#mother-recordings

[wildbasil]

things haven't been great but i think they will be. eventually 🌻🌼🩷

[bagofdo-ritos]

jon: save me statement… statement save me

[gingermintpepper]

In my Zeus bag today so I'm just gonna put it out there that exactly none of the great Ancient Greek warrior-heroes stayed loyal and faithful and completely monogamous and yet none of them have their greatness questioned nor do we question why they had the cultural prominence that they did and still do.

Jason, the brilliant leader of the Argo, got cold feet when it came to Medea - already put off by some of her magic and then exiled from his birthland because of her political ploys, he took Creusa to bed and fully intended on marrying her despite not properly dissolving things with Medea.

Theseus was a fierce warrior and an incredibly talented king but he had a horrible temper and was almost fatally weak to women. This is the man who got imprisoned in the Underworld for trying to get a friend laid, the man who started the whole Attic War because he couldn't keep his legs closed.

And we cannot at all forget Heracles for whom a not inconsiderable amount of his joy in life was loving people then losing the people around him that he loved. Wives, children, serving boys, mentors, Heracles had a list of lovers - male and female - long enough to rival some gods and even after completing his labours and coming down to the end of his life, he did not have one wife but three.

And y'know what, just because he's a cultural darling, I'll put Achilles up here too because that man was a Theseus type where he was fantastic at the thing he was born to do (that is, fight whereas Theseus' was to rule) but that was not enough to eclipse his horrid temper and his weakness to young pretty things. This is the man that killed two of Apollo's sons because they wouldn't let him hit - Tenes because he refused to let Achilles have his sister and Troilus who refused Achilles so vehemently that he ran into Apollo's temple to avoid him and still couldn't escape.

All four of these men are still celebrated as great heroes and men. All four of these men are given the dignity of nuance, of having their flaws treated as just that, flaws which enrich their character and can be used to discuss the wider cultural point of what truly makes a hero heroic. All four of these men still have their legacies respected.

Why can that same mindset not be applied to Zeus? Zeus, who was a warrior-king raised in seclusion apart from his family. Zeus who must have learned to embrace the violence of thunder for every time he cried as a babe, the Corybantes would bang their shields to hide the sound. Zeus learned to be great because being good would not see the universe's affairs in its order.

The wonderful thing about sympathy is that we never run out of it. There's no rule stopping us from being sympathetic to multiple plights at once, there's no law that necessitate things always exist on the good-evil binary. Yes, Zeus sentenced Prometheus to sufferation in Tartarus for what (to us) seems like a cruel reason. Prometheus only wanted to help humans! But when you think about Prometheus' actions from a king's perspective, the narrative is completely different: Prometheus stole divine knowledge and gifted it to humans after Zeus explicitly told him not to. And this was after Prometheus cheated all the gods out of a huge portion of wealth by having humans keep the best part of a sacrifice's meat while the gods must delight themselves with bones, fat and skin. Yes, Zeus gave Persephone away to Hades without consulting Demeter but what king consults a woman who is not his wife about the arrangement of his daughter's marriage to another king? Yes, Zeus breaks the marriage vows he set with Hera despite his love of her but what is the Master of Fate if not its staunchest slave?

The nuance is there. Even in his most bizarre actions, the nuance and logic and reason is there. The Ancient Greeks weren't a daft people, they worshipped Zeus as their primary god for a reason and they did not associate him with half the vices modern audiences take issue with. Zeus was a father, a visitor, a protector, a fair judge of character, a guide for the lost, the arbiter of revenge for those that had been wronged, a pillar of strength for those who needed it and a shield to protect those who made their home among the biting snakes. His children were reflections of him, extensions of his will who acted both as his mercy and as his retribution, his brothers and sisters deferred to him because he was wise as well as powerful. Zeus didn't become king by accident and it is a damn shame he does not get more respect.

[botslayer9000]

I've been itching to draw folk costumes for a while now so i figured i'd jump on the international Miku trend! These Mikus are from Ternopil, Ukraine; and Tula, Russia - one for each side of my family <3

Here are the sources I used for each costume:

TERNOPIL -

TULA:

[kristalijah]

HE'S CHECKING OUT GARY!!!! I REPEAT, HE'S CHECKING OUT GARY!!!!

[tarteggs]

been thinking a lot about lucas lately

[theotherpacman]

"my lover, my maker, my breaker, take me by the hand"

a farcille edit to miles by mother mother, inspired by this iconic gifset by @pink-vacancy !!!

