#logically hera as the goddess of marriage would respect my respecting of her marriage

[comicaurora]

Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite appear before you and demand you decide who the golden apple goes to. What do?

[honouredsatoru]

Ancient Greek deities x Jujutsu Kaisen

Note : Characters whose names are highlighted in BOLD contained slight spoilers/references from the manga, nothing (somehow) big but something trivial relating to them.

Extra note : This is based on my perspective, how I see JJK characters and Ancient Greek deities. So it might not suit your own perspective but all is well, all is fun. Enjoy!

Characters : Gojo, Sukuna, Nanami, Geto, Yuuji, Nobara, Megumi, Inumaki, Maki, Mai, Utahime, Yuta, Mei Mei, Mahito, Toji, Shoko.

♡ Gojo Satoru

Zeus. God of Thunder, Weather and Lightning. Major fuckboy energy. End of discussion jk jk. Immensely strong, determined to get what they want, powerful, but also impulsive. Thinks a lot but doesn't think at the same time. You'd have to sell your soul to defeat them.

♡ Fushiguro Megumi

Tartarus. Primordial greek God. Basically the OG Hades. As a place, Tartarus locks up the most iniquitous souls to ever walk on earth, it is underneath Hade's own underworld. Dark, considerate, won't hesitate to annihilate what is seen as bad. (Megumi's domain expansion, the Chimera Shadow Garden, while incomplete, it is still powerful enough to get rid of a special grade cursed spirit that was holding onto one of Sukuna's fingers... lmao only for Sukuna to appear on Yuuji's cheek and swallowed it)

♡ Itadori Yuuji

Heracles. The demigod of ancient Greek mythology, son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Protector of mankind. The definition of perseverance, had full of potential, can be rash due to the newfound power, but someone you can count on. (I say he's Heracles because Yuuji's mom was possessed by a sorcerer who is currently possessing Geto, which in conclusion explains his superhuman strength, even before joining Jujutsu High. And also because of Yuuji's drive to protect and save people around him.)

♡ Nobara Kugisaki

Athena. Goddess of war and wisdom. She's sacrificial, helpful, but quick to feel annoyed, angry. Artemis helped bring success to heroes Perseus, Heracles, Bellerophon, and Jason. She really hates it when things are done halfway.

♡ Ryōmen Sukuna

Ares. God of war. They lack empathy, they don't show sympathy unless you earned their respect but even then, it is hard to achieve. They won't show you any mercy if you betray or go against their wishes. An epitome of violence, bloodshed and war. No good shall come your way once you're in Ares' path.

♡ Nanami Kento

Hades. God of Death. Chill as fuck, they mostly don't show any emotions when it comes to their expressions but they have so many deep and intriguing thoughts. Ruthless when they need to be.

♡ Ieiri Shoko

Persephone. Goddess of the Underworld and Spring Growth. Caring, but sarcastic. A symbol of rejuvenation, growth and healing. (Shoko just screams Persephone to me due to her reversed healing cursed technique, which in the JJK universe, only a few managed to master this particular technique.)

♡ Inumaki Toge

Apollo. God of youth, music and healing. Seen as the "soft" twin of Artemis but the ace of the cards if you will. Feared and adored for the right reasons.

♡ Zen'in Maki

Artemis. Goddess of hunting and childbirth. Oh, strong headed, but extremely caring to the ones they love. They would be considerate but only if it doesn't waste their time. Also the brains and logic of the group.

♡ Utahime Iori

Aphrodite. Goddess of love and beauty. They don't take no shit from nobody. Excellent at bargaining. Their wits and personality are unbeatable. They can be a little bit feisty, so be careful.

♡ Zen'in Mai

Hestia. Goddess of family, home, and hearth. Get jealous easily but it is because they hate sharing and despise the idea of being made fun of. Full of love and devotion. Sometimes wrong person, right time *coughs* zen'in clan *coughs*

♡ Geto Suguru

Dionysus. God of wine, madness and religious ecstasy. A free spirit, I'll tell you that. But I'd say dig your grave if you're ready to anger them. (I see Geto as Dionysus because of how he slowly went mad after he lost Haibara and Riko.)

♡ Fushiguro Toji

Hermes. God of Dreams. God of Speed and wits. Cunning, mischievous, dangerous, a messenger to other Gods of ancient Greek, as well as messenger to humanity. A deity to not be messed with.

♡ Okkotsu Yuta

Poseidon. God of the Seas. Extremely powerful, dedicated but their rage can cause devastating consequences especially if they are angered or feeling loss. (In reference to Yuta's grief and disbelief cursing Rika into becoming one of the strongest curses out there, after witnessing Rika getting killed in front of him.)

♡ Mei Mei

Hera. Goddess of marriage. People called them crazy but it's not their fault, they were left to deal with people's stupidity, that ain't fair. Smart, cunning, manipulative. Better watch your back.

♡ Mahito

Hephaestus. God of crafts, curious little thing. Clever. (In ancient greek history, Hephaestus was cast away by his own mother, Hera, for not being as handsome or good-looking as the other gods. This reminds me of how Mahito looked like is a curse due to Mahito a manifestation of human's negative emotions.)

