#my boy khao really has the heart eyes DOWN like my god

[gunsatthaphan]

ray: sand is not even my type!!1!!

also ray:

[mythologyfolklore]

Trouble Earth-Born

(A/N: This fic is about the birth of Erikhthonios, one of the legendary kings of Athens. Contains mention of past attempted rape and attempt of indirect murder and insanity)

.

Athena wasn't quite sure of what to think, as out of nowhere a Protogenos manifested in front of her as a middle-aged woman holding a baby in her arms.

“Venerated Foremother”, she greeted the person in front of her.

“Daughter of Zeus and Metis”, the other returned.

To a mortal she would have seemed like your average chubby matron. But she radiated such raw and incomprehensible power, such cosmic and primeval might, that to a goddess like Athena there was no doubt, who she was.

Gaia, the Earth Mother.

The generous and the terrible.

The nurturing and the destructive.

The mother of the sky, the sea, the mountains, islands and the fair spirits of nature, also of the Titanes, the Hekatonkheires, the Elder Kyklopes … and the monstrous Typhon.

“What gives me the honour?”, Athena questioned the Protogenos.

The dubious honour. That she didn't say.

Gaia held out the baby she had been holding. “This is yours now.”

Athena's bright blue eyes grew to the size of saucers. “I beg your pardon?!”

“Do you remember that little non-consensual almost-tryst you had with the blacksmith god?”

Athena frowned. “As if a woman could forget something like that.”

“And do you remember, how you threw the cloth, which was soiled with his seed, onto the ground?”

“Oh … oh, holy shit, did I accidentally knock you up?! I'm so sorry!”

“I'm Mother Earth”, Gaia pointed out. “Do you have the faintest idea just how many children I have? I mothered half of the Kosmos, Ouranos included! That fucking arsehole”, she added, muttering. “Either way, this happens all the time. I'm used to it and I can't even say, that I mind. However, this baby here has a little of your essence within him. So congratulations, Pallas Athena, head-born daughter of Zeus – you are now a virgin mother.”

And before the goddess could protest, the Protogenos pressed the child into her arms.

Then Gaia sank into the ground and once more became one with … well, herself. Leaving a very flabbergasted Athena holding a godsdamn baby.

“Sooo …”, Athena sighed and regarded the child. It was a boy and he had jet black hair and big brown eyes, just like his father – but despite him being a baby, she could tell he had her aristocratic nose and her high cheekbones. “I guess you are my son now, huh?”

Whelp.

She might have been the goddess of knowledge and good counsel, but she was also a virgin goddess; she had no idea how to do this kind of stuff! This was something for … pretty much any other of the Olympians.

Oh well … she would just have to take responsibility and try to raise this child. After all, it wasn't his fault, that he had been conceived like that and there was no way she would approach the god, who had tried to rape her in his drunk delirium.

Somehow this troubling memory gave her the idea for a suitable name for the earth-born baby.

The baby cooed and stretched out his chubby little arms. Okay, that was cute.

Athena smiled: “Well, I suppose I will have to raise you in secret, so no one can find and tell the world about a virgin goddess having a child.”

And with the child in her arms, she flew away and off to her new city, the one that now bore her name: Athens.

.

“You want us to take care of this chest, Potnia¹?”, Pandrosos asked.

Athena, who was holding a small chest in her arms, confirmed: “That's right. I want you to take this wooden chest here to the chamber behind my altar and watch over it, until I come back in a few days. You don't have to do much, but always remember this: Do. Not. Open. This. Chest. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Glaukopis²”, the three daughters of Kekrops, king of Athens, replied in unison.

The bright-eyed goddess nodded: “Good. Now I need to tend to my other duties. See you in a few days. And I warn you, if I find out that you disobeyed my order to not look inside this chest, you will suffer a fate worse than death. Keep that in mind. Toodles!”

Then she returned to Olympos, before anyone there would question her absence.

.

A few days later, Athena was carrying a whole-ass mountain across Attica (how? Goddess strength, that's how!) for the Akropolis, when a crow joined her in flight.

“Oh, hello, Koronis!”, the goddess greeted the bird.

“Hello!”, the crow replied. “I'm sad to say, that I come with bad news.”

Athena stopped short. “What happened?”

“Well, you asked me to keep an eye on the Kekropides, if they would do as you told them, right? They didn't.”

Promptly the goddess dropped the mountain.

“They opened the chest”, she said blankly.

“Yes, but only Aglauros and Herse. Pandrosos doesn't know. I'm so sorry!”, the crow cried, “I tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn't listen!”

“It's not your fault, Koronis!”, Athena hissed, suddenly seized by wrath. “Oh, when I get my hands on those little bitches, they're going to get it! As for you, don't tell anyone of what you have seen, do you hear me?”

“My lips- I mean, my beak is sealed.”

“Good.”³

The wrathful goddess teleported herself to her temple in Athens, where she found Herse and Aglauros screaming hysterically on the floor.

With measured steps, Athena approached the chest. In it lay a baby, obviously none other than her earth baby, who was crying softly. A snake was coiled around him protectively and hissing aggressively, though it calmed down as soon as it saw Athena. The baby's upper body was normal, but from the hip downwards, his body was that of a serpent. As soon as he saw his adoptive mother, he stopped crying, bubbled happily and lifted his tiny arms.

“Hello, sweetie”, Athena cooed, completely ignoring the hysterical screaming behind herself. “Sorry for being away so long. But now I'm back.”

She picked him up and cradled him in her arms and he fell asleep in no time, while she was crying on the inside and desperately prayed to Khaos, Ananke and the Moirai, that she would be spared the shame of having to explain, why she was raising a child.

With blazing eyes and fury in her heart the war goddess turned to the mortal women, who were still having a mental breakdown on the floor.

And with a mighty, divine voice, she bellowed: “Go to the cliff behind my temple … and jump!”

The women, completely out of their minds, scrambled to blindly follow the goddess's order.

Athena followed them. She craved the satisfaction of seeing the ones who had dared to cross her fall to their deaths.

Imagine her surprise, when they jumped and she saw two flashes (one bronze, the other crimson) descend from the sky – and a second later, the two madwomen were caught in their fall.

“Hermes! Ares!”, Athena exclaimed.

“Hi, Athena!”, Hermes chirped, while struggling with a raving Herse in his arms.

“What's the meanin' of this?”, Ares demanded to know, as he was holding Aglauros in a vice-like grip (for a second Athena marvelled at his impressive pair of crimson wings, which he was beating to keep his stability against the wind and his struggling, screaming captive). “Why'd ya drive these two insane and make 'em jump off the Akropolis?”

Hermes nodded. “Yeah, we'd like an explanation. For that and for why you're holding a baby in your arms.”

Oh shit. She was still holding the little one in her arms and now her two half-brothers had seen him! Ares hated her and would be all too happy to rat her out, while Hermes was a notorious chatter box.

By Ananke, this really wasn't her day.

Athena forced herself to calm down and step back, so the two could land.

“Come inside my temple”, she sighed. “And I'll explain everything. And while we're at it, you could tell me, what you're doing here and why their worthless lives matter to you enough to save them.”