I used this and this from youtube... idk how else to get my hands on clips...

[hoomandoescosplay]

Well Aren’t You A Charmer | Alastor x Reader

Life Is A Wonderful Adventure

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Life After Death Is An Even Better Adventure

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

[florallylly]

i've seen model steve harrington aus. i've seen child steve harrington aus. i present: child model steve harrington

note: this came from my own desperate need to see this conceptualized and i SWEAR i've searched, i just can't find any content with child model steve so. :(

bc little steve harrington was remarkably cherub-like. his large brown eyes and soft pout ensured endless cooing and fussing from his mom's friends. and when he blushed and ducked his head in shyness, they only complimented him more. when he got home that day, his mom smiled at him.

so steve decided that he would put up with the cheek pinching and the squealing. he sat upright in his chair, sitting on his hands so he wouldn't fidget and ruin the image. because he'd do anything to keep his mom smiling at him. if he was being particularly good that day, she'd let him lay his head on her lap on the drive back home.

but everything changed at his father's birthday gala. a nearly eight year old steve harrington sat prim and proper in his seat, but a smile lit up his face--his cheeks round and his dimples showing up. he raised his hand up to cover his giggle, but he couldn't help but laugh at some silly old man with a loose toupee. then he sees his mom approaching, and his face quickly smooths over, going back to the more polite smile he usually adopted when it came to these events.

he'd ruined it. he hadn't continued being the sweet boy his mom wanted. but then, she smiles at him. and introduces him to the man behind her, who says he's a designer. the man holds out his hand, but when steve puts his hand into his palm, he doesn't shake it. the man simply holds his hand, his eyes scanning steve's face. steve tries not to squirm under the attention. but the man nods and smiles at his mom, and he gives two brief cheek kisses to steve, whispering in his ear "you're going to be a star, darling." steve looks at his mom, confused, but she waves him off to continue talking to the man.

a few months later, steve's mom whisks him off on a trip to france. and steve is so excited to go, nearly vibrating in his seat as the airplane prepares to take off. but instead of the eiffel tower and the seine, steve is taken to a studio. he's posed and changed. once again, he's being fussed over, but instead of wealthy socialites, gossiping make-up artists squeal over him. he's "perfect for the shoot" and "the most darling little boy." steve doesn't understand, but his mom is still smiling, so he lets the nice ladies brush powder over his face.

and he looks in the mirror. his hair is a little more tousled and his lips have a slight tint to them and his eyes seem to take up much of his face. he's put into new clothes, and he feels like a doll in their hands. and when he's put in front of the camera, he simply follows the photographer's directions. afterwards, he's bundled into the car and his mom can't stop gushing about how good he was.

apparently, he's a natural. and then she goes back to fussing over him, focusing more on appearance than his behavior now. but she takes him out shopping and they eat at an upscale restaurant along the champs-elysses. and steve is happy.

and then they go back home, and his mom is so much stricter than before. she has him try out all kinds of different hair products, determined to find the best combination to keep it looking shiny and soft. she controls his food intake and what he wears and makes him use weird creams and serums on his face. but this is what makes his mom happy, so he's happy to let her.

his mom is also on the phone a lot more lately, whispering harshly about the quality of brands and steve just assumes she's being picky about the clothes she buys. later, his mom picks him up and holds him, and asks if he'd like to move to italy. she looks at him intently and it's obvious what answer she wants, so steve nods. she smiles and holds him close, and it's the most loved steve has felt in a while.

so they move to italy, and suddenly steve is a lot more busy. he's put in front of more cameras for more people he doesn't know. but he's smiling and pouting and doing whatever they want him to do. his compliant attitude and polite nature have photographers and designers alike singing his praises, and steve always looks to his mom for approval. but she's been arguing with his dad a lot lately, so she's upset more often than not. but that's okay, the make-up artists are always kind to him.

but then one day, his mom takes a phone call in the middle of the shoot. and when it finishes, she's gone. steve goes back in, close to tears, but the make-up artists still hanging around look after him until a car is sent to pick him up. this becomes a trend. and eventually, steve goes alone to his shoots. he's always taken care of by the crew and someone is always there to pick him up, but it's not fun without his mom there.

but he knows that she's always enjoyed him taking pictures, so he continues to do so, hoping that she'll come watch him again sometime soon. and he busies himself with befriending the chatty make-up artists and the bossy photographers and the eccentric designers. and he's such a cute little thing that they can't help but dote on him.

