#sorry i have been consuming a lot of mythology lately

[withclawandvine]

yes, there are more than enough barbarian!bakugou drabbles on this website. no, i do not care !! have another!!!

your father already has his heir and a spare, and therefore, has no real use for you. at least, until an advisor reminded him of the mournful tunes the bards have been singing since you came of age — a tragic face, they claimed. men have waged wars for less sweet a temptation.

soon after the announcement of your eligibility is made, the dining hall bloats with suitors and their emissaries, boasting and bargaining over their chances with wine-sour breath night after night, waiting for your father to make his decision. 

behind closed doors, members of his cabinet pitch the merits of this prince or that noble scion. there is talk of naval dominance and deep treasuries. but from where you listen — with your ear pressed to the door of a forgotten servant’s corridor at the back of the council chamber — nobody mentions that one of them is old enough to be your grandfather, or that one young king has already been widowed twice, under suspicious circumstances.

the contest was your idea, presented during a quiet meal with your father, in such a manner that made him believe it was his plan all along. of course these men should prove themselves. how else can he know which kingdom reared the strongest warrior? which ally would prove the wisest or most cunning? 

as your father expected, there are many challengers. and as time goes on, it becomes less about the honor of your hand than the glory of victory. consequently, the tasks become more and more improbable: piercing steel armor with delicate arrows made of blown glass, navigating rapids with neither sails nor oars, hunting down the fabled great horned beast of the northern mountains. 

as you hoped, months pass without a champion.

but the men chasing honor and acclaim bring riches and secrets, feeding your father’s treasury and arming his spies. you can almost taste the freedom of again being unuseful to him, sweet as the honeyed pear speared on your fork.

the fork falls from your hand when the massive doors to the great hall swing open and an imposing shadow comes into view. backlit by the setting sun, it is impossible to discern its features — beyond its size and the massive horns, curved and sharp as twin sickles. 

the stranger’s approach is slow and measured, and as he gets closer, the shadow becomes more corporeal. turns into a man. although, the ochre glow behind him makes him appear almost as a god. nobody in the hall dares to breathe.

only when he stops at the dias can you make out garnet eyes of a barbarian, peering at you through holes gouged in the pelt cloaking his entire form. he’s wearing the face of a beast you had never truly believed existed like a hood.

wordlessly, he closes a fist around the skin draped over his shoulder, whisking it off and tossing it unceremoniously at your feet. the horns hitting the stone floors crack like thunder, echoing off the cavernous ceiling.

he wears necklaces strung with teeth, but no armor. his bare chest should make him seem vulnerable. instead, it puts every scar and whirl of ink denoting his battlefield victories and royal blood on display.

you have no idea how word of the contests made it all the way into the formidable northern mountains, or why it would entice a chieftain’s son to try at winning your hand.

all you know is that he just did.

[seeminglyseph]

Sometimes I feel like… I don’t think I’m a full like. Modern Pagan or like. Whatever the modern worship of the old Gods of various different mythologies around the world are… like. I don’t know what my religious beliefs are, like. Growing up Catholic and breaking from that can and will like. Often make the part of you that accesses spirituality very like. Fucking Weird.

Like. You become a weird fucking person being raised Catholic and it takes work to deal with it and like. Sometimes it’s like having been taught to speak a language that no one else does and when you get out you find yourself speaking gibberish and fucking up because like. The things you understand as universal are like… not only not universal, they’re like. Insane talk that makes you sound like you came from Westeros and you’re gonna do some Dragon War Crimes. And it’s like… “sorry I made an offhand statement about an ancient text that used to govern my life, I didn’t realize all the people arguing about the bible didn’t know that was part of it, and such a huge assumption about my character would be made about me based entirely about the fact that I knew one Bible fact, sorry again about that. I didn’t choose to be baptized and raised Catholic.”

But also beyond that I like… am very emotionally invested in the god Dionysus. Like. Really really. And I’ve been researching and compiling stuff. And I have plans to rewrite Nonnus’ Dionysiaca which I know doesn’t have a lot of academic acclaim but like. It’s a collection of a lot of Dionysus’ stories in one place for the most part, plus a handful of others since I am pretty sure it starts with Cadmus and Harmonia… or is is Persephone and Zagreus? It’s extremely long and I have ADHD and it’s not popular so its translations are usually pretty old I guess… and even then I’m pretty sure Nonnus converted to Christianity so I think Nonnus was a late writer and I read a review of his work that was so fucking scathing like, it was “mostly valuable for allowing us to know that certain myths existed, rather than for the value of his own writing” which like. Holy shit. Absolutely ruthless. But like, where I’m at, that’s an absolutely invaluable resource. I need to know those myths exist and roughly what they’re about, even if Nonnus’ writing was kinda fluff.

But also I cannot consume alcohol without my body basically rebelling with like a) migraine and b) pain. And like… part of me is like… “oh nooo, I’ve fully failed in my adoration of Dionysus because I fully cannot ever consume wine properly because I’m not really a wine fan and like. Alcohol will make me sick as all fuck in every way.”

But like. I do feel that people who water Dionysus down to just drinking and parties fully fail to understand Dionysus entirely because he like. Is a god of madness and war and gender fuckery and being the unwanted of society and fighting your way into demanding respect and power from those who would sneer down their nose at you for seeming weak. The drinking is a small portion of it.

And I don’t have to worship to find meaning… I guess. I just get mixed up sometimes… I do know how it can feel like a story can possess you though lmao.

[concerningwolves]

Question for you! I see Fae show up a lot in the fantasy genre, and I really love it and want to play with those ideas in some of my own works, but I was wondering — is this something that can be mishandled? I’ve seen some discussion on things to look out for in terms of insensitive portrayal of neurodivergence, but I’ve also just been mulling over the fact that there is a lot of very rich folklore that varies depending on what culture you’re looking at, and that there is potential to disrespect that out of simple fascination for the trope. Being extremely American with no cultural ties to the folklore, I’m just not sure. Is there harm that can be done by sicking solely to the tried and true tropes, or alternatively, by trying to put a new creative spin on those ideas? So sorry if this doesn’t make very much sense, this was harder to put into words that I expected. I was just wondering if you might have any thoughts or advice on this

Oh, this is a nice question for me. Thank you, Nonny :3

Full disclaimer: folklore and mythology, particularly relating to the fae, is my special interest. That doesn't mean I'm an expert in myths and folklore (or the linked history/anthropology). I'm just a person who spends inordinate amounts of time thinking about these things and am exceedingly happy to infodump on the drop of a hat. So, my word isn't law, I'm always happy to hear other opinions, please correct me if I make a mistake etc etc.

"Can you mishandle writing the fae?" is something i have many thoughts on. If you'd asked me this a few years ago, I'd have been all "yes you can, the fae have been appropriated and butchered by popular culture blah blah blah" because I was insufferably anal about things being Correct. But lately, I've come to really love just how vast this – I guess you could call it the popular culture faerie mythos – is. So much of it isn't what a folklore purist would consider correct, but I'm fascinated by how these folkloric figments have evolved and become ingrained in the general psyche nonetheless.

I think writing the fae can become harmful if writers use Welsh/Irish/Scottish folklore as their base without properly researching or without an awareness of the historical context. There's this trend of ignoring centuries of actual history from these countries and instead creating a very warped idealistic fiction. For example, if a writer presents a fantasy world with faeries and says "This is based on Welsh mythology" and then goes on to perpetuate such bunkum as "they all worship a mystical moon goddess" then that's Very Not Good. Similarly, if a writer says "here is my fantasy faery race, they're based on Celtic [Irish] mythology" then I'm going to have some Problems with that, because Celtic mythology and Irish mythology aren't the same thing. (The Celts were an Indo-European people comprised of many cultures and tribes, spread from Ireland to central Europe. While their influence in Ireland is clear, not everything Irish is Celtic and vice versa).

Irish, Welsh and Scottish cultures have historically been persecuted by the English, and that shows in how the English retconned their respective folkloric beliefs to create the British fairy mythos. It's something writers ought to be mindful of but generally aren't imho. This "British" faerie mythos is actually a melting pot of Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Nordic folklore with a healthy dose of medieval romanticism. It's what gave us the popular images of the Seelie and Unseelie ("good" and "bad") faerie courts, wherein the fae are generally more "civilised" (read: like Proper British Victorians) and have humanoid appearances. I don't think that any story which uses this bastardised fairy mythology is automatically bad, but I do get wary when writers plunge into it without giving any thought to why the British fairy image is Like That.

I recently listened to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke and I was absolutely enthralled. Clarke's fairies are based on the medieval romantic image of them, particularly medieval children's tales. They exist in the realm of Fairy, which is near to Hell, and have a society that falls somewhere between feudalism and the Victorian. What gripped me was how Clarke used the Bastardised British Fairy Lore to create this... almost satirical criticism of "Englishness" and what the English identity actually means (without tiptoeing around xenophobia, arrogance and racism). It's very much based on this bastardised British "folklore" but it works because that's the whole point. I found it thoroughly fascinating and enjoyable and basically haven't stopped thinking about it for a month.

I do get very excited when writers take a new angle with faeries, too! Like, Eoin Colfer's faries in the Artemis Fowl books were so cool. (Bearing in mind it's been ten years since I picked up an Artemis Fowl book, and I never read the whole series so most of what I know I've absorbed via late night Wiki reads and Tumblr osmosis, but anyway—) They live underground, which is a very neat take on the Irish Aos Sí. Irish fae folklore has the faeries living in mounds, as in, every mound in Ireland is its own faerie "court". Colfer's faeries call themselves the People, again, a play on the Irish because their name means People of the Mounds. I think what Colfer did was an extremely neat way of calling on Irish mythology to create a cool new fairy concept.

What you say about being American is an intriguing point in itself, too. I've said before that the American cryptid culture is simply delightful, because although it isn't what one would think of when you talk about folklore, that's exactly what it is. American culture is a melting pot. Which is to say, yes, as an American you won't have a lived cultural experience of, say, Irish folklore and how it impacts modern day life there, but there are elements of it all around you! Think about how in states where it's common to see vast fields of corn, it's also common for tales of corn demons. Sure, maybe that sounds like a weird tale some kids tell to scare one another, but to me it sounds a lot like the feldgiester of Germanic folklore.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman explores this concept that immigrants and settlers brought their own gods and mythological/folkloric creatures with them. I often think about this part of the book that talks about a faerie man who followed an Irishwoman to America because she always left out cream for him. I found that really heartwarming in this way that I can't quite explain. If you're into contemporary fantasy epics, I definitely recommend American Gods!

Sorry, I know this answer is getting quite rambly but I guess I... don't have a solid answer. Like I said, this is very much in my special interest wheelhouse BUT I'm not an expert. When I started out reading more about faeries and their various mythos I consumed a lot of nonsense, and I'm slowly sifting back through and unlearning much of what I took as gospel fact. I don't want to sound like I'm telling you what you can or can't do because that isn't my place (nor is it anyone else's). Really all you can do is listen to people from the cultures you're drawing from and research carefully and critically.

Happy writing! (*^▽^*)

[lucarioisinthevoid]

Have Simon and Mike ever been on a date?

Well, my sources say that they did indeed have a First Date at some point, made Cinnamon French Toast a while later, and even went out on Halloween calling it a Pick of the Patch! (Okay, but seriously, click these links, support these people, they’re fantastic and you’re sick of my shit, they made their own damn work and they did it AMAZINGLY. Seriously. CLICK THE LINKS. ENJOY THE WORKS. CHECK OUT MORE OF THEIR WORKS. And leave them some love by commenting/kudos, it is always such an amazing gift for a creator! It would be really kind of you guys!) But well, seeing as they now have some more time for this kind of thing…