With a scowl she pointed at Aglauros and Herse, who were still winding themselves in the gods' arms.

“It's a deal”, Hermes accommodated her and he and Ares landed carefully.

“But first we gotta restrain these two”, Ares stated. “They're gonna hurt themselves otherwise.”

.

“So, lemme get that straight”, Ares said, as he nibbled at his ambrosia. “My brother Heph tried to assault ya, while he was drunk. You kicked his arse, because obviously. Then some of his cum got on your thigh, you wiped it off and threw it away, also because obviously. And then Gaia thought it would be hilarious to turn this soiled cloth into a baby and push it onto you, even though she knows, that you have sworn to remain virginal and childless forever.”

Athena nodded.

The older god scowled: “Yeah, that sounds like something that fucking arsehole Protogenos would do.”

The wisdom goddess almost chortled at that.

“And then”, Hermes jumped back to the original topic, “you put him in a box, asked the daughters of Kekrops to take care of the box and not open it. But they opened it anyway and went cuckoo. And you were mad at their disobedience, so you told them to jump off the Akropolis.”

“Correct”, Athena confirmed. Then her face darkened again. “And now it's your turn. How are you related to those two? Don't tell me you've slept with my servants!”

It was Ares, who answered: “Slept with them – no. Courted them – yeah.”

“Good”, Athena nodded. “Only virgins like myself are allowed to serve me.”

“Speaking of the two”, Hermes piped up, “can you please give them their sanity back?”

The warrior goddess's eyes narrowed. “Why? They had it coming! That's what you get for snooping and disobeying my orders.”

“Pleeeease”, Hermes begged. “We'll carry them far away from Athens and you'll never have to deal with them again! How are we supposed to get lucky with them, if they're insane?”

“Get yourself mistresses that aren't deal-breaking bitches?”, Athena deadpanned.

In that moment the baby kicked in his wrappings and began to whine. She sighed and picked him up.

“I was going to give him nectar and ambrosia, once he became immortal, because that's what I was planning to do. But now that he's mortal like any other human, I don't know what to do!”, the goddess lamented. “I'm the goddess of wisdom, but I'm also a virgin and I can't handle babies for crap!”

Ares frowned: “Yeah, that much is clear. Well, Daddy's Owl, how 'bout ya take some advice from an actual parent, who's got experience in bringin' up kids. First off: you're holdin' him all wrong. Do ya think the baby can hold its big head up by itself?”

Athena cringed and hurried to rearrange her hold.

But the war god just shook his head, came over and guided her arms to show her how to do it right, until she managed to do it to his satisfaction.

“Better. Secondly: he's hungry. He needs mother's milk. I suggest ya find him a nurse, 'cuz the way I see it, you're not the kinda woman to breastfeed a baby.”

“Right!”, Athena huffed. “You two don't happen to know someone, who won't go insane at the sight of him and his snake guardian and who can keep her mouth shut?”

“I could ask my mother”, Hermes proposed, albeit reluctantly. “She is silent, a recluse and has adamantine nerves. And once the nursing period is over, she'll just give him back to you.”

Athena thought for a moment, ere she consented.

“Alright, thank you. Now that this is settled, there is one more thing I have to ask of you, before I cure these two women of their insanity and let you take them away.”

“Whatever ya want”, Ares promised. “If it's in our power, we'll do it.”

Hermes nodded affirmatively.

Athena's face became stern. “I demand the most sacred oath. Ares. Hermes. Swear to me by Gaia, Ouranos and the freezing water that drips from Styx, that you will never tell anyone about this child. And Hermes, I want you to let Maia know, that I expect the same from her.”

The two gods didn't hesitate to swear this solemn oath.

The goddess of wisdom sighed: “I still don't understand what you see in those two. But whatever. A promise is a promise.”

She snapped her finger and the two mortal girls passed out. Really, the things she did for her family!

“There. When they wake up, they'll be sane again. I suppose this is your lucky day, because these two are so fired from my service! So, if they consent to it, couple with them as much as you want. I literally don't care what you do to them, as long as it isn't rape.”

“Of course not. Thank you, Athena”, Hermes smiled politely.

“One more thing!”, Ares requested. “Before we proceed any further, can I hold my nephew?”

Athena tilted her head. “Huh? Uhm, sure.”

With great care the god of terrible war took the baby from his half-sister's arms.

The infant didn't seem frightened of Ares at all, quite the contrary: it giggled and coiled its serpentine lower body around his wrist, when he made silly faces.

“Awww, you're such a big softie! I wish I had a camera!”, Hermes teased.

Athena smirked: “Yes, I never thought I would see that day! Look at that, the little one really likes you!”

“Don't make me stuff you two into the next best volute krater⁴”, Ares warned without turning his gaze from the little one. “I'm sure, I can find one big enough for you both.”

The other two chuckled, but ceased their teasing; they couldn't fight with a baby in the room.

Hermes addressed Athena: “By the way, what's the little one's name? You gave him one, right?”

“But of course”, she confirmed. “His name is Erikhthonios.”

.

---

.

1) Potnia - "Lady/Queen/Mistress" 2) Glaukopis - "Bright-eyed/Owl-eyed", an epithet of Athena referring to her bright eyes (which depending on the translation are either grey or blue). 3) In some accounts Athena punishes the crow - which up to that point is her familiar - for either telling the girls what was in the chest or for being an overzealous tell-tale, by turning its feathers black, giving it a croaking voice and banishing it from her company. That doesn't really make sense to me, so I didn't include that version. 4) Volute krater - a big ancient Greek jar, used for wine.

[tellywoodtrash]

ebss 20.08.19 lb

kabir ki saans toh gale mein atki hui hai.

pfffffft. baal baal bache. he whisked her away before pooja could get a look under the ghoongat.

jai ka tubelight ABHI jala hai.

mom's like i know you idiot, that's what i'm freaking out about.

idhar iska maaaaaaaa waala radar abhi bhi baj raha hai.

amma and shail, the world's most unlikely crime-fighting duo are on the case.

still not able to get over this utterly dumbass outfit. i wanna rip that badly-pinned dupatta right off his damn shoulder.

zyaada hi oversmartness with this plan. i need to blow up in his face, god please.

hoga nahi, since we all know he manages to marry her. ugh.

"woh amma aur uski bitiya koi na koi plan zaroor bana rahein hain..." lol his exasperation.

she has more fight in her with mehendi on her hands than otherwise also.

neither pooja nor kabir have noticed that the pallu has changed??? wonderful. two top class idiots in war against each other.

kabir hai ki kuch bhi badbadaaye jaa raha hai, and pooja's like i'm here to tell your bua the truth about your shitty fam.

lol sonali ki voice acting.

bhaiyya is impressed.

how did sonali get a grownass unconscious woman down there in the first place, and change her own outfit to boot?!?!!? kuch bhiiii.

amma and shail on a wild goose chase based on false clues kabir has planted at the railway station leading them away from the city. and pooja is distraught. oufffffff.

"you are so dead, kabir mittal!" omfg best words out of her mouth ever.

amma [literally and specifically]: we’re on the case, let everything be, DO NOT do anything stupid.

pooja: *takes a cricket bat and starts beating the fuck outta sleeping kabir*

orrrrrrrrrr not kabir.

lmaooooooooooo, oh noooooooooooo. my poor, sweet, idiot boy.

