#the most beautiful of them all Persephone

[angel-maybe-alive]

It's hilarious when people praise lore Olympus artstyle as if isn't just a kawaiified version of corporate Memphis

[moongirl0305]

Don't hide this in the tags, omg!!

[comfortless]

hades! konig and persephone! reader

content/warnings: 18+ minors do not interact. abduction, voyeurism, dubcon, not very explicit smut.

notes: this has been on my mind for an eternity actually thank you sweet anon for finally encouraging me to write it out! if you celebrate, merry christmas! and if not consider this just a lil gift for absolutely no reason apart from for being my first Kö request. 💕

A hollow grows within him the moment his gaze meets hers. A chance crossing whilst collecting a rare offering of fruit laid out just for him. Most mortals wouldn’t beckon his attention, and the gods often left him just as well. He knows better than to take insult and become reckless, though… recklessness comes as easily as breathing when his stare settles on her across the glade. She twirls in silent dance, pirouetting carefully as if to avoid crushing the nature that springs up, brushing against her soles. Her voice picks up in a song when she notes the figure watching her from a distance, her cadence no less beautiful than any choir despite the flighty waver in her tone.

When the nymphs rise up from the stream to listen, he stands transfixed for a moment as they pull her in with them for a more elaborate dance, voices all melding until they break into a chorus of giggles and stories.

It should have been left at that.

She walks an earth made for her; flowers blossoming beneath her bare soles, each root extending for just a chance to brush against tender flesh, a breeze that flits gently against her hair. The daughter of Demeter, something unattainable, too precious to be dirtied by the howling abyss below her feet.

He is tethered to darkness and unknowns, an enigma with dried blood beneath his fingernails; the only songs he hears are screams. He’s since stolen flowers from the meadows she dances in. Beautiful peonies and soft green things that smell sweet. Flowers don’t bloom in the dark, they wither and dry.

Days are spent in melancholic longing, nights his roaring grief melds with the wailing of lost souls. Ugly and tainted noises that he dreams will reach her ears, that she will come to him with her lashes wet with tears, wrap him in her arms and quiet all but her own voice as she tells him that he’s more beautiful than her rivers and her blooms.

Yet, she never does.

König takes it upon himself to walk the land of mortals, teemed with life and pleasures more often now. He pulls himself from below with unnatural fire behind his eyes, a horrible, yearning abyss in place of the feathery, clumsy love that he’s watched so many others allow for themselves.

She notices him while he watches her bathe amongst the nymphs, stood upright and imposing beneath the shade of a tree. Each time, while the nymphs shy away with giggles and hands curled over their breasts, she merely keeps her eyes on him; lips-parted and pulse raging. He knows, would swear by it, that his obsession is not entirely one-sided.

Once, she chooses to wave at him, a demure flick of her wrist while his stare remains fixed upon her. The droplets of water from the curve of her neck, down to the swell of her breasts and the pebbled nipples there— down, further into the water that envelopes her and sends his mind to flicker, a roaring flame building from his chest to his groin.

All of his frustrations pale and cower at the fantasy that he just may be able to grant himself the liberty of sinking into something writhing and warm from just one, simple gesture.

He knows he’s fucked, because his first thought after the lullaby of attraction subsides is to poke her just a little; prod her and see what makes her cry the hardest, blanket her in the shadow of himself and pick her apart like a vulture to a cadaver, do things to her that no man ever has or should. It’s not right, and he has to force himself to turn away, the fabric of the veil obscuring his face as he slinks back into the dark where he belongs. Away from the untouchable maiden who seems to haunt him endlessly with her teasing.

The giggles and splashes of the nymphs whisper through the air like the chirping of birds. Though, one voice stands out above the rest of the noise, causes him to halt in his tracks.

“Why does he never speak to us?”

Her voice, so sweet, asking about him when she should be speaking of nothing but the beauty surrounding her, the warmth of the sun and never the cold darkness of the moon.

It’s eating away at him, he realizes, when he can no longer satisfy himself. Nights lain in a haze, staring up at blackened walls with his length in hand. All it takes is the memory of wet lashes and a soft smile, usually. Her beauty is enough to bring even him to his knees, yet, he finds himself instead on the brink of hysteria the first night he finds a vision of her is not sufficient enough to reach the brilliant white haze of a climax.

The thought of stealing her away from her world of beauty to drag her down into the dark with him fills him with both elation and a terrible guilt. Zeus himself is no different; the thought shouldn’t warrant a seeping coldness in his veins, nor should it have caused him to spill his seed into his hand with only a mere flick of the pad of his thumb over his tip, yet it accomplishes both. A waste, when it should be buried deep inside of his beloved.

It takes only two nights for him to plot, to have Gaia choose to favor him, and on the third day the Narcissus flower blooms, pretty and golden. It echoes false promises, softness and beauty beyond even the daughter of Demeter’s imaginations. She will hate him, she will. Her very soul will sour the moment she lays her eyes on him next, but eventually… she will come to understand, return his love with a whisper of her own. Lightly, at best, but it would still be more than he had ever known.

He watches the roots of the plant from below, a pinprick of warm light shining down. The thumps of footsteps overhead, shaking down loose soil like raindrops, giggles like crackling thunder. She’s roaming about with her nymphs again, gentle with her and all of her beauty. After watching her for so very long, he’s more than certain they will be braiding the flowers and falling asleep after fits of laughter with the taste of fruit on their tongues. Only, she’s condemned herself by being so predictable. She will fall, not into soft grasses with a woman’s arms thrown over her, but directly into his own. She won’t eat the fruit of the earth, but drink his wine and allow him to lose himself in her flesh, bedded down against the pelts of beasts and blackened out by shadows.

The wait isn’t long. Her voice breaks through the quiet of the earth below her feet, seems to light up even the space between the two of them as her footfalls halt only several paces away.

“Look at this one!,” she calls out.

Several steps follow after her as one of the ladies of the river comes to join her. He imagines the smile on his beloved’s face, the way her body curves as she kneels down to his trap and his fingers twitch in anticipation of what’s to come.

“Maybe not that one, sweet,” the nymph warns. “There are prettier ones by the bank.”

König can feel his jaw tighten, eyelids pausing to narrow up at the small light as he tries, forces himself to believe that this was fated. She wouldn’t turn away— she couldn’t.

“No... just look at it. We’ve not seen one so lovely since last spring.”

“What if someone else planted it for themselves?”

“But… I want it.”

She sounds so pitiful, so gentle, and he can feel that swell of heat curling inside of him again. The urge to simply love her feels all-consuming with each word that passes from her mouth.

The two above giggle to themselves at her mischief, before finally, the roots begin to move from a gentle tug above. In a matter of seconds, the entire plant has been uprooted. For a daughter of nature to not long for its beauty would be unrealistic, yet he still exhales his relief. The earth riots beneath the women’s feet, splintering cracks and loud discordance echo through the valley. The nymph’s shrieks join the disarray as her featherlight footfalls lead her far, far away from what belongs to him: the dark, the rot, and now her.

With so little time to react, she falls headfirst into the abyss, clutching the narcissus tightly between her soft breasts. Waiting arms are raised to the glimpse of sun and beauty to catch her as he pulls her tightly against his chest, tucks her head against a broad shoulder and grasps at her waist. Whatever he had imagined her flesh to feel like paled in comparison to her warmth, the softness that gives with each press of a digit that makes her tense beneath his touch.

She’s crying, shaking, terrified as she weakly raises her head and offers him a smile. It’s the kind of smile that screams savior, and he can’t bring himself to correct her. No one has ever looked at him with such tenderness.

Everything quiets the moment she looks up to him like that, after condemning herself to him as though she knows nothing of men and gods. She looks at him like he’s an angel, in turn he bites his tongue so hard he can feel the pinpricks of blood and soreness blossom from the wound. He knows he isn’t good, but the heavens have got their filth, too.

“Thank you.” She speaks in a whisper as the world above falls back into place, blanketing them both in shadow and the scent of soil and brimstone. Politeness seems unnecessary, now, though he places her gently onto her feet.

He’s far too mesmerized to stop himself from dropping to his knees in front of her and trailing a hand from her knee to her thigh, squeezing flesh so warm that the very feeling lingers pleasantly against his palm.

If a god couldn’t pluck him from this emptiness and set him on a right path, perhaps a goddess could, as he has always imagined. It’s only confirmed the instant he realizes she isn’t flinching away from his touch.

“I didn’t save you,” he explains calmly.

He’s struck down titans, claimed rulership over the underworld, and yet nothing has made him feel smaller than the fretful look in her eyes as she looks down to him kneeling before her like little more than a common man. As if to provide comfort, selfishly to himself, his massive hands drift higher to rest on her hips still wet with river water and blades of grass clinging to her just as he has longed to do. For what’s felt like an eternity of waiting, of pining, only to have it end with something as simple as a flower.

“I brought you here.”

She’s still beautiful when she cries; a palm is clasped over her mouth, eyes swimming as she trembles in his grip. Of course, she knows what this is about without ever having to ask, yet she still does as if to plead him to tell her that her thoughts are all wrong— that she’s safe and will return to her lovely friends, to her mother that would assuredly be worried sick and furious.

The rise to his feet feels like a mile long stretch, whilst he keeps her caged between the dirty wall and the vast expanse of chest. He shushes her with a gentle tone, wipes her tears away with the ghosting of fingertips before pushing up the veil covering his face to lie claim to her mouth as though his very life depended upon it. Perhaps it did. Though he did not fear Demeter, nor his brothers should she call upon them, he feared not having this ethereal, gentle thing at his side. He feared the creep of loneliness that ravaged his bed each night.

She sighs against his mouth, but does not reciprocate. Everything about her is tense and stressed, a wild mare preparing to kick out for the first time. His tongue lolls out to lap against her soft lips, just twice before he forces himself to part from her.

His beloved brushes away stray tears from her cheeks with the meat of her palms, shivering just a little as she tries to force herself to straighten up, appear braver despite the way she teeters on the edge of falling apart so easily before him. The heavy gaze of obsession fixed upon his face turns further predacious when she apologizes for not being able to help herself in response.

“I didn’t know it was yours,” she explains, holding out the ruined flower to him in one, shaking hand. She protests in her own way, eternally kind, but it all falls on deaf ears as he brushes the petals from her palm and takes her up into his arms again. With an arm beneath the backs of her knees and the other wrapped tightly around her middle, he leads her deeper into the underworld.

A mere taste wouldn’t do.

Her protests are nothing more than soft sniffles when he does take her to his bed of pelts, her arm even thrown over his shoulder as her body presses tightly to him. He thinks for only a moment that he could take his time, stop this all before she truly does grow to loathe him, but the descent into the bed only fortifies his resolve; his belief that this gentle woman of the earth, who smells of magnolia and clear waters belonged entirely to him. For now and forevermore.

“You are to be my wife.”

That quiets her for a moment, her eyes finally meeting his once more as he hovers over her, a palm to either side of her head. She has a mind to shyly curl her hand against her chest then, centered between her breasts which rise and fall with each flighty breath. It’s not panic, but more— curiosity, a misleading thing that he takes to be acceptance until she graces him with a mere murmur of her voice again.

“I don’t belong here.”

König knows that she doesn’t belong in a place like this, for all her grace to be lost to the cold, the rot; his kingdom is nothing but a wasteland riddled with the dead and subjects who take up the mantle of cruelty in his stead. The thought of actually allowing her to go instills rage and melancholy so quickly, he curls his fingers into the fur below to keep himself from flinching.

“You will.”

A digit reaches to trail across her bottom lip, tentative, but the need to touch overwhelms him past the point of caring for much else. To his amazement, she still does not push him away.

“How could that be?”

He doesn’t respond.

