside—and from the window, Jason sees them soar past the window, evidently deciding to remain close.

 “Jace,” Lee says, which startles him, “why don’t you get him some new clothes?”

 Lee’s already washed his hands, rubber gloves on, and is picking up an arm to inspect this boy. He wrinkles his nose as his hand stains with mud.

 “Oh—okay,” Jason says—and he stays just long enough for Lee’s apprentice and little brother, Will, pull a twig out of dark hair.

 Jason sprints to the Big House. On his way back to the infirmary, he watches as both eagles spread their wings and shriek, glowering at him. Jason cringes, staring at them with hesitation.

 The door opens, and Will pokes his head out curiously. He stares up at the rooftop and mimics Jason��s expression. “You think they’re going to stay long?”

 “Hard to say,” Jason mumbles uncomfortably. He takes a thoughtful step towards the infirmary and the eagles make another sound of displeasure. A loud moan comes from the infirmary—childish and feeble, and the eagles suddenly cock their heads to that instead. Jason takes the distraction to climb the porch steps and sighs with relief. “Guess it depends on how long this kid wants to stay.”

 Will pats his shoulder sympathetically. “We’ll find an animal that likes you eventually.”

 *

 New campers, of course, fall under the jurisdiction of Cabin Eleven, and Connor and Travis insist that this new kid already imprinted on Jason, despite not being the head counselor. Jason knows that this kid is recovering from whatever journey brought him to Long Island and the last thing he needs is to be at the mercy of the Stoll Brothers’ pranks, so he halfheartedly agrees.

 The storm subsides pretty quickly after the kid arrives, and business seems to resume as usual. People are already placing bets on what cabin this kid belongs to—if he belongs to any cabin, and Jason tries very hard not to hope that this kid belongs in the cabin that the eagles and the obnoxious storm suggest.

 He spends most of the time in the infirmary, passing on his sword-training classes to Clarisse—and the boy wakes up just long enough to be spoonfed ambrosia and change into a clean shirt and pants. Every day, they find at least one twig in his hair while they’re not looking. He doesn’t speak very much at first—eventually Will and Lee decide to just let Jason handle this kid on his own to tend to other campers who are at the mercy of Clarisse’s sword training.

 On the third day of this kid’s arrival, Jason walks up the porch of the med bay and the eagles squawk angrily, per usual. Jason opens the door and notices the kid perk at his arrival, in contrast to the screaming eagles.

 “You feeling any better?” Jason asks.

 The blue eyes stare at him carefully, then nod. He squints thoughtfully at Jason, then speaks for the first time since arriving during the storm the other day. “They keep screaming death when you walk by.”

 Jason blinks. “They?”

 The boy gestures to the roof. “Lark and Sparrow.”

 Blond eyebrows furrow together. “Who?”

 “Lark and Sparrow,” the boy repeats.

 It takes a moment, but Jason’s eyebrows raise, puzzled. “You mean the eagles?”

 “Yeah.” The boy nods, then pauses. “They had an older sister—Cloud, but—well, she…” The boy’s eyes moisten and his gaze falls to his hands sadly. “She didn’t make it.”

 Oh. Jason doesn’t quite consider it a superpower, but he can pick up on the tone of a mourning soul, even if it’s for an eagle. Lark and Sparrow, the eagles (Jason doesn’t think he’ll ever get his mind wrapped around that) clearly love this little boy very much. Unfortunately, no one at camp speaks bird, and they’ve gone almost a week now not knowing this boy’s story—even if he wants to tell it.

 Jason retrieves a stool, setting aside the ambrosia sundae. “Do you…want to tell me about Cloud?”

 The boy raises his head curiously, evidently surprised to be encouraged, and then nods. “Cloud was their leader. She’s the one that found me first in—in the accident. And then she promised me that the four of them would get to camp. She—” His voice cracks. “—she couldn’t keep that promise.”

 Jason flashes a look of concern. After a few meals of ambrosia and clean clothes, the boy looks better, but feeling better is another story entirely.

 “Lark’s a good listener though, I think she makes Sparrow feel better,” the boy continues.

 The edge of Jason’s lip curls.

 “What?” the boy asks, and he blinks.

 “Nothing—I’m glad they got you here safe. I’m sure Cloud is proud,” Jason reassures. He reaches for the ambrosia sundae and at this point, the boy knows it’s for him. “I’ve never met birds that were named after other birds.”

 The boy shrugs nonchalantly. “Names are names. Did you know that Hades named his dog Spot?”

 Jason makes a face, watching as this boy pluck a cherry off the sundae and plop it in his mouth. Of all the deities the boy could have chosen (before they checked to see if he actually understands what’s going on—the death of Cloud the Eagle seems to suggest he does.) “I’ve—actually never thought about it that way.”

 “It just sounds cooler because it’s Greek,” the boy says. “Like your name. Otherwise, people would be walking around calling you Healer.”

 “I’m. Sorry, what?”

 “Your name,” the boy repeats, and it’s impossible not to stare at the bits of whipped cream at the corner of his lip. “Jason.”

 “You know my name,” Jason says slowly, on eyebrow arched in the air. This boy has been silent for the last two days, taking in his environment with wide, curious eyes. Jason had seen the boy’s mouth drop when Grover had come to check on him.

 The boy’s cheeks flush, and he quickly nods. “I heard the other two say it.”

 The other two, the boy said. Not Lee and Will. Jason blinks once again. “You know my name and you know the meaning behind my name.”

 “It was in the Argonaut Expansion pack,” the boy continues. “The trivia in the wrapper.”

 Much like Lark and Sparrow, Jason tries to connect the dots in his head. “You mean Mythomagic?”

 The sundae falls from the boy’s hands, and to Jason’s surprise, those blue eyes suddenly glitter with excitement. “You know Mythomagic? Do you play? Do you have a favorite character?”

 He’s vibrating in his seat, and Jason actually leans back to keep ice cream from falling on him. Jason reaches over and dabs the melted ice cream with a tissue. “I’ve dabbled. You’ll see some of the other kids playing Mythomagic here. It helps them understand our world better. Our—hey. So. Do you…understand how you got here? What’s going on?”

 The boy stares at him, puzzled, evidently confused.

 “So you and I—this entire camp,” Jason says slowly, “we’re halfbloods.”

 “Halfbirds?”

 “Halfbloods,” Jason corrects. “Demigods. It means that we’re half human, half—”

 “Half god,” the boy finishes with an excited whisper. His eyes glitter again. “Like Mythomagic.”

 “Yeah, exactly like Mythomagic—”

 “Oh my god,” the boy says again—and the way he vibrates in the bed would make Jason think he was never healing in the first place. “My dad was a god? Oh my dad!”

 Jason stares at the boy in surprise. For a kid that had emerged from the forest covered in blood and spoils, this is the quickest he’s ever seen a demigod recover from learning about their parentage. This kid is acting just like he sounds—a kid—and is now grinning from ear-to-ear.

 “Who’s your parent? Apollo? Aphrodite?” The boy claps his hand on the mattress, then leans close to Jason with a gasp. “It’s Thanatos, isn’t it? That’s why Lark and Sparrow keep screaming death!”

 “Um, Hades, actually—” Jason peels the ice cream sundae away from the bed before it can spill, unable to hide his surprise. Most people didn’t list gods outside the main twelve, let alone mention his dad’s lieutenant of all people. He expects the boy to gulp and shirk away at first—like other kids did when they realized they were suddenly standing with the child of the King of the Dead, but the boy’s hand fall and he stares at Jason with even more fascination.

 “He has 4000 attack power,” the boy whispers in amazement. “5000 if someone else attacks first.”

 Jason blinks, yet again confounded by this boy’s enthusiasm. “Yeah—I think I heard that. You’re not…scared?”

 The boy doesn’t hear him. Instead, he’s mumbling again, evidently still stuck on Jason’s parentage with utter amazement. He falls silent, then looks back up to Jason with hopeful eyes. “Can we hold a funeral for Cloud?”

 This time, Jason’s lips fold into the familiar shape, aching almost, into the first smile that he’s had in a long time. “Is that what you want?”

 The boy nods up and down. “A funeral for Lark and Sparrow’s sister, and maybe a funeral for my—” The boy cuts himself off, the excitement suddenly waning. Jason can see it in the boy’s expression, something hitting him like a freight train, and it looks more solemn and more mournful than it did for Cloud.

 Oh. This boy has seen death recently—and not just for the sister of someone else.

 Jason reaches out and places a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Blue eyes look back up to him, sadder than the bouncing boy from before.

 “We’ll give Cloud a Grecian funeral, just like in Mythomagic,” Jason says quietly. At the M word, the boy cocks his head back up, eyebrows furrowed. “And another for whoever else needs one. Whenever you’re ready.”

 The boy sniffles, his eyes swelling with tears once more.

 “Whenever you’re ready,” Jason repeats.

 “Okay.” To his surprise, the boy throws his arms around Jason like the first day, vice grip and all.

 Jason hesitates—but then folds his arms around the other boy, patting sympathetically as he hears the sniffles grow louder.

 *

 After Will and Lee give the okay, Jason plans a funeral in the woods for Cloud the Eagle—which quickly goes awry from the Grecian traditions that he had planned when Nico explains Lark and Sparrow’s constructive notes. Two of the notes include burying part of their sister “like humans do”—with things that she held dear. Nico whips a feather out of his hair, insistent that it came from the late bird, and explains that Cloud’s favorite items included bird seed and bottle caps.

 Thus, Jason instructs Nico to fill a lunch box with bird seed and bottle caps (there’s a small intermission where Jason watches Nico lecture Lark and Sparrow about eating their sister’s afterlife food) before placing the eagle feather gingerly on top, then listens to Nico and the birds deliver a eulogy for their fallen comrade.

 Grover plays the reedpipes as they lower the lunch box into the ground, and daffodils sprout over the mound. He’s touched, of course, that someone would care enough to want to hold a funeral for an animal of nature.