"amma yaad aa gayi? inki nahi, apni." hahahahahahahaha

pooja ki maar padi toh padi, yeh pada kabir ke taraf se bhi kohli style lofted cover drive. jo factory waale dinon se hi pending pada hua tha.

kabir's old army wala side is coming out and he's issued shoot at sight orders at any trespassing into his territory.

whoop, he's mad that the idiot chopras now know that he's got her mom, thanks to her.

(but i’m also literally lmao-ing that he called ranjeet a “chhapri”.)

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

ugh kabir wtfffffffffffffffff.

(also i can't stop shuddering from rage-michmichis coz i don't let anyone ever touch my face coz of possibility of acne, and this is just making my face tingle in a really bad way. i’ll have to do a clay mask after this.)

"meetha tum bologi nahi, aur is waqt mera meetha khaane ka mann kar raha hai." uhhhhhhhhhhhh????

don't do it, ho. NOT LIKE THIS.

"halwa." pft of course.

"kya hua, mooh mein paani aaya?" 

idk about her, but mera toh mooh mein paani is definitely not halwa-related. 💦💦💦😏😏😏

i too aspire to be a criminal like this, whose ransoms are all paid in food.

to ensure no fuckery with the halwa, it shall decide how he treats her mother it seems. ughhhhhh. fucker.

"aise sar pe kyun khade ho?"

"pata chala tumne zeher-veher daal diya toh? sab be-maut maare jaayenge."

lmao bitch, if she had to put zeher in your fam's food, woh toh yeh kabka kar chuki hoti... saara siyappa khatam hua hota tere army se aane ke pehle hi.

seedha seedha bol na taadne aaya hai, aise bahaane kyun dhundta hai.

lmao her faceeeeeeeee. god i love shrenu so muchhhh. my heart is truly breaking at the thought of not getting to see her every dayyyyyy.

"zeher nahi daala toh sugar ko bimaari se maar daalogi sabko? mujhe bhi, mere ghar waalon ko bhi? itniiii dushmani?"

he's playing, but pooja is this close to actually murdering the fuck outta him.

"khaana hai toh khao, nahi khaana hai toh bhaad mein jao." the line every desi girl needs to internalize, to throw at the shitty men in her life who do nothing in the kitchen but act like sanjeev kapoor when it comes to the eating bit.

omfg he's making her make it again. fucker.

PFFFFFT JUST ADMIT YOU'RE DOING THESE 2ND GRADE WAALE SATAANA TACTICS TO HANG OUT WITH HER AND STARE AT HER. WE ALL UNDERSTAND AND COMMISERATE.

AGAIN?!?!?!!!?!?!!? OMGGGGGGGGGGGG THIS CHUTIYA IS REALLY ASKING FOR IT.

he knew if he pushed her too far, aaj is kitchen mein hi shaamat aani thi. lots of sharp and flammable things lying around at her disposal.

"ab ek sarvagunn sampanna bahu ki tarah, vinamrata aur pyaar se mere gharwaalo ko jaake khilaao."

thook na dein yeh usmein??????

dadaji ko kisi ne plan nahi bataaya????? he still thinks that was kalyani.

chachi ko toh ofc nahi bataaya, coz woh arnab se kam thodi hai khabar phailaane mein.

NO MUMMY. YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL THEM THE TRUTH. ESP. NOT RIGHT NOW.

phew.

chaachi thinks pooja ne kaala jaadoo kiya hua hai halwe pe. kaash kiya hi hota.

mummy in two minds. wants to not chaupat karofy kabir's plan also, but doesn't want this wedding to go through either. koiiii faayda nahi auntyjiiiii. aapki idhar kab hi chali hai?

this meesni does not deserve halwa.

and you, stop creeping on their moment.

"kaash maa bhi mere haathon ka halwa chakh sakti."

don't think you've won my heart over just coz you're gonna give pooja her wish all secretly. hmph.

goddddddddddddd iski faltoo ki planning. saari fail hi toh ho jaani hai, why are we wasting time on itttttt????

lmaooooooooo idhar poor ranjeet is getting no relief only. dad is just thinking about his own benefit if he finds pooja's mom first.

that's it, i'm officially adopting ranjeet as my dumbass son. he shall be a fine companion to rudra singh oberoi. they can share that one brain cell between the two of them.

yeh toh kal khud dulhan banne pe tuli hai. what a surprise.

gtfo here with your kind eyes and halwa khilaana and promises.

kabir is absolutely determined to be mr. pooja sharma by tomorrow.

amma has fallen right into kabir’s laid trap with the false clues and vowing pooja won't have to marry. sigh.

aaaaa dekhein zaraaaaa. kis mein kitna hai dummm.

———————————————————————

kal god knows what all nonsense. i'm only here for shreZain in their nice outfits.

[thesesoftboys]

yooo are you taking prompts?? I just saw your ae and Pete fic there and it was sooo good. You’re a really talented writer. If you would be up to it, would you be able to perhaps do the first time ae/pete call each other some kind of pet name like baby? Or their first I love you? I absolutely love “firsts”. This is totally up you, no pressure at all to do this!

wheee more prompts! send me MOAR im so productive…hope you like this, nonnie :)

-

The sudden rain forces nearly everyone to converge in the cafeteria, grumbling and changing lunch plans and flicking water out of hair. Ae wipes the drops on his phone screen, checking to make sure it’s fine. He should probably get a new phone, something water resistant, but it’s not a priority right now. He frowns as someone jostles past him and he takes a few steps back, then openly scowls when cold water drips from the ceiling down to his back.

‘Excuse me,’ he grumbles as he weaves in and around people until he’s standing just inside the cafeteria, by the entrance walkway.

Ae: It’s raining hard, maybe we should just meet up later. Pete: I’m already on my way. Ae: OK. Find someplace closer to park. Pete: :)Ae: Text me when you arrive.

Pond: Ae! I found a table! It was a bloodbath to get it! Ae: I’m waiting for Pete. Where are you?

Somewhere in the distance, someone shouts, ‘Shorty!’ A hand waves frantically in the air at the other right side of the cafeteria.

Ae: Fuck. You. Pond: Haha you found me anyway XD

Pete: I’m here, Ae. Ae: I’m right by the entrance.

He’s not ashamed to say he stands a little on tiptoe to find Pete, who’s easy to spot amidst the ceaseless flow of students trying to get out of splash zones, apologising and ducking his head as he bumps into every other person. Ae reaches out and snags Pete’s hand before Pete can pass him by, and Pete blinks and then smiles at him. Pete is slightly damp from the rain and Ae tugs him towards a less crowded spot.

‘Didn’t you use an umbrella?’ asks Ae, wiping at Pete’s brow with the heel of his palm.

‘I forgot where I put it,’ says Pete sheepishly. ‘It just started raining all of a sudden. I think I saw Can trying to make it somewhere dry under his bag. I was going to offer him a ride but he was too far ahead.’

‘Tin can fuss over him.’

Pete smiles. ‘Like what you’re doing, Ae?’

