#second labor of heracles

[briefbestiary]

A large lake monster with regenerating heads. She made her den by or within the ancient lake at Lerna, an alleged entrance to the underworld.

Her immortal head is either killed with a golden sword granted by Athena, or pinned beneath a boulder for eternity.

A beast of intense toxin, from both breath and blood, and by dipping his arrows into her corpse Heracles' obtained his famed poisonous arrows.

[wander-lustrous]

countdown.

mini-scenarios; how long it takes for each of them to act. ft. norway, greece, russia, spain, japan, prussia, france, netherlands, america, romano. not sfw! 2.2k words

cw: smut. afab reader. collars, teasing, praise kink, dom/sub dynamics, implied gym s*x, implied shower s*x, lingerie, 69, cunnilingus

(10 seconds.)

Lukas likes to make you work for his attention. He’s a cool, aloof lover, the kind whose comments settle over you like the chill of winter. 

In contrast to his dry wit, he works at you like a sculptor, hands nimble and light. Reverent even. He’s unhurried, precise. 

But that’s exactly what makes you want to put on such a brazen display. 

He’s eyed you once or twice but his attention is primarily on the laptop before him. But the sound of fabric shifting piques his interest, and he looks up just in time to see your robe slipping off your shoulders and pooling around your ankles. His gaze roams appreciatively over the sight–your bare skin, goosebumps along your arms. 

He raises a thinly arched brow.

“You’re daring today,” he notes, his lips quirking upwards at one end. He closes his laptop, setting it aside before clasping his hands over his lap, crossing his legs at the ankle. He looks you up and down with no shame, appraising you. “What for?”

The question slips through the space between you as you approach him. Your thigh nudges between his legs, and you know he’s found his answer when his gaze trails up slowly, deliberately–from the apex of your legs, bare and glistening, upwards to the jut of your chest, landing on the leather collar around your neck.

By the way his breath catches slightly, his gaze fixated on it, you can tell he hadn’t noticed that. 

“Is this for me?” he asks, fingers skimming the collar like someone perusing fine china. You bite down on your lip and he hooks his finger under the material, dragging you forward. His lips claim yours with the clear intention that he would soon find out.

(And when it’s over, nothing is as damning as the angry red imprint of his hands on your ass. Or the similar red blooms specked across your neck and collarbone.)

(9 seconds.)

Heracles is an infamous lover, his exploits as legendary as his rich history. Yet if there is one thing you know intimately about him, it’s that he can be quite a lazy lover as well, enjoying the throes of sleep nearly as much as the conquest of bodies.

You had awoken in his bed, the hazy remnants of last night filtering through your mind like the rays of the morning sun peeking through his blinds. You found him nestled in his sheets, his brow unperturbed. The easy rise and fall of his chest reminded you of when it was much more labored just a few hours ago.

It seems only natural, you shifting to straddle him, your legs parting around his waist. The sheets slipping off your form. Chest-to-chest, you move in languid rocking motions, sighing softly as the friction it generates is enough to re-ignite the low flame within you. It takes a few seconds before the soft breaths warming the top of your head stutter, and his hand presses against your back.

“G’morning,” he says groggily, a hint of amusement in his languid smile. You don’t cease your movements, the hot column of flesh between the cheeks of your thighs responding to you. Heracles rests his hands on your hips, sighing softly once you reach between your bodies to touch him more substantively. 

He lets out a breathy moan however once you shift forwards and he’s nestled into your tight warmth once more.

The best way to wake up, in his experience.

(8 seconds.)

Ivan isn’t a brute. No matter how much he wants to take you (and he wants it so badly in fact; your legs wrapped around his an image seared into his mind, the sweet moans of his name pouring from your lips like music to his ears)... he is considerate. You’re smaller than him, you’re not sturdy, not hardened like one of his enemies; in fact, he’d say you’re quite the opposite—

But you certainly are testing the limits of his patience. Perched in his lap as you are, grinding your hips against his in a maddening tango. His grip tightens around your waist–a warning. His hand tightens around the phone pressed to ear, and you hear the way the plastic creaks, as if he’s about to break it. His responses to his boss are  monosyllabic, his thoughts entering around how you present yourself before him, much like a rabbit begging to be pounced on by a lynx—

He catches movement from the corner of his eye, and he watches, gaze sharp, as you reach for his hand gripping your side, yanking his glove off before throwing it onto the floor. Then slowly, deliberately, your gaze trained on him, you bring his hand up to your mouth. He watches as your lips wrap them around one thick finger, before sucking, and surely, even through his pants, you can feel the way his cock jumps at the action. 

“Sorry, boss,” Ivan says, his gaze darkening as he watches your tongue work over his digit. “But I will have to call you back.” He hangs up without waiting for so much as a response.

Ivan tosses his phone to the side, grasping your jaw with his free hand. Your mouth releases his finger, and in a flurry of movement, he’s pining both of your hands above your head in a firm grip.

“You want my fingers so bad, da?” He laughs, a dark, velvety sound. “I’ll give them to you, but don’t blame me if it's rough.”

(7 seconds.)

“Ay, gracias a dios, what did I even do to deserve you, amor?”

Antonio’s lips trail down your neck, littering kisses in conjunction with his honeyed praise. His hands roam your form, groaning once he feels your soft flesh barely contained by the scrappy fabric of your panties. Your giggle has antonio pulling back.

“What? Why are you laughing?” he asks, pulling back with a grin. He can’t help but chuckle himself.

“You’re just so easy, Toni.” You wrap your arms around his neck, drawing him in closer. 

“And you’re very tempting,” he quips, hooking his finger into the thin strap of your thong and pulling; watching, with delight, as he lets it go and it snaps against your skin. you jolt, and with a sharp intake of breath, Antonio takes the opportunity to latch his mouth onto the top of your chest, sucking freshly bloomed roses onto your skin. 