 “Will Charon accept bird seeds?” Nico asks worriedly.

 Jason doesn’t miss the way Grover suddenly squawks on the reed pipes, evidently amused by the question. He places a hand on Nico’s shoulder, not missing the way that Nico inches closer into his bubble. “Um, animals are out of Charon’s jurisdiction.”

 Nico frowns, clearly upset.

 “They usually get reincarnated. Sometimes as plants, or as new animals,” Grover explains. Jason has to hold back a sigh of relief—he doesn’t know how much more he can talk about death, but Grover is charmed enough. He gestures to the eagles. “Maybe a lark. Or a sparrow. Or—”

 “Or a raven?” Nico asks.

 Grover nods sagely, flashing a look that Jason has always received growing up. Then he ruffles Nico’s hair. “You sure know your birds, Nico.”

 Nico shrugs, the worry about Cloud not reaching the Underworld dissipating. Then, he notices what Jason has been wary of since the young demigod’s arrival. Nico gestures to Lark and Sparrow, who’d given Jason the stink eye since arriving at camp. “Why don’t they like you? They keep calling you the Deathbringer.”

 Jason cringes, and he notices Grover do it too. “Yeah—well, animals aren’t fond of me. They sense death.”

 Another frown curls against Nico’s lips, and the next look that the flashes his birds causes them to behave and stand erect. “But you just helped them bury their sister.”

 “Yeah, tell them that,” Grover mutters, and he nudges Jason affectionately.

 “I am,” Nico assures, and he climbs to his feet. The eagles squawk nervously—and then Nico turns around, his blue eyes fully on Jason. “And you’re so cool.”

 Grover spills into a grin, and Jason’s eyebrows raise in confusion. He can hardly call spending the afternoon filling a lunch box with bird seed and fending off grouchy birds cool. “You think I’m cool?”

 Unabashed, this boy stares at Jason with the same intrigue as he did when Jason started comparing Mythomagic to their lives. “The coolest.”

 Red flourishes in Jason’s cheeks, and Grover is elbowing him again. Before he can open his mouth, Nico turns to his pet eagles, hands on his hips like a doting mother.

 “If you two can’t respect Jason for holding a funeral for Cloud,” Nico says in his best parenting tone, “then scram.”

 Both birds make a sound, evidently shocked, but Nico places a hand in front of him, halting their speech.

 “No,” Nico says, “I’ll be okay here. Please go home.”

 Jason watches in utter disbelief as both birds pick themselves up, glaring at him, before flying away.

 Grover pats him on the shoulder. “You don’t want to know what they said.”

 Nico falls to his knees again and pets the daffodils over Cloud’s makeshift grave. His eyebrows furrow together, evidently troubled at the departure of their friends, but seems set on his decision.

 When he gets over his stupor, Jason clears his throat and walks up behind Nico, finally able to get close to this little grave that he helped make without prying eagle eyes. He kneels to the ground and pats a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Let’s get you settled in at Cabin Eleven.”

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Never Find Another Like Me

Summary: Adrien and Marinette break up after two years of dating, both seeing each other as friends. This doesn’t stop some people (Lila) from saying that Marinette cheated on Adrien or that she was using him. All Marinette can reply when the class begins to pull away is that they’ll never find another like her, before she heads off for New York for the summer.

 She’s right.

Pairings: MC/Hades, past Adrinette, Marinette/Cerberus

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Breaking up with Adrien had been hard. It had been really hard. 

 They had started dating when they were sixteen and firmly sick of Lila and all the bullshit. They started dating and it was fun and light and… well, charming.

But that was it.

 Charming, like a fairy tale. But it wasn’t… it wasn’t romantic. Not really.

 It was all the romance of flowers and chocolates and candlelit dinners. Which she did enjoy but then she saw the others in their class

She saw Juleka light up when Rose got her a murder mystery book or saw how happy Nino was when Alya surprised him with tickets to some random indie movie she knew he liked.

 Hell- Kim was super attentive to his girlfriend and boyfriend and knew things about them most didn’t. She remembered being weirded out Kim had picked up a bird skull to give to Odine before learning she liked bones. 

 But her and Adrien? Flowers and chocolates and pastries and the technical movements of romance without actual romance. It was fun. It was light.

 But it wasn’t… it wasn’t romance. Not really romance, not the romance of people actually in love. 

 They broke up age eighteen, both smiling and hugging each other goodbye after they had finally fully spoken to each other.

 He knew she liked sewing and cooking and video games but when he thought romance he didn’t think of her interests. When she thought romance she didn’t think of his interests. And that was okay. 

 “We should have stuck to friends,” Adrien said, hugging her tightly.

 “Yeah, but hey- we’re smarter then we were before.” Marinette pulled away with a smile. She gave him a long look before chuckling. “I’m never going to find another like you.”

 “I’ll never find another like you.” Adrien shrugged. “It sucks but…” Marinette laughed and hugged him again.

 “But it’s the best for us.” 

 It still hurt. She had held onto her fantasies for years, dreaming of being with him, of dating him and having a life together. But the more time spent with him the more she realized that they were incompatible in many ways.

 He was a romantic who enjoyed the big displays and the grandness of romance. She enjoyed a day spent with her partner and having a quiet dinner together. She wanted kids, a family with a pet and to grow old together. He wanted to travel the world and meet new people. He didn’t want kids, to scared to be like his dad- and in a way wanted to piss off his father by never continuing the Agreste line- something he always said in a mocking tone. 

 In the end, their last few months of dating was more them pretending for the public so people- Lila mostly- would leave him alone. But now, Marinette was going to New York for the summer break. They were eighteen and Adrien was finally allowed to do what he wanted thanks to a clause in his trust fund that let him move out of his house and move into a small apartment. He was allowed to go after what he wanted. She was happy for him.

 They announced their break up to the class, and Marinette was not surprised when Lila began speaking in a ‘low voice’ about how odd it was that Marinette was suddenly breaking up with Adrien after getting her internship. 

 It split the class.

 Lila had been a thorn to Marinette ever since they were fifteen and she had not mellowed. Sure, she had stopped some of her lies when it became obvious that the class might actually know better- Lila learning Marinette designed for Jagged and that Rose knew Ali was a highlight for Marinette- but she was still an utter bitch. She also had gotten nasty in her pursuit of Adrien, and it took him going to the police and to social media to tell her off for her to back off.

 The class…  only Nathanael knew the truth- because he remembered she knew Jagged way before anyone else- Rose and Juleka only knowing because of Ali. The others followed Lila like dogs. It had hurt at first but… well,  Marinette didn’t mind it much now. She had come to the conclusion- after losing Fu, after her break down and her parents making her go to therapy- that she didn’t care anymore. She was going to love herself and move on. There was no one like her, she was a ten out of ten and she was done trying to protect people who wanted to paint her as jealous or mean.

 Alya had been the worst and Marinette had to really look at their friendship to realize that she and Alya had never had an equal friendship and that both had bigger priorities over each other. It wasn’t like one of them was more important in the friendship but neither had really told each other everything and both were a little focused on their own issues. 

 It didn’t help that Alya had the expectation that Marinette should always be willing to help her out, even when she was busy. Marinette had finally had enough when Alya tried to dump the twins on her again and she’d gone to Alya’s mother about it. Alya had been furious until she had been told off by almost everyone in the class for her actions in randomly dumping the twins on Marinette. Even Nino didn’t think it was cool. Marinette said she wouldn’t have minded covering a date or two but not as much as Alya dumped the twins on her.

 Alya had to face facts after that and the two sat down to finally lay their crumbling friendship to rest, both agreeing that in the end they hadn’t been good friends to each other with Alya ditching her for her blog or foisting the twins off her so much and the various Adrien plots while Marinette admitted her ditching Alya cause she was terrified of Akumas and her disinterest in the blog and Alyas reporting classes wasn’t that great either.

 They parted as ex-friends but remained friendly. Alya as well had toned down her ‘Marinette is jealous’ spiel. She still believed Lila but had given up trying to make Marinette like the girl. 

 She was among the few who didn’t seem to think Marinette would use Adrien, and it was the first time Marinette had seen her and Lila argue. It made Marinette send the Italian a smug smirk before she walked off.

 As for the others? Kim, Max, Ivan, Mylene, Sabrina and Nino? Well, she looked them all in the face and told them, loudly.

 “You think I’m that conniving? You think I’m like that. Fine, but we aren’t friends anymore. And let me tell you- you’re never going to find another like me. You’ll never have another friend like me. To bad, so sad. Goodbye.” she left with a wave and headed to the airport, Miraculous Box in her backpack.

 She was heading to New York- not with the asshole that was Audrey but to intern under someone Jagged knew. It was going to be fun and she couldn’t wait.

She would have to go back to Paris every once in a while to deal with Akumas but Hawkmoth had toned down his actions in recent years. He seemed less into the whole thing honestly. She remembered talking about it with her class and Alya had jokingly suggested he was getting laid.

 Maybe he was.

 -0-

  New York was amazing and Marinette loved her work. Her grandma had contacted the daughter of a friend of her’s- Melody Conners- and the woman had agreed to let Marinette stay with her. Melody was some sort of government person from what Marinette understood who baked for fun and thus Marinette enjoyed joining in when she could.

 She saw so many interesting things, ogled cute boys and girls and was just happy in general. Paris and even Lila were far from her mind. 

 More so when Melody asked if she minded if she had a dinner party at the apartment for her and her coworkers and boyfriend.

 “Hades, my boyfriend, is technically my boss but not? I’m not directly under him but he is higher up and has a lot of clout. We’re revealing we’re dating to a few people and his apartment building is being renovated for some reason.” 

 “That’s fine.” Said Marinette. “Whose all coming? Is it alright if I’m here?”