© 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙪

tags : @mahitochan @tojisveryown

[valcalico]

Athena and Ares

(Just my thoughts on them and their relationship)

I have a lot of feelings about these two. They have a very complex dynamic, where they don’t really like each other, but they can’t work without each other either.

Athena provides rationality to the cruelty of war. She is the strategy and logic behind it. The objective. One might say she represents the generals, and the politicians and the main heroes. Basically the big players.

And Ares? He’s the opposite. He represents the emotion associated with war. He is the bloodlust and the desperate fight. Where the battle is thickest, where there is no room for thought, and when its pure survival instinct that drives you, that’s Ares. He represents the worst parts: the blood and the violence and the cruelty. He is accompanied by fear and terror (Phobos and Deimos). One might say he is the god of soldiers.

So they need each other. If they actually worked together, they’d be one of the dangerous forces ever, even in god circles. But they don’t. Not only because of how differently they view the world, but also because of deeper nuances in their relationship.

Athena is beloved. She is Zeus’ favourite child and his right hand goddess. The people love her. She is the patron of one of the most powerful, influential cities, Athens. She is highly respected everywhere else too. A protector of heroes and a friend to humanity.

Ares, on the other hand, is disliked by many. Zeus says he is “the most hateful of all gods” and says he would have thrown him into Tartarus if he wasn’t his and Hera’s son. (Its in the Iliad) (This part always makes me sad poor ares) He is highly respected in Thrace and Sparta. But Athens dislikes him and worships him out of necessity only.

Even in modern times, Athena is considered a feminist icon and badass lady, while Ares is labelled a brute.

Most people know this. So why did I just type out all that? Cause context is important when delving into the myths.

So first of all, let’s debunk that last point I made. In the ancient myths (and I’ll try not to include romans esp. Ovid), it didn’t work that way at all. Of course it’s important to keep in mind that ancient Greece was very misogynistic. But still, Athena was not feminist at all. Her being a “masculine” woman (mostly) was what made her so acceptable to Athens and she was regularly used to shut down other women. Also:

(The actual translation of this scene was circulated a while back. So you’re probably familiar with this. Also I’m not saying this to offend any worshippers of Athena or anyone who admires her. There are a lot of bad things in greek mythology and Athena’s internal and external misogyny is probably the least of my concerns. Plus if the greek gods did exist, i believe they change with the society, so they will no longer be Like That in the present day.)

Ares, on the other hand, was incredibly feminist, especially for that time. He surrounded himself with women he loved and respected. (Aphrodite, Eris, Enyo, etc). His lovers were often famously women who challenged the status quo (Otrera, Cyrene). He was regularly show to be a good father to all his daughters, immortal and mortal. (Harmonia, Hippolyta, Penthesilia, Alkippe). Also:

If that isn’t the coolest thing EVER-

Anyway, I won’t delve deep into that (well, any more than I’ve already rambled about it).

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, we can get to the hypotheticals.

I headcanon that despite ALL the evidence to the contrary, they maybe don’t despise each other completely. I see them having more of a love-hate relationship.

The thing is, gods are very contrary creatures. Zeus and Hera’s fights shake the world one moment, and in the next, they are as loving as any. Apollo is smiling and singing in one moment and skinning a satyr alive in the next. This complexity should be given this relationship too.

Like I said above, they need each other. Both general and soldier are equally important in war. And I don’t think you can completely truly need someone and hate their existence at the same time. (There are exceptions)

This scene in the Iliad really got me thinking:

If you take the scene at face value, this is probably not something to think too much about. Its Athena going to Ares, insulting him a bit, and taking him away from the war.

But its more than that. First off, Athena goes upto Ares and can calmly convince him to listen to her. Second, look how she frames the question. She says “shall we” which i think is pretty important. Athena doesn’t need to worry about Zeus’ anger or his rules, as she shows later on in the Iliad, and before, during the Rebellion. Both Athena and Ares knows this well. So why does she also need to withdraw? She can make the point without adding herself to the equation. She can also fairly easily run him off the battlefield like she does later. But she doesn’t. And there isnt any hostility from Ares.

Instead, they go together, away from the battlefield and...sit down near a river bank? Basically relax as much as they can? That doesn’t sound like a hateful relationship.

There is also the fact that Ares was going to join sides with the greeks (aka on Athena and Hera’s side) until Aphrodite convinced him to join her instead.

Its clear from this that Ares doesn’t really have much of a stake in this fight. He doesn’t care much about the greater objectives of the war. The only thing that can convince him to take a side is the people one the sides. He fights for the people he cares about, not for any greater good. He easily changes his loyalty because of his love for Aphrodite. He frequently gets into fights to save his children. He goes against Diomedes partly because of how he wounded Aphrodite. All of this means that he cares for Athena too. (And for Hera ofc). Maybe he doesn’t care for her as much as he cares for Aphrodite, but its not really fair to expect him to.

I like to think they genuinely do care for each other a great deal, they just kinda suck at showing it. Maybe that changes as time passes. I can see Athena being quietly protective of Ares (maybe she makes up an excuse to send him away during the Rebellion because she knows he will be in danger otherwise). I definitely think she felt a little guilt (guilt, not regret) at stabbing Ares, seeing as it wasn’t really fair. Ares didn’t know she was there.