“No more games though,” he groans once he lifts his head. He adjusts your position until your back is sinking into the bed, him looming above you. His hand reaches out to graze your cheek, brushing hair from your face, before trailing lower, skimming your hardened nipple through the thin lace, then even lower, his fingers circling the dampened fabric between your legs, stroking lightly. 

Antonio grins once more, pressing a kiss to your eyelid. His breath washes hot over your skin.

“I am so very hungry, mi corazón. I want to taste you.”

(6 seconds.)

No one gets close enough to Kiku to see how deep brown his eyes are. Dark enough to be black, with the richest shades of carob, those same eyes are trained upon you now, darkened with desire not often seen on the reserved man’s expressions.  

“What were you planning when you asked me to do this?” he says, his voice assured. Unwavering. His boldness also surprised you; in public, he was reticent, quiet. In private, he liked to take control. His thigh is between your legs, parting them, and you have to resist the urge to grind into it. Your hands are bound together with his belt, above you. 

“I’m not sure,” you admit. His gaze darts down to the way you wet your lips, the heave of your chest. He cocks his head to the side.

“I don’t believe you.”

Of course, he knows. He heard of the challenge from the internet, but he hardly expected you to try and trick him into it, pinning him against the wall with a cheeky grin. Still, he played along, spurred by his own interest in just how you’d react when the tables were turned. You didn’t have a moment to react before your world spun, and he had pinned you against the wall instead.  

His gaze rakes down your form, the same way a connoisseur would survey their goods before partaking in them.

He leans in. “Perhaps I’ll need to train you to be more honest,” he says, his breath hot against your neck. “Let’s start with this: where do you want it first?” 

(5 seconds.)

Gilbert didn’t realize that this could be an outcome. Sure he played rough as a youth, enjoyed the spar of bodies, and the smell of battle, but this?

This is the allure of the sweat trailing down your skin, your breathless laugh as you ask him if he’s done with his workout. He never considered this to be exciting—yet he likes it. It reminds him of how certain other activities can also work up quite a sweat. You ask him for a sip of his water, and Gilbert absentmindedly hands you his bottle. He’s thinking instead, about possibilities.

More specifically, whether or not the two of you could reasonably fit in one of the gym’s shower stalls for a quick tryst.

You’re dabbing the sweat off your neck with a towel, asking if he wants to grab a post-workout snack, when he acts. He rips the towel from your grasp, throwing it onto the floor.

“Hey!” you exclaim, only to yelp when he wraps his arms around your chest and pulls you back into him. Your brow raises when something firm prods against your ass, and you meet his mischievous gaze in the mirror.

“Maus, I think we’ve got to hold off on that.” He grins at you, his arms wrapping tighter around you. You can’t miss the way he rolls his hips against your back. “After all, we’re about to start the second workout.”

(4 seconds.)

Francis has a taste for the finer things in life: fine wine, fine food, fine clothing. Beauty, the arts. He considers himself a man of exquisite taste, his eye for the best unparalleled.

Indeed, he thinks, watching you splayed before him, the silk robe caressing every dip and curve of you, he makes very good choices. He downs the last of his sauvignon, setting the glass onto the table.

“Mon chérie, let me get a closer look at you.” He gestures, and you do a twirl for him, your gait slightly off kilter, no doubt due to the few glasses you’ve had yourself. He chuckles, his hands reaching around to grasp you fully, to engulf you in his hold. His lips skim your collarbone, his other hand deftly undoing the tie to your robe, revealing you to him. 

“Magnifique. You must excuse my gall, but… I’d like to appreciate such a fine work of art.”

(3 seconds.)

Abel you’ve come to find, is not the patient type. He is when he needs to be, when it comes to negotiating trades or haggling, but he much prefers the blunt, take-what-you-can-when-you-want approach.

Including now.

“Stop moving your hips,” he grunts, large hands planted firmly on your ass. When you fail to listen, stubbornly continuing your rhythm, he grips one cheek fully and smacks, the sound reverberating in the room. You whine, and he takes the opportunity to eye your swollen mound.

After all, what else was he supposed to do when he came home to find you bent over the couch, the hem of one of his old shirts hitched high up your hips, showing the cute boxer shorts you had on? He may be a man of great restraint, but he is greedy, above all.

He thrusts into your mouth suddenly, a sharp motion, and you gag, pulling off of him. As you cough, Abel makes an annoyed sound, his cock twitching from the lack of stimulation. 

After all, Abel thinks, his tongue delving into you once more, his fingers furiously plunging into your depths (Efficiency, putting you over the edge as quick as possible.) 

Why be patient when he can be fervid?

(2 seconds.)

The bathroom door slams open, and Alfred stands there, disheveled and panting.

“Dude! You said we could shower together….” His voice dies down once he realizes that you are in fact, very naked. “Oh.”

“You were asleep. I didn’t wanna wake you.”

“Well, you should have!” he says, closing the door behind him. Before you can blink, he’s slipping off his shirt and unbuckling his belt. He sets his glasses down on the counter before moving to wrap his arms around you, cupping your chest in one hand as he looks at you fondly. He grins.

“You know we totally need to save on that water bill, right?”

(1 second.)

Lovino is not one to be outdone.  

“What? You mean you didn’t—”

Shame sets in, darkening his features. Breathless, you pat his chest. “It’s okay, Lovi. I’m fine.”

“No,” he says firmly. “It’s not fine.” Despite being spent, despite having given it his all the past few minutes, he finds a surge of energy and flips the two of you over. He trails down your body until he’s a breath away from where you need him the most.