Ae, who’s busily wiping down Pete’s shirt, taps him lightly on the cheek. ‘You’re spending too much time with Pond. Come on, I’m starving. What do you want to eat?’

Pete startles again when Ae twines their fingers together, and Ae resists the impulse to bring them someplace private and kiss the daylights out of Pete when Pete bites his lip and looks shy. Pete is adorable and Ae’s heart clenches at this latest display of that. Not the right time, he tells himself as he leads Pete to their table.

‘Dude, what took you so long?’ Pond demands as soon as they arrive, dumping their bags on the table. ‘Do you know how many people I had to fight to the death to stop them from sitting down?’

‘There’s a lot of people here, we could share,’ says Pete, and as if summoned, three boys appear with their trays and hopeful smiles.

Pond rolls his eyes and waves a hand at them. ‘Fine, fine, you guys can sit with us. Save a spot for Ping!’

Ae briefly scans the food stalls nearest them and then turns to Pete. ‘So, your choices are rice or soup?’

Pete sneezes out of the blue, then looks sheepishly at him.

Ae laughs. ‘Soup it is, babe. I’ll be back.’

He heads towards the stall with the shortest queue, reading the menu as he plucks his wallet out of his pocket. Pond catches up with him, apologising and making excuses to the other people as he squeezes in behind Ae.

‘Ae, I can’t believe you!’ Pond exclaims right into Ae’s ear.

Ae elbows him away. ‘Shit, personal space, Pond!’

‘Yeah, as if you do that to Pete.’

Ae gives Pond a dirty look over his shoulder.

Pond points a finger at him. ‘Oh, my God, you don’t even know!’

They shuffle forward in the queue. ‘What?’

‘I mean, I thought you were doing that on purpose to tease Pete. Did you see how red his face was? It was amazing!’

Ae stops and turns around to look at Pond grinning knowingly at him. ‘What?’He tries to look back at Pete but there are too many bodies blocking his view.

Someone clears their throat behind them and Ai and Pond obediently move. Pond keeps smiling like an idiot and Ae resists stepping on his foot. ‘Just spit it out already.’

‘That’s what Pete said - fuck, OK, sorry!’ Pond flinches back away from Ae’s foot and laughs, limping in line.

Ae’s eyebrow twitches. ‘Pond.’

Pond corals his giggles and slaps Ae on the shoulder. ‘You called Pete babe. Do you even remember that? Like, it’s not a big deal, except it’s Pete who’s shy as fuck, and it’s you. This is hilarious. Wait until Ping hears about this.’

Ae scowls. ‘So, what?’ Even as he says it, he can feel the blush spreading on his cheeks, his heart pounding. Did he really call Pete that? He can’t even remember. It doesn’t sound like him. Ae says the word in his head and thinks of Pete. Babe. Baby. Somehow, though, it fits. An open show of affection, a declaration in itself. He wonders if Pete likes to be called nicknames, if his lips will curl just that little bit deeper until his dimples appear. What if Pete calls Ae something? He can’t help but run through the pet names he knows: baby, darling, sweetheart, honey. They all sound gross, to be honest, but one of those words coming out of Pete’s mouth in relation to Ae -

‘Dude.’ Pond’s pointy elbow brings him back to reality, where it’s still raining and the lunch lady is impatiently waiting for him. He gives his orders and moves to the end of the counter to grab some utensils and pay.

Pond smirks at him as he receives his plate. ‘I can see you thinking too hard about this.’

Ae grabs his tray and waits for Pond. ’What?’

‘My inexperienced friend,’ says Pond, and Ae would hit him with the tray if he could, ‘it’s no big deal. That’s just how relationship works. You call each other special nicknames.‘

‘Should I keep calling him that?’ asks Ae, side-stepping past a drenched senior cursing up a storm.

‘Up to you, Ae. You don’t force these things. Though, I suggest you do, because you have got to see Pete’s adorable face when you do it!’

Ae’s pulse picks up as they near the table, but Pete’s not there. He puts his tray down and looks around.

‘He’s buying some milk tea,’ one of the guys tells him. ‘Said he’ll be back real quick.’

Pond rounds the table and sits down with a smug look. ‘Pete knows you too well, Ae.’

Ae ignores him and places Pete’s tom kha gai on the table, then leaves his own dish on the tray because there’s nowhere to put it. Pond starts to eat and talks to the guys at their table, soon to be Chemical Engineers who play for the basketball team. Ae is distracted, watching out for Pete, and Pond nudges his foot under the table and gestures behind Ae.

‘You didn’t buy me anything?’ Ping asks as he squeezes next to Pond. He brandishes his drink in Pond’s face. ‘Pete bought me tea but you couldn’t get me some khao?’

Pete sits down beside Ae and hands him a plastic cup, smiling softly, the corner of his bottom lip caught between his teeth.

‘Thanks,’ says Ae, ‘Pete.’

It’s as natural as breathing; it’s not a nickname but it’s still a special word, the letters softened with fondness. It might as well mean babe or you’re important to me or I like you. He doesn’t have to worry about this sort of thing. It’ll happen naturally, like Pond said.

Across from them, Pond winks at Ae and makes kissy faces so Ae has to kick him on the shin.

[bitchyunknownstarlight-blog]

 Among the Hmong – Sapa, Vietnam

    Nestled in the north of Vietnam, several hours from Hanoi, near the border with China lies Sapa, a misty trekker’s paradise in the mountains. The true beauty and charm of this area lies nearby in the valleys and tiny hilltribe villages. The hike through the terraced farmlands and epic scenery to a local Hmong village for a homestay is not-to-be-missed on your journey to ‘Nam. Live like a local while exploring the terraces on foot, chatting with your fam, feeding the family hogs, and testing the traditional bamboo tobacco bongs while shooting rice wine around the fireplace.

Party Vibes  ~ C+

Beauty ~ A

Dopeness ~ B+

Photo cred: Sara Circo

Our homestay Family’s mother rockin a Pulsera Project

Photo cred: Sara Circo

Boys caught fish here all day

Trek to the Hmong Village

  9. Street Art Capital – Penang, Malaysia

    Get lost in the stylish drags of southeast Asia’s destination for street art lovers. Hate cats? Well Bruce Lee kicks the shit out of a furry tabby in one of Penang’s most iconic installations. Hit the funicular railway to the top of Penang Hill to peep a bird’s eye view of this splendid city along the Andaman coast.

Party Vibes  ~ B+

Beauty ~ C+

Dopeness ~ B

Limestone Monsters – Halong Bay, Vietnam

  Off the coast of Northeast Vietnam, thousands of massive limestone formations jut from the emerald water topped by jungle. Mr. Baba’s junk boat led us past marine villages to a floating dock with kayaks. Hands down the coolest place I’ve ever paddled. We explored tunnels and coves while bright fish and coral radiated from below. You can also rock climb most of the cliffs, hike around the island, or have a dive. Our mood was temporarily dampened by freezing cold rain, but Baba saved the day with ice cold 333s and some bamboo tobacco bong hits!! Once the storm passed, the sky grew into an amazing hue that made this an unforgettable travel destination.

