#one of the wishes she asks from Zeus is that she should have just as many titles as Apollo

[my-name-is-apollo]

Broke: solar eclipse is Artemis yelling at Apollo in front of the whole world for doing something stupid

Woke: solar eclipse is Artemis T-posing in front of Apollo to assert dominance

[genericpuff]

Are there any characters from LO that you actually like/don’t mind

I have a lot more appreciation for Minthe now with all the hindsight that Hades and Persephone are often way worse than she is. She still had a lot of issues on her own end that she didn't deal with well, and while I would have liked to see her actually develop properly beyond her struggles both internal and with Hades, I think the best thing we could have asked for was Minthe being written out of the story the way she was. At least then Rachel couldn't continue to use her as a punching bag (she just tagged in Leuce for that, sigh)

Helios is great, zero issue with him. This scene is a lot funnier and more relatable to read in hindsight:

like ofc Helios is gonna rat on her, he's the fucking sun who's been around for thousands of years, why would he put any more of his limited freedom on the line for macaroni art LMAO (and yes, Rachel herself confirmed that Persephone made macaroni art cards for Helios, it's like... yeah okay it's cute but Persephone and Demeter still hid a crime from Zeus, the sentimental value of the birthday cards have no bearing on that LOL)

Thanatos is also in the camp of "characters I appreciate more in hindsight and wish got better character development". Adding in the 'twist' that he was Hades' adoptive son after we just spent nearly two seasons watching Hades treat him like just a lowly employee who didn't deserve his respect was certainly... a choice. And I don't think I should have to explain why it was a very very BAD one LOL

Hephaestus is also great, I know he's an extremely minor character whose only real role was to delete the blackmail photos from Apollo's phone but, like. look at him???

amazing. precious. sweet boy. and it has absolutely nothing to do with my absent older brother issues why would you say that- (｡•́︿•̀｡) that said, there are still flaws in his design (his prosthetics especially because he's constantly wearing running blades for every occasion which I feel like Rachel only chose because they "looked cool" and were "easier to draw" but like. his poor hips and back, that's gotta be uncomfortable 😭) but even just his face on its own is ironically one of the most unique character designs across the entire cast, not for any sort of outstanding or creative reasons, you just can't possibly mistake or color swap him with anyone else LMAO and though I can't feasibly give credit to Rachel for writing a neurodivergent character - because I have no clue if that was her intention here, afaik she's never really talked about it - I can wholly relate to him being the introverted computer guy who just wants to be left alone with his work and his airpods, like that's literally just me LOL

And of course nothing Rachel could ever do would make me hate Demeter, I think it's so ironic and tone deaf that Rachel claimed she "didn't get" why Demeter was so hated by the fans and didn't "agree" with the comparisons to Mother Gothel, but like... Rachel literally wrote her that way. And while she did "resolve" it, it wasn't with any actual empathy towards Demeter's own side of things, it was just bandaids on top of bandaids and then going "yep! She's all better now! That's character development!" Out of all the characters who deserved better, she was the one who deserved the most 😔💓

[ofswordsandpens]

what do you think could’ve been done better regarding camp half-blood besides spending more time there/pacing? i’d love to hear your thoughts!

!! okay I know you're specifically asking for things that could have been done better beyond spending more time at CHB, but straight up that one issue is really the crux of everything. -- The time we spend at CHB before the quest in the show is half the time we do in the book. (And for a different frame of reference, the book is aprox. 40% over by the time the trio is leaving camp borders.)

And since the show runners halved the pre-quest chb runtime, as a result we lose quite a bit of content that helped to establish context, tone, foreshadowing, character dynamics etc.

Because we have to prioritize Percy and Luke's relationship in the show, it forces the rest of the relationships that were established in CHB in the book into the background, (or simply makes them none existent):

We have pretty much only ever been told verbally about Luke and Annabeth's bond by this point (episode 5). They have a two second interaction at camp that's not particularly noteworthy and that's that. Imo that's not particularly compelling story telling lol. We'll likely (hopefully) get something from episodes 6-8, but I maintain we still should've gotten something more substantial between Luke and Annabeth at camp. I've said before, at bare minimum the show should have had Luke see them off at Thalia's tree like he did in the book.

I've mentioned this before but Annabeth and Percy's dynamic had a much greater establishment in chb in the book because she's the one that's his guide at camp and she actively seeks him out more. In the show, we have to give this role to Luke and while I can give this change between book to screen more leeway because, yes, we have the entire quest to build Percy and Annabeth's dynamic, I still didn't like that it pretty much forced Annabeth into the periphery in the show. As a result, it made her seem a lot more distant and aloof than she ever was in the book. (Shoutout to Leah's armor strap improv, she's doing more for Annabeth than the show runners are).

2. We don't really get see the effects of Percy being claimed as Big Three Kid at camp:

Yeah, Percy moves into the new cabin in the show but then almost immediately after he's off on his quest. Meanwhile in the book, Percy's claimed as a big three kid... and then we see how it ostracizes him.

He misses being in the Hermes' cabin. Campers avoid him. He sleeps and eats alone now. He has to have solo lessons with Luke because the others are scared. He's miserable! And none of those experiences were translated to screen.

Again, they told us that big three kids are taboo, but have not shown that impact.

Like the difference in reaction during the claiming scene between the book and the show pretty much sums up this discrepancy.

3. General loss of foreshadowing and tone:

Because we don't get as much Annabeth, we lose how in the book, she had been aware that something was wrong with the gods and surmised that something was stolen long before the quest. She shared this with Percy. It was a great showcase of her intelligence. It helped set the tone that something was wrong before the quest even stared. And all of it just, didn't really make the cut.

The hellhound attack also didn't make it and its just another loss of foreshadowing. Luke was straight up trying to kill this kid from day one. Percy was not safe even at camp. Things weren't okay ever.

The weather! Yes the boundary keeps the weather mild at camp but in the book Percy remarks on the huge storms that surround them at one point. Before he leaves there's a storm so bad approaching that the campers are nervous. Even before he got to CHB there were "inexplicable" storms all the time. I wish this had been maintained in the show even beyond the camp. The gods, Zeus, they aren't happy.

Also, I tried rewatching the episodes to find this convo but I couldn't so please let me know if it's there somewhere but I don't think Luke conveyed anywhere in the show that his quest "messed things up" for anyone? Like, sure, they could include this at the end, but I think it's more impactful when we see more hints of his bitterness early on.

4. Minor Nitpicks + More things I miss:

Annabeth should have gotten soaked by Percy's Supreme Lord Bathroom moment like she did in the book. Percy had flooded the entire bathroom and she wasn't speared. In fact, Percy was the only person who wasn't wet.

The self-filling goblets in the book + the blue Coke moment.

I wish the show had Percy like, white knuckling his minotaur horn refusing to let it go. In the book he saw it as the last souvenir of his mother, refused to let anyone else hold, and was afraid it would be taken.

Rip Argus :(

[xoxochb]

⋆·˚ ༘ * they got no idea about me and you

warnings: this chapter kinda sucks but I fear this and the next are probably the slowest chapters, I also want to apologize for anyone who didn’t get added on the tag list I either lost where you asked or your tags were off

pairing: percy jackson x daughter of hades and persephone

series master list

hiding percy jackson from your parents was not an easy task, especially when it would be for two whole days. this morning was easy since everyone had been busy with wedding preparations, you got dressed like usual and went to breakfast like everyday

your father had to leave today to ‘speak to the young prince marrying my daughter’ - it didn’t matter, he was gone and that’s all that mattered. on the other hand you had to go to olympus to try on wedding dresses, along with the actual wedding taking place in a week (hera had insisted the wedding be held at her palace since she’s the goddess of marriage) which means percy had to also find a way to stay out of zeus’ eyesight if he wished to keep his life

you had told him to meet you at the palace this afternoon, which means you had time to get settled and start a game of croquet with nico, which is the point in your schedule you had just now reached

“don’t you think it’s risky letting percy stay here?” your brother asks, hitting his first ball- it just about reaches the hoop but stops in time for it to go through, he throws a internal tantrum

you laugh at his failure “I’ve got it under control”

you steady your mallet behind the ball and with a swift move it rolls through the hoop. you proceed to hoop two

“I don’t think I like this game” nico complains

you hit his head with your free hand “that’s because you’re not good at it”

he rolls his eyes and begins his turn. the ball- yet again- does not make it through and he takes a deep breath to suppress is anger. he drops his mallet and begins to walk, you follow his actions

“when is percy going to arrive?” he asks, changing the subject

“I’m not sure. lemonade while we wait?”

“of course”

you make your way to the patio where your lemonade had been waiting. the queen said it was for after the game but she was nowhere to be found and you supposed the game had been finished anyways. you pull out a chair and take a seat, picking up a glass of lemonade and taking a sip, nico does similarly

“how are you going to hide him?”

“why do you seem to care more about hiding percy than I am?”

“I’m your brother. your worries are my worries”

you sigh and place the cup back on the table. a worrisome silence fills the area, perhaps you should tell percy not to come anymore. although you had thought out many intricate plans to hide the boy, you couldn’t help but worry he would be caught

and lost in reverie, you don’t realize the very subject of your thoughts standing behind you until his hands are placed on your shoulders. you gasp and tilt your head up to face him

“it took you long enough” you tease

he laughs and places a kiss on your lips, nico fakes a gag and leaves with his lemonade in hand. percy sits in the seat your brother got up from, taking your lemonade from the table he takes a sip

“what’s the schedule for today?” he inquires

“well you missed croquet, now it’s ‘lemonade time’ then I have lunch with zeus and hera, and I’m free for the rest of the day. that is- until tomorrow, I’ve got wedding dress try-ons” you explain

he nods as a sign that he’s listening. for the rest of your free time you sit in silence, that was until your free time was up and you had lunch with the king and queen- a very awkward one may you add. hera was very talkative, many many questions about the wedding about the boy you would be marrying, who you still knew barely anything about, who you also have not even seen since the night you danced with him

after lunch you were free for the rest of the day until dinner that night. you got to complete a book in the long period between the two, percy permanently glued to your side, for what reason- you’re unsure. you suppose it might have been out of jealousy since you were going to marry another man, or perhaps just because he loved you. maybe even a mix between the two of these options- regardless he still would not leave you alone

that night you slept well, that was until morning when you woke up by peppered kisses to your face

“perseus what are you doing?”

“you sleep a lot”

you push him off of you and he fakes a pout

“I have a busy day”

you attempt to get up but percy’s arm around your waist stops you

“I will let you watch me try on dresses”

he lets go and you successfully stand up this time. he watches as you make your way to the dresser- he also watched as you changed but you would hit him if he told you that

he waited an hour as you had breakfast downstairs, scanning through your books, he wonders what you saw in reading. although he couldn’t read himself so he had no right to speak

when you got back you had brought a plethora of white dresses, throwing them onto your bed

“let’s get started, shall we?”

he nods and sits on the edge of your bed ‘the most perfect view for the show’ he says

the first dress you try on is short, too short for a wedding so you move onto the next: a longer dress, you could never walk in that. the next dresses were mixtures of everything you shouldn’t wear to your wedding, however you finally decided on one after many hours. it was strapless, maybe too revealing for a wedding, but it was the perfect length and you were actually able to walk in this one (percy also said this was his favorite but you wouldn’t tell him that’s the main reason you chose it)

“should I really choose this one? do you think my father will hate it?” you say worriedly

percy stands up and places his hands on your waist along with a kiss to your bare shoulder

“It’s perfect, you look beautiful”

“you said I looked beautiful in every dress I tried on”

“that’s because you are”

a pink hue adorns your face, you look down in an attempt to hide it but percy lifts your chin up to look at him, faces so close you were sure your heart would best out of your chest any moment

after what feels like forever (it was about five seconds) he finally places his lips on yours, you let out a sigh of relief and contentment and wrap your arms around his neck to keep him close

the moment was almost perfect, and it would have been completely if your brother hadn’t walked in and you had to hurriedly part from each other

nico’s expression is a mix of disgust and worry- you wonder what had been so urgent that he had to walk in without knocking- but alas you got the news very quickly

“your soon-to-be husband is here, he wants to see you”

taglist: @lara20aral @itzmeme

[nothing-impt]

(I lost my mind thinking about how the Fried Chicken Au came about and wrote a crack fic ft. Flying snakes. Also I am terrible at writing but I couldn't help myself)

---- “Ah, darling! There you are, as much as I love staring into your eyes, where is your blindfold?”  Hermes chirped, greeting the prophet as he sat next to him near the Lethe. Tiresias scoffed, “Oedipus came by today and pissed on all of them. I sent them to the wash.” “All of them?” “Every single one. Is everything alright? I was told you needed to meet me rather urgently.” He paused. “Is it about Odysseus? Did something happen to him?” Hermes cleared his throat. “No. My lovely great-grandson’s doing fine! He should be heading home pretty soon!” “So what’s the issue?” “...” “Hermes?” “Uh.. maybe you should just feel me to find out.” “Hermes, I am not falling for your tricks to get me to grope you.” “No, no! I’m being serious! Just trust me.” Tiresias leaned over and reached for where Hermes was supposed to be and his fingers brushed air. He scowled “There’s nothing there. I told you, no more tricks.” “You’re almost there! Just move your hands down a little!” “You better not be lying-” His fingers brushed against feathers. “Am I touching your shoes?” Hermes chuckled nervously “No?” The prophet pulled back “What exactly am I touching?” “Uh.. I’m kind of a dove now?” “Please tell me you’re joking.” Tiresias deadpanned. “I wish I was! One moment I was delivering messages and the next- boom! I was a bird! Here, touch me again!” A nearby soul wolf whistled and Tiresias hushed him, face burning  “Please, don’t say it like that!” he bent down and stroked dove Hermes, who crooned happily. “Maybe I should bring you to Lord Hades. He might have an answer.” Dove Hermes (Dovemes?) squawked out a laugh and ruffled his feathers. “I doubt it, all the Olympians have been affected. Dad’s currently an eagle, Polly’s a crow and Arty’s a quail. Don’t get me started on Uncle P, he’s a blue seagull! But Dio’s a little scary…” “What bird did Lord Dionysus turn into? A hawk?” “Worse. He turned into this purple flamingo-looking sculpture. He doesn’t move. Just stares. He kept asking for a drink though. Dad told the nymphs to dunk him in a bowl of wine so we all didn’t have to look at him. Aphrodite was super creeped out. She’s a swan, by the way.” Tiresias shuddered, “A curse must have been afflicted for Olympians to turn this way. Especially Lord Dionysus, to be deprived of movement.” Dovemes crooned in agreement as Tiresias continued to pet his feathers. “Anyway, it’s highly likely that Uncle Hades is a bird too! Look, he’s here now- Oh. nice eyes Uncle H!” Tiresias reached over to grab his staff and stood to greet the ruler of the Underworld. “Lord Hades.” “Greetings, Tiresias. Nephew, I see you have told the prophet about our predicament?” Dovemes lets out a chirp, “Yup! Wow, Uncle, I’m really digging the dazed look you’re going for- ow!” Tiresias prodded Hermes with his staff once more. “He may be your uncle, but don’t forget who you’re talking to. May I ask what bird you are Lord Hades?”