More than bedding her, a matter more pressing pushes to the forefront of his mind. Though he knows the likelihood of anyone being aware of her disappearance is nonexistent, a mere whisper from the beaks of crows by this time, he would do well to ensure that she wasn’t leaving. Just as every other soul resigned to dwell here with him, she too would remain.

“You’re famished,” he whispers the suggestion as he splays a palm out over her bare abdomen, only backing away enough to allow her a small length of space between them.

Her concerned stare shoots from his palm to his veil in an instant before she weakly nods her head and props herself up on her elbows.

“Quite… yes.”

She allows herself to be pulled into his lap without a fuss, doesn’t make mention of the hardened cock beneath her. His mind is swimming with the fantasies that kept him tame on so many nights without her as he presses his nose against her temple. A shallow intake of breath, and her lips part readily for him as he pushes the sweet pomegranate seed into her mouth, savoring the brush of her tongue against his fingertip. She eats without thought, never knowing how she’s tethered herself to his plane.

There’s an offering of sweet wine followed by a gathering of honeysuckle for her to sip the nectar from as well before he’s convinced she’s pliant enough. Despite the desire raging within him for all of this time, he would not be cruel to her. The thought of hurting this sweet, little dream doesn’t excite him. It’s her love that he wants, not her anguish.

He lies her back with sweet whispers, gentle caresses as he listens to her murmurs in response. She speaks of the stories only small creatures would know; the way the winds change and the rivers flood, the prettiest places she’s been. No fruit has ever tasted sweeter to her than the pomegranate, and nothing has ever filled him with such emotion as the moment he penetrates her.

He speaks to her through it, tries to, whilst he’s overcome with a pleasure that assuredly no other has ever had the blessing of. She affixes herself perfectly to him, clinging to him as he takes her with gentle thrusts. Gritted teeth and barely contained grunts are met with dulcet mewls as her hands reach for his. His heart aches, truly, at the knowledge that she isn’t meant for this place; his kingdom is nothing but suffering, and she belongs beneath the sun in meadows of flowers. His last thrust is deep, reminds him of the places he dares not tread often, the domains of his brothers, pillow soft clouds and a heaven far above, lost to him.

It’s her consoling him when he fills her to bursting with his seed— delicate arms curling around his head, cradling him against her breasts as she silenced the tears he hadn’t even realized he had shed. He had damned her, yet her soul had not soured; not all flowers withered in the dark.

The endless night is easier on his beloved after the first. She visits with the other souls and comes to him for comfort when the screams and cries in the darkness become too much to bear. She’s less fragile than he had anticipated when she demands he bring her home, and those demands so often end with little else than König taking her into his arms to lead her elsewhere. The underworld can be beautiful too, when seated upon a throne being hand fed by a man that knows little more than to blanket her in as much softness as he can muster. He tells her of the titanomachy, of the white tree, of anything to keep her entertained. His tongue does not shy from telling her that he loves her, too, often met with a shy glance or a soft giggle. Not outright disdain, and for now it feels enough.

She cries often, in longing for her mother and her friends, though never over this love she had never sought herself. Her loneliness only fuels her need for comfort. Selfishly, he believes that he’s saved the night she willingly wraps her arms around him, pulls him close and falls asleep nestled against his chest.

— — —

With the reliance on mortal offerings and Demeter’s anguish having been brought to light with seasons of failed harvests, it was only a matter of time before she was forced away from him. The months without her feel dreadful and empty, but he doesn’t dare disturb her while she walks the earth at her mother’s side. The agreement was beneficial for all of the gods and goddesses, and he knew better than to tread upon it by rushing to her like little more than a pleading dog. When winter took hold, bathing the lands in its icy touch and withering the plants she cherished and freezing over the rivers her nymphs played in, she would return to him as she must.

Each time is different. His beloved is not simply a thoughtless vessel as many of his subordinates. She is the most incredible thing he’s ever had the joy of meeting.

When she returns in tears, calling to him for his comfort he does not hesitate to kiss them all away and remind her that her summers will return and everything above will be just as it was on the day that he brought her below.

Sometimes, she’s angry, jealous even. She asks him often why he doesn’t come to see her while she’s away. He is her husband, after all. Was there anyone else in which he spent his nights with? Someone fairer than even she? The satisfaction of seating her on his cock, satisfying her as she does him on their shared throne far out rivals even ruling the domain itself. He would do anything to prove to her that she was his only; the sole thing he even thought of whilst her mind was filled with new songs and tales from the nymphs she spent her time away with.

Never has she returned with a gift.

Yet, she stumbles back into his realm clutching a small satchel, dripping with the scent of a juice sweet and familiar. A pleasant smile paints her features as she seats herself next to him on the throne. The bench of marble felt far too vast and dreadful to hold someone so delicate, the sight is something he’s grown accustomed to; emptiness is replaced with familiarity seeing her interact with anything here. It may not be home to her, but something in the way she looks to him— as she always had with tenderness, makes him question if a part of her sees him as home.

“I’ve brought something back for you,” she chimes as she pats her thigh.

Each time was different, but it had never been like this before.

He pulls himself to her side before slumping down to rest his head against her, tracing his fingertips along the length of her leg as his gaze drops almost sheepishly.

“Did you?”

She hums in reply, plucking one of the seeds from the satchel before slipping her hand beneath the veil to feed him. His lips part as he takes in the flavor of the aril, the honeyed taste almost akin to the look in her eyes.

“Just like…” She trails off for a moment as she lowers her head to press a kiss to the cheek of his veiled face. The delicate laugh that follows is unlike any he’s heard from her prior, it’s unique, saved solely for him.

“The six that I fed to you?” He asks her quietly, as he pulls himself away from her to meet her eyes directly. The air around them feels thick, loosely charged with a feeling that he can’t quite place; an intensity that he’s never felt before. Any groaning or wailing off in the abyss is silent now, just quiet words spoken.

Things have always felt warmer since her descent, but he’s learned to not expect anything more than she was willing to give. Still, hope cinches his heart tighter than it ever did prior. Even in battle, slaying his father alongside his brothers, he had never felt his heart race the way it does now.

She nods her head, opening up the satchel just wide enough to reveal the other five arils.

“I don’t think that I understand.”

“You should.”

He mulls over that for a moment before the fog finally clears. Any doubt that he had is remedied by a mere two words. He stares at her dumbly, searching her eyes for any hint that this is some horrible, cruel trick; that the implication is something he’s horribly misunderstood.

She couldn’t possibly come to love him… could she?

“To tie you to me,” she says softly.

The smile remains on her face when she closes the distance to kiss him. Not over the veil, but beneath it this time.

Her descent was one of a selfish longing, and his felt as though he was plunging into a world of flowers.

[pa1nrema1ns]

Master and Apprentice || Sung Jin-woo (Part 1 of 3)

Siren!Jin-woo x Deaf!Omega!reader

A/N - Hello everyone! This fic was inspired by the lovely @forbidden-sunlight's siren!au. We both collaborated on this piece and it serves as a direct sequel to her imagine, so do be sure to check it out first! This story picks up right where her imagine left off.

╰┈➤ Chapter Index

🪸 Prequel by @forbidden-sunlight 🌊 Part 2: Two Intertwining Melodies

Content warnings: 18+ MDNI, mythical creatures au, canon divergent, a/b/o dynamics, afab!reader, suggestive themes, obsessive thoughts, slightly ooc Jin-woo (he's very reverent towards Ashborn), mentions of violence, death, and despair, forbidden romance (humans and sirens are natural enemies), eventual yandere!Jin-woo.

Word Count - 3.6k

Summary - Sung Jin-woo seeks answers about his potential mate from Ashborn in the deepest depths of the abyss.

Dividers by @anitalenia and @firefly-graphics

After what feels like an eternity, Jin-woo comes to an abrupt stop. He wasn’t tired in the slightest, but he couldn’t finish this journey unless he was in the right frame of mind. If he was going to face the sea monarch, Ashborn, then he needed to compose himself. He was his mentor’s prized disciple, after all.

Resolute in his decision, Jin-woo pinches his brow, shuts his eyes, and releases a deep, suffering sigh. He had to stop ruminating over the useless ‘what ifs’ of his current situation and focus on the matter at hand. You emitting pheromones in his presence was proof enough that you were a compatible mate, but this would be meaningless if you were unreceptive to him. It also begs the question, was humanity even capable of consorting with sirens? In search of an answer, he reminisces about the tales of old passed down by generations of his kin, as well as the many speculations made by humans.

No one knew the exact origins of his species. Most humans assumed the progenitors were Persephone’s handmaidens, punished by Demeter after Hades had taken her daughter to the underworld and forced her into becoming his queen. Some stories also claimed that seafoam  birthed them, but Jin-woo scoffed at this particularly ridiculous rumor. A scholar had recently published an article on how sirens may actually be the offspring of the river deity Achelous and a divine songstress, citing notations from various mythos on this theory. In truth, reality was far simpler than any of these far-fetched narratives.

There was just no definitive explanation for the existence of sirens. They were not interchangeable with the peaceful denizens of the ocean, known as mermaids and mermen. While all fell under the umbrella of the term ‘merfolk,’ the sirens had a far more hostile and bloodstained relationship with humans.

Since time immemorial, his brethren were viewed as nothing but a scourge upon this world of humanity. Beautiful as a raging typhoon and every bit as devastating, the sirens served as harbingers of doom and destruction for those foolish enough to risk the perilous waters. Their heavenly voices were tantamount to the funeral dirges used to usher the dead into the afterlife. It would be understandable to believe that the sirens were the monsters in this baleful story. However, human nature at its core is fraught with wickedness, and men soon grew wise to the machinations of merfolk.

Odysseus was the first to survive an encounter with sirens. During his voyage to Ithaca, the cunning man had instructed his crew to plug their ears with beeswax, effectively blocking the intoxicating songs that had ended the lives of so many before them. Emboldened by the success of Odysseus’s scheme, other sailors began using this method to conquer the sea and establish trade routes. Within a matter of a couple hundred years, humans not only overcame their fear of sirens, but they also poached them. Huntsmen would capture, torture, and kill Jin-woo’s ancestors simply for crossing paths with them. Worse yet, these scoundrels would often murder merfolk solely to harvest their organs, bones, and scales. They would then use the defiled corpses as ingredients for commodities, medication, and even aphrodisiacs. It was truly grotesque, if not outright barbaric, and more than justified the ire his kind felt towards humanity. While they hunted for the noble sake of survival, men did it for bloodsport and money.

The horrific fates suffered by many of their beloved brothers and sisters particularly infuriated the alphas, with their robust constitutions and natural sense of leadership. With a thirst for vengeance, they began targeting and attacking ships, ports, and even beaches. The alphas considered any place or vehicle that harbored humans as eligible targets. The less temperamental betas remained neutral and avoided the bloodshed, opting to prey upon shoals of fish and other maritime animals instead. Omegas could not join in the hunt, as they were far too precious to lose. They were the most cherished and talented singers amongst the sirens and required around-the-clock protection because of their significant rarity. These were the origins of the current hierarchical structure Jin-woo adhered to.

After recalling the tumultuous history of his people in its entirety, Jin-woo clenches his fists until his knuckles turn white. This was so damn frustrating! Rather than granting him an understanding of his attraction, it just proved all the more why it was so illogical. 

Defeated, Jin-woo raises his head, opens his eyes, and continues to swim.

Another hour passes before he finds himself at the ingress of Ashborn’s lair. His enigmatic teacher lived in almost complete obscurity. Devoid of any light, and enveloped by a suffocating aura, this nautical cavern intimidated all who dared to approach it. Well, almost all that is apart from Jin-woo. He effortlessly permeates the invisible barrier designed to keep intruders at bay and ventures into his master’s spiritual domain.

Despite being an ancient and powerful king of the sea, Ashborn made the strange decision to emulate a land-like environment in his personal chambers.

