#melinoë {goddess of nightmares and madness}

[liroyalty]

Your Dating Service

"After one date? Goodness no, that's not how I work."

"Ehehehe~" Scammed.

"???" He had no idea he was even on a date. Hello??

For once, these two are not fighting each other, but together.

"Yes? And?" She didn't want to be there.

[evermore-grimoire]

The Evermore Grimoire: Greek Mythology

Melinoë (Μηλινοη meaning ‘Dark-Minded’) was the goddess of ghosts, nightmares and funerary rites in Greek mythology. At night she wandered the earth with her train of ghosts, striking fear into the hearts of men. Her limbs were black on one side and white on the other, a manifestation of her dual chthonic and heavenly nature. Melinoë's presence was also believed to be the reason why dogs would bark at seemingly-nothing at night. According to one myth, she was known to be the daughter of Persephone (queen of the underworld) and Zeus (king of the gods) which seems quite simple but really is not. At the time, Zeus was incarcerated in the Underworld and had multiple facets. Persephone was impregnated by Zeus in disguise as one of Hades avatars, a Plouton. When Hades (king of the underworld) discovered the pregnancy, he tore Melinoë's body apart. Despite this violent beginning, she emerged as a powerful figure in Greek mythology, appearing in the Hymns of Orpheus and being revered as a bringer of nightmares and madness.

artwork by Yliade

[space-blue]

OMG HELLO???? What's with your super fucky design Moros? Doom incarnate? WOW hold my panties!

Nemesis? Arch one? Who is doing the back arching though? And yes I'll give in right away thank you!

Melinoë (/mɪˈlɪnoʊiː/; Ancient Greek: Μηλινόη) is a chthonic nymph or goddess invoked in one of the Orphic Hymns and represented as a bringer of nightmares and madness — thanks @spicedrobot

Zagreus' sister?? And the peak character design... that ghost hand ommg. Losing my mind!!

Check the twitter post here!!

And you can pet frogs??

[silverbirching]

SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT HADES 2, RIGHT

At least we had all better be, while I'm waving this broken bottle around.

Look guys I'm a Classical mythology wonk. And I don't mean like, "hey I read the Percy Jackson books, they were neat", I mean when I close my eyes before I sleep I pray to every god who might conceivably be listening that Linear A gets deciphered in my lifetime. I mean I've got a giant metal print of Circe Invidiosa by John Waterhouse in my bedroom. I mean that if you make the mistake of mentioning Hadestown in my presence you have unwittingly activated the trap card of "Sam talks about his string-and-sandwich board conspiracy theory about how Persephone was a terrifying eldritch queen of the dead and the entire greek world was scared shitless of her, so maybe knock it off with all these tender waifs in flower crowns, artists of the last two thousand years for two solid hours."

(The Percy Jackson books are extremely neat, btw)

So cut to 2020, the year of shit, and here comes a game from one of my favorite studios of all time, about one of my favorite subjects of all time, and it's gorgeous and deep and full of stupid gay drama and the art melts my eyeballs and the voice acting (true to Supergiant tradition) is basically indistinguishable from foreplay. So I played it. I played the absolute balls off of it.

AND THEY'RE MAKING A SEQUEL, HOLY SHIT

so the Thing about Chthonic deities is the underworld really creeped the Ancient Greeks out, so there's not a lot of writing about them that has survived to the present day, since if they were worshipped it was usually by mystery cults or more in an avoidant "please please please don't notice me I've been a good boy please" kind of way.

Hence why our favorite bisexual softboi dreamboat Zagreus doesn't really feature much in the mythology, except he was probably an offshoot of Dionysus and usually got synchronized with him, Hades himself, or Mycenaen Poseidon. They make a joke about this in Hades, btw (they make a fucking JOKE SONG about in in Hades).

BUT DID YOU KNOW ZAGREUS HAD A SISTER!?

Her name is Melinoë, and she's also cited from very limited sources, but I want to show y'all the brilliant Apostolos Athansssakis' translation of one of the view sources we have, the Hymn to Melinoë:

I call upon Melinoë, saffron-cloaked nymph of the earth, whom revered Persephone bore by the mouth of the Kokytos river upon the sacred bed of Kronian Zeus. In the guise of Plouton Zeus tricked Persephone and through wiley plots bedded her; a two-bodied specter sprang forth from Persephone's fury. This specter drives mortals to madness with her airy apparitions as she appears in weird shapes and strange forms, now plain to the eye, now shadowy, now shining in the darkness— all this in unnerving attacks in the gloom of night. O goddess, O queen of those below, I beseech you to banish the soul's frenzy to the ends of the earth, show to the initiates a kindly and holy face.

My guess would be is that Supergiant will not have her be the child of Zeus under false pretenses (there's sources that indicate Zagreus is also a child of Zeus) but still. Dope. Rad as hell. Zag's baby sister is a twin-bodied goddess of nightmares and I am excited a normal amount.

Also Apollo is gonna be in this one, you guys.

Look at this magnificent pain-in-the-ass. I can already tell you he's going to be 10,000% annoying, and I am completely here for it.

[theic-manic]

Greek Deities: The Spooky God-Squad Part 1: Melinoe

I am going to start posting about the lesser-known, chthonic and otherwise monstruous and/or spooky Greek deities, demigods etc. and the first proper post in this series is dedicated to none other than

Melinoe: Goddess of Ghosts, Spirits. Madness, Nightmares, Propitiations to the dead & haunting the living

Etymology:

Melinoë may derive from Greek mēlinos (μήλινος), "having the color of quince," from mēlon (μῆλον), "tree fruit". The fruit's yellowish-green color evoked the pallor of illness or death for the Greeks.