steve is never catapulted into child stardom, as his mom is picky with his jobs, only choosing luxury brands and well known designers for him. but within the industry, they call him the "little prince."

and then steve is catapulted into puberty, but his intense skin regimen prevents him from getting acne, save for the occasional zit. and his diet and religious exercise schedule help maintain his look. and he's still doing remarkably well, especially now that he's fully aware that he is a Model.

and steve has truly grown into his looks. with time, he's grown more comfortable in front of the camera and made numerous friends. nearly all of them are older than him, but they're fun and loud and it fills up the space that normally surrounds him. and they're the ones who get him hooked on american movies. steve remembers living in america, but he's been in milan so long that everything he recalls is vague.

but he watches them and falls in love with the american high school experience. so when he finally catches his mom off the phone and actually in the house, steve asks if he can go to school in america. and his mom laughs. but steve keeps asking, which devolves into begging. and his mother snaps, slapping him across the face and calling him ungrateful. she cries and begs for forgiveness, cowed into shame by steve's desperate attempt to hold back tears.

and so she lets him go to school in hawkins, indiana. an odd choice, but his parents just so happened to own a property there. (in truth, both of his parents expected him to change his mind within the year). but steve finds his place at hawkins high, because even though nobody in hawkins has ever heard of versace, steve is pretty. he's pretty and charming and he knows the right thing to say. after all, he's spent his whole life perfecting his mask.

and even if his mom ended up moving back home with his dad, leaving steve all alone in that big empty house, steve is happy. he's finally hanging out with people his age and high school is so far removed from the glitz and glam of the fashion industry. and he's settled and content with tommy and carol by his side. while he misses his friends back in milan, steve finds himself longing for the clothes more often. hawkins was certainly the opposite of milan, what with the nearest mall being two hours away and only equipped with a macy's and jcpenny.

through it all, steve is determined to be normal. he laughs along with jokes he doesn't quite get and rolls his eyes at carol's cue, and he joins the swim team. and he joins the basketball team. and he goes to parties and kisses girls and wears dumb little polos with his letterman jacket and does everything that he saw in the movies.

but nancy wheeler is different. steve can't forget his time in italy and who he is and was, and he's reminded of his old life in everyone and everything in hawkins. but not nancy wheeler. she's all hawkins and all his. and then the upside down happens.

and then nancy wheeler breaks his heart.

even after three years, his parents continue to ask when he'll go back to modeling, but he's different now. the upside down and billy hargrove beat that starry eyed little kid who thrived in the spotlight. and nancy wheeler proved that adoration and love is fleeting, so what would even be the point of trying anymore? his dad was a little more approving of steve's retirement/hiatus, saying that steve must want to go to college so he can take over the family business.

but when steve doesn't get into college, he's once again badgered by his mom to go back. but he's grown and changed and he's not sure that he can pretend anymore, so he says no. and they cut him off. enter: scoops era.

the measly scoops salary is not nearly enough to cover all of the new bills and expenses steve has, but he's not willing to leave hawkins. so he reaches out to his friends back in italy, and they refer him to their american connections. steve doesn't model at the same level as before, but he poses for a couple of zines and one artist who got a little too handsy at his exhibition. but he's able to make it through until the mall blows up.

this routine continues and he starts working at family video with robin at his side, but he keeps his side job a secret from the kids, using the excuse of visiting his parents to leave town for his shoots. he's not ashamed, but he knows he wouldn't "be normal" anymore if they found out.

but how does he explain his near mental breakdown at the sight of his healing demobat scars. they're raised and ugly, ruining what should have been a perfect body. and even though he uses scar cream everyday, they refuse to fade away completely. and how could anyone stand to be near such an ugly thing when all his life, steve was meant to be pretty? after all, love and adoration is fleeting.

[maximura]

[my-name-is-apollo]

Why is Hera so hostile to Leto in a manner that she isn't with the other lovers of Zeus? I can't think of any other woman who was targeted so much by Hera. One could say she didn't want Leto to give birth because her children would be a competition to Hera's children, but why bother her even after she had already given birth? Is it because Leto herself is also a threat to Hera?

Sort of I guess?

I don't think Leto would ever be a threat to Hera's role as the queen of the gods but Hera might see her as a competitor for Zeus' affection, even though I think Zeus would not marry someone else and replace Hera.