As Jin-woo manifests into the realm, his appearance gives way to a form more befitting of a land dweller. His tail separates into two legs, his scales smoothen into skin, and he loses the winged fins on his ears and back. Once finished with this metamorphosis, Jin-woo takes a deep breath. Fresh pine, grass, and flowers perfume the air as he’s greeted by a lush valley. It had been a while since he had visited, and the setting had required him to transform into a human. Interestingly, transfiguration was one of the first skills Ashborn taught him. Speaking of his mentor –

“My disciple, it is good to see you again, though you appear…troubled. Tell me, what ails you so?” A rumbling voice rings across the horizon, signaling Ashborn’s approach; the tenebrous essence of the powerful deity contrasting with the greenery of the land. He appears in front of Jin-woo as a great dark knight. Much like his surroundings, Ashborn’s current visage was nothing but an illusion. Even the bravest of warriors said that his lifelike image invoked sheer terror in their hearts.

Many speculate he possesses a massive stature, at least several leagues in height and breadth alone, with piercing eyes and endless tendrils of dark hair. Others claim he is the son of Poseidon, one of the twelve Olympians, and a God of destruction who presided over the sea. However, Jin-woo never once witnessed this side of his teacher in all the years he’s been under his mentorship. Ashborn certainly exuded dignity, but he still displayed a humble attitude. And without fail, he would always appear in that strange, armored suit whenever he was in Jin-woo’s presence.

“My teacher, I must ask for your help on an urgent matter,” Jin-woo starts, anxiously running his tongue across his bottom lip. “This morning, while I was scavenging, I stumbled across the unmistakable aroma of an unmarked omega. It…it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. As if I was being beckoned by someone or something. I wanted, no, I needed to heed its call.”

Ashborn listens in silence, his expression indiscernible. Jin-woo continued.

 “When I arrived, I was in front of a monstrosity of a ship – a yacht right by the sandbanks. At first, I assumed that someone had taken an unfortunate siren captive. But when I finally saw her–”

“You recognized she was human. Not only that, but she belongs to the lowest level of the hierarchy, an omega. Speak if I am wrong, my dear pupil.” Jin-woo lowers his head in shame, fringe obscuring his eyes. This action all but confirms it.

“I don’t know what to do or how to proceed, teacher. Everything I’ve learned about these creatures has made me detest them. But I can’t bring myself to hate her. How could this even be possible? We are not even of the same species. She’s my enemy, my prey…. At least, she’s supposed to be.” His voice lowers into a near whisper as he ends his confused rambling.

“And yet you don’t view her that way, do you child?” Ashborn poses a question he already knows the answer to but needs to hear in his pupil’s own words.

“No, I don’t,” Jin-woo replies grimly. “I yearn to know more about her. And not just that. I want to meet her, court her, and make her mine. If she’ll even have me, that is… So please, teacher, tell me if there is any meaning behind what I feel. Am I destined for something that bears no place in reality?”

Ashborn remains uncharacteristically quiet while faced with such a loaded question. All is eerily silent for a few moments, save for the cheerful chirping of the illusionary songbirds. At last, the monarch gazes at Jin-woo and gives him the answer he so desperately desires.

“It is entirely possible Sung Jin-woo, alpha of Jindo island, for I am proof of such a fantastical circumstance. My first and only love was also a human omega. A woman I devoted my entire being to over a millennium ago.”

Jin-woo’s eyes widened in shock at this revelation. His mentor had fallen in love at some point, and it was with a member of the human race? This was unheard of.

“I never knew you had a lover,” Jin-woo murmurs softly. “What was she like? Do you still remember everything about her after so many years?”

“Let me show you, my disciple. It is a tragic tale that words alone cannot properly convey.” With a wave of Ashborn’s hand, their surroundings began to morph and alter. The valley transforms into a spacious, yet quaint medieval village composed of several wooden houses with a bustling marketplace at its center.

When Jin-woo regains his bearings, he notices his mentor has also metamorphosized. A man with a sun kissed complexion, long dark hair, and a beard stands where he once stood. Though visibly unrecognizable, he was unmistakably Ashborn. A crimson cape was clasped to the pristine silver armor he wore. A paladin. Jin-woo recalls. He had some knowledge of the past lives of men through his rare excursions onto the Mainland. While disguised as a human, Jin-woo once traded in his goods for a textbook on history. He was loath to admit just how intriguing he had found it.

Ashborn speaks, his voice no longer resonating within the confines of shadowy steel.

“It was here in this village that I came across her. She was the only daughter of a peasant farmer. A strong-willed, rapscallion of a woman with a wit sharper than any blade. I can remember her beauty, her warmth, and her tenacity as clear and concise as the day we met.” He says with a wistful gaze. The scene then shifts to a woman in a pure white gown. Her eyes remained hidden, but it did nothing to impede upon her loveliness. The woman runs animatedly towards a man who looks identical to Ashborn’s borrowed likeness and leaps into his arms. The man then effortlessly spins her around before bringing her into a kiss. Jin-woo watches on, mesmerized by what was unfolding in front of him.

“I feared her rejection once she knew the truth of my identity,” Ashborn admits. “On the night we first made love, I finally revealed to her my status as ruler of the sea. However, it did not matter. She loved me wholly and unconditionally, regardless of who or what I was. Such was the strength of her resolve.” In the next instance, they return to the same valley from earlier. What differs this time is that the man and woman are there, unacknowledging of Jin-woo and Ashborn’s presence. Lost in their own special world. The woman has a flower crown on her head, and she sits on the grass, holding the man’s head in her lap. Both appear happy and at ease.

“For the first time in my existence, I experienced true contentment. I long to return to those days, but alas, our bliss did not last.”

Ashborn solemnly shuts his eyes as darkness overtakes the sky and rain falls. The man is now shown standing at a grave with an expression of anguish marring his face. The woman is nowhere to be seen, although Jin-woo knows exactly where she’s at.

“A plague was scourging the land and indiscriminately ending the lives of thousands. I tried to protect her with my magic, but it was to no avail. She fell gravely ill despite my best efforts. I discovered shortly thereafter that omegas were more susceptible to sickness than their contemporaries. If I had known beforehand, I would’ve brought her to the sea with me, away from that damned disease. But I was a fool who was willing to love and live with her as a man, not as a king. And as punishment for my hubris, an ailment snuffed out her life.”

At the end of his recollection, Ashborn’s lair returns to its original state. His mentor had also regained his shadowy exterior. The valley appears completely untouched by time, as if it were still one thousand years in the past. That’s why his lair looks like this. Jin-woo thinks as he finally recognizes its significance, It was their personal sanctuary. After a few moments of silence, Ashborn speaks.

“Although our circumstances are similar, you still have the privilege of choice. I cannot turn back time, nor can I change the past, but I am grateful. I experienced unspeakable grief, yes, but I also would have never encountered such love, tenderness, and passion had I not taken a chance on my omega. You, my disciple, still have free rein over your decision. Should you choose to pursue this woman, you have my blessing and irrefutable proof that she is a viable mate for you. If not, you will still receive my unwavering support in your future endeavors. The choice is yours to make.”

Jin-woo’s throat bobs. He feels an incredible sense of guilt at unearthing his master’s secret.

“My teacher, I apologize for prying into your past. I – I did not mean to bring up painful memories for you. I cannot imagine what you have endured. As of right now, I am not sure what it is I want, but I know for a fact I cannot give up on this human. I will need some time to contemplate and sort out my feelings. If you will excuse me.”

Jin-woo bows his head before turning to take his leave. As he approaches the exit, a sudden thought emerges at the forefront of his mind.

“Teacher, there is one more question I must ask. This human, she does not speak with words. She communicates with her hands and gestures. Is this some type of sorcery or spell that she’s casting?”

“It is most likely sign language, a manner of non-verbal communication used by humans who are unable to vocalize or hear. Perhaps she cannot speak, or has a hearing impairment, so she must express herself through other means.” Ashborn answers, curiosity lacing his voice.

Jin-woo feels his heart sinking. A siren’s serenade played a pivotal role in the mating ritual and was performed just prior to consummating an eternal bond. If what Ashborn said is true, then there is a possibility you could be immune to his song. This meant he wouldn't be able to use it on you when the time came…

He grits his teeth as he remembers your smiling face. Try as he might, Jin-woo just could not get you out of his head, nor was he willing to let you escape his grasp. You may not have realized it yet, but you had unknowingly sunk your fangs into him and the seeds of obsession were already beginning to take root. Rather than being discouraged by Ashborn’s observation, he instead finds himself reinvigorated.

“Teacher, disregard everything I said earlier. I now know what it is I must do.”

Ashborn peers into the eyes of his disciple, relieved by the determination that lights them. This was much more like the obstinate young man he knew.

“I choose to seek this omega and stake my claim, no matter what challenges may await the two of us,” Jin-woo proclaims proudly. “I will make her mine, but only if she consents to my proposal. And if not through song, then through other courtship methods. I am strong, stronger than any other alpha in my territory, and I know I can protect her from all who would wish her harm. I won’t let my mate slip through my fingers.”

“But what of maladies and the passage of time? You can fight against gods and monsters until the end of your days, but sickness or her ephemeral lifespan will not spare this young woman. In the end, your time with her shall be fleeting.” Ashborn ruthlessly counters Jin-woo’s declaration of protection.

Jin-woo bites his lip, not expecting this development. However, before he can muster a response, his mentor graces him with an answer.

“I know of one way you can overcome this. There is a recipe for an elixir known as the Holy Water of Life. It is a miraculous potion that can imbue invulnerability to communicable diseases, extend lifespan, and transform the consumer into a siren. I unfortunately did not have knowledge of such a panacea while I was with my love. Of course, I live with the regret of not discovering it sooner, as now I have no such use for it, but this does not mean I will idly stand by and let history repeat itself with my protégé.”

With a flash of light, an ancient scroll appears in front of Jin-woo. It unravels by itself to reveal its contents to him. Jin-woo’s eyes widen as he reads. Is this…?

“Behold. The ingredients for crafting the Holy Water of Life. I bequeath this boon unto you, my disciple. However, heed my warning as the acquisition of these components requires you to conquer all 100 floors of the Demon’s Castle and to defeat its king, Baran. This is a treacherous dungeon that may claim your life if you are unprepared for it, but it can also impart you with unspeakable power should you prevail.”

Jin-woo perks up at this information, his interest now fully piqued. “Tell me, master, where can I find the Demon’s Castle?”

“It hides far away, in the city of Seoul, within an incorporeal dominion. It is a flame-ridden landscape that will require you to assume the form of a human to enter the castle. Knowing all the risks it entails; do you still accept my offer?”

“I do,” Jinwoo confidently states.

“Very well,” Ashborn nods his assent, and a key materializes into Jin-woo’s palm.

“Use this key to open the gate to the Demon’s Castle. I have also implanted it with the coordinates to the dungeon’s location. You need only close your eyes and grasp onto the key to visualize it.”

Following the instructions, Jin-woo sees a map that details the exact distance from his current whereabouts to the metropolitan area of Seoul. It will be a lengthy trip, even with his impressive swimming prowess. He estimates it will take roughly half a day to arrive at his destination. Undeterred, Jin-woo presses onward.

“Teacher, I cannot thank you enough for all your help and guidance over these last few years. I give you my word; I will return alive and well, both with the elixir and Baran’s head. And then I will meet with the omega and court her in earnest.”

He departs without another word, although his promise relays an unspoken farewell between them. After some time passes, Ashborn stares at the vast skies of his domain and muses to himself.

“You have grown so much from when I rescued you from the Cartenon Temple all those years ago, Sung Jin-woo. I could not be prouder of you, my disciple. Till our next encounter.”

12 hours later...

Jin-woo finally emerges from the dark, briny waters that frame Seoul’s coastline.

After leaving Ashborn’s lair, he briefly returned home to pack and prepare for the journey ahead. Both Jin-ah and his mother were worried about his sudden departure, so he did the best he could to assuage their fears by giving them a sanitized version of the truth.

