#the favor of a goddess

[aka-jack-orinson]

The Favor of a Goddess - Chapter One

For those who are interested, here is a taste of Book One of Mundus Deorum, i.e. the first chapter. I hope you enjoy it. (A link to the whole thing is at the end of this post.)

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May 1027 A.I. (Anno Imperium) In the Eastern Reaches of Imperium Romana

The air shimmered and suddenly, on the road before him, out of nowhere, a beautiful woman stood, light radiating from her. She was standing just out of his reach in front of him… but four feet off the ground!

The man’s eyes widened. He had seen many things in his life, but nothing had prepared him for this. He dropped the reins to his horse, automatically shifting into a defensive posture and his face became deceptively blank.

“You have known great loneliness in a life of hardship and cruelty,” the apparition said, and he detected a compassion there.

The words and, more importantly, the tone were so unexpected that he was unable to hide the shock he felt. Gods and Goddesses didn’t deal with mortals with compassion. They were too wrapped up in themselves and their own affairs. However, he quickly composed himself and once again his demeanor gave no hint of what was inside.

“You cannot fool me with that facade,” she continued. “Surely, you must know that I can see inside you. Yes, even right through you. You cannot hide anything from me, even though you are using every trick you have learned throughout a lifetime of struggle and abuse. I can see past all that. You cannot fool me.

“I can also see how my words have touched your core. And how desperately you want to believe in me and my goodness even while another part of you is holding back, looking for the trick, for the angle. For everyone has always had some angle, some selfish motive in their dealings with you.”

“And are you any different?,” the man said, his face still a mask. “Are you the lone exception to all people, mortal and immortal? The exception who is altruistic and compassionate, loving without expectation of returned love, without expectation of worship? For what god or goddess does not want to worshipped? Nay, need to be worshipped?”

The beautiful apparition smiled and his heart wrenched. Her beauty rent his heart asunder. There was a scent in the air that reminded him of new-cut hay. And a touch of something that felt like a gentle sea breeze, cool and inviting, out of place in this hot wasteland. The golden light surrounding her, emanating from her, shattered the armor of his heart, carefully built up over the years, and called to his wounded heart, touching it like a healing salve, promising so much more if he would just allow it.

But, he was not a naive child anymore. Even if he wanted to, his heart would not trust her. Could not trust her. Could trust no one, really.

There was a compassionate and understanding look in her eyes, and her face and body language mirrored that look. “Be at peace. I shall not force you. Ever. To anything. That is not my way.” That smile was still there. “Who I am does not allow such things.”

“But you still want something.” The man kept his face as expressionless as he could, his stance guarded. “I notice you did not answer my questions.”

Her smile grew even wider, almost a grin.

“Very perceptive of you. I am not surprised. Your automatic defenses have served you well and have brought you successfully — or at least, alive — to this day. But look inside yourself. If I answered you as you hope and wish I would — to reassure you of my completely unselfish love — would you believe me? We both know you wouldn’t. You would be abandoning everything you have ever learned from a lifetime of abuse and betrayal. And healing from that will not come instantly.

“So, that you may have a hope of accepting at least a part of what I can offer, I will put it this way. I do not need to be worshipped. I can be worshipped, of course. And I enjoy it. Few people wouldn’t enjoy it and no god or goddess would refuse it. But, I don’t need it. Still, I would hope for some measure of love in return for love that I would give.”

“Part of what you can offer?” The man’s tone was doubtful, his stance still guarded. “What can you offer?”

“Comfort. Love. A healing of your heart’s wounds. Things working out better for you. You might think of it as Favor. Not ‘A Favor’, just Favor. Would not the favor of a goddess be an attractive offer?”

His guarded expression only solidified. Every time in his life someone had offered their favor, it had come at a price. Often, a very steep price. Many, many times, a steeper price than he was willing to pay. And so, he had done without their “favor”. That also came at a steep price. So many enemies he had made by refusing their favor.

Even so, he was beholden to none of them.

“I have been offered the favor of great men. And of small women. And others in between.” There was a grim set to his face. “And few were worth the price they asked. And before you ask, though if you can see me as you say you can, you will already know this, I have indeed paid the price some asked. And, if I could take back those choices and agreements, I would. In a heartbeat.”

He kept his gaze on the air below her feet. He feared that if he looked into her eyes he would be undone.