A name derived from melas, "black," would be melan-, not melin-. Melinoe: “Soothing One,” “Gentle-Minded,” or perhaps “of the Color of Quince” (6) (7)

Parentage

Mother: Persephone

Father: Hades* or Zeus disguised as Hades

Melinoe's parentage is giving Maury paternity test episode on mount Olympus.

Normally I wouldn't cover parentage much however the unique story behind Melinoe's paternity helps us to understand her better

(My personal bias for disclosure: my father is a human version of Zeus's unpleasant qualities and Jupiter aka Zeus is in my natal chart as well as being one of my Soul Parent deities)

Grab some popcorn and a cup of tea!

*Hades may have been thought to have been the father but Maury (Mythologists) have some news...

So how did Zeus father Melinoe?

Some say trickery (7) others say reincarceration/ Hades+ Zeus combination (1)

"In literature, Melinoe is known to be the daughter of Persephone and Zeus which seems quite simple but really is not. At the time, Zeus was reincarcerated in the Underworld and had multiple facets. Persephone was impregnated by Zeus in one of Hades’ avatars, a Plouton. This means that Zeus and Hades were two gods in one.

Persephone, therefore, was impregnated by Zeus, in the form of a Plouton, at the bank of the river Cocytus. In Greek mythology, the Underworld had five rivers flowing in and out of it. Among them is Cocytus which is known as a fierce river where Hermes was stationed to escort the newly deceased souls into the underworld. The impregnated Persephone lay there and birthed Melinoe, another one of the illegitimate children of Zeus.

The lust of Zeus had left Persephone stripped of her virginity and she felt angry at what had Zeus done to her. Melinoe who was the goddess of the Underworld, the wife of Hades, and the daughter of Zeus and Demeter was now bearing the child of his father, Zeus. Melinoe was thus born at the mouth of the river and because of her close relation to the underworld, her abilities and goddess powers were also highly influenced by it."

Note: Her brother Zagreus was conceived via more obvious trickery

"He was a son of Zeus and Persephone who had been seduced by the god in the guise of a serpent." (5) Her potential half-sibling Makaria (Goddess of Blessed Death) is considered to be the child of Hades in the Byzantine encyclopedia Suda. I say potential because no mother is ever named however in the Heracleidae, Makaria is the child of Heracles and offers herself to be sacrificed to Persephone to save her family. (8, 9)

Offspring:

None.

"Melinoe did not have any offspring, neither divine nor mortal. Her essence was more intertwined with the spirits she governed than with creating a lineage of her own." (4)

Physical Appearance:

Description of Melinoe further leans into the Zeus-paternity lore as below -

"Her limbs were black on one side and white on the other, a manifestation of her dual chthonic and heavenly nature." (2)

"The translation of Thomas Taylor (1792) has given rise to a conception of Melinoë as half-black, half-white, representing the duality of the heavenly Zeus and the infernal Hades. This had been the interpretation of Gottfried Hermann in his annotated text of the hymns in 1805" (7)

Sound familiar?

While the Hellenic gods have overlaps with many Norse deities (I was previously a Norse pagan) Melinoe is one of the few with a near identical Norse equivalent: Hel

Hel was the daughter of trickster god Loki, a death goddess, and also described as physically appearing to be half dead:

"The entity Hel is depicted as half beautiful woman and half blue, decomposing corpse" (3)

Unlike Hel, she has been described as being clad in saffron. (7)

Having followed Hel as a Norse pagan in the past, I am pleasantly surprised and grateful that Melinoe has approached me during my Hellenic practice which leads me to...

Melinoe's Domains:

Ghosts

Spirits

Nightmares

Madness

Propitiations and offerings to the dead

Fear & anxiety

Necromancy

The Night

Duality (courtesy of her parentage)

The Underworld

The soul's passage

Correspondences:

Caveat:

This list is a mixture of Mythology, what has been reported by others working with her and anything I have experienced I will add personal experiences where relevant however please know that as with all deity signs, symbolism etc. your own personal experiences are what counts, also factoring your geographical location etc.

E.g. Some of the traditional flora and fauna associated with many Hellenic deities may not be present if you reside somewhere these aren't native however local flora & fauna may apply based on their symbolism so please use your own intuition, discernment & research. - Days of the week: Saturday, Monday and the 13th.

Tarot Cards: The High Priestess Death The Moon Queen of Swords 5 of Swords

Animals: Dogs (usually when they're howling), Bats, Corvids (Ravens, Crows etc.), Snakes, Butterflies, Moths, Scarabs, Cicadas, Black cats

Symbols: Grave yards, cemeteries, ghosts, crescent moon. bones, black & white objects and visuals, Torch or candles, Vampires, Dracula, Vampirism (as a spiritual concept) and anything one would associate with death magick.

Foods (can be used as offerings): Milk, Pomegranates, Mint, Poppy seeds, wine, Honey

Herbs (teas and incense): Lavender, Mint

Signs Melinoe may be reaching out:

Disclaimer: Since Melinoe is associated with fear, anxiety, madness and other arguably terrifying phenomenon please ensure that you are ruling out mundane causes such as sleep deprivation, stress etc. & reach out to your treating doctor.

You start seeing her correspondences or feel drawn to them.

E.g. my work-friend's brother-in-law passed away recently and right before it dawned on me that Melinoe was reaching out to me (the Cthonic deities are so damn subtle) I felt called to buy this person butterfly themed gifts to express my condolences.

Also before I realised she was reaching out I had some very vivid dreams of Scarabs which has significance around death 7 rebirth and protection.

My linked tumblr post also includes some other synchronicities, such as on the day I recognised her I saw a lot of random bat symbols, felt drawn to wear my bat bracelet, had the urge to wear black & white, and was approached by a friend regarding topics such as nightmares and necrophilia.