The twins are definitely a big reason why Hera begrudged Leto - it is outright stated in the Callimachus Hymn to Delos that the reason Hera especially targeted Leto was because she was told that Apollo would be dearer to Zeus than Ares is. Zeus is very proud of Artemis as well. As he himself puts it, he doesn't mind facing Hera's wrath for children like her.

But the continued hatred even after the birth of the twins (like sending Tityus to rape Leto) could have been for different reasons. This wasn't like one of those affairs Zeus would have with mortal women where he'd leave them behind once the child is conceived. Neither could Hera, despite her many attempts, get rid of Leto like she did with the other lovers. Not only did Leto give Zeus children that he loves dearly, she also stayed on Olympus despite Hera's hatred towards her (which isn't directed to any of Zeus' other divine mistresses, btw). It might have also been because Leto herself is dear to Zeus, if the way she's treated on Olympus is any proof. In the Homeric hymn to Apollo, Leto stands next to Zeus - in the Olympian assembly - to welcome their son. Hera is completely absent from the scene, as if Leto had taken her place even if temporarily. Now you could say this is because Apollo himself is such a powerful and glorious son in a way that no other son of Zeus is, so of course Leto would get such an honor (the hymn itself presents it this way).

But here's another instance - in the Iliad, when Hera goes to seduce Zeus, he is obviously very smitten but before getting into the action, he lists some of his lovers (I believe these were his favorite lovers, as a lot of others are not mentioned):

"for never has such desire for goddess or mortal woman so gripped and overwhelmed my heart, not even when I was seized by love for Ixion’s wife, who gave birth to Peirithous the gods’ rival in wisdom; or for Acrisius’ daughter, slim-ankled Danaë, who bore Perseus, greatest of warriors; or for the far-famed daughter of Phoenix, who gave me Minos and godlike Rhadamanthus; or for Semele mother of Dionysus, who brings men joy; or for Alcmene at Thebes, whose son was lion-hearted Heracles; or for Demeter of the lovely tresses; or for glorious Leto; or even for you yourself, as this love and sweet desire for you grips me now.’ (Book 14, trans. A. T. Murray)

Notice how when talking about most of them, he also mentions the children they bore to him but when Demeter and Leto are mentioned, he doesn't bring up their children at all despite them being some of the most accomplished kids of his. What's more, he takes Leto's name just before Hera's. I mean, this is an interpretation but it looks like not only did Zeus love Leto the most out of all his mistresses - giving her a place second to that of his wife, but also his love for her wasn't necessarily only because she gave him two amazing children.

Nonnus does something similar in the Dionysiaca (but this time Zeus is enamored with Persephone instead of Hera) but more notably, when Typhoeus attacks Olympus and Zeus is discouraged, Nike takes the form of Leto to encourage him and it's pretty telling of what Leto meant to Zeus.

One interesting similarity between Hera and Leto is that they both had a giant try to rape them. Porphyrion tried to violate Hera (Zeus inspired him to do this) and Tityus tried to violate Leto (upon Hera's order). Though both of them were killed, only Tityus got an eternal punishment in Tartarus of having his liver/heart eaten out by vultures so Zeus seems to have taken a greater offense at Tityus trying to assault Leto.

Again, I don't think Zeus would ever take anyone other than Hera as his permanent wife - she is irreplaceable to him. There's an entire myth about Hera leaving him and Zeus winning her back. Their relationship is obviously complex and involves all kinds of emotions including love and hate. But Leto is continually dear to him as well and that's something Hera can't do much about.

[gameraboy2]

Songs for Swinging Mothers

[hermesmoly]

Kinda crazy how more involved Zeus is with Hebe than he is with Eileithyia. Hebe has her father give her two talking doves, was the one who pushed to have her marry Heracles, one of his favorite sons (when Hera wanted Hebe to be married to Dionysus), and not to mention his old job as a cupbearer when Kronos was still king.

Compare that to Eileithyia who. Has nothing except for her role as Goddess of Childbirth despite her helping dad out with Apollo and Artemis

[thepastisalreadywritten]

•

Princess Diana Made Secret Tapes For The Future Bride of Prince William. ❤️

“Cherish my grandchildren. They carry my heart.”

Before her tragic, untimely death in a Paris car crash at 36 years old, Princess Diana thought she might die young and may never be able to meet the future wife of her son, Prince William, according to a friend of the late Princess of Wales.

Though she didn’t know her name then, Diana recorded an audio diary for Princess Catherine, a young girl living in Berkshire.