They had been driving through the desert-esque area for a few hours now, or at least it felt like it. Time was hard to tell right now, but in the good way, in the comforting way. Mike was driving the van at the moment- they tended to switch up, aside from night driving, which Mike always did, as Simon struggled with seeing at night too well due his calibration. Maybe they’d find a way to fix it, but frankly, Mike didn’t care that his boyfriend was a little bit night-blind. The reason he was driving right now though, was because he wanted to reach a certain spot. Simon was reading a book Mike had given him out loud, providing both the pleasure of hearing his comforting voice, as well as him finally getting through it- Mike had been badgering him for weeks to do so. The ending is what made it worth it! Smiling to himself at that memory, Simon flipped a page to a new chapter- taking a short break to look outside. “… Mike, where are we going?” “Motherfucking guess.” The man seemed in a good mood, smiling deviously. “… is that the Grand Canyon?” “Yup!” Excited Mike looked forward, keeping his eyes on the road. “I always wanted to see this stupid place. I bet the sight from above is AMAZING. And the sunset! The sunset will be incredible! Can you imagine being that close to the stars-“ For a moment Simon thought there was some reason visiting the Grand Canyon was a bad idea- That thought however was swept SWIFTLY to the side as he realized something. “Mike…” “Hm?” “… is this a date?” Softly Simon asked. Instantly the generally aggressive guy grew a bright shade of red- like during the date they had been on before. And the one before that. AND the one before that one. It would probably never stop. “I- well- I mean- if you-“ He took a breath. “YES. Yes it fucking IS. Is there a PROBLEM?” Laughing the Phone Guy stretched himself, looking out with newfound interest. “… thank you.” “You- yeah- I mean- again, I always wanted to see it. And just climbing around the Grand Canyon while no one is around? That would be pretty fucking cool, right?!” “You mean while no one- uh- can hear you scream?” “EXACTLY. See, you get it.” Pleased Mike looked shortly at him, then at the road again. Watching him, feeling at peace, Simon leaned back, letting the late summer sun shine onto him. The thing with Mike was that he really loved abandoned places. Deep, dark forests, mountains off the beaten path, a hut in an area that otherwise had only cornfields… when Mike wanted to be romantic, he brought him there. And dear god, he was the only person on this planet who was allowed to ask for something like this without being demanded to step away at least twenty feet and stay put while the police is being informed. No… he was looking forward to this. They had been climbing around, not for long, for a good amount of time though. It was nice- the feeling of the rock under their fingers, the noise of wind and the sun reflecting on the ground far, far below them- reflecting in a river that seemed tiny from up there. Dangerous? Maybe. Maybe it was VERY dangerous, actually. But they were tough- they had been through so much, both of them were completely convinced that if either of them would fall, they would survive it. Somehow. The sight from up here was beautiful, it had been worth it. And finally, the taller of the two seemed to have spotted something. “There! We can sit on there!” “Oh- fuck yeah, that looks pretty sweet!” Getting out a soft outside blanket, they sat down on the little ledge and took out some food, making themselves as comfortable as possible to witness the sunset that was approaching. Both of them were leaning against each other- safe from wind and weather, on the still warm stone radiating heat through the blanket. “… it is beautiful.” Mike mumbled, hiding his face a little in the shoulder and neck of his partner. Being sincere was embarrassing, but- He wanted to be sincere right now. And when nobody was nearby for miles and miles… then it was okay, right? Gently Simon cupped his face, kissing him- to the best of his abilities- with his smooth dial. “That it is, Mike.” Intertwining their fingers, they looked both out at plane that was colored in gold, orange and black by the late and sleepy sun. Silence was between them, the restful kind of silence… Until finally the first few stars started shining above them. Laying down on his lap, Simon was staring up at the sky, trying to see if he could count them, now that there were only so few of them. Mike played with his phone cord, staring up too. “You know… when I was young, I always wanted to be an astronaut.” Mike started. “… I didn’t like thinking about my future, but sometimes, when looking at the sky at night, it felt like there was a place for me. I imagined leaving everything behind and trying to- I don’t know. It was only about being somewhere else. Somewhere, where other things mattered.” Simon snickered, gently. “… it’s always either a dinosaur or a space phase, isn’t it?” “Hey! I had both! They’re just fucking cool, okay?” “Didn’t mean to tease you! Uh- actually, it’s better than my phase.” Curiously the sitting man glanced down. “… how so?” “Oh, I- I had a Greek mythology phase.” Nervous Simon laughed. “And… that in itself wouldn’t actually have been a problem, if I wouldn’t have learned all the things I knew about it from cartoons and comics. Like- the one cartoon where Odysseus was on the ship and had this owl and-“ “Never watched it. Always fucking hated cartoons.” The guy scoffed, before pausing. “Maybe… we should watch it together… someday.” “… I’d really like to.” Enjoying Mike’s touch for a moment, he almost forgot to continue what he wanted to say- wait, right. “Uh- anyhow, so I learned it all from child-friendly media and… when we had the Greek mythology in class, a few years after that, I felt like such an expert. I explained the entire cartoon to my class. The, uh- the teacher seemed- not upset, but it seemed to hurt his soul to have to tell me that the original story wasn’t exactly like that.” For a moment he paused, thinking about it. Then he continued. “… I played with Ian a lot in the garden- on the good days I mean. Yeah, on the good days when I could convince him to come out with me… and we played these myths and gave them our own twists, because we were of course a lot smarter than the greeks. Why didn’t they think of what WE thought of?” Quietly he chuckled. “… morals in stories were always lost on me.” “At least you got SOME parts of the mythology. The closest I ever got to understanding any mythology stuff was with what Rick Riordan spoonfed to me.” “… who?” “Ah fuck- an author. I gotta make you read his work sometimes.” Mike shook his head. “He’s great, I swear- but that’s not the point. I think. What was the point again?” “… was there supposed to be a point to this?” Both looked confused at each other, before Mike facepalmed, hiding a bit of a smile. “Aw fuck, look at us. Terminal dementia. Each day our brains get consumed more.” They laughed a little, the sky having now turned fully into a dark blue, covered in glitter and stripes, dominated by a large full moon. Finally, Simon sat up again, looking down. “… I want to get to the river.” “In the dark?” “In the dark.” Mike grinned. “Madlad.” Turning on the lights inside of his head, Simon lit the way, while Mike checked the route for the safest pathway around. This SEEMED to be at least some sort of semi-normal route- not too safe, certainly not around this time of day, but it wasn’t a straight up wall. Hell, they had useful gear with them too. It was somewhat safe! Kinda, a little, mostly! But it did take a while. No matter, they were moving together, chatting and teasing each other, so it felt like no time was passing at all- the only thing showing the progression of time was the moon above, slowly moving through the sky. When they arrived down at the water, it was wonderful. The gentle sound of it moving along the river’s edge, the wind playing with the surface, coloring patterns into it with the rocks on the ground. Not that this was easy to see- all that was really visible was the silver and black playing with each other. The noise still was reassuring though, enough to make Mike creep up to the edge, ensuring he wouldn’t accidentally drop in, softly pulling Simon behind him, until they arrived at the closet spot they could, sitting down one more time. Playfully Mike splashed at Simon, who raised an arm to shield himself, rolling his eyes- though with a bemused smile. He dipped the tips of his fingers into the water, enjoying how cold and clear it felt. Then he looked up once more, the stars now feeling framed by the walls around them. “… you know- places like these… they feel so much more real.” “Hm?” Mike leaned back, curious. “What is that supposed to mean?” “Oh, uh- y’know. It feels like… this is a place beyond time. I know there’ll be a tomorrow, but while I’m here with you- it feels like- it feels different. As if just we exist and nothing else. I, uh- I kinda like it. I hope that isn’t weird. I- I don’t actually want everything else to disappear, but-” Embarrassed he laughed. “Sorry, I think I ruined the moment-“ “Simon. I love you.” Mike stood there, between shadows and moonlight, his expression was hard to see and even harder to read- but his voice showed it all, every little bit of it. “… I love you too, Mike.” Taking his hands into his own, Simon smiled at him. Feeling… … happy. All good things had to end though. Perking up, Simon frowned, leaning to the side to try and look behind Mike. “Uh- can you hear that?” In the far distance… … ‘yarrrr—rr-r-r-r-r-r-r-r!’ Mike DIDN’T turn. “… is it the sound of a pirate Foxy?” “Uh. Yes.” “… on a raft?” “… yeah…” “Coming right towards us?” “Well- uh- yes.” “With violent intentions?” “Most likely.” Slowly Mike sighed, slowly turning around. “… they always find us, don’t they.” The Fox jumped off the raft, his hook shining in the dim light, along with his teeth. “YAA-AA-AR! I AM THE FOXY OF THE CANYON LAKE! I HAVE SPEND DECADES DOWN HERE, GUARDING MY TREASURES! WHO ARE YEEE TO ENTER MY- MY- MY PLACE THING. MY TERRITORY!!” “Buddy, pal, friend, for fuck’s sake, we’re just having a walk. We’re not even on the river. We’re not on your territory.” Foxy’s golden eye shined. “Arrr… is that you? My arch nemesis? FREDDY’S MICHELANGELO?!” Baffled Mike stared at him, before rubbing his face. “That- that is not my name- ah you know what, fuck it.” As Mike rolled up his sleeves and got out a taser, Simon fell back. “You got this honey!” “… yeah, yeah, fuck you too.” He signed at the fox. “Get the fuck over here, filthy pretend-pirate.” “WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, YOU FILTHY! F-FILTHY! URGH- LAND-DWELLER!? I’LL MAKE YEE WALK THE PLANK FOR THAT!” With that the epic fight broke out.

[gods-and-pawns]

All flower asks for Cimmerian.

Cimmerian:

O-oh jeez, that’s...a lot of questions, huh? Well, better let’s get to it then.

Alisons: Sexuality?

I’m polysexual.

Amaranth: Pronouns/Gender?

Trans man. He/him pronouns, please.

Amaryllis: Birthday?

December 1st. I’m a winter baby.

Anemone: Favorite flower?

Uhm, sunflowers, probably.

Angelonia: Favorite t.v. show?

If I have to be honest, I don’t really...watch TV all that often. But uh, anything they air on Animal Planet, to be honest. Do you remember that old TV show about the life of meerkats? Fucking loved that shit.

Arum-Lily: What’s the farthest you’d go for a stranger?

That...really depends. I wouldn’t go too far, after all, I don’t know this person, but basic respect and kindness are always a given. I’m not a hero either, I wouldn’t risk my life for them. So, I’d say most of the time, just small favours.

Aster: What’s one of your favorite quotes?

Literally fucking anything that leaves Vincent’s mouth once he gets a little tipsy, this man lacks filter when drunk and it’s fucking great. I know you probably expected some quote with deep meaning, since I have a major in English, but I am very sorry to disappoint.

Aubrieta: Favorite drink?

Pain drink is going to be Whiskey, but anything a little bit fancier then it’s Pina Colada. I like sweet things.

Baby’s Breath: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

Yes, absolutely, zero hesitation.

Balsam Fir: Have you ever been in love?

Hm...unfortunately...

Baneberries: Favorite song?

........Two Trucks by Lemon demon. Don’t judge me, it’s a fucking great song.

Basket of Gold: Describe your family.

Hm, well, they were great, really. Very caring and loving...Yeah, this question is making me feel sad.

Beebalm: Do you have a best friend? Who is it?

Uhhh...I’m gonna say it’s either North, Tiff, Han or Bright. I’d say Foster too, but...I don’t know, we kind of had a falling out because of our work. It’s hard to meet up.

Begonia: Favorite color?

...I’ll give you one guess.

Bellflower: Favorite animal?

Toads, love these fat boys.

Bergenia: Are you a morning or night person?

Definitely morning. Not that I like waking up early, but I definitely function better in the mornings.

Black-Eyed Susan: If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be?

A hognose snake, they have very cute noses.

Bloodroots: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher, of all things. Mostly because I thought teachers got free summer too. Then I went to high school, saw what little shits my peers were, and immediately changed my decision.

Bluemink: What are your thoughts on children?

I love kids! I always wanted to be a father. Unfortunately, with being nearly 40 now and swarmed with work...I don’t think that’ll ever happen.

Blazing Stars: What are you afraid of? Is there a reason why?

Cars, because of trauma that I’d rather not get into. And, uh...I have apeirophobia. It’s...stupid, I know, many people would probably like to live on for forever. But for me, it’s just...it’s horrible. I don’t even know why. I guess it has something to do with existential dread.

Borage: Give a random fact about your childhood.

I had a lot of adoptive siblings and cousins, we were always close, and would always get into trouble together. I was raised on a farm with woods nearby, you can imagine I had a lot of opportunities and places where I could get hurt at, and I did. I was a stupid and reckless kid.

Bugleherb: How would you spend your last day on Earth?  

Oh man, that’s a loaded question...Honestly? I’d like to reach out to my family, spend my last day with them.

Buttercup: Relationship Status?

Taken~ By two wonderful, cute men.

Camelia: If you could visit anywhere, where would you want to go?

Oh, there’s a lot of places I’d like to explore, probably too many to list. As long as it’s as far away from civilisation as possible, I’m good.

Candytufts: When do you feel most loved?

I like to be held, I love hugs, they make me feel safe and loved. Preferably under a warm blanket with my partner or partners, late in the evening, the rain falling outside and the room is nearly completely dark as we cuddle...

Canna: Do you have any tattoos?  

I used to want to, as a teen, but unfortunately no...I did see some people tattoo over their burn scars, and I’ve been thinking about it, but considering how large my scars are it’d cost a lot, be very time consuming and most likely painful. So I don’t know, but I’m considering it.

Canterbury Bells: Do you have any piercings?  

Used to have a few as a teenager, now I only have one in my right ear.

California Poppy: Height?  

I’m 5′9′’.

Cardinal Flower: Do you believe in ghosts?

In ghosts? No, not really.

Carnation: What are you currently wearing?  

I’ll let you guess.

Catnip: Have you ever slept with a nightlight?

Sure did, I still sometimes do when my nightmares get the best of me.

Chives: Who was the last person you hugged?  

Jackie.

Chrysanthemum: Who’s the last person you kissed?

Northy, obviously~

Cock’s Comb: Favorite font?

My heart tells me Comic Sans, but my brain’s telling me to shut the fuck up and pick a normal font.

Columbine: Are you tired?

Always, 24/7.

Common Boneset: What are you looking forward to?

Autumn, we’re close to Summer and god damn it didn’t even start but I’m already over it.

Coneflower: Dream job?

I’m pretty content with my current one, but uh...maybe something less stressful? Probably a book author.

Crane’s-Bill: Introvert or extrovert?

Introvert, definitely.

Crown Imperial: What’s the farthest you would go for someone you care about?

 Honestly? I’d probably give my life to them. It mostly depends on the person though, and how much I care about them.

Cyclamen: Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? What was it?

I had a ragdoll elephant named Mr Trunk. Still do, actually, he’s one of the few things I took with me when I started working here. He’s now sitting on my bookcase at my apartment.

Daffodil: What’s your zodiac sign?

Sagittarius.

Dahlia: Have you done anything worth remembering?

I don’t think so, no.

Daisy: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

Well...I guess overcoming my trauma counts as an accomplishment?

Daylily: What would you do if your parents didn’t like your partner(s)?  

Well, first of all, my biological parents are dead and my adoptive ones think I’m dead. But, if that weren’t the case, I don’t think Ma and Pa are the kind fo people who’d try to get between me and my partners. I feel like if they were legitimately concerned for me or had deep worries about my partner, they’d talk to me about it. So, nothing too dramatic.

Dendrobium: Who is the last person that you said “I love you” to?

...I’d rather not talk about them.

False Goat’s Beard: What is something you are good at?

Does writing shitty slashfics count?

Foxgloves: What’s something you’re bad at?

Do you want a list or something?

Freesia: What are three good things that have happened in the past month?

Well...I started dating Jackie.

Garden Cosmos: How was your day today?

Tiring, so the usual.

Gardenia: Are you happy with where you’re at in your life?

...It could be worse, honestly.

Gladiolus: What is something you hope to do in the next year or two?

...Uh...if my relationship with Karlos and Jack lasts...well...uhm...God, don’t tell them I said that, alright? But...getting married seems...nice...

Glory-of-the-Snow: What are ten things that make you happy/you’re grateful to have in your life?

My friends. They’re great, I don’t know where I’d be without them. Especially Tiff, they do so much for me...don’t tell them I said that, they don’t need any more of an ego boost.

Heliotropium: What helps you calm down when you feel stressed?  

A good book, audiobook or ASMR and a scented candle in an otherwise quiet room usually does the trick.

Hellebore: How do you show affection?

Usually through words, I didn’t get that damn doctorate for nothing.

Hoary Stock: What are you proudest of?

My work, I guess? My writing? Wait, no, I just remembered my longest work of fiction is a crackfic about mythological characters- I take that back.

Hollyhock: Describe your ideal day.

Just having an entire day to myself, no need to do any work, no stress, no deadlines. 

Hyacinth: What do you like to do in your free time?  

I take care of my pets and plants, read books, write.

Hydrangea: How long have you known your best friend? How did you meet them?

Oh man, it’s been a few years now. Uhm, my longest friend in the Foundation is Foster, we met in high school, but like I said we’ve had a bit of a falling out. Then it’s Tiff, I met them when I first joined the Ethics Committee. I met Karlos and Bright a few years later, and I’ve known Han for the least amount of time, but it’s still been years.

Irises: Who can you talk to about (almost) everything?

Uhm...Hm...Probably Tiff or Karlos. Han too, he’s a good listener.

Laceleaf: How many friends do you have?

A few. On top of the previously mentioned ones I’m also quite close to Clef, Kondraki and Light.

Lantanas: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Literally, any kind of compliment either of the O5-1′s or O5-11 gave me. Do you have any god damn idea how fucking hard it is to impress the Ones? And Ten...well, he’s just really nice and I appreciate him.

Larkspur: What do you think of yourself?

Anyway, next question!

Lavender: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

I have great fucking puns and if anybody says otherwise, they’re fucking wrong.

Leather Flower: What’s your least favorite thing about yourself?  

Do you want a list?

Lilac: What’s something you liked to do as a child?

Exploring, I guess it never really changed, I like spending time in nature, I just never have the time to.

Lily: Who was your best friend when you were a kid?

........Probably one of my siblings.

Lily of the Incas: What is something you still feel guilty for?

A lot, but let’s not talk about that.

Lily of the Nile: What is something you feel guilty for that you shouldn’t feel guilty about?  

Jesus Christ, what’s with these questions?

Lupine: What does your name mean? Why is that your name?