You start seeing Hades and Persephone symbolism or you pull Hades & Persephone tarot cards (linked post on Tarot identification) but the energy/vibes don't feel like either of them.

E.g. I recently kept pulling Hades & Persephone cards while not feeling their energies, however by looking at other synchronicities and using some discernment I figured out that it was actually Melinoe reaching out.

Since she is a "lesser" deity & not a lot about her exists, it can take longer to recognise her since our discernment can be tainted by what we are exposed to, especially when looking up symbols to rule out who is and isn't reaching out.

Prior to this, earlier this year I felt called to create a Chthonic altar which I dedicated to Hades at first based on my knowledge at the time.

Looking back, especially adding my sudden interest in vampirism and other symbols I realise this was me becoming aligned with Melinoe rather than Hades or Persephone.

You have or you feel called to perform baneful magick that causes mental distress, nightmares, madness etc.

(Something I did against a rather unpleasant ex-colleague and HR around the time I felt drawn to Vampirism)

Modern ways to honour Melinoe:

As with all the Cthionic babes: Shadow work

Desktop/device background art you associate with her (unfortunately Hades II game has flooded the image databases)

Consume spooky content, especially horror (if you feel comfortable doing so).

Pray/talk to her, keeping in mind that she is often quiet (it turns out this is very much a Cthonic deity vibe and I will elaborate on this in a post on Neurodivergent deity practices).

Embrace Chaos

Creative expression (art, music etc.)

Create playlists for her or listen to spooky playlists. Personally, I like Ice Nine Kills

Horror & spooky movies Some suggestions based on what I could locate online: Movies that feature ghostly apparitions, necromancy, and the manipulation of the dead. Examples: The Frighteners (1996), The Others (2001), or Only Lovers Left Alive (2013). Blair Witch Project (any of them except Blair Witch Book of shadows imo) The Ring and/or Ringu (Series) Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - A classic horror movie that explores the realm of nightmares, fitting for Melinoe, the goddess of nightmares. The Witch (2015) - A horror film set in 17th-century New England, exploring themes of witchcraft, folklore, and the supernatural, which resonates with Melinoe's connection to magic and the unknown. Coraline (2009) - A stop-motion dark fantasy film that explores the idea of a parallel world, fitting for Melinoe's association with the underworld and the realm of the dead. The Devil's Backbone (2001) - A Spanish horror film set during the Spanish Civil War, exploring themes of death, loss, and the supernatural, which aligns with Melinoe's connection to the dead. Supernatural Thrillers: Films that incorporate elements of mystery, suspense, and the unknown, often featuring characters who interact with the dead or the supernatural. Hereditary (2018) - A psychological horror film that explores the themes of grief, loss, and the supernatural. Examples: The Sixth Sense (1999),  or The Orphanage (2007). Verónica (2017) - A Spanish horror film that explores the themes of witchcraft, folklore, and the supernatural. The Autopsy of Jane Doe Not an extensive list, go with what feels right.

Video games: Again, not extensive- Soma Amnesia (series) Silent Hill (series) Castlevania (Series) Outlast (Series) Phasmophobia Mundaun

Melinoe's communication style: From personal experience, I have found Melinoe to be non-verbal, and as such her communications tyle with me tends to be via Pendulum/Spirit boards, Tarot & imagery. This seems to align with her portrayal in Lore Olympus as deaf/mute (I've not read enough of the comic to know her full story there). Cthonic Deities in general tend to be fairly quiet and solemn, at least with casual worshippers rather than devotees however that's for another post. i have mentioned my communications with Melinoe recently

Notable posts about Melinoe:

Sources:

1. https://ancient-literature.com/melinoe-goddess/

2. https://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Melinoe.html

3. https://www.worldhistory.org/Hel/

4. https://olympioi.com/demigods/melinoe

5. https://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Zagreus.html

6. https://greekmythology.fandom.com/wiki/Melinoe

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melino%C3%AB

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaria 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Heracles

[winter-dayz]

Bound to You

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x Reader Cerberus AU; Goddess AU; Greek Mythology AU Genre: Fluff; Smut Words: 4337 Warnings: cutting; ritualistic self-harm; sexual content (dom!reader, sub!hyunjin, choking, humping, knife play, female receiving oral, vaginal penetration); strong language

Masterlist | Fictober Masterpost

Taglist:  @soobin-chois

“Ceeerbeeeruuus~” She called as she came down the stairs to the grand entrance of the underworld.

“I told you not to call me that, goddess.” Hyunjin growled as she came into his line of sight.

She pouted, “And I told you to call me Y/N, but if you aren’t going to listen, then why should I?”

Hyunjin scoffed at her, leaning against the stone wall beside the gate. He shook his head, letting the fiery red strands block his face from her. “Yours is a matter of station, not preference.”

It was who she was—a chthonic nymph, the Bringer of Nightmares and Madness, daughter of Persephone and Zeus, the goddess of the restless undead and propitiation, Goddess Melinoë, wanderer of the Earth, Y/N. As much as he wanted to disregard all that she was, he never could without repercussions.

Her hand gripped his chin, tilting his face back up to her own. He had no idea when she moved over to him; the nymph was always silent on her feet. A perk, he supposed, since she was a being of undeath. It certainly helped when she was parading all of her lost souls at night and scaring the locals.

Y/N’s eyes found Hyunjin’s icy ones. “What’s the matter, Hyun?”

He rolled his eyes and jerked away from her grip, glancing to the doors. “Nothing, god– Y/N.” He added in a whisper at her glare.

She reached up, hesitantly, and brushed his bangs behind his ear. There was no telling how he’d react when he was like this. He’d either bend to her will or snap at her and send her scampering to her room.