The sound of the ruffling feathers was heard, “I am a Potoo. Though I suppose we are centuries before its kind is made known to Greece. Excuse me, while I go find my wife to explain why her husband is currently a bird from  unknown origins.” With a squawk and a beat of wings, Hades left. Dovemes sighed, “Well, I better get going.” Tiresias raised a brow, “What? But you’re still stuck as a bird!” “Dad just sent out a message, he wants all of us to gather in Olympus to figure this out. I won’t visit for a while, but you can have this!”

Tiresias felt a small-clawed foot slip a feather into his palm.

“I’ll see you around, darling!” And Dovemes flew off.

Tiresias sighed. What in Zeus’ name is going on?

[mirrorbvllhoon]

SACRIFICE (Hades!Jay x Persephone!fem!reader!)

So dangerous

Full of darkness like a criminal

But here you are

Full of brightness and light

₊˚ ✧ Sacrifice (Eat Me up) (Dark Blood)

WC: 3.9k

Warnings: angst and fluff, Jay being a gentleman, slightly suggestive, being tricked into kidnapping someone, Zeus being Zeus.

Through the fields of the earth wandered the goddess Demeter and her beautiful daughter y/n, their mere presence made the trees and bushes blossom with all kind of gorgeous leaves, when their feet touched the grass flowers sprung, fruits and vegetables were bornt from the earth, the mortals were happy as they could feed from the gifts the earth goddesses gave them.

However in Mount Olympus, the city of the gods and goddesses another story was being written, it was no secret that the young goddess was beautiful, with her long hair and beautiful factions, truly blessed by the gods beauty, but although she was already of age to be wed, her mother wished for her to remain virgin as Artemis and Atena, and if life hadn’t occurred as it did, as herself.

Even when y/n had been just a little girl, Demeter had already talked with the goddess Aphrodite and her son, Sunghoon, so they could stay away from the love business that could interfere with her daughter’s life, but the gods of love were tired of not being able to interfere in the love-lives of the gods and goddesses, although their presence wouldn’t be necessary for love had already a way of appearing in the life of the young goddess.

“Let me see if I understand, you are promising y/n’s hand to me?” asked Jay, the god of the underworld.

“Brother, you have been alone enough centuries, don´t you believe?, you’re telling me that you really don’t wish for a companion?” Zeus answered, hoping for his brother to agree

Jay hesitated to answer, being one of the gods aphrodite and his son weren’t allow to control it’s love life and living in the underworld, where his only companions aside from cerberus, the furies and Sysiphus, were the souls waiting to reincarnate and love again, of course he felt alone, not only was he feared by the mortals but even the gods and goddesses all just because he was the ruler of the tartarus, something he didn’t even choose but was assigned to him, being in love couldn’t hurt, at least that’s what he told himself.

“I’ll take your silence as an affirmation” Zeus answered, taking Jay aback from his thoughts

“Wait, does she know? or well?, is she okay with me being with her?”

“Of course she is, even Demeter believes you would be such an amazing husband”

Jay tried not to doubt his brother’s words; however he knew that changing his mind would result in a far more difficult task, so he just sighed, hoping that whatever was to happen wouldn’t result in something he and others would regret.

“So, when should I meet y/n?”

“Oh, she’s in the forest almost everyday, so you should find her there, and… Jay, make sure to surprise her”

He should’ve known that Zeus had just tricked him, but he didn’t know, he just went back to the underworld, to continue his monotonous excuse for a life, hoping that the next day would arrive, so he could encounter y/n.

And then the sun rose, and as promised, there was y/n in the middle of the forest with the nymphs, picking flowers and fresh-cut fruit, however in the middle of their day, an earthquake shook the earth,the nymphs were scared, yet they decided to abandon y/n searching for her mother, since the god of the underworld was powerful enough to kill them all, but even before they were gone, Jay took y/n and through the valley the earthquake had created that connected the underworld to the earth, both of them dissappeared in the glimpse of an eye.

“Where am I?” asked y/n, hoping that the answer that was about to come off his mouth was different than the one she was thinking about.

“Of course in the underworld” Jay answered nonchalantly, a smirk drew on his face.

“Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?” y/n answered, her eyes teary, shock was taking hold of her.

Jay let out a sigh, the smirk falling off his face, his nose scrunching and the already warped crown in his head crooked by a millimeter, threatening to fall from his head while he shook it nervously..

“You didn’t know, did you?” He asked, fear in his voice enveloped with a slight level of shame and regret.

“Know what?, I don’t know a thing about what's happening” Her voice was breaking and shaky, filled with melancholy and uncertainty.

“Zeus, my brother, promised your hand in marriage, he said that Demeter, your mother, and you, knew about it already”

“Well I can assure you, we in fact didn’t know a thing… so can’t you just take me back to the surface?”

“I’m afraid I can’t, I made a deal, a blind deal if you will and I can’t break that, but even if I did break it, I can take things or souls of the living world to the underworld, but I can’t give things from the underworld to the living world. I’m sorry darling”

She nodded, “I guess that even gods have their limitations” she left a bittersweet giggle, her knees giving up on her, her body was fainting, she would have fallen to the floor if it weren't for a pair of arms that held her.

Jay stood beside her, his arms holding her torso and because of the lack of chairs he dropped her gently to sit on his throne, once she was sat down, he spoke, his voice was still but sweet.

“Although I live in the underworld, I can assure you that I’m no monster, you can stay here for as long as you wish, I’m sure that someone will come looking for you, you’re loved by mortals and gods, when that time ought to arrive, you’ll be free to go”

“You promise me that?”

“I do”

The day had almost finished, and sleep was already taking hold of y/n who wandered through the underworld, Jay, down in his throne, could notice that; but the young goddess was too stubborn or scared to ask him where she could sleep for the night, so she just rested on a rock not so far from where Jay was seating, doing the duties he as a king of the underworld had to do, receiving the new souls that arrived and seeing the records of the deceased and reincarnated… When he noticed the young girl asleep on a rock that seemed far from comfortable, her face flinched at some moments, yet she tried to sleep unsuccessfully.

Jay stood from his throne and walked towards the young goddess, her face was beautiful as every inch of her, of course he couldn’t deny the fact she was perfect, even asleep she looked ethereal, yet… she didn’t love him, he reminded himself. He stopped wandering in his thoughts and sat at her feet, holding her hand to try and wake her up, which took no effort, she wasn't asleep yet.

“If you want to sleep, you can do so in my chambers, I assure you they are more comfortable besides I barely sleep after all” He started talking, his thumb soothing the palm of her hand, while she sat to talk to him face to face.

“It’s unnecessary-” Y/n started, however Jay interrupted her before she could even finish her words “That’s nonsense, you will sleep in my chambers that's the end of the discussion” Jay and y/n’s eyes interlocked for a second that felt like an eternity, a smile drew in her face contrasting Jay's cold features, that only hid the warmness of his soul. “May I?” He asked, one of his hands under the crook of her knees and the other one on her neck, y/n nodded, allowing herself to be carried again.

Y/n could see the view over her, Jay's sharp features and the crown in his head slightly crooked, she tried to fix it which led for her to play with his hair for the smallest of seconds y/n was so concentrated she missed the smile that drew on his face, of course y/n didn't know the crooked crown was intentional, yet Jay couldn't allow himself to tell her so.

“Thank you darling”, he said quietly, she nodded.

Once they finally arrived at Jay's chambers, he dropped her carefully on the bed.

“I know that's kind of cold in here, I will search you for a blanket or for something you can cover yourself with...” he continued rambling, until Y/n’s voice interrupted him.

“Jay, I don't mind the cold” she said with a smile on her face, fear continued to dissipate from her system, maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

“Well not yet, but soon it will get colder”

Her mouth opened agape, she didn’t say a word, and allowed him to go out and find her something to cover herself.

“I hope that if you fall asleep I won't wake you up, I apologize in advance if I do” Jay said, she nodded while laying down on the mattress.

He closed the door as she closed her eyes, and hours passed by, the underworld was indeed a cold place, with the river styx carrying souls, and the deceased wandering through the voidless place, shivers started to appear on Y/n’s sleeping body, and while Jay tried to find her something that could actually cover her and give her some rest, he kept failing, the underworld wasn’t made for a goddess like her. When he finally found a blanket that would keep her warm he went back to his chambers, with a shivering-already sleeping y/n, her body was in a fetal position, yet when Jay covered her body, the shivering didn’t stop, he was afraid of what could happen to her if she kept being cold, so beside his hate for using his powers he created a small fire on the hearth, to keep her warm, he repeated himself maybe he should've done that from the start.

“Don’t go…stay…please” y/n voice was a mumbling incoherence yet Jay could make it out, he sat down at the end of the bed, until he decided it was his time to leave, he tried to tuck the young goddess in, when her arms opened and a hug engulfed him.

At first he tried to run from the hug, not because he disliked it but because he was sure once y/n woke up, she would regret it, feeling guilty because of grabbing her, if only he hadn’t believed Zeus.

Jay stayed the whole night allowing himself to sleep just to do the goddess company, and in the night he didn’t even notice how he unconsciously hugged her with the same intensity she was holding him with.

The second day arrived, this one went almost unnoticeable, Y/n was surprised by Jay’s kindness, and even if she couldn’t recognize it, she felt slightly attracted towards him, however she reminded herself, he only took her to the underworld because of a deal he had made with Zeus, and because he was being tricked, he wasn’t really in love.

“Y/n, I asked if you wanted to see the river, I mean if you don’t you can say so” Jay’s steady words finally took her out from her trance, she nodded. “Then you can come with me” he said.

Jay showed her the river, charon the boatman took both of them from one end to the other, and while y/n stood most of the time staring at the river’s water it was Jay’s reflection what she was really looking at, once on the other side of the river, they walked alongside it, while the view was mainly formed of rocks and stalactites of dark colors and strange shapes, she kept looking astonished at the marvelous immensity of the underworld.

“I know it’s not as beautiful as the earth” Jay started, staring at her through the reflection of the river.

“Such nonsense, I believe both places have their charm” Y/n replied,

Jay chuckled at her words, and for the first time she heard him laugh, he extended his hand for her to hold and follow him, so she wouldn't get lost, as if that could even be possible, the truth was he wanted to keep her close even if he couldn’t admit it.

The second day had ended, and as the night before him, Jay took y/n to his chambers, prepared the fire and stayed there with her, this time they stayed awake longer, y/n kept talking about her life in the earth and how she longed it, Jay heard every word of her mouth as if it was hypnotizing him, “I’m sorry, I haven’t allowed you to talk, I must be boring you right now” Y/n said, turning her head down in embarrassment, “You could never in the whole eternity bore me” Jay replied, taking her chin with his hand, their eyes interlocking once again, she could see him this time even more perfect as before if that were even possible, his crown perfectly over his black hair, his sharp features only looking more appealing in the dim moonlight, and all he could see was her, in her breathtaking beauty, in the darkness of the underworld and in the dim light of the fire, she was angelical. Their bodies started to draw near each other, Jay’s hand already sneaking to y/n’s cheek.

“Thank you for being so kind to me” Y/n said, drawing back herself.

“Of course darling, is the least I could do after all” Jay answered, 《of course she wouldn’t kiss me》, he thought, maybe he had mistaken her kindness for interest.

They went to sleep that night with tears in their soul, both of them kept resisting the obvious tension in between them, afraid of what would happen if they gave in.

Suddenly it was the fourth day of y/n in the underworld, she was losing hope, maybe her mother had forgot about her, and while Jay kept being sweet towards her, it continued to be difficult to her resisting his charms and beautiful words, she couldn’t deny the fact she was starting to fall in love with him, if only she knew he felt the same way.

She spent most of the time wandering in Jay’s palace, which seemed as endless as his kingdom, however she felt alone, he kept ruling his kingdom hoping that his duties could distract him from the fact she was in love for the first time in centuries, however he couldn’t resist no more, and decided to search for her, he needed to talk to her, to confess his feelings, maybe it was selfish of him, maybe it was wrong yet, in that moment all he could think about was y/n.

Y/n was in the outskirts of the palace, watching the river flow in silence, allowing her to put in order her thoughts, what she would do, debating about the feelings that flew through her mind, she had promised her mother to maintain herself virgin, but her mother would understand wouldn’t her? she was in love, true love.

“Y/n!” Jay shouted from a distance, she put herself on feet and started walking towards the palace again “Y/n, please tell me you are still here” Jay kept mumbling to himself after being unable to find her, yet she continued to run, hearing the sound of his voice drawing her in.