I had to look it up, and apparently, Jeremiah means “Yahweh will exalt”. I had no idea my name actually had a religious meaning. When I was born I was named after my grandma, and when I was changing my name I decided to kind of keep with the theme and named myself after my grandpa. He doesn’t know, actually, I never came out to them, but I like to think he’d be happy that I named myself after him

Marigold: Where did you grow up? Tell us about it.

Like I said before, in a small rural town on a small farm. Not much to talk about, really, I was a typical kid that grew up on the farm. Always got in trouble and always hurt myself doing stupid shit.

Morning Glory: What was your bedroom like growing up?

I was quite a tomboy and I loved cows, so just imagine a room with walls painted to resemble a pasture with cows on it and cow-themed furniture. Handmade too, by my grandpa and Pa, of course.

Mugworts: What was it like for you as a teenager? Did you enjoy your teenage years?  

I uh...I’d rather not talk about it.

Norwegian Angelica: Tell us about your mom.

Ma was a great woman, she always cared for me and my siblings, she treated me like her own kid straight away. Didn’t even batted an eye. Never made me feel weird or wrong for liking “boy things” like other adults outside of our family. She was quite fiercely protective of me too, quite a mama bear, I must say. A strong woman, could probably suplex a bear.

Onions: Tell about your dad.  

Pa was...well, Pa was just wonderful. He didn’t even hesitate for a second to take me in when his sis and my biological mother died. He was the first person I saw when I woke up at the hospital. He always made sure I was happy and taken care of. He taught me how to hunt and fight and play soccer and football. He was always very loudly supportive of me. I cannot express enough just how much I’m grateful to him and Ma.

Orchid: Tell about your grandparents.

They were very kind, your traditional old couple. I loved granny, but I was always closer to my grandpa. He taught me how to fish, I could always confide in him. He’s a great guy. Granny was wonderful too, I remember I always helped her out in her garden, she’d always scare me with potato bastards- I mean potato beetles, sorry, old habit- I fucking hate these motherfuckers. I love all animals, except for these ones. Potato bastards can suck a dick.

Pansy: What was your most memorable birthday? What made it be so memorable?

[Heavy sigh] My 4th birthday, my older brothers decided it’d be a fun idea to pick every potato beetle they could find from granny’s garden and throw them at me as a “birthday present”...........You know, I think I just realised why I hate these beetles so much.

Peony: What was your first job?

My first official job was in the Foundation, they hired me right when I finished college to help contain one anomaly, then I just stuck around and worked in Human Resources. I don’t think working small chores in our neighbours’ farms for some pocket change counted as a job.

Petunia: If you’re in a relationship, how did you meet your partner(s)? If you’re not in a relationship, how did you meet your crush/how do you hope to meet your future partner(s), if you want any?

I met North when he started working as a junior researcher in the same Site as me. Bright, I knew for longer for uh...obvious reasons, but I first met him in person during a disciplinary meeting. I also worked as an Ethics Committee Liaison in Site-19. You can imagine our relationship wasn’t the best at first.

Pincushion: How do you deal with pain?

Die.

Pink: Where is home?

Well, that sure is a deep fucking question. At this point...I don’t know, honestly.

Plantain Lilies: If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would stop/change?

...It’s...let’s not talk about that.

Prairie Gentian: Who is someone you look up to? Describe them.

No way in hell I’m telling you, he could read this blog.

Primrose: Describe your ideal life.

Living in a cottage in the forest or mountains as a fairly famous writer, with a spouse and a few kids.

Rhodendron: What is something you used to believe in as a child?

Soulmates. Then I grew a brain.

Ricinus: Who’s the most important in your life?

...So anyways.

Rose: What’s your favorite sound?

Uh, so you know how I listen to ASMR? Probably tapping.

Rosemallows: What’s your favorite memory?

Any kind of holiday with my family, we’d always get together and celebrate.

Sage: What’s your least favorite memory?

Let’s not talk about that!

Snapdragon: At this moment, what do you want?  

...Hm...Well, I am kind of hungry, I guess after this I should go eat something.

St. John’s Wort: Is it easy or difficult for you to express how you feel about things?

I think I’m kind of...intermediate on that scale. Generally, it’s easy for me unless it’s something very personal.

Sunflower: What is something you don’t want to imagine life without?

...yeah, another question I’m skipping.

Sweet Pea: How much sleep did you get last night?

Not a lot, I’m quite tired today.

Tickseed: What’s your main reason to get up every morning?

Work, I guess? Mostly just routine.

Touch-Me-Not: How do you feel about your current job?

Fucking stressful and exhausting, but it could be worse. That’s talking about my chairman position. But my work on Project X? I like it, one of the more pleasant jobs I had at the Foundation.

Transvaal Daisy: What’s your favorite item of clothing?

...Yeah, just take a guess.

Tropical White Morning Glory: Describe your aesthetic.  

Cozy, dark and gold.

Tulip: What would be the best present to get you?

...That’s a bit personal, actually.

Vervain: What’s stressing you out most right now?

The sheer amount of these questions, Jesus fucking Christ.

Wisteria: How many books have you read in the past few months? What were they called?

Unfortunately, I don’t have time for books lately, I did listen to a few audiobooks though. Also, I’m planning to revisit the Warrior Cats books because nostalgia and I need to know what the fuck is happening with these cats lately.

Wolf’s Bane: Where do you want to be in life this time next year?

Hopefully not dead.

Zinnia: Give a random fact about yourself.

Uhhh...hm...I’m petty, but you probably knew that already.

[inejkaz]

i was tagged by @mollyweasly to answer the following 73 questions! thank you for tagging me steph ♥ 

on a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now? i'm actually pretty content and the only thing that i'm rdreading right now is my upcoming finals so maybe 6!

describe yourself in a hashtag? #alwaystired

if you could do a love scene with anyone, who would it be? no one comes to mind but steph's answer was chris evans and i'd say the same tbh 👀

if your life was a musical, what would the marquee say? uh maybe "dumb bitch" or "chaotic mess" LMAO idk honestly my life isn't that interesting most of the time

what’s one thing people don’t know about you? that i'm lowkey depressed. most of my old friends know this but they don't rlly know how bad it makes me feel sometimes & i don't think i'll ever tell my college friends abt this except for one person!

what’s your wake up ritual? lay in bed for another 5-15 mins, check the time, and brush my teeth. next i'd either shower, workout, or attend online class

what’s your go to bed ritual? just on my phone looking at useless things and answering my friends' messages. i'll get tired soon so i'll just daydream and sleep. lately i've been listening to music to help me sleep!

what’s your favorite time of day? late night and early morning

your go to for having a good laugh? i love watching lip sync battles. my favorites are by emma stone, tom holland, anne hathaway & channing tatum!

dream country to visit? the UK! my cousin talks abt it all the time and now she's taking her postgrad degree there which makes me incredibly jealous 😢 but honestly i'm dying to travel europe as a whole!

what’s the biggest surprise you’ve ever had? probably when my high school friends bought me the doc martens shoes that i LOVE for my 17th birthday! i love them and miss them even tho many are not in touch with me anymore

heels or flats/sneakers? flats/sneakers definitely! i've never tried heels tbh i can only endure wedges and they alr hurt SO much

vintage or new? both

who do you want to write your obituary? probably my best friend!

style icon? taylor swift during the red era, noora sætre, orion carloto, ashley aka best.dressed!

what are three things you cannot live without? books, internet, family

what’s one ingredient you put in everything? salt

what 3 people living or dead would you want to make dinner for? taylor swift, chris evans, audrey hepburn

what’s your biggest fear in life? the unknown, anything horror & reptiles esp lizards (i can't stand reptiles AT ALL i'd literally cry and die if i have to touch one or sleep in the same room with one)

window or aisle seat? window

what’s your current tv obsession? haven't been watching any tv lately but i've been watching mukbangs on youtube a lot

favorite app? line (a messaging app mostly used by indonesians. i rlly like the stickers and themes i own lmao)

secret talent? i can play guitar just a lil bit

most adventurous thing you’ve ever done in your life? either drinking beers with my friends on a school field trip or not telling my parents that i went to the city alone during college just to hangout by myself

how would you define yourself in three words? introverted, chaotic, anxious

favorite piece of clothing you own? an adidas jacket that was on a 50% sale for international women's day!!! 

a must have clothing item that everyone should have? black pants

a superpower you would want? invisibility and mind control!!!

what’s inspiring you in life right now? since i was a little kid, i've always been inspired by my cousin. she's my role model!

best piece of advice you’ve received? to literally BELIEVE in yourself

best advice you’d give your teenage self? don't be so self-aware bc everyone's busy with themselves, make more friends, cherish your time in school more

a book everyone should read? harry potter series, the raven cycle

what would you like to be remembered for? for being a good, positive person

how do you define beauty? beauty is whatever that evokes a positive feeling out of oneself i guess!

what do you love most about your body? my eyes

best way to take a rest/decompress? skincare, listen to soothing music, drink a warm beverage, watch smth that's easy to watch, and just sleep! 

favorite place to view art? galleries, but i've only been to one sadly

if your life was a song, what would the title be? maybe "paradox" or "misunderstood"

if you could master one instrument, what would it be? piano! but it's expensive and not portable so if i'm being realistic, it'd be guitar

if you had a tattoo, where would it be? in the back of my neck! also maybe on any of my fingers or below my ribcage

dolphins or koalas? koalas

what’s your spirit animal? deer!

best gift you’ve ever received? doc martens shoes given by my friends!

best gift you’ve given? i think i wrote my friend letters to open when she's in different moods once

what’s your favorite board game? monopoly

what’s your favorite color? pink, purple, yellow, monochrome

least favorite color? i just dislike bright obnoxious colors

diamond or pearls? diamonds

drugstore makeup or designer? both, but i mostly can't afford designer anyway so..

blow-dry or air-dry? both

pilates or yoga? i've never tried any actually

coffee or tea? both, but i'm leaning towards tea

what’s the weirdest word in the english language? can't think of any right now..

dark chocolate or milk chocolate? milk chocolate!!!

stairs or elevators? elevators

summer or winter? winter

you are stuck on an island, you can pick one food to eat forever without getting tired of it, what would you eat? burgers!!

a dessert you don’t like? basically i won't like anything with fruits

a skill you’re working on mastering? photoshop i guess? i'm planning to learn coding too now that i have the time!!

best thing to happen to you today? probably finishing my gifset! but honestly, i was supposed to be studying lmao

worst thing to happen to you today? i didn't study lmao

best compliment you’ve ever received? i don't think it's anything that memorable so i can't really think of one

favorite smell? jasmine

hugs or kisses? both

if you made a documentary, would it be about? space, mythology

last piece of content you consumed that made you cry? i get a little teary eyed if i come across a touching content on instagram/twitter tbh lmao. but i'd say the last movie that made me cry so bad was her (2013)

lipstick or lipgloss? lipstick

sweet or savory? savory

girl crush? emma watson

how do you know your in love? don't think i've ever been in love, i've only experienced like a very long crush so...

a song you can listen to on repeat? there are a lot... but for now, woman by mumford & sons and anything by taylor swift

if you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be? taylor swift!!!

what are you most excited for about this time in your life? i've just been enjoying editing for tumblr a lot, i haven't really posted consistent content in my 10 years of being here so that's been fun. i also want to learn coding and become an overall healthier person by working out regularly & eating mindfully! honestly i'm trying to build my confidence and become healthier, both mentally and physically 

tagging: @dianaprincie @cllianmurphy @cinderllas @edgarallan @rosamunqpike @gamoora @nataliamaximoff (sorry if you've done this before, feel free to ignore!)

[snailmailworldwide]

Hello!

My name is Adrian, I'm 17, trans masc(he/they) and live in the pacific Northwest us! Ive only sent one(1) letter before and only have one(1) penpal(hopefully) and would like to have at least one(1) more person to write to. I dont have many,if any, requirements.

Just please be between 15-19 years old or like,,,  120+(vampire?? eldritch being???) And speak english. Im not against other languages I just dont have time or comprehension to learn well :///

Things I like and have interest in include-but are not limited to:

Music; indie, alternative, goth(???), kpop(occasionally), and groups like rare Americans, alt-j, i monster, the scary jokes, they might be giants, jack stauber, gorillaz, glass animals, mccafferty and London after midnight. Idk jack about classical or country but I like alot of groups and music!!! So i will likely send you playlists !

Media; I've a habit of replaying the same things over again so here what ive been consuming lately ! Movies; Twilight, Harry Potter, narnia,the outsiders! I love horror and slasher movies as well. Lots of fictions, fantasy mostly. Books; the outsiders, miss peregrine's home for peculiar children, maze runner, divergent, Rick riordan books(kame chronicles will always have my heart). What can i say im a child but I'm always open to new reads! And shows like; supergirl(I just started it lmao), the magicians, the dark crystal(age of resistance) and once upon a time!!

Hobbies; Art, drawing and sketching mostly, but I enjoy writing as well! I also enjoy photography, though ive lost my cameras in all of my moving :"/// I take interest in cryptids and monsters! I love lore and mythology(soft spot for Greek and Egyptian) as well as fae. I also really enjoy nature and being outside!!

Additionally! My letters will likely not be the "cutest" nor will i likely be able to send a bunch if things to you :'// im sorry but im also not worried getting anything but a letter! I'm rather scattered and my interests and style shift so often that it shows through in my writing. And I do hope that you will be alright with talking about anything and everything !

You can message me here @softlyscribbles or @crowsounds as that is my main account :)))

[awed-frog]

Your game of thrones post gave me life. I have been searching in the tags for something like this. As a writer I have a deep love for stories written well and a deep concern for those not done well. I needed to see your post so much, so thank you for posting it. My search has ended, but geez why did I waste myself on this show? It makes it hard to trust future tv :(

Hi, thank you for this message - I’m sorry it took me a week to answer, I was trying to come up with a good answer for you because I found myself wondering the same thing over the last few years: “why did I waste myself on this show” and “how can I trust future tv” are really relatable issues.

My messy thoughts about this is that we live in an environment that makes it really easy to outsource our emotional needs, and while some outsourcing is normal and healthy, I believe it’s also necessary to push back a little and get our souls back so we can use them to live fuller lives.

In short, whatever some ‘real adults’ say it’s always been normal to lose ourselves in fiction. From religion to mythology to nationalism and trickle-down economics, every story we come up with as human beings can suck us in if it comes at the right moment, is told by the right (or enough) people and has some feel-good or get angry answers and some narrative coherence. In this respect, fiction is no different. People have been obsessing and losing their minds over fiction since basically forever - from the ancient Greek audiences who forced Euripides to rewrite the ending of his Phaedra to Sherlock Holmes devotees going all Annie Wilkes on Conan Doyle, fandom’s got a long history.

Based on nothing but my own experience and other people’s thoughts and posts, I think that maybe today we’re going through several related phenomena which have an impact on how we consume fiction and how fiction consumes us:

First of all, it’s never been so easy to access tailor-made and free or cheap fiction. Books, movies and TV shows have never been so ubiquitous or abundant, and the proliferation of algorithms in our lives means you can always find a ��I want the same but also new’ thing to watch or read next.

At the same time, many of us are experiencing lives that are just not meeting our expectations. Many people around the world are surrounded by economic or political crises, and it’s now very clear to millennials and Gen Zers that - despite spoken and unspoken promises - we’ll never have it as good as our parents.