“I have never known the favor of a god or goddess,” he said, his voice low as if speaking more to himself than to her. “The favor of gods is fickle. That much I know from my own observation. From my own experience. So many have staked their lives on the promises of a god or goddess, only to lose all when said deity was through toying with them.

“And I note you have not mentioned the price that you would extract for your favor.” His voice was raised and bitter and hard. “Nor any reassurances that you can fulfill your promises.

“All my life I have had to struggle against forces greater than myself. People. Societies. Crosscurrents of religion and politicians. Perhaps, even gods. Implacable. Unmoving. uncaring. What can you do against such forces?”

The memories threatened to wash over him. Engulf him. He set his jaw and steeled himself against them.

He was still staring at the air near her feet, but he was not seeing that. His gaze was far distant. Memories of a lifetime of pain flashed, one after another, through his mind’s eye. Had he looked up at her face he would have seen a look that was unfamiliar to him. Her brows were knitted, as if in deep thought or great pain. Yet a tenderness was there, too.

“Your words are no surprise to me,” she said. “While I had lost track of you until recently, I can see your memories, your hurts, and the layers you have built up to armor your heart and your mind.”

She paused and waited for a response or a reaction. When none came she continued. “In all your bitterness and wariness, you have missed your cues.”

“My cues? This is no play. What are you talking about?”

“Were you talking with a human leader, or even a beautiful human woman, you would be curious. You would be looking for the angle, the way to create an advantage for yourself as a defense against their wiles and tricks. And yet, you have done none of these things. You have merely railed against me. Called me a liar and trickster. Implied that I am fickle and treacherous. Even though you don’t know me or who I am or what I can do.”

“I…,” he raised his face to hers to refute her, but the words, even the very thoughts in his head disappeared, and he was left groping for something, anything, to say. It wasn’t her beauty that blanked his mind, though she was beautiful. More beautiful than the legendary Aphrodite. No, it was the tenderness and compassion in her face, like a doting mother looking at her son. And the passion in her eyes — a look more commonly seen in new lovers doting on each other.

He quickly dropped his gaze to the ground again and stood in stunned silence.

“AND and you have not even asked my name. Or do you already know it?”

“I…, I…” He bowed his head and his shoulders slumped. “Forgive me. I do not know it. And it was foolish of me to say such things to one who is a stranger to me. Please, what is your name?”

“I am called Solamissa[1]. Does that mean anything to you?”

“You are the Goddess of the Lost, the Lonely, and the Traveler? The Restorer of Paths? The One Who Finds and Restores? The One Who Makes Right?” The shock in his voice was evident.

“Yes. And the sister of Milliaria, also known as Fate, and of Aspiratia, also known as Destiny[2]. The one they turn to when they screw things up too badly to set things right again. At least for individuals. I mostly refuse to do so for larger forces.”

“Wait! Fate and Destiny mess up? Are they not supposed to be infallible?”

“Supposed to be? Yes, that is what they want everyone to believe. Would there be a need for me if they were?” Did he detect a hint of bitterness in her tone? Or was it irony?

“But how…?”

“They, we, are not as omniscient as everyone thinks. And we cannot foresee everything. Oh, we can make plans. And we can manipulate people and events to try to implement them. But humans are too chaotic, too random, too rebellious to follow a plan for long. We have to constantly adjust them to correct the changes humans make, often due to sheer stubbornness. Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes your human stubbornness is what helps correct a plan or see a plan through. But, like all things human, we can’t count on it working for good.”

His mind was spinning, trying to grapple with the implications of what she was saying. “But, I thought…”

“You thought we were in control of everything and everyone,” the goddess interrupted, reading his mind. “Yes, that’s what most people think. And the gods and goddesses encourage that thinking.

Especially my sisters. But it’s not true. We don’t control anyone. Well, mostly. Once in a while we intervene to make sure a crucial outcome occurs. Especially me. After all, that’s part of my job. By the time they turn to me for help it’s usually too late for chess strategies and maneuverings. And even I am not always able to completely fix things, though I am usually able to avert the worst catastrophes. Sometimes it’s rather dicey.”

He jerked his head up to look her in the eye. “And you are come now to control me, to fix some screw-up by the gods?” There was both defiance and fear in his eyes.

She laughed and her face shone with love and compassion. “Oh no! My sisters have not called me in. I am not here to control you nor to change you nor to manipulate you to some end for the good of mankind. Wherever possible I let my sisters do that work.

“No, I am here because, as I said, I have recently become aware of you again, and of the injustices done to you, and I am here to help you heal from them. And put right your path to what it should have been. Or at least as much as can be with what has already passed.” She paused.