Both of them had decided, they were in love, there was no cure or power for that, there wasn’t an arrow or a curse or a prophecy, it was only them, it was their love.

Once they saw each other they started running until their bodies rejoined, he grabbed her waist and carried her spinning her in the air, his crown, which after y/n had straighten out was never crooked again, fell to the side of his head slightly, the dress she was wearing flew through the air.

“I need to talk to you, but please, allow me to kiss you first” Jay said, his voice was as tender as always.

“The feeling’s mutual” Y/n answered, allowing him to engulf her in the kiss, their lips collapsed in each others, their tongues ravished the others mouth, Y/n had never been kissed, yet it was far from what she though a kiss could feel like, it was pure love turned into the most carnal desire, they were drunk in each other’s presence and whatever else just ceased to exist, her hands stood to her sides, unsure of where to move of what to do, he took them with care, guiding her hands to wrap around his neck, where they eventually found their way towards his hair, while Jay’s hands maintained firm one in her waist and the other one on her neck, their lips separated for the smallest of seconds allowing them to regain their breath, y/n’s cheeks were flushed yet she couldn’t stop herself from wanting more.

“I think it would be good for us to talk before doing that again” Jay said, his lips plump and his messy hair adorned with the crooked crown on top of it.

“Of course, we should take this somewhere else,” Y/n answered.

Both of them went to Jay's chambers, the night already falling, yet all they could think about was each other's presence.

She sat at the end of the bed, Jay decided to stay on feet in front of her, scared of the words that were about to leave his mouth.

“I think I'm in love with you”, Jay started, “I hope that you feel the same way and I would like for you to become queen of the underworld, if you'd like of course…” Jay rambled

“You're asking me to marry you?” She asked,

“I am, if you wish to, there’s no need for you to accept, I won't get mad neither will my demeanor change if you say no…” He started talking, his words emancipated sounding almost like gibberish, and his fingers fuming with the slightest of fires, but suddenly all the havoc in his mind and the gibberish that fell from his lips was interrupted by a small kiss.

Y/n kissed him quickly, circling his hands around his back pulling him close, then he kissed her again cheekily,

“Jay, I do want to marry you”

He smiled and kissed her again and again, until his crown was on the floor and his lips explored her whole body, until the world and underworld had been nearly forgotten.

The days passed and the day of the wedding arrived, Y/n woke up to a beautiful wedding gown on the bed, it was beautifully crafted in gray hues, she couldn’t understand how such a beautiful piece could be given to her, however Jay thought that no wedding gown could be pretty enough for her, to his eyes it didn’t matter how beautiful the dress were, y/n would overshadow it with her beauty, but the dress that lied on the bed was a close match.

Finally with her dress on, she went to encounter his betrothed in the throne room, where they would finally be wed. Jay was dressed in a full black wedding attire, the crown in his head and the black locks falling into place adorning the frame of his face, he looked as devilishly handsome as always.

Once they were in front of each other, although because of the small height difference y/n had to look up to meet his gaze, he took a crown as hauntingly beautiful as the one he wore, and with care he positioned it over her head.

“You look beautiful, my queen” He couldn’t resist the urge and kissed her for the smallest of seconds, "I love you with all of my being”, he whispered again in the middle of their kiss.

“And so do I, why else would I decide to stay here if it weren't for you?” Y/n kissed him again, he smiled in the middle of the kiss and separated once again.

“I brought you something”, he said, taking from his robes a pomegranate, “The seeds of this fruit are what could make you stay here in the underworld, you wouldn’t be cold anymore in the nights, and you could wander freely…”

He took a dagger and cut open the fruit, taking the seeds out and in the process staining his fingers and his attire, it didn’t matter, he wanted to do it for her, he handled her the seeds which she immediately ate, she was about to eat the seventh seed when a loud rumble stormed their dream wedding day.

It was Demeter, y/n's mother, who stormed into the palace, the sight before her sending her into a frenzy, what was her daughter even thinking?

Jay took y/n behind his back, if there was someone to blame it should’ve been him.

“Move Jay… I'm here to take my daughter home…” Demeter noticed his stained fingers and the fallen seeds on the floor, she looked up and saw her daughter with her lips stained from the smallest of drops of the pomegranate “No, y/n… he made you eat them? what a monster, you damned…”

“Mother, stop, please”, Y/n talked, Demeter couldn’t finish her sentence, her daughter was now in front of her, “I ate the seeds on my own, I want to stay here, I love Jay, and I want to stay here… with him”

“You don’t know what you are talking about, you need spring, and I need you, please y/n, come back home” Her mother's cry made her reconsider everything again, should she go? but she couldn’t leave Jay, she… was she wrong for loving him? Jay's hand took y/n's pulling her close and taking her out of her thoughts, “Darling, I can make you a deal, so you can stay in the mortal world and in here… you only ate six seeds, that means your body can stay here for six months, the other six months you can spend them with your mother on the earth, and I will wait for you here”

Y/n agreed and although at first she disliked the idea, Demeter ended up agreeing as well, leaving with her daughter so the spring could come again.

Jay waited patiently for the months to come where he could meet his queen again, finally the day had come, and there was y/n entering the palace, their bodies reunited in a hug full of longing

“Welcome back my queen” He would whisper before kissing her, “You have no idea how much I've missed you”, he kissed her again, the first of many kisses and hugs that they would share for the months she could stay in the underworld, savoring each others presence because in that moment there was no underworld or mortal world, it was only Jay and y/n, and that was the only world they cared of.

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

a/n: I'm sorry for the wait, got kind of sick, but here's the chapter hope that you enjoy it ♡

acc: thank you for all the love and reposts lyy 🤍

tags: @solfolgi

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

this was pulled out of my head on the Discord and decided to share here ^-^

My ranking of godly parents

1) Apollo

this just goes without saying. do i even need to explain?

ONWARDS!

2) Dionysus

cried when his son was killed. asked percy to keep other son safe. is seen eating with his sons in CHB.

3) Aphrodite

helps Piper and her friends on their quest. helps the Seven on their quest. the only bit of bad parenting i remember is forcing piper into clothes she doesn't like.

also Aphrodite is a good mom in the mythology so

4) Hera

#unpopular opinion with wider fandom

Juno is Jason's mom. fight me.

She is actively mourning his death, something Zeus DID NOT do, and helped Jason out as much as she could.

also Hera gets way too much flak from the fandom

5) Hephaestus

keeps an eye on his kids. points taken off for little contact with them, but it's kinda understandable because of his social awkwardness.

6) Ares

#unpopular opinion with wider fandom

"he was gonna hit Clarisse!" was he though? or is it implied Clarisse was raised in an abusive home so when Ares made any sudden movements she would react like she would be hit?

also he gives her not one, but TWO electric spears and his blessing. he provides her armor when she has none.

Ares is a good dad fight me. also it's canon in mythology

Mars is also a good dad, but everyone already knows that.

7) Poseidon

#unpopular opinion with wider fandom

first thing he tells percy is that he wishes he was never born. granted, it was more foot-in-mouth but come on. you've had kids for a WHILE Poseidon you should know not to say things like that.

points for saving Percy a few times (The Arch, Princess Andromeda) but it's probably really easier to give a helping hand to your mortal kids when you only have one mortal kid who hasn't done anything to screw up his or your name. eyes what happened with Theseus

i have other points of contention but i'll stop here.

8) Hades

#unpopular opinion with wider fandom

said he wished Bianca was alive instead of Nico. granted he regrets it so points there but YOU DO NOT SAY THAT TO A CHILD DAMMIT

i don't consider tsats canon but what the fuck was up with that shit. be glad i didn't consider that or he'd be sent towards the very bottom of this list for sending his son to hell on purpose.

9) Hermes

#unpopular opinion with wider fandom

bro fixated WAY too much on Luke and ignored his other kids. coughs in Didn't Claim Chris coughs in Ignored Connor and Travis when they were right in front of him coughs

10) Demeter

absent parent. didn't bother to help Meg or Lityerses, resulting them being raised in abusive households (Nero & Midas/Commodus)

11) Athena

in the words of Stixlx on the Discord: "she sends her kids to die like soldiers rather than kids"

12) Zeus

an abuser is an abuser. therefore he gets dead last.

he also saved thalia but didn't save jason, so there's that too.

[shanastoryteller]

Hi, I'm a huge fan of your Gods and Monsters series but I had a question: have you already written the piece where Aphrodite and Hephaestus fall in love? Bc I could have sworn there was one about that, but I Cannot find it so now I'm wondering if that's one of the things that isn't written/posted yet. No pressure either way, I just wanted to check!

Aphrodite is named the goddess of love and beauty by Hera, the queen of the gods herself, and is given a gleaming throne of pristine ivory in the pantheon.

Aphrodite is named the goddess of love, and many take that as an invitation.

She understands quickly that Hera has not only dictated her domain, but also offered Aphrodite her protection, however oblique. Hera’s power on her tempers greedy hands and greedy eyes, making them ask for what in other circumstances they might simply take, and she resents that it’s something she should be grateful for.

The sea that bore her isn’t even an option anymore. She feels Poseidon’s gaze on her like a snail crawling across her skin, leaving oozing evidence of all the places it’s been. She thinks that her mother would help her, but she does not know.

Amphitrite made her and left her and sent her to the pantheon, full of danger that she does not understand.

She’s known the sea and the sky but worries about venturing from Mount Olympus, where distance from Hera’s influence might embolden some of her suitors.

She is a daughter of Zeus and Amphitrite. Power comes to her as easily as breathing, but she has no wish to test that power against gods with far more experience than she.

Hestia’s fire is always warm and soft and no one dares approach her while she’s in its light. Aphrodite forces herself to stay in the oppressive heat far past the point of comfort, staying closer to the flame than anyone besides the hearth goddess herself.

“So you’re who everyone is talking about.”

She startles, turning, and is first faced with a broad, tanned chest, then lifts her gaze further to look into a face with dark amber eyes and hair as long as her own. There’s blood splatter along his neck and unease curls within her stomach.

“I can’t stay,” he continues, looking her over. She appreciates that he doesn’t linger too long in certain areas and looks her in the eye after. It’s a low bar, perhaps, but many fail to clear it. “You impressed my mother, which isn’t easy.”

“Lord Ares,” she greets. Hera only has one child – well, two, but only one that ever ventures onto Olympus.

She should have guessed sooner. He looks so much like Zeus, except for Hera’s eyes clear in his face.

He waves dismissively. “None of that. We’re equals, aren’t we?”

Not really. The beloved child of the king and queen of the gods, the god of war, someone who does not even sweat in the heat of Hestia’s flame. And her.

“I suppose,” she answers. “How can I help you, Ares?”

“I just wanted to talk,” he says. “Rumor has it that you haven’t left Olympus. You may be a goddess of the pantheon on my mother’s word, but you have to cultivate worshippers just the same. They know you, but they do not what you will do.”

Neither does she.

“Can I go with you?” she asks impulsively.

It’s a stupid request. If Ares wants to overpower her, he will, and there won’t be anything she can do about it.

But he’s Hera’s son. That has to mean something.

“A battlefield isn’t a place for love,” he says, which isn’t a refusal.

“Of course it is,” she says, taken aback. “Otherwise what are they fighting for?”

Ares stares at her for a long moment. She refuses to do anything besides meet his gaze.

Finally, he says, “I can’t tell if you’re naïve or I’m cynical.”

“Love starts wars, but it ends them too,” she says. Maybe she is naïve, when she’s never even met a mortal herself, but with power over a domain comes knowledge of it too. “If not for love, why do men so desperately want peace?”

“Love means peace then?” he asks.

There is something heavy in that question, something she doesn’t understand, and it causes her to hesitate. But in the end she says, “Yes,” because it’s the only answer that can be true and she wants to be truthful to someone.

Ares holds her gaze then says, “You can come with me, if you want. It won’t be pretty.”

“Then perhaps they can use a goddess of beauty,” she says, excitement pulling her lips into a grin.

He shakes his head, but offers her his hand, and she takes it.

~

Under Ares’s protection, she feels as if she can finally breathe.

Aphrodite doesn’t know if Ares is aware that he is protecting her, since it’s less something he does and more something that is achieved through him existing, but she doubts the son of Hera is a dull man. That doesn’t seem like the sort of thing that the queen would tolerate.

Gods and nymphs and other manner of creatures still approach her, but all it takes is for her to hurry back to Ares’s side for them to abandon their pursuit. She’s not sure if it’s his parentage, his domain, or just the striking figure he makes on the battlefield, but they don’t follow her when she goes to him.

But she is not always with him.

Athena corners her on the city path. Aphrodite meets the goddess’s grey eyed gaze squarely. “You’re causing too much trouble.”

She’d seemed nice when Aphrodite first met her in the pantheon, but after Hera gifted her her domain, that kindness hasn’t resurfaced. She doesn’t take it personally, although she does wonder at its absence.

Athena, like Aphrodite, is a daughter of Zeus that has escaped Hera’s wrath through the virtue of being motherless.

Aphrodite is not motherless, precisely, but no one can know of her connection to Amphitrite, and it’s not like her mother stuck around long after bringing her into this world anyway.

“Ares said he doesn’t mind,” she says.

“Of course he doesn’t,” she sneers, looking her up and down derisively. “Everyone is talking about you and pursing you and nothing else is getting done.”

She draws her shoulders back. “That’s not my fault.”

Athena shrugs, not willing to say it is outright but clearly comfortable with implying it.

“What do you want me to do about it?” she asks, and knows it’s a mistake as soon as it leaves her mouth.

Athena doesn’t miss a beat. “Put everyone out of their misery and get married. They’ll cool off and get back to work if you’re ineligible, even if only in name.”

She’s not a goddess of loyalty, but the implication still stings. She’s been going through all this effort to avoid either bedding or offending everyone, after all. “I can’t just marry someone.”

“Why not? Hera will probably even officiate it, considering the interest she’s taken in you,” she says.