On top of that, fiction today generates a lot of money, which means there’s a direct interest not only in producing stories, but also in producing stories that are basically the same but slightly more tragic, twisty or bloody than ‘that other story everybody liked’ - hence the sudden boom of sequels, prequels, remakes, stuff based on our childhood and more generally unimaginative but ‘push your buttons’ fiction whose main goal is convincing us to spend money on it.

And on top of that, it’s never been so easy to live exactly in the universe of our own choosing: thanks to the multiplication of available screens per household, to the increasingly creative and pervasive merch, to bingeing services like Netflix, to cons and fanart and fanfiction and big production houses churning out dozens of movies set in the same world, you can suddenly decide to live there and never ever leave.

If you put all of those things together, you get what you see every day on this website (and I mean, I include myself here): people who spend crazy amounts of their free time basically promoting shows for free, people who get into deadly arguments about fictional characters, people who experience physical symptoms akin to grief or PTSD when their favourite stories don’t live up to their expectations in some way.

As I said, some of it is normal, even healthy: thanks to fiction, we stretch and strengthen our empathy muscles, learn new things and understand other people - and ourselves - better. Stories also tackle issues that aren’t necessarily discussed anywhere else, depending on where we live and what we do: stuff like ethical and moral choices, political stances, and generally what it means to be different from others and how you can fit in the world when you are.

At the same time, though, they’re just stories. It’s fiction, and it shouldn’t invade most of our waking life or dominate our thoughts and feelings. There is a lot of pressure to keep us exactly where we are, because the more obsessed we are, the more we buy and consume and disregard other issues (like politics, working conditions, inequality and climate change), but I think we should make an effort to enjoy fiction responsibly. The rules are basically the same as those for eating healthily: have a balanced diet full of variety, try stuff you never tried before, stop if you don’t like something, definitely stop when you know something’s bad for you. And also: have your meals at set times instead of grazing all day and late into the night, and whenever possible, share them with those you love and listen to what they have to say, even when they disagree with you. 

(Oh, and when it comes to comfort food - and especially industrial, heavily processed, fast food crap - it’s not the end of the world to enjoy some, but it should definitely be consumed in moderation.)  

[fatbottombucky]

“Woah. Smooth...” Loki x Reader

Summary: A prompt someone sent me to do with Bucky... but it’s funnier with Loki tbh // Reader is a “young” Avenger, around 21. He has the powers that are never talked about because no reason, so it’s whatever your heart desires!

Pairings: Loki x Male Reader

Rating: Teen [PG-13]

Warnings: Sexual jokes

You had only been part of the Avengers for a few short months, you have never seen any action or fought any actual villains. You have to harness your powers first before you go fighting any battles, which is taking longer than you expect or wanted.

Although, it’s given you more time to explore the Avengers HQ and get to know your fellow team mates a little better. It’s also gotten you used to having Loki around, since him and Thor arrived with their ship of Asgardians, he had also been wondering around.

Thor wanted to keep a close eye on him, Loki didn’t seem to mind. You haven’t had a full conversation with him, passing comments when around the same living space and shared smiles. He seemed to have varying levels of friendships with the others, Tony was distant, yet they had sassy arguements and Bruce stayed away, but got along with him. Steve mostly kept away, but Thor is his bestie and would make himself socialise with the other God.

Clint hated him with a burning passion, yet wasn’t afraid to poke fun or mock him and Natasha hasn’t really expressed an outward opinion on Loki.

But you? You... like him. You’re kinda a fan, in a non weird way- if that’s possible. You studied Norse mythology in college, it was a blast and you learnt a lot about how the Viking’s viewed religion. Loki was one of the best God’s to learn about, although his tales are quite... amusing and weird.

Loki wasn’t entirely different to the mythology you had studied, definitely better looking than the depicted pictures and more modern. You, honestly, didn’t know what you expected when meeting the God of Mischief. So, since he was your favourite god to study, he was your lock screen- the drawings of him, not Loki now, just the pictures from the textbooks. You didn’t think he’d even know if he looked at it, so it wasn’t embarrassing for you because why would Loki know that?

You sat in the living room, scrolling through buzzfeed. Loki was reading some book on another sofa, he was so silent that you had forgotten he was even in the room.

“I’m stranded on a deserted island with the person on my lock screen. How screwed am I?” You ask yourself out loud, forgetting that there’s another person in the room, within earshot of you, too.

Without missing a beat, “Depends on how much energy I’ve got.”

You’re stunned into silence, your eyes widen and freeze. Loki knew you had him as your lock screen? All this time, he had known. Your eyes look at him, he’s peeking over the book and has a raised eyebrow. Almost mocking you for this, you silently go back to your quiz, feeling deeply embarrassed and confused.

“Woah, smooth...” is your late reaction and response.

Loki ends up chuckling at you and you both go back to your own things. Your heart racing a little at what Loki said, Loki seemingly unaffected by what he done.

Did he mean what he said? Was it just a joke, a passing comment meant to get a reaction from you? Your mind is racing, almost as fast as your heart. A part of you wanted Loki to mean it, yet you knew he didn’t. He’s a God, you’re not even a fully established Avenger, yet. You give a glance to Loki, once again consumed by the book before him, turning the pages delicately.

(This isn’t great. Sorry, I tried to write Loki as best I can but it’s difficult. I might delete this because I actually really hate it, but here’s a little something, I guess.- Rosalie🍑)

[pearlsartblog2019]

Monster Verse AU: Part four

SPG Monster Verse AU: Part 4

Notes: Notes: Don’t own SPG… all of those lovelies belong to the bennetts and co. I just do strange things in stories with the characters for fun. 

Don’t own Sprocket  Or Dex they be long to the very awesome: https://spg-fanbot-cousins.tumblr.com/

Pearl is my own character and is used in this and several other stories. Time period note : this is set in about 2009, I have here in.. used some of the old  mythology about kitsune being shapeshifters to help move the story along. Rabbit HAS transitioned in this one. No it does not match up with the actual time after all this is an au, so i changed that a wee bit.  Now Enjoy the show..

It was the time of night when they should be getting ready to go to sleep. Sunrise only an hour or so away. 

Before they left on this insane trip they had made sure that all of the kids were in bed and soundly sleeping in case anything did happen and wanted no panic when they returned.

Upgrade and Jon were watching them tonight as usual. Rabbit  had offered to stay, the kitsune having just recently gotten her ninth tail and transitioned to a new form.  She was  still slightly unsure of her new powers. So she had informed them that she would help watch after the kids and remained with the two usual caretakers Until she was more sure of herself. 

So that left Spine, Hatch worth, and Zero, heading out into the predawn hours to investigate what might have been a garbled call for help from human friends of the family. 

The message on the phone was garbled, and hard to understand. One thing that came through very clearly were screams for help of some kind. It was his city and these were the friends of his family. So Spine was determined to find out what was going on and if in any way possible help these people or put a stop to it. The only problem was he feared it was too late.

They had acted as quickly as possible, organizing into the two parties. 

But it had still been a good half an hour since the call and in that time many terrible things could have happened. 

by the time they appeared at the cold silent house, it was clear that indeed terrible things had happened. 

The front door to the house had been kicked in or knocked in by some kind of force. it hung from its hinges like some dead thing, reminding the world of the life that had fled this house.

The living room was a stark mess, upon investigation. It had been ransacked and ripped to shreds. Furniture upturned, pillows gutted, papers flung to the far corners of the place in a futile search for something. 

The rest of the house was in the same kind of shape. Whom ever had done this had been seeking something but due to the seeming chaos and destruction had not found what they sought. 

Further into the house the mess continued. More rooms ransacked. More destruction. Even the bathroom had not been spared. 

The worst was the master bedroom, where the most horrifying of sights waited for them. The mangled bodies of their friends, spilled onto the floor and left to rot. The message on the wall scrawled in the blood of the innocents that lay before them. 

"This is what your fate will be if you hide the monsters..." 

Spine stood there gritting his fangs trying to NOT punch a hole straight through the wall at this. That made it clear what the murders had been looking for. 

Information him, Information on his family, his baby girls.  Information that they could use to come to his house and do this very thing to everyone he had ever loved.  To this day he never understood why. 

He had been trying to make peace. The love his life had been a former monster "slayer." He had the most precious lil proof in the universe that humans and "monsters" did not have to be enemies. Living breathing proof that all of this hatred was  utter nonsense. Yet still it persisted. Still these people hated Him and those like him, simply for not being human. 

Spine was so angry that he missed the sound that Hatchworth heard instantly. 

"SHHH..." The drider told them, "Did either of you hear that?"

The Silver Lord and Giant Zero stopped, held perfectly still and listened again. This time they heard it. A small soft sound of discomfort, coming from one of the other rooms in the house. 

"someone's still alive," zero said. 

Moments later all of them were heading in the direction of the sounds. It was even further into the back of the house and had been spared some of the destruction of the rest of it.  Indeed the people that committed this crime must have believed there was nothing to see here.  in what must have been, from the size of the tiny bed in the corner, a child's room or nursery. 

All of them were looking around when they heard it. The soft sad sound from the corner of the room. All of them  headed cautiously over and found something. 

Bunched into the corner of the room was a large silk shawl. Spine remembered it. It had been a gift to this family from Hatchworth himself, made of his own refined silk. ( there are people that make things from refined spider silk.. hatchworths is a beautiful golden color) A wedding present when the couple married years ago. Now it concealed something precious. 

Hatchworth pulled the shawl away and saw the blue eyes and golden curls, the same color as the silk, of a beautiful baby boy.  The child couldn't have been more than a year old and sniffed softly, so scared, and so alone. Looked up and held out his arms to Hatchworth. 

"oh my god," Hatchworth curled his legs under him and pulled the lil boy into his arms, "The baby. He's ok!"

Spine's mouth dropped open, the parents had given their lives and used their last phone call to get a message to him and his family. So they could come and save this little boy. 

Spine's face fell, "Hatchworth we can't...."

That earned him a glare from his younger brother, "I'm sorry which one of us married a vampire slayer?"

Spine looked away for a second and swallowed, "That's not what i mean Hatchworth.  If you take him to the manor with us it might frighten him. I have no compunctions  about you helping or keeping him. I just don't want the lil guy harmed. "

Hatchworth looked embarrassed, "Sorry Bro. That was mean. I do follow tho.  But he has no one else Spine, We'll have to just teach him that there isn't anything to be afraid of. Maybe his parents have already been trying. They were family friends."

Spine nodded, "That's all we can do." 

He stopped and looked out the door, "Let's get back, It's going to be light soon and we have a lot of things to do."

Zero nodded, "Do you think the girls and Dex will be ok with this?"

Hatchworth shook his head, "I don't know. "

Spine sighed, "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But we have to get this lil specter home before we know anything."

Hatchworth blinked, "Specter?"

Spine smiled, "He was so good at staying hidden... it reminded me of one."

Hatchworth finally smiled back, "I think that will work Spine. I think that will work just fine. "

Spine had Hatchworth get into the car with the child to keep him as safe as possible. Between him and zero they dumped gas onto the house and watched, saying a prayer for the family, as the house was consumed by flames. All of the brutality wiped clean by fire. 

In the car the sleeping lil boy opened his eyes and looked up into hatchworths face. 

"pappa?" He said softly.

As spine and zero got into the car to head back to the manor, The drider hugged his new lil son close.

"Now and forever  lil one."

[allthekpopimagines]

NCT Greek Gods!AU Part 2

Word Count: 1459 

Hello my children!! Sorry if that was weird....but anyways here is Part 2 of my Greek God AU for my ub group NCT. This was more of a filler chapter but this does have some important parts to it!! I promise. Sorry for the late updates guys, college has been KICKING my butt.....but I promise I’m trying to keep you guys up to date on this series. I mean, you guys are the first ones reading it so. But I hope you all enjoy this part. Part 3 will be up very soon, promise! I love you all so much! <3 -Admin M

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“She was one of the rare ones, so effortlessly herself, and the world loved her for it.” -Atticus 

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This is ridiculous. I look around Jaemin’s room and I see a lot of photos of him and another guy or an animal. I grab one of the photos and I see Nana and 17 other boys with in a family-looking photo. I see that Nana treasures a lot of these things because it’s mainly what he has that are consuming his room. I sigh as I sit on his bed not knowing what to do. Should I come downstairs? No, Nana said to stay up here until he called me back down or when he came to get me again. Are they talking about me? Probably.....Jaemin did bring me here so they could explain things to me. I don’t feel very comfortable here....maybe I should leave. What if they’re planning on how they’re going to kill me....because Nana knew what to do and say to get rid of that creature from before. Okay, Perry, you’re overthinking this too much. But I do need to leave from this place, I feel like I’m a trapped prisoner here. New plan, get out of here before they come upstairs looking for me. 

I look around for anything that could get me out of this room. I could just walk out of the door but then they would see me and I would never be able to escape. There’s a window but I’m in the second floor of the building. If I jump out I would be committing suicide. I look around Nana’s room in order to find a way out of this house. I go into Nana’s closet and I think of a way to get out. I smile and get to work quickly but quietly. 

<<--->>

Jaemin’s POV: 

“Hyung...what’s going on?” Jisung says concerned. Jeno pipes in, “Who was that? Who did I basically tackle?!” Mark then gets confused and asks, “Wait you tackled someone?” Haechan adds, “Wait he doesn't tackle you?” I sigh in anger and I yell to get their attention, “Yah! Listen.” They all get quiet and I can finally talk, “Do you guys remember the daughter of Demeter?” 

“You mean Persephone?” Chenle adds in. Renjun says, “Man, I’m sad about what happened to her and her mother.” I fidget in my chair and I then say, “What if I told you guys that Persephone isn’t dead?” They all get confused. Mark speaks up, “That’s impossible. Her mother is basically dating Hades and Persephone got killed by a Cerberus. Hades’ Cerberus to be exact.” I shake my head and they all get confused, “What’re you saying Jaemin?” Haechan asks. I sigh and I collect myself before saying, “Persephone isn’t dead. I know that you guys think she is....but that’s her, the girl that’s in my room right now is Persephone.” Chenle tries to run upstairs to see, “Chenle! Stop!” Mark says.

I look at Mark and I mentally make a note to thank him later. As Chenle walks back to his seat Mark adds, “You could scare her more than she already is,” Mark turns to me, “How did you get her to follow you here?” I sigh and I say, “That’s the story. I stopped the Chimera from basically trying to ‘play’ with her but she just thought that she was going to be eaten. She doesn’t know how she saw the Chimera and she doesn’t know how she understands Greek.” Jeno pipes in, “Wait, she doesn't know who she is?” Renjun steps in, “No. Her mother got rid of her memories when she got to see her. She has an adoptive mother and father. She remembers her name but that’s about it.” 

Jisung then says, “You didn’t explain this to her?!” I look at Jisung as if he’s crazy, “Of course not! She doesn’t remember anything and I just say, ‘Oh hey by the way I’m a demigod and so are you and you’re the daughter of Demeter and your mother is in the underworld with Hades.’ Because that won’t sound absolutely insane to her.” I say sarcastically. He looks away. “Well, we have to tell her sometime, she doesn’t even know where she is.” Haechan says. I nod and say, “I’m waiting for Taeyong or Ten to get home. They can probably explain it better to her. Plus, I can’t just keep her here forever without their approval.” The rest of the dreamies agree and I think, what have I done?