“Perdonami, ragazza. How selfish of me. I’ll make sure you won’t be able to move after this,” he says before his lips seal over you.

[allmythologies]

day 10 of horror mythology: lernean hydra

the hydra is a serpentine water monster. in the canonical hydra myth, the monster is killed by heracles as the second of his twelve labors. the hydra was the offspring of typhon and echidna. it had poisonous breath and blood so virulent that even its scent was deadly. the hydra possessed many heads, the exact number of which varies according to the source.

[tylermileslockett]

Heracles labor #2: "The Lernaean Hydra"

"The second Labour which he undertook was the slaying of the Lernaean hydra, springing from whose single body were fashioned a hundred necks, each bearing the head of a serpent. And when one head was cut off, the place where it was severed put forth two others; for this reason, it was considered to be invincible, and with good reason, since the part of it which was subdued sent forth a two-fold assistance in its place. 6 Against a thing so difficult to manage as this Heracles devised an ingenious scheme and commanded Iolaüs to sear with a burning brand the part which had been severed, in order to check the flow of the blood. So, when he had subdued the animal by this means he dipped the heads of his arrows in the venom, in order that when the missile should be shot the wound which the point made might be incurable." (Diodorus, "Library of history," 30-60 B.C.)

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[pastafossa]

Pasta you are an absolute menace…I just figured out where you got Jane Hind from.

The third labor of Heracles: capturing the Ceryneian hind aka a deer that was hunted by him for over a year

“I am definitely not a hound I am instead an animal of prey”

I am not worried you are going to use more events from the story later

(Im kind of embarrassed I didn’t pick it up sooner considering I’m a classics major)

FUCK YESSSSSSS!

Like, I adore Greek Mythology and the classics, and I grew up watching Xena, Hercules, and also hunting down every last Greek and Roman Mythology text my tiny hungry Pasta hands could reach, and so the Hind from the labors absolutely played into it. Her (false) name in my initial drafts and outline was originally just, 'Jane Doe', a placeholder I would swap out a different name for later. But I got used to Jane, and then went, '...wait a fucking SECOND, I know another word for Doe!' Jane Doe -> Jane Hind.

Hind = Doe.

And so her name is symbolic with multiple layers.

Jane Hind is a variation of Jane Doe, aka: no name known, an unidentified person. This was her intent as a joke when she chose it, without really thinking of anything deeper, and so it's absolutely one part pun, but also:

Jane Hind, a play on the Ceryneian Hind, and like you said: 'Definitely no predator here, only prey, *deer noises*' but also a 'Yeah I be runnin from shit and I am FAST and you're gonna have to work to catch me motherfuckers'. She is the trophy that her hunter is searching for, the prey he requires if he wishes to free himself, and at the moment, she is guarded and protected, watched over by the Devil God one who's deemed her sacred. The Evil AU Heracles will have to get around our stand-in Diana if he wants to carry this Hind away. We'll see if he's as successful in Hell's Kitchen as he was in the myth.

Additionally, a little bit of foreshadowing of the myths Ciro taught her (seen again with the story of the Calydonian boar).

I FUCKING LOVE THAT YOU SPOTTED THIS, DO NOT BE SORRY, I RARELY GET TO TALK ABOUT IT.

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … October 29

Iolaus and Heracles mosaic

1000+ BC – Iolaus was a Theban divine hero, son of Iphicles and Automedusa. He was famed for being Heracles's nephew and for helping with some of his Labors, and also for being one of the Argonauts. Through his daughter Leipephilene he was considered to have fathered the mythic and historic line of the kings of Corinth.

As a son of Iphicles, Iolaus was a nephew of Heracles. He often acted as Heracles' charioteer and companion. He was popularly regarded as Heracles's lover, and the shrine to him in Thebes was a place where male couples worshiped and made vows.

Iolaus (L) and Heracles (R) united by Eros

The Theban gymnasium was also named after him, and the Iolaeia, an athletic festival consisting of gymnastic and equestrian events, was held yearly in Thebes in his honor. The victors at the Iolaea were crowned with garlands of myrtle.

Iolaus provided essential help to Heracles in his battle against the Hydra, his second labor. Seeing that Heracles was being overwhelmed by the multi-headed monster (the Lernaean Hydra), who grew two heads in place of each one cut off, Iolaus sprang to help, cauterizing each neck as Heracles beheaded it.

1618 – Sir Walter Raleigh was executed on this date (b.1552). The famed English writer, poet, courtier and explorer was responsible for establishing the second English colony in the New World (after Newfoundland was established by Sir Humphrey Gilbert nearly one year previously, August 5 1583), on June 4, 1584, at Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina.

The question for us here is this: Was Sir Walter Raleigh Christopher Marlowe's lover? Anything is possible, especially when so little is known about both. For many years, this provocative possibility has been suggested, even though it is based entirely on speculation. Marlowe wrote a poem titled, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," which begins with the charming invitation "Come live with me and be my love." A twin poem, "The Nymph's Reply to The Shepherd," appeared shortly thereafter, and there is little doubt that it was written by Raleigh out of love for Marlowe.

1931 – Clyde Hicks of North Carolina (official fucker!) was stationed in Hawaii, arrested on sodomy charges and sentenced to six years in prison. He was transferred to Alcatraz where he was put into solitary confinement for passing a note to another man. He was released in 1935.

Wayne Winterrowd (L) & Joe Eck

1941 – Wayne Winterrowd, American gardening expert and designer who wrote extensively on the subject, was born (d.2010). The garden Winterrowd and his partner built covered 7 acres at their Vermont home and became a tourist attraction to visitors from around the world.

Winterrowd, who was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, started gardening when he was three years old and read widely on the subject while he was growing up. Visits to an aunt who lived near Lake Pontchartrain helped him learn about gardening and he developed an interest in tropical plants on family trips to Florida and Cuba.