Before Aphrodite can respond, Ares appears at her side, slipping out of air as easily as taking a step. He’s covered in viscera and for a moment she puzzles over his newly red hair before realizing it’s soaked in blood. She doesn’t even want to know how that happened.

“Hello Athena,” he says brightly. “It’s so rare to see you outside of a library, we should really catch up-”

She disappears mid eyeroll.

Ares grins. “What did you do to her?”

“Thank you,” she says first, then, “I have no idea. She’s so angry. Is she not well liked in the pantheon?”

He shrugs. “Depends what you mean by liked. She makes a lot of enemies, but she’s not that bad. She gets frustrated a lot because she thinks she’s smarter than everyone around her.”

“Is she?” Aphrodite asks.

“Usually, yeah,” he looks around then bends down to whisper in her ear, careful to angle his filthy body away from her, “Hestia says that when she sprung from Father’s head, she took all his intelligence with her. Mom says that’s giving him too much credit.”

She laughs before she can think not to, then claps her hand over her mouth, as if Zeus is standing around the corner ready to smite her for mocking him. He is the king of the gods. Maybe he is always watching.

“It’s alright,” he says warmly, “just don’t repeat it where he can hear it. Or Athena. She’d throw a fit at the implication that her intelligence is anything but her own.”

If she ever decides to invite trouble rather than avoiding it, that seems like an excellent way to do it. “Are you okay? That looks messy.”

“Battle’s won, for now,” he says casually, rolling back his shoulders and wincing at the motion. “I’ve got some time before another one calls me there. I could use a good soak. Want to meet my brother?”

“Which one?” she asks even though she already know the answer. Of all his siblings, Ares claims only one of them.

“You don’t have to play dumb when we’re alone,” he says, which is suitably stunning that when he holds out his filthy hand, she doesn’t think to clean it before taking it. She hadn’t thought he’d noticed. “Come on.”

There’s the strange rushing sensation of being pulled along rather than moving herself. They’re in someplace dark, compared to the outside, and it takes her several seconds to adjust to the low lighting.

Everything glitters.

There’s shining metal twisted into exquisite shapes and liquid gold dripping like fondue and even the walls themselves shimmer in the light of the magma, the mica flickering silver.

There is a man with deep, dark skin and narrowed amber eyes. He has broad shoulders and a tapered waist and as her gaze drops even further, she sees the golden legs supporting him below the knee, as delicate and beautiful as all strange things scattered around his workshop.

“I hope that’s not yours,” the man says.

He has a nice voice. It’s low and yet it almost echoes around them. It takes her a moment to process what he’s said, and her confusion lasts only until Ares’s lips twist into a not quite smile and he replies, “It never is,” and she realizes he’s talking about the blood and worse covering Ares.

She wonders at her place here, what to do or how to act around this man surrounded by beautiful things who doesn’t even look at her.

Ares pulls his hair from its braid and blood splatters on the floor. “I’m going for a dip. This is Aphrodite. Be nice. Aphrodite, this is my brother, Hephaestus.”

“Goddess,” Hephaestus murmurs, inclining his head.

She returns the gesture, trying to untangle the strange frown and the look in his eye. It’s not like Athena’s anger but it doesn’t exactly seem friendly either. She’s still pondering it when Ares’s words catch up with her. “Take a dip where? There’s no-”

She turns to see Ares slipping into a vat of lava, fully clothed. The blood and dirt and everything else is burned away, along with every stitch of clothing he’d been wearing. He tilts his head back into the magma to give his hair the same scouring treatment.

“Water,” she finishes faintly.

“It never gets any less disconcerting,” Hephaestus says. The strange tone is gone and when she turns back to him, he’s smiling.

He has a nice smile.

“What are you making?” she asks. “Are you the god of creation?”

She’s said the wrong thing again and she’s aware of it as soon as his amusement dims. She desperately wants to take it back, to say something different, but it’s too late. “I am the god of nothing.”

“People pray to you,” she says. “I have seen them.”

Her temples are all still being constructed but several of his already exist.

“Mortals pray to lots of things,” he answers, going back to tinkering. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Yet,” she says. He survived being thrown from Olympus and being raised in the underworld and now he makes things he still hasn’t told her about. “When they pray to you, what do they pray for?”

“Same thing they pray to every god for,” he answers. She doesn’t say anything and he sighs. “It’s not exciting. Hotter ovens. Faster chariots. Sharper spears. My brother’s a better candidate for that one.”

Aphrodite turns to Ares, but finds him curled against the edge of the crevice, the lava lapping at his shoulders as he sleeps with his head tipped back.

“Heat always knocks him out. Hestia used to hold him as she sat it front of her fire.”

This time she knows it’s the wrong thing to say before she says it, but she can’t stop herself from asking, “How do you know? I thought that you didn’t come to Olympus.”

“Didn’t,” he echoes, “is a soft way to put it, when it’s can’t.”

Even nymphs sneak their way up the mountain. A god with temples, even a minor one, should be able to walk freely across Olympus. Then again, Hera insured he wouldn’t walk freely anywhere.

Or tried to. His shimmering gold calves are in defiance to that.

He clears his throat then says, “She told me. Ares badgered me into setting up a hearth in the center of the volcano, even though arguably the whole thing is a hearth, but,” he pauses. “She visits it, sometimes.”

Aphrodite is impressed. “I thought she never left her own hearth.”

“Any hearth is her hearth,” he says, shrugging.

He’s sidestepping her, but she’s brought up enough sensitive topics for now. “What are you making?”

“Nothing useful,” he says ruefully, looking around his workshop. “If I wanted to get more followers, I’d focus on making things people can use. A lot of these are godly tools – only we can use them effectively.”

“Will you show me?” she insists. “They’re beautiful.”

His lips part, his dark eyes catching hers, and there’s a breathless moment where neither of them move. Then he turns and says, “Sure, come with me,” and she follows behind him, watching the smooth gait of his handcrafted legs.

~

Next time she’s on Olympus, she goes to Hera to ask her advice.

Aphrodite is currently under both her and her son’s protection. This isn’t a decision it’s politically smart of her to make on her own.

She waits until Zeus has left. His absence tends to put Hera in a foul mood, considering what he’s likely to be doing out of her sight, but it’s worth that to make sure that they’re not overheard. Aphrodite doesn’t think that any advice Zeus gives will be in her self interest.

Hera’s might not be either, but so far whatever she’s doing for her own self interest has been beneficial to Aphrodite, and that’s enough for her.

She bows and offers her a bouquet of lilies that she’d picked herself, each one a bright orange reddish hue and perfectly in bloom. Hera reaches out to touch a petal, but pulls back and says, “Weave them into my hair while we speak.”

Aphrodite can’t help herself from being touched. Hera always does her own hair, not even allowing her servants to touch it. She delicately combs out Hera’s curls, giving her hair waves to match the curve of the lilies’ petals. Aphrodite tells her what Athena said to her, then waits.

“She’s right,” Hera says. “As the goddess of love and beauty, you’re inherently desirable. Until you make your own desires known, others can decide what they are, and decide that they qualify. Marriage at least sets your standards.”

Aphrodite frowns. “So you think I should marry?”

She shrugs. “Gods like to pretend that beauty is cheap and love is something bought.” Suddenly, Hera’s appointment of her domain makes a little more sense. “But if that were true, they wouldn’t be pursuing you so ardently. Marriage won’t change that. What it does is give you a tool that you can use.”

“That’s not very romantic,” she says, put out.

Hera laughs, tossing her head with the motion, and Aphrodite has to pull back to keep from crushing the flowers. “Is that what you value?”

“Yes,” she answers, but it comes out more like a question.

“Then that’s what you should marry for – romance. Apollo will likely come ahead on that scale.” She moves back in place so Aphrodite can continue. “There is a reason that as the goddess of marriage, love does not fall within my domain. Marriage is about getting what you want. Some want love, or beauty, and so that’s what they marry for. Other for money, for power, for protection. Decide what it is that you want and then marry the person who can give it to you. That’s why your marriage will be a deterrent to others. It will tell them what you value.”

Hera did not marry for love. Aphrodite doesn’t need to be a goddess of it to know that. “Do you think I should marry your son?”

Ares is the most obvious answer. She’s spent the most time with him, and he’s kind to her, and he protects her. He’s not especially romantic, but he cares for her. No one else pursuing her knows her enough to care for her.

“If he’ll give you what you want,” she says. Aphrodite finishes affixing the last lily to her hair, and she turns to face her, her amber eyes bright with an emotion Aphrodite can’t name. “Choose your spouse. We’ll hold the wedding on Olympus and I’ll marry you myself. No one will question it after that.”

“Thank you, Queen Hera,” she says.

When Hera walks away, it’s with fire weaved into her hair.  

~

Ares is silent for a long time when Aphrodite tells him that she’s looking to marry. She thinks he’s about to offer, and the ball of dread in her stomach is both surprising and informative. She loves Ares. She does not want to marry him.

This is an inopportune time for her to realize that.

“If we were to marry, would I find peace?” he asks. “Everything is so loud sometimes.”

Her heart clenches. In this moment she hates for the first time. Zeus did this to Ares and that makes Zeus her enemy.

��When you find love, you will find peace,” she says, placing her hands on his shoulders. “I can’t be your peace. If that’s what I was, you would know by now. But when you do find that person, that loudness will fade.”

There’s a pressure around them and centered in her head, giving her a searing headache, and then it’s gone and its only Ares’s hands on her elbows that keep her upright as she staggers, suddenly exhausted.

 “Your first blessing,” Ares says, smiling as she blinks up at him, dazed. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t know I could do that,” she says fuzzily.

He laughs. “You’re a goddess of the pantheon. There’s very little you can’t do. You’ll discover that in time.”

She thinks he’s trying to be comforting, but the idea that her abilities are beyond her own knowledge is terrifying. There’s a reason most gods have to earn their domains rather than be assigned them.

The problem is if not Ares, then who? It would be easier to narrow her options if she knew what she wanted, like Hera told her to do, but she doesn’t. She wants people to leave her alone. She wants to learn how to be a proper goddess. She wants to claw Ares away from Zeus’s grasp with her bare hands.

None of that is anything a husband can give her.

“Say that you’re willing to be courted and see what they offer,” Ares says. “Maybe you’ll know what you want when you see it.”

“But what if I don’t want any of it?” she asks. “Then I have to choose someone I don’t want.”

He hums, then says, “I’ll ask for your hand too, and offer more than anyone else. Then, if you don’t find someone you like, you can just pick me and we won’t marry. Mom will understand if I tell her.”

The thought of getting on Hera’s bad side is chilling, but if anyone can soothe her temper, it’s her son, so she agrees.

The news travels quickly, gods from all over climbing up to Olympus’s peak to ask for her. It’s spread to the point that she thinks some of them that are here don’t even want her, that it’s just a big show about what they’re able to offer. Which, of course, makes her choice even more difficult.

Ares, Apollo, and Hermes offer her the most, of course. They’re gods of the pantheon and have more influence and power at their disposal. But the minor gods still make a good show of it, stepping forward to off her castles and servants and land, nymphs even offering to grow a her a living manor from the forest and perfectly plump fruit every day of her life.

In one way or another, they all off her protection, luxury, and beauty. She struggles to find any of it of value.

She’s resigned herself to picking Ares just to get it all to stop when a hush falls over the crowd that’s then replaced with frantic whispering. They part like a wave retreating from shore and her breath catches in her throat when she sees who’s walking towards her.

Hephaestus is on Olympus for the first time since he’s been thrown from it.

He’s gilded gold as he passes by everyone else, his eyes on her alone, from his legs to the way the sun illuminates his amber eyes to the chiton wrapped snug around his waist with a golden belt. He could have worn a long robe to hide his legs. She likes that he didn’t.

He stops in front of her and she tries to think of something to say, but her throat is too dry.

“Goddess,” he murmurs, then pulls a single copper rose from thin air and offers it to her. “For you.”

She takes it, her fingers brushing his, and his hands are still warm like he’s just pulled them from the forge.

He came to the place where the worst thing that ever happened to him occurred. He’s given her a gift with no strings. He’s offering her only this – the skill of his hands and the bravery of his heart.

What she wants is someone who will take her as she is and grow with her, who will explain the world patiently and know her well enough to make her something beautiful.

She is the goddess of love and beauty. She cannot be bought with castles.

“Yes,” she says, holding the rose between their bodies as she pushes herself up to kiss Hephaestus in front of all of Olympus.  

 There are shouts of protests, people yelling in anger or betrayal, and Ares’s bright, warm laughter over it all.

~

Aphrodite expects Hera to be furious.

Instead the goddess says nothing of her choice, only holds the wedding as she promised. Zeus won’t even look at Hephaestus, but Hera stands in front of them and recites the vows for them to repeat back to each other as if it’s all normal, as if Hephaestus is just like any other god to her.

She has that same look in her eye that she had before while she does it, but Aphrodite barely notices it before her husband pulls her attention back to him, his promises of love and loyalty more worthy of her attention than anything going on in Hera’s mind.

She and Hephaestus walk down Olympus, hand in hand, husband and wife.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Yandere Jack, Hercules, Rudra, Poseidon, Hades, Ares, Qin Shi Huang, Hermes, Buddha and Platonic Adam and Zerofuku with Fem!Loid Reader?

During her fight with (God/Human) she wins and for her wish, wants her Daughter to be accepted in the prestigious Valhalla Academy where Deity Children go (Daughter isn’t hers biologically, but she took her in as her kid because she’s an orphan, similar to Reader, and even took Zerofuku in as her kid too) she’s still is a spy, but she mainly keeps an eye on those that look like they’ll cause trouble in Valhalla (Zeus agrees, trusting her to be his eyes and ears for this kind of stuff)

However, the only problem is the School needs the children to have both parents come in, cue Reader screaming/panicking in front of (Human/God) how is she supposed to find a man that would marry her in 48 hours?! Which he tells her he’ll do it (He refuses to miss this opportunity of a lifetime to marry the woman that stole his heart) causing Reader to fall face first to the floor in shock (As they’re running away from some of Reader’s ‘Patients’) and she uses a Grenade‘s Safety Pin to give (Love) as an Engagement Ring (He can’t decide if he should be impressed by her creativity or amazed by Reader’s ‘boldness’ to do a role-reversal on asking him the marriage proposal) Girl Boss Reader

Cue Boss Music as Adam isn’t very happy with what (Love) just said (And proceeds to chase him around yelling how a relationship is supposed to go, with dates and getting to know each other, not immediate marriage)

-You did it, you had won your fight! Mission accomplished, and now you would get your wish from Zeus!