It was who he was—the guard “dog” of hell, Cerberus, a man with a split soul, Hyunjin. He couldn’t help it when he was like this. He couldn’t help when his anger clouded his mind from anything else.

To her immense pleasure, though, as her hand glided through his silky strands, the hair shimmered and blonde was left in its wake.

“Take a break, Hyun…” she whispered.

“You know I can’t,” he whined, pushing his head harder against where she was still petting him.

She cooed at her puppy. “No one will know… Just come by my room for a while? You need to relax.”

“I want to; I really do… But what if Hades notices?” Hyunjin pouted, eyes rounder than they had been before and lips plumper.

Y/N, on the other hand, was scowling at the god’s name. “Let me handle my fa– Hades. If he even finds out.”

Hyunjin frowned at her displeasure and leaned off the wall. He wrapped his arms around his goddess’s waist and nuzzled against her neck, only stopping and pulling away when he felt her demeanor relax against him.

  It had been like that for eons. Since Y/N was the offspring of Persephone and Zeus, Hades held a particular dislike for his step-daughter. It wasn’t her fault though. She didn’t ask to be born. No one was to blame but Zeus himself. He had disguised himself as his brother just to sleep with his brother’s wife. Typical.

Still… Hades saw Y/N as a reminder of that and treated her as such. She was sure if it weren’t for her mother’s loving heart, she would’ve been cast out of the underworld. Hades tolerated Y/N for his wife’s sake, nothing more. And, in return, Y/N grew to treat her step-father (slash uncle) with the same “respect” that she received.

What could she say, she was her mother’s daughter… A spiteful one at that.

Her feud with Hades did bear one good thing, though.

A beautiful relationship with Cerberus.

Cerberus was not as the stories told. Or, well… Not quite.

He saw himself as a beast, a monster, and so that is what the mortals saw him as, as well. But, in reality, Hyunjin was a man with a shattered soul. Cursed to immortality and split into three: love, desperation, rage.

Hades saw an opportunity and ran with it. He captured Hyunjin’s souls and chained him (metaphorically) to the gates of hell. He was bound to the king’s will and forced to guard the underworld entrance for eternity.

He loathed Hades for imprisoning him.

Something which he bonded greatly with Y/N over.

“Please, Hyun?” Y/N whispered, breaking his silence and regaining his attention. “I have something important I want to talk with you about… Something private.”

Hyunjin’s gaze traveled from her eyes to the thick chains and locks on the gate. When his eyes remet hers, he gave a subtle nod. “I’ll see you this evening, goddess.”

Lips downturning ever-so-slightly, Y/N understood. She nodded and gave a small bow before turning to head to her room.

With her soft, loving stare no longer on him—her warmth no longer in his presence—Hyunjin’s hair faded once more from blonde to hellfire red.

🎃

As Hyunjin approached her room, he felt himself tensing.

His goddess and he often found themselves alone, but he had never strayed from his post. Not more than a few yards anyway.

Sometimes Y/N would coax him to settle into a nook with her and chat. Other times, she would find him at hell’s doors with paints and canvases in tow to distract him.

If she was busy with her own godly duties, she would bring him books to keep him busy during the many, many hours of the day.

His favorite times were when she would forego meals with her family to eat with him instead. She always shared her fruits with him, and would even sneak sushi back from the mortal realm since it was his favorite.

Once in a while, she had been unable to rest, coming to sit by his side in the dead of night—silence surrounding them—until she drifted back off to sleep.

The first time that had happened, she had slouched against him, looking very un-goddess-like with her mouth open a little and brow furrowed. When he had tried to readjust, Y/N had grumbled and clung to him.

He knew he was a goner then.

He would sooner die than let anything take his goddess away from him. It wasn’t for another fifty years or so that he realized she felt the same way. But once feelings had been reciprocated, their relationship had flourished.

And yet… He had still never been to her room.

He had never dared to defy his orders.

It wasn’t out of respect for Hades. No. It was for fear that if he disobeyed, the king would punish Hyunjin by taking his goddess away.

So why was he putting her at risk now? Why allow her to convince him that this night was worth it?

It had been something in her eyes. The way she had been so insistent to have him just “take a little break.”

She had never suggested something like that before.

Sure, she would bring things to him to help him destress; she would grace him with her presence to help him relax; she would dote on him to help him unwind.

But always at the gate.

Y/N knew the consequences that Hyunjin could face for abandoning his post. So for her to insist on him coming by her room then there was something she needed to tell him within the confines of her own protective wards.

Something Hades could not know about.

“Hyun,” Y/N breathed, opening the door. As their eyes met, his red hair, tinged with a hint of black, lightened. “Come in…” She led him into her room, to a small sitting area by her fireplace. “I’m sorry if I startled you… I could hear you pacing.”

Hyunjin’s lips parted into a sorry smile, but he moved towards Y/N for an embrace regardless. “I was nervous about what you needed to say privately to me.”

“Is that what this is about?” Y/N questioned, reaching up to curl a lock of black hair around her finger.

“Ah…” Hyunjin grimaced. “That was more the thought that you might be ending our relationship…”

His eyes met hers seriously, questioningly, and watered. His hair darkened once more, losing the bits of blonde that had appeared with his love for her, and the inky red—a mixture of his desolation at the thought of losing her and permanent anger at their predicament—took over once more.

Y/N tutted. “I have no plans in ending our relationship, Hyun. Actually… What I needed to discuss with you is quite the opposite…” Hyunjin’s head tilted, and she continued. “When you first explained to me about how you were… trapped. I started doing some research…”

The goddess pulled Hyunjin to sit with her on the couch, gathering a large book from her side table to show him her centuries-old notes.