 “Yeah it’s alright and there’s me, May- you’ve met her- Alex Cyrpin who we all call Cyrpin, Suzan, Jeff, Cerberus, Persephone and- okay you’re gaze is weird.”

 “Your boyfriend is Hades and you know a Cerberus and Persephone.”

 “Hades parents were weird and his brother Zeus- yes I know- decided to name his daughter Persephone. She lives with her uncle though and no they’re not dating they both make faces when the Old Myths are brought up.” Melody put a lot of emphasis on the words old myths for some reason, making Marinette frown and plan to speak with the Kwami. “My brother Josh will be here to.” 

 Marinette has met May and Josh, and briefly saw Cyrpin one day when they had come to grab Melody for something neither spoke about so it’s not a big deal.

 Speaking with the Kwami that night, in hushed whispers, reveals a lot.

 Like the fact that the people she’s about to meet, Hades and Persephone are probably actual gods.

 “They aren’t like us. They reincarnate into new bodies when their old ones die. The Old Myths were real but it changed over time. Or they were misinterpreted.” Tikki explained. “I know Persephone went to live with Hades to avoid her father and stepmother not to marry him.”

 “Is Cerberus human?” Asked Marinette- honestly just curious. Tikki laughed.

 “He is. Now. He doesn’t remember being a dog. I don’t know what happened but most of the monsters started reincarnating as humans. They don’t remember their pasts like the gods but they’re around to.” Tikki told her. “Their powers became what they call Auras, taking various shapes.”

 “Huh. That’s good to know thanks.” It also made  Marinette think she could probably tell them about the Miraculous. She loved Paris but the more time she spent in New York the more she loved it. As well Paris was full of memories of Akumas and fighting for her life. New York wasn’t. She didn’t want to stay in a city that every time she turned around she remembered seeing Chat die or remembered being stabbed. She knew Chat felt the same and so did their fellow heroes. They couldn’t stay. 

 If she spoke to the gods maybe they would ignore her a little or at least keep an eye on her but not bug her. It was an idea anyway.

-0-

 The dinner party started out nicely. The apartment was filled with people and Marinette had to put away the cot she used to sleep but it was really nice to meet so many people. And apparently, Cyrpin knew her boss- she was their sister apparently- and enjoyed talking fashion enough that Marinette had fun. 

 But the real fun was with Cerberus. He was handsome and had been so confused, standing in the middle of the room and obviously out of his depth. Marinette had smiled and gone up to him to see if we wanted to talk about anything. Perhaps video games.

 He did but he was also very enthusiastic about her designing when he recognized her name as designing for Jagged Stone. He was a fan apparently and the two quickly began talking about music and video games.

 Marinette even found herself agreeing to go frisbee golfing the next day with him after a while after they discussed sports. Marinette had found that while fencing was a bust she loved parkour and frisbee golf- Luka and his sister played- and she was eager to have fun and play again.

 “So, do you actually know anyone here?” She asked him, later and when she stole a glass of wine. Though no one actually cares. Jeff- a coworker on the floor of Melody’s - is British and had some truly spectacular rants about how stupid Americans are about drinking. He’d given two already. One when he saw her picking up a glass and another when another person named Mandy egged him on. Everyone else didn’t care and Melody said she was eighteen and could do what she wanted as long as she did it under her roof and not in public.

 “I know Hades and Melody. Cyprin a little bit I know their mom more then them.” Cerberus answered. “I’m off duty and Hades likes to have us around when he can.” But he looked happier speaking with her and she really liked speaking with him. They have enough in common it’s fun and enough not in common it’s interesting.

 Marinette was about to open her mouth and chat again when the Akuma alarm on her phone went off. She sighed, loudly and pulled it out. “... oh wow.”

 “What’s going on?” Cerberus asked but Marinette was to busy checking out the new Akuma. Lila again but… huh. Looked like she had been finally fully exposed by someone. 

 Marinette looked up to see most of the room looking at her and she made her choice with a quick thought. After all, if there were gods in the room…

 “Tikki, can you come out?” The Kwami did and she looked amused as she did so.

 “Really?” Marinette shrugged and went to her bag to pull out the box and get the glasses, putting them on as the entire room stared.

 “Sorry, have to go save Paris!” She left with a wave and a quick transformation before making a portal and skipping off.

 Beating the Akuma was easy. Lila was a common foe and wrecking her wasn’t a big deal. Dealing with Chat as well wasn’t a pain. He seemed thoughtful and quiet. He did ask if they could talk later and she agreed. They would talk in two days. She wondered why he would ask her to chat with him.

 Going back to the party, Melody was waiting with a first aid kit that Marinette was thankful for because while the cure took away the big things it didn’t always get the smaller stuff on her and she had some cuts. She got herself patched up and chatted with Hades who was more than willing to add her name to their registry of individuals with magic. He was also delighted to speak in some language with Tikki, Persephone joining in, and the other Kwami coming out of the box to join in.

 “You sure you can go frisbee golfing tomorrow?” asked Cerberus and she laughed.

 “Yeah, I’m sure.” It would be fun.

-0-

 Back in Paris, everything had fallen apart. Marinette was gone for the summer and none of them had really realized what it meant. More so when she broke their friendship.

 But they slowly began feeling it.

 The bakery didn’t give them discounts anymore which shocked them. They had been getting discounts? 

 They had known the bakery was pretty well known but not to the extent they learned. It was an incredibly expensive and high-end bakery and they had never known. Why would they? They bought food for the same price as other bakeries.

 But learning the truth, and looking it up, they were shocked. 

 And then came more. Marinette had always been a sounding board for them. She could point out flaws in their viewpoints and offer different ideas. She could figure out how to actually make their ideas work too.

 The first time Max tried to text her an idea, she sent back a reminder she wasn’t his friend and blocked him. He never finished it.

 The time Nino texted her, asking about where to get cheap clothing for a movie he was directing for fun, he was told his number was blocked.

 They felt lost, adrift. But they tried to keep going. At least until they saw the amazing video Kitty Selection did, full of cool clothes and effects, a special mention given to Marinette who helped them out. And then they were lost again.

 Alya was the one it all clicked for. It was when Lila fake sobbed Marinette had sent her nasty messages. Alya was the one to stare at her and ask to see them. Lila said she had deleted them had Alya shaking her head.

 “You know, the more I think about it, the more I see you always blaming Marinette for everything,” Alya told her. And Lila had sobbed and said Marinette was a bully who had tripped her the day before. The class had been angry until Alya said, dryly and colder than ice. “She’s in New York you fucking moron.”

 That shut up the entire group, Lila going pale. Alya walked away without a second thought.

 That was the beginning of the end for Lila. They all looked back and ripped apart each lie she had ever told. She was done, ruined. 

 And when Ladybug came to deal with her, Alya finally got confirmation of something.

 “I don’t know her other than the pest who lies every five seconds.” 

 Lila was done.

 And so was the class. They had broken their friendship with one of the most amazing people they had ever met. They had destroyed their friendship with her and now they had nothing. They didn’t have an amazing friend. They instead had only memories.

 They were never going to find another like her.

-0-

Marinette smiled as she and Cerberus walked around the park, ice cream in hand and Cerberus pretending his brothers weren’t following them. It wasn’t working. 

 “You’re adorable,” she told him and he laughed.

 “You too.” she giggled and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’ll miss you when you’re in Paris.”

 “I have the Horse Miraculous.” she pointed out. “And I am totally coming here for school. And staying afterwards. Cyprin’s sister knows about me and will totally look the other way when I run over to save Paris, and her employees are mostly monsters or demigods.”

 “True.” Cerberus hugged her sideways. “...Uhh Marinette I… ummm…”

 Marinette lifted an eyebrow and waited. Cerberus opened his mouth then closed it. He shifted on his feet and looked down.

 “Umm… I know you and Chat aren’t together. I mean, you told me about the conversation you two had and stuff…” 

 Ah yes. That one. After she had gone back to Paris for her chat with Chat, she had told Melody everything but only told Cerberus that she had talked with Chat about not getting together.

 In reality, it had been emotional talk filled with yelling and them both unloading their feelings. Chat demanding to really know if she felt nothing, and herself just ripping into him for not listening.

 It had been exhausting but it left them feeling better when they finally got it all out there. They both agreed they cared for one another deeply. More than family or friends. You couldn’t fight magic together and not feel that.

 But it wasn’t… romantic. Not on her end and she was done with him not getting it. He had backed off in the last few years but she had assumed he was dating and wouldn’t do that to his partner. But now he simply needed to know. Would they have a chance?

 “No,” she had told him. “I care for you so deeply, but… Chat you ruined any chance of romantic feelings by not listening when I told you I was in love with someone else. When you threatened to give up the ring when I couldn’t tell you a secret that was not mine to tell. When you agreed to let Alya post that kiss on the Ladyblog without thinking of my feelings. Chat- you are my dearest friend. My best friend. But I’m just not into you.”

 It had been raw and hurtful but they ended their conversation knowing where they stood. Friends- closer than most and probably really leaning into platonic partner territory- but just friends. 

 They still worked well together but it was awkward and probably would be for a while. Like her and Adrien honestly. Sure, they’d been more like buddies then dating but it had been awkward before she left. 

 “I uhhh, welll…” her mind was pulled back to the present and she chuckled as Cerberus tried to stutter out what he wanted.

 “If you’re trying to ask me out, the answer’s yes.” She told him. She heard cheers and Cerberus turned to glare at his brothers while Marinette just laughed before turning his face to her to kiss him.

 She would never find anyone like Adrien. And that was okay.

 Because she found someone in Cerberus. 

 And she would never find another like him, so she was going for it.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

 I don’t hate Adrien but I really wanted Marinette to be upfront and blunt with Chat that he had ruined any chance of her liking him at all. Because he had.