While teaching Jacobean literature at Tufts University in 1969, he first met Joe Eck, and they lived together in Denmark where Winterrowd had earned a Fulbright scholarship.

Together with Eck, Winterrowd learned as much as they could about gardening and earned a living by teaching English, French and Latin at area elementary and high schools. They spent the 1960s and 1970s as part of the homegrown food movement.

Moving from a farmhouse in Pepperell, Massachusetts to Readsboro, Vermont, Winterrowd and Eck devoted themselves to creating the North Hill garden, in which they grew Himalayan blue poppies, Japanese dogwoods, locust trees, magnolia, and stewartias. They cleared the hilly wooded land they had acquired, planting a diverse variety of plants, including as many as 100,000 daffodil bulbs. The garden drew visitors from around the world to their home in Southern Vermont near the Massachusetts border.They also grew fresh vegetables and raised dairy cows, pigs and poultry. Roger Swain, host of the Public Broadcasting Service television series The Victory Garden said "Their garden is of such quality and diversity that it rivals any in Europe. But there is nothing derivative about North Hill; it is American gardening at its best", with Fergus Garrett crediting Winterrowd and Eck with being "one of the driving forces in North American horticulture."

Winterrowd and Eck traveled across the United States and Canada to design customized gardens for their customers.

Winterrowd and Eck were joined in a civil union in 2000 and were married in 2009 after Vermont legalized same-sex marriage. Winterrowd died at age 68 on September 17, 2010, at his home in Readsboro, Vermont due to heart failure. He was survived by Eck and by a son they adopted.

The Swiss Guards in traditional uniform.

1954 – Alois Estermann (d.1998) was a senior officer of the Swiss Guard who was murdered in his apartment in the Vatican City.

Estermann was born in Gunzwil, in the Canton of Lucerne. In 1998 he was appointed as Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

According to official Vatican statements, Estermann and his Venezuelan wife, Gladys Meza Romero, were killed in May 1998 by a young Swiss Guard Cédric Tornay, who later committed suicide. Estermann, formerly acting commander of the Swiss Guard, had been confirmed in his position the same day. Tornay had earlier been reprimanded for breaches of discipline and had been passed over for a medal routinely awarded to Guards after three years of service.

The British journalist, John Follain, undertook extensive interviews with key witnesses to the murders to inform his book, City of Secrets: The Truth behind the murders at the Vatican (2006). Follain dismisses speculation that Estermann, his wife, and Tornay were murdered by an external fourth party or that Estermann was a spy for the former East German government.

Follain's research indicated that Cédric Tornay did indeed kill his commander, and his commander's wife before turning the gun on himself. Tornay found the running of the Swiss Guard archaic, and resented the dominance of the Swiss German majority contingent. Tornay turned to Alois Estermann for affection, and enjoyed a short homosexual affair. Their relationship deteriorated into acrimony as Tornay realised that Estermann had betrayed him with another guard. Estermann's close links to the Opus Dei movement, and his final refusal to award the benemeriti medal for 3-years service led to further frustration and Tornay's ultimate decision to kill Estermann.

Pope John Paul II personally celebrated Estermann's Funeral Mass in the church of Saints Martin and Sebastian.

1985 – Gio Benitez is an American broadcast journalist and correspondent for ABC News, who appears on Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20, and Nightline. He also hosts the Fusion version of Nightline. He has won two television news Emmy awards.

Benitez was born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents. He is a 2004 graduate of Miami Coral Park High School. In 2008, Benitez graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology from Florida International University. He is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Benitez joined ABC News in 2013. He has covered a wide range of stories for the network, including the Boston Marathon bombing; The Alabama child held hostage underground in an eight-day standoff; the American mother stuck in a Mexican jail and nearly every major snow storm that swept the nation during the winter of 2013.

Before joining ABC News in 2013, he was a reporter for WFOR, the CBS owned-and-operated TV station in Miami, where he covered the 2012 Presidential election and reported extensively on the Trayvon Martin case.

Benitez married longtime partner Tommy DiDario in front of family, friends, and ABC News colleagues inside the historic Walton House in Miami, Florida in April 2016.

Gio Benitez with husband Tommy DiDario

1989 – Under the headline "Peek-a-Boo," New York's Outweek magazine publishes a list of 66 celebrities and public figures who are allegedly gay but closeted. The article marks the beginning of controversial "outing" by some gay activists.

1995 – On this date in Iran, a 31 year old man was convicted of "ugly and improper conduct" and sentenced to twenty lashes for cross-dressing.

1997 – U.S. Congressman Barney Frank introduced a bill calling for the extension of health insurance coverage to the domestic partners of US federal employees through the federal employee health program.

2011 – Died: Axel Axgil (b.1915), Danish gay activist. Axel and Eigil Axgil (b.1922 - d.1995) were a longtime couple. They were the first gay couple to enter into a registered partnership anywhere in the world following Denmark's legalisation of same-sex partnership registration in 1989, a landmark legislation which they were instrumental in bringing about. They adopted the shared surname, Axgil, a combination of their given names, as an expression of their commitment.

Axel, born Axel Lundahl-Madsen, and Eigil, born Eigil Eskildsen, inspired by the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights, together with several friends, founded F-48 or Forbundet af 1948 (The Association of 1948), Denmark's first gay rights organization. By 1951, F-48's membership had grown to 1,339 and there were branches in Sweden and Norway. In 1985, F-48 became the Danish National Association of Gays and Lesbians (Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske, Forbundet af 1948 or LBL). The couple launched a magazine, Vennen (The Friend).