Jin-woo claimed Ashborn had provided him with a list of rare ingredients that were only available for purchase in the human markets at Seoul. He even promised to bring back a box of chocolates as a souvenir, something his mother and little sister had enjoyed during one of his return trips to the surface. He then traveled the full 413-kilometer distance from Jindo-gun to Seoul, stopping only for a few hours to rest and recuperate.

As he approaches land, he assumes the form of a naked human man and walks inland from the sea. However, Jin-woo comes to a halt when he becomes more aware of his current state of nudity. While it didn’t bother him, it would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble if any nosy beachgoers happened upon him and asked questions. It is also…pretty embarrassing to admit that he is…wobbly on these legs. Very much so.

He quickly summons his magical inventory and grabs a simple black t-shirt, boxers, fitted jeans, and athletic sneakers (‘Adidas’, the portly sales attendant had called them). As worthless as he found human decorum to be, Jin-woo needed to remain as inconspicuous as possible while he was in disguise. Once dressed, he strolled into the city. After 45 minutes, he found himself at the designated street junction on the map. Taking a deep breath, he brings forth the key, turns it, and unlocks the gate. 

⚓︎ To be continued...

[mochinomnoms]

Two's Company, Three's a Crowd, and Six is a Riot

OB!Boys x Reader

Synopsis Malleus and the others were never really sure what to expect from you. After your involvement of the last six overblots, they all hoped that you wouldn't get into any more trouble.  Wishful thinking, on their parts. But honestly, how else were they supposed to react to the 6 different versions of you from the future?! All of them claiming they were married to one of them in their future?!  Is it a delightful surprise? Yes, though most of them won't admit it. But now they must discuss, which timeline are they currently in, and who gets to stake their claim in your heart? Perhaps it's time to take advantage and learn from their respective ‘You’, specifically how it is they managed to woo you and bring that potentiality into reality. Now if only they could find you, current, time-period you, and put some new learned skills into practice… OR A freak magic accident replaces you with six potential future versions of you that 6 of your friends married. Now they learn a bit about, you, themselves, and their future, all while trying to bring the current you back to present-day.

An interactive story, choose how you want the next chapter to go!

ao3 link

spotify playlist

[cw] - sexual humor, minor character death

[tags] - humor, time travel, fluff, mild angst, happy ending

Chapter List:

i. Thievin’, stealin’, takin’ what’s not yours

ii. The sweetest tart in the red tyrant’s feast

iii. Royal consort to the wild usurper

iv. The merchant’s most precious treasure

v. A desert flower for the schemer’s heart

vi. The beautiful tyrant and her muse

vii. Persephone and the watchman’s worship

viii. Temporal mischief of the heart (yours in particular)

ix. Home is where the heart is

x. Malevolence and his briar rose

[urmom3001]

Princess

Summary: Luke never would have thought he'd ever have eyes for the daughter of Hades and Persephone.

Warnings!: Fem! Hades & Persephone reader, because Hades cabin doesn't exist yet, she's a minor god, so she stays in whatever cabin she pleases until the time of Nico Di Angelo. Timing is placed before tlt . She has pyro kenesis basically fire control. I've changed somethings, she's not considered a forbidden child because she's born from two gods, not a god and a human. This isn't canon obvi i made it up to fit the story.

Whenever Luke was called to the big house, he knew he was never in trouble. It was always to show around and be informed of a new arrival. But this time when he got to Chiron and Mr. D they seemed a little bit more..serious about this new camper.

"Ah Luke, come sit with us." Chiron beckoned him to sit with him and Mr. D while they were playing cards. This was already out of the ordinary, usually when there was a new camper, he would get a brief run down of who they were and when they were coming, and he would be sent back on his merry little way. He slowly pulled out the chair and sat. "We have a new camper coming tomorrow."

Okay nothing new, "That's great, I'll be showing them around tomorrow?" He asks knowing the answer is yes.

"Yes, but there are some things you need to know before her arrival." Chiron answers. Great, so the new camper is a girl.

"This girl.." Chiron continues. Luke waited. He was so curious. Was she a forbidden child? Was she a crazy psycho? "She's the daughter of Hades, and Persephone." That answered all of Luke's questions.

The Princess of the Underworld would be coming to Camp Half-Blood, and he needed to escort her around.

"She'll arrive tomorrow early in the morning, be ready kid. O' eight hundred. " Dionysus continued.

"You are dismissed." Chiron says not once looking up from his intense game or cards with Mr. D. Whelp, this was gonna be very interesting for Luke.

Luke woke up the next morning at around 7 am. Perfect amount of time to get ready and to eat something before showing the new camper around. It had occurred to Luke that he didn't know her name. Chiron hadn't told him. By the time he was done getting ready and had a bite to eat, it was about 7:50. Perfect timing.

He made it to the borders of camp to wait for the girl. Nonethe less when the clock struck 8:00am and all of the campers started to ride due to the morning conch. A big pink flame of fire emerged from the ground. It startled Luke, but as the flame started to go away, the silhouette of a girl peaked through. She was facing the other way looking around. And when she turned around..

Oh boy.

Luke fell hard. His palms were starting to sweat, he felt his heart thumping. Of course he had always heard the myths and the stories about the Princess of the underworld. In almost all of them they had all mentioned her beauty. And boy were those words true.

"Are you the boy that's showing me around? Father said that I would have an escort?" She said. Her voice was like the calm after a storm. Luke didn't answer. "Uhm? Sir?" She questioned.

"Oh! Uhm yes! that's me. Uh I'm Luke." He managed to get out while offering his hand to her.

She took it, boy her hands were soft like feathers. "I'm Y/n, it's nice to meet you, but can we get going? It's quite hot today." She said

Without thinking Luke says "You'd think you'd be used to the heat, being from the underworld and all." Luke's eyes widen when he realized what he said.

He looked her in the eyes and at first he thought he fucked up. She had a deadpan on her face. But when they stared at each other for a bit she started to crack, and she let out the most beautiful laugh Luke had ever heard.

"Well, let's get going Luke, we wouldn't wanna burn out here," She said with a little giggle sending a small amber his way.

He was in awe. She had fire powers, just like the stories said.

After a while. The pair got close. They were friends...that's if you still count them as your friends even though you're constantly flirting all of the time.

And that was the dynamic between the two. They were always bickering or flirting, or both at the same time. Luke knew from the moment he saw her he was doomed. He had never felt this way about anyone before. Every camper saw it, Luke looked at Y/n like she hung the stars in the sky, and honestly if you told Luke she did, he would believe you.

After a while the two had even received a name, the princess and her guardian. Because wherever Y/n was Luke wasn't too far by lingering around her, always keeping an eye on her.

They never admitted they're feelings for each other however. Not until the incident about a year after Y/n's first summer at camp.

"Oh come on Y/n, why don't you ditch that loser Luke and be with me." Ben from Aphrodite cabin said to her as she sat by herself with her lunch waiting for Luke.

"Excuse me?" She said with offence. Luke for one was NOT a loser, okay maybe he was just a bit but still. That was rude, and Y/n didn't like rude people.

"You heard me doll." He said with a smug smirk. Gross, that nick name did not come out as good as he thought it did.

"Leave me alone please, now you're just being ridiculous." She stated. Y/n was very open with her boundaries and did not like it when they were crossed.

"Oh come on, you know you want to." This guy just couldn't take the hint.

"She said leave dude." Luke stated from behind you. You looked back and smiled mouthing "Thank you."

"Well well, the loser himself. Y/n deserves a real man, after all, she is a princess." He said in a snarky tone.

"Dude seriously just back off." Luke said stepping up chest to chest with him now. Y/n stood now, she didn't like conflict, and she definitely did not want to be the reason why it started.

"Come on Luke, let's just go." She said trying to tug him away. Luke looked at her then back at the smug boy. Luke huffed and turned around.

"Yeah go ahead and go cry to your daddy! Oh wait..." Ben shouted as they walked away. This time Luke wasn't the only one that was fighting now. Y/n knew all about Hermes and how he treated Luke. Now this made her angry.

"What did you say?" Y/n said as she turned around.

"You heard me clear and-" He stopped talking as he took in Y/n's state. Her eyes burned with fire. Her fists ready with flames.

"Can you repeat yourself?" She said coming closer to him.

Ben started to panic. "Help!" He yelled, as if everyone eyes weren't on them the second Y/n turned around. "This girl is crazy!" He cried.

Y/n fake lunged forward toward him which scared him endlessly making him run off to cry to mommy. Of course Y/n wasn't going to actually hurt him. Just scare him a bit so he wouldn't mess with her and Luke.

Now that Ben was away, so was the crowd. Nothing to watch anymore so everyone went about their day. Now it was just her and Luke.

She calmed and so did her fire. She turned to see Luke staring at her with more twinkle in his eyes than usual.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I'm in love with you." Luke said.

"What?"

"I love-" Luke was cut off with a pair of lips colliding with his. It was everything Luke thought it would be. Her lips were soft, just like he imagined. He always thought he would kiss her first though. I guess some things can't be predicted.

"I love you too Luke Castellan." She said after they pulled apart.

The two stared at each other with their rosy cheeks and they're foreheads pushed together.

Luke never would have thought in a million years that he would be with the Princess of the Underworld, there's a first to everything though.

A/n: I've been having writers block recently. I literally don't know what to write, so if you have an requests, they're open on my acct!!

[hopeastrz]

THE ART OF EYE LANGUAGE: your gaze and eyes based on beauty asteroids in your natal chart.⋆𐙚 ₊ ° 🌪️⊹ ♡

«KINDLY READ THIS IN LIGHT MODE!»

CHECK OUT SEPTEMBER SALE: fixed price on any and all of my readings 17 DOLLARS only.

EXPLANATION: If you want to know how your gaze looks like to people check which beauty asteroids you have in aries, conjunct your sun, moon in a very tight orb, or sit in the 1st house since those mainly rule our eyes.

NOTE: should i make part 2?, wanted to post something quick before i sleep as a thank you for all the love you keep showering me with, enjoy and lots of kisses xoxo.!!

SIRENE (1009) on the rising or in aries may give you upturned feline eyes, very hypnotizing gaze, may make people feel very drowsy or they feel very pulled by you.

PERSEPHONE (399) duality queens, you can be the queen of the underworld or the spring maiden with your eyes, you choose to be what needs to be depending on the situation, if you’re seducing someone you’ll wear your most captivating gaze, and if you feel extra sweet you can make flowers bloom just from a single look.

NARCISSUS (37117) you really don’t need anyone’s opinion about your eyes and you obviously don’t care since you’re your own number one fan lmao!, these natives may be obsessed with their eyes and feel like it’s their best feature!, you are your own admirer.

LOTIS (429) and VESTA (4) innocent ans very pure eyes, both asteroids may indicate having a very pure and serene gaze, you can make people fall onto their knees just to please you, and they may feel the need to protect you from evil even if you’re oh not so innocent!.

MEDUSA (149) you can never hide your envy, it’s one of the most prominent things that show on your face, you may be born needing to wear glasses so alas you envy those who don’t wear them, however your gaze hold are very bewitching, and could make people fear looking into your eyes for a long time especially if you’re a powerful person.

SADO (118230) dark small eyes, my sister has this placement and her eyes are so dark almost black looking instead of normal brown.

FOX (16248) may give you a witty and cunning look, almost like you’re always plotting something mischievous, curios and sly gaze!.

PHOTOGRAPHICA (443) you may like to take lots of pictures of your eyes and post them on social media, in some rare cases you may have a very strong photographic memory!.

GLO (3267) obviously your eyes may be glowy, maybe they are so dark that any slight amount of light makes them shine brightly, or actually they are so light colored that they feel like light itself, you know brown eyes once they turn golden? Yep!.