“The curse from your living days has kept your soul in fragments, divided by the three strongest emotions you felt at the time of your death. The… being that created that curse has long been destroyed, and unfortunately their knowledge along with it. And, without knowing the original parameters, putting your soul back together is… improbable.”

“I– I understand…” Hyunjin whispered, voice wobbling. “Honestly, once Hades found me, I never expected to be put back together anyway. I assumed I would always be this… mess. Monster.” He spat the last bit.

Y/N reached over to him, squeezing his hand in a moment of comfort. He smiled, albeit pitifully, and she continued with her news. “It’s not impossible for you to be whole, Hyun… There are just external forces that have to fill in the cracks.” Y/N sighed, “Technically that is what Hades did for you. He melded the shards of your soul together with underworld magic. He eternally bound you to his realm to serve him… And, I–”

She set the book back on the table, turning her body to bring both hands to hold Hyunjin’s shoulders. “I found a ritual… I’m not powerful enough to break my step-father’s magic, but I can alter it. I can… I can sever your chains to the underworld gates by tying you to another ‘object’ of the underworld, so to speak…”

“What?” Hyunjin whispered, but by the way she gazed over him with a sorrowful love, he already suspected he knew the answer.

“Myself.” Y/N shook her head, cutting off his objections. “I would bind my soul to the fragments of yours. Mine would become the glue holding yours together.”

“You’d be stuck with me forever.”

She smiled, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his pouty lips, hands entwining with his—now very blonde—locks. “I could think of no better eternity.”

Hyunjin, however, did not fully reciprocate her affection and gently pushed his goddess away. Y/N’s smile fell, pulling her hands away as well. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you your freedom, Hyunjin… I tried to find something, anything. But if Hades created a key, he destroyed it long ago… This was the best solution I could come up with.”

“No, goddess,” Hyunjin grabbed Y/N’s fiddling hands, “This is more than enough.” He met her eyes seriously, “Yes, once I would’ve given anything for my independence. But now… All I want is the freedom to be with you… I just worry that you haven’t thought through the repercussions of this…”

Y/N snorted a laugh. “Hyunjin, trust me, I have. I want to spend the rest of my days with you, and after, if The Fates allow, we will be together in our next life as well. We would be bound together, come death and rebirth. I can think of nothing I want more.”

“Then… it would be my utmost pleasure to be bound to you, my goddess.”

With a somber nod, Y/N turned once more to the side table and retrieved a few items. She placed a small wooden bowl with a red string inside between them.

“I will ask this of you once more… Hwang ‘Cerberus’ Hyunjin, Hound of Hades and Guard of the Underworld, do you consent to binding our souls together. Entwining our fates for all eternity?”

“I do, goddess.”

“Please give me your hand.”

Silently, he held his hand to her. She took his hand carefully, caressing the soft skin before placing a light kiss on his palm. Y/N raised her small blade, slowly carving her ritual symbol into his palm.

Hyunjin couldn’t deny how his heart skipped a beat at the kiss, but it nearly stopped as the knife bit into his flesh. He desperately tried to bite back the whimper that he let out when his goddess began to literally carve herself into him.

But he couldn’t help himself and the smallest moan slipped between his plush lips, causing Y/N to hesitate before moving the blade to her own hand.

After another few, silent, moments she showed her palm where she carved his own symbol as well before grasping his palm in hers. Y/N’s eyes finally raised from their conjoined palms as their blood melded and dripped into the bowl, coating the string.

Once the cord had soaked and their hands had healed sufficiently, she withdrew her hold on him to tie the blood-bound string to them both. Her fingers moved deftly in tying a tight knot around his pinky and nodded for him to tie to the other end to her own finger.

His hands tied the knot a bit shakier than hers had but once he was done, Y/N leaned forward to rest her forehead against his.

“It is done…” She whispered, “You belong to me… with me. And I, you.”

Hyunjin glanced at the string in time to catch the ritual magic disintegrate into a red glimmer. The magic soaked into their bodies and highlighted their healing symbols, moving through their veins and into both of their hearts—their souls.

His lips split into a wide-smile, eyes becoming nothing more than crescents as he felt her within him. He felt her undying love for him; her loyalty and trust. He felt the warmth she always brought with her but took when she left… except a piece of it now resided in his own chest, never dissipating.

“Hyunjin,” she nearly panted. His eyes snapped open, his smile faltering at Y/N’s expression. If he was feeling her… was she feeling his soul as well? His love and… desperation for her. His eyes widened as hers darkened, a mischievous smile forming. “Maybe I should’ve chosen a collar for you instead of just a leash, hm? Is that what you want, puppy?”

Hyunjin froze, and when he didn’t answer, Y/N pressed on. “Oh come now… You have to be a good boy and tell me what you want. Show me what you want, puppy.”

He remained frozen for a moment more before she noticed him gulp and his gaze shifted back down to her hand—the one that would forever bear his symbol. His chin tilted upwards, baring his neck, and when she didn’t get the hint, he, ever so slowly, wrapped his slender fingers around her wrist and guided her hand to his neck.

As her own fingers fit against his throat, giving a light squeeze, Hyunjin continued to hold over her hand and hold her eyes as well, pleading. His gaze shifted, lowering his lids until his eyes held a teasing promise of passion, darker and hotter than the depths of hell. He broke her stare, eyes fluttering closed and mouth dropping open, when she truly tightened her grip around his neck.

Y/N tutted. “So that’s what you want then, puppy? You want me to be your collar.” She smirked while she pushed him to sit against the back of the couch, climbing to straddle his long legs. “You know… I can feel what you’ve felt in your soul for eons now. I can feel how desperate you’ve been for me.” She clicked her tongue, alternating between cutting off his blood flow and air supply and caressing his neck lovingly. “Have you touched yourself to the image of me? Made yourself a mess to the thought of what I could have done to you?”