<<--->>

I get down to the ground and I brush off my hands while being super quiet as well. I smile at myself and I think, Good job Perry. I take off running in the direction we came from the road and as I’m running I think I hear someone open the front door and I turn around to look but there’s no one. I then run directly into something that had the stiffness of a tree. 

I end up on my butt and I squint up to the figure hoping it’s just a tree and I’m just oblivious. There’s a person’s face right where the sun should be blinding me. The person speaks, “Whoa. Where are you going in such a rush?” I stand up and I try to run but the persons strong grip on my wrist prevents me to do so. I just look up at the person and their vibrant red hair, “Please let me go. I just want to get out of here.” The person looks at me confused, “Are you okay? I won’t hurt you.” I look into his eyes and he has a sincere look in his eyes and I sigh and I try to not pull away and I say, “Not really. I’ve had a rough day and then Jaemin brought me here to this house and now I’m supposed to be waiting for someone but I don’t know if they’re planning to actually kill me or not. I’m just trying to get home and pretend this day didn’t happen because I’m already claimed to be the towns psychopath. But I’m not actually crazy okay? There was a giant creature that was a lion, but also part goat and snake chasing after me. But I’m not crazy because Nana saw it too! He saved me from it.” I say looking down at the end. 

The man is towering over me but to get down to my height he bends over a little and says, “Hey, don’t be so upset.” He lifts my head and he smiles at me, “You’re not crazy. That was a Chimera. There are creatures like that around here.” I get confused and I look at him with concern, “Are you okay sir?” He laughs and says, “I’m fine. But please, call me Taeyong.” I nod a bit and I can’t remember where I heard that name from but I did hear it somewhere. “Hopefully you don’t mind me asking, but what are your parents names?” He asks me. I say with hesitation, “Hanna and James Wilson. Why?” He nods and says, “Do you by chance believe in the gods?” 

I get shocked by the question, “What’d you mean?” He thinks for a minute and says, “The gods. Like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades?” I shake my head quickly and I say, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. If you’re asking if I believe in God, then the answer would be, kind of.” He laughs a bit and says, “No. Greek mythology....or, what people believe to be Mythology.” I shake my head, “I don’t know anything about that.” He sighs and nods, “Okay well, you said Jaemin brought you here?” I nod and he mumbles, “Hm, I thought it would’ve been Lucas.” He lets go of my wrist and he holds out his hand, “Will you come inside and let me explain to you what’s going on? No lies and I will not let anyone hurt you. Trust me.” I think for a minute and I am intimidated by Taeyong but not in a way that he will hurt me, in a way that he will protect me and I’m not worried about it. I nod and I take his hand. 

We begin to walk a little and he asks, “Oh, one more question. What’s your name?” He looks at me and I look at him and then away as I say, “My name is Persephone but my friends call me Perry.” He stops dead in his tracks and I stop as well, confused on why we stopped walking. The front door of the house flies open and I see Jaemin standing there and he’s out of breath and he makes eye contact with Taeyong and he looks down and then back at Taeyong and he says, “Surprise?” 

[franklins-leg]

ALL THE MULTIPLES OF 5!

5.     a song over 5 minutes long

I know what some of y’all are expecting me to say. And I’m not going to indulge you. Not this time. Ask again. “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” by Gordon Lightfoot. When the green dark forests were too silent to be real…

That’s right folks. The folk rock has arrived. And as a (failed) anthropologist I always loved that line in the context of yes, the settler history/mythologies/reimaginings of America do tend to make the forests too silent to be real…..10.   something you’ve heard performed live

already answered for @theiceandbones, but another song I heard live this summer was K. T. Tunstall “Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree” (ok that’s probably not the exact name but whatever). She out-Scottished Ian Anderson, which was not a feat I thought possible. 

15.   something to BELT SHAMELESSLY/do DIVA HANDS tooh dear, this is my M.O. in the car to most songs I like, but lately whenever “Guiding Light” (Mumford and Sons) comes on, it’s up full-volume and I’m banging on the steering wheel. sorry, everyone who has to see me do this.(I do the same thing with Lord Huron “The Night We Met,” which is a few years old and the fact that I still behave this way whenever it comes on probably makes that a better answer to this question. I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you) 

20.   a song you’re dying to master all the words to

I mean if I ever learn the words to Barenaked Ladies “Pinch Me” it will be a miracle. I bloody LIVED through the 90′s and I still don’t know what’s happening. 

25.   a song with a great music video

ah well we must go with Peter Murphy “Cuts You Up” for this one. everyone go look at these EXCELLENT PANTS.

30.   a song 40 years older than you

Thanks, now I’m regretting my vow not to use the internet/my music library. So, this would be a song from 1950. Glenn Miller was missing by that point, so he’s off the table. Uh… well, Tony Bennett was a thing then. How about “Firefly?” *checks google* crap that was 1958. Umm….. that “Istanbul, Not Constantinople” song? 1953! That’s better! And also the best I can do without cheating. *rapid-fire internetting ensues*So the thing with a lot of American popular music around the 40s (and back to the advent of the gramophone but this is not “Jillian gets on her turn-of-the-century-soapbox”) is that someone (or some firm, really) would write the lyrics, and then lots of different performers would release versions of it. Think Irving Berlin - wrote a lot of lyrics from WWI up through the 50s, really, and like EVERYONE sang those songs. Alexander’s Ragtime Band? Puttin’ On the Ritz? God Bless America? All popular music by Irving Berlin, which you could either consume via phonograph recording or via sheet music (for home use with a piano).Anyway before I repeat my entire college thesis via Tumblr, here is Jo Stafford performing a 1950 popular song “No Other Love.” The recording is also from 1950, so I have fulfilled the question.

35.   a great song you discovered thanks to a movieI discovered Glenn Miller’s “In The Mood” from Doctor Who…. does that count? I mean I would never have gotten interested in world wars propaganda without having heard it there and THEN WHERE WOULD I BE HMMM? (oh wait I still don’t have a job related to my degree, poop). 

40.   favorite disney songWhatever the guy is playing on his piano at the beginning of 101 Dalmatians, probably. It’s been forever since I watched that but I always loved the Fitzgerald/T. S. Eliot vibes of that movie even though I didn’t know who Fitzgerald or Eliot were at the time.  I’VE GONE DOWN A POPULAR MUSIC / TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY RABBIT HOLE HALP. 

[jade-bellatricus84]

Promptography 101 (part 3)

Okay guys! Here it is! Part 3 of my University AU staring Professor!Prompto and once this segment is finished I am hoping to do segments with the other Chocobros as well! Anywhos! I am SO SORRY this took so long to hash out! Life has been a real bitch to me and I hadn’t been able to do any writing lately until finally last night!

I would like to tag @geekgoddess813 @atarostarling @moonraccoon-exe @inconsistencys and @silverdriftdragon you guys are the literal best and I love you! Thank you for inspiring me to keep my head up and in the game. (both figuratively and literally. bahaha)

Summary: While out shopping you bump into Professor Prompto and proceed to spend the next few hours with him.

Warnings: Um, I don’t think there are any? If any of you find something that may be triggering PLEASE do not hesitate to let me know and I will make sure to properly tag it!

Word count: 1679

So! Without further ado, I give you, Promptography 101 (part 3)

You told him where you lived and he took off in that direction. The drive was amazing. He was a cautious driver despite going over the speed limit. He had such a strong back and you loved leaning into it. With your arms tightly wrapped around him you could tell he was fit. Sure he wasn't ripped like the hot P.E. professor you kept hearing about, but he definitely had muscle. You knew he had great arms, the man seemed to hate sleeves. As you were wondering how well built he really was you felt the bike slow to a stop by your apartment building.

“Here we are, mi'lady.” He stabilized the bike before helping you down. “I like the scenery it's so-”

You had slowly taken the helmet off and shook your hair out. When he stopped talking you had assumed he was searching for a word that fit but glancing at him told you otherwise. He had been looking at you. There was a faint blush to his cheeks as he quickly looked away.

“Ah-um-sorry, Y/N...That was- really inappropriate of me...I-sorry if that made you uncomfortable...” He seemed to be really flustered, just from watching you take the helmet off.

“Hm? Oh, no, it's fine really!” You smiled softly as you hand the helmet back to him. “Safety first, Bright Eyes.” You gave a soft giggle as his cheeks went an even brighter shade of pink.

“Y-Yeah, thanks, Y/N. Um, I should-I...I should go...” He turned to get back onto his bike. “I'll-um-see you tomorrow...wait-no-tomorrow is Saturday...no classes...I'll see you Monday.”

“Yeah. See you Monday...hey, Bright Eyes?” He paused in his movement to put his helmet on to look at you. “Thanks again for today. It really means a lot.”

“No problem. Anytime, Princess, anytime.” He put the helmet on and started the bike. He checked to make sure traffic was clear before giving you a wave and driving off.

You took a deep breath as you went inside, questioning what all of this meant. Were your feelings only amplified because you were emotionally unstable when you bumped into him? What did his reaction to watching you take his helmet off mean? How could you repay him for his kindness? All of these thoughts swarmed through your head, making studying impossible, and so you decided to take a nice and long hot bath to de-stress. You went to start the water for the bath and then started to gather everything you would need. You grabbed all your lavender scented bath items; bath bomb, bath salts, scented candle, bubble bath, everything you could think you might want. Then you went to grab you pajamas and a few fresh towels. Once you had everything officially ready you turned on your sound simulator and set it on the 'ocean waves' sound before settling into the tub for some much needed relaxation.

The next morning when you woke you decided to go take care of some shopping that needed to get done. Grabbing your keys and wallet you head to the nearby market. This market was your favorite, mainly because it had everything you could ever need somewhere in one of the many stalls. Your eyes looked around and, after wandering around grabbing the essentials, landed on none other that Prompto Argentum. He stood talking with another man about his age with raven colored hair and a bored expression. As you watched them the other man smiled and laughed and suddenly you recognized him as the University's Mythology Professor. You suddenly had the idea of somehow repaying Prompto for his kindness from the day before.

“Prompto?” Before you could stop yourself you called out to him. He turned in your direction, an involuntary reaction to hearing his name.

“Y/N, hey! Good morning, how are you?” He gave you one of those blindingly bright smiles.

“Good morning. I'm okay, thank you. I just...thank you, again, for yesterday, I really appreciate it.” You gave a soft, shy smile. He chuckled softly and shook his head.

“Hey, no problem.” He paused a moment, turning slightly back to the other Professor. “I'm gonna head on, finish running my errands. I'll meet you guys at Iggy's later tonight.” The raven haired Professor quirked an eyes with a smirk on his face as he nodded and turned to leave. He glanced at you, that smirk never leaving. “Yeah, sure thing. Have fun.”

“What?” The blonde seemed a tad confused as the other male walked away.

“I think he got the wrong idea, Prom...” You had said it teasingly but you wondered if maybe he really had gotten the wrong idea.

“What? Nah...Noct likes to mess around like that.” He shrugs some and gave you a soft smile. “I'm like...75% certain he was just messing around.”

The two of you began to walk throughout the market place. At one of the market stalls there were some really cute chocobo and moogle keychains.

“Oh my gods this is so cute!” You couldn't help but cry out as you saw them.

“Yeah, they really are. Oh! Give me just a second...this vendor has a new camera lens I've wanted for a while.” Prompto jogged off to a stall a little bit away and you took the time to purchase a keychain. The vendor told you that they were running a buy one get one free deal so you got two matching keychains.

You planned to give one of them to your Professor as thanks for his kindness yesterday. You hid the keychains and went over to him. He was purchasing the lens and getting it properly packaged to take home.

“Sorry, Y/N, didn't mean to run off on you like that. I've been looking for this lens for months. It's really popular with wildlife photographers. Man, I'm glad I switched rides with Noct.” He laughed softly, his face beaming.

“Oh, no, it's totally fine. I'm glad you were able to get it!” You found yourself smiling back at him. “Hey, so...I've been walking around for the last couple of hours and I'm starting to get hungry...would you...maybe...like to join me for lunch?”

“Really? Sure, I mean, if you're sure you want me around?”

“Uh, yeah, dude. Why wouldn't I? Also...why ask if I didn't mean it?” You gave a soft giggle and gently nudge him.

“Ahaha! Good point!” His laugh had you melting.

“Of course it's a good point, Bright Eyes. It only makes sense.” You were so relaxed and in such a good mood.

The two of you made your way to a chic cafe. It was pretty empty despite the crowd at the marketplace. You sat in the back corner in some comfy overstuffed armchairs.

“Gods, I need an Ebony.” He suddenly said as he fought a yawn.

“You drink Ebony?” He didn't strike you as an Ebony consumer.

“Believe me, I don't drink it for the taste.” He said with a laugh. “I drink it for the caffeine. Some days it's the only way I can function.”

“Really? I'm sorry...do you want anything to eat?”

“Yeah, but I'll get it...don't worry about it.”

“Uh, no, this is on me. I invited you here, besides, I owe you for yesterday.”

“No, you don't. I didn't do it so you would owe me, Y/N.”

“Regardless. I'm getting this. Now...what do you want?” He seemed to realize that you weren't going to give in and sighed.

“I'll take a club sandwich with a pasta salad on the side. Please and thank you.”

“Club with pasta salad. Got it. Do you take cream or sugar in your Ebony?” You seemed to really be in your element at the moment.

“Uh, yeah, two creams, three sugars.” He smiled softly.

“Got it. Okay, I'll be right back.” You skipped up to the counter and placed the order.

Prompto watched you the whole time. You were beautiful. He quickly averted his eyes as you came back with two mugs in hand.

“Ebony, two creams, three sugars. Trish will bring lunch over when it's ready.”

“You really seem to know what you're doing here. Is that coincidence?” He asked genuinely curious.

“No. I did a few barista/waitressing gigs back home during my high school years. I loved the work and most of my customers, but it just wasn't my passion, you know?” your eyes locked with each other and he nods.

“Yeah, actually, I do. I've been there. I know exactly what that's like. I got lucky, though, ending up doing what I love. Not everyone gets that privilege, and I thank the Astrals everyday for the fact Regis saw potential for a class otherwise I have no idea what I'd be doing.” He smiled softly.

“You're on a first name with the Headmaster of the University? That is so cool!” You were so impressed with this ball of sunshine.

“Yeah. Noct is his son and we go way back. Known each other going on 10 or 11 years now. Pretty much the same with Ignis and Gladio too” He smiled fondly. “Of course Ignis, Noct and Gladio pretty much grew up together, so I was the late arrival but, yeah, we're all pretty close.”

“Now, Noct was the Professor from earlier, right?”

“Yep. That's the one. Noctis Lucis Caelum, the University's resident Mythology Nerd.” He laughed softly and you couldn't help but laugh with him.

“Which ones are Gladio and Ignis?” You were curious about the other two.

“Gladiolus Amicitia and Ignis Scientia. Gladio does Phys. Ed. while Iggy does the cooking classes. If we keep hanging out like this you're bound to meet them.” He gave you a charming smile.

“I think I'd like that.” You smiled.

“To meet them or to keep hanging out?” Gods, how could he be so smooth?

“Both.” You felt your cheeks heat up.