Party Vibes  ~ B

Beauty ~ A+

Dopeness ~ A

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Baguettes & Waterfalls – Luang Prabang, Laos

    This UNESCO World Heritage site is probably the most charming city in Southeast Asia. It’s built on a peninsula formed by the graceful Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers in the heart of the mountainous region of northern Laos. The Kuang Si Waterfall is a resonating cascade, with enough swimming holes and hiking trails to keep you busy all day. When the French occupied this city in the early 20th century, they left behind a unique, oriental blend of architectural style and cuisine. Let’s face it, SE Asia just plain sucks at making sandwiches. But the tasty baguette has survived the ages! Coupled with quaint coffee shops and monk-filled temples, this city is a must for backpackers and affluent tourists alike!

Party Vibes  ~ C+

Beauty ~ B+

Dopeness ~ B++

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Floating Bliss – Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

    If you’ve ever thought to yourself ‘Shit, I really wanted to go to Jurassic Park but not get eaten by dinosaurs!’ then Khao Sok is the next best thing.  I actually feel a bit unfaithful even sharing this treasure because it’s literally Thailand’s best kept secret. One of the reasons why it’s so incredibly special is because it’s unquestionably beautiful and you practically have it to yourself. The Riverside Cottage resort can arrange overnight stays on their floating bungalows in the pristine Cheow Lan Lake. An hours ride on a long tail boat takes you through bobbing limestone mountains to your peaceful, floating oasis. Basic(and I do mean basic) bungalows await you as do your kayaks tied to your front “porch”. You may be lucky to see wild elephants as they often come here to bathe and play. The hikes through the lake’s interior islands are quite the spectacle to say the leech.

Party Vibes  ~ C

Beauty ~ A+

Dopeness ~ A+

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Pearl of the Orient -Hong Kong

   “You know, you sound a lot like you’re from Kowloon Bay as opposed to Hong Kong.” My pre-teen obsession with Cassandra from Wayne’s World was the sole reason I went to Hong Kong. Thank God I did because it’s by far my favorite big Asian city I’ve visited! It’s super diverse for a small island-nation and boasts activities for every type of traveler. There’s history and street food, hiking and surfing, surreal art and nightlife, and just culture galore. If she was a president, she’d be Babe-raham Lincoln.

Party Vibes  ~ A

Beauty ~ B+

Dopeness ~ A

Reef(er) Madness – Koh Tao, Thailand

    It’s hard to beat the feeling of waking up on Christmas morning and running straight into the crystal-clear blue waters of Thailand’s gulf. Koh Tao, or Turtle Island, is also one of the top destinations in the world for learning how to SCUBA dive. With over 30 easily accessible dive sites, you can get open water certified for under $300 usd. It’s off-the-beaten-path-ish location means you’re free from the throngs of tour groups and jumping pictures. Koh Tao is Dope AF!!!  

Party Vibes  ~ A+

Beauty ~ A+

Dopeness ~ A++

Photocred: Morgan Leigh

Xmas morning 2014

Dope Jelly!

Pineapple Fish

Two Dang Farangs Floatin

Stunning Ruins – Angkor Wat, Cambodia

    I’ve always been fascinated by ancient ruins, and Angkor Wat is the largest and most extensive religious monument in the world. Stretching over 150 sq miles, colossal temples and structures remain beautifully intact, dotted around the now UNESCO site. These structures from the age-old Khmer empire date back as far as the 9th century!! That’s some ancient dopeness! Masters of their craft. Being inside their temples and seeing their stone artistry face to face made it easy to envision yourself living in its heyday. And that’s an experience that is priceless my friends!!  

Party Vibes  ~ A-

Beauty ~ A

Dopeness ~ A+

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 Stairway to Heaven – Ubud, Bali

    There are not many spots on Earth doper than Bali, Indonesia, so it’s no surprise that it made my Top 5. Ubud is the type of place, if your travel plans had no constraints, that you could stay for months on end without getting bored. It’s the artistic center of the island and fascinating sculptures and color envelope the landscape as far as the eye can see. Hike through neon green rice paddies fringed with lush jungle to hidden monkey temples. Hindi temples and shrines accompanied by chanting monks provide for a surreal stroll through the lively streets. Find ultimate zen and meditate the shit out of your chakras ‘cuz you’re never leaving this place!!!

Party Vibes  ~ A-

Beauty ~ A+

Dopeness ~ A+

Photo cred: Kim Strever

Photo cred: Kim Strever

Photo cred: Kim Strever

Motorbike Mania – Mae Hong Son Loop, Thailand

    I never knew the true addicting quality of the open road until I was full-throttle with my best friends, weaving through northern Thailand on my motorbike. This 4-5 day, 375 mile motorbike loop takes you through mist covered roads and the stunning landscape of Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province. This off-the-grid exploration feels like Thailand’s last great frontier of the unknown. Yes I know, Pai is not on my list. That’s because it’s part of the loop. Getting to Pai after 3 days on your motorbike is like driving into hippy heaven. If you’re not covered in stone bracelets, bamboo tattoos, bandages from a moto wreck, and tank tops you’ll seem out of place.  You meet all walks of life here, and like Ubud, you’ll definitely want to stay longer than planned. On the loop you’ll find 50 Shades of Dopeness, and you’ll walk away having temporary cured your [adventure] travel bug.

Party Vibes  ~ A+ (Pai, everywhere else, not so much)

Beauty ~ A+

Dopeness ~ A++

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Lifetime Dopeness Achievement Award ~ BANGKOK, THAILAND

My all-time favorite Asian city to work and play is the hometown hero of Bangkok. I love this city so much it def deserves its own 10 slots of dope spots. My 2nd home in the Land of a Thousand Smiles will always have a special place in my heart. Peace out Thailand!!! Sawat de krap!!

Feet danglin’ off the edge of the helipad

We just call this place “Khao Soy” because we order it most every time and its amazing!

Pad thai w prawns….soi 38

“Can we dance with yo dates?”

The main khlong

Veggie Vendor on Soi 101/1

Farang Dave’s Top 10 Dopest Destinations of Southeast Asia  Among the Hmong - Sapa, Vietnam     Nestled in the north of Vietnam, several hours from Hanoi, near the border with China lies Sapa, a misty trekker’s paradise in the mountains.

[gunsatthaphan]

I want to share sonething that I came across on twitter, not personally but by account that I follow that came across it

So apperently some fans of MLC are not happy that so many people, including Aof and EM themselves, are praising First for his acring pointing out that doing so people are dismissing the other actors(probably mostly EM) and this makes me first of all sad cuz my boy put his whole heart into this role and is being finally recognized for the talented actor that he is!

Now I get that Alan as a character is kinda polarizing cuz he is the ex that is unable to let go(tho understandably so considering what we know as of now cuz Wen didn't make a real clean cut with him cuz they still live together, probably for money porpuses, sharing even the bed! like use the damm couch and alternate one night each! and they also didn't tell anybody they split so...) with some controlling and anger issues and I get why some wouldn't like him, but that is the character are you so unable to discern the 2 that you have to trow hate torwords First as well? also cuz we that praise First are also praising all the other casts members cuz they are all doing an amazing job!