 Look, I know some go oh it’s not harassment but it is. As soon as someone says no and you keep going, that’s harassment. Marinette has said no, that she likes someone else but Chat just won’t knock it off. It’s not okay, it’s not cool and I totally think that Marinette would just full on stop seeing him as an option if he keeps going. Because as a kid, he doesn’t know better. It’s taught by media, by society that a man chasing after a woman should ignore her firm nos. That she doesn’t mean it. So I can make allowances for his actions to a point. 

 But I also know that as someone who has seen people being harassed in real life, that once the line is crossed it can never be taken back. Marinette stopped seeing him as an option when he wouldn’t stop. She still considered him a friend because the two years he didn’t press were some of the best of her life, spending time with him. And the time she spent with him when he wasn’t hitting on her was amazing. 

 But romantic? No, that ship sailed.

But I didn’t want to bash him? I admit this started out really salty, but talking with @anastasian-dreamer I changed it so it was less salty towards him. 

 Also this was mostly me getting a random idea and playing with it. Hope you guys liked it even if most of you probably haven’t played Astoria.

[freyar0se]

 Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War

Athena, also referred to as Athene, is a very important goddess of many things. She is goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.

She is known most specifically for her strategic skill in warfare and is often portrayed as companion of heroes and is the patron goddess of heroic endeavour.

Athena was born from zeus after he experienced an enormous headache and she sprang fully grown and in armour from his forehead. She has no mother but one of the most commonly cited stories is that Zeus lay with Metis, the goddess of crafty thought and wisdom, and then swallowed her whole as he feared she will give birth to a child more powerful than him because of a prophecy – but she had already conceived.

She was Zeus’s favourite child.

She is referred to in poetry as “gray-eyed.”

The owl was her bird, and the olive tree was hers.

She turned the weaver Arachne into a spider after the mortal woman insulted Athena and the Olympian gods.

Hermes and Athena went to the aid of Perseus in his quest to slay medusa. Looking directly at medusa would turn any man to stone, so Athena provided Perseus with her polished shield. Using it, he was able to see Medusa as if looking in a mirror. Again, Athena guided his hand as he cut off Medusa’s head with his sword. 

Greek Goddess of the Hunt, Forests and Hills, the Moon, Archery

Artemis is known as the goddess of the hunt and is one of the most respected of all the ancient Greek deities. It is thought that her name, and even the goddess herself, may even be pre-Greek. She was the daughter of zeus, king of the gods, and the Titans Leto and she has a twin brother, the god APOLLO.

Not only was Artemis the goddess of the hunt, she was also known as the goddess of wild animals, wilderness, childbirth and virginity. Also, she was protector of young children and was know to bring and relieve disease in women. In literature and art she was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrow. Artemis ( like Athena ) was a virgin and drew the attention and interest of many gods and men. However, it was only her hunting companion, Orion, that won her heart. It is believed that Orion was accidentally killed either by Artemis herself or by Gaia, the primordial goddess of the earth. In one version of the stories of Adonis – who was a late addition to Greek mythology during the Hellenistic period – Artemis sent a wild boar to kill Adonis after he continued to boast that he was a far greater hunter than her.

Artemis was daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo.

She was primarily a virgin huntress, goddess of wildlife and patroness of hunters.

The bear was sacred to her.

She guarded her virginity carefully. Actaeon and Orion tried to dishonor or rape her, but anyone who threatened her purity met with a violent end.

She was an important goddess in the lives of women, especially when it came to marriage and young creatures.

When one of her nymphs was seduced by Zeus, Artemis transformed her into a bear and then killed her.

She was sometimes associated with the goddess of the moon.

Artemis acted out in anger whenever her wishes were disobeyed, especially if anyone transgressed against the animals that were sacred to her.

She punished Agamemnon, for example, when he killed a stag in her sacred grove.

Artemis appealed to Zeus to grant her eternal virginity.

Apollo and Artemis teamed up to kill the children of Niobe. Niobe bragged that she had birthed more children than Leto (the mother of Apollo and Artemis). The twins then hunted her children and killed them with their bows and arrows.

Artemis was worshipped widely in Greece but only as a secondary deity.

A temple built in her honor became one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.”

At least two festivals were celebrated in her honor of Artemis: Brauronia and the festival of Artemis Orthia.

Homer referred to her as a mistress of wild animals.

Artemis spent most of her time roaming the forests with her nymphs. She was described as both hunting animals and protecting them.

She armed herself with a bow and arrows made by Hephaestus and Cyclops.

In art, Artemis is often accompanied by a stag or hunting dog.

She is the protector of chastity and a nurturer of the young.

Greek God of the Dead and King of the Underworld

Hades was the god of the underworld and the name eventually came to also describe the home of the dead as well. He was the oldest male child of Cronus and Rhea.

Hades and his brothers zeus and Poseidon defeated their father and the titans  to end their reign, claiming rulership over the cosmos. They agreed to split their rule with Zeus becoming god of the skies, Poseidon god of the sea and Hades god of the underworld.

He was later known to the Greeks as Plouton, which the romans pluralized to Pluto. The god of the underworld was married to persephone, the daughter of Demeter, whom he obtained through deception after abducting her to the underworld and giving her the forbidden fruit pomegranate, forcing her to remain in the underworld with him for one third of each year.

Facts about Hades - 

Hades is best known as the ruler of the underworld. It became his dominion after he and his brothers drew lots for their share of the universe.

According to Iliad, Hades’ dominion lies between secret places of the earth. According to the Odyssey, one must cross Ocean to get there.

Though Hades supervised the dead assigned to his realm, he was not one of its judges. Three demi-gods served that purpose instead.

Hades was depicted as stern and unyielding, unmoved by prayer and sacrifice.

Hades had a cap or helmet that made its wearer invisible.

His wife was Persephone, Demeter’s only daughter, whom he kidnapped and made his queen.

He was also called the God of Wealth or “the rich one” because he possessed the precious metals of the earth.

Pirithoüs, friend of Theseus, detrmined to have Persephone (the most carefully guarded lady in all the universe) as his bride. To this end, the two friends journeyed to the underworld, but Hades thwarted their plan. He invited them to sit on the Chair of Forgetfulness, which cause its occupant to forget everything. Hercules rescued Theseus , but the King of the Dead held Pirithous there for trying to steal his queen.

Cerberus was a three-headed dog who guarded his realm; the ferryman Charon was another one of the underworld’s attendees.

Though Hades is the King of the Dead, he should not be confused with Death itself, which is personified by Thanatos.

Cronus and Rhea were his parents.

Poseidon and Zeus were his brothers.

Hades rarely left the underworld. His presence was not welcomed by men or by gods.

Hades took pride in collecting “subjects” for his kingdom and was disinclined to let anyone leave.

His dominion was separated from the land of the living by the following rivers: Styx, Lethe, Acheron, Phlegethon, and Cocytus.

Hades employed the Furies, who were responsible for torturing the guilty.

Hades is described by some sources as the god of the earth’s fertility.

The narcissus and the cypress are sacred to him.

In his kingdom, Hades sat on a throne made of ebony and carried a scepter.

Hades was known for his involvement with Sisyphus, the man condemned to the underworld to forever roll a boulder uphill. According to legend, Hades allowed  sisyphus to return to earth long enough to arrange his own funeral.

[pocket-luv101]

Ransom || Part 3

Fandom: Servamp Ship: KuroMahi Characters: Kuro, Mahiru

Summary: Mahiru is kidnapped by the mafia. He learns that Kuro is being forced to work with the mafia. He hoped he could convince him to help him escape. {KuroMahi, Mafia AU}

Part 1 || Part 2 || (Part 3) || Part 4

“Seven cats, three bunnies, twelve birds and one dog. In three weeks, you turned this room into an animal sanctuary. You said that you liked animals but I never imagined it would be this much.” Kuro moved a cat off the couch so he could sit next to Mahiru. His reply was a sly grin as he handed him a game controller. “At least Zeus gave us a larger room so we don’t have to sleep among the animals.”

“The birds are in cages and the bunnies have a large pen so they can’t make the room a mess. The seven sins are well behaved as well. Isn’t that right, Sloth?” Mahiru asked the cats at their feet. He had named them each of the cats after one of the seven sins. Cerberus sat between them and rolled its large body onto his lap. His behaviour made Mahiru chuckle and rubbed its stomach.

When he was taken to the mafia’s headquarters, he had been frightened and confused. Mahiru was surprised by how comfortable he became after a little time had passed. He managed to find a small haven within the sterile walls. Kuro was one of the things that made him feel normal despite how strange his situation was? He slowly opened up to him and they were able to talk like normal friends.

“I wonder what the mafia will do with this game system after I leave.” Mahiru scrolled through the menu’s option to start the game. “Maybe I can talk with Zeus and convince him to let you take it home. The mafia has no need for video games but your siblings would enjoy them. Half of the game’s progress belongs to you, after all.”

“When you leave…” Kuro softly repeated the words to himself. He wasn’t a part of their world so he knew he would return to his own life eventually. He knew it was best for Mahiru’s safety but he would miss him. Instead of voicing his feelings, Kuro said: “I liked having an excuse from work. Spending time with you is better than chasing down drug lords for the money they owe us.”

“You don’t seem like the type of person who would do bad things willingly, Kuro.” Mahiru said and looked up at him. “I consider you my friend. You’ve done so much for me and I want to repay you. When I go home, I don’t want to leave you behind. People say that my uncle is an influential member of another mafia group and he will help if I tell him what you’ve done for me. We can both be free.”

“You can’t save me like you did with these animals, Mahiru. My situation is more complicated than simply leaving and you’ll just be pulled deeper into the mafia world if you try to help me. You might get hurt. I’ve been in the mafia since I was a teenager so I can survive in this world.” The concern in his red eyes squeezed Mahiru’s heart and he wished there was something he could do for him.

Kuro placed his hand over Mahiru’s and gave him a sad smile. “This month long break from the mafia means a lot to me. You don’t need to do anything more.”