Hyunjin whimpered. “I apologize… I couldn’t help myself. You’re so beautiful, goddess.”

She clenched around nothing, eyes fluttering for a moment, at the use of her normally formal title being used in such a… reverent manner.

“Please, goddess…” Hyunjin continued in a whiny pout, “Let me worship you.”

Y/N’s breath hitched imperceptibly, “Very well, puppy. Get on your knees and show me how much you adore me.”

Hyunjin nodded, eyes glazed and lips wet, as he stood from the couch and dropped to his knees in front of her. Without breaking eye contact, she shifted and spread her legs, raising the skirts of her dress and exposing her dripping cunt.

He leaned forward, nose tracing the inside of her thigh and nuzzling lightly against her pubic bone. “I’ve neglected you, goddess.”

“Should I punish you?” She quipped. Hyunjin’s eyes flew up to hers pleadingly. Hers was the only punishment he ever craved. “No, I think not tonight. Tonight we will worship one another; we will celebrate.”

The whispered promise of pleasure, in combination with the heavenly scent of his goddess just on the tip of his tongue, drew a deep, guttural groan from Hyunjin, eyes rolling back as well.

He waited for no further instruction, no need for pushing, and dove into her. A sharp gasp escaping her at the sudden feeling. Hyunjin, ever so pleased with himself, smirked against her lips before flicking her clit with his tongue.

Y/N’s head dropped back, lolling against the sofa, and she rocked her hips forward when he flattened his tongue. “Hyun… Oh my gods,” she moaned.

Sweat began to gather on her brow—her dress becoming suffocating—as Hyunjin continued to fuck her with his mouth. Her fingers found their way into his hair, tugging harshly on the black locks, when she felt him scissor two fingers into her.

Y/N exhaled slowly, a shudder racking her body while he alternated between sucking on her clit and dipping his tongue into her heat—all while his fingers diligently opened her up for him.

She was going to cum. She could feel it building, fire burning in her belly.

But she wasn’t done with him yet.

Y/N pulled him harshly by the hair, a pleasantly pitiful whimper escaping his lips as he lost contact with his treat.

“Hyunjin.” Y/N scolded as he growled and tried to pull her back to his mouth. He glared up at her, defying her. “Stop that, puppy. You did good, so so good. But I want something else…”

“Yes, my goddess?” Hyunjin’s eyes softened, his head cocking, “I will give you anything, anything to show you how much I adore you.”

“I want to fuck you,” she smirked, pushing him backwards with a foot so that she could gracefully stand from the couch. “All night, if you would like,” she added as she untied and let her dress pool at her feet.

Hyunjin’s eyes widened. He had hoped this might be where things would lead to after he received the depth of her feelings within his soul, but now that it was actually happening, he was shocked.

His gaze met her soft one and trailed down to her outstretched hand. Gently locking his fingers with hers, she helped him stand. Y/N reached up, brushing his own, rather sweaty, hair from his face and caressing his cheek.

She leaned up, placing a lingering kiss to his bottom lip, and whispered, “Come with me.”

He nodded slowly, allowing her to lead him to her bed. Y/N pushed his shoulders gently so that he sat on the edge. Hyunjin was dazed, already fucked out just from tasting her, and he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Anything she wanted, he would give it to her.

Y/N gently threaded her fingers through his hair, scratching the now-blackened roots, and delighted in the shiver that visibly racked his body.

Edged terribly, Hyunjin’s hips bucked forward at a particular tug of his locks. His eyes flew open, widening comically, and her own narrowed on his minute reactions.

He held himself too still, eyes flitting between her stare, her lips, and her thighs.

“Poor puppy…” She tsked, stepping forward to push one of her legs between his and subsequently pressing her delicious thigh against his painfully hard cock. “Just a dumb dog, needing something to hump.”

Hyunjin nodded pathetically, experimentally rolling his hips forward into her thigh. At the press of her warm skin, even against his clothing, Hyunjin felt himself fall fully; his midnight hair reflecting his deep need for his goddess, and only his goddess.

“Hyun, are you okay?” Y/N whispered teasingly, fingering the locks of black that had completely overtaken his blonde hair.

“Yes, please goddess, please continue.” He whined, continuing to rut against her lightly.

She clicked her tongue at him again, “Oh, puppy. You’re more desperate than I thought…”

“Yes…” Hyunjin leaned forward, trailing his lips across her bare stomach. His breath a warm whisper on her, “I’ve wanted you for centuries, my goddess.”

Not one to pass up an opportunity to tease him, Y/N began to pull away, “Only a want, a mere fleeting desire for me?”

“No, goddess! Please, I need you,” Hyunjin cried, swiftly pulling the goddess down and rolling over so that she was pinned beneath him. “I need you so badly. I’ll be a good boy… Please!”

In his begging, Hyunjin had failed to notice that he had begun to grind down against her wantonly. He winced at how hard and sensitive his clothed cock felt, rubbing against his goddess, but he continued regardless, delighting in the painfully pleasurable drag.

Y/N flexed her thigh, enjoying the hiss of appreciation that came from between his thick lips. “Alright, puppy. Let me show you then, what it means to be mine.”

Hyunjin nodded rapidly, almost making himself dizzy, and sat up to straddle her. She pulled on the fasteners of his pants to free his cock.

“So hard, puppy…” Y/N fake pouted as she rubbed a thumb over his weeping tip.

He whined. Loudly. And rutted into her palm, fucking himself with her hand. The faint roughness from the scar of his mark dragged down his shaft, eliciting pretty moans from him further.

Y/N guided him against her wet folds, the tip catching against her clit while he continued to rut, and coated him in her desire.

Finally– Finally.