I also think that Ares, who spends a lot of time with awesome women and is very fierce in standing up for them if the need arises, will be the one who calls her out a lot of the time on her misogyny or hypocrisy. Athena also has a habit of suppressing any “vulnerable” emotion. She likes to keep all her guilt, sadness, fear, hurt, and regret all locked up tight. I feel like Ares is one of the few people she lets a few of those emotions out around, even if she still tries not to. And in the lighter moments, in private, maybe they joke around a bit and laugh, too.

Okay, now for the heavier bit. While i do think they care for each other, there is also a lot of resentment there. A lot of it, unfortunately, comes from how they are treated by their peers and elders. They like different people, they are liked by different people and they are liked to different degrees. Let’s talk about 3 of the main players.

1) Zeus. Does this surprise you?

I do think Zeus loves all his kids. He doesn’t like some of them, but he does love all of them. And he isn’t as bad of a father as everyone thinks. People have discussed that better so I’ll not rant about it here.

All that aside, he definitely has favourites. Athena is his favourite child (Apollo, I think, being his second). And this favouritism is SUPER OBVIOUS. Its like none of the rules apply to Athena, which is weird considering Zeus isn’t forgiving of those who defy his authority (did someone say Prometheus?)

Ares, on the other hand, is on the other side of the spectrum. The one Zeus dislikes the most.

We can see how this affects them in several instances. The most notable is probably in the Iliad, after Athena deceitfully stabs Ares and forces him to flee to Olympus, injured.

Ares calls Zeus out on his favouritism. He says that gods weren’t allowed to fight each other and if it were anyone else, they would have been punished. He says Zeus always does this, always lets Athena get away with everything, and that he needs to start getting his daughter under control.

Zeus doesnt like this too much and basically tells Ares to stop whining and that he isn’t much better when it comes to destruction. He says Ares is the most hateful of all gods and loves bloodshed. He says he would have gotten rid of him if he weren’t his son, but seeing as he was, Zeus cannot bear to see Ares in pain. He then gets Ares healed.

I can definitely see how this kind of blatant favouritism from someone who should be better to Ares would affect him. Ares is the firstborn son of Zeus and Hera. He should be getting a lot of respect, as per ancient standards but instead, he is overtaken by his virgin half sister from Zeus’ previous marriage, and many bastard half siblings.

Athena being able to break rules left and right, and Ares having to be nervous about even toeing the line will cause distance between them.

This in addition to his position as a god of civil order is a reason that i think he wouldn’t want to break any rule until he deems it absolutely necessary, like if someone he cared about were in danger.

I can totally see a situation where both of them try to help a hero but Zeus orders them not to. Athena then wants to break the rules, but Ares is very hesitant about doing so. Athena convinces him, either by taunting or by calmly urging him, to go along with it. They get caught but only Ares gets punished. Ares can then truly show Athena the difference between her and everyone else.

Remember when i headcanoned earlier that Athena sends Ares away during the Rebellion? That ties into this. She knows that if they get caught, ares could get into trouble whether or not he did anything. I expect Ares will be furious about it when he returns and finds out what happened though, thinking it was just to get him out of the way, until its revealed why she did it. Then he’ll probably be super awkward.

2) Poseidon

The equal and opposite force to Zeus.

Well, maybe not equal, but quite close.

Lets start with the canon. Poseidon HATES Athena, despises her completely, and he frequently clashes with her father too. They worked together one (1) time and as a result, Athena wasnt punished while Poseidon was enslaved for years. Then there is the fight for Athens, the whole epic of the Odyssey, and so on.

Meanwhile he and Ares are actually shown to be close. Other than the Halirhothius incident, they are pretty chill. Poseidon is the one who vouched for him after the Net Thing With Hephaestus. Poseidon is also pretty cool with Aphrodite and they work together occasionally.

I think Poseidon thinks of Athena as this bratty kid of his brother, who is constantly working against him. You know that one annoying cousin you have who you try to avoid during family reunions because you KNOW you will clash? This is that, but a thousand times worse.

Meanwhile Poseidon really cares for Ares, and Ares takes fatherly affection from anywhere he can get it. Poseidon maintains a good relationship with both Aphrodite and Ares. He is closer with Aphrodite and doesnt love Ares quite as much as Zeus loves Athena, but he still cares a lot.

3) Aphrodite

It is no secret that Athena hates Aphrodite. Even when Athena warns Diomedes not to harm any god, she says Aphrodite is the exception. Athena, along with many of the other Olympians, see her as nothing but a silly, flighty, hysterical goddess.

On the other hand, Aphrodite and Ares are known for their intense love for each other, from even before her arranged marriage. They have a lot of kids together, and are shown to be close with all of them. They each have like one story of jealousy/one story where they are at odds with each other, which is pretty good for such a high-profile couple (Aphrodite curses Eos and Ares kills Adonis). They are there for each other, like in the trojan war, when Aphrodite was wounded and Ares gave her his chariot to go back to Olympus. He also changed sides very soon, just because Aphrodite asked. Athena complains about this too.

I think I wouldn’t be far off in saying that Athena is definitely resentful of how close they are, and how much sway Aphrodite has over her brother.

While Athena definitely doesn’t see eye to eye with Ares, and disagrees with his domain, she still sees him as a War God. One of her kind. And she just doesn’t see how a War God can go for someone like Aphrodite. Basically, she doesn’t think Aphrodite is, for lack of a better term, good enough for Ares, seeing as she is a Love Goddess.