Do we have to praise only some actors but others have to stay unrecognized? why? It also seems like they don't have the same problem with GF being praised since the forst episode but when it comes to First they raise the pichforks

Not to get started with the AlanGaipa discorse cuz that has been a fight point since the end of The Eclipse for various reasons...

it really comes down to the fact that his character is the one that can drive a wedge between Jim and Wen and as a reflection EM and some people cannot accept that one character could make them look not perfect and flawed having to resort to petty behaviour taking it on First

Sorry for the rant I didn't know where to express this feel free to not answer I understand I just felt sad cuz First is amazing and is one of the sweetest and nicest people evere and he is loved by everybody especially EM and also an amazing actor that stayed in the sideline for years and fans of Earth should know how that feels cuz gmm did the same to him for years! and his having finally his moment with his best friend with both being finally seen for theys skills

again sorry for the long ask, people suck and are way to biest cuz if you have to resort to dismiss a good performance of someone that is a friend of your faves you should reevaluate yourself as a "fan"

peace and love to all the people that love First and non toxic fans of other ships!

god I'm too old for this sjdkgfd 😩

but still thank you for sharing anon.

I stay away from these things as much as possible so I don't really have an insight but I mean,,, what can I say. fandom wars are as old as time and I'm just rolling my eyes. I find it hard to believe that people are actually hating on First just because he's getting praised instead of EM lmao? also why would complimenting a support actor indicate that the mains are being neglected? what bullshit lmao.

The thing is that FirstKhao and GemFourth have a pretty large fanbase which is probably bigger than that of EarthMix atp so their fandom getting defensive and resenting the praise that the others are getting is not far fetched. But to attack others because of it is nothing but childish and I want no part of that lmao.

It doesn't take much to see that this is a highly professional & dedicated cast and everyone is giving it their all - I like some characters more than others but hat has nothing to do with the cast. EarthMix have an undeniable chemistry despite the script not being 100% perfect. The praise for First is justified as he is doing a good job but it's not like he's outshining the rest of the cast. He's doing his role justice but he's not a main character. Same goes for Khao and also Gem and Fourth. None of them are stealing the spotlight from anyone as they're all equally good? To me the differences lie in the writing of their characters. I for one like Alan, Jim and Gaipa more than Wen, Heart and Li Ming but that doesn't mean I'm disregarding anyone lol. So I don't get what these people are on about lmao.

still thank you for sharing and I agree. some people need to touch some grass and it's a lot more than I initially thought. sigh.

xxx

[mythologyfolklore]

Ares and Athena through the years - Ch. 06

Chapter six: Grief and reconciliation

.

The Olympians had now got a new member: Dionysos, the new god of wine, madness, theatre, parties, vegetation and the afterlife.

But it wasn't celebrated as much as it would have normally. The young god didn't mind; he knew why and he understood, that this was no time for a party.

They would have been thirteen now, but Hestia had given up her place in favour of him, thus they stayed twelve. Athena found, that the round looked kind of … incomplete without Hestia.

But her chair wasn't the only empty one.

Two other deities, who were still here, but hardly showed their faces these days, were leaving their places at the table vacant. Yet, when they did show up, they often killed the mood in the room, just by looking like the Algea¹ themselves. Zeus tolerated it, as he could relate to their grief.

Ares and Aphrodite looked strange in mourning attire.

Crushed, far less alive, mere shadows of their former selves.

Clad in black from head to toe, no jewellery or armour, they even were wearing ashes.

Aphrodite's lovely hair had been shorn, the way mortal women did, when mourning. It was odd to see the bright love goddess wear nothing but black. Her duties no longer delighted her, nor did the other Olympians ever hear her bell-like laughter these days.

Ares was neglecting his job entirely and never looked anything but weary, broken and defeated. He had dark rims under his eyes and always seemed close to either tears or a fit of anger. And he had taken to wearing a brooch with Harmonia's face engraved on it.

Dear, blameless Harmonia, Ares' and Aphrodite's beloved daughter and sunshine, who was gone, gone forever, who would never come back, who had forsaken divinity … who was dead.

It was still so hard to believe for everyone.

Goddesses didn't die.

Only once had Athena seen a goddess die: her first friend, whose name she had adopted to honour her. Except that Pallas had simply become one with Pontos² again.

She was, in a way, still there.

Not so Harmonia; she was really, truly dead and nothing would ever bring her back.

.

Ares knew, that the rest of the family had trouble stomaching this too.

Even for him and Aphrodite it was hard to believe, and even harder, if not impossible, to bear.

My lovely daughter, my little sunshine, my joy and pride, my sweet child, she is gone, gone, she will never come back, she is dead, dead, dead-

Both parents had fallen silent.

They rarely spoke anymore and if they did, it was always about Harmonia. They didn't know how else to cope with their grief.

For their divine children it was the same.

Once they'd had a fight with their youngest sons Phobos and Deimos, who had confronted them and doubted, that if one of them would die, their parents would be remotely as affected. The fight had escalated into screaming, shattered earthenware and broken furniture, but had ended in tears and a group hug.

Ares could understand and relate to this, his children's worry, still he didn't want to hear such an accusation ever again.

There were moments, when the pain got too overwhelming, that Aphrodite would randomly burst into tears or wails and Ares would clench every muscle in his body, trying to suppress his emotions.

They both knew why things had come to this.

Ares had known before Aphrodite had.

The necklace … the necklace Hephaistos had once given Aphrodite (after their divorce, after the incident had happened), who in turn had given it to her daughter as a wedding gift.

That cursed piece of jewellery that, as Ares soon had found out, had been made with malicious intent.

Dionysos (this boy, who was both his half-brother, his nephew and his daughter's grandson, this god of madness, who had caused part of the trouble) had been the one to point it out.

And once Ares had actually taken a look at the necklace of Harmonia, it had dawned on him.

The necklace had been made by Hephaistos, obviously, but he had also recognised the handiwork of Eris, the baleful essence of her and her children. Whatever way the blacksmith had persuaded her and the Kakodaimones to help him was beyond Ares, but that wasn't the point. It was oozing with misfortune and woe.

And then he remembered overhearing a conversation between the smith and his new wife, Aglaia.

The thing was fucking cursed.

The maker had wanted her to suffer for her parents' crime.

My Harmonia, my child, he wanted her to suffer for something that was mine and Aphrodite's fault, he wanted to hurt her, because she reminded him of the incident.

The realisation had made Ares burst into dreadful laughter, terrifying every living being within a hundred mile radius.

Of course.

How could he ever have assumed, that his brother would possibly gift something to the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, to the girl who had been conceived on that disgraceful day.

How could he ever have hoped that Hephaistos would forgive them?

.

Of course Hephaistos hadn't forgiven them.

He hadn't forgiven Ares and Aphrodite for betraying him, so how could he have forgiven their daughter to come from it?

At first he had wanted to take his wrath out on them directly, but had quickly noticed, that they themselves left no opening for the curse to work (then again, Ares was friends with Eris and her brood of evil, so he was probably completely immune to their vibes).

Aphrodite giving the accursed necklace to her daughter had just been a stroke of luck; Harmonia, a third generation goddess with a mortal husband and children, had been a lot more vulnerable to the baleful curse of her wedding gift.