In 1989, Denmark became the first nation in the world to recognize domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. On October 1, 1989, the Axgils and 10 other Danish couples were married by Tom Ahlberg, the deputy mayor of Copenhagen, in the city hall, accompanied by worldwide media attention. The Axgils had been a couple for 40 years.

Eigil Axgil died on September 22, 1995 at the age of 73. Axel Axgil died on October 29, 2011 at the age of 96.

[death-before-ilion]

Priam's prolific family

I now have a definite timeline for the life of Paris (aka Alexander), prince of Troy: born 1231, died 1184 aged 46/47. I'll publish the full timeline separately, but wanted to bring up that I've been looking into his parents and siblings, trying to give each of them a few dates here and there.

Priam had many children. Relying on Homer, Apollodorus, Hyginus and Virgil, I've been able to identify 84 children: 16 daughters and 68 sons. I'll have to check again, as I might have missed a couple. He had two wives (Arisbe and Hecabe), and a number of "palace women" (i.e. concubines). By Arisbe, he had at least one son, and soon enough divorced her to marry Hecabe (or Hecuba), the well known queen of Troy. Hector was their first born and Troilus was the last born son. He was still a young teenager when he was ambushed and killed by Achilles (an event that I date to 1191, quite early in the Second Trojan War). As a result, I place his birth in 1205. Apollodorus tells us Paris was their second born. Hyginus says Paris was born much later, but I choose to reject the latter claim, as I consider Apollodorus more authoritative and it agrees better with my timeline.

Indeed, if Paris is the second born, I would place Hector's birth to 1233, which means Hecabe has been birthing children for at least 28 years (!!). If Paris is one of the later children, that birthing period is much longer. If Hecabe gave birth to her first child in her late teens, she would have given birth to Troilus in her mid-forties, which works nicely.

I have therefore set Hecabe's birth to 1251, which makes her 66/67 at the fall of Troy. Priam's birth is more tricky, because he was a boy when the First Trojan War occured, which I have not dated yet (it ties in with the timeline of Heracles and either his capturing of the girdle of the Amazons or his participation in the expedition of the Argo), but I expect Priam to be born around 1270/1265.

Now "all" I have to do is date Paris's brothers and sisters, and given their number, it'll be a labor of its own.

[nastyavolk-cp]

LITTLE OWL - Yandere Platonic Athena x "Reader" (EXTRA)

Read part 1, 2 and 3 here.

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[May 28, 2023]

Alexia already knew that running away was not a good idea. Since that fateful day when she was taken by the goddess Athena, Alexia had thought of many ways to escape, but after much reflection, the Greek girl concluded that even if she really had a way to escape, Athena would always be 20 steps ahead of her. 

Since being brought to Mount Olympus to live alongside her new mother, Alexia has been 'blessed' to become a goddess too, even though she is a minor goddess and apparently she is the 'goddess of familial love' which is quite ironic for her because she was taken from her real family to live in a family that she nurtures no love or any kind of respect.

Furthermore, it is nearly impossible for her to have any ties to any god. For several months after her kidnapping, the only gods she interacted with were Athena herself, Artemis at times when she went to Olympus, and by Alexia's surprise, Alcaeus himself, better known as Heracles. The most famous hero of Greek antiquity swore to the Goddess who helped him complete his labors that he would keep Alexia safe and escorted when the Goddess of Wisdom was away from Olympus or too busy with her divine duties.

Contrary to what Alexia had already imagined of Heracles, he was very calm to talk to and also more relaxed than when he was a demigod tormented by the Queen of Olympus. Furthermore, Alexia even met Hebe, the wife of Heracles. Her life on Olympus was peaceful, as she has no interaction with troublesome Gods like Hermes, Apollo, Dionysus, Ares, etc. Of course, Athena insisted that her father never got close to Alexia for very obvious reasons. In addition, Hercules would insist that his father would never have the courage to approach Alexia even if he really wanted to.

But Alexia missed home, missed her parents, her grandmother and the simple life she had before meeting Athena. She wanted her old life back, but she knows it wouldn't be possible and that Athena would never allow her to return.

“Hello Alexandra!” Heracles calls her so that the two of them could take a walk in the gardens of Mount Olympus. The former demigod hero received instructions from the goddess herself to take care of Alexia, first it was for him to always take a walk with her in the gardens of Mount Olympus since Alexia herself was admired by the beauty there, second was for him making sure she eats well and third and last was so he never left her alone.

“Hey…” On that specific day Alexia's memories of her old life haunted her and left her always melancholic and with only the desire to drown her sorrows alone in her room. Heracles immediately senses the melancholy in the little goddess and regards her with a worried look.

“Alexandra, are you okay?” The hero of Olympus asks her when he sees her sad look. At that moment, a risky idea crossed his mind, but her mother Ekaterini always said that it was always better to take a risk than never to try, who knows it might work out.

“Lord Heracles, may I stay in my room for today? I want to be alone for a little while.” She started her charge. Heracles looked at her with a slight look of distrust and seriousness, but then he sighed and answered her.

“Alexandra, you know Lady Athena doesn't want you to be left unattended while she's not here.” The hero patiently explained to her. But Alexia decided at that moment to appeal to the emotional, letting the tears that she had allowed to accumulate all this time fall from her brown eyes and moisten her cheeks.

“P-Please… I just want some time alone. Just this once, please…” Immediately she saw the hero's face soften as he saw her cry, Heracles sighs and agrees.

"All right. Everything is fine. You can go, but I'll be checking in on you every hour, understand?" Alexia softens her expressions and gives a slight smile as she wipes away her tears. Heracles then takes her to Athena's chambers which have become Alexia's as well.

As soon as Heracles leaves her at the door of his room, Alexia thanks him and with just a wave Heracles withdraws and leaves the area, leaving Alexia in her golden cage. After waiting a few minutes, Alexia opens the door to the goddess Athena's chambers and looks around to find any sign of Heracles.