According to OK!, the friend — who asked to remain anonymous — said Diana got the idea after recording tapes for what would become Andrew Morton’s groundbreaking Diana: Her True Story (1992).

Even after the book was published, Diana continued talking into her little Sony cassette recorder, off and on, from 1992 until she died in 1997.

On the tapes, Diana offers motherly advice and reveals her hopes for the future of William and his respective family.

"As incredible as it seems, she told me she made the tapes for the day if she wouldn’t be around to help guide William.”

Diana asked for the tapes to be played at key points in her son’s future.

“That way, she could continue to be a part of their lives, even after she was gone,” the friend said.

“She thought it was quite clever — and loved the idea of being what she called a nagging mum from beyond the grave. She found it quite amusing.”

“This particular one was for William’s future wife,” the friend said.

“He was about 13 or 14 at the time, just discovering girls. Diana was fascinated by the idea that he’d marry and one day have his children. She was sure he’d be a wonderful husband and warm, caring father—more like her."

The friend said that Diana wanted William and his future wife to avoid divorce. This particular tape lasted about two or three minutes.

“What struck me was her honesty,” the friend said. “She was so sincere. You could hear it in her voice. She spoke straight from her heart.”

“It was so very moving,” the friend continued.

“I remember bits of it quite well, even after all this time. I was surprised she played it for me. And when it was done, we talked about the kind of girl William would marry.

She thought his bride would be beautiful, smart and independent. And, amazingly, she was right. Kate is all that and more.”

The tape shared memories of William’s childhood and Diana’s dreams of always wanting a daughter. Diana seemed to speak directly to Catherine when she said:

“Brace yourself for a one-way chat. We haven’t met, though I want you to know that I certainly wish we had.

I know I’d adore you, and we’d be fast friends. You have to be someone exceptional. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be my William’s wife.”

She gave marriage advice, specifically surrounding marriage as a future queen, saying:

“For your marriage to survive the public glare and the private pressures of royal life, it will take patience, compromise, understanding, trust, loyalty, and, of course, love,” Diana reportedly said.

“But you both must work at it. Daily. I’m sure you know my failings and those of William’s father. Learn from these mistakes. Build a relationship that endures. You deserve it. And so do your children.”

Diana then shared that her fondest dream for her and William was to have a life filled with love and joy and to raise happy, healthy children free of divorce, which both William and Diana had to endure.

“Family is the most important thing in life,” she said. “Cherish your children for me. They carry my heart. Let them know I love them and will always watch over them.”

The friend said she ended the tapes with a kiss and told William she loved him.

Though the friend wasn’t sure how many tapes Diana made or who was entrusted with making sure the recordings made it to William, the friend is confident that Princess Catherine had heard the tapes.

💙🥹🤍

[mxlissaliss]

Happy Mother's Day ft. Hades, Poseidon and Adam (RoR)

Notes: Just some headcanons of your sweet self choosing thoughtful gifts for your momma with the company of your dad, yippee. A bit too long, perhaps.

• That's it, and Happy Mother's Day y'all!

☠️ Hades

-These kinds of events were considerably insignificant for the Gods. They were immortal beings that have existed for eons, entire lifetimes of knowledge and infinite experience.

- Not for Hades, though, because both he and Persephone were so in love with you the moment you were born that, all of a sudden, counting the days started to make sense.

- Every year for Mother's Day, both you and Hades would work together to get Persephone a ton of presents that you knew she'd love.

- However, this year things went a little differently.

- There you were, walking through your private garden, meticulously picking different flowers for a beautiful bouquet you wanted to make for her, going through each one to examine it carefully. Your fingers inspected the petals, their texture, their color, how they smelled… Oh, and that was just a little detail. A servant behind you was carrying at least six bags filled with jewelry, perfumes, sweets and even more flowery gifts for you angel of a mother!

- And guess what, out of all those presents, your father had only chosen two. The rest of the contents inside those bags remained a mystery to him because an emergency meeting delayed his arrival to the shopping spree, and you already had those bags when he made an appearance.

- Speaking of your father, he was standing a few meters away from you, observing from afar. To say that he was shocked would have been an understatement.

- He was FLABBERGASTED because how in all of Helheim did you manage to outthink him when it came to choosing gifts? And for his beloved wife, no less?! Nonsense! He married Persephone eons ago and knew her better than anyone else, he was absolutely sure! So, uh…

- How the hell did you think of all those other gifts?