Deep down, the smith had felt sorry for his niece, even though under his friendly facade he had always loathed her for being spawned under such circumstances. Still there had been no denying, that she had been sweet and innocent and hadn't deserved to suffer.

Yet, his pity had been drowned out by the grim satisfaction of seeing her parents heartbroken over their daughter's misfortune and subsequent death.

Maybe one day he would regret, what he had done, but that day was yet to come. For now his heart was flint.

.

As Athena followed Aglaia through the smithery, the Kharis seemed to be far more sober than usual.

“Approach him with care”, she warned the wisdom goddess, “He's in a really bad mood today.”

“I can imagine”, the taller woman muttered. “Don't worry. I can handle this, I know what to do.”

Aglaia nodded in acknowledgement, but whispered: “Alright. Just don't say their names. And don't mention the incident.”

She bowed courteously and saw herself out.

Athena took a deep breath, before going deeper into the workshop.

Don't say their names … that would be impossible, because she was here on their behalf.

“Hey, Athena. I know you and I hate each other, but can you do me a favour …?”

Once Ares had told her, she hadn't been able to refuse.

The blue-eyed goddess needed to look for a while, until she spied Hephaistos hunched over a desk, doing precision work. His face was stone and he was currently burning brightly, not bothering to keep his flames inside his body.

In a really bad mood, Aglaia had said – what an understatement! If the normally composed smith was on fire, that could only mean that he was on the verge of exploding!

It was only when his hands were free, that Athena knocked on the door frame to make herself known.

He turned his head.

Holy Khaos, if looks could kill even gods, she would have dropped dead on the spot!

“Your shield isn't done yet!”, he snapped at her and sparks fell out of his hair.

She swallowed her agitation and replied: “I'm not here because of that. I'm here, because someone asked me to give you a letter and didn't trust Hermes to do it.”

Hephaistos stared at her and his flames died down.

After muttering an apology for his rudeness, he pushed his wheelchair around the desk and offered her a stool.

“Do you want some nectar?”

“No, thank you. As I said, I'm only here because of the letter.”

The smith was obviously still extremely pissed off, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before speaking.

“Athena, if this is a letter from Ares, give it back to him and tell him to shove it up his-”

“Listen to me!”, she interrupted him. “I didn't read this, but he came to me, even though he hates me, and asked me for help. So this has to be important!”

“… Fine.”

“When he gave me this, he mentioned another letter he sent you before.”

Hephaistos scowled and confirmed, that he had indeed received a letter – more than a millennium after the incident.

Athena lifted an eyebrow. “You didn't read it, did you? He suspected it too. Said, that this time he wants you to read it in my presence. I hate to admit it, but sometimes he does use the single-digit number of braincells he has.”

The smith snorted at the jab, but told her to wait here, rolled out of the room and came back with another, seemingly far older scroll of papyrus.

“You are both right, I didn't read it”, he admitted. “But for some reason I couldn't bring myself to burn it either.” A sigh. “After all, no one has ever gone through remotely as much trouble as to write me a letter.”

“Maybe you want to read that one first”, she proposed.

Hephaistos scowled down at the scroll in his lap. But after unrolling it, he blinked.

“Huh. The prick sure has clean handwriting.”

Oh. That really was unexpected. However, it didn't matter right now.

“What are you waiting for?”, Athena urged.

He puffed his cheeks. “I still don't see a point in reading it. It's probably something really offensive about me stealing his girl or some shit.”

She chuckled. Yes, that sounded like something Ares would have written after the incident.

“Well, can he make you any angrier than you already are at him?”

“I guess not.”

“Then read it anyway. And if it pisses you off, burn it. But at least you'll have read it.”

The blacksmith rolled his eyes, but gave in. “Alright.”

Clearing his throat, he began to read:

“Dear little brother,

since that golden net incident, you have never given me the chance to tell you, how I feel. And because you won't listen to me, I'm sending you this letter. I beg you, read all of it. When you've finished, you can burn it, if you want, just … hear me out …”

Athena looked over his shoulders, as he read it to her.

She was actually impressed.

Never ever would she have pinned Ares to write something even remotely as deep.

If she hadn't known better, she would have thought it was Aphrodite's hand – but it obviously wasn't; her writing was cursive and ornate, as opposed to Ares' clean, but plain hand.

Except that what he had written was so genuine and candid … alright, it was definitely Ares.

Hephaistos read everything, but his voice grew shakier with every paragraph.

By the end, he was full-on crying.

“Fucking arsehole!”, he choked and burned the letter in his hands, “First he gives me a lesson about love, rubs his relationship with Aphrodite in my face and then he tells me, that he loves me?! Of all the things he could have written, this …”

Gently Athena stroked his back, as he sobbed into his hands.

It took him a while to compose himself.

.

The goddess of wisdom had left, after reading the second letter to him, as he had asked.

Hephaistos just needed some time alone.

He … he didn't know how to deal with this.

Everything was way too much and too confusing and he needed distance.

The other gods could wait for their stuff. Or they could just ask his assistants to finish the crap.

He would go on a holiday trip.

Far away from Olympos.

Preferably even away from Hellas.

Sicilia?

That was the place.

He hadn't seen Vulcanus in a while.

.

“… And that's basically, what happened.”

“Hm …”

Vulcanus peeked at his Greek colleague from behind his cup.

“Let me check, if I got this right”, he spoke, “You avenged yourself on the adulterers by placing a curse on their innocent daughter. A girl, who never did anything to you aside from that one flaw she can't help – that she was conceived through adultery – which, as I just said, really isn't her fault, who was pretty much as pure as the rays of the sun above”, the Italian god commented. “Well, I'm not going to question your motives. But do tell me: are you proud of yourself and of what you have done to Harmonia?”

Hephaistos didn't answer immediately. He was just stubbornly staring into the fire.

Alone, Vulcanus already knew the answer, long before the older god spoke.

They didn't meet often, but knew each other oddly well – as if they were brothers.

Perhaps in a sense they were.

Finally Hephaistos admitted: “No, I'm not.”

The Italian god cleared his throat: “Y'know, I have found, that time can fix that kind of shit. Revenge isn't always needed. Besides, you already exposed and publicly embarrassed them and divorced Aphrodite, it was not necessary to get back at her. Why make a cruel and complicated revenge plan, when you can just … let it go? I know it's easy to say and hard to do, but it's true. Think about it; is she that important to you, that you cannot forgive their betrayal, even after thousands of years? Trust me. Revenge isn't always the right thing. It doesn't make you a good person in any way.”

The Greek god sighed in obvious frustration.

But his facial features gradually softened into a pensive expression.

Eventually his face became determined, he muttered a begrudging “Ugh, fine”, rolled his wheelchair around and bid his colleague goodbye.

“What will you do now?”, Vulcanus wanted to know, as he stepped aside to let his colleague out.

Hephaistos turned around and was (surprisingly) smiling.

“Travel to Illyria. I'm going to meet with an old friend.”

.

“Thank you for the ride, Helios”, Hephaistos thanked his driver.