Ares, on the other hand, does not want to hear anything like this. He is fiercely defensive of Aphrodite. He defends her warlike aspect (Aphrodite Areia), while everyone else tells her that she has no place in the battlefield. He sees Aphrodite as more than what people have labelled her to be. Which is why I believe (other than Eos and Adonis), they have one of the healthiest open relationships in greek mythology.

This can definitely cause animosity between Athena and Ares, because of Athena’s scorn and Ares’ temper. It can also increase the conflict between Athena and Aphrodite.

Maybe as time goes on, Athena can start seeing Aphrodite as having more depth. I certainly hope so. While they wouldn’t be best friends, I don’t see why they can’t learn to get along. This could also strengthen Athena and Ares’ bond. As long as people don’t insult her or lay their claim on her domain of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite is often very supportive. I truly think Aphrodite can help Athena overcome her misogyny, with Ares.

In conclusion, Athena and Ares have a very complex relationship. They do not simply hate each other, and neither do they have the most loving relationship. But they do care for each other. But strain can often be put on their relationship from their relationship to other people as well. Hopefully as time passes, they can overcome that, and have a healthier relationship, instead of sharing a good moment and then proceeding to fight each other for the next 500 years.

[poopycrumbs]

hi guys i love the pjo books as much as the next person but uncle rick has said and wrote some pretty harmful things and complaints done by POC are Valid™ and should be acknowledged

the same way that pro-rick fans argue that he is not perfect, therefore liable to mistakes and shouldnt be bullied or whatever, the fans who critique or call out riordan for his racism and sexism are also not perfect. if you happen to come across a comment that you consider to be "too mean" or something, pls dont dismiss it because ultimately the message that person is trying to convey is more important.

besides, as multiple and more articulate posts have pointed out before me, at the end of the day rick riordan is a Privileged White man and will not ever truly empathise with a POC's culture and experience. to all the POC fans out there, i salute you and i stand with you. i hear you.

also speaking abt uncle rick's representation i just want to call out his characterisation of some of the greek gods. it's a minor peeve of mine BUT i dunno if im going to get another chance to call rick out so uhh hear me out:

while pjo is a fantasy and loosely based on myths, i just cant help but feel that the way he wrote some of the gods/goddesses are kinda,,, not good??? i mean look at apollo. he is the Quintessential Greek God™ who is also the person who resides over rhetoric/logic, arts, music, etc. (basically almost everything important thats why he's quintessential)

im sorry uncle rick but i just cant agree with your writing that portrays him as a dumb teenager who cries about his pimples and is shit at poetry. yeah i know it's humour blah blah dont attack me for this bUT because of that i am having a hard time finding recent posts that depicts apollo as the SMART god that he is.

the pjo fandom has become such a huge platform and i just dont want the subsequent generations to finish reading the books thinking, "aaaah ok apollo is a dumbass and is lame" like nO HE IS COOL BEANS AND I LOVE HIM SO, SO MUCH.

also hera. let's talk about hera.

first of all, she is NOT that bad and i dont feel comfortable seeing ppl praise annabeth and then diss on hera immediately afterwards. like bro don't get me wrong i like annabeth i think she's cool and amazing bUT come on!!! hera is an opressed woman imho. she is the goddess of MARRIAGE and her husband CHEATS on her constantly. they are immortal remember?? it would probs get tiring to be ridiculed and disrespected so much for, like, ETERNITY. dont expect a person to still be nice and cordial when she has spent forever of her life unhappy.

you cant praise one person as an outstanding female character at the expense of another.

it's just that i see a lot of Hera Hate. im not justifying her, but idk she's not the ultimate evil that other ppl paint her to be???? riordan's books encourage u to dislike her, which is fine and all i mean it's his book. i just wish that dislike didnt translate to the actual mythologies

anyways that's it i tried my best to be respectful. pls be respectful as well when interacting with others. thanks guys, i hope that whatever direction uncle rick will take, the love you feel for the books and the fandom wont diminish!!!!

hp survived and thrived regardless of jk rowling's actions, im sure the pjo fandom will persevere in the same way <333

[llyneira]

Aidoneus and Neotera

My mother is the goddess of grain, agriculture, harvest, growth, and nourishment. I was the her daughter in all things. Hecate brought my mother the earth from Zancle in Sicily to get her with child. The earth had been pierced by the bloody spear that castrated the God of Sky. The blood of the sky mixed with the body of Earth had brought forth the Giants, the avenging Furies, and the ash-tree nymphs so Hecate and my mother had thought they could get a child by mixing the bloody earth with the waters of their wombs. I grew from the bloody earth and the water of Demeter’s womb. Hera’s husband was pleased to take credit for my birth. He had believed the lie easily; he was often too drunk to know what he’d done.

I was born of Demeter’s body but I grew with Hecate’s spirit.  Demeter saw that I was a goddess of spring and rebirth but she overlooked that I was a goddess of compost and decay. My mother Demeter loved me too much and shielded me from every sadness or disappointment. Hecate saw the duality of my nature with her fathomless eyes and taught me about the uses of roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. I loved the poisonous blooms more for the danger that was their virtue. Demeter saw my love of gardening and overlooked the deadliness of the plants I favored.