When she spoke again, it was with a low voice as much to herself as to him. “And to protect you, as much as I can, from my sisters. Sometimes they are such unfeeling bitches.”

His thoughts were a swirling mixture of confusion, hope, doubt, fear, dread, and… more hope. Without realizing it, he sank to his knees. Looking at the ground he asked, “After all this time, what brought me to your attention?”

“Don’t ask for details, but a remark by my sister regarding one of my devotees made me aware of you again. And that’s all I will say about that for now.”

“And what would you have me do?”

“Continue to live your life. Continue to be the man you are. For you are a good man at heart, in spite of all that fate has dealt you.”

“But this does not seem a great price. Are you truly asking nothing of me?”

“For some, it is a very great price. I am glad that you do not find it so. But, since you want more, I will ask this of you. As you find healing from me, pass that on to others as you can. Return to me some small portion of the love you will find. I know that this won’t happen right away, but it will come in time. Be an open supporter of me. Yes, if you want to call it worship, you may. But you don’t have to call it that. And one last thing.”

“My Lady?”

“Support my people, my worshippers, my devotees as you find them, as you are able. I am not asking you to be their champion, although you are well able and suited for it.” Then, as if to herself she said, “Though in time, you may well develop into such a one.

“Jacari![3]” His eyes jerked up to her face. “Of course I know your name. Now, having heard my price, do you accept my favor?”

Still on his knees, he turned his face to the ground.

“My Lady, if that is truly all that you are asking of me, then, yes, I will accept your favor. And become your follower. And do as you have asked.”

“Good. Together we may be able to right some wrongs and help you find the healing you need.” She paused a moment. “I see that there may come a time soon when you will wonder if you really saw me and if we really had this conversation and agreement. Rest assured that your eyes and mind are not playing tricks upon you. I will give you one assurance against that time.”

He wondered what she had in mind.

“Little Jacky, look up at me!”

His head jerked up, his eyes wide, shocked that she would use that name to him. A name no one had known since his mother had died when he was only five. And the voice had echoes of her in it. The same doting indulgence of his mother.

There was a hitch in his voice as he said, “No one but my mother knows that name for me. No one has spoken it since she died.”

“I know. She was a follower of me. She was very special to me, as are you. Soon, you will see the signs of my favor and my hand upon you and you won’t need other assurances. But know, for now, that it was my love and compassion and tenderness that she was bestowing on you. And that will always be with you.”

Footnotes: [1] Solamissa is pronounced — SOW (as in sowing seed) luh mee suh

[2] The Three Sisters (aka The Fates) The Three Sisters are the most powerful goddesses in the world - more powerful than the other gods. They do not need worship to exist and be powerful (unlike the other gods). They are: Milliaria (aka Fate) - Milestones that must occur Aspiratia (aka Destiny) - aspirational for the life Solamissa (aka Recoverer of the lost and the forgotten/overlooked) - can override both Fate and Destiny in an individual’s life See the note in the Author End Note (last chapter) for more information about the Three Sisters.

[3] Jacari is pronounced — juh kar ee

Want to read more? Head on over to Archive of Our Own (AO3) to:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54811306/chapters/138926842

[gigizetz]

Date marry kill

(idk whats your attaction if you like people at all like that so just pick random then ^-^)

Athena, polites, or circe.

marry athena date circe kill polites

also I have all of the attractions so no worries ab that

[myfriendgoo94]

Hiiiiii i’m hot or whatever :3

[artisticaperture]

shout out to this scene from the last Olympian that’s been kicking around my brain since 2013

image description under the cut

Start ID.

Image 1: a digital illustration of Percy Jackson holding Pandora’s jar. Inside the jar is the spirit of hope, emitting a glow onto Percy’s face. Percy is looking at the spirit and smiling tenderly. Percy has tan skin and black hair, with a grey streak. Standing protectively over Percy and the jar is Hestia, smiling down on them.

Image 2: A close up on Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, inside Pandora’s jar.

Image 3: A close up on Percy’s face.

Image 4: A close up on Hestia’s face.

Image 5: An excerpt from The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. The last three lines are highlighted. The excerpt reads:

“I picked up Pandora's jar. The spirit of Hope fluttered inside, trying to warm the cold container.

"Hestia," I said, "I give this to you as an offering."

The goddess tilted her head. "I am the least of the gods. Why would you trust me with this?"