Thankfully, it was at that time Trish arrived with the food. The two of you started to eat and any conversation was about the food. You knew you were going to get yourself into trouble though. You were falling in love with your Professor.

[thefandomofoneshots]

Percy Jackson x Daughter of Apollo! Reader

Request: “Can I get a Percy Jackson x reader ? Where she’s a daughter of apollo and the two of them and Anna Beth r on a mission, but it goes wrong and she ends up distracting the monsters and gets killed so apollo blames Percy, but then she somehow comes back to life and they get together and just lots of fluff??? Thx ily!” -Anonymous

The life of a demigod was never fair.

You spent your life serving the gods, whether they be your parent or not. You go on quests. You fight monsters. You save the world. You got hurt. You lost the people you love. You die young.

This was a truth that all demigods faced.

Percy Jackson was fortunate, he’s best friends remained with him even after many many close calls. But all good things must come to an end, this end came in the form of you.

You were a daughter of Apollo. Nobody at camp were surprised when you were claimed, you had a light around you that spread to whomever saw your smile. Even on your hardest days you’d smile through the pain, bringing light to others and consequently bringing happiness to yourself. You spent your life making others happy and protecting those you love. That was your greatest weakness, your compassion. But it was one of the things Percy loved most about you.

The mission was supposed to be simple, all you had to do was to find a demigod and bring them back to camp. Percy, Annabeth and yourself left the camp in the morning and found the son of Aphrodite before nightfall.

It was late afternoon when the monster attacked. The four of you were on your way back to camp in high spirits. You were smiling and telling the other three horrible jokes. Both boys laughed along with you while Annabeth rolled her eyes, concealing the small smile on her face. The attack was sudden, a hell hound, something the three of you had taken on many times. Something that shouldn’t have cause as much damage as it did.

Your first concern was the young demigod. Percy pulled out his sword and you pulled out your bow, yelling at Annabeth to take the boy and run back to camp, only a 10 minute walk away. You and Percy had fought a few times together and worked together well, battling the hell hound with ease. The hound had been turned to dust and the two of you relaxed. Smiling at each other, you gathered the backpack you had dropped. Percy was kneeling on the ground collecting the items that had fallen out of his bag when you saw it. Two red eye glowering at him from the darkness.

Everything happened so quickly.

The hound launched. Percy was pushed to the ground. You screamed.

Percy swung his sword widely, slashing the hound’s neck. Golden dust rained down on you as you laid on the ground, a hand weakly resting on one of your wounds, but it was no use. Percy kneeled by your side, stripping himself of his jacket and putting pressure on your wounds. There was a scratch running deep across your stomach, another along your chest and a third on your cheek. Tears steamed down his face as he checked your neck for a pulse. His scream could be heard from camp.

Three days had passed and Percy hadn’t left his cabin. He sat on his bed, his tear stained face hid between his knees, mumbling apologies over and over again. He hadn’t even left when they burnt your shroud. The seven constantly checked up on him, trying to get him to leave his cabin or at the least eat more than a few bites of food. He couldn’t. He couldn’t go outside and look at the sun as he couldn’t understand how it was still alight without you here. He couldn’t watch as the other campers got on with their day as if she was still here. So he sat in his room, curled in a ball on his bed, his thoughts never once drifting from you.

After the sun set on the fourth day, Percy received a surprise visiter. When the flash of light appeared in his room, Percy didn’t even bother to look up, too grief stricken to go on a petty quest from them.

Instead of being scolded by Hera or consulted by his father, Percy was picked up by his shoulders and slammed into a wall. He looked up to see the face of the god he had least expected to visit him, your father, Apollo. He looked how Percy felt. His tear stricken face was red and his blood shot eyes filled with anger and a consuming pain.

“It was your fault!” He screamed. “She was too young to die, she wasn’t supposed to die! That beast was meant for you, the all mighty son of Poseidon!” Apollo slammed Percy into another wall, instead of fighting, Percy let the god throw him around like a rag doll. “If you hadn’t been with her, if she hadn’t cared for you, she’d still be here!” Percy was thrown across the room, hitting the floor with a loud thud. He watched as his tears dropped on the wood before snapping his head to your father.

“Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I blame myself for what happened to (y/n)?” His voice bounced off the walls of his cabin. “You’re right, she was too young to die, she was too innocent! If I could I’d go back and stop her from what she did but I can’t! I can still see her blood in my hands! I can still see her eyes staring at me without their light! Her death will haunt me until the day I die! I loved her! I still do love her! And I will never stop loving her! That’s why she died!” Percy’s hoarse voice lowered to a whisper. “It’s my fault she’s gone.”

He couldn’t bring himself to look up at the man that resembled you so much, so his eyes glued themselves to the floor and watched as it dampened from his tears. Percy considered just staying there for the rest of his life, until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Percy slowly lifted his head at the familiar touch and through his blurred vision, he say you, a bright aura surrounded your smiling face. Percy’s eyes never left your face, too afraid if they did it’d been the last time he would see you. Your hand moved to his face and wiped the tears off his face with your thumb.

“Hi.”

Percy let out a chocked laugh on your simple greeting, a smile spread on his face.

“Hi.”

His hands moved to cup your face, his smile widen when he felt your soft skin under his touch. Another laughed escaped as he pulled you into his embrace. Your head rested in the crook of his neck and he could feel your tears on his shirt as well as the ones running down his face. Threading his fingers in your hair, he pulled your back to see your watery smile.

Shaking his head he spoke. “How?”

You laughed and Percy felt his dark world brighten at the sound.

“The gods. You’ve done so much for them I think they wanted to give you something back. I’m sorry about my dad by the way. The gods called him back before I got here, I’ll scold him for what he did, later.”

Percy nodded his head and laughed again, not being able to contain his happiness he kissed you. Your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to you. Neither of you had to talk, the kiss said it all, you felt the pain Percy had been through during your absence and the joy that you were back. Most importantly you felt the unconditional love he had for you. And he felt the love he and for you.

Greek mythology was filled with tragedy about demigods dying young and lovers being thrust apart. You and Percy were not going to be one of those stories.

[cowbelle8]

Ch. 3 Echo’s Journey

Characters:  Echo Bradshaw

Warnings: No boys, poo, but they’ll be back

Ch. 3: Echo’s Journey

Sorry I am way late posting! Trying to catch up. If you would like to be tagged let me know. Comments and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Happy hunting and God bless :)

It had been two weeks since Echo had been admitted to the hospital. She was itching to get back on her feet and out of this jello serving hell hole. It was music to her ears when her doctor told her she would be going discharged today. She made no delay and practically sprinted to the entrance once they told her she was free to leave. Once outside though, she didn’t know what to do or where to go. She just sat there, on the bench next to the hospital’s entrance. All she had was a clean pair of clothes she was now wearing, a bag she didn’t recognize, and a whole lot of unanswered questions.

Sitting on a bench at the front of the hospital she began to collect herself and her thoughts. She finally opened the bag she had been clutching in her hands for the past 15 minutes. There was a cell phone that looked relatively new, except it had two contacts in it, Aunt Florence and Emergency. There was also a small brown paper sack. She opened it and closed the bag with a gasp. Wide eyed she opened the bag again to confirm what she saw was actually what she saw. It was a brown bag full of several twenty and hundred dollar bills.

What the hell?! What was I doing these past three years? Was I a bank robber? In a…. gang? And what am I doing in Kansas?

Echo figured it was best to not question things and be thankful for what she had. She called a cab and asked to be dropped off at the nearest rental car place. Once in a car, she headed North East to the North Eastern corner of Wyoming. It took a couple of days and she stopped at a hotel to rest at night. Bad memories flooded her when she pulled up to her aunt’s house. It may have been three years, but to her, her parents had only been dead a few months. The pain still felt new along with the occasional headache she felt under her bandage.

“My heavens, is that really you? My dear, it is you!” a smiling large woman came bounding down the porch steps towards her with tears in her eyes.

“Aunt Flor-. Oof,” the older lady about knocked Echo over in a hug.

After the hug that lasted an eternity, Aunt Florence took her dear Echo by the arm and guided her into the house, “Child, you must come inside and let us catch up, it’s been entirely too long.”

Once seated at a round table covered with a red and white checkered tablecloth Aunt Florence set herself busy in the kitchen. She poured her and Echo a glass of lemonade and put a batch of chocolate chip cookies in the oven. The deliciously intoxicating smell knocked Echo back about 15 years, back to her childhood. Echo let herself float on the happy memories for a while, but the unknown poked its ugly head back up and sank her back into reality.

“Aunt Florence,” she paused, “how long has it been since I’ve been back home? Back here?”

Confusion crossed the elder lady's face and she came and sat down next to her niece, “My dear Echo, it’s been over three years sence you left.”

A little bit of panic gripped at Echo, “Aunt Florence, I don’t remember anything.” She placed her hand up on the small bandage on her forehead, “I just made my way out of the hospital.”

“Oh my dear, what happened?”

“I don’t really know.”

Echo didn’t tell her about what little she did know. Something told her not to tell her last close relative that she had been shot.

“I got conked on the head pretty hard,” Echo lied with ease. What was that? I don’t lie.

The microwaves timer went off indicating the cookies were done and gave Echo the chance to not have to think up another lie about what had happened. In reality, she wasn’t really sure what had happened other than she was blessed to be alive after being shot in the head. Who was that guy?

A pile of cookies that came to view on the checkered tablecloth pulled Echo from her thoughts and a small smile crossed her face.

“My favorite.” She said with some glee. After a few cookies, the several days of travels caught up to Echo and fatigue overcame her body.

Aunt Florence taking note, jumped up from the table. “My dear, you stay here as long as you like. I am going to go fix up the guest bed for you,” she said on her exit out of the kitchen.

When Aunt Florence returned, she found Echo laying her head on the table using one arm as a pillow and the other bent in front of her holding a partially eaten cookie. With a now warmed heart, and joyous soul, Aunt Florence returned with a blanket and covered her dear niece to allow her to sleep.

-----

The next two months, Echo fell into a mundane routine. She had taken a temporary job as a waitress at a local diner on the edge of town just to keep a cash flow until she could figure out what to do with the rest of her life. But the last three years often gnawed at the back of her head along with her parents death. By month three it had started to consume her.

Echo got dressed to head out to the local library, pulling her sweater over her head she paused as she was pulling it over her stomach. She stood there lost in thought staring at the three ragged scars running along the left side of her abdomen in a diagonal fashion. It was the only thing that was hard evidence that it had been longer than a few months since her parents were killed. Running her fingers across the long sense healed scars, horrible memories ran across her mind.

Echo, wait for us!” her father called with laughter.

Her and her parents were enjoying an afternoon hike through the trees and she saw something ahead she just had to check out. Her father’s laughter soon turned into screams. Running back to them down the trail, Echo would soon see her worst nightmare. There was blood everywhere, and there stood a wolf over them. She could have sworn the wolf smiled at her, then it ran after her and pounced.

Shaking her mind of the bad memory she finished dressing and grabbed her bag.

“Aunt Florence I’m heading to the library!” she yelled from the doorway.

It wasn’t long before Echo had several books about wolves piled before her. She read every detail she could get her hands on in hopes of finding something. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for but the urge to find it was nevertheless driving her to hours of research. Not satisfied with what she had found in the books she found her way to the public computers and began researching wolf attacks in Wyoming.

It had been a few hours of searching through nearly every page Google could provide her that she had nearly reached the end of the search pages. You know the ones on page 8 where nobody ever looks on Google. Wolf attack headlines started becoming werewolf attack headlines. Echo assumed it was a fatigue driven craze, but she decided to click on it. Reading through the article, something twitched in the back of her mind.

“I need some sleep” she told herself trying to shake the feeling, weariness, and now headache, “I’m getting desperate to look at this kind of stuff.”

She started to make her way out of the library when something stopped her in her tracks. It was a brochure for the local college. It read “Myth or Fact: Could there be more out there? Come join Dr. Reynolds on Thursday nights for a look deeper into mythology and the supernatural.”  

She figured it was time to see her father’s old friend and colleague, Dr. Reynolds.

-------

Chapter 4′s draft is in the making.

Ch. 4 ____________ | If You Could Master List | 

[vellumsheets]

Life and Death - Chapter 1

Summary: They had nothing to do with each other. He was the Lord of Life and she was the Lady of Death. But there was something about the other that drew them together, like moths to a flame. Consequences be damned.

Chrobin.

Greek Mythology AU. Romance. Drama. Some fluff here and there.

Read on AO3.

“Olivia, what’s the surface like?” It was an innocent enough question. Stella was the goddess of the underworld and had no real reason to venture above. And even if she did, she always went straight to the heavens, finished the task at hand, then went straight back home. Unlike the other gods, she never really dawdled in the realm of the mortals, even though she could. Perhaps it was because she ruled over the dead and had no business among the living. They would come to her soon enough. But lately, she found herself wanting to go up to the surface to see new things. Staring at dark rock and ominous foliage tended to get boring after so long.

  “Green…?” Olivia offered, trying to be helpful. “Well, not always green. Sometimes other colors too, depending on the season.” Olivia sometimes ventured out, usually to buy trinkets in the market. Lon’qu, her overprotective husband, accompanied her as well, mostly to keep the naive and sweet Olivia from getting scammed. “Want to go, Stella? I’m sure there’ll be a lull soon and you can take a couple of hours off without too much trouble.” Olivia smiled, putting a hand on Stella’s shoulder. The goddess shrugged, blowing a stray lock of white blonde hair away from her face.

  “Not particularly. I was just wondering. Too much work now. I heard the goddess of love did something to spark a war with the Trojans,” Stella replied a little dryly. “Something about wife stealing and armies sailing to Troy for vengeance.” Olivia nodded somberly, not a fan of things that drove people to their deaths sooner rather than later. Stella opened the book beside her, new names appearing on the vellum pages, one side filling up more quickly than the other. “See what I mean, more work. Call Lon’qu and tell him he has many souls to wrangle this time. I’ll meet you both in the throne room.” Stella quickly shut her book as she stood, her simple cloak and tunic transforming itself into a magnificent dark violet and black gown, a gold-wrought laurel wreath weaving itself into her hair.

  “As you wish, my lady.” Olivia picked up her skirts as she rushed to find her husband, more work coming in thanks to the war. It wasn’t terribly difficult, but there were many souls to guide to their proper places in the afterlife. The sheer number made her work and that of Lon’qu’s long and arduous. It was Olivia’s job to heal the souls of their regrets before leading them Elysium and to keep watch over the rivers and fields, Lon’qu’s to wrangle the misfits and miscreants to eternal damnation, subjugating any demons and upstarts who threatened the underworld. Stella’s work was less time consuming but more draining and mostly unconscious. She didn’t have to think much, she just did, her powers flowing out of her to maintain the five rivers and Elysium, quell most of the rebellions of the unhappy denizens of the underworld, and to judge all who die.

  The throne room was darkly furnished, faint beams of light peeking through the windows in the high vault ceilings. Low burning fires crackled in the stone insets, all freshly filled with chips of cedar and sandalwood. The heady aroma of the woods was sharp and soothing, like incense, the white smoke curling upwards slowly and gently. Stella was seated at the end of the long room, her throne carved from rock that jutted out from the center, worn down smooth by water. She raised her hand, fingers folding over as she beckoned to those beyond the hulking doors. Olivia and Lon’qu took their places to her right and left respectively, wailing souls entering, some Stella’s powers compelling them to regroup either in front of Olivia or Lon’qu.