The sun Titan laughed merrily: “Hey, anything for my best buddy! Besides, I understand what you're up to, man. You sort things out and if you need a ride back to Olympos, just call me up, 'kay?”

The blacksmith god smiled: “Sure.”

“Alright!”, the Titan exclaimed and jumped back onto his chariot, “I'll continue my trip across the sky, before your king gets the vapours.”

The younger deity could only giggle.

The Titan grinned, before spurring his horses and riding off.

With a fond smile Hephaistos looked after Helios. The gods could say about that guy what they wanted, but he was a really good and reliable friend.

But his smile faded immediately, as he turned to the temple that contained the petrified remains of his niece and her husband.

This would be incredibly hard and he wasn't sure, if he actually knew what to say.

But he wasn't a coward and he definitely was no quitter.

He wasn't sure, if Harmonia could hear him, but he definitely owed her an apology – even, if he had to give it to a rock, since her and Kadmos' remains had turned to stone through Zeus' will.

That's my fault … it's all my fault …  

“Alright”, he murmured to himself. “Time to finally man up and face the shit I've done.”

He entered the building and to his relief found, that it was empty.

Good.

It would be Tartaros to explain to a mortal priest or visitor, what a tan, young-looking man with long black hair and a wheelchair (it wasn't like the mortals knew those yet) was doing inside a funerary temple with an offering of incense, cinnamon, holy water and a bouquet of white roses. Bringing flowers was silly; the goddess turned mortal was now dwelling in Elysion, where the flowers grew fairest, but she would have been happy either way, he knew.

She was a real sweetheart … I have to give it to her parents, they raised her well.

He looked around the interior.

It was a plain, almost minimalistic temple and behind a simplistic altar, on an elevated pedestal stood a statue of two medium-sized Drakones³, entwined in eternal embrace. Thus the couple had passed on and thenceforth their petrified bodies had remained this way. It was both romantic and tragic.

He sighed: “Hello, Harmonia. It's been a while. The last time we saw each other was at your wedding, I believe?”

He set his offerings on the altar with some effort.

“I'm sorry I took so long. Well, for that and a lot of other things. This is kind of stupid, because I'm here talking to a rock, when I should be saying this to your face. But I can't, so this will have to do. I don't know, how much you knew. Or if you can hear me, for that matter. Still I owe you an explanation … and an apology.”

Suddenly he was startled by a gust of wind, but when he looked around, no one was there.

After looking around cautiously, he just assumed, that it had been the draft and turned back to the stone.

“Well, there really are no words to make up for what I have done to you to get back at your parents, but I will try anyway.”

He began with an explanation, then a confession, before attempting to apologise.

Eventually he said: “So … that's it. That's kinda how I ruined your entire family out of petty revenge. I know that a sorry won't cut it. But I'll try anyway. I'm sorry. I had no right to do what I did. Because of my grudge against your parents, I destroyed your every chance at happiness. Because of the circumstances you were conceived in, I hated you, even though you never did anything to warrant it. Back then I did it to make them suffer and didn't care about how you would handle all of this.  Today I know, that I was in the wrong. I should have just let it go and instead I made an innocent woman suffer out of selfish spite. What I have done is unforgivable and I do not ask for your forgiveness, that I don't deserve. Still I want you to know, that I regret what I did. So I hope that you can hear this. If you hate me now, that's fine (you have all reason to), but if you can find it in your heart to believe me, that would be more than I could already ask for. Please believe me, when I say … I'm sorry. I deeply, truly am.”

Finishing his apology, he took a deep breath.

There. It had been done.

Suddenly he felt a lot lighter, even though he had been talking to a rock.

For a moment the temple was quiet.

Then a voice made him almost yelp.

“That was a beautiful apology. Would've been better, if you had said it to her face, though.”

Hephaistos turned his wheelchair around as quickly as he could.

“How long have you been here?”, he gasped.

Ares shrugged: “I saw Helios drop you off here, when I came, so I think it's safe to say: the entire time.”

The smith frowned; so that had been the gust of wind from earlier!

The war god shook his head and approached.

He too was carrying offerings in his hands and arms; a giant, quite colourful bouquet of exquisite flowers, a bottle of perfume, a peplos, incense and a bowl with fruit.

Ares set his rich offerings down on the altar, next to the one Hephaistos had put there earlier.

Then he crouched down next to the younger god's wheelchair with a sigh.

For a few minutes, they sat in awkward silence, before Hephaistos cleared his throat.

“Ares, maybe you should fold your wings away, before-”

“May they see 'em”, the older cut him off. “They already have before. They know the father of their late queen.”

Hephaistos could see the other's wings tense up and the fingers claw at the stone floor, before Ares composed himself.

“You have some nerve, showing your face here.”

“I know.”

“Was about fucking time though.”

“Yes, it was.”

“I've read your letters.”

“Have you?”, Ares muttered.

“Yes. In Athena's presence, like you wanted.”

“Good.”

“I've burned them thereupon.”

The war god's mouth quirked upward. “Figured you would.”

“Those letters were crap.”

“Sure, whatever you say. And still you cried, before you burned them. Daddy's Owl told me. If you really had thought they were crap, you wouldn't have shed a tear.”

Hephaistos couldn't help but be surprised, that the red-eyed god knew him so well, but he didn't voice it.

Apprehensively he watched his older brother.

Ares was grinning lopsidedly, but his red wings rustled and twitched in irritation, giving away that he wasn't remotely as casual or amused as he was pretending to be.

To be fair, neither was the younger.

“I still think that you're a prick, Ares.”

“I know. And you're right. But I'm gonna level with you, brother – you've been an arse too.”

Hephaistos smiled bitterly: “Yes, there's no denying I was.”

“Ya know, when Aphrodite and I first realised it … that thing with the necklace … we were really mad at you, both of us.”

“I don't blame you.”

“Good.”

Ares craned his neck to look his brother directly in the eyes.

“Why did you do this to Harmonia? How could you? Why to her? She … she …”

His toneless voice wavered and he quickly looked away again.

“It wasn't my intention at first”, the smith whispered. “The necklace was meant for her mother.”

Ares didn't respond. He didn't have to.

Hephaistos knew, what he would have said, if he'd had the words to say it. He also knew why he still wouldn't have said anything, even if he could have.

“I'm sorry”, he finally whispered.

Ironic, really; never would he have imagined, that he would apologise to Ares of all gods.

The red-eyed god didn't answer beyond a heavy sigh.

The blacksmith god didn't know how long they sat in silence hereafter.

But at some point Ares placed his left hand onto the armrest of his brother's wheelchair – cautiously, as if to give the other the option to just slap it away, if he didn't want it there.

Hephaistos' brown eyes widened.

That was a rather tentative and gentle gesture from the abrasive, warlike madman that was Ares.

Then again, who was he to complain?

With a tiny smile he took the hesitant hand and gave it a firm squeeze.

.

---

.

1) Algea: the Greek Daimones (spirits) of pain, suffering and grief, bringers of weeping and tears, daughters of Eris, the goddess of strife. 2) Pontos: the primordial personification of the sea, a son of Gaia. 3) Drakones: serpentine dragons (mostly just enormous snakes)