-You had become eyes and ears for Zeus, after he learned that you were a spy on earth, and a damn good one at that, and you had the job of keeping an eye on those who would cause problems around Valhalla.

-Your reports were always thorough and detailed, proving that you were very diligent at your job, but recently, you had an additional job, becoming a parent! You had recently adopted two children, one god and one human child, Zerofuku and Eri (I’m feeling lazy and she’s an easy character to write).

-Eri was an orphan, much like you were, and she was just a little girl, needing someone to protect her in this world, and as Zerofuku had been the one to first find Eri, he came along but was happy to join a family like yours, as you were warm feeling, being a good parent.

-You had heard both Zerofuku and Eri cheering for you in your fight, showing your combat skills, even Zeus was surprised by your skills, you could be quite dangerous if you really wanted to be!

-Ragnarok was now a yearly tournament, no longer a fight to the death, and the winner of each round would get one wish granted, which is the reason you joined.

-You wanted nothing more than for Eri to get a good education, as you didn’t get one, having grown up in a time of war, and your wish was for her to be able to go to the very prestigious Valhalla Academy, a school for both gods and humans, but it was notoriously difficult to get in.

-So that was your wish, for Eri to be able to go to school, something that made her beam, as she wanted to go to school, having not been allowed when she was alive on earth and Zerofuku was elated as well, seeing his little sister and mama so happy!

-You went to the school to get the application, but when you exited, you were surrounded by gloom, your whole body pure white in shock as you sunk into a park bench, burying your face in your hands.

-You knew this was a prestigious school, but you hadn’t realized all the requirements, all students had to have both parents come in for the interview, no single parents allowed!! How were you going to do this in less than 48 hours?!?!

-(Love) saw you lamenting on the bench, as the gloomy aura you were projecting wasn’t easily ignored. You had proven yourself a worthy opponent in this years Ragnarok, beating him of all people, and you had gotten your wish, so why did you look so gloomy now?

-He sat next to you, “Y/N?” you looked up and immediately your eyes went huge, and you grabbed his hands, “Marry me (Love)!!” he froze in shock at your sudden and very bold proposal.

-He could see the fire in your eyes, there was some reason behind it, and while elated at your proposal, as you had managed to steal his heart in your fight, kicking his ass while still looking so prim and beautiful, he spoke, “Before I say yes, I need to know why first.”

-You explained that your wish was for Eri to go to this school, but for the interview process that was in less than 48 hours, every child needed both parents, as single parents weren’t permitted, something that he grew angry at as there were lots of single parents out there.

-He fell for you even harder, seeing the lengths you were willing to go for your daughter, as he had seen you out and about with Eri and Zerofuku, the two of them holding your hands, you were a perfect mother!

-He instantly smiled and went to accept when you heard a voice shout out, “Oh no you don’t!!” you both turned, seeing your adopted father Adam there, surrounded by flames of rage, “That’s not how marriage works! You’re supposed to court each other and go on dates! Not jump right into marriage!!”

-You tried to explain your reasoning, and while honorable, Papa Adam wasn’t happy about it, chasing the two of you around.

-(Love) swept you up princess style and leapt down off a bridge onto another path, running away as he beamed at you, “I’ll marry you Y/N!” you beamed brightly up at him, showing your own joy, your arms around his neck, “I’m so happy!”

-You managed to lose Adam, but he called you later, still fuming and you told him that your plan was to do things the old-fashioned way, once Eri was accepted into the school, which placated him for the moment, but threatened (Love) to not hut or upset you, Eri, or Zerofuku.

-Eri and Zerofuku were elated to see that you now had a husband, and they had a father figure now. Zerofuku was instantly getting along with (Love) which made you happy, while Eri clung to you, a big shy with this new man.

-You watched him kneel down, getting down to her level, a gentle smile on his face, greeting her kindly. You explained to your children the reasoning behind the sudden marriage and Zerofuku grew upset, changing into his Envy mode, which caused you to pull him into your arms, trying to calm him down.

-Eri looked up at (Love), “So we’re playing pretend family so I can get into school?” He nodded softly, before giving you a small smile, “At first yes we are playing pretend, but I want us to become a real family, Eri, Zerofuku, Y/N- I want to be a part of this family.”

-Your bright red face was rather cute to see, holding your cheeks, which immediately brought Zerofuku back to normal, as both of your children cuddled you, thinking you were adorable!

-Eri got in with no issues, something you all cheered for, taking her out to her favorite bakery to celebrate, and you hugged (Love), overwhelmed with joy.

-When you tried to pull back, he embraced you back, hugging you close, a smile on his own face, making a silent vow that he was going to be a part of this family, no matter what.

-Became the best father possible to your children, he would read to them, help Eri with her homework, and always made time to take them out to parks to go and play. Your kids were easily won over by his devotion, making good on his promise that he was going to become a perfect father for them. He doted on your just as much, helping you around the house, cuddling you close like you were his real wife, and even taking you out on dates, proving to you that he was a good husband for you. It was hard not to fall for him, especially when he would accompany you and Eri to school, proving to everyone that he was indeed a good father and would defend you against others who didn’t believe you were a good mother. Both he and Zerofuku were very protective of you and Eri, and they wouldn’t hesitate to put anyone in their place to defend both of you.

-Jack, Poseidon, Hades, Hermes, and Qin Shi Huang.

-Took to being a father naturally, would cry when Eri would cry, would hug Zerofuku close when he would get upset and go into his Envy form, doting on him. You were impressed with his skills, and he showed you what a good father and husband he was for you, showering you with love while out and about, something other mothers grew a bit jealous of when you would drop Eri off at school, seeing how attentive your husband was to both you and Eri. If she would tear him, not wanting to leave, he would kneel and hug her close, giving her a pinkie promise that you both would be there to pick her up at the end of the day. Then he would peck your cheek, beaming brightly, “C’mon Y/N- let’s go on a date!” he loved seeing the envious glares on others, he was the one who had your heart, who had such a lovely family, not them, and he was going to keep it that way.

-Hercules, Ares, Rudra and Buddha

[marnerparty]

lost dog

Mitch Marner x Matthews!reader

ynmatthews

Liked by user1, yourbestfriend, and 13,457 others

ynmatthews found this adorable dog in the Toronto area! Please let me know if it’s yours!

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user1 adorable

yourbestfriend why do animals always find their way to you?

ynmatthews right!? I must be Snow White

yourbestfriend maybe you’ll find your prince 😏

user2 you’re kidding right?

ynmatthews about . . . ?

user2 you should know whose dog this is

ynmatthews sorry??

williamnylander Mitch is shitting his pants right now

ynmatthews Mitch?

austonmatthews i’m embarrassed to be your brother

ynmatthews i’m so confused

austonmatthews if you came to my games and met more than one of my teammates you’d understand

williamnylander don’t listen to him, he’s a being a bitch. it’s our teammates dog

user3 when she’s Auston’s sister and doesn’t know Mitch freaking Marner

ynmatthews sorry! i’m not a hockey person!

marner_93 you are a life saver. check your dms please!

user4 imagine getting dms from Mitch Marner

williamnylander yn’s living everyone’s dream rn

ynmatthews

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ynmatthews dog returned ✅

Tagged marner_93

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marner_93 can’t say thank you enough! Zeus was sad to see you go

ynmatthews so glad I could help!

user1 a friendship I didn’t know I needed

yourbestfriend prince?

ynmatthews nope

austonmatthews 👀

williamnylander now you’ve met another teammate!

ynmatthews funny will. i’m laughing

austonmatthews if you would just come to your first hockey game the joke would end

williamnylander ^^^

calemakar first leafs game*

ynmatthews cale it was a secret 🤦🏼‍♀️

austonmatthews I KNOW you didn’t go to an avalanche game as your first NHL game

ynmatthews but cale’s my bestie 🥹

austonmatthews I’M YOUR BROTHER

user2 the Matthews are hectic

austonmatthews yn’s hectic*

ynmatthews Auston’s hectic*

marner_93

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marner_93 i think she’s been using me for my dog for the last 2 years

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ynmatthews ofc I am!

williamnylander that view 🤩

marner_93 right?

austonmatthews hey guys, older brother here! just wondering when you were going to tell me you snuck off to mexico?

ynmatthews where have you been Auston?

marner_93 did we sneak?

ynmatthews def sneaked

austonmatthews 😮

yourbestfriend not your prince?

ynmatthews shut up

marner_93 king*

user1 I’m so happy for them

calemakar and she’s still only been to an avalanche game 😎

user2 even after 2 years!?

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ynmatthews

Liked by calemakar, yourbestfriend and 23,765 others

ynmatthews okay, I’m a hockey person now :)

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yourbestfriend YN WHAT!?

ynmatthews IK

yourbestfriend now would be the time where you say…

ynmatthews yes, you were right. he’s my prince :)

calemakar i’m so happy for you matty ❤️

ynmatthews i love you my cale💙

marner_93 🤍🤍

ynmatthews i’m so in love with you Mitch Marner

williamnylander I remember when you didn’t even know his name

ynmatthews yeah and everyone made sure I knew how much of an idiot I was 😂

user1 last name upgrade

Liked by ynmatthews

austonmatthews so happy for you guys

ynmatthews love you bro 💙

marner_93 thanks for your blessing Auston ❤️

ynmatthews you asked him for his blessing?🥹

calemakar marry him immediately

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marner_93

Liked by nhl, austonmatthews and 45,398 others

marner_93 we’re pretty good at this sneaking around thing

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calemakar YOU DIDN’T

ynmatthews we did

marner_93 only Zeus knew :)

williamnylander now you can’t be my favorite Matthews :( but congrats nonetheless

ynmatthews I was your favorite? 🥹

williamnylander duh

ynmatthews Mitch, buddy, we gotta talk

user1 plot twist: Mitch becomes a Matthews

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yourbestfriend I wish I was angry but this is so you. congrats my love

ynmatthews love you long time ❤️

nhl cheers to the Marners!

Liked by marner_93 and ynmatthews

austonmatthews and after everything you two get eloped

ynmatthews you’re shocked?

austonmatthews nope

mapleleafs I think this means she’ll finally be catching a game!

ynmatthews 😐

williamnylander oh that’s good

bunting27 congrats to you both!

marner_93 thanks man!

ynmatthews it means a lot mikey!🤍

ynmarner

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ynmarner & to think w/out Zeus I wouldn’t have Mitch 🤍

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user1 who would’ve thought

austonmatthews he would do yoga

ynmarner i’ve asked him not to tbh

marner_93 that’s false

ynmarner mitch you’re my husband now back me up

austonmatthews well he was my teammate first 🤷🏼‍♀️

marner_93 bros before hoes

ynmarner divorce

austonmatthews he’ll get through it, not a big loss

calemakar okay I feel the need to step in

ynmarner please do I’m sad

marner_93 she’s sitting across from me giggling

ynmatthews 😮

williamnylander wow marriage is starting off great you guys

yourbestfriend remember all of the “20 mile runs”

austonmatthews why is that in quotes?

yourbestfriend 😳

austonmatthews yn?

ynmarner take a guess at how many miles away Mitch’s house was from mine . . .

austonmatthews shut the front door

yourbestfriend she shut Mitch’s often!

mapleleafs Zeus is such a good boy!

ynmarner the best!

user2 how long do we think this lasts?

marner_93 forever and ever and ever

ynmarner

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ynmarner because we really needed one more secret to keep . . .

Grayson Auston Marner 💙

Tagged marner_93

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[thequeenofthedisneyverse]

Zeus x Eurylochus - 70's au (Not sure what to call it)

I'm thinking about an AU set in the 70's where Zeus is living a double life. He and Eurylochus already have three daughters together. The oldest is Zeury at 10 years old, the middle is Eurylana at 8 years old, and the youngest is Lily at 5 years old.

(Don't ask me Zeus and Eury's ages yet because I'm not sure. And don't ask me how their daughters got here either. That's up to you how they were born.)

TW: Mentions of cheating, homophobia, and assassination attempts. That's about it.

Lore/Backstory

Eurylochus is very much aware of Zeus' other family, but he won't say anything because he's emotionally and mentally not in the mood for the drama.

Not to mention it's the 70's, gay relationships weren't accepted like that. So, the other reason Eury doesn't say anything is to make sure his and his kids' lives aren't at stake.

I'm not really sure how they met yet so don't ask. I'll give you the details once I have them.

And...Eurylochus loves Zeus. That's the third reason he won't say anything. They were childhood sweethearts so to speak but due to the times, Zeus had to marry Hera. It was an arranged marriage, so Zeus didn't really have much of a say in the matter anyway.

As for Zeus, he does love Eurylochus but doesn't have much time for him. He tries though. Genuinely.

Jobs

Of course, Zeus is a rich CEO of the city's most well-known tech company. Surely a job he worked for and DEFININETLY not a job his father gave him after he stepped down.

Eury isn't rich but he's not poor either. A well of middle class "single" dad who's a principle at his daughters' school. On the side he works at his mother's bakery.

Family/Friends

Eurylochus is the only child of a mechanic, James, and a baker, Angela. Both of his parents are aware of their son's relationship with Zeus and have mixed opinions about it.

James won't except the relationship at all nor will he acknowledge his grandchildren. Angela is more lenient though. She always wanted grandkids and well...she got them.