She lined him with her entrance and gave him the permission he so desperately craved.

“Fuck me, Hyunjin. Be a good puppy, and fill. me. up.”

He pushed into her slowly. Not for any reason as to tease her or defy her orders or even to let her adjust, but because he simply needed to pace himself.

Hyunjin had only dreamed of being able to be with his goddess in this way. He wasn’t going to blow his chances by literally blowing too soon.

Y/N could tell he was struggling, and she grazed her hands up his covered torso, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled him to her, kissing him and swallowing the little whimpers he let out every time she—mostly—involuntarily clenched.

As a goddess she was expected to control herself, be in control of herself. But being surrounded by, filled with, Hyunjin made her weak.

Luckily—or not—for her, Hyunjin was just as uncontrolled. The desperation that consumed one of his soul fragments had grown and taken hold of him. And once he felt how warm and tight she was around him, he couldn’t help but snap his hips forward.

Hyunjin’s thrusts became erratic. He kissed her sloppily, movements becoming messier when she moaned and becoming harder when she whimpered.

He nipped down her jawline, biting down particularly hard on her jugular when she buried her nails into his back. When had her hands found their way under his tunic? He couldn’t think of anything else except how good, how right, it felt to be inside her. To fill her and claim her and be one with her.

Y/N felt herself peaking again, never having fallen too far from her own edge, and reached between her legs to rub her clit. Hyunjin might’ve been a bit sloppy, too caught up in his own pleasure, but the stretch of his cock in her was just too delicious to not finish her off.

“Good boy, Hyun,” she moaned in his ear. “Cum for me, in me, puppy. Become mine.”

She hadn’t even finished her words. At his goddess’s command to cum, he was spilling himself inside. Feeling the warmth flood her, Y/N arched herself as the pleasure blinded her, vision whiting out as if she had entered Olympus. She might’ve screamed or maybe that was just the ringing in her ears.

Hyunjin, eyes heavily lidded as he stared down at her, fucked her through her orgasm. And when she settled, he kissed gently around her neck and cheeks.

Y/N smiled, bringing her marked palm to his cheek, and kissed him deeply.

After a few, long, moments of breathing and gathering their bearings, the two readjusted in her bed. Silk and luxury surrounding them, nothing felt more comforting than each other’s arms.

“Hades is going to destroy us when he finds out what we’ve done.” Hyunjin finally spoke quietly into the darkness of her room.

“Good thing I have the fearsome Cerberus to protect me.” She teased, nipping at his collarbone.

“I’m serious, Y/N. I need you… I– I love you. I can’t have anything harming you.” Hyunjin squeezed her tighter to him.

“I love you too, Hyunjin. I swear to you, you will never lose me. I am eternally yours.” Y/N sighed, her heart full. “I don’t know what will happen with my step-father. But, you are mine now as I am yours. We will deal with whatever comes, together, in this life and the next.”

[divinelycrazy]

What many fans of the game Hades might or might not know is that Hades & Persephone (or Zeus & Persephone, depending on the version) actually have 3 children.

The first one we meet in the games is Zagreus in the first game, the in greek mythology he only appears in one myth and isnt clearly credited with a domain. Although, many people do associate him with rebirth. In the second game the main character is Melinoë, who is credited with being the goddess of nightmares, madness & ghosts in Greek mythology.

The Third child we have yet to meet in the games is Makaria. In Greek mythology she is often credited as the goddess of blessed/peaceful death. It is also interesting to note that in Greek mythology, Makaria is often referred to as Thanatos's wife...yikes.

[gabbysdawsons]

 AESTHETICS ➣ melinoë.

daughter of hades and persephone. goddess of madness, ghosts and nightmares a chthontic goddess

taglist: @nikosasaki, @foxesandmagic, @lizziesxltzmxn, @phoebestarks, @lovehermioneforever, @jewelswrites-ish, @kiara-carrera, @heavenlysurf, @decennia, @stanshollaand. @ocfairygodmother, @raith-way, @lucys-chen, @daughter-of-melpomene

[carrotconstellations]

Hail Melinoë, daughter of Zeus Kronian and Queen Persephone, goddess of ghosts and nightmares, bringer of madness, and chthonic nymph. I honour thee in mind and action, and ask for your protection against harmful spirits and those who wish harm unto me, as well as guidance for my self in learning and understanding the shadows of the world and the self. Melinoë krokopeplos, grant me sanctuary from the madness you ensue during the darkness of night.

Praise Melinoë

[meggannn]

things i need:

melinoë being shortened to "mel." she hates it. except when it comes from zag.

melinoë and megara in any capacity. mel loving it when meg talks about some dumb shit zagreus did but then gagging when it veers into a story of how meg pegged him afterwards

mel and thanatos being kermitnod.gif toward each other. exist in the same room together like cats type of relationship.

mel feeling like an outcast on olympus(?) being a goddess of madness and nightmares surrounded by well-loved deities like zeus and dionysus and aphrodite. already knowing nyx and hypnos by early game maybe?

zagreus older sibling: best big brother, overprotective and lovingly teases his spitfire little gremlin sister, a+

melinoë older sibling (i think this is the more likely option if they go with her dad being zeus per wiki, which, holy shit, that is some big family drama if so): zagreus's biggest critic and biggest supporter, zag whines but loves it, also a+

more tk

[sailor-tri]

Ace attorney ocs [sketch/baby lore dump]

My blorbo, my love Hecate Nolle.

vv More stuff under the cut vv

I've got so many lore in this brain for em.

Name pun:

Hecate - why? Cause I saw a Greek mythology theme (Athena, Apollo, Metis, Phoenix, etc.) and cause hec's whole story surrounds around death and spirits and being able to actually see ghosts and stuff like that.