“When I talked to my uncle, he told me that the negations are going well and he’ll be able to pick me up in a few weeks. In case you change your mind before then and you want to run away with me, please tell me.” Mahiru was well aware of how dangerous Kuro’s job was since the mafia group was infamous in the news. “It’ll be unlikely that we’ll be able to talk after I’m gone. I’ll miss playing video games with you.”

An alarm blared above them and the loud caused Mahiru to jump in his seat. He didn’t know what the siren meant but it was likely something bad from the expression that Kuro made. He stood and quickly dialed someone on his phone. Kuro’s tone turned flat as he spoke. “Someone triggered the alarm. Can you tell where the intruder is and how many they are?”

Mahiru wasn’t able to hear the person on the phone but Kuro’s replies made him worried. “Five intruders from the Sinnoh region? Shit, Hades and Zeus are still on their mission… I’m the most qualified to deal with them so I’ll go… If they’re on the floor beneath us, I can use the hidden passage to sneak up on them… Position a few men at the door… Keep watching them on the monitor, Hermes.”

Kuro marched directly to the door but Mahiru hugged his arm before he could leave. He looked down into his desperate, brown eyes and he realized the conversation must’ve scared him. He had slipped back into his role as a mafia member. Mahiru’s eyes brought him back and he gently touched his soft hair. “I need to go. Stay here where it’s safe.”

“It’s you that I’m worried for, Kuro. You said that there were five intruders and it’s dangerous for you to face them on your own. Shouldn’t you ask the others for help?” Kuro wanted to reassure Mahiru that he would be safe. On the other hand, it was dangerous for him to linger or else the intruders could venture further into the building.

“I’ll be fine, Mahiru, I’ve managed to take care of myself for this long.” Kuro took Mahiru’s hand and gently opened his hand. He placed a key on his palm. “This is the key to your room. Lock it after I leave and don’t let anyone in. Cerberus, watch after Mahiru while I’m gone.”

Kuro slipped his hand from Mahiru’s and the loss of his warmth affected Mahiru more than he thought it would. The warmth comforted him and gave him strength. He closed his hand as if he could hold onto that warmth a little longer. Mahiru followed him to the doorway and he saw how people were running down the hall. The intruders were likely dangerous for them to cause such a panic.

Kuro walked to the wall across from Mahiru’s door and ran his hand over the cold steel. He looked back to Mahiru and said, “Lock the door and don’t let anyone in.”

While he didn’t say anything further, it was clear to Mahiru that he wouldn’t open the secret door to leave until he closed the door. He didn’t want him to know about the passageway and follow him into danger. Mahiru also understood everyone’s rush to capture the intruders so he reluctantly closed the door between them. He lifted the key to the doorknob but he didn’t lock the door.

The thought of running after Kuro crossed his mind. At the same time, even he knew that it would be reckless and fool hearted to do so. He had never been in a fight in his life and he could cause more trouble for Kuro. He found it difficult to simply sit in his room and wait for Kuro to return when he knew that he was in danger. Mahiru didn’t have

He felt a light nudge against his leg and he looked down to Cerberus. The dog licked his hand and Mahiru knelt down to gently pat its head. Mahiru didn’t know if it fully understood the situation and he sighed. “Kuro is a high ranking member of the mafia so he must be strong and experienced. I still want to make sure that he’s safe. Do you want to go as well?”

Cerberus barked and Mahiru wanted to believe that it was encouraging him. He stood with the decision to follow Kuro. He reasoned that he would only watch him from afar to make sure that he was safe. Mahiru searched the room for something he could use as a weapon in case the situation became dangerous. He picked up a book and walked out of the room with Cerberus next to him.

The hallway was a chaos with people running by so they didn’t notice him leave his room. Mahiru stared at the wall with the secret passage that Kuro used to reach the lower floor quickly. At first glance, he couldn’t see anything different about the panels that could be used to open it. He skimmed his hand over the cold wall. He heard a soft click when he pressed against the wall yet it didn’t open for him.

Mahiru didn’t want to give up and frantically tried a few ways to open the hidden door. The wall shifted slightly so he slid the panel upwards as he pressed down on it. His eyes widened when the wall lifted higher as he put more pressure on it. He immediately slipped into the small opening and Cerberus followed behind him. He found himself in a dimly lit stairway.

Kuro mentioned that the intruders were on the floor beneath them and Mahiru traced the steps he would’ve taken. He reached another door and there was a handle at the bottom. Mahiru pulled the door up until there was a crack large enough for him to peak through. He placed his book beneath the door to prop it open and then crouched down to peer outside.

He wanted to make sure that Kuro was safe and watched him from a distance. Mahiru immediately spotted Kuro fighting a man he didn’t recognize. There were several people on the ground and they were likely intruders that he had already defeated. He knew that Kuro held the title ‘Hades’ among the mafia and he Mahiru could easily see how he earned it. His movements were fluid as he took down another man. Kuro didn’t use his gun and simply knocked out each person.

“Troublesome.” Kuro muttered as he took down the last intruder. He waved to a few members who were barracking the north wing. “Tie these guys up and take them to the prison underground. Interrogate them to ask if there are more intruders we don’t know of.”

Mahiru was relieved that Kuro wasn’t hurt and he placed his hand over his heart. He hadn’t realized that his heartbeat had quickened so much. He started to lean away to return to his room now that he didn’t have to worry about Kuro. Then, he noticed that one of the intruders had regained consciousness and he was reaching for a gun. Kuro was speaking with Makabe so his back was turned to the person.

“Kuro, watch out!” Mahiru called as he threw the door open. At the sound of his voice, the person jumped to his feet and grabbed a mafia member standing nearby. They all froze when he pressed the gun against the person’s temple. The threat was clear and Kuro cursed beneath his breath. His mind raced to find a way to free the hostage without endangering the others around them.

The intruder’s attention was on Kuro while Mahiru was standing behind him. His red eyes met with Mahiru’s brown ones and he prayed that he would return to the hidden passage. He could be hurt if the situation turned to a shootout. Kuro took out his gun and tried to de-escalate the situation. “Mel, it’s going to be okay. Stay still. Everyone, get to safety and I’ll deal with this one.”

His eyes didn’t leave Mahiru and he prayed that he understood that he was also speaking to him. At least he was safe with the gunman’s back to him.

Mahiru gripped his book and his fingers trembled from how tightly he held it. He was scared but he couldn’t force his legs to move. While the man had the person hostage, Kuro couldn’t fight the man properly. He needed to find a way to save the person or take the gun from him. He slowly stepped forward and he was careful not to make a sound to draw attention to himself.

Once he was closer, he lifted the book but he didn’t strike the man. Instead, Mahiru hurled the book next to the man’s head to distract him. He took advantage of the distraction by grabbing the man’s wrist and pulling it away from the hostage. Mahiru used all of his strength to wrestle the gun away from him and he lifted it above his head. Cerberus bit the man’s leg to help Mahiru.

A gunshot rang out between and the sound made Mahiru wince. He thought that the gun had gone off during the struggle. Mahiru wasn’t hurt but the intruder called out in pain. The man let go of the gun and it flew across the room. He realized that the gunshot was from Kuro who shot the man’s hand. “Cerberus, fetch that gun!”

The dog bounded forward and picked up the gun in its mouth. Mahiru didn’t see any reason to continue fighting the man and he turned to run away. He was only able to take a few steps before he roughly gripped his shoulder. “Kuro!”

Immediately after Mahiru called his name, the grip on his shoulder disappeared. Kuro stepped between them and knocked the man unconscious with a powerful punch. He didn’t give the man another glance and focused on Mahiru. He wrapped his arm around his waist and walked him far away from the man. “What are you doing here, Mahiru? You should be in your room where it’s safe. You could’ve—”

Kuro stopped when Mahiru gripped his shirt. He thought he wanted to tell him something and he looked down at him. His face was pale and his body was trembling slightly. He had never been in such a dangerous situation and his heart was racing. The adrenaline he had caused him to shake even though he knew he was safe now.

Gently, Kuro gathered Mahiru in his arms and held him against his chest. He rubbed his back where he could feel how tense he was through his clothes. “You’re safe, Mahiru. I’m sorry I yelled at you for leaving your room but I was so scared something would happen to you. But that man can’t hurt you. You stopped him and saved Mel.”

“When he touched me,” Mahiru spoke in a quiet but broken voice. “I was in that alley where they kidnapped me.”

“Mahiru…” He whispered his name because he didn’t know what else he could say to comfort him. “I’m sorry.”

Mahiru laid in his bed later that night. Even though he was tired, his mind felt restless and he couldn’t fall asleep. A deep sigh escaped him as he rolled onto his back to stare at the tall ceiling. Cerberus laid at his feet and its soft snoring filled the room. He wished that he could sleep soundly as well but the events of the afternoon replayed itself in his mind. He didn’t regret going after Kuro to help him but being grabbed by the man brought back a terrible memory.

The bed shifted beneath him but Cerberus hadn’t moved. Mahiru wasn’t scared by the sudden change since his other pets hadn’t reacted to the new presence. He opened his eyes and his vision was filled with Kuro’s concerned expression. “Sorry. Did I wake you? I was worried that you couldn’t sleep after everything that happened and I wanted to check on you.”

Mahiru sat up in bed and faced Kuro. “You’re safe. The person he held hostage wasn’t hurt. I should be relieved that it’s over but my hands start to shake whenever I think about it.”

“You’ve been here for a while but this mafia business isn’t your life. You’re not used to it.” He was the bravest person he knew. Yet, seeing how shaken he was now, he was reminded that Mahiru was different from him. Kuro placed his hand over his and tenderly ran his thumb over his fingers. The light touch comforted Mahiru and his hand stopped shaking. “Mahiru, are you afraid of heights?”