As soon as she saw that the corridor was empty, Alexia closed the door to the chambers and remembered that she had a portal that led to Earth in the Council room of Olympus which she remembered being taken by Athena through it. If she could just cross the Gardens of Olympus and reach the Council Room without being seen by anyone, she would already be winning.

Cautiously, Alexia manages to leave the room area and she arrives at the Gardens of Olympus, she managed to pass through the area managing to hide behind the bushes and trees so she easily managed to reach the Council Room, but she hides behind one of the thrones when the portal shines and a person comes out of it: Athena.

Alexia holds her breath and tries to calm her anxiety so that Athena won't hear her at all. The Goddess of Wisdom emerges from the Council Hall, and as soon as she is out of sight, Alexia sees this as her opportunity to make her escape.

The Greek girl came out of her hiding place and walked to the portal. She stares at it for a few seconds, but before she could jump on it, she stopped to think if this portal really took her home and if it wouldn't take her to a different place. Even with all these questions flooding her mind, Alexia takes a deep breath and decides to take a risk.

However, the portal disappears and Alexia panics when she hears Athena from afar arguing with Heracles. Shit, they realized she was gone. Alexia immediately runs to hide behind one of the thrones, but specifically behind Zeus’s.

"It doesn't matter, go look for her in the gardens and I'll look for her here." Athena gives her order as soon as she enters the council room and Alexia was able to hear Heracles' hurried footsteps getting lower and lower as he walked away. Alexia held her breath and tried to calm herself so as not to panic and reveal where she was.

"Four months. You have been here for four months and you still dare to defy me, daughter.” The last word came out like poison on Athena's tongue. Alexia was able to catch the aura of fury emanating from the Goddess of Wisdom, who is normally calm and collected, and kept to herself, trying her best not to put herself in the Goddess's field of vision. Then the Greek girl heard the sound of the sword coming out of Athena's belt compartment and the girl's body froze.

“Do you really think you can escape me? Do you think I'll let you go? Why are you so difficult?” Athena asked, walking around the Council Hall in search of Alexia as she was paralyzed behind the throne of Zeus and awaiting her inevitable end.

“Maybe it's about time you understood why… I am the Goddess of Wisdom.” Then suddenly Alexia feels a hand grab her arm and she is pulled out of her hiding place. Alexia looked away so that she wouldn't be forced to face Athena's cold eyes, but obviously that would be useless since the goddess herself with one of her hands grabbed Alexia's chin tightly and forced her to face her.

“Explain yourself, now.” Alexia already felt tears immediately leak from her eyes even against her will, she didn't want to show herself vulnerable to the goddess.

"I'M GOING TO MY REAL HOME WITH MY REAL FATHER AND MOTHER!!" Alexia screamed in response and so Athena let go of the hand that was holding Alexia's chin and grabbed her sword, pointed at the Greek girl and the tip of the blade was so close to the girl that it was enough to make her alert.

“This is your home and I am your mother. Submit, already.” In response Alexia manages to break free from Athena's grip and manages to walk away, but she would not be able to run away since the Goddess of Wisdom would never allow it.

"NEVER!"

"You will or your blood family will suffer." Athena obviously would never get tired of his threat, not least because Alexia's family is her policy so that she would never run away or try to do something against the goddess.

“My family does not deserve to suffer because of your selfishness!” Alexia retorts, but soon she sees an evil smile forming on Athena's face.

“No, they will suffer because of your disobedience. In war, when you want to conquer a city like yours, you must capture its heart. You are the city I want to capture and since your blood family is your heart, I will destroy them.” That simple comparison was enough to make Alexia's heart drop into her stomach and panic freeze her body. Like it or not, Athena was right, if she continued to disobey the goddess, her family would bear the consequences and Alexia would not be able to live every day knowing that she was responsible for it if something happened to them.

With a lot of pain and weight in her heart, Alexia gives up and lowers her gaze, a clear gesture of submission.

“Okay, I give up… just don't hurt them, please.” Alexia was aware that she was looking pathetic but it was her family's life in her hands and she wasn't going to risk anything.

“Great, good girl. It won't happen again, will it?" Athena asks as she lowers her sword and approaches Alexia. The girl shakes her head and her lip trembles to hold back her tears.

"No…"

"Excellent. You have my word that I will not do anything to them as long as you behave yourself.”

Alexia finally got the courage to face the goddess and saw the goddess smiling patiently at her as she offered her hand to her. The Greek girl had no choice but to grasp the goddess's hands, and that was enough to seal her fate.

That she would never escape Athena's obsessive gaze and that she will always be her Little Owlet.

[chantillyxlacey]

Okay so here's a concept I've been marinating on for a while and keep forgetting to talk about

Persona AU for the Horizon Series :0a

Aloy, of course, would be the Wildcard

Gaia would play the role of both Igor and your first Navi character until Beta showed up

I haven't quite settled on what the mechanism of awakening to a Persona would involve in this AU, but they're summoned using a Focus. Second Awakenings would happen as part of the plot like in Persona 3 rather than at the completion of Social Links like in 5

Here's the Personas I have the main Gaia Gang cast assigned and thoughts about their abilities:

Aloy - Mnemosyne

"The Titan Goddess of memory in Greek mythology. She was mother to the nine Muses and was often called on by bards and kings to aid them in remembering both poetry and history. According to some legends, she invented spoken and written language in order to preserve and expand mankind's collective memory."

Element: Fire

Weapon: Spear (pierce damage)

Weakness: Nuke

2nd Awakening: Apollo

"Twin brother to Artemis and one of Greek mythology's Twelve Olympians. His many domains included truth and knowledge, culture, medicine and healing, and prophecy; he later also became associated with the sun. He was an expert archer, wielding his golden bow and arrows with a skill that no-one but his twin could match.