- Alright, you were as witty and thoughtful as him, that much he knew. His chest would swell with a warm feeling of pride whenever you managed to beat him at a chess game, or hold a discussion about usually difficult-to-talk-about subjects without stuttering at all.

- He also knew that you guys had similar taste for an awful lot of things, such as music, art, colors, decoration, literature, history, and so on. But even so, how could you possibly think so quickly about this huge amount of things for your mother when he couldn't?

- Wait, no, he was not going to act like a competitive idiot with his daughter. After all, he had promised Persephone last night to take her out for a fancy dinner, then an intimate walk through Helheim and, lastly, some fun time alone in their bedchambers.

- Still! Did you get the advantage because he was too focused on his endless workload that he somehow neglected a part of this special day for his beloved? Or was he finally getting old and doomed to be beat from now on by his own youngling?

- Oh, the sheer horror…

“Papaaa, is someone home?” You waved your hand before his eyes with a raised eyebrow, not knowing why your father seemed so out of it for a moment there. That was uncharacteristic of him.

Hades blinked a couple of times and sighed heavily, before cracking his serious expression with a proud smirk that made you smile, “It seems that you have surpassed your old man this year with the presents. Good to see, my child.”

You stared at him for a minute or two, before waving a dismissive hand with slightly colored cheeks, “Oh, no, none of that. You just wrote down the list of gifts for this year and left it unattended on your desk. Cerberus brought it to me last night thinking that it was a list of chores, and I came to realize after reading it that most of your ideas were the same as my own. Crazy, isn't it?”

- Oh, so that was it. He had to laugh loudly at that because it was so simple it became a joke.

- By the time you made it home, Persephone barely had a chance to speak before you jumped straight into her arms, grinning widely.

- Hades followed behind, handing her half of the gifts while you gave her the other half.

- In the end, the majority of the gifts you chose were the same ones he wanted to buy first, which earned you a hearty laugh and some head pats.

- Cerberus, of course, also received his well-deserved snuggles and belly rubs. What a good hellhound.

- While your mother opened her presents in delight, you recalled your father's words earlier today on the way home.

“It seems that we had the same ideas, huh? Well, let's just say that it all came from your wallet this year… Next time, though, it will be my treat.”

🌊 Poseidon

- Mother's Day? Gifts? Dinner date? What the heck were you even saying?

- Your father was known for a lot of things, but if you ever had to list the most important ones, you'd go with: first of all, a very busy man; second, a serious, powerful deity that rules his domain with an iron fist. Never doubts, never stutters and won't ever stand for any kind of bullshit; and third, an a*hole.

- You loved him, you really did, and you knew it was mutual. Out of all his offspring, you were the only one that he openly cared for (Triton also made it into that list, but not nearly as close as you).

- You also knew that he loved Amphitrite despite his apparent inability to show it. It was difficult to understand until you reached a more mature age, but even so, you couldn't help but wonder why out of all his brothers, your father was the worst when it came to being affectionate.

- This God could be so stubborn and irrational sometimes, he immediately declined all the offers you did without time for explanations.

- Nevertheless, all you had to do was use your ridiculously adorable and convincing puppy-dog-eyes to get him to go shopping for gifts with you a day before the occasion.

- The things is, presents have become an almost insignificant thing for your father, and you couldn't blame him for it, in a way.

- Wealthy like no other, feared and respected by every single deity out there, it was tacit that anything and everything would get straight into his hands should he ever ask for it. So… Choosing gifts for Amphitrite was not easy because it probably didn't even cross his mind. He could get her anything she wanted, whenever she wanted, so what was the point of doing it for a specific day?

- On your side, you had very good ideas and got a rather large selection of gifts for your beloved mother. She wasn't all that complicated to please, really. Handmade details and useful presents were her favorite, and you already had those prepared months back in your chambers.

- But your father was having a rather… Difficult time with this entire ordeal. You could say it was almost comical to see him glaring at a necklace made of blue pearls, as if it would burn from his gaze alone.

- Though, more than disgust or contempt, it was a look of condescension.

“Papa,” you approached him with a little smile, trying not to laugh at his expression, “I can tell you're having a hard time choosing something for mom… Need any help?”

- No response, he simply scoffed and turned around, leaving you alone with the servants at the boutique.

- Whatever, you kind of expected a reaction of sorts so you just shrugged it off and continued to look around for more presents. Your mother deserved to be spoiled, and everything was going as planned.