Angela kind of finds the irony laughable. All her life she's been told to be specific for what you wish for. She supposes she should have been specific to HOW her grandchildren came to be...and what gender she wanted her son to be with.

She's against his relationship with Zeus too but doesn't express it often.

I may change this to Eurylochus going no contact with his parents though, I'm not sure.

His friends Odysseus and Polites don't know that Zeus is the girls' father. They just know those girls belong to someone other than Eury.

-

At the beginning of her marriage, Hera would be so hurt when Zeus cheated on her. No amount of begging or "think of the children" could stop him. It got so bad until she just...snapped.

With every new whore he found would be a new one for her to...remove from life so to speak. With some should we kill them herself and with others she'd hire someone to do it.

Zeus just think Hera may have threatened the girls to stay away from him. He doesn't know that Hera has them assassinated.

Zeus and Hera have four children in total: Hephaestus (oldest), Athena (second oldest), Ares (middle child), and Hebe (youngest). I can't decide their ages yet so if you have any ideas let me know.

Zeus isn't exactly the greatest man in the world, especially to his children. It's clear that Athena is his favorite of the bunch...he mostly forgets about the others, especially Ares.

The only friends Zeus has been his brothers...that's it. And even they are iffy about it sometimes.

Family life

Zeus is actually a good father to his and Eury's daughters when he's around. He showers them with gifts, affection, and genuine care. Zeus does love Eurylochus, don't worry.

When he can he'll send flowers or other gifts to his address. Sometimes they'll even share a kiss or two. Maybe even a night of cuddling if their lucky.

It's rare for Zeus to be there for any holiday but when he can he goes all out. Christmas is his favorite time of year so even if he can't visit, he'll let his little girls know he loves them.

Eurylochus is of course, the disciplinary parent while Zeus is the fun one. The oldest girls favor Zeus a lot more, mainly because he buys them things when they ask for it.

Lily favors Eury more because from her perspective, he's around a lot more than Zeus is. But she likes Zeus too.

Eury is "Papa" and Zeus is "Dad"...I'll come up with more but let me know what ya'll think of this so far.

[mr-yuugo]

Fallen Soul

-Record Of Ragnarok × Fem!Reader-

Summary: You are a god who is recruited to fight for Mankind. A god whose soul had fallen to earth, a human version of themselves was born. Will you be able to help save humanity?

You can read this on Wattpad and AO3! There is currently 17 chapters!

[CHAPTER 1] Contender

Faint footsteps could be heard as you lifted your head. "Lady Y/N, there is someone here who wishes to speak with you," Virgo said as they bowed down. Their short pink hair covered their face as their right hand was placed on their chest.

You hummed in acknowledgment. "Let them in," You spoke as you rested your chin in the palm of your hand. Virgo was quick to stand up straight. Going to the doors of your throne room to open them. Opening them, Virgo moved to the side to let the person walk in. You smiled as you recognized that it was the Valkyrie from earlier.

....

"Well, then. Everyone, it's been 1000 years since the last time we gathered. Let us start the conference shall we?" Zeus said.

"Now, let me ask. In regard to the survival of mankind for the next 1,000 years. Should we forgive them? Or should we just put an end to them?" Zeus asked and two signs appeared beside him. One is a circle and another being an X symbol.

Besides where you sat, you heard someone speak. "Yep! Heeeere!" Shiva, who was sitting next to you was smiling. He was holding up two of the X signs.

"Let's just give them the doomsday already, Alright? From what I've seen these past 1,000 years, mankind doesn't seem to have any intent to repent at all. Trying to guide them is such a pain in the ass." Having said that, he looked over at you and smirked. "Once we erase them all, let's try evolving some other animal!"

Just a few feet away you saw Aphrodite nod her head. "True..." Aphrodite muttered. "It's just as Shiva-sama said, in the last 1000 years the earth has become too ugly." You were certain you could hear the inner disgust in her voice.

"Seas are filled with waste and oil, forests are disappearing and living beings have become extinct one after another. So to speak...Humans are the most dangerous living cancer on earth. A disaster that will bring the earth to its end. Isn't that right?"

At her words, multiple of the other gods present had begun to agree with her. "Aphrodite is right!"

"Mankind is awful and will bring only despair." As even more gods began to speak their minds, Shiva turned to you and spoke. "Tell me, Y/N, you also think we should end them right?" He lazily smiled.

Looking at him, you smiled. Putting a finger up to your lips as if you were shushing him, you chuckled dryly. "Just wait Shiva, I'm sure the humans will not be ones to give up without a fight."

Zeus cleared his throat, gaining the attention of those around him. "I guess we have come to an agreement!" Zeus said, raising his gavel. "Then, the end of mankind is decided-!" Just before he slammed his gavel down, someone interrupted him.

"Please wait for a second!" Near the higher seats, you spotted a Valkyrie standing boldly and another who seemed scared.

"Huh?" Zeus mumbled. "A Valkyrie...? That's a Valkyrie right?" Someone asked. "What's up with her?" Another questioned as murmurs began to rise. "Parden my intrusion Gods, there is one thing I must say." The Valkyrie spoke loudly.

"Sister! Y-you can't s-speak to the Gods like that!" The smaller girl beside her said while trembling as she hurried to shush her sister.

"Mind your business, Brunhilde!" The crows that sit on Odin's shoulders yelled at her. "You imbecile half God! How dare you open your filthy mouth in the conference of the Gods!"

Brunhilde didn't seem fazed by their words. "It is true that mankind is unbelievably vulgar and violent. But to destroy them like that...Isn't that a bit...boring?" She shrugged. "Whether the survival of mankind has any value or not. With the mighty mercy of the Gods, why don't we test them?"

"Test them?! How, do you wish to flood them?!" Huginn asked Brunhilde as he continued to yell. "Or do you think we should send them into an ice age?"

Brundilde turned her head left to right in disagreement. "No, but I have the most effective way to test them.""Oh?" Zeus hummed. "What is it!? Say it now you imbecile!" Huggin yelled as he grew impatient. "Say it now!"

"Gods vs. Mankind's final struggle, Ragnarok!" Brunhilde spoke loudly as she held a book in her hands. "Valhalla constitution, article 62." She said while flipping through a book. "It is explained in paragraph 15 of the super special clause. 1 vs. 1 showdown, between both Gods and Mankind."

"It seems you Valkyrie really don't understand! Mankind vs. Gods? They simply don't stand a chance against us!" Huginn said. "They simply stand no chance!" Both crows yelled out in unison.

At the crow's words, the other gods present began to agree with them. "That's right!" They all yelled out. "It would be child's play!"The gods roared. "I don't even remember such a law."

Brundilde looked displeased, "So the will of the Gods is to destroy mankind and also....to avoid complete conflict?" Brunhilde said, mockery laced in her words. "Heh?!" Huginn glared.

"We want to destroy mankind without fighting them. We don't want to be put in the same ring as them. That's I'll I'm hearing, hmm don't tell me....." She stopped for a second. "You're chickening out?" Her voice echoed. "If so, I'm terribly sorry for interrupting you. Please forgive me. Well anyway go ahead don't listen to me. Let's just forget all about the Ragnarok stuff."

Soon laughter could be heard from all directions, but after that laughter, anger was clearly present. "How dare you!" The Gods yelled out in anger, throwing poisonous words at her. "Do you know what you just did you damn half-breed!"

"Are you making fun of us you bastard!!?"You simply stared at the girl with amazement in your eyes. "How bold!" You gushed as you smiled in her direction.

"Hohoho..." Zeus chuckled. "Ragnarok, quite an interesting proposal. Well said! Though, your proposal it's such a fucking unit! Besides don't you think it's been a long time since we have seen the might of the Gods!!"

"Everyone! What do you think? Should we hold a showdown between God and Mankind!?" He laughed. "Here!" Saying that he slammed his gavel down.

....

"Lady Y/N, thank you for allowing me to speak with you." Brunhilde bowed down in front of you. Motioning over to her to stand up, she soon stood confidently. "It's my pleasure dear, so why are you here?" You chuckled.

Placing a hand near her heart she looked up at you with determination. "I'm here to ask you, will you fight in Ragnarok?" You tilted your head in confusion, a quiet humm leaving your lips. "Hm? But I'm a God, why would you want me to fight against your cause?"

Brunhilde smirked. "You would fight....in your human form. Your soul, fell to earth correct? You were once a human, so according to the rules, you'll be able to participate for mankind. I've seen your skills as a human, I have no doubt you'll win!" Her smirked widened.

"Yes, I suppose that's true..." You mumbled, sighing you continued. "You are a very smart woman Brunhilde! Of course, such a bold request as yours can't be turned down. I accept! I'll be more than happy to battle in Ragnarok."

[CHAPTER 2] Ragnarok Begins!

The first round of Ragnarok had begun. You had decided to stay in your estate and watch the round on your TV. Footsteps could be heard from outside the doors of your room and knocking was heard soon after.

"Come in!" You said loudly. Opening the door you saw Virgo. They quickly rushed up to you and stood beside you. "My lady! The official roster for the candidates who will participate in Ragnarok is out!" They said, handing you an electronic device showing various names.

"It seems that you and young master Ruiru will be participating!" They spoke with enthusiasm. Handing the device back to them you kept watching the TV in front of you.

"It's alright Virgo. I have no need to see it. I would rather be surprised when the contenders come up to fight. I want to see it myself."

Their mouth formed an "o" shape and they looked down in shame. "Ah I see, I apologize then. I'm sorry I spoiled part of it for you..."

Glancing at Virgo you smiled as your eyes met. "No need to apologize, you were only excited to show the news that your very own master was going to show off her skills. I'm very much grateful for that!"

Noticing how their eyes teared up you quickly stood up from your seat. "Uh! D-don't cry! Did I say something weird!?" Freaking out you began to apologize. Virgo sniffled as they stood up straight, their hands behind their back.

"My lady, I'm so happy I'm able to work for you. I promise to do my very best!" Virgo said as they grabbed your hands. You were surprised for a second before smiling at them. "I'm glad," You told them as you gave their hand a firm squeeze.

At that moment you swore some arrow shot through Virgo's heart as their face began to flush. Excusing themselves, Virgo quickly left the room. "Huh-" Looking at the door they left through you just laughed. Sitting back down you continued to watch how Thor had a wonderful smirk on his face as he fought with Lu Bu.

A few minutes passed until you began to process the information Virgo had told you. "Ryubu's name was also on the list. I really do hope we don't end up fighting each other." You sighed. "I wonder how he is, I haven't seen him or Raijin in a very long time. I wish the best for them."

You frowned as you thought about them. "I wonder if they have changed at all..."

......

Focusing on the TV it seemed that the battle had come to an end. "The first battle of Ragnarok, between the God Thor and Lu Bu...has come to a close, with Thor as its victor...! Humanity has taken its first steps into extinction!!" Heimdall announcedStanding up you decided to make your way to the Arena to go see Thor.

"Heaven's door," You called out. A small portal opened up in front of you, passing by it you were immediately at the doors of the arena. Watching a nurse run by you quickly stopped her. "Excuse me but do you know where Thor currently is?"

The nurse looked at you, her eyes quick to widen as she recognized you. "Ah, Lady Y/N! Yes, I do know please follow me I'll lead you to it!" She smiled, her cheeks blushing a faint pink. She quickly walked in the direction of Thor's room. Passing a few halls she stopped at one of the doors.

"Here we are, Lady Y/N! I am very happy to have had the chance to be around you today!" She said as she bowed down to show her respect.

"Oh please you're going to make me blush!" You said as you also bowed down slightly. Standing up straight she told you goodbye as she quickly left in the direction you both came from in a hurry.

Opening the door to his room you saw him sitting on a chair, his eyes focused on the screen in front of him awaiting for the second round to start. Hearing the door open, Thor snapped his eyes over in your direction. "Y/N, have you never learned to knock?" He asked.

"Wow! Ironic you're saying I should knock!" You laughed. You heard him mumble something under his breath. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you." You asked almost mockingly.

Sighing Thor spoke. "Sorry..." He said looking anywhere but your eyes. It seemed he was still beating himself up about your first meeting.

"That's better! Anyways I'm just here to ask if you're alright."

He hummed as he motioned over to you to get closer with his hands. "Did you really come all this way just to ask me that?"

"Yep!" You said clapping your hands together. "Can't you just use that ability of yours? You could have just seen into the future. You probably already knew the outcome of my match." He said.

You laughed and let out a sigh. "I suppose I could but, I made a promise to myself not to. Knowing what is bound to happen is...no fun!" You admitted as you shrugged. "I haven't seen anything future-related since Brunhilde came to speak with me."

Saying that Thor looked puzzled. "That Valkyrie came to speak with you? Why?" He asked to which you nodded.

"I will be fighting in Ragnarok, for the future of mankind." His eyes widened slightly but quickly regained their cold look.

"Can't say I'm surprised....." Thor muttered. "Y/N, wouldn't that mean you are a traitor to the Gods? What will happen to you if others find out?"

"Well, I guess....I'll just have to kill them before they kill me!" You smirked. "Are you going to try to kill me?" You asked, your eyes lighting up as your smirk widened. He stared at you for a moment before chuckling.

"Why would I kill the only God I have...that is worthy of fighting me." He said as he let out a quiet chuckle. "Though I am confused. If you fighting in Ragnarok, why wasn't your name on the list of contenders?"

"Well...as rules say, it will be a showdown between mankind and god. I simply can't break the rules! I'll be fighting as a human."

"A human?"

"Yes! Once upon a time, Dear old Y/N lost her soul! Her soul fell to earth and found itself within a human child. That child was given a chance to follow their own path, one without assistance from any god." You said as if telling a children's book.

Thor froze as you told him the small story. "When did that happen?" He thought but didn't say anything about it.

"My name given by the love of mankind is Hoshiko Hanae."