"You're the last Olympian," I said. "And the most important."

"And why is that, Percy Jackson?"

"Because Hope survives best at the hearth," I said. "Guard it for me, and I won't be tempted to give up again."

The goddess smiled. She took the jar in her hands and it began to glow. The hearth fire burned a little brighter.

"Well done, Percy Jackson," she said. "May the gods bless you.”

End ID.

[itszorrito67]

This is so stupid

(basado en un audio de Malcon el de enmedio)

[radiance1]

Fuck it, I can't find the post so I can't link it here but who bloody cares.

Ahem.

This is bouncing off my other two posts about Danny and Vlad being turned into stuffed toys, wherein one Billy Batson kinda adopted them as friends, and the other being where Sam's soul was taken after she died and molded by Undergrowth into a lesser deity.

--

So, Sam, being a giant plant goddess lady (think Te Fiti from Moana) is just chilling on her island, minding her own business doing her dues, helping followers, making the island flourish.

Until one day, something was stolen from her island while she was busy elsewhere, a priceless 'artifact' that held a linkage to her past, mortal life, as Sam Manson.

Safe to say, she was absolutely livid.

So, she told her followers to not let anyone set foot upon this island, if they let someone on the island than it better be someone who's either utterly helpless or in need of help and even then, don't let them step a foot past the beach.

Then she set off.

She pushed her way through the sea, setting off for where she had a vague feeling was mainland and having the intention of getting back her belongings.

A few days later, the government caught wind of a new potential threat heading for the land, and as such, went out to sea to intercept them.

She ignored them, continuing her march and caring naught for the people around her. If they struck her, she would strike back twice as hard with all the fury of her part over nature.

When they struck at her, she summoned forth vines to bind their aircrafts and boats in vines and continued for the land. This goes on for a bit, before ultimately the Justice League have to be called because of the explosion of plant life spreading all over the city.

So they get to fighting her and is actually causing Sam some trouble here. For one thing, there are more of them than they are of her, another is that they're strong beings (as in Wonder Woman and Superman), another being that she's been out of combat for a while.

So she's rusty, sue her, and it's not like she used her abilities to cause harm instead of aid. Hell, this is the first time she even set foot off of her island when she became a goddess.

So eventually, it gets to a point where she just stops caring about causing mass amounts of collateral damage anymore and starts to use her abilities in order to fling literal buildings at Wonder Woman and Superman.

Then came another, highly powerful being.

Shazam.

She was growing tired of being denied what belonged to her, and she grew bitter about these so called 'heroes' trying to stop her as well, at least until, a certain doll, not even as tall as her fingernail just appeared before her.

Shazam tried to reach for them, thinking she would harm him too but, instead, she just stopped and stood there. Before whispering:

"Danny..?"

[hamletthedane]

I hate dating apps I need to meet the love of my life more organically*

*in hand-to-hand combat before the great walls of the City of Troy

[thesummerstorms]

The other thing that I think I would want in an Annabeth Wayne AU that I don't think I've seen so far is Bruce being absolutely pissed at Athena.

It was bad enough with Talia and Damian, but Athena is a literal god of wisdom who should know better AND he doesn't even have the "culpability" of having slept with her.

She one hundred percent saw Batman, tactician of the Justice League, was drawn in by her aspect of the Goddess of Strategy, and proceeded to create a child without his consent, a daughter who she didn't even raise before the child became a weapon.

And like whatever else, however fucked up Damian was by his own training to become a child-weapon, at least Talia loved Damian.

Whereas Athena loves Annabeth in the way a Goddess loves, not the way a Person loves, and I don't think Bruce, whose entire identity is so fixated on his relationship with his own parents, would recognize that as love at all.

And, like, Talia put Damian through a lot of shit. I think Bruce would be angry there too. But when push came to shove, she at least at some point brought him to Bruce because she thought it was in her son's best interests.

Athena actively lead Annabeth away from Bruce and into the streets at the age of seven, which Bruce would never see as in her best interest, whatever Athena's godly perspective is, however badly he reacted after Jason's death, even though he couldn't see (and dismissed the idea of) the spiders and the monsters. She was seven. In the streets of Gotham.

Athena let Annabeth fight a major role in two wars back to back without being there to train her or protect her or love her or even advise her. Athena advocated for the cold blooded murder of the other children who had actually tried to keep his daughter safe. Athena sent Annabeth against Arachne when Athena's children have universally died on that quest for a thousand years.