PTAH (5011) may bless you with a strong commanding gaze which can both hold violence and gentleness, you can command both authority and ooze charisma, but also could turn your gaze into a very love sick one!.

PTAH (5011) spell bounding eyes, very enchanting and captivating.

NADHERNA (5089) very unique eyes, you may have Heterochromia or was born with a unique eye condition which made you need to wear glasses, you may have experienced a really unique eye condition and even your eye color may be rare or different!, and you may have some very long lashes!.

LIST OF ASTEROIDS MENTIONED BY ORDER: 1009, 399, 37117, 429, 4, 149, 118230, 16248, 443, 3267, 216, 5011, 5089.

[amostnobleyandere]

Persephone, Swept Away Into the Deep

Yandere! Wriothesley x GN! Reader

Summary: You’re a florist who catches the eye of the Duke, ruler of the underworld in Fontaine—and as the object of his affection, there’s nothing you can do to avoid your fate.

Warning(s): yandere, toxic behavior, possessive behavior, mention of blood, violence (Wriothesley beats someone up), stalking, obsessive behavior, unjust execution of the law, possessive behavior, corrupt official Wriothesley (?), drugging (needle injection), kidnapping, captivity, implied stalking, non-consensual touching, forced romantic relationship

A/N: I’m not sure if I did a good job at translating the themes ✨ of the hades and Persephone myth (however slight they may be in this particular fanfic) but I tried ;)

—————————

Every happy customer that came out of your shop would inevitably spread your business through tongue—that’s just the way things worked in Fontaine.

Of course, you weren’t complaining. You were running a thriving business and their lively conversations often brought you joy and pride. The little gardener on off of main street, the florist who sells the most beautiful bouquets you’ve ever seen, the flower shop tucked away like a hidden gem, they’d say, fondness in their tone and the echo of good memories in their minds.

You were proud of the lifestyle you had made for yourself and the reputation you had garnered. Your natural green thumb had made your shop quite popular among commoners and socialites alike, as anyone of any class could stroll inside to find something for a person precious to them; whether it was a child, a spouse, a friend, or an infatuation, you had helped mold their stories, crafting and shifting them around petals and bows.

Though some days, you let yourself dream. Of petals and bows, not meant for someone else, but meant for you. Though your business had seen many love stories, its owner had yet to find a love of their own.

On your worst days, you scoffed and thought to yourself about how ironic your life was.

But…some days, your aching romantic heart would have you sighing wistfully as you watched customer after customer buy carefully cultivated blooms to gift to their beloved. They would leave gleefully, only for you to remain in your shop, watching them walk out with a piece of you. A piece that you wanted to give to your own special someone.

Always watching, never experiencing.

And then suddenly, everything you had built was being torn down by the one thing you desired the most.

—————————

On a day that was insultingly ordinary considering the damning events that followed it, you were sitting in your shop, furiously pruning flowers and cutting stems and leaves. You were a little behind in work, so you had kept your shop open later than you usually would.

A festival was going to be thrown at the center of the city, and that meant you were busier than ever. Business was slow at the time, but it always picked up during events, as it was common for people to take advantage of the merry mood and ask out the apple of their eye, or propose, or buy a bouquet just to enjoy life.

And your bouquets were certainly beautiful, as you had heard from the many couples that walked into your shop, fawning over the arrangements and each other. You were sure you would see many lovers come into your shop once the joyous celebrations began.

You sighed, feeling the solitude of the your profession begin to seem depressing. It made you happy knowing your creations would be appreciated, yet, you knew the festival would end up torturing your heart with the same stale loneliness you often felt.

Friends had invited you to come with them to enjoy the festival together, so you weren’t all alone. Ultimately, you had declined.

Business would be booming.

…Plus, it wouldn’t be as special if you couldn’t go with someone special. It would only hurt to go out into the bustling streets and to see all those people holding hands, touching arms, carrying your bouquets, while your side was cold and your hands were empty…

You snipped at a rainbow rose a little too hard, hissing as the tip of the shears nicked your finger. You watched in mild panic and exasperation as the blood began to fill the small cut, feeling a sting form in your finger. Reaching for the medical kit you kept close by, you swiftly treated and bandaged yourself, watching the gauze go from white to a bright red.

Shaking your head, you waved away the pain and your nasty thoughts. You were sure your friends would be fine without you and, more than anything, you needed to be here to sell your flowers. It would be a waste to throw out your beautiful blooms because you let them wither, and soon customers would be grabbing for them…and who knows? Maybe you might meet someone.

Maybe you would even find someone to enjoy the festival with….

You heard the telltale ding of a bell and looked up, peaking out from behind the wall of floral remains you had constructed around yourself.

A man walked into the shop, and the first thing you noticed is that he was handsome. And big. Like, slightly intimidating big. A large, built stature, with broad shoulders and heavy boots on long legs. You pinched yourself, feeling your cheeks slightly heat up. Who were you to get flustered? And by a stranger? Pull it together.

“Hello!” You greeted cheerily, thankfully turning on your usual customer service voice without problem. “How can I help you today?”

“You’re still open?” The man asked, a note of surprise in his voice. The question sounded weirdly familiar for it to be spoken by a stranger, but you chose to ignore it. Plenty of people knew your hours, it wouldn’t be odd for one of them to send a new customer over.

You paused, taking him in. The stranger was tall, dark, and brooding, a person that looked strangely out of place in your little safe haven that was crammed to the brim with mosaics of colorful flora.

However, his eyes were the clearest color you had ever seen. They were like steel in their cool quickness, taking seconds to size you up. You unconsciously shrunk under the pressure of his gaze. Still, you smiled up at him.

“Yes, sir. We’re still open. What can I get for you?”

“Well, to tell you the truth, I’m not exactly sure. I came here because of a recommendation; they say you’re the best in town, with the freshest flowers. I’m guessing you outsource from the country?”

“No, sir. I grow them myself.” You said, still smiling sweetly.

A flash of recognition behind those steel eyes. “Ah. You’re the owner then?”

“Yes, sir.”

He hummed, looking away in thought. “I’d like an all blue bouquet—something with an air of delicacy to it. Nothing too fancy, just something pretty and light.”

That sounded…really romantic. Delicate? Pretty? Those were words people used to describe bouquets with romantic intentions behind them. You had heard them time and time again, as you carefully put together arrangements and your customer fawned over the person it was for, tone sugary sweet. Those words never failed to clog up your chest with a bitter jealously.

A feeling of disappointment filled your chest and your heart sank. Of course, he was already going with someone. It seemed that everyone, except for you, had a date for the festival. Of course. That made sense. Anyone that good looking would most likely have a date—

You smiled, sweeping away the disappointment and putting back on a false merry face. You had just met this man, really. What was there to be sad about? You decided to fill the silence that was quickly making you want to curl up into a ball and hide.

“So you’ve got a date for the festival? I’m sure they’ll love it, since you seem to know what they’ll like. Can I get a name for the order?”

“Wriothesley. And, no. I haven’t got a date.”

Your brain short circuited.

“But you’re so good looking?” You blurted out, the thought in your head coming out of your mouth without warning.

Wriothesley looked momentarily stunned, and you wanted to scream. Of all the times to embarrass yourself in front of a cute guy, it had to be now—

“A-Ah!” You stuttered out. “I’m sorry! Sometimes my mouth moves faster than my brain! I just said what I was thinking, I hope you’re not insulted by it…or uncomfortable….not that I meant to insult you—“

He laughed, the sound startling you. When he looked at you again, he seemed less guarded, his eyes shining with mirth as he gazed at you with interest. Oh, and that smile. Oh wow. That. Wow.

“You know, people are usually too afraid to say stuff like that to my face. Or really, they’re too afraid to say anything to my face. Guess I was just lucky to meet you today, huh?” He grinned and let his voice drop as he spoke. The glint in his eyes turned bright, like a dancing flame. He leaned into your space, letting one arm rest on the counter.

You felt the smooth words roll down your back and over your skin, excitement or fear (or maybe a mix of both) running up your spine and through the rest of your body.

You laughed, trying to play off his words as if they were meant to be friendly. (At least, you thought they were meant to be friendly.) Maybe the naturally deep tone of his voice and his intimidating aura made your brain misinterpret harmless words as…predatory.

You grinned. “Well, I don’t know about luck, but everyone deserves a compliment every once in a while, right?”

He leaned back, that dangerous glint disappearing into his eyes as if it was never there. He crossed his arms, looking smug.

“Right.”

Silence filled the air again, and your curiosity got the best of you quickly.

“Goodness, I’m sorry but who is this for then?”

He chuckled and you were immediately relieved that he wasn’t annoyed with you. People didn’t like it when others pried into their business. The thought of Wriothesley with his leather boots, pretty face, and icy eyes glaring at you with disdain nearly sent you into shock.

“It’s for…a co-worker, you could say.” He continued. “She does a lot for me and I thought it might be nice to get her a gift to show my appreciation. Everyone’s in a good mood with the festival coming around, so I might as well, you know?” He smiled. “Sorry to disappoint you, though. No romantic feelings involved.”

You nodded, a weird feeling of relief filling your chest after finding out that a man you didn’t know and that you probably would never see again did not have a date for the festival.

Maybe you were just glad to know that you wouldn’t be the only person going without a partner.

You began to gather sample flowers, spreading them out between you fingers and taking comfort in the familiar weight of them in your hands.

“Not disappointed at all.” I’m also single, you thought, but thankfully didn’t say out loud. “I guess I’ve just gotten so used to lovebirds walking into my shop, I was surprised you weren’t one of them.”

“Because of my face?” He asked, amusement seeping into his tone. You wanted to smack that smile right off of his smug, beautiful face. Of course, you wouldn’t, because that would be a crime to everyone else who had eyes. You couldn’t mess up that piece of art.

You nodded, your face burning. “Because of your face.” You confirmed.

“Well, I’m flattered.” He said.

You thrusted the sample flowers out in front of you, mortified that he was making your already embarrassing situation worse with teasing.

“Pick out the ones you like.” You said, your face practically on fire.

He did, without further comment at that, but a smirk pulled at his lips the entire time. He looked at you, with that grin molded onto his perfect lips, more than he did the flowers in your hands.

He refrained from torturing you with teasing remarks for the rest of the conversation, and when you told him it would be ready for pick up in a few hours, he gently placed a bag of mora on the counter.

Only when he was walking out the door did you realize how much mora he had given you.

Your eyes bulged as you peeked into the bag, nearly fainting at the amount. Who carries this much on them?! What if he had gotten robbed?! Well, he would probably never get robbed looking like…that, but still.

“Hey!! Wait—Sir!! You gave me way too much!”

He waved as he closed the door behind him, the bell ringing cheerily as he ignored you protests without even turning around.

You stood gaping behind the counter. You turned to the bag, determinedly picking out the correct amount and putting the rest away so that you could throw it at him when he came back. Not his face, though. Never his face.

A few hours later, he came back, his face neutral and undisturbed, like nothing in the world could move him to react.

He saw you, and his expression twitched and changed, looking just as smug as when he left.

You wordlessly pushed his bouquet, which you had worked extra hard on out of spite, not because you wanted him to like it or anything, towards him. Again, without saying anything, you pushed the bag of mora back towards him.

He quirked an eyebrow but kept his mouth shut, also determined to win the quiet challenge that you had started. He (rather cheekily) slid the bag back towards you, a smile fighting to pull onto his face.

You, more forcefully this time, slid the bag back towards him, face betraying no emotion.

Eyes sparking with amusement, he held out his hand.

Oh my Archons. You thought. What does that mean? He doesn’t want to….does he? You hesitatingly raised your hand in response, suspicious of the man in front of you. He gently slid his hand under yours, making your heart pound in your rib cage. His gloves covered most of his hand, but the skin that did touch you was startlingly cold. Your skin downright tingled where his touched yours.