I wanted to explore more than the eternal springtime realm but Demeter held me closer the more I suffocated. I was gasping for my own time, my own space, my own life. I devised a plan and enlisted the help of Gaia to give me seeds spelled to transport me to other realms when I picked the blooms. I travelled to many realms, unbeknownst to Demeter, before I finally picked the narcissus flower.

The ground where the flower had grown trembled and opened. I took the passage that led me to the underworld.

I found a realm of mist and shadows, different from my own eternal spring. I waded across a river, stopping on the other side to twist the water out of my clothes. I found a path and followed it.

Eventually, I came to a small village centered around the largest Elm tree I had ever seen. Something translucent and white, like the cocoon of a moth, clung to the underside of every leaf. There was no breeze but still something whispered between the branches about dreams that had led mortals astray.

As I contemplated the tree veiled and hooded figures left the few houses, crossing to the center of the town square where I stood. I was confronted with the guardians of the underworld’s gate.

Grief came for me first; I’d never felt such sorrow and loss but it soon deepened into a tearless emptiness. Anxiety came for me next; every nervous worry and self-critical thought I had ever had returned to haunt me. My upbringing had left me unprepared for the onslaught.

Disease and Old Age came for me next; I was the daughter of goddesses but they brought me low all the same. My chest filled and I bent over with great, wracking coughs. I felt a sudden pain in my hip and I collapsed in pain.

Agony came for me with the pain burst through my leg; shooting up my side and spreading like fire and screaming out of my mouth. Fear came for me as I lay on the ground; I was terrified that these curses would never be lifted. Still it did not stop.

I had never gone without sustenance and libations. I had never known any hunger but this was a foul emptiness. I knew a great and terrible desperation, the sort that made me crave even the decayed meat of long dead flesh.

Sleep and Death came for me together, offering respite at a great cost. I eyed Sleep with distrust and I rejected Death altogether.

“You must go back then,” said Death.

I lay in terrible pain, fear, weak, sick to my stomach, filled with self doubt, and overcome by my deepest sorrow. I still would not surrender. My voice was hoarse from screaming and my throat thick with sickness but I found my voice.

“I am no mortal woman,” I struggled to say, “I am the daughter of Demeter, beloved of Hecate.”

My voice had deepened as I spoke, clearer with every pronouncement.

“I am Neotera,” I told them forcefully, “Goddess of black soil, root, and stem. I have more darkness in me than anyone knows. I will go wherever I desire to go.”

They left me. The tortures faded away and I stood. I was myself again but I also felt like more. The girl who had curled at her mother’s breast was not the woman who stood back up.

I passed through the gates and wandered the underworld, deeper and deeper, until I came to the place where the root of the earth grew and the bottom of the sea moved, serene and black, above me.

I found a temple, surrounded on three sides by trees with cypress trees planted in front of the columns of the temple. I entered the temple but saw no one else. I took the vibrant crown of flowers from my hair and left it as an offering.

I explored the temple and found a paved courtyard grandly overflowing with greenery. There were more trees here, boughs heavy with pomegranates and pears, apples glowing red, dark olives, and succulent figs. The large garden included an outdoor reading nook with a small library.

The reading nook was occupied by a man. He was so engrossed in the book he was curled around that he didn’t seem to notice me at first. His hair was black as pitch, skin pale like the moon, and lips stained red with juice from pomegranate seeds. The empty shell of the pomegranate lay forgotten on a jewel encrusted table. A three headed dog was splayed across the tiles in front of the cushioned seat, four feet twitching in a rhythm like running.

“You are not one of the dead,” he said, lifting his brown eyes to my stare.

“No,” I replied, softly, “I am daughter of Demeter. I am called Neotera.”

He nodded, thoughtfully.

“I am Aidoneus, lord of those among whom I dwell. Welcome to my realm, young bringer of fruit,” Aidoneus gave me a stern and unyielding stare, “You will be required to stay here if you consume any of the food that grows here. Otherwise, you are welcome to explore my realm.”

My eyes widened, “I won’t take any of your fruits, then.”

He murmured an assent and returned his attention to his book.

I returned to my realm of eternal spring. Hecate and Gaia had kept Demeter distracted, as they did, so she had not noticed my absence. I was uncomfortable with the brightness of the light once I returned. It seemed too much, too harsh.

I sweetly asked Gaia for more Narcissus seeds, my demeanor a mask of innocence because Demeter was listening. Gaia agreed and I tended my patch of eternal spring, changed by my recent travels. Demeter was as willfully blind to the changes in me as she had been when my body had changed from a child to a woman.

I returned to the underworld several times, each time waiting impatiently until the narcissus flower bloomed.

Eventually I came upon the man from the garden again. He was inside the temple, heading away from the courtyard, when I found him. He had a dark cloak around his shoulders and his face was set with grim determination.

He gave me the greeting he always gave me: “You are welcome to explore my realm. You will be required to stay if you consume any of the food that grows here.”

“I remember,” I told him.

“I must see to my duties,” he told me, “I have the judgement of souls to preside over.”

“May I accompany you?” I asked, curious, “I’m curious.”

“Of course,” he took my arm and I walked at his side.

“You have two thrones?” I asked, when I saw his court.