  “The dead, my lady,” Lon’qu announced tersely, left hand resting idly on the hilt of his sword. His eyes glinted like steel, the few souls who had inadvertently caught his gaze shrinking. “What is your judgment?” His voice boomed loud like a thunderclap, the dead before them suddenly standing ramrod straight as if afraid to incur their wrath.

  “Those before you, to damnation,” she uttered, her eyes dull and unfeeling. Stella waved a hand over the wretched souls, strong shackles binding their wrists and their legs. Lon’qu nodded slowly, drawing his sword and dragging the blade behind him as he cut through the stone. A chasm opened and engulfed the thousands of damned, dragging them to the depths of the underworld as Lon’qu gracefully followed, an imperceptible devious smile on his face. When the stone righted itself, closing off the screams.

  “And these souls, my lady?” Olivia’s hand swept across the smaller number left, the dead shifting uncomfortably as images of curses and fire plagued them.

  “Paradise.” Her eyes gained back some life, her smile warm as sighs of relief escaped from the ones left. Olivia slowly moved forward in a dance, a soft glow enveloping the entranced dead. All the pain was washing away, their meager clothes transformed into rich garments as they followed her into a portal to a vast field, to hard earned and justly deserved rest. The room was empty now, all souls judged and accounted for by the Hadean Grimoire, usually the case but there were instances when actions and motives did not quite line up, prompting a more thorough investigation.

  A sigh of relief escaping Stella as she slumped down in her throne. The sheer number of dead today was particularly brutal, much of her power focused on suppressing any of the wretched from trying to escape before judgment. Her hair tumbled down, the wreath vanishing, her dress slowly changing back to her simpler cloak and tunic. Stella wasn’t much for the pomp and circumstance of judgment, sitting alone in her cold throne as she watched souls move to their lot in the afterlife. Something shifted in front of her, landing softly in her palm as she stretched forth. A green leaf. Her lips twitched into a small smile.

  “Maybe I should go up next time.” She rubbed the leaf in between her fingers, what she assumed to be the smell of fresh cut grass wafting gently.

  —x—

  “Oh come on Blue, don’t be such a spoilsport.” With a flick of the wrist, a dagger flew gracefully, lodging itself on some cork hung up on the wall across, whizzing by the man called Blue. Or, more appropriately, Chrom, the god of weather and seasons. With an annoyed grunt, Chrom moved back to his desk, a large map unfurled.

  “Gaius, I’m still not done with work. Unlike you.” Chrom paused, fingers idly running over the map on his desk. “Do you even work?” Gaius gasped, in mock offense.

  “How dare you Sir, how dare you!” Gaius shook a fist at Chrom. “Of course I work. Pulling people into hijinks and shenanigans is my work!”

  Chrom rolled his eyes, looking back at the maps for the last time. “Seriously?” Gaius made an affirmative snort, picking up another dagger and flinging it expertly at the cork, landing right beside the earlier knife.

  “Not the trickster and thieving god for nothing, Blue!” Gaius chirped, shuffling over to the wall and picking up the daggers he had been throwing for fun. “Now when are you going to finish so we can go and raid for sweets?” Gaius’ eyes were glimmering.

  “I’m visiting Mother after,” Chrom replied simply, drawing the sword at his waist as he moved to the pool tucked at the far end of the room. Various colors were swirling, mesmerizing in its beauty.

  “Oh. How is she?” Gaius sobered up.

  “Not good.” Chrom lifted his left hand, fingers brushing against the liquid colors as he brought it level to his face. He flipped his hand flat, moving his arm left to right as he manipulated the tumult of chroma.

  “Sorry.” The orange-haired god scratched the back of his head, unsure how to deal with the talk of death. Gaius’ mother was an immortal creature like them, his father a god, so death wasn’t really in the cards. There were stories of beings like them dying, but they were few and far between, and it took much more to snuff them out compared to mortals. Chrom’s father was the sky god, hence being the god of something, but his mother was just a mortal woman.

  “It’s fine. You didn’t know.” Chrom stretched out a measure of the liquid, hand moving up and then stopping abruptly before moving back down to thin it down. At the desired length, his sword, the Falchion, hummed, metal ringing as he brought it to the edge and cut through, the rest of the mass of colors falling back down into the pool, the ribbon he sliced off floating gently in the air. It was a mass of mostly green and pink, faint speckling of yellows, whites, and light blues all around. “A good spring day for tomorrow.” He gently dropped it in a shallow bowl set atop a pedestal, the colors swirling around the marble as it slowly evaporated.

  “Should have checked in with you more. I know you have Emm and Princess but…” Gaius trailed off, uncomfortable with the subject. And he called himself Chrom’s best friend.

  “I didn’t tell anyone.” He loved his half-sisters dearly and they loved his mother to an extent, likely because she was the mother to their only brother, but they had their own lives and mothers to deal with, father excluded. None of them were particularly close to him, but then again he didn’t make any effort to get to know them and the siblings had long given up. “She’s even asked me to lessen my visits because of my work but I didn’t listen.”

  “Good man.” Gaius thumped Chrom lightly across the back.

  “I offered her ambrosia and she refused. Mother doesn’t even want to think about becoming immortal.” Chrom looked imploringly at Gaius. “What do I do when she’s gone? I love her.”

  “Learn to be at peace with her decision?” Gaius shrugged, knowing his answer to be unhelpful but said it anyway. Chrom sighed balefully, unsure why he even asked a full god. Then again, demigods like him were few and far between. “Sorry, not helpful, but I’m not sure either.”

  “I have to go. She doesn’t have a lot of time left.” Chrom smiled sadly, waving goodbye before disappearing to be with his mother. Gaius gave his back a two-fingered salute, leaving his friend’s office quietly before skulking off to look for his fiancée. All this serious talk made him sad, sad for his friend and his mother, sad because he couldn’t offer any support or a helping hand. Maybe she’d know what to do. He remembers her saying that she often met with the goddess of the underworld for work.

  When Chrom arrived, his mother had some company, a childhood friend and her daughter, who blushed at the sight of him. Not many knew Sofia’s son was in charge of the seasons and the weather, it was to him they prayed for an agreeable day. They just knew he worked elsewhere, necessitating a move, but visited as often as he could, sweet boy. “Ah, I see you have guests. Should I perhaps come back later?”

  “We were just about to leave.” The other woman stood up, smoothing away the wrinkles of her skirt. She beckoned for her daughter to follow, cheeks dusted red. “Agatha. This is my daughter Daphne.” Chrom nodded slowly, eyes warily reading the plans that seemed to be whirling in her head.

  “Hello.” Daphne shyly waved, her voice clear but soft.

  “We’ll leave you two alone. We’ll bring over some dinner. Daphne is wonderful at cooking.” The pair excused themselves, Chrom left to wonder what he could say to refuse the food. He planned to stay the evening but didn’t normally eat what mortals did. He indulged at times, but with the way Agatha and Daphne were acting, it seemed like they were going to try to rope him into marriage.

  “Forgive them. Agatha has been trying to find a husband for her daughter and ever since she found out I have a son…” Sofia trailed off, smiling wistfully as she took in the form of her only child.

  “It’s fine. I’ve just never been accosted.” Chrom strode over to the bed, fluffing the pillows slightly as he pressed a tender kiss to her cheek. Sitting down by her bed, he held her hand gently. “How are you?”

  “Tired. Grateful.” Sofia placed a gentle hand on Chrom’s cheek. “You?”

  “I’ve been a bit busy with the passing of the seasons but it’s been settling down.” It was always tough to wrangle out the right mix of colors and weather patterns as the seasons changed, the liquid in the pool being particularly violent during those times. “Also trying to avoid being pulled into Gaius’ latest scheme.”

  “Your thieving friend?” Sofia laughed slightly but doubled over as it turned into a cough, her shoulders heaving. Chrom shifted, alarmed, but a raised hand from his mother stopped him from moving. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” Chrom brushed her hair behind her ear, as if the simple act would satisfy his need to take care of his mother.

  “Are you sure you don’t want the ambrosia? With your talents and knowledge, I’m sure you could easily rule over something.” His mother loved books, her walls filled from top to bottom with bound pages. Some of them he gifted her, but most were there ever since he was born. Her favorite one was on her lap, pages well worn from constant turning. “I could call Lissa to heal you of your malady and bring the ambrosia to you.” It wasn’t very often that a mortal was turned into a deity but he had received permission for her. She had birthed one of the most powerful gods in existence. Despite his half human heritage, he was bestowed more power than even his half-sisters, both born of a goddess, different but deities nevertheless. He became a central god, the Falchion picky as to who its wielder would be.

  “I don’t want immortality, Chrom,” Sofia said firmly, flipping their hands so her smaller, frail hand was carrying his. “Remember what I taught you about life?” He nodded slowly, the words faint in his heart, but present just the same. “Life is beautiful precisely because time is limited. You see things very differently than I, dear son, because my lifetime is just a blink of an eye to you, but it makes me appreciate everything life has given me.”

  “But you’re too young .” Chrom pleaded, eyes misting. Much of what fascinated mortals was mundane to him, which was why he watched them from a distance with amusement. He mingled among them from time to time, but never fully understood.

  “We all have our lots in life. This is mine.” Sofia felt her heart hurt, trying to hide the pain with a smile. “You must learn to accept you can’t change everything in the world.”

  “But I can change this .”

  “No, you know you can’t.” She smiled sadly, almost too weak to squeeze his hand. “I love the life I led, surrounded by my books, blessed with a wonderful but stubborn son.” Chrom smiled sadly, disappointed he couldn’t convince his mother to take the elixir but not surprised. He got his hardheadedness from her. “I love you, you know that?”

  “Yes Mother, I know. I love you too.”

  “Get married and have children okay? Tell them their grandmother loves them, even though she’s never met them.” Her voice was growing softer, eyelids drooping slowly.

  “Mother!?” Chrom’s eyes widened, his mother’s hold on his hand slacking. He leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers. He couldn’t lose her, not now!

  “Chrom, I love you, heart of my heart.” Summoning the last of her strength, Sofia defied all odds and pressed a last warm, tender kiss on Chrom’s cheek. He closed her eyes, pressing a kiss against each cheek as he whispered goodbye, cradling his mother and taking her favorite book, carrying her to the skies. She refused immortality, appreciative of her lot in life, but as his mother, was entitled to a grave honoring the few of their kind. She would be buried in the heavens and a tree planted in her honor, bearing the most delectable of fruit. He enchanted the house, locking the doors and freezing everything in place. He would come back, perhaps, and collect memorabilia from his childhood home. Now, all he wanted to do was grieve for his lost mother, the only one who took care of him before his father yanked him to the heavens to work as a god.

  Gaius had been out in the fields, having just narrowly avoided his fiancée after swiping some cakes from the kitchens. He was just about to offer the remainder of his loot to Chrom when he saw him carrying a slight body, his friend standing straight but not for much longer. He offered to help bury her body, Chrom thankful for the gesture. After the work had been finished, planting seeds into the ground just above her body, Chrom finally broke down, tears flowing unbidden as he mourned for his mother.

  “I heard from Cordelia you can visit the souls of the dead in the underworld. Pray that you reach her before she receives judgment from the goddess.” Chrom gazed at his friend, unmindful of how terrible he looked as he cried.

  “Show me where to go,” he croaked, clutching at the hem of Gaius’ cloak.

  —x—

  Stella’s hand twitched as she ran her fingers against the spine of the grimoire. There weren’t supposed to be any more dead today, but her bones could feel the arrival of another. She wondered why they didn’t arrive all at the same time today. Though they all died at different times, they were all summoned before her at once, groups picked up at various points along the River Styx, the ferryman a stodgy creature who circled around until it was certain that all souls for the day were collected. It was only then were they brought before her, fearful of the judgment that lay before them. This one soul, however, was different. Stella’s clothes transformed back into the gown, hair gathered into a delicate bun as her gold-wrought wreath wove itself into her white blonde locks.

  “Hello. It seems I was scheduled to meet you today.” A beautiful woman with the richest blue hair appeared in front of her. Stella’s heart squeezed painfully. The soul radiated the feelings of a mother and Stella had always the want of one, her own dying after her birth. “Strange, I thought I would meet a god, not a goddess. No matter, I’m glad to meet you.” Realization slowly dawned on Stella, wondering why the soul before her was conversing with her. Most were stunned into silence, and those she had to question before she could judge properly were often magicked into speaking, their fear crippling their voices.

  “You… who are you? What are you?” Stella rasped, climbing down from her pedestal, walking forward to stand in front of the woman. It wasn’t protocol, but it didn’t matter. The recently passed mortal in front of her was conversing with a goddess as if it were nothing.

  “Sofia,” she offered simply, a peaceful smile on her face. “A simple woman with a love for books.” Stella’s ears perked up at the last word, deciding she might delay judgment if only to talk about the books of the surface, if they were different from the books of the underworld and of the heavens. “You are?” The goddess smiled, amused at Sofia’s daring to ask her name, but she felt rather indulgent.

  “Stella.” She paused, taking in the strange sight of a serene soul in front of her. “You aren’t afraid of me?”

  “I’ve had time to grapple with the fact that I was dying. My stubborn son hasn’t. I suspect he might be arriving here soon. I can feel it in my bones.” Sofia paused, laughing at her last statement. “Do souls have bones?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” A wry smile twitched at Stella’s lips. “Did your son die as well? I’m sorry to hear that.” It was a stiff attempt at condolences.

  “He’s not dead. I doubt he’ll ever die.” Sofia brushed away a stray lock of hair delicately. “My son is no ordinary man. Well, I don’t think he’s even a man. He’s a god, or demigod because of me.” Stella’s eyes widened. That was why Sofia was perfectly comfortable in her presence. She had never met another deity’s mortal parent, most of them having passed on when her father was the god of the underworld. Heavy doors pushed open as footfalls grew louder and louder. “Ah, I believe he’s arrived.”

  “Mother!” The young god strode forward, barely managing to stop before he realized that there was another in the room. “Ah. My apologies for trespassing in your domain.”

  “It’s alright. You didn’t come here with a sword in hand, trying to claim justice for the dead.” Stella smiled wryly, gaze resting on the sword at Chrom’s hip before meeting his eyes. “Though I suppose you came ready for that.” Chrom blushed lightly, pushing his sword belt back just a touch. “What is your business here? Come to claim the soul of your mother? The minute she passed into my world, I’ve had rights to her soul.”

  “No, I… I just…” Chrom shifted uneasily in his place. Why did he rush down to the underworld?

  “Reckless son you have here, Sofia.”

  “Just one last time,” he begged, hand resting on his mother’s shoulder as he held Stella’s gaze. “One more conversation then I’ll let her go.” Was that a slight hitch in his voice? She assessed the god before her, then his mother. “I wasn’t ready.”

  “Most people are not,” Stella replied evenly. His face fell at her words and his expression actually hurt her. Who was this god and why did she feel so drawn to him? She sighed, fingers rubbing her temples as she felt a headache coming on. Most of the loved ones of the dead simply left their mourning to the surface, although most could not reach the underworld even if they dared. There were a few who braved it, like that musician who wanted his wife back but did not have enough restraint to keep his eyes forward until they reached the surface, the soul fading back into the underworld the minute he turned around.