Whether it was from the temperature or just him, you didn’t know.

He placed the bag of mora in your hands, a graceless plop and a cheerily jingle sounding through the quiet room.

Okay. You take it back. This mora was going directly at his face.

“This mora is going right at your face.”

“What?”

“What?” You parroted. Inside, you were crying. The first time you’ve ever threatened a customer and it’s the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen.

He chuckled, the sound low and deep and long and archons even his laugh sounded angelic.

“I could’ve sworn you just—“

“I didn’t.” You cut him off, panicking. You pushed the bouquet towards him, hiding behind it. “Enjoy your day. Thank you for your purchase. Have fun at the festival.”

“…Thanks.” He said, still amused, but following your lead and taking the flowers from your waiting hands. For a moment, maybe on purpose, his hands brushed yours, the touch sending a spark of electricity up and down your arms, making your heart beat faster….Must have been the cold from his skin, sending you into shock or something.

He left the shop (without the bag of mora) and you wistfully thought that you would never see that beautiful face again, kicking yourself for not asking him out. You were both single, right? Right??

Ultimately, you went home with the same familiar wistful feeling that soon turned to giddiness at having almost held hands with such a handsome man—his personality was odd but that could be overlooked.

Overall, it was a good day.

——————————

Except he was there the next day.

And the next.

….And the next.

Everyday he would order a bouquet of a different color. Once he ran out of colors, he began grilling you on what kinds of flower combinations you liked best. You would tell him, practically shaking while trying to prevent yourself from imploding, and that’s what he would order. He spent an enormous amount of money at your shop as the ridiculous mora bag battles continued (you were going to throw it at his face, you really were. You just needed to muster up the courage).

He would take the flowers home, and you would be left with a burning face and a quivering heart.

Then one day he asked you if you would like to go out. With him. Together. And you said yes, tying a bow around his order with trembling hands as a strangling giddiness filled up your entire chest.

So, you went to the festival with him right after work.

For the first time in weeks you were closing the shop and stepping out into the fresh air during the middle of the day.

You had an amazing time.

You found out that Wriothesley was extremely funny, and that his dry, sarcastic wit could have you doubling over and laughing in seconds. You found out that he liked tea like, a lot. Like a concerning amount. You found out that the co-worker he gave the first of many bouquets to is a melusine and a nurse. You found out that he talked to the Chief Justice regularly and somehow knew a lot of important people.

You explained to Wriothesley that you actually did have a life outside of flowers. You told him about your friends, your hobbies, and whatever else you could think of in the moment, feeling comfortable with him after just a few hours together.

He bought you food, somehow correctly guessing your tastes at every stall you visited. When you protested and offered to buy him something in return, he merely shook his head with a smile and said you could buy him lunch another day.

You walked together through the streets under golden lights, eating delicious food and buying trinkets. At the end of the night, you tentatively inched your hand toward his, and he interlaced your fingers together, holding your warm palm against his cold one tightly.

You felt yourself grinning like an idiot, thinking that absolutely nothing could change the way you were feeling.

Everything was going great until you got back to your shop, laughing and chatting idly with the man beside you.

Your heart stopped as you realized that something was wrong, and your hand left Wriothesley’s for the first time that night as you ran towards the open door.

The entire place had been ransacked. The money in the cash register was gone. Your precious flowers—countless blooms that you had taken the time to grow and cut had either been stolen or trampled on. One window had been smashed in with a brick. You lifted up your foot, feeling the shattered glass break into smaller shards under the pressure—Archons, it was everywhere. Luckily, the small vault you keep most of your savings in was still closed but dented in multiple places and on its side.

You nearly collapsed on the floor right then and there. It was only Wriothesley, who caught you as you were falling to the ground, that kept you from completely breaking down. You were mourning. All of your flowers. All of your hard work, ripped from your hands, without so much as a warning.

You felt rage and misery burn in your chest, resulting in hot tears running down your face as you pathetically picked up the ruined flowers scattered across the shop floor. Next to you, shadow cast Wriothesley’s face in darkness, hiding his expression from view. You heard him assure you that he would take care of it, that he would fix all of this for you, as he told you not to worry in that perpetually assertive tone of his. Your muddled and distressed mind immediately clung onto it like a life line, desperate for something to ground you.

Wriothesley would take care of it, you told yourself. If not him, then who would help you?

—————————

You found out soon after that the man who had robbed you was a rival store owner whose business had gone under ever since you had moved in. His storefront was situated on one of the more populated streets, streets that saw more foot traffic and that attracted customers of a higher class. Still, he had been losing to you, a small shop on some nowhere street, for months. In the end, arrogance and jealousy had driven him to attempt destroying your business.

Whether it be from fear and intimidation, or hopelessness from losing all the money you had made in the past couple months, he had hoped that you would chose to pack up and leave after he ruined the inside of your shop.

Fortunately, he was not a master criminal. A few shop owners on your street had seen his face and identified him to the guards. According to rumors you had heard from friends, he fought the guards during his arrest, shouting that he was not some lowly commoner to be pushed around. The guards and some mysteriously clothed people flooded around him, dragging him to the court house and sentencing him within the hour. He was allowed to go back to his shop, as his home was above it, but was put on house arrest for the time being and had guards stationed outside of every window to await further punishment.

It had happened so…quickly.

Wriothesley, during all of this, was very supportive.

—————————

It all came crashing down on the last night of the festival, a week after you had been robbed.

You were in the process of walking home before you realized that you had left your keys in your bag.

…Which was at the shop.

…That you would have to go back to.

Groaning, you made yourself turn around and trek back towards the storefront so that you could actually get into your house.

As you walked down the main strip of stalls and shops, you realized with a bitter heart that you would have to pass the shop of the man who made your life hell to get there and back quickly. You were glad that he had been caught and sentenced swiftly, but you were still incredibly angry about the damage that had been done to your business. The mental and emotional wounds left from the shock of seeing everything you had worked for destroyed were still fresh.

You fastened your pace as the night lamps began to turn on, the sky quickly turning dark as they became your only source of light. You knew the city was mostly a safe place to live, but that didn’t mean crime never happened, and it would be just your luck for you to get robbed a second time.

Then there was shouting.

You slowed your pace as you heard a voice echo off the tall buildings, only amplifying the panicked screams.

Uh oh. Had you walked right into a crime scene?

You looked around you, noticing that there were no guards in sight. Hopefully they had noticed the trouble and were taking care of it.

You sighed. You really needed to get into your house, as you weren’t too keen on sleeping on a bench for the night. Cursing whatever being had brought this upon you, you continued forward, walking in the shadows and hoping to avoid whatever drama was happening near the home of the man who had robbed you.

You turned a corner, freezing as you took in the sight of a group of men huddled together, seemingly trying to apprehend someone—

Wait. Was that—

You recognized that figure—those boots—that coat…

What was your boyfriend doing here in the middle of the night?

Swiftly, you moved back out of the light, eyes trained on the man you could now clearly recognize. You watched as Wriothesley raised his fist, his knuckles connecting harshly with someone’s jaw. You startled at the harsh noise of skin splitting skin.

You felt yourself flinch as blood splattered across the pavement. For a moment, you were grateful for the imposing figures blocking your view of the violent scene.

The victim was splayed across the stone due to the force of the blow, thrown right into the circle of people that had formed around him, pathetically whimpering as he tried to pick himself up.

You watched as he was dragged away, looking genuinely terrified, screaming bloodcurdling words as he went mad with fear. His pleas fell on deaf ears as those around him stood still, Wriothesley silently watching as he was picked up and thrown into the back of a carriage. The door squealed as he yelled that he didn’t deserve it, didn’t deserve to go to the Fortress of Meropide, please—doors slamming shut, cutting off his final sentence as the men and the carriage disappeared into the night.

Wriothesley stood under a street light, a short distance away from where you hid in the shadows. His body was tense, his back drawn tight as he gazed at the retreating carriage, with the man he had assaulted and doomed to a life in prison lying within.

You stumbled back, you feet scuffling against the pavement. The noise sounded like an explosion in the dead quiet of the street.

His entire body stilled. He turned around, almost in slow motion, his eyes widening in horror as your gazes met.

You spun on your heel and ran, heart pounding in your chest. Heavy footfalls followed you, leather hitting stone with threatening thumps that seemed to get closer to you with every passing second.

You got to your shop, flinging open the door and rushing to the back of the building, heading towards the closet where you kept all of your supplies. Hearing the bell above your door chime mockingly, signaling that Wriothesley was in your shop oh Archons, you slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside.

For some reason, you could have never imagined him being so violent. You were shocked and terrified, seeing your new boyfriend, who you had only ever thought of as safe, as anything but. Now you knew. He was dangerous. You were so stupid for trusting a complete stranger—

You heard him run towards your hiding place, calling out to you as the heavy foot falls slowed to a stop.

“Y/N.” He said, voice calm and level, betraying no emotion at all. It was like he was discussing the weather and hadn’t just chased you down the street.

Your breathe hitched in your throat. Somewhere, in your frayed mind, you hoped, prayed he would just go if you were quiet enough—

“I never meant for you to see that. I’m sorry. Let me explain.”

The doorknob began to turn. It stopped, hitting the lock.

You heard rustling and then a faint jangle as Wriothesley stepped away from the door.

You had left your keys in your bag.

The bag was on the counter, the keys were in your bag—

….He knew where you kept your keys?

You had never told him that.

The door knob began to turn. You grabbed onto the it with a white-knuckled grip, stopping it from the inside.

Your heart thrummed in your chest, beating rapidly as you desperately held onto the cool metal.

“Leave me alone!” Please was left unsaid. You shouted the words, terror making you shake and tremble.

Wriothesley fell silent. You heard him lean his weight against the door, his movements causing it to creak.

The doorknob stopped turning.

You prayed that he wouldn’t try to force it, or worse, break the door down. You didn’t know if it would hold, or if you could hold on, considering how strong he was.

You imagined his hulking figure standing outside, only a few mere inches of wood separating you, towering over you from your spot on the floor.

You were practically paralyzed with fear, and didn’t know what you would do if he actually managed to get in and get his hands on you—

“Damn it, I ruined it all, didn’t I?” Wriothesley murmured.

You jumped, not expecting the despairing admission amidst your racing thoughts that were trying to pinpoint where you had went wrong in life.

His usually playful voice was monotone, eerily flat for the self deprecating words he spoke.

You didn’t deign him with a response. You merely listened to the quiet that followed, feeling more scared than you would have been if he had been raging and banging on the door. There was something about the silence; something about it felt foreboding, like a threat was creeping up behind you and you couldn’t hear it no matter how hard you tried.

You heard him turn away a few minutes later, heavy footfalls walking towards the door, and finally the bell signaling his departure.

For a few minutes, you sat there and waited.

Eventually, you opened the closet just a sliver, looking out into the dim lighting with flickering eyes, checking every possible corner that he could be hiding in. He wasn’t there. He wasn’t in here.

You slid out of the closet and almost immediately ducked behind the counter, still shaking from the adrenaline pumping through your veins.

Shakily, you peeked out from behind the counter, checking for any sign of him outside. When you found the street to be devoid of him, you silently gasped in relief.

You ripped your keys out of the door with rushed hands.

You went home alone, without Wriothesley, who had taken it upon himself to personally walk you there almost every night of the week. A part of it felt strange to deviate from the routine, but you needed no reminder to know that the man you had trusted and spent time with all week was now a dangerous threat. You ran to the door of your home, opening it hurriedly and slamming it shut.

You tossed and turned as you slept that night, a doomed feeling settling in your churning stomach.

—————————

The next day, you took measures to start rebuilding. Perhaps you were just frantic to get back to some sense of normalcy after having the rug ripped out from under you the other night—or maybe you were desperate to have something to keep your mind off of the buzzing anxiety that was constantly gnawing at the back of your mind.