“I hope one day to have a wife to rule beside me,” he answered, his voice empty of inflection, “I hear the stories of many souls. I have learned from mortals that life is better when it is shared.”

“The other God-Kings don’t allow their wives to be their equals,” I made the statement a query with my tone.

“They do not and they suffer for it, though they do not seem to see the relation,” he hesitated before adding, “I have also learned from mortals that marriage can only be happy when it is between two people who respect each other.”

I stood next to the ebony throne as I watched as the procession of the newly dead came through his great hall. It seemed an unending stream. I listened to the sighs and stories of the newly dead. Their lord was an unyielding stone in the face of their tears.

“You called for an end to court but there were still more souls,” I murmured, “Why not continue to sit in judgement until there are no more souls?”

He nodded, his tone restrained and chilly, “You are said to be a daughter of Zeus but you do not take after him.”

“No,” I said shortly, “I don’t.”

“There are always more souls,” he sighed, gloomy, “One hundred thousand souls journey through my gates each day. It takes time to hear the lamentations of each one. One day, the last soul will travel to my realm. Perhaps then I will be able to catch up on my reading.”

I shook my head at the strangeness of the thought.

“Why do the shades of heroes wander among the shades of those who have achieved less?” I asked him.

He seemed surprised, “What would you do?”

“I would divide up the realm,” I huffed at him, “At the start, I would create a place for mortals lived good lives, another place for mortals who made a ruin of their lives, and one for those who did nothing of any consequence.”

“How would I determine if they’ve lived a good life?” he asked.

“I would compel them to tell the truth. Ask them what they did while they lived that caused the most harm in the mortal realm. Ask them what they did while they lived that created the most good in the mortal realm,” I thought about it, “Ask them where they think they deserve to spend the rest of their afterlife. Let them defend their position.”

“I endeavor to be a fair and just ruler,” Aidoneus said slowly, considering, “I will consider your suggestion.”

The next time I returned to his realm of cool mists and quiet shadows Aidoneus held court again. I observed him in his rulings and I found them logical and well-thought out. Most of the time, I considered this to be correct. There were some awful, cruel mortals whose souls passed through the judgement of Aidoneus without him betraying any emotion. I gritted my teeth, resolved to hold my tongue, and thought I would do it better.

A man came before us and told us when he did the most good; it was a paltry action that hadn’t affected very many. The mortal’s self-serving nature was obvious. When he began to speak of what he’d done that had caused the most harm in the world, I was shocked. How had he not been stopped? He had grown to an old age, all the while a monster inside a human skin.

“My Lady,” one of the shades implored and I was startled, “I beg mercy and forgiveness for my crimes.”

I was shocked, “You have described the harm you have done. You used the strength and power you acquired in life, not to protect life, not to preserve life, but to cause pain and suffering to those who had no power to stop you.”

“I only sought for others to feel as terrible as I felt,” he defended his heinous actions, “I never truly succeeded. If only you knew how awful it was to be me.”

“How dare you,” I was livid, “How dare you try to play on my sympathies.”

“You are a Goddess, but you are first a woman,” the shade seemed offended, “It is your duty to be kind, forgiving, and helpful. I am asking you to have mercy on me. No actions taken in one short human life could be worth enduring an eternity of punishment.”

“I have no sympathy for you, vile creature,” my fists clenched as I resisted the urge to strike him, “Your wicked deeds should earn you an eternity of retribution. Your soul should endure the same torture that you inflicted on those who were smaller or weaker than yourself.”

“As she wills it, so shall it be,” Aidoneus pronounced immediately, every inch of him solemn as the grave.

I turned to him in surprise.

“She is not the Lord here,” the shade protested, as he grappled with shadows that took solid form around him.

“You chose to address her, rather than me, to play to her emotions,” Aidoneus pronounced, his face clear and unresponsive, “You will be judged then according to her emotions. It looks as if the only emotions you inspired in her were rage and disgust. You have earned your place among the cursed shades.”

Aidoneus closed his court after the shade was dragged away. The others filed out, whispering among what had just happened. Immediately, once we were alone I turned to the shining black throne.

“I apologize, Lord Aidoneus,” I said, my words tripping over themselves, “I should not have interfered in your court.”

“I do not accept your apology,” he told me, and my heart dropped into my stomach, “You have no reason to apologize. I get tired of making every decision for every mortal soul but it is my duty to see that each one is served, eventually. I didn’t have to think about his punishment or weigh the options. It was a relief. Your help is appreciated.”

I stared at him in disbelief, “Truly?”

“Truly,” he murmured, closing his eyes, “I can never relinquish this burden completely but I am entirely willing to share it, as well as the wealth and power that accompanies the responsibility.”

“I make emotional decisions,” I warned him, and he smiled.

“I noticed,” he rubbed his beard with one hand, “I pass my judgement according to rules that I decided on soon after I began this tedious task. I wanted the process to be fair and just. I decided that all souls must be condemned or elevated according to the same standards. I have been reluctant to change the rules. You suggested segregating the souls according to their achievements in life and I added to my rules accordingly.”

“You judge everyone the same, in an effort to treat them all equally,” I considered his position carefully.

“My rules are not perfect; there are moments when I look back and think a more emotional response might have been warranted,” he shrugged.