“No.” Mahiru answered. He was slightly confused by the question and he tilted his head in confusion. Kuro stood from the bed and held out his hand to him. He didn’t know what he had planned but he trusted him so he placed his fingers on his palm. He drew a small circle over his skin and asked, “Are you going to take me somewhere?”

“My favourite place in the mafia building. It’s on the roof so I want to make sure you don’t get more scared today. The fresh air might help you after everything that happened.” Kuro explained. They returned to his room once the intruders were in custody so they couldn’t go on their usual walk. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around Mahiru’s shoulder. “It’s cold.”

“Thank you, Kuro.” He smiled and slipped his arms through the sleeves. They walked to the door and Kuro carefully peered outside to see if there was anyone in the hall. He worried that someone would see them and report to Touma that they sneaked out. He didn’t want him to assign someone else to watch Mahiru since he broke the rules.

Kuro held Mahiru’s hand as they made their way down the hall where the stairway was. He considered taking him to the roof using the hidden passageway but he thought it would make Mahiru uncomfortable. They climbed the stairs and Kuro kept his pace slow so Mahiru could keep up with him. The mafia’s headquarters was tall and they needed to ascend several floors to reach the roof.

He didn’t feel tired from walking up so many steps because he could feel Mahiru’s giddy excitement. His smile was contagious and Kuro hoped he would like the view. He opened the door and his heart dropped when he saw that there was already someone smoking on the roof. They stood a distance from them and the night was dark so he didn’t recognize the person immediately. He turned around to pull the hood of his jacket over Mahiru’s head to hide him from the person’s view.

“What are you doing here, Kuro? You’re never up this late. The person next to you must be Mahiru. Are you two trying to escape?” Touma turned around when he heard the door open. He put out his cigarette before he walked to them. “There isn’t a way to escape through the roof and you two must be intelligent enough to know that. I’ll assume you’re here for something else. Don’t stay up too late. I will be busy with a report on my mission but I will know if you spent all night up here.”

“We weren’t able to walk Cerberus today so I thought we could take our hour of freedom now.” Mahiru said but he knew the excuse was useless when they didn’t have the dog with them. He was surprised to see Touma chuckle and then pat his head.

“You don’t need to explain anything to me. I heard about the intruders and how you helped stop them, Mahiru. Spend as much as you need here and watch the stars with Hades, Persephone.” Touma said and he left the roof. He closed the door before Mahiru could respond to him. Others would tease him for being so close with Kuro but it was beginning to fluster him.

Mahiru blushed and he pulled the fur lining of his hood over his cheeks to hide it. He glanced to Kuro in the corner of his eyes and hoped that he thought the blush was only caused by the cold. “He’s gone so we have the roof to ourselves, Kuro. You said that you wanted to show me your secret spot.”

“It’s the view above us.” He said and then he guided him to a bench nearby and they sat down. Mahiru tilted his head back to stare at the stars and the portrait made of a thousand stars was stunning. He lifted his hand and traced a constellation in the sky. While his attention was on the sky, Kuro was staring at him and the wonder in his expression.

“Thank you for taking me out here to stargaze, Kuro. Something so simple can be beautiful. I can’t remember the last time I stopped and looked at the stars.” Mahiru leaned his head against Kuro’s shoulder and breathed in the crisp air. With the sky above them and the night so quiet, he could almost believe that they were anywhere but in the mafia’s headquarters.

“How do you feel about everything? You don’t have to tell me if you’re uncomfortable but it might help you to talk about it.” Kuro wasn’t able to find the right words to comfort him but he thought taking him to the roof would make him smile again. In the past, he would help him but a part of him would try to keep his distance from Mahiru. He didn’t know when his happiness became so important to him.

“Can we talk about that later?” Mahiru took Kuro’s hand and laced their fingers together. “For now, I want to watch the stars with you.”

Kuro nodded and changed the topic. “What’s your favourite constellation? I learned a lot about the Greek myths behind constellations from my time here so I can tell you about it.”

[atomic-taco-muffin]

The Lost Princess Chapter 44

Warnings: same as the other chapters 

Rating: SFW

Sora piloted the Gummi Ship through the Phantom Storm to a dark underworld, were above in the Olympus Coliseum, Hercules had just defeated the Rock Titan.

“Huh?” Sora asked. 

“Are ya sure this is the coliseum?” Goofy asked. 

“It's that way!” Donald said as he pointed to a set of stairs leading upward.

“Oh... Guess we were a little off,” Sora said. They heard a scream and saw a woman running from a bunch of Rabid Dog Heartless. The woman fell and the Heartless were upon her.

“Heartless!” Sora said. Sora and the others ran over, scaring the Heartless away. Sora offered to help her up.

“Thanks, but...I'm fine,” she said as she stood up.

“And you're supposed to be?” She asked.

“I'm Sora, he's Donald, and that's Goofy. We came to see how Hercules is doing,” Sora said. The woman looked at each of them in turn.

“You know Wonderboy?” she asked.

“Yeah, 'cause we're heroes, too!” Donald said.

“Ya mean, junior heroes, Donald,” Goofy said.

“Looks like we have a friend in common. Name's Megara. My friends call me Meg.”

“So how's Herc?” Sora asked.

“Wonderboy? Well, he's duking it out at the Coliseum every day. You know, ‘a hero's work is never done’ and all that. He's ready to drop, but he keeps on fighting. Even Wonderboy has his limits, though. These opponents are bad news---special deliveries from Hades himself...” Meg said.

“Hades!?” Donald asked. 

“Right. Lord of the Underworld. I was on my way to see him. Maybe I can get Hades to give Wonderboy a breather. If anything happens to that kid...”

“Gawrsh... Sounds like you're more than just friends!” Goofy said.

“Oh...uh, I mean...”

“We'll go have a little talk with Hades. I'd hate for anything to happen to you on your way to see him,” Sora said.

“You really want to do that? Well, it looks like you know what you're doing. I guess I'll take you up on that offer. But...let's keep this whole chat-with-Hades thing our little secret, okay?”

“Our lips are sealed!” Sora, Donald, and Goofy entered the Cave of the Dead. They saw a cloaked man running through the cave.

“The Organization!” Donald said.

“Yeah. Maybe he knows where (Y/N) is,” Sora said. They continued through the passage into the Inner Chamber to find the cloaked man still running.

“Run! Run away!” he said (he’s too precious for this world!). He eventually faded away.

“Okay...?” Sora asked. Meanwhile, Hades was speaking with Pete in Hades's Chamber.

“Where do they dig these freaks up? Geez, Louise,” Hades said.

“Oh, they're nuttin' but trouble, the whole lot of 'em. So, uh...what're you gonna do about Hercules? He's made mince meat outta every fighter you sent at him. Pretty soon the Underworld's gonna be standing room only. Say, why don't you just pick somebody already dead and save him the trouble?” Pete said. Hades got annoyed at Pete and slammed his fists on the edges of his chair. Pete covered his head, while Pain and Panic hid behind him. Hades thought for a second.

“Dead... Dead is good! And I know just the warrior,” Hades said.

~~~~ 

Sora, Donald, and Goofy entered the Valley of the Dead. Donald shivered in fear.

“I'm scared too, Donald,” Goofy said.

“Hades, come out!” Sora said. They walked across the bridge and up the stairs. Pete, Hades, Pain, and Panic were looking into Hades's giant swirling vortex

“By the by, uh... What's down there?” Pete asked.

“Just the Underworld's deepest dungeon. This time I'm bringing out the mother of all bad guys,” Hades said. Pete started to back away from Hades. Pain and Panic had already hidden behind a stone pillar.

“You don't say. Well... Maybe I should go,” Pete said. Hades formed a ball of fire in each hand and tossed them into the abyss. There was a large explosion, causing a pillar of smoke to rise out of the hole. Lightning coursed through the red smoke as a figure emerged. Hades started to laugh.

“Let's cut to the chase. Here's the deal I'm gonna offer you. I let you out of the slammer---no strings---you'll be free as a bird,” Hades said. Auron listened as he looked over to Pete, who was against the wall near Pain and Panic. Pete, still afraid and not knowing what else to do, simply waved at Auron.

“And all for one little job. Fight Hercules, in the Coliseum...to the death!” Hades said. 

“This is my story. And you're not part of it,” Auron said as he raised his sword.

“Did you forget who you're talking to? I am the Lord of the Dead!”

“No wonder no one wants to die.” (oooohhhh! burn!)

“You are FIRED!” Hades turned red in a blaze and charged toward Auron, who blocked with his sword. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran in.

“Hades!” Goofy said. Hades got distracted and his fire turned blue again.

“You again?” he asked. Suddenly, Auron knocked him back.

“Fight!” he said. Auron struck Hades, who stopped the sword with his hand and threw Auron back. Hades punched Auron to the ground. He conjured two fireballs aiming at the fallen Auron. Sora ran between them and they dissipated.

“Get up!” he said. The trio tried to fight Hades.

“Something's wrong!” Donald said. 

“I feel kinda funny...” Sora said. 

“That's right! See, that's the thing. In the Underworld, heroes are zeroes---comes with the territory,” Hades said. The two fireballs appeared again and Hades charged the group. Auron sliced down with his sword, but Hades teleported in a puff of smoke.

“Go now!” Auron said. 

“But I've gotta talk to Hades!” Sora said.

“What was that?” Hades asked, having his fingers in his ears. Sora tried to charge, but Auron stopped him. Hades made fireballs again as Donald and Goofy ran out of the room.

“We can't fight him here! We have to go---now!” Auron said. He pulled Sora, who didn’t budge. Auron left Sora, who eventually ran as Hades threw the fireballs at them. They left the chamber and ran down the stairs. Sora and Goofy closed the gates and tried to catch their breath.

“Is he gone?” Donald asked. 

“Don't count on it,” Auron said.

“Huh?” Sora asked. Hades appeared on their side of the door next to Sora.

“Leaving so soon?” he asked. They hurried to the exit, evading Hades and the Heartless he conjured. When they reached the Inner Chamber of the Cave of the Dead, they caught their breath.

“You're really good. Are you some kind of hero?” Sora said. Auron shook his head.

“No, I'm no hero...I'm just an...” he said.

“Huh?” Sora asked. 

“Auron.” Sora and Goofy looked at each other.

“My name,” Auron said.

“I’m Sora.” Donald jumped onto Sora's shoulders.

“Donald,” he said. Goofy also jumped onto Sora's shoulders.

“Goofy!” he said. Sora couldn't hold them up, so they fell in a pile.

“It seems we were fated to meet. Maybe you need a guardian,” Auron said. Sora pushed Donald and Goofy off him.

“Guardian? Thanks, but no thanks,” he said. Sora started to walk to the passageway. Auron slightly chuckled. Meanwhile, Pete met with Hades.

“I got Heartless all over the Underworld now. So you can leave those pipsqueaks to me. Look, pal, you just keep working on turning Hercules into a Heartless. Then he'll be all mine,” Pete said. Hades stopped and turned around angrily, turning red.

“This is my underworld, you idiot!” he said. Pete jumped back in fear.

“I'll handle this MYSELF!” Hades said. Hades slightly cooled down and snapped his fingers. Hades's giant three-headed dog showed up in the window.

“Cerberus, go!” he said. The dog left in a hurry. Meanwhile, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Auron ran to the entrance of the Cave of the Dead.

“What? It's closed!” Donald said. Sora, Donald, and Goofy tried to push apart the doors.

“Come on, open!” Sora said. Donald looked up and saw a keyhole chained to the door. The Keyblade appeared in Sora's hand.

“Will that open it?” Auron asked. 

“Yeah. I think so,” Sora said. Sora started to point the Keyblade at the lock when they heard a roar and looked behind them.

“Hurry!” Auron said as he readied his sword. Cerberus jumped into the entranceway. Sora unlocked the door and the keyhole and chains vanished. Donald and Goofy opened the doors as Cerberus ran up to them. Auron stopped them by shoving his sword between one of the dog's teeth. He held them there, pulling the sword out and knocking them away. Sora ran to the door, but turned around and saw Auron fighting alone.

“Uh...” Donald said. Sora ran back into the fray.

“Sora wait!” Donald said. The dogs roared and Sora and Auron fought them. Cerberus, nearly beaten, struggled to stand.

“Come on!” Donald said. Sora and Auron ran through the gates, which started to close. Sora, Donald, and Goofy made faces at Cerberus, as it ran to the closing doors. Meanwhile, Meg spoke to Hercules in the Coliseum Foyer.

“Come on, Wonderboy, play hooky for a day. For old time's sake?” Meg said.

“They came to see me. They came to see a hero. I can't let them down,” Herc said. Meg sighed, seeing his tired condition.

“Don't worry, Meg. I'll be fine. What does a hero need rest for, huh?” Herc said. He flexed his biceps and waved goodbye to Meg.

“See ya!” he said. He left into the Coliseum to cheering crowds.

“Sora, don't let me down,” Meg said.