The man who broke in had already been put on trial and sentenced to an undetermined amount of time in the Fortress of Meropide, and had also been forced to cough up more than enough mora to cover the damages.

This, oddly enough, had all been told to you by a third party, someone hired by the court to watch over legal proceedings.

Someone was pulling the strings behind the case, and you didn’t want to think about who it was, just in case the pieces started falling together. (Deep down, you already knew.)

When you had heard he was being sent to the Fortress, you felt something in your gut twist unpleasantly, a kind of stone-like anxiety that weighed and sunk a permanent pit in your stomach. People who went there didn’t usually come back, or if they did, they weren’t the same. They weren’t viewed the same, either. What would happen to him once he came back? If he came back?

You shivered as the memory of him being dragged away resurfaced.

You sighed as you swept up errant pieces of class, determined to discard of every shard before you allowed any more precious customers or flowers to come through the door. The window had already been replaced, as a very nervous man had knocked on your door a few days after the…incident with Wriothesley, and claimed that he had been sent to repair it. You hadn’t even talked to anyone about fixing the window. A sinking feeling appeared in your chest as you watched the jumpy man chip away at glass and wood, his movements tense and swift. When you went to close the shop, you checked if you had locked the door three separate times before rushing home, practically running through the stone streets, running from absolutely nothing at all.

There was no sign of Wriothesley during the months it took your shop to recover. You were glad that he had taken what you had said to him in your moment of fear seriously. Still, you feared that he would show up on some random day, at some random time, and catch you off guard. That you would be reminded of the violence that seemed to follow him like a shadow, leaving trails of devastation in his wake.

Everyday you went home glancing over your shoulder while walking briskly down the street, always making sure to make it home before dark.

—————————

You unlocked the door to your home, hurriedly glancing behind you as you shoved the keys into the lock, pushing the door in quickly as it gave way. You closed and locked the door behind you, allowing yourself to relax minutely against the cool frame.

“Back so soon? I noticed you’ve been closing earlier nowadays. What’s that about?”

You froze, an ice cold fear creeping through your veins.

There, sitting in the dark of your unlit living room, was the man you had been simultaneously avoiding and thinking about constantly for months.

You could make out the silhouette of his hulking figure, leaning back into your favorite chair with his fingers laced together and knees spread apart, relaxed and causal. His eyes, which always held a mildly scrutinizing gaze, had turned razor sharp—they hadn’t moved from you since the moment you had stepped into the room. You were a pinned butterfly under that look, being dissected and picked apart by glacial, stormy irises.

“What are you doing here?” You asked, your voice coming out a little more shakily than intended. You tried not to hyperventilate. You really tried, but you could already feel your chest tightening, like just being in his presence was suffocating—

He stood up. Rooted in place, you didn’t dare move. If you tried to run, you knew he would catch you.

He moved towards you slowly, like he knew just as well as you did that you couldn’t escape.

He stopped a foot away from you, his height easily trumping yours, his figure casting a large, beastly shadow in the dim lighting.

You tilted your head back to look him in the eye. Even now, those icy eyes were beautiful. You thought it was unfair. Now that you knew what he was, what he was capable of, you thought, his eyes should come as warning. They were the eyes of a predator. And yet, still cold and steely, clear like cryo vision that hung from his hip, which you had never even seen until now.

Still beautiful, reminding you of clear water and arctic oceans and quiet. It was so quiet.

Neither of you spoke. Neither of you dared to break the careful silence.

He reached up, curled fingers gently caressing your cheek, dragging down along the side of your neck, as if a simple touch with too much force behind it would shatter you.

His eyes flickered to the place where your shirt had lifted to expose your collarbone, coat hanging off your shoulders and pulling the fabric down.

He ran his fingers over the exposed skin, making you shiver as you felt rough, calloused pads run across you gingerly, lightly. A delicate touch from a hardened man. He looked back at you, his eyes soft. Intense. Adoring. He had moved closer in the last few seconds, you remarked. You only noticed because you had to crane your head up more to look at him. His chest touched yours. He leaned down, ghosting his lips over your forehead. His hand had moved. One had settled on your waist, holding and trapping you close to him.

You felt a prick in the side of your neck, vision going black as you collapsed into his arms.

—————————

The next time you woke up, you weren’t in your house anymore. There was gauzy, heavy fabric hanging above you. You had been placed in a canopy bed in a room that was expensively furnished, and yet somehow untouched. You were in a bed, which was in a prison, at the bottom of the ocean.

Wriothesley walked in only an hour after you woke. You had a feeling he had been routinely checking to see if you were awake.

He looked down at you, his eyes painfully tender in a way that you regretted not noticing before. There was a fondness, a suffocating fondness, which told you that all those things he now whispered to you at night—how he wanted to protect you, how he had longed to have you for so long, how he had been watching you from afar with his heart in his hands, just waiting for the right moment to give it to you—

His eyes told you that they were all true.

Somehow, you couldn’t hate him.

Wriothesley had been living as a lonely prisoner in his own kingdom—his underwater kingdom that he ruled, because he thrived on the depths of the cold, dark ocean and its inhabitants that yielded to his power.

And yet the king of the underworld yearned for just a little bit of life. Life that you were familiar with—life that you thrived off of, and that thrived in return under your guidance. Life that you loved.

Life that had attracted you to him.

You didn’t know if anyone still talked about you on the surface; if they talked about your existence, or more so your disappearance, in hushed whispers with shifty eyes. No one talked about you down here—no one knew you existed, except for the head nurse and your husband.

You had been stolen away, under the ocean, that little shop off main street missing its owner forevermore.

You, who had always been surrounded by the life of the surface, had been transported to the underworld, a land of misery and lost souls, away from all life, surrounded and trapped by the love you once longed for—and mourning the life you once had.

—————————

Reader: *lets go of Wriothesley’s hand bc they got robbed*

Wriothesley: oh this jerk is gonna pay *sends the guy who robbed you to the bottom of the sea*

he’s been waiting to hold that hand for so long )):< wtf dude

[strawbeerossi]

Dress

Pairing: Husband!Spencer x Wife!Reader

Description: When you’re getting ready for an event over at Rossi’s, you express how you feel you don’t look your best in the dress you had your heart set on. Spencer is gonna do his best to show you just how beautiful that you are.

Content/Warnings: Body image issues, full body kissing, oral (f receiving), praise, pet names, just some good love and fluffy sex.

Word Count: 1.9K

Kinktober Day One: Body Worship

Navigation || Kinktober Masterlist || AO3

The dress looked so beautiful whenever you bought it. The black silhouette did good at hugging your frame, highlighting every dip and curve. Most people would’ve loved to wear a dress like this one, to steal all the attention of the night and feel nothing short of a beauty queen. It was elegant, a smooth velvet that showed poise. However, it didn’t really work out that way for you the more you looked at it without the presence of wine and the loving encouragement of your friends.

That’s why you found yourself standing in place, trying to smooth out what you deemed as imperfections that just wouldn’t go away. This was a nightmare.

“We are going to be late, my love.” Spencer called from his spot in the shared bedroom, looking in the standing mirror on the back of our door as he was fixing his tie. Formal events at Dave’s house were always a fun time. You’d actually managed to feel fancier than normal, the champagne and pleasant conversation adding onto that. You were also quite fond of the idea of socializing with some of the people who had known Dave or even the other members of the team at any step in their lives.

“I think I’m gonna have to pretend to be sick..” You sighed while making your way out of the bathroom, heels clicking against the wooden tile and catching Spencer’s attention. “Why would you pretend to be sick?” He asked, voice filled with concern as he was approaching you, his hands gently cupping your warm cheeks.

Now there are many answers that you could’ve come up with to deter from the overwhelming amount of insecurity festering inside of your mind and body from the dress that you so desperately needed to buy online. Marrying a profiler meant that he would be able to call you out on the lies.

You opted for honesty.

“I just..” Your eyes were trained on the mirror across the room. There was hatred for the sight looking back at you. In a way, it felt as if you were drowning in poor self esteem. Fuck this dress. Why did you have to pick one right off the rack without trying it on first? JJ told you that it was sleek, sexy. It felt the complete opposite. “I don’t like the way I look in this dress. I don’t have anything else to wear over to Dave’s house and I don’t know if I could show my face wearing this.”

There was no doubt that Emily, JJ, Tara and Penelope would be elegantly dressed with flattering attire that highlighted every positive about their bodies. While all having different body types, it was easy to see the beauty in each of them. They all had such well defined features, their bodies being sculpted from the finest stone. They were all four Persephone reincarnated.

Then there was you, the awkwardly shaped one who never felt like she fit in. Your hair wasn’t as nice as theirs, your teeth weren't as nice and perfect.. Sometimes you found yourself wondering why Spencer chose to marry you whenever he had such fine women on his team. The self deprecating thoughts were cut off by Spencer, a soft shushing sound leaving his lips. You’d been crying for a minute without realizing.

“I think,” He began while leaning forward to press his lips against yours. “That you look,” He continued on with his soft, sweet kisses as they moved to your jaw. “Absolutely,” His lips were soon on the flesh of your neck as he let his arms wrap around your waist. “Ravishing.” He finally finished, his hands running over your hips in an effort to soothe those wandering thoughts.

“You don’t believe me.” Spencer’s voice stayed steady, a frown forming on his face while you were blinking away a few tears.

“It’s okay, I will have to just show you just how beautiful you really are.” With his hands moving to the zipper of the dress, you could feel your cheeks heating up. “We are going to be late,” You spoke while letting your eyes fall shut as the wet kisses were slowly trailing down to your shoulders. “I think David would understand. Besides, I can promise you that it’ll be an all night affair.” He chuckled. Which, yeah.. That made sense. David Rossi could keep an event going all night if he truly wanted.

As the black dress pooled by your feet, you offered a shy smile as the kisses continued, your skin being filled with warmth from all of the love radiating off of Spencer’s lips from each kiss that was littered across the skin of your shoulders and collarbones. “Besides.. I’ve been punctual for the past fifteen years in every aspect. I think that I can be late just this once.” He chuckled, hands coming up to unclasp the black bra you’d picked out, letting it fall with the dress before he was lifting you in his arms, prompting you to let your arms to quickly wrap around his shoulders. “We shouldn’t take too long anyway.”

Your body hit the clean duvet when you were laid back on the bed, the cover still smelling of the sea breeze fabric softener that you’d become so obsessed with. Your husband’s lips continue to trail wet kisses across your skin, his hands running up your body as he was on his knees beside you. “You’re so beautiful, my love.” His words were soft, sweet. “Especially laid out like this for me.” You’d been nearly bare, panties separating your wet pussy from his loving gaze. His hands massaged the skin of your hips, lips littering more kisses around your chest area. “My perfect girl, I don’t know how a guy like me could be so lucky.” Love dripped onto your skin akin to the feeling of the bright sun shining against your skin on the hottest days. Your response came in the form of a soft breath, feeling his tongue flick over your right nipple.

His tongue flicked over the sensitive bud, the male humming in delight as he could feel it hardening at the wet muscle massaging over it. He knew the sensitivity of your body, his hands kneading at the warm flesh of your breasts. You were reduced to soft moans, encouragement for more as your fingers tangled in the once neatly styled curls. “Fuck, Spence.” Your words were a melody to his ears, the male not always being so fond of partaking in swearing or really listening to it. However, whenever you did? He enjoyed it. That meant he was doing his job in the intimate positions that you both had found yourselves in.

Pulling off with a loud ‘pop’ filling the room, the honey colored irises were focused on your face, still contorted in pleasure as his hands were massaging your tits with his large hands. He repeated the same action with the opposite nipple, one hand dropping and his fingertips trailing down your skin, the goosebumps on your body standing at attention as his thumb was pressing against your clothed clit, hips wiggling in an effort for more.

Who was Spencer to deny his amazing wife the pleasure that she so desperately deserved?