Athena let Bruce think he had gotten Annabeth killed because of his own inability to handle his grief. Let him think his daughter was dead or worse for years. Would have let him keep thinking that if the Fates didn't have other plans.

And just, in true fashion for all of my ideas on a PJO x DC crossover, everyone really comes out more traumatized than before. This includes Bruce.

Because now he wasn't just used unknowingly for a child just once, but twice. And in both cases he's going to have to live forever with the guilt of not having been able to protect his kids from what their other parent wanted to make of them

(On top of all the ways he has directly failed them and made any complexes worse, of course )

[limerental]

everything yen does on skellige in tw3 gives me the strongest she would not fuckin say that feelings imaginable

especially given her motivation in both the books and games is "desperately need to find ciri" and yet she acts wildly, viscerally different.

book yen on skellige: drops to her knees to help a stranger who's miscarrying, doubts the existence of any goddess but tries to acquire a magical artifact needed to find ciri by visiting a temple and agreeing to pray with the priestesses, literally earns the blessing of a goddess through her self-sacrifice and is freely given the magical artifact,

game yen on skellige: pisses everyone off, breaks in and steals a magical artifact needed to find ciri and then proceeds to blindly use it despite warnings, has no sympathy for a dead kid who literally died so ciri could escape, feels no remorse about her dead kid necromancy destroying the sacred garden of the same goddess who she literally was supposed to have earned the blessing of on this same island under the same circumstances and and--

[spiderwarden]

There's a Minthara eyeroll every time someone calls Shadowheart 'god's favorite princess'

[moeblob]

So it occurs to me that I posted most of their lore on my OC blog (though a few posts on here have the story info) and honestly I think it's very important to note that the entire reason a guy from Florida is recruited to help defeat the demon lord isn't him as the hero. His younger brother (by about ten years younger) is the Chosen Hero and... not very good at it. So the goddess (Solei) who had selected the hero has to begrudgingly go back to earth and convince his older brother to help save her world.

(Also Reynold admits to Solei that "Sascha could never be a bad influence. He's the best impulse control I've ever had" and she really doesn't like to hear it. That's terrifying.)

[aka-jack-orinson]

New Avatar!

Yes, this new avatar (looks like this)

is now my avatar.

It is the same one that I use on AO3 to help those who are trying to find me on Tumblr. Hopefully, it will make it just a little easier on everyone. (If you have read The Favor of a Goddess, you will recognize it as one of the symbols of Solamissa - her torch.)

For those who didn't recognize the blog because they are used to this:

it's still the same blog. And will still carry the same content as before. Only the avatar has changed at this time. (See pinned post for more information about the changes.)

[sarafangirlart]

If Rose is Aphrodite then who would be her Pearl?

Damn that’s a good question but idk lol

[dootznbootz]

The top part that isn't the warp of Penelope's looms are wrapped in something soft so lil Owl Athena has a nice spot to sit while they chatter

[silentgrim]

and if i did a casual gameplay w cassandra

[torgawl]

if wriothesley doesn't appear in any quest once we get to remuria, what even is the point?

the parallels between wrio and king remus are crystal clear. remus who descended upon meropis (a name very familiar to anyone who knows of the fortress of meropide) in his golden fortuna, the legendary ship of remus that is also called the bringer of civilization and glory (wrio who built a ship to deal with the misfortune upon fontaine) is an example of it.

wrio also has connections to hades with the cerberus motif as guardian of the underworld. it's curious that the tower in remuria is described not only as not built to receive heavenly oracles, serving as a guide to ships traveling between islands, but also as a border of reality and dreams. if this is not necessarily literal but a metaphor or allegory, it could fit very well with the idea of a portal between domains or realms, like life and death.

wriothesley also parallels another character in the genshin universe and that person is arlecchino. they were brought up as orphans, taken in by an institution with corrupted leaders, which they reformed and achieved a leading position of. and funnily enough, she has ties to purgatory (a place for punishment, much like the fortress). as i have said in another post, purgatory has been described by dante as a tower leading to heaven. but we also know that celestia in the genshin world is associated with the demon realm - archons being named after ars goetia, an anonymous grimoire on demonology. although the concepts aren't the same in theory, is it impossible that the game has used elements of both? wriothesley and arlecchino's themes are similar enough to overlap. even though i don't expect wriothesley to be lore revelant anymore, i do think his ties to remuria and his role as someone who punishes others for their sins, much like arlecchino, is very much purposeful.