~~~~ 

Sora, Donald, and Goofy stood in the Underworld Entrance.

“Whew...” Sora said. 

“Huh?” Donald asked. 

“What happened to Auron?” Goofy asked.

“He can take care of himself. Let's go find Meg. Then we can try this again,” Sora said. Donald and Goofy nodded. Meanwhile, Hades sat in his Chamber with Pete, Pain, and Panic watching anxiously.

“Let me see if I got this right... That brat's Keyblade works on any lock?” Hades said.

“That's right,” Pete said. 

“Have I ever told you about the killer coliseum we have right here in the Underworld? It makes the one upstairs look like an Olympic kiddie pool.”

“Then that's the place we're gonna put an end to Herc the Jerk's winnin' streak.” Pete pounded his fist on the table making Pain and Panic jump.

“Problem. Zeus locked it tight,” Hades said. Pete looked annoyed. Hades chuckled, and Pete understood.

“Bingo... All we gotta do is swipe that key...and then reopen the Underdrome!” Hades said.

“Hate to tell ya, but that key is kinda particular. It won't work for just anybody. And that kid ain't no pushover,” Pete said. Hades tapped a finger on the arm of his chair.

“I think this calls for a woman's touch,” he said. He snapped his fingers, and with a puff of smoke, a doll version of Meg appeared in his hand. In the Foyer, Meg felt like she's being watched. Meanwhile, Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked into the Coliseum Gates.

“Gawrsh, this sure does bring back memories!” Goofy said. They walked to the Lobby doors and saw a tired Hercules walkout.

“Sora! Donald! Goofy! When'd you get here?” Herc said. 

“Hey, Herc!” Sora said. 

“Hi!” Donald waved.

“Howdy there!” Goofy said.

“Where’s (Y/N)? I thought that she would be with you three.”

“She was kidnapped by two girls who have similar powers as her,” Sora said. 

“Oh no! That’s terrible! Well, I know that she’s strong. I bet she can handle herself.” Hercules walked down the steps closer to them. Meg appeared in the doorway.

“You on another adventure?” Herc asked. 

“Yeah, trackin' down some friends, wipin' out some Heartless,” Sora said. 

“Junior heroes, always busy!” Sora and Hercules locked hands.

“You know it!” Sora said. They entered the Coliseum Foyer.

“So, did you and (Y/N) find those friends of yours?” Herc asked.

“Still working on it. When we got here, we ran into Meg---meg-mega trouble, I mean! So we had to help somebody out. We tried to go teach Hades a thing or two...but the Underworld drains away all our strength. Don't suppose you have any ideas?” Sora said. 

“Well, there is a stone that guards against the Underworld's curse. The gods on Mount Olympus use it whenever they have to go down there.”

“Think we could use it?”

“Sure, why not! I'll go get it for you.”

“Thanks!” Donald said. 

“Real nice of you!” Goofy said. 

“But Hades is no pushover, even if you've got the Olympus Stone. And I have a match today, so I can't go with you... Know what you need? Training! Why don't you go talk to Phil?” Herc said. 

“Hey, good idea!” Sora said. They entered the Coliseum and saw Phil, who's not looking in their direction.

“Hey champ, how ya feeling? Better rest up for tomorrow's match. Nobody's gonna pay to see a worn-out hero...capiche? Remember what I told you. Victory in the games comes down to two simple words: Eat, bathe, sleep!” Phil said. Goofy was counting the words on his fingers. The three looked at each other and laughed. Phil jumped around, and realized who's laughing, and ran over to them.

“Hey, if it ain't the junior heroes!” he said.

“Lookin’ good, Phil,” Sora said. 

“Never better! How you guys been? Have you earned your ‘true hero’ wings yet?” They thought about it for a second.

“Nope, you ain’t got what it takes,” Phil said. They were surprised at this. Sora scratched his head.

“So, what’s up?” Phil asked. They told him their current situation.

“Ha ha ha! You three are gonna take on Hades?” Phil laughed. 

“What’s so funny?!” Donald asked.

“You got nerve. I like that. Hey, you never know---stranger things have happened, right? Better get cracking, boys! So you want to train, eh? All right, I’m gonna work you hard!” Sora smashed pots and collected the orbs that came out of them.

“How was THAT?” Sora asked.

“It ain’t over yet, kid! There’s more on the menu. You can relax once you’ve finished ALL the training,” Phil said.

“No problem!”

“Now get ready for the real thing. If a big one appears, don’t let it get away.” Sora smashed more pots and collected the orbs. Herc entered the Coliseum.

“Listen, I gotta take off for a bit,” Phil said.

“Where to?” Sora asked. 

“None of your business.” With that, Phil left.

“Sorry guys...The Olympus Stone has been stolen,” Herc said. 

“What?!” Sora and Donald asked. 

“By who?” Goofy asked. 

“We don’t know who did it yet. All we’re sure of it is that it was a guy in a ba black-hooded cloak. And he had accomplices---a bunch of creatures in white and two girls.” Donald looked at Goofy, who nodded.

“Someone you know?” Herc asked. 

“Yeah. Those two girls were the ones who kidnapped (Y/N). Hey, if we can get the Olympus Stone back, can we borrow it for a while?” Sora said. 

“Sure. By the way, you haven’t seen Meg around, have you?” The trio shook their heads.

“Oh, okay...” Herc sighed.

“What’s wrong, your hero-ness? Feeling under the weather?” Hades asked. He appeared and placed a hand on Herc’s shoulder. He ducked away from Hades.

“You know, I thought staying in perfect shape was part of the hero job description...you know what I’m saying?” Hades said.

“Oh, right...Hades, we gotta talk!” Sora said. Hades flicked Sora to the ground.

“I came here to share a bit of mildly-interesting news:” Hades said. Herc sneaked behind Hades for a punch.

“Seems your dear, sweet little Nutmeg...” Hades said as he telporte behind Herc. 

“...Went and got herself lost in the underworld,” he said.

“You mean you kidnapped her!” Herc exclaimed.

“Well, maybe...But why get caught up in the details?” Herc whistled and a brilliant winged horse flew over the Coliseum walls, landing next to Herc.

“Uh-uh-uh! You can’t leave now, okay?” Hades said. Herc was stopped from getting on Pegasus.

“You’ve got a very important match today, um...the bloodthirsty Hydra! I mean, if you don’t stick around, who knows what kind of ‘accidents’ might happen,” Hades said.

“Yeah, accidents you caused,” Sora said. 

“Like I said: details, who needs ‘em?”

“You're just a coward,” Herc said. Herc and Pegasus looked angry. The horse flapped its wings and shook its head.

“Ah well. Can't all be heroes,” Hades said. Hades vanished in a puff of smoke.

~Le Timeskip b/c I Wanna See Ma Boi Demyx~

After fighting a few Heartless, the trio entered The Lost Road. Sora worked out the kink in his shoulder.

“Man... This Underworld curse is really getting to me,” he said. 