"Ah...I see. Hoshiko Hanae, I remember seeing that name on the list of fighters. Though, are you really sure you will win? I fear that you will be far weaker as a human as you are a God." He spoke with genuine concern.

"Just because I will be "weaker" than I am now, does not mean I'll be weaker than my opponent. I trained my ass off from what I remember. I hold no fear of losing, I will win." You smiled. "Oh, and you won't tell anyone about what we just talked about right? I'm kinda hoping everyone finds out when the moment happens."

"Of course, though why did you tell me? You didn't gain anything from it."

"Huh? Well, I don't need to gain anything. I just trust you, talking to you makes me happy. Do I really need a reason?" You said as your smile didn't falter. His mouth opened slightly and having found no words to say he looked down.

A smirk appeared on his face. "Do you maybe want to stay here and watch the next battle?" He asked still staring down. Feeling a presence next to him he looked up and was met by your smile.

"Sure!"

[leynaeithnea]

Just finished your beautiful beautiful very yummy and very angsty analysis of love in paradise ( maybe I shed a little tear here and there, maybe I didn't, you can't know that ) so I thought this would be right moment to leave you an ask for a gods game analysis maybe?? *stares at you with big brown eyes*

Last one of this saga!!!! Yayyy

Praying ill remember all the musical parts ive heard about but im sure theres so much hidden i forgot/didnt hear about yet

30. God Games

We open with a choir of course, because...gods! Athena decides to do something (finially)

“Father, God King” (athena asks daddy for help SIJGSEIG)

“Rarely do I ask for favors” being the good favorite daughter

“Now, I’m knocking on your door, with hopes to save a friendship with one who’s a prisoner far from home....Odysseus” I LOVE the melody of this part somehow??? especially how the drop before “odysseus”, ALSO SHE CALLS IT A FRIENDSHIP INFRONT OF ZEUS TOO

“Divine intervention, is that what you seek?” ........yes, bruh. Zeus dont fuck this up, u are decent enough in Homers Odyssey

“To untie apprehensions that were placed on that Greek?” okay i had to google “apprehentions, and apperently it both means “arrest” and “concern/fear”...........to untie the arrest on Ody, and at the same time the concerns of Odysseus THATS GENIUS, Ive heard Homer does a lot of these double meanings of words in his Epics and IM SO HERE FOR IT, also “that Greek”, come on, dont use it as a slur >:)

“You are playing with thunder for a man full of shame”..................NOW WHO PUT THIS SHAME ON HIM YOU MF, YOU WHAT KIND OF SICK GAME IS THIS-

“But if he’s worth the risk of going under, why not make it a game?” Lukes vocal performance in this part is something else, like dude??? hello? youre a tenor SIEJGSEIGJ, its good, also WDYM GOING UNDER??? HUH??? ....yeah of course you make it a game, because everything is a game to you, because really, theres nothing and noone who poses a thread to you

“Convince each of them that he ought to be released, and I’ll release him” the slight echo effect in that voice.......fascinatinggg, wish i knew if the melody in this part had any meaning, gotta look it up

“Who’s them?” Athena god of wisdom asking about details before agreeing to deals *cough* Odysseus, learn from your friend

“Apollo” APPOLO MY GUY ehehehehee

“Hephaestus” okay, fair

“Aphrodite” the wWAY HE PROUNCES HER NAME?? OMG

“Ares”, yea yea imposing yada yada

“Hera” cant exclude his wife

“Or me” OR me, so its ALL of them, or him? bruh

“What do you say?” WHAT IS SHE SUPPOSED TO SAY

“Great” ehehehehe apollo <3

“Very well” just doing it because

“Eh” shes so excited

“Alright” he IS excited

“Groovy”....ok? um...imma move on

“Bring it” of course she would choose all of them over Zeus, its Zeus, he just WANTS you to loose, bc hes the god king

“Apollo!” parrot

“You all know I’m a fan of catchy songs” god of music yada yada HIS VOICE

“so with so many sirens gone, I think Ody’s in the wrong”.........there are so many reasons to dislike Odysseus and you pick the SIRENS? .......did you just join for the fun and had no real reasons or did u get dragged there or-....but its ok, your voice is amazing, also IIRC it should be the melody of suffering??? of different beast??? i forgorrrr norrrr also Lyreeee in the background! ehehehe

“They were trying to do him worse, All he did was reimburse them Now they’ll tread with caution first To live another day and sing another verse” maybe the melody was in this part. also, yeah tell him athena, what kind of argument is that, they tried to kill him he just did what he had to--------admittely he was VERY cruel about it, but athena doesnt have to mention that, and well Ody probably protected even more sailors in the future through his actions

ALSO DONT COME AT ME WITH “but all the sirens are dead” THERE ARE MORE, theyre obviously not talking about the sirens Ody killed, its about all other Sirens out at see that woudlve seen the others dying after being brutally cut down by a human, they WILL be more cautious in the future

“If that’s true, release him”, yeah u really had nothing to argue against, he just shrugs it off LMAO

“Hephaestus!” Hefefuf ehehehe ALSO JORGES DAD YAY adorable, tho when first listened i rly thought it was Jorge with voice changer again THEY SOUND SO SIMILIAR

“Trust is not given, it’s forged”...true, valid argument, Also Scylla melody??? I THink?

“Why should I give him my support? He sacrificed his own cohort”......well....um.....he didnt rly have much of a CHOICE ....but its a more valid concern, the sounds that sound like a hammers in a forge sound cool btw

“Did you forget they failed to listen?”.........yeah literally

“He was betrayed and then imprisoned” IMPRISONED AH ODY, but yeah EXACTLY, the WIND BAG, THE MUTINY AH

“But if you make the right decision He can still build a future with those who miss him” AND BUILD TRUST WITH THEM AGAIN AHHHHHHH yes. Hefefuf choose right.

“Fine, release him” good.

the music making it sound like steps in a game as you level up....fine, it sounds nice

“Aphrodite” seductive, i like it

“Your little high and mighty Odysseus” SHeS pissed, and does not like Ody you can hear the “high and mighty” in her voice :”) ouch

“Claims to love his mother But let her die of a broken heart” LIKE HE HAD A CHOICE IN THE MATTER HE TRIED TO GET HOME SHE DIDNT HAVE TO JUMP

“He was busy fighting”, yeaaah

“More like busy spiting the cyclops”.........yeah okay we can get behin that this was stupid decision but it wasnt a rational decision either he just lost his best friend, THATS LOVE TOO; GIVE HIM SOME SLACK

“Let him feel the pain that his mother felt and rot” WHY U BE SO COLD HEARTED , i love the melody/music in this tho

“Wait, please reconsider this”, athena using quick thought on a goddess, intriguing! also shes begging her :tear: aw man

“Really Athena? These old tricks?” annoyed older brother breaking into quick thought to the rescuse of his lover, makes him likeable somehow, i love the delivery of this line

“Ares!” yeah shes pissed

“What kind of sick coward Holds back his power While his friends get devoured? He didn’t even fight Scylla Didn’t even try to kill her Hides inside a wooden horse to get the job done Never handles things upfront” sorry that he didnt want to DIE dude??? i get your concern with straight forward, open combat but???? is dying on the battle field rly that much worse than wanting to come home COME ON, he wins, he is EFFECTIVE, are you jealous of his stragedies? HE GOT MENTORED BY ATHENA; OFC HE WILL CHOOSE THE SMART WAY OUT NOT THE QUICKEST-WAY-TO-DIE WAY OUT smh

“Pathetic and weak like his son” thats a low blow what is your issue with telemachus bro, the drums for ares makes sense

“Hold your tongue now His son’s my friend” awwww shes calling him a frienddddddd

“And tell your lover that a broken heart can mend” AHAHAH “tell your lover”, true true

“You want more bloodshed? Then set him free To get back to his homestead, he’ll make everybody bleed” SEUHGSOUEGESH “if you let him back he’ll kill everyone” Ares: :D thats what i like to hear, Athenas piano playing again, as she fights Ares is fun too

“Ugh, release him”, what made them change their mind? Esp Aphrodite? was it Athenas concern for Telemachus? and for Ares athenas promise of bloodshed? maybe who knows

“Hey baby”.....okay, flirty? from Hera? alright, lets interpret it as motherly flirting

“Hera” how to hit those high notes

“So many heroes So many tales Give me one good reason why yours should prevail” NOW THAT is intersting, everyone else so far gave a reason NOT to release him, but now Hera asks her to give her one reason WHY he deserves to be released “dont tell me of all the sins he didnt commit, tell me of the virtue he holds” typa thing

“He’s got the mind of a genius”, fair, but there would be others

“Try harder”, encouraging, she doesnt rly want her to loose does she? she support it, she just wants to see if Athena is worth it, i do like this characterization (as long as i ignore the disco animatic, i know its Jorges creative freedom but my brain tries to refuse ANYTHING that would be a reference to modernity, let me live in the bliss of ignorance to pretend its a movie set in ancient greece x)

“He’s pretty skilled with words”, hes a lair, i love him for it

“You can do better than that”, ...yeah

“He’s kind of funny?” running out of reasons athena, also YOU THINK HES FUNNY? LMAO ur right, the odyssey is quite the commedy for anyone but odysseus (and a few others but yk)

“Eh” doesnt sound convinced heh

“Never once has he cheated on his wife” HA HA HAHAHAHAHA HA right thing to say to Hera

[also the whole debate about “did odysseus cheat or not” no. idc what anyone says. if anyone argues he INITALLY consented to Calypso: fine, its blurry in the narrative, anyone can choose how to interpret that as they wish, but Circe was bestowed upon him by Hermes (in the myth at least, in Epic there ofc very clearly refuses her, and she accepts him (hear that calypso? HEAR THAT CALYPSO)) and Calypso, at the very least later on turned VERY unconsensual. FOR SEVEN YEARS., but the “he liked her no more” could also mean she didnt like her as a person anymore after she saved him. its not 100% clear how the relationship started out, we just know how it ends rly, but given the historic context too, it might very well be that it wouldntve been considered as cheating, even if it was consensual, would hera consider it cheating bc she does so with Zeus? maybe, idk, i think the idea of Ody being (one of) the only greek hero(es) that doesnt cheat is one i like, he gets praised enough by homer for all his skills he might as well have the skill of being true to his wife, in EPIC we know that Ody refuses her from the beginning so whatever did or did not remain unnamed in Epic, would NOT be cheating,.........and anyone who mentions Odys proof for cheating being the telegony or any other later versions where suddenly children show up, and he offs penelope for cheating and telemachus marries circe, can kindly, do some more reading into the history of the text and how later authors added their own twists, we dont know if the odyssey from homer was the most well known version, i think, but its the one we consider canon now, and i rly refuse to believe that Ody coming home only to get a new wife]

“Release him” the side glace Zeus mustve gotten LMAO

...ok angry zeus choir again, rly?

“I’ve played your game and won”, she did, fair and square

“Release him” you better

“You dare to defy me?”, what happend to your voice zeus? also....are you pissed that she called you out on cheating? bro, ur just pissed that she choose everyone else over you, grow up zeus

“To make me feel shame?” shame about loosing the game or shame for the humiliation about cheating, mhh

“No one beats me, no one wins my game!”, sounds like my 3rd brother, but hes at least cute when hes throwing a fit about a game having rules

“Thunder, bring her through the wringer Show her I’m the judgement call The one who makes her kingdom fall! ”.your voice is getting worse btw, but...are we talking about pride still? Athenas pride? or is “her” just Athena now? mhhhh, Odysseus DID call her “selfish, prideful and vain”, so maybe it does refer to her pride, she DID Have a character arc tho >:) unlike zeus, hes just an ass, also he gets a choir background for this? intersting,

NOW HE THROWS LIGHTING AT HER??? thats intense, i was gasping when i saw, night sound design

“Is she dead?”, he does sound concerned, is it bc big brother energy or bc athena was zeus favorite child? or do they know how Zeus fucked up just now? hah..ha

the flashes you can hear in the music....aaaah

NOW THIS INSTRUMETAL PART

IS SO BEAUTIFUL ITS SO GOOD THE WAY “WARRIOR OF THE MIND” AND TELEMACHUS LULLABY AND LEGENDARY BLEND TOGETHER AND BECOME “ATHENAS FINIAL STAND” (as its supposedly called) ITS SO GOOD i ah i like this part the most of the song, together with apollos voice aseghsegij Aphrodite is fine too :) and "rly athena; these old tricks"

AlSO her having a flashback to Ody giving her Telemachus to hold after his birth, PLS??? Thats so vulnerableeeeee aaaaaaaaah yeah, yea that was good

“Let him go, please, Let him go”, she reaches out to Zeus, as her light dims and she begs him to let Ody go, nothing left of the selfish and prideful goddess, she was selfless- sacrifcing herself and ler go of her pride to beg to Zeus to let him go, who stops as he grabs to throw another lighting, in shocked realization of what he has done.

The song fades out. And we are left to wonder if Athena is ded or not

now initially i rly thought Jorge killed a goddess

by now im more hopeful that she isnt dead (im hoping for that, mostly for the fun of sticking to the source material of Athenas help in the last chapter(s) of the story)

but

im still doubting a bit. the chance is there that she is, infact, dead, but i dont know how that would impact the narrative-,...i suppose we’ll see, either in the vengence saga, or at the lastest in the ithica saga x)

[fanficwritingcentral]

Peace and Love (AO3 link)

Summary: A short story of something that could happen If Hyacinthus were to have come back in the world of Percy Jackson days after his death.

Notes: So it turns out with the myth of Hyacinthus that three days after his death Artemis, Athena and Aphrodite resurrect Hyacinthus and he is celebrated as a god of decay and renewal. He was also very celebrated by the Spartans and had a three day long festival held in his honour called Hyacinthia.

So the man isn't actually dead dead, how fun!

Hope you enjoy this 😘✌️

The day Hyacinthus died, the world experienced only dusk as the sun dimmed with Apollo's heartbreak (not complete darkness as the Sun Gods from other pantheons managed to take some control from Apollo.)