Varl - Orion

"A huntsman of great renown in Greek myth, he was a hunting companion and friend to the goddess Artemis. His death came at her hands when she was tricked into shooting him with her bow. To honor his memory, she placed him in the heavens as the constellation that bears his name."

Element: Ice

Weapon: Spear (slash damage)

Weakness: Pierce damage

Other Abilities: Buffs; Debuffs

2nd Awakening: None :(

Erend - Heracles

"A half-mortal sun of Zeus and the most acclaimed of Greek heroes, known best for his supernatural strength. His famous Twelve Labors included feats such as slaying the invulnerable Nemean Lion and regenerating Hydra, and taming Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld."

Element: Electric (no resistance)

Weapon: Hammer (strike damage)

Weakness: None

Other Abilities: Buffs

2nd Awakening: Hephaestus

"The Greek god of the forge and one of the Twelve Olympians. An unparalleled smith, he created nearly all of his cohorts' most famous armaments: Poseidon's trident, the helm of invisibility used by Hades, and even Zeus' mighty thunderbolts. He was assisted in his work by the Cyclopes and two living golden statues."

Zo - Polyhymnia

"One of the nine Muses of Greek mythology. The Muses were goddesses of the arts and granted divine inspiration to artists of all persuasions. Polyhymnia was the patroness of hymns, religious poetry, and sacred dances."

Element: Bless

Weapon: Bow (pierce damage)

Weakness: Curse

Other Abilities: Healing; Status Ailment Cures

2nd Awakening: Persephone

"The goddess of spring and the Queen of the Underworld. According to Greek myth, she was bound to spend half of each year in the world of the living and half in the world of the dead. The changing of seasons was said to come from her mother Demeter's grief when Persephone descended into the Underworld, and subsequent rejoicing at her return."

Kotallo - Perseus

"A hero and demigod from Greek mythology. He was exiled by an unjust king with the impossible task of slaying the Gorgon Medusa, but with the aid of winged sandals loaned to him by Hermes and a mirrored bronze shield gifted from Athena he was able to overcome the challenge and return home victorious."

Element: Wind

Weapon: Greatsword (strike damage)

Weakness: Psy

Other Abilities: Minor Healing

2nd Awakening: Aether

"One of the Protogenoi of Greek legend: the first generation of gods who preceded the Olympians and Titans. He was the sky itself personified, his body made of the pure air found on mountain tops, between clouds, and in the realm of the gods."

Beta - Iphigenia

"According to The Iliad, she was the daughter of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. After her father offended Artemis, the goddess becalmed the seas in retaliation and prevented the navies of Greece from sailing to Troy to wage war. An oracle proclaimed that the price for fair winds would be the girl's life, offered as a sacrifice."

Element: Nuke

Weapon: None

Weakness: Fire

Other Abilities: Navi

2nd Awakening: Artemis

"One of the Twelve Olympians of Greek legend and twin sister to Apollo. She was the goddess of the hunt and mistress of all wild places and beasts, and later also became associated with the moon. She was gifted a silver bow and arrows by her uncle Hephaestus, her skill with which was unequalled by any except for her twin."

Alva - Metis

“The goddess of good council and planning. She was an advisor to Zeus during the war with the Titans for control of Olympus, and later his bride. A prophecy stated that any son she bore to Zeus would overthrow his father, just as he had done. To prevent this, he swallowed her whole.”

Element: Psy

Weapon: Bow (pierce damage)

Weakness: Wind

Other Abilities: Status Ailments; Status Ailment Cures

2nd Awakening: Minerva

“A highly revered goddess of the Roman Pantheon. Equated with the Greek goddess Athena, her domains included wisdom and strategy in warfare. She was born as a grown woman from within the skull of her father, Jupiter, clothed in full armor and wielding a spear.”

Sylens - Odysseus

"A hero from Greek mythology and the main character of The Odyssey. He was well known for being crafty and using trickery to outwit his enemies. His idea to sneak soldiers past the impenetrable walls of Troy using the Trojan Horse broke the ten year long siege on the city and secured victory for the Greek army."

Element: Curse

Weapon: Sickle (slash damage)

Weakness: Bless

Other Abilities: Debuffs; Status Ailments; Poison

2nd Awakening: Hades

"The enigmatic ruler of the Greek Underworld and lord of both the dead and the riches that dwelled there. He preferred to keep himself remote from the Olympian gods and thier affairs, so there are relatively few stories known about him. Few people dared to speak of him directly, for fear of drawing his attention."

[anyichmoss]

Font work on the Greek theme. Hercules' Second Labor: the Lernean Hydra

Translation: "Heracles shuddered: a hideous monster crawled right up to him through the swamp - a nine-headed hydra, which hissed terribly, baring its poisonous fangs."

Material: tinted paper, ink, acrylic paints

[briefbestiary]

A valiant creature, though ultimately ineffective in its endeavor to follow Hera's orders. Still, regardless of its impact, Hera did not let its brave attempt go unnoticed or unrewarded.

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Mythbook 3 - The Second Labor of Heracles by Stepan Alekseev

[ancestorsalive]

Hydra wall painting from an Etruscan tomb at the Necropolis of Pianacce, Siena, dated to the 4th century BC.

The Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna, more often known simply as the Hydra, is a serpentine water monster in Greek and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, which was also the site of the myth of the Danaïdes. Lerna was reputed to be an entrance to the Underworld, and archaeology has established it as a sacred site older than Mycenaean Argos. In the canonical Hydra myth, the monster is killed by Heracles (Hercules) as the second of his Twelve Labors.