Nolle - Nolle prosequi which is a legal term meaning unwilling to pursue or a prosecutor unwilling to prosecute the case further.

Plus 'Hec nolle' sounds like heck no.

Basic lore:

The jist is that they're a ex prosecutor turned defense attorney which an unfortunate streak of death that followed behind them. (I thought of them before I played tgaa so if they're similar in some ways to van Zieks, it wasn't intentional). Wanted to turn the weird girl assistant on it's head and give hec weird boy assistant that's a ghost that haunts em-- why? Who knows (I knows but I gotta make it coherent first).

I'm still cooking up their story and bio so look out for that.

Also- long hair is prosecutor!nolle and short hair is defense!nolle

Weird boy assistant is named Melin Owe (like the goddess Melinoë, Bringer of nightmares and madness).

[liroyalty]

We brainrotting.

[perfect-revenge]

Melinoë, daughter of Hades and Persephone, Goddess of Nightmares and Madness

Faceclaim :: Whitney Peak

[giftofclasspects]

denizens for four idiots pls

prospit muse of hope (Lands of Faith and Whistle) (this appeared before the meme)

derse mage of heart (Lands of Love and Movement)(inside joke)

derse+prospit bard of mind (Lands of Water and Suffering)

prospit sylph of time (Lands of Clouds and Letters)

i will return and will do it again with other characters :>

i want to infodump so much about all the planets bc we lost like a week to figure everything out AND connect with alpha versions

-cloud

muse of hope - icarus

this feels self explanatory. i think it just kind of.. fits the toxic positivity vibe that i get from a muse of hope. flew too close to the sun. eventually, they will crash and burn.

mage of heart - psyche

psyche was a greek mythology figure who suffered over her love for eros. upon finding out he was a god, she attempted to kill him, ending up punished for this action.

bard of mind - dionysus

again, i feel like this explains itself.

sylph of time - melinoë

a goddess who brings nightmares and madness. some say she is the goddess of ghosts. i think this fits in nicely and ties into a sylph of time.

[sillygoofyqueer]

HEHEHEHEHE, YOU FLATTER ME. TIS TIME FOR MORE

You were promised the bad sanses, and I shall deliver (prolly gonna split into two parts, depending on how long I write about these guys)

Dust. I like to think of him as the god that'd be like Melinoë, and YES I will explain why. So, Melinoë is known as the goddess or chthonic nymph that is a bringer of nightmares and madness. Do I need to explain why I link that to Dust? Yes? Okay. Dust is a sans who was driven mad by the amount of genocide timelines he had to go through and the fact that he himself had to slaughter every monster in the underground in order to raise his LV enough to kill the human. The fatal blow to his mental state is brought on when he kills his brother, and bro goes fucking insane, so linking him to madness isn't that far of a stretch. I could also link the idea of Melinoë being the bringer of nightmares to the fact that Dust is haunted by a hallucination of his dead brother, who could easily be classed as a sort of waking nightmare for this poor bastard - also, in other iterations of Dust in headcanons, he also hallucinates the other boss monsters he killed in his journey to raise his LV, which both adds to the idea that his mental state is overly crushed and that he is surrounded by his own nightmare every day. He is obviously not a stable man. SO, what better way to show this than to make him the GOD of the shit he deals with, after all, he's a bloody expert, ey? Ey?...eh. Melinoë is known to bring night terrors to mortals, and I personally can see Dust doing that as a god, knowing just what makes a person's skin crawl. He, to me, represents a sort of silent but deadly kind of madness that slowly creeps up on you, one that haunts your every waking and sleeping moment, driving you closer and closer to the edge until you only realise that you're losing it when you're on the very brink, and even then you're so numb to it all that you fall off willingly.

Horror. Ever heard of the Greek deities Limos and Lyssa/Lytta? Limos is the personification of hunger and famine, and Lyssa/Lytta (I'll go with Lytta for now) is a primordial deity that represents blind rage. Limos first - SO, yknow, Horror's au was struck with a famine for seven years, yes yes, so it's easy to make the connection between he and Limos, but I shall take it ONE STEP FURTHER. Horror swore not to "kill anything that moves" -> humans/living beings (monsters??), so, while other monsters were succumbing to hunger, Horror was more focused on making sure that his Papyrus didn't starve by hunting for him, even writing himself letters as to why he shouldn't eat other humans n such. Due to this, it could be argued that he was feeling the effects of the famine more, and was why he succumbed to madness in the end, which is why he could easily be perceived as the personification of famine ALSO because he lived through the famine, he can see what it does to others and can understand why others resorted to cannibalism, which gives him more leg up as the deity of famine and hunger. He would be able to understand the ramifications of setting a famine upon a city/village, which is why he could also be viewed as the best for this role, due to not lashing out with something that he understands to be absolutely life/mind ruining. He would be just and fair. BUT, on the opposite end of the spectrum, we also see Horror as having a twisted mind and even losing himself in his madness occasionally, which is why he would make such an interesting deity of blind rage. Lytta is also a representative of rabid animals, who also have this sort of uncontrollable madness to them, and Horror is often presented as having certain animalistic characteristics within the fandom. Having him as the deity of something that requires a lot of thought into casting it upon someone (famine) but also representing blind rage creates this sort of unpredictability about him that I think he shows throughout both the fandom's perception of him and the canonical perception. One second he could be really friendly, the next he is hunting you down and trying to kill you. It emphasises his broken mental state and that is positively delicious to my brain. THERE IS MORE TO COME, SO KEEP AN EYE OUT (you can find what is basically a masterpost of this headcanon series here)

[kiwikipedia]

I hope Melinoë goes insane for a little bit during the Hades II game since shes, yk, the goddess of madness and bringer of nightmares