Instruments could not find a tune, poets could not find the words and sicknesses instantly began to run rampant.

This lasted for three days.

It only lasted for three days as Artemis, who could not bare to see her twin in such pain, Aphrodite who was so weak for love and Athena who saw no wisdom in allowing the mortals to experience such turmoil decided to resurrect the fallen Spartan prince.

The resurrection was simple enough, as Hyacinthus soul had not reached Hades, as he was turned into a flower. The not simple thing was having to petition Zeus to turn the prince into a God.

Surprisingly, when Artemis, Aphrodite, Athena and Hyacinthus came to Zeus' throne room, Zeus himself was in a good mood for once and turned Hyacinthus into a God with nary an argument.

The conversation being:

"My King," said Artemis, Aphrodite, Athena and Hyacinthus.

"Yes," said Zeus sitting high and mighty in his throne.

"We ask that you turn the demigod mortal Prince Hyacinthus into a God." Said Artemis.

"Why should I?" Asked Zeus.

"So my twin stops crying." Said Artemis.

"For true love." Said Aphrodite.

"So the mortals, necessary for our existence, stop dying." Said Athena.

"Sound arguments." Said Zeus. "Now to you, Prince Hyacinthus, do you wish to be a God and join us in Olympus?"

"I do, my Lord." Said Hyacinthus.

"So be it." Said Zeus and turned Hyacinthus into a God, the God of Decay and Renewal to be specific.

Apollo, finding out that his dead mortal lover had come back and ascended to Godhood experienced such joy that the sun shone bright with peaceful warmth, musicians performed beautifully, poets wrote the best poems of their careers and all those experiencing illnesses were miraculously cured.

Together Apollo and Hyacinthus lived happily ever after.

Over 3000 years later:

"So the cabins each represent a god, right?" Asked Percy as he sat with Annabeth on the pier.

"That's right, there's one for each Olympian God." Annabeth replied.

"So the Golden cabin represents Apollo and then all his kids are in it?"

Annabeth bit her lip, "Apollo is a bit of a different one," she said, "it's not just his children in his cabin, but its not like Hermes where all the children of the Gods are welcome inside."

"What other kids would Apollo have then?" Percy asked with confusion.

"His husband's children, the God Hyacinthus." She replied and pursed her lips, "but.." she drew out.

"But what?"

She sighed, "I don't know how ready you are to hear this."

"I found out my best friend has goat legs and I saw my mother get squeezed to death by the Minotaur on the same night, I'll be fine."

"Listen, you understand that the Gods are very different from us mortals right, that they don't have DNA like us."

"I didn't, but now yes."

"Well, it's the same with how they make us children, sometimes we spring from the thoughts of our mother," Annabeth shifted uncomfortably, "sometimes they have children with mortals of the same gender. And don't ask me how," she said quickly when she saw Percy's mouth open that quickly closed at her words.

"And other times," she said after a moment, "more than one god has a child with the same mortal."

"A human has two different children with two different gods? That's not that weird."

"No," she grunted with frustration, "that's not what I meant. Sometimes the children have three parents, two Gods and one mortal."

"So you mean that-?"

"Yes Percy, some of the kids in Apollo's cabin are the children of both Apollo and Hyacinthus and a mortal."

Percy's brain was actually struggling to compute this information along with everything else he's learnt, not that he'll admit it to Annabeth.

"Huh." He said, it was the only thing he could say.

Annabeth nodded, "that's right," she said, "huh."

[matchingbatbites]

Part 1

Steve visits Eddie often. He loves being around the other man, loves how kind Eddie is, how funny he is for someone who rules the dead. He seems to love making Steve laugh and is always cracking jokes that send the goddess into giggles.

Honestly, Steve spends more time than he should in the Underworld, but Eddie has so many duties to tend to, it makes more sense for Steve to come to him than the other way around.

It’s nearly a year since he met Eddie that his joy is brought to an end. Steve is summoned to Olympus, is told that his visits are sending the world into chaos.

He didn’t know that traveling to the Underworld would cut the human world off from his magic, that the plants that bloomed with his presence would die off when the connection is severed.

Zeus bans him from visiting Hades, and Steve ignores the smug look on Ares’ face, the pitying looks from Hera and Aphrodite. Not all of the gods are here to witness his humiliation, but there are enough to make him flush with shame, to have him leaving as soon as he's able to.

Aphrodite catches him before he gets too far, her hair and robes both immaculate even as tears stream down her face. “Ares told them where you were going. I tried to stop him, but he’s… bitter. Jealous.”

She takes his hand, holds it between her own. “I can tell that your feelings are true, and that Hades feels the same for you. I wish I could help you, Persephone. You both deserve happiness.”

And like a stroke of lightning, Steve knows what must be done.

He thanks her and leaves Olympus, finds the nearest gate and descends into the Underworld. Cerberus is given three loving pets as Steve passes by, heading to the garden behind Eddie’s home.

The plants have been thriving thanks to Steve’s frequent visits, the flowers are in full bloom and the plants that can fruit are full and heavy with produce. He plucks a pomegranate from its branch, and stares at it as he remembers.

The goddess had found Eddie eating one on his third or fourth visit, and the older had stopped him when he’d gone to grab a few of the seeds for himself.

“You can’t eat anything grown in this realm. You’ll be stuck here if you do.”

Eddie had looked almost sad as he’d said it, and Steve had tipped his head to the side.

“Are you saying you don’t want me around?”

“No! I mean, I would-” Eddie stopped himself, took a breath. “You don’t belong down here. This place is far too dark, too bleak. It doesn’t deserve you.”

And Steve could read between the lines, could hear what Eddie wasn’t saying. He had ignored it at the time, let Eddie be right, but now? Now Steve knows that Eddie is the only one who deserves him.

Call him selfish, but no one has ever treated Steve the way Eddie does, has cared for him so, and he wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his days in the Underworld, side by side with the man he loves.

He tears open the pomegranate as a voice comes from the house.

“Steve? I didn’t realize you were here.”

Steve turns to face him, and Eddie’s eyes drop to Steve’s hands, dripping with red as he holds the fruit in his hands. His face pales and his eyes jump back to Steve’s.

“What are you doing?” he asks, taking a cautious step forward.

“Do you love me?” Steve asks in return. Just seeing Eddie has firmed his decision, and he stands, unwavering as he watches the other man pause at the question.

“I do. More than anything.” Eddie seems nervous, but his voice is steady, and Steve knows he's telling the truth.

“If I asked it, would you let me stay? Let me stand by your side for the rest of time itself?”

Eddie steps closer, now in arms reach. “I would. I would not turn you away, even if it meant my life.”

Steve’s eyes don’t waver from Eddie’s as he scrapes a handful of seeds from the fruit and shoves them in his mouth.

The juice is tart at first, but is followed by a delicious sweetness, something that reminds Steve of Eddie himself, and as he swallows, Steve can feel the shift within him.

Hands grab his face and the fruit falls to the ground as Steve grabs Eddie in return, both meeting in a desperate kiss. Magic flows between them, invisible threads tying them together in a bond so concrete, even the Fates themselves could not cut them.

They pull back after a moment, and Steve’s eyes drop to the red smear across Eddie’s mouth, something that is surely mirrored across his own.

“My wonderful little goddess,” Eddie mutters, awestruck as he places another kiss to Steve’s lips, more tender than the last.

“You're stuck with me now,” the goddess responds, sending them both into giggles, and yeah. It feels good to be selfish.

(Later, Steve will cut a deal with the rest of the gods. He will come back for half a year at a time and tend to his duties, leaving his beloved twin Demeter in charge while he’s gone, in exchange for Zeus’ blessing to have children. Zeus will have no choice but to agree.)

-

Tagging @stardustonpages because they respectfully asked for more <3

[that-basic-simp]

To Be Loved

Nemesis X Fem!Reader CW: N/A WC: 1.3k+ A/N: I haven't played either Hades or Hades II (working on playing Hades. Don't have a computer that can play Hades II) but Nemesis 👀.

"You've gotten better."

"I had a great teacher."

"Even then, I am still learning myself."

"Is it hard?"

"Hard?"

"Being who you are? Coming from the family you come from?"

"I have no gripes with the family I come from. However, it is family. I don't think any one family is better or worse. We are just as it is."

I nodded my head.

"I can ask you the same question," she said.

"I can have the same response."

"You do take on after me."

"I've been with you ever since we were young."

"That you have. It doesn't help that our parents are good friends."

"I think that's the reason we're so close. Like sisters."

"Have you ever been in love, Y/N?"

"What makes you ask that?" I asked, wiping some sweat from my forehead.

"I see it everywhere."

"Are you sure it's not just Aphrodite?" I chuckled.

"I see her everywhere. But no, I see it with your parents, the other Gods and Goddesses pursue one another, mortals, nymphs, all of it. Anyone who can live, breathe, and walks on two legs. Don't get me started with Zeus and Poseidon."

"Those two are far from bachelors. I don't understand why they act like they are. They've both taken on numerous Goddess wives. But aside from seeing it everywhere, what makes you ask that question?"

"With who I am, Y/N, with what I do, do you think someone could love me?"

"Look at what Odysseus has done. He killed an infant, blinded Polyphemus, and was the reason so many men have died. He is not a man, but a monster with the skin of a man. Not only that, but he did things with some of the Goddesses along the way back to Ithaca. Should I call Circe?" I chuckled. "But my point is, he was still loved in the end. Even if you are the incarnate of vengeance, I still believe one is to be loved."

Nemesis smiled for the first time since we started sparring. In fact, it was the first time she smiled since we were children. It's always a rare and fleeting moment when she actually smiles like she did a few moments ago.

"What you think, how you're able to think, I admire it. I wish I can think like you."

"It takes time, Nem," I said.

"Oh my gosh, you're using that nickname?" she gawked at me.

"What? Does it give you bad memories?"

"No. It's just that, you've never really said it since we grew up."

I smiled at her, "I thought it was a fun nickname for you. I thought I was being clever."

"Not clever enough," she said, taking a step forward, causing me to step backwards and trip over a rock.

I lost my footing and landed on my back, my sword flying from my hands. Nemesis stepped towards me and outstretched her hand. I grabbed it and smirked, pulling her down to my level. She fell towards me and placed one knee on the ground, her one hand falling beside my head while she dug the tip of her sword into the dirt below us. I smiled at her, admiring her features. Her yellow like eyes, purple painted lips, and raven like hair. It made my heart race for her, yearn for her. I've wanted to be with her ever since we were teens, but I did not pursue her in fear of Nyx.

"Are you ok?" Nemesis asked.

"Yeah," I said.

She stood up and helped me to my feet.

"I'm going to wash up. You should join me," I said, about to take her hand, but I pulled it away, brushing the tips of my fingers against hers.

"I'll join. It's been a while since I removed all of this," she gestured to her armor.

As we made our way to the hot springs, I couldn't help but notice my heart rate was racing, my face felt warm and my stomach was doing flips. All of this was nothing new, but it's been almost five years since I felt like this. Were my feelings for Nemesis starting to resurface? I tried to push them down for so long to avoid getting let down or even disappointed. Or worse, suffer a fate worse than death from Nyx. Or maybe these feelings I harbored towards her never left in the first place and only grew and grew, only for them to silence when I was away from her for so long. Now that I was with her once more, they are singing the siren's song.

After both of us were void of all clothing, I slipped into the welcoming waters and relaxed against the edge. My eyes were closed since Nemesis hadn't gotten in yet. The parting of the water signaled she had stepped in and her sigh of relief was another give away.

"Not too hot, not too cold, just right."

"How long has it been since you last went without your armor?"

"I don't know, but it feels, well...I-I don't know."

"Comforting? Relaxing?"

"Almost complacent, but I know nothing about complacency."

"Neither of us will know what complacency is, but I feel like the word you're searching for is relaxed," I opened my eyes. My eyes slowly widened as I found the most magnificent sight.

Of course Nemesis alone was a magnificent sight, but her long hair was down and some strands were even covering her face.

"G-Going back to your question," I said.

"About?"

"Being loved."

"You really think someone like me could be loved."

"I don't think so," I slowly made my way towards her. "I know so."

"How? Have you been with my sisters recently? Have you asked them to look into my future?"

"No," I said.

"Have you spoken to those around The Underworld? There's not really many people down here aside from souls and the occasional visit from other Gods and Goddesses. It's just...us," her voice trailed off.

"I was too afraid to say anything, Nem."

Under the water, she wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me close. I reached up and pressed my hand to her collarbone. Her other hand ran against my cheek, the back of her fingers touching my skin with the most sincerity and gentleness I have ever felt from her. She turned her hand and placed it against my cheek, the rough pad of her thumb caressed my soft skin. Her head tilted from side to side, as if she was admiring me, taking in my features once more. The less calloused and scarred skin. The softness she once possessed before being a fighter, before being who she is now. But even with her hair down, her touch against mine, she was still the same Nemesis I grew up with.

My hand that was resting on her collarbone slowly snaked up to her cheek. I caressed the only soft skin that was on her with my thumb. Both of us found one another's eyes, found the bond we had kindled to overtime and cared for it. Our friendship was like no other. The other Gods and Goddesses could always remember a time where if they saw either one of us, the other wasn't too far behind. We were never apart until we had to be.

"It's just us," I whispered.

"Just us. How I like it," she said.

I leaned towards her and pressed my lips against hers. They were soft, warm, and intoxicating. Her hand that was on my cheek was removed and it wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to her. My other hand that was in the water came up and cupped her other cheek. It didn't take long for my hands to snake around her neck and dig into her long locks. They were a bit oily, but they were smooth like silk. Our breathing became synced up as Nemesis got a bit faster with her kisses. Once everything was said and done, she pressed her forehead against mine, taking in deep breaths.

"I love you, Nem."

"I love you, Y/N," she pecked my lips.