“Emotions are not illogical,” I said, carefully, “Emotions are telling us when a need is not being met. A mortal feels thirsty when they need a drink, hungry when they need food, and pain when a bone is broken. We feel sad when our souls are wounded. We feel happy when something is feeding our souls, healing us. There is a need to balance the needs of our minds, souls, and bodies.”

He nodded, frowning, “You said that very well.”

His endorsement made me take a risk with my next words.

“You might also consider that treating every soul equally is not necessarily treating every soul fairly,” I told him, frankly.

“What would you do differently?” he asked. I could not tell if he was offended.

“Some mortals face severe disadvantages,” I told him, my passion getting the better of me, “I have learned in my travels that some mortals are born tightly boxed into certain positions in life. It would hardly be fair to look down on a person who has constantly broken the law of men if the laws of men were causing that person harm.”

“You are thinking of the boy who admitted to hitting his mother because his father threatened to kill him if he didn’t,” Aidoneus sighed, “Some of the lives that flash before me are heartbreaking.”

“He did fight back eventually,” I murmured.

“Yes,” Aidoneus nodded, “His best choice led him here.”

My gaze sharpened as my mind jumped out of memory and into the present moment.

“Lord Aidoneus,” my lips curled in a snarl, “One day that boy’s father will come before you.”

“Yes,” I thought I saw his lips twitch, just barely.

“His father has already earned an eternity of suffering,” I suggested, “Don’t you agree?”

“Perhaps the father will change his ways after his son’s murder,” Aidoneus returned.

“Some crimes are unforgivable,” I vowed.

“It is my hope that when the boy’s father comes before the throne you will be there to mete out judgement,” Aidoneus sighed, “Until then, I think I would like to retire to my garden to read. Would you care to join me?”

“Yes,” I told him, honestly, “Demeter will miss me if I stay too long. I must not stay long.”

“Time does not pass here for the shades as it does for the living,” he stroked the top of one head of his dog, “Still, I will wait for your return.”

I smiled, pleased, “I will see you again when the next Narcissus flower blooms.”

It wasn’t meant to be however. 

Demeter decided that I had grown dangerously enamored of the Narcissus flower and told me to leave it be for a while. Some part of her must have felt me growing away from her. My mother began leaving me with attendants when she pursued her own distractions.

“Minthe,” I noticed one of the nymphs carrying a clay pot, “What is that?”

“It is a gift,” Minthe told me, shoving the pot at me, “The Lord of the Underworld asked me to give this to you on his behalf.”

I stared at the budding flower. It was a narcissus. I replanted the young flower carefully, away from the prying eyes of my mothers, and waited impatiently for it to bloom.

Something was different when I picked this narcissus. Rather than the ground opening up with a small crevice for me to slip through, as it normally did, a great large crack split the air and dragons the size of horses thundered out of the fractured ground. Behind the dragons was a large, ebony chariot with Aidoneus holding the reins. A tufted leather pixane made his shoulders look very broad and his dark cloak suddenly caught the wind.

The nymphs screamed, half in delight and half in fear. I laughed but the sound was lost as Aidoneus came closer. He slowed the chariot enough to pull me aboard as the nymphs scrambled back. They ran in the direction of my mothers and we disappeared beneath the earth.

“I hope you had fun,” I told him, wiping tears of laughter from my cheeks, “Demeter is going to make you pay for it.”

He shrugged, pretending not to care.

“It was worth it, as long as you want to be here,” he told me.

I looked at him, considering.

“What if I want to stay here?” I asked.

He looked at me searchingly, “You are welcome to explore my realm. Your divine immortality prevents anyone from keeping you here, unless you eat the food.”

I bit my lip, “I don’t want to be forced to stay.”

He nodded and looked away, contemplating the ocean floor above us. I put my hand on his shoulder, the earthen color of my skin lost in the deep brown of his cloak.

“I also don’t want to be forced to leave,” I told him, earnestly.

“Your vibrant spirit helps make the endless tedium of my work easier to bear. I asked my brother for your hand in marriage,” he told me, quietly, “He agreed and now I am able to ask you.”

I was silent, with my heart thundering in my chest like a storm.

“I want you to think about your answer,” he told me, “I want a marriage where we both give to each other that which is ours to give.”

“I am a God-King. I can not be commanded, but I swear to serve my wife in the ways that she requires of a husband. I promise that my wife will be served before me at my table. I promise that my wife will be the only one with whom I share my body intimately.”

“I would choose you above all others, if you would do the same. Will you be my wife, my queen, and my equal in every honor and respect?”

“Yes.”

Nothing was ever as easy as a simple yes. We were married by Zeus, quickly. Demeter found out that we had been married and protested, vehemently. Zeus had given permission for me to marry his brother and had officiated the ceremony, but my mother had not been consulted. She threw a fit of epic proportions, even for her.

Demeter withered the crops on the vines. When harvest came the fields were barren and the soil was cold. Mortals all over the world died from cold and starvation. Disease spread as mortals began to consume rotted grains and unlucky rats. In the north, cliffs of ice slowly began to encroach on land that had once been livable. The coasts were pushed farther out as the oceans receded to feed to northern blocks of ice.

“Why hasn’t anyone stopped her?” I asked Aidoneus, now my husband.

He was calm, splayed out across the large bed we shared. I paced and every time I made a point I was particularly furious about I threw my hands up in the air. His brown eyes followed me, as if I might disappear at any moment.