  “Chrom, let me go. You’ve troubled Stella enough as it is.” Sofia lightly scolded her son, patting him on the arm as she shifted. “I am at peace and ready to go to where she deems fit.” Chrom opened his mouth to protest but was quickly shot down with a stern gaze from the smaller woman. At the sight, Stella couldn’t help but laugh, peals of genuine delight echoing in the somber room.

  “I’ll leave you two for a few moments. I have something to attend to and it doesn’t seem I have to keep an eye on a mischievous soul trying to escape.” Stella turned around gracefully, the back of the gown dipping so lowly that the cloth came to rest just barely above the base of her spine, a delicate chain of jewels strung just below her shoulder blades, connecting the thick but soft straps. “I’ll be back soon.” Truthfully she could have easily cast judgment upon Sofia, but seeing her interactions with her son made a warm, pleasant feeling thrum through her.

  “Thank you,” Chrom all but whispered, a pleasant smile gracing Stella’s face.

  “Don’t make me regret it.”

  When Stella came back, Chrom was less resistant to his mother facing judgment. Sofia assured him she was more than prepared, as she had insisted from the beginning. Chrom gave one last kiss to the cheek and embrace to his mother before stepping aside, eyes misty as he listened to Stella pass judgment. The blonde woman gently took Sofia’s hand, the free one opening a portal to a lush green field.

  “I’ve sent word to Olivia. She’ll meet you at the gates and heal you of any regrets before you step into Elysium,” Stella instructed. She squeezed Sofia’s hand before letting go, moving aside.

  “I was a woman of action, often taking charge so as not to have any regrets,” Sofia smiled ruefully before glancing at Chrom. “Though perhaps my greatest regret is not to see Chrom married with his own family.” The god blushed. Stella laughed and pressed a kiss on both of Sofia’s cheeks.

  “Rest now, you deserve it.”

  With one last nod, Sofia passed through the portal, the lines and fatigue falling away from her face as she moved on.

  “Well then, would you like to see a little bit of the underworld while you’re here?” Stella turned to face her remaining companion, hair falling down in waves as her clothes transformed back into her simpler garb, offering a hand. It was only now Chrom finally took the time to notice the goddess.

  “S-sure.” Chrom struggled to fight down a blush starting to creep on his cheeks, taking her smooth hand in his sword-calloused one. It was only now Chrom realized how pretty she was, pale skin and doe eyes, slightly upturned nose and faint freckles dusting her cheeks.

  —x—

  “Thank you.” Chrom pressed his weight down, palms digging into the slightly jagged outcrop of rock they were seated on. His eyes watched in amazement as he took in the sight of the five different rivers, calm in some places, thrashing in others. Stella left them no more than a few minutes, but enough time for him to say goodbye to his mother and to thank her for everything she had done for him. When the goddess of the underworld came back, his heart ached but knew he couldn’t delay any longer.

  “No problem. You’re the first god to have visited in a long time, outside of Cordelia, but she’s only ever here on business.” Stella resisted the urge to lean against his shoulder, the breeze cool and comforting and making her unusually sleepy. “Well, maybe not to visit me but still, a visit.”

  “I apologize for rushing in like that.” Chrom shifted his hand slightly, fingers grazing against hers unintentionally. At the sudden warmth, he pulled back but only just. What little he knew of Stella, he liked. She wasn’t a terrifying goddess at all. In fact, she was lovely with her soft gaze and warm smile, frightening when she had to be but she didn’t need to be around him.

  “I understand. Perhaps I would have rushed down like you too, if our places were switched.” Chrom turned to look at his companion, her gaze wistful as she continued to take in the sight of her domain. “My mother died giving birth to me, my father just cast her soul aside the minute I was pulled out of her.”

  “She was human too?” Chrom placed his hand on top of hers, giving a gentle squeeze in reassurance.

  “Mm.” Stella didn’t pull her hand back, appreciative of the gesture. “I don’t know much about her, only that she was probably lucky not to have experienced more of the ruthlessness of my father than she already did. Terrible thing to say, isn’t it? Being glad that my mother is dead.”

  “What do you mean?” Chrom’s face twisted in confusion. The little he heard about the underworld was often marred by his father’s biases against it. Not too many of the other deities dealt with those under Stella’s rule because of whispers of their inhumanity, how they delighted in death. Yes, there were war gods, their domain contributing much to death, but it wasn’t death specifically that they revelled in, but a show of strength and dominion over others. People dying was an unfortunate consequence.

  “Souls go to one of two places, depending on how they lived their life. The bad ones go to eternal damnation for punishment, the good ones go into Elysium, where Sofia is, into paradise and rest,” Stella explained, gaze shifting towards calm plains off to one side. “When someone dies, their name appears on a page in the Hadean Grimoire, most pages marked for a particular destination. Most times, judgment is just a formality, the last gate before true afterlife. Sometimes though, a soul with a morally ambiguous life comes along, their name posted in a blank page. Those souls I have to judge more carefully, coaxing out their hidden reasons for terrible deeds or their inaction, before I send them to damnation or paradise.”

  “Sounds tiring.” Chrom relaxed his grip but kept his hand atop, thumb rubbing idly against the back of her hand. His gaze turned back to the rivers before them.

  “It is. The work itself is not particularly difficult, the powers I have seem to just let me know but the upkeep of this place can be exhausting. Still, a far better way to do things than my father’s.” Stella paused, sucking in air as though to steel herself. She distantly wondered why she was intimating much of her story to a god she barely knew, but the warmth in his eyes and his devotion to his mother inexplicably endeared him to her. “He simply banished everyone to damnation without a care in the world. The other lesser deities of the underworld couldn’t do anything, no matter how unfair his judgments were. He delighted in hearing the tormented screams of the dead.”

  “So you overthrew him?”

  “Ungrateful bitch he called me.” Her heart squeezed painfully as she remembered her father, blood either caked or dripping everywhere as he lay flat against the floor, inky darkness shaped into a sword pressed sharply against his neck.

  “You fought for what you thought was right, that there were mortals in the world who did good and deserved their just reward for doing so, not shucked into the fires of hell.” Stella’s eyes widened, amazed that Chrom didn’t seem the least perturbed that she had rebelled against a god, her own father. She seized power from the former god and had taken it as her own, becoming the new ruler of the underworld in his stead. “What happened to your father after?”

  “Dead,” she said simply. “It’s not impossible to kill a god, difficult but not impossible. Imprisonment was one thing but I couldn’t risk him gaining back his powers and taking back this mantle. He used to live in the heavens until he got cast down. Apparently he used to be a war god but revelled too much in death and destruction, so the other deities bound him here and made him master of what he loved. As long he was out of sight, they didn’t care much for what he did to human souls.”

  “Oh. You didn’t need to share so much. Gods we may be but we’re still strangers.” Chrom boldly took her hand in his, intertwining fingers together as he let his warmth mingle with hers. His mind screamed at him for daring to but something else just pulled at him to show signs of comfort and affection. “But thank you for trusting me enough to speak.”

  “Thank you for listening.” She turned to face him, plush lips twitched up in gratitude. “In case you didn’t notice, not like I have much company here.” Chrom shifted his gaze back to her, barely registering his audible gulp. He wanted to kiss her right then and there.

  “If I may be so forward.” Chrom whispered as he moved to crouch in front of her, their eyes level. Stella barely had time to ask what he meant before he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead. She fought down the blush rising to her cheeks as Chrom pulled away. “Thank you. I know you let me talk to my mother as a favor.” Dusting off the dirt as he stood up, Chrom smiled. “Shall we have tea next time?” Stella’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Next time?” She squeaked softly, hand brushing against her forehead to push away hair. The skin where his lips touched was still warm.

  “Yes, next time. Unless this is the last time we meet?” The thought that they might never meet again crushed him. They ruled over very different phases of time, him over life and her over death, but he couldn’t help but seek her out again and again.

  “Sure, I’ll send you a message.” A small smile played on Stella’s lips as she looked up, a warmth she had never felt before spreading slowly. Who was this god in front of her and why did he make her feel something strange?

  “Would you be so kind as to bring some fruit for next time? I’m interested to find out how they taste.” Chrom gestured towards the cluster of trees behind them, fruits breaking up the green of the leaves.

  “I can’t. If you eat our food, you’ll be bound to the underworld. I don’t think the others will take too kindly to that.” She smiled sadly, chewing softly on her lower lip.

  “But you can leave?” Chrom sounded hopeful. Is that why they’ve never met before, because she was trapped below the earth?

  “Yes, I am its master. I can leave for longer than most of its denizens but I’ll still have to go back. I grow weak if I’m away for too long.”

  “Can’t have that now can we,” he murmured quietly, pulling her flush against his chest. Chrom couldn’t resist anymore, a strange magnetic force simmering between them. His eyes focused on her lips, ruby red and swollen. Entranced, he angled his head lower and kissed her: soft, tender, and sweet. Stella yelped in surprise but quickly and easily melted into his embrace. They were breathless when they broke the kiss. “Sorry,” he mumbled half-heartedly, not meaning the apology.

  “Chrom…?” She looked up, confused, but didn’t pull away.

  “I’ve seen humans do that, in greeting or to say goodbye.” His eyes were half-lidded, vaguely wondering why he kissed her but firmly deciding he didn’t regret it.

  “Oh?” Her voice sounded naive and sweet, accepting his explanation but somehow still suspicious. Stella didn’t know much in the matters of love and desire but she could still feel some heat behind his kiss.

  “Sometimes.” Chrom shrugged, putting a hand on top of Stella’s head before letting it slip down and rest on her cheek. He hoped that she would never show that expression to anyone else but him. He let his thumb run smoothly above her cheekbone, pulling a small smile out of her. “I have to go.”

  “Okay.” Her voice was whisper soft but he could hear her disappointment.

  “I’ll take you to the surface and show you around next time. I promise.” He pressed another kiss against her forehead before vanishing, Stella’s knees buckling as she dropped to the ground, her emotions a tempest inside of her.

  “What was that…” she whispered, fingers resting on her still red lips, eyes hazily focused on where Chrom had been standing.

  —x—

  She craned her neck, listening for any sign that a sword swinging cleanly through the air would stop. It was early morning and Lon’qu was often in the courtyard, religiously training. Olivia was likely drawing him a bath. Stella was timing her escape, when Lon’qu ducked back into his quarters and Olivia helped him set aside his things. ‘Though why I’m trying to escape like a little girl, who knows. I mean, they can’t even get mad at me. Or can they?’ Stella scrunched her face, her thoughts running wild with reactions of her friends. Guardians. Underlings. She had to settle the matter as to what to call them. If anything, she was the one who got mad when something went awry because she was the one who had to pick up the mess.

  Soon enough, Lon’qu sheathed his sword and walked away, boots falling heavily against the stony path. When the footfalls were distant enough, Stella opened a portal and quickly left, cloak wisping behind her. She left a note somewhere for them to find, a short message along the lines of sorry, got bored, wanted to go up and explore written neatly on it. She could have easily just teleported to the rocky outcrop where she and Chrom had talked but she wanted to make a clean getaway. There were times when Lon’qu or Olivia dragged her to fix something but Lon’qu’s morning soak was the one time they never looked for her.

  “Ready?” Chrom pushed himself off of his seat, smoothing his pants. He offered his hand, Stella graciously accepting.

  “What are we going to do?” She distantly heard a strange and loud noise, a high-pitched squeak mixed with a rumbling growl. ‘I’ll deal with their outrage later. They must’ve seen the note before Lon’qu settled in the water.’

  “Let’s just go with the flow.” He smiled, free hand tucking her hair behind her ear before he turned around. Chrom tore through space and gently pulled her through, Stella’s grip tightening slightly as she followed. The sun shone gently, warm on her face, a cool breeze making her cloak billow behind her. Stella squinted, eyes unused to such brightness, slowly adjusting as shapeless colors were finally taking form.

  “It’s beautiful up here,” she whispered breathlessly, unaware that her free hand clutched Chrom’s arm, her held hand still loosely entwined with his. She opened her eyes wide, now used to the sunlight, taking in the sights before her. “I wonder why I never ventured out,” she mused, her heart bursting with wonder. “There’s so much more to see here.”

  “Shall we go?” When was the last time he felt this relaxed, that just sitting in her company would make his day.

  The rest of the day was spent dawdling around, looking at trinkets that merchants were offering, filling up a basket that Stella didn’t notice Chrom had with food of all kinds. She was like a little girl, flitting around from point to point, taking in everything with a sense of wonder and amazement at seeing these things for the first time. Chrom good naturedly followed her behind, thankful there was no one who recognized him. Children danced around them happily, the younger ones innocently asking if they were married, their parents pulling them away and apologizing but with a knowing smile on their faces. It was the first time that children approached Stella and clung to her, the first time someone so alive and happy embraced her because they thought she was pretty. They weren't scared of her. They rejoiced around her.

  The sun was starting to set when they found themselves propped up against a tree, Chrom lazily draping his arm across her shoulders, Stella pressing herself against his side, head positioned comfortably on the crook of his neck. “Thank you,” she murmured, her left hand playing with Chrom’s free one, finger tips dancing lightly across his palm. Chrom suppressed a shiver, her breath warm against his skin. He turned slightly, pressing a kiss on her hairline before pushing his forehead lightly on her hair. She smelled sweet and intoxicating.

  “Did you have fun?”

  “Very much so.” Her fingers curled against his palm before opening them again, nails grazing his skin slowly. She idly continued scratching his skin, amused as she watched his fingers shiver slightly, a sudden sharp intake of breath betraying him. “Ticklish?” She pulled away slightly, turning her head to face him.

  “Shut up,” he mumbled half-sleepily, flipping his hand to tangle their fingers.

  “Such harsh language,” her tone droll as her eyes twinkled. Sighing, she glanced back at the horizon, sun dipping lowly. “I have to go.”

  “No you don’t.” His lax hold on her tightened, not possessively but enough to tell her he didn’t want this to end.

  “Yes I do.” Stella pulled away. Chrom didn’t resist. Standing over him, she smiled shyly, pushing back a strand of hair behind her ear. “Today was lovely.” Chrom grunted, heels digging into the ground as he pushed himself straighter against the tree. Grabbing her hand, he tugged Stella back down, the goddess finding herself straddling him as her cheeks reddened.

  “Don’t go,” he pleaded, hands pressing against the small of her back as he kissed her. Chrom felt her smile against his lips.

  “There’s always another day. This doesn’t have to be the last.” She kissed him this time, lingering before pulling away.

  “Have you ever seen the ocean?” He kissed her again.

  “No.” She leaned into him, fingers tangling in his hair.

  “You’ll love it.” This kiss this time was more heated, Chrom lightly biting her lower lip as she groaned into him.

  “Bye Chrom,” she whispered, pulling herself away, palms digging into his chest. Her hair was mussed, chest rising and falling quickly as she tried to catch her breath. “Whisk me away to the ocean next time.” Chrom watched Stella disappear back to the underworld, no doubt a long night of work ahead of her with today’s delay. The last thing he remembered was her swollen, ruby red lips upturned into a satisfied smile.

‘I think I’m falling in love with her.’ His cheeks reddened slowly as he let that thought sink in.