- Except for one little surprise you definitely did not foresee for the night; your father, sitting at his desk with a painfully focused expression as he inserted a new pearl in the thin, delicate and almost invisible silk threads. The gems gleamed with a soft blue light, but they also had this purple tone to them that turned pink at a certain angle. It was so beautiful…

- Wait, was he making a necklace? Ooooh, so that was it. He was glaring at the jewelry earlier today because he thought he could do better than that. Typical move from your tyrant of a father.

- But what made for a truly heartwarming sight was the tiny hint of a smile on his otherwise stoic face when he finished the necklet and held it up against the moonlight that entered through the skylight, and how he made sure to set it down gently inside a small gift-box that he grabbed from a drawer.

- Once again, you simply smiled and quietly leaned against the doorframe, not making a sound as to not disrupt his little moment.

- You immediately knew that your mother was going to be elated to receive a handmade gift from her usually cold husband.

- … Well, even if you knew that he was most likely going to deny the love allegations and hide it all behind a predictable “doing it out of pride and not because he knew that his wife liked handcrafted details” bullshit argument.

- The gift was what mattered, anyways!

🍃 Adam

- Quite the opposite from the other two, your father was even more excited than you at the prospect of Mother's Day.

- He loved Eve so dearly that any excuse to spoil her rotten with riches and gifts was valid. And you thought the same, because your sweet mother deserved it.

- However, Adam always ended up making it feel like a competition, which wouldn’t have been so bad if it weren't for the fact that he's always loved to rub it on your face every time he felt like he won.

- But this year? You wouldn’t let it happen again. You had enough!

- You grabbed your bag, your absurdly long list titled “present ideas for mama Eve A.K.A. Best Mama Ever” and headed out.

- … Welp.

- Time skip to six hours later, you had practically run through almost every single store your could find, and always came out with at least two items.

- Purse? Empty. List? Overdone. Brain? Fried? Blood circulation? Cut short because of all the heavy bags you were carrying. What's it called? Yeah, a successful shopping trip.

- Life was all sparkles, birds chirping and smiles, until…

“What?! You did not just get all of that for your mother!” That was your father's voice, and much to your utter surprise, he was holding lesser amount of items in his own arms (barely two or three bags less than you, actually).

“Papa! Do you need help carrying th-“ you paused, taking a few seconds to process the sight in front of you before an almost wicked smirk formed on your face. “Hah! I win, you old man! Time is up and I got mama the most things!”

- Adam was visibly irked by your mockery, but you were right, time was up because Eve was probably home waiting for the two of you, and taking extra time to get her more stuff would only allow you to go home to her faster. Crap.

- … You guessed right again. A race, which ended up in a tie after you both slammed the front doors open at the same time and with the same intensity (insanity).

“Mama!”

“My love!”

- At the sound of your voices, Eve came downstairs immediately. She was getting ready to go out after Cain and Abel suggested to go out for dinner, to celebrate the special day as a family.

- And oh, how beautiful she looked with her long, blonde hair styled up with soft curls, wearing a mesmerizing emerald green dress, and her angelic smile that always managed to outshine the sun itself.

- Your mother was the most beautiful woman in the universe, and both you and your father sighed contently at the sight of her.

“You are finally home! I was starting to get worried wh- ah!” Before Eve could continue, you shoved a flower bouquet in her arms while Adam quickly stood behind his wife, holding up her hair momentarily to put on a beautiful necklace with a leaf charm on her snow-white neck.

- Just like that, twenty more minutes passed, with you and your father practically burying your mom under her gifts one by one, until she had to laugh at the absurdity of it all. The two of you looked so comically concentrated on the gifts that all Eve could was grin warmly while being showered with your gentle (not really) affections.

- The sound of her laugh was enough to snap you out of your little trance, and seeing Eve so happy, overwhelmed with joy, you two finally toned it down a bit.

- In the end, you looked up at your dad and laughed in sync, not caring anymore about your silly little competition. At least, not for the time being. All that mattered was that your mother was happy and ready to enjoy a fancy meal and some quality time in family.

- Next year, though, you were definitely going to crush that old man of yours.

[xixovart]

“i would be a good mother” except it’s a twelve year old annabeth chase trying to convince herself that after all she’s been through she might still have it in her to love. that she wouldn’t be so prideful as to let her daughter die. right?

(lyr from not a lot, just forver - adrianne lenker)