“She is my brother’s better,” Aidoneus shrugged, “If she makes all of life on earth extinct, we will be very rich indeed. She must stop eventually. If all life dies out in the mortal realm then she and all of the other deathless gods will wither away to wisps on the wind.”

“Death is inevitable,” I muttered, “Life, not so much.”

“Will you return if she continues to destroy the world?” he asked, casually

I knew better. He did not want me to go. He was a god of unbreakable rules and inevitable order. He had meant all of his promises to me. I did not know any Goddess whose husband had genuinely promised to be entirely faithful.

“I may not have a choice,” I answered him, “The other deathless gods know what is in store for them if all of the mortals die. They won’t stand for it.”

I eventually crawled into bed beside him and we fell asleep. I woke again, though. My mind could not rest. My mother was threatening my happiness and my mind would not settle. I dressed quietly and went to walk. I went to the temple courtyard where I first met my husband.

I realized I would not lose him, not even to save the world. I also realized, maybe I did not have to lose him. I wasn’t sure what Aidoneus would say about my plan but I did not want to wait for reason or logic.

I took one of the pomegranate fruits. I more than a quarter of the seeds before Aidoneus caught up to me.

“Neotera,” he frowned, quiet and stern, “Now you can never leave.”

“I certainly hope you’re right,” I told him, “I thought you’d be thrilled. Now they can’t make me do something that I don’t want to do.”

He sounded tired when he spoke next, “They have already forced you to do something you didn’t want to do.”

“I love your world and I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you, too, but you want all of the worlds. You love to travel, bringing change wherever you go,” he told me gently. It was the same voice he used with the youngest souls, the young children who came before him.

“I love the color and life you bring with you and I want to see you thrive. Going in the opposite direction as the ones who oppose you isn’t the way,” he cautioned me, “I didn’t want you to be forced into a position you wouldn’t have chosen on your own, even if it would seem to benefit me.”

Hermes came to see us the next morning. He was there to fetch me. Aidoneus and I ascended to the realm of the gods to attend the judgement of Zeus and the other gods. My husband and I were silent as my fate was argued and debated.

We were married but our marriage would not be undone by our separation, they said. We would just be two married people who never saw each other.

My mother outranked me, they said, so if Hades couldn’t force her to give me up then they wouldn’t interfere with Demeter.

They had a lot of excuses but the truth was Demeter’s power was great enough that they couldn’t fight her and be sure that they would win. No one could lead an army without food, except possibly my husband. He wouldn’t bring an army of the dead roaring out of the gates of hell. At least, I didn’t think he would.

Finally, Zeus said that I would have to be returned to my mother.

Aidoneus finally spoke, “She must remain in the underworld. She ate from the pomegranate tree in my garden.”

The room was silent. The laws about the food from the land of the dead were older than all of the gods here.

Suddenly, Demeter wailed and fell into Hecate’s arms. Hecate looked like she’d like to be anywhere else.

“Why are you doing this to me?” she cried, looking at me. I gave her the stone face that I had learned in the underworld.

“I’ve been a good mother,” Demeter said pleadingly, looking around at the silent gods and goddesses, “I’ve done everything a mother is supposed to do. I was good to her. I never tested her. I never punished her.”

You never let me make my own decisions, I wanted to shout at her. I was so done with all of this. You never let me be myself, I wanted to tell her. You never knew me except for the parts of me that were like you, I thought.

“I am a goddess in my own right and I deserve to make my own decisions,” I finally said, with adamantine resolve.

“You’re my daughter!” Demeter was furious.

“She’s my wife,” Aidoneus snapped back, with uncharacteristic vehemence, “Only one of those was her choice.”

The sudden silence was deafening.

“How many seeds from the pomegranate did you eat?” Zeus broke the silence first.

“There are about six hundred seeds in one,” Aidoneus replied, his eyes and his mind sharp, “She ate about a little more than a quarter of a pomegranate so around a hundred seventy five seeds, if I had to guess.”

I didn’t know what was happening. I looked at Aidoneus questioningly and he shook his head slightly.

“There are about three hundred fifty days in a year,” Zeus looked around.

The others were stone faced. I know I didn’t understand where he was going with this and I expected they didn’t know either.

“We can’t break the rule about her staying in the underworld, but we can bend it a bit,” Zeus smiled at Demeter consolingly but she had resorted to weeping into her cloak.

“Neotera will remain in the underworld one day for every pomegranate seed,” Zeus said.

“Neotera will be free to leave the underworld the rest of the year,” Aidoneus added.

“Yes, of course,” Zeus nodded. Either he didn’t notice the wording or he didn’t really care.

“She deserves another name,” Aidoneus added, “She is now Queen of the Underworld and Goddess of the Underworld.”

“You have destroyed my happiness,” Demeter told me.

“Call me Persephone. Destroyer,” I told them.

“Maybe you need another name, brother,” Zeus laughed.

“Call me Hades. Unseen,” my husband resumed his characteristic seriousness.

I laughed later that evening when he used his helm of darkness to come to me in the warm twilight. I giggled, he whispered, and we cuddled.

In the shadows, I learned that the dark he brought with him could make the harsh, unforgiving light of my mother’s world a little easier to bear.