According to Hesiod, the Hydra was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. It had poisonous breath and blood so virulent that even it's scent was deadly. The Hydra possessed many heads, the exact number of which varies according to the source. Later versions of the Hydra story add a regeneration feature to the monster - for every head chopped off, the Hydra will regrow two heads.

[tylermileslockett]

Heracles labor 9: "Retrieve the Belt of Hippolyta" Diodorus gives us a brutal, bloodthirsty version of Heracles as he arrives in the Amazon kingdom of Themiscyra to attain the Queen's belt:  "The first, for instance, to join battle with him was Aella,17 who had been given this name because of her swiftness, but she found her opponent more agile than herself. The second, Philippis, encountering a mortal blow at the very first conflict, was slain. Then he joined battle with Prothoê, who, they said, had been victorious seven times over the opponents whom she had challenged to battle. When she fell, the fourth whom he overcame was known as Eriboea. She had boasted that because of the manly bravery which she displayed in contests of war she had no need of anyone to help her, but she found her claim was false when she encountered her better. 3 The next, Celaeno, Eurybia, and Phoebê, who were companions of Artemis in the hunt and whose spears found their mark invariably, did not even graze the single target, but in that fight they were one and all cut down as they stood shoulder to shoulder with each other. After them Deïaneira, Asteria and Marpê, and Tecmessa and Alcippê were overcome. The last-named had taken a vow to remain a maiden, and the vow she kept, but her life she could not preserve. The commander of the Amazons, Melanippê, who was also greatly admired for her manly courage, now lost her supremacy. 4 And Heracles, after thus killing the most renowned of the Amazons, and forcing the remaining multitude to turn in flight, cut down the greater number of them, so that the race of them was utterly exterminated."

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in October to kickstarter.  to get unseen free hi-hes art subscribe to my email newsletter

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[greekbros]

"greek-Bros": Heracles and the Second labor, gEtTiNg CrAbS

*Heracles on his second labor*

Heracles: *walking down a sandy beach where he finally finds the Hydra* ....all right, let's get this over with. *Walks up the the sleeping hydra (currently three heads), "lightly" crushes one of it's head like a watermelon*

Hydra: yyyEEEEEEOOOWOWOWOW! *insert Tom scream*

Heracles: I'm sorry you mighty and stupid creature. I must slay you for my lab-*gets wacked to a tree*

Hydra: *crushed head grows two new heads and the whole writhing lot is hissing*

Heracles: *wipes blood from mouth like a badass* Hehe, you're mean. But I am meaner.

*in Olympus, hiding in Hephaestus's workshop*

Hera: *has a fucking tablet view the whole battle, tapping her fingernails in frustration* hmmmmmmm....this is going to be harder than I thought.

Hephaestus: *gets mildly distracted from the tapping* Mother, why must you pester him so?

Hera: Because your father infuriates me....hmmm. I know! *calls a "friend"*

*back at the beach*

Heracles: *actually winning by punching the living shit out the Hydra's stomach*

Karkinos: *a literal gaint crab the size of a small dog* .... *Crawls up from the beach just to pinch Heracles in the leg*

Heracles: *feels something down there but pays no mind to it for several minutes*

Karkinos: ..... *Pinches the thigh*

Heracles: *feels it again but ignores it*

Karkinos: ........ *Pinches the testicles*

Heracles: *actually didn't feel anything*

Karkinos: ! .....*quickly crawls up Heracles 's side and pinches his nipple*

*tiny honk*

Heracles: *while strangling the Hydra* BLAST IT ALL THAT IS IT! *grips the ever living shit out of Karkinos like a squeeze toy, throws him on to the sand and crushes him*

*back on Olympus*

Zeus: ah a fine evening to gaze at the stars, see the grand expanse of space.... seeing the new and completely not approved constellation of a cra-WHAT?!?!

Karkinos: *is a constellation now* :c

Zeus: HERA!!!!! Why is there a crab in the sky! And without MY PERMISSION!!!???

Hera: Well how else was I going to make it up to Karkinos?

Zeus: Oh so THATS it's name! Well I would have expected myself to act upon my impulses but I would never expect this from YOU Hera.

Hera: *does the confused Clone High hands and face*

*years later*

Heracles: -and that is how I got crabs.

Perseus: .....Heric.

Heracles: *drinks his ambrosia* ?

Perseus: that is absolutely not how you get crabs....also you didn't feel a thing?

Heracles: Depression and the willingness to repent for your own sins does mysterious things to your libido.

Achilles: ....*sips his ambrosia through a crazy straw* ....TROOPER.

Heracles: It was like the darkness had enveloped what little humanity I had in me....

Perseus:....yyyeeeaaaaahhh...sure bud.

[studiotriggerfan397]

It's hard to believe it, but Hades (the Greek god of the Underworld) had 3 encounters with his nephew Heracles (Hercules) and was left humiliated. Each. Time.

The most well-known encounter is when Heracles travelled to the Underworld to capture the three-headed hound Cerberus for his 12th and final labor. Hades told his nephew that he could only take Cerberus if he could subdue him without using any weapons. But clever Heracles used the impenetrable Nemean Lion skin he wore as a makeshift muzzle and wrestled Cerberus until he was worn out.

The second time, Hades came to the surface to collect the soul of Queen Alcestis, who agreed to die in place of her husband King Admetus. But Heracles didn't like the idea of the happy couple's love being cut short and wrestled Hades into submission, just like he did his dog.

The third instance is the strangest though. When Heracles attacks the city of Pylos after its king refuses to purify him of his sins, Hades arrives to either collect the dead from the battlefield or defend the city (depending on the version). Either way, when Heracles sees his uncle, he shoots him in the shoulder with an arrow and Hades retreats to Olympus where Apollo heals his wound.