“We've got to get that Olympus Stone back fast!” Goofy said. They continued into the Atrium, where the found the hooded man, who turned around to face them.

“Huh? Ah! You!” he said and took off his hood.

“Wait a sec... Roxas?” he asked.

“Excuse me?” Sora asked. 

“Wow, you really are that stupid,” someone said. 

“Hey! You can’t talk about your Uncle Demyx that way!” Suddenly, Roxy appeared next to Demyx.

“Actually, I can,” she said. 

“Roxy! Where’s (Y/N)?!” Sora said. 

“I ain’t telling you that. It’ll ruin the fun.” 

“Huh? What’s going on? What are you talking about?” Demyx pulled out a note and began to read it.

“Let's see, here... ‘If the subject fails to respond, use aggression to liberate his true disposition’... Right. Did they ever pick the wrong guy for this one...” he said. 

“For the love of...you actually have a note? This is why you have me to take care of things,” Roxy said. 

“You're bizarre...” Sora said. 

“Who the hell are you calling bizarre?!” Roxy shrieked. Demyx took out the Olympus Stone from his pocket.

“He's gotta be the thief!” Goofy said. 

“Now that's just plain rude!” Demyx said. He held the stone up and glowed with light. He took out his sitar and began playing it.

“I’m leaving this up to you. Don’t mess it up,” Roxy said and disappeared. 

“Dance, water! Dance!” Demyx said. He conjured water creatures and Sora defeated them all.

“Not bad, Roxas!” Demyx said. He held his shoulder in pain. 

“Roxas, come back to us!” he said and vanished. 

“Guy's a broken record,” Sora said. 

“Hey, look!” Donald said. He picked up the Olympus Stone that Demyx had dropped. He gave it to Sora, who held it up. They glowed with light and felt their power return.

~Another Time Skip b/c I’m Lazy~

“Oh, well, take care you guys! Stay a little longer next time. We got some serious training to catch up on,” Phil said.

“Well, time to go. Oh, I almost forgot. The Olympus Stone,” Sora said. He took out the stone and Hercules weakly stood up. Before Hercules touched the stone, it glowed brightly. Sora opens another gateway. After saying goodbye, they boarded the GummiShip and headed to the next world.

~~~~

“Wait, so let me get this straight. You’re trying to stop your dad from forming Kingdom Hearts?” you said. 

“That’s exactly what we said, dumbass,” Roxy said.  

“Roxy!” Yui scolded. Roxy groaned and slouched. 

“But...what do I have to do with any of this?” you asked. 

“You’re here to teach us the true meaning of a Spirit, are you not?” Yui said. 

“I am.” 

“Then, you have the power to stop our father.” 

“Shouldn’t you be able to do that?” 

“No. Only you can do it. Afterall, you are Xehanort’s daughter.”

“Huh? How did you know that?”

“Our dad is his nobody,” Roxy said. 

“And you want me to convince him not to summon Kingdom Hearts and work for my father.” 

“Now you’re getting it! You were right, Yui. She ain’t that dumb.”

“But the thing is, he’s not my real dad.”

“Huh?” the twins asked. 

“Back at Castle Oblivion, my brother, Vanitas, showed me who my real parents were,” you said as you took out your dagger. 

“If only I knew how my mother died,” you said. 

“We know how ours died,” Yui said. 

“How did she die? I-if you don’t mind me asking.” 

“No, no. It’s fine. We’ll tell you. When we were little, our mom took us to a park.” 

“We had a lot of fun there. Soon it was time to head back,” Roxy said.

“As we were approaching the castle, a Heartless showed up and killed our mother.” 

“That’s horrible!” you said. 

“It was. Our dad hasn’t been the same since,” Roxy said. You looked down for a minute but then looked at the twins with a serious face.

“Tell me what I have to do,” you said. The twins smiled and stood up. 

“Then let’s get started,” Yui said.

To be continued...

[antihero-writings]

Before It Kills You Too (Ch2 Snippet)

Fandom: Lore Olympus 

Chapter Summary: When Hera gets into a car accident after a fight, Zeus has a moment to ruminate on their relationship. 

Written using the song “Wait” by Maroon 5 as a prompt. 

Character Focus: Zeus

Please note!! 

1. This is only a snippet of chapter 2, and not the full thing. I usually don’t post this way, but a) lots of people have been asking for chapter 2 lately--(which, thank you SO much for the support, by the way!! The fact that you want to read more really does mean the world to me!!)--and b) this is one of the hardest fics I’ve ever had to write, so I don’t know when I’ll finish, so I wanted to give you something, at least.

Do let me know if you’d like me to keep using this posting-snippets format, or you’d rather I just wait to post the full thing, however far in the future that may be!!

2. While this should be as close to the final version as it can be, anything in this snippet is subject to change when the full chapter comes out. (And, hey, to that end, if there’s anything you think needs to be edited here, you may kindly let me know! I’d appreciate if you said things you liked too though.)

I'd REALLY appreciate it if you could leave a comment and/or reblog!!! I'm not kidding when I say that makes my week!!

Tagging some folks who said they were interested! @jayyy007 @autumnmoon21 @sunsetsofanemoia

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Chapter 2 Snippet: 

Hera was standing in the crowded meadow, surrounded by her friends, laughing that girly little giggle full of sunshine that just about made Zeus’ heart ooze in a puddle out of his chest.

Her blue dress made her eyes look like two shimmering sapphires.

“Have I seen her in a dress that color?” Zeus inquired excitedly from behind the bushes.

“How can we know what you’ve seen?” Aidoneus muttered. “With you creeping around, you might have seen her naked for all we know.”

Zeus punched him in the arm, (lightly).

“I don’t think she’s worn a dress that color!” Posiedon bubbled.

“Thank you, Posiedon. At least someone can answer a question.”

“I think she looks like the sea on summer day.” He put his hands on his face, them sliding slowly.

Zeus eyed him. “Alright, keep it in your toga, Little Green Man.”

“Should we really be here?” Aidoneus muttered. “We weren’t invited.”

“Oh come on,” Zeus stood up, putting his hands on his hips. “Who wouldn’t want to see the King of the gods here?”

Poseidon grinned and stood up behind his brother. “No one!”

“Hestia, Demeter… assorted sane people.” Hades muttered as he stood to follow.

“If that’s sanity I’m glad I’m insane.” Zeus trilled as he strutted up to the entrance.

A cute pink nymph—(rather well endowed in the chestal region—not that he noticed!)—greeted them at the archway.

“Oh! Zeus!” She flushed and bowed. “It’s an honor. Welcome!”

“Why it’s an honor to meet you, my lady.” He kissed her hand, and she giggled. “See?” he turned to his brothers. “They’re delighted to have us.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling.” Hades muttered.

Hera was closer now; she smelled like summer, and she looked like it too. Poseidon was right about the ocean thing; she practically shimmered as she spoke with her friends.

“I’m gonna go talk to her.”

“Wait—!” Hades was soon swallowed by the crowd.

Zeus scooched behind her at lightning speed. One by one her friends began to take notice, their eyes widening.

Hera took a step back and would have tripped in surprise if he hadn’t caught her.

“Careful there, you might fall, Birthday Girl.”

“Oh, Zeus!” She looked up at him, the back of her head hitting his chest, “hi!”

That golden smile.

“I made you something!” As she spun to face him, he produced a little carving of a bird from his pocket. (And, no, he didn’t make it).

“Oh!” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, gently taking it from him, “It’s beautiful!”

All his responsibilities and stresses melted away with the sight of that smile, and he forgot there was anyone else at the party…in the world.

(…He wished he saw that smile anymore.)

Zeus’ chair was spinning empty at his desk before his assistant could say another word—

And Olympus wept, distant peals of thunder rending the sky into pieces.

Lightning crackled and cackled through his hair, creating violet tracks through the air, as Zeus sped through the sky.

It was freezing, and people were staring, but he didn’t care.

All that mattered was getting to his wife.

“My you look stunning.” Zeus sidled up behind his wife, running his fingers gently along her arm. “Is that a new dress?”

“New as that girlfriend of yours.” Hera grunted.

His eyes widened with shock, his voice with an indignant undertone to it. “Is something wrong?”

She paused a moment. He could see words fluttering behind her lips—(like they did so often, too often)—the words Yes you did something wrong, how can you not know?

He knew she wouldn’t believe him when he said he didn’t mean to hurt her.

“You weren’t invited,” she said softly.

“Not invited? Me?” He put his hand to his chest, like the thought of him ever not being welcome to somewhere was absurd. “To what?”

“The party, you nitwit!” She whirled around, her hair nearly whipping him in the face. “You just came barging in like you owned the place!”

“Well…to be fair—”

He stopped short at the look in her eyes, like two blue-hot flames.

He knew it was taking her a great amount of effort not to slap him.

“Do you know how long I’d been preparing for that?! How long it took me to get everything just right? I told you, but you never even listened, did you? And then you just barged right in!”

“Why are you so upset? What’s so important about a party?!”

“They were my friends.” Her gaze softened, and her tone became more serious. “They were—” Until she cut herself off, and her expression hardened as she whirled around, her hair billowing behind her.

“Bunny, wait!” His tone was softer too.

He wished she’d just turn around. That he could say sorry.

Was it really so hard? He should have started there.

Had he ever apologized for that?

He was always doing that; barging in where he wasn’t welcome. The world was his, yes but…he had to concede there were some parts of it he ought not just barge in on.

When he burst into the hospital, however, they wouldn’t dare tell him he wasn’t invited, wouldn’t dare tell him he couldn’t see her.

“Where. is my. wife?” Lightning slammed into a lamppost just outside the front door, shattering its glass box, and making the light spark, the rain pounding at the window like rabid dogs.

The desk clerk looked like she was about to pee out of sheer fear.

“Sh-sh-she’s not out of surgery yet, your majesty.”