Even if he didn’t want to, the male was detaching his mouth from your chest while his long fingers were hooking into the waistband of your panties. Your hips lifted out of instinct, body feeling hotter than ever as you were desperate to feel more of the touch you craved in the place that you needed it most.

After the panties were tossed somewhere behind him, the male let his hands carefully push your thighs apart, eyes focused on your slick cunt that looked more beautiful than he could put into words. His mouth was agape at the sight, those pretty honey eyes slowly disappearing in the black of his pupils.

“Fuck,” The swear was rare, yet hearing it fall from his voice in the dulcet tone never failed to surprise you.

“We’ve got twenty minutes before Dave starts calling,”Spencer spoke while glancing at the alarm clock, eyes falling on the mouthwatering sight nestled between your thighs. “So, think you can do it?”

The question was rhetorical. He knew by now how your body operated.

Before you could answer, his face was disappearing between your thighs, lips pressing kisses to your inner thighs as he sucked and nibbled at your skin. Leaving hickies between your legs was the best place, mainly because they were for his eyes only. It wasn't something unprofessional to where you couldn’t go to work without covering up. Less headache. The man was practical.

His tongue lapped over your clit as he was delving in, eyes fluttering shut. His favorite place had to be between your thighs. Stressful case? He’s licking and sucking your wet cunt from the safety of your hotel room. You want intimacy but he’s not in the mood for sex himself? He’s disappearing under the sheets.

He was intoxicated by your sweetness, drinking in every ounce of arousal that you were so happily giving him. His tongue ran alongside your velvety inner walls, your pussy spasming from the muscle that was darting in and out of you, having to alternate between your clit and your core.

Your hands were tangled in the now messy curls, your back arching off the mattress while the sounds of your moans and cries filled the room in addition to the suckling and groans coming from your husband, who was so focused on licking every inch of you.

You felt the familiar warmth deep in your stomach, a knot tightening inside of you as your pulsating walls were closing in on Spencer’s tongue. With your hands shoving his face deeper into your weeping pussy. “I’m gonna cum, Spence.” You panted out, eyes fluttering shut as your head tilted back against the pillow behind your head.You know that you couldn’t hold back any longer, your body giving every indication that it was ready to unleash a wave of ecstasy.

The man licking and sucking didn’t let up, his hands having to hold your hips down as your orgasm was building. The more you wiggled and thrashed, the more that he knew that it was coming.

“I-” You tried to get out, however that didn’t work out in your favor as a moan was chasing what was supposed to come out of your mouth. Your legs were shaking as you were finally hitting release, your nails digging into your husband’s scalp while your mouth was agape.

The warm muscle was licking and cleaning up your thighs before you were seeing your husband’s face again. His chin was wet and his hair was an absolute mess as he rubbed your thighs.

“Let's get you in that pretty dress and get to Rossi’s.” He breathed, letting his teeth playfully bite at your inner thigh before he was pushing himself up.

Which you didn’t argue, the post sex haze making it difficult to speak. Even after you were redressed and Spencer had his hair fixed once more, he was coming to wrap his arms around your waist as he noticed you in front of the mirror.

“Feeling better? Cause I promise that you are going to be the most gorgeous woman there, you’re gonna have all of Rossi’s friends flirting with you.” He mused, nuzzling his nose against your cheek as you let out an airy laugh.

“Let’s get going, hmm? I need my beauty queen to make me look good.” He offered his arm out to you as they linked together, his free hand on your arm as you both made your way downstairs.

[dollycxre]

req: Hi I really liked your fic with Athena and I would like the same fic with Hades if you don't mind. Thanks in advance!

yandere PJO! Hades x demigod! darling 💀🐺👑 - general hcs

I would like to start off by establishing that I truly and firmly believe that Hades would NEVER hurt you or torture you like some of the other gods and goddesses *agressive coughing* Athena, Ares and Hera *more aggresive coughing*

Well and truly he is too in love with you to even THINK about that

I mean have you seen how he reacted to Persephone hating him at the start of their relationship???

Anyways, I believe that the way you would meet is if you were a mother figure to Nico

Nico was immediately drawn to you, an older camper who had stayed back to help Chiron as a counsellor

You weren't afraid of him like most other councellors, rather, like Percy and Annabeth, you saw him as more of what he was; a child who just needed love and affection, a neglected and abandoned child who had to grow up too soon

He's rightfully suspicious and offstanding to you at first but if you act the correct way around him, he definitely takes to you

He starts opening up to you about different things, how he felt about his sister's death, how he felt about Jason's death and how he was struggling to see the point in anything

Comforting him at any time late in the night because he's anxious and depressed and being the one to introduce him to Will also helps :)

I think after he starts dating Will is when he takes you to introduce you to his dad because he finally feels like he has a mother

And that is when you, unfortunately, catch the attention of the Lord of the Dead himself

It's very very hard to gain Nico's trust, considering what he's been through, Hades knew you must have a heart of gold or atleast cared about Nico to have one around him

He finds you intriguing, the way you stand tall to him and only give him a stiff bow, how you roam about and talk to his ghoul servants with ease and of course, how well you're able to take care of and calm down Nico

So his inner stalker starts acting up and he starts sending his servants to spy on you, following you around in the darkness, watching you in the shadows, showing up in your dreams, resulting in them melting into nightmares

Waking up trembling and sweating because of the horrifying creatures and distant memories tormenting you :(

Hades hates tormenting (traumatizing) you but he can't really help it since he needs to know your routine to kidnap you

Actually, I don't know why I censored that, he does kidnap you

He basically sets his furies on your ass which sucks for you but he had no choice

Like imagine just having a quiet, comfortable time in your cabin, all alone with just a nice book and your favourite drink

And then screeching she-demons descend on you and literally drag you all the way to the underworld

Of course, you were having absolutely NONE of that, kicking and screaming

But he gets you eventually

As soon as they deposited you in your bedroom, the man himself comes to see you

Hades confesses to you immediately and tells you he loves you

You immediately remember the story of Persephone and shove him away in horror

From then on, it's just a never ending cycle of him trying to win you over with his wealth and confessions of undying love

Visiting your bedroom everyday with flowers from Persephone's garden

They're beautiful of course but that doesn't mean you'll forgive him

Chucking things from your incredibly expensive bedroom at him while he just stands there and stares at you sadly before leaving

Yelling at him and begging for him to take you back home but he just shakes his head no and apologizes to you over and over

This could go either of two ways, depending on the kind of person you are

1. You keep fighting against him until you finally give in, accepting your situation and deciding to make the most of it

2. You accept his love, thinking that it's better to have undying love than mortal love

He'll be delighted when you finally storm out of your room and go to his throne room, calmly informing him that you accept his proposal

He ADORES you

He's very clingy and he wants you in the throne room with him at all times

He's the kind of person to stare at you for hours and get completely distracted from his job

Like most of the times, you're gonna have to be the one to interview the souls who come to meet him because he's too busy gazing at you

He loves being romantic and will wake you up every day with flowers

He isn't very touchy-feely, he's more of a gift giver kind of person

I mean, he's the god of wealth for god's sake

He will literally get you ANYTHING you want

Even if it's sold out EVERYWHERE, he will personally commission Hephaestus to make it for you

Literally dream of anything, anything that you could possibly want and boom, the next morning, you wake up with it on your bedside table

All he wants in return is a little kiss every day and you telling him you love him

He's one of the gods who will let you roam the above world

He knows that he treats you so well, you'll come back to him anyways

He loves taking you on romantic dates to literally any place you want

Renting out the Eiffel tower just for the two of you is quite the common occurrence, it's his favourite place for a date <3

Complete gentleman, notices everything about you and will literally just chuck money at people, gods, ghosts and monsters alike to make whatever you want happen

Even the slightest show of affection from you is enough to make this poor god pass OUT

Like imagine picking a pretty flower from the above world for him and presenting it to him in the throne room??

He almost fainted of happiness and immediately ordered it to be planted in the royal garden so he could go and gaze at it for eternity

He's in the seventh heaven when you tell him you love him

For everyone wondering what's going on on the Persephone aspect of things, I think she'd be pretty damn pissed at first

Not only because he kidnapped ANOTHER girl

But also because that's her husband??

But unlike Minthe, he actually defends you and refuses to let her hurt you or turn you into a plant and crush you

Eventually, depending on your behaviour and attitude towards her, Persephone will either hate you but not do anything about it, learn to tolerate you OR she'll love you <3

Maybe a little too much....

I mean, you caught her husband's eye....so surely there's something about you that intrigues her too....

But that's a good thing!.....right?

Good luck to you if she ends up turning yandere for you because she is definitely not as soft-hearted and non-violent as Hades

Either way, living in the underworld turns out not to be so bad, especially when you can wander around in your choice of clothes all day, throw money around on things you want, living in a gigantic palace decorated to your design and basically do whatever you like in return for loving an actually really sweet god

Y'know, even if it IS completely filled with spirits and zombies

But that's just minor details in exchange for literally anything in the world....right?

Also, Cerberus ADORES you

Even if you have dog allergies, since he isn't technically a real dog, his 'fur' doesn't affect you

Will follow you around everywhere, begging for pets with all 6 of those cute puppy eyes

Also loves playing fetch :3

Once Nico found out that his father kidnapped you, his reaction was something along the lines of silent, shocked staring

"Nico...I can expla-"

"What. The. Fu-"

He gets used to it pretty fast, he's used to his father's weird, obsessive antics by now

And besides, it just means he gets to spend more time with you <3

I have this irrelevant hc that he likes dragging you with him to his father's throne room and giving him a forceful makeover, just to embarrass him

Hades puts up with it, mostly because he's a softie

In terms of punishments and such, the only time he'd really get pissed is if you tried cheating on him

Like he is so whipped for you that he is willing to let anything slide...except for disloyalty

Even then, the most he'll do is isolate you

He really can't keep himself away from you either

Mostly, he'll just send his minions to guard you a lot more

Which is just more inconvenient and annoying than anything mentally damaging

Overall, he's one of the tamest yanderes in terms of Greek gods

He really doesn't want to hurt you, he just wants you to stay with him forever

He's just clingy :)

[yourladyem]

Beetlejuice: I love you! I've loved you for over 30 years! Nothing compares to you. You're beautiful, Honey! You're the most amazing woman I've ever met.

I wanted to kill Rory and Richard for what they did to you! But I know Astrid would never forgive me if I touched Richard. He's not worth the risk. Rory, I would have happily tortured. Slowly.

I'm so proud of you on everything you've done. You punching Rory's lights out was funny and satisfying. I knew you had it in you!

I'll never love anyone like I love you. Persephone cannot compare to you. Nor Penelope, Stella, Guinevere, Porsche, or Juliet herself. You outshine them all, babe.

Your hair is pretty especially when you wear it down occasionally. That black pantsuit you wear looks so good on you. I had a hard time keeping my eyes off of you. You look good in everything you wear.

Did you like the MacArthur Park number we did? You looked so beautiful in your dress. What about the cake? Too bad we never got to it.

I put the wedding topper in the study so you'll always have it. Red is a good color for you.

Did you know I keep a picture of you on my desk?

Lydia gapes at him: Ok. That's not at all what I thought was going to come out of your mouth.

She guilty looks down at the empty Truth Serum syringe in her hands.

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

The Divine Feminine: Welcome to Hell

Here is part 2 of this fic! Happy halloween!

Warnings: descriptions of hell and other deities, mentions of curses/death, p in v, oral (fem receiving), fingers, multiple orgasms, cnc, daddy kink, supernatural x human relationship

WC: 12,159

Y/N and Hades (Harry, to her) had been living in a love bubble all through the spring and summer seasons. Persephone was gracing the world with her gifts of plenty and beauty, all the while her husband did ungodly things to Y/N and her fragile, yet completely perfect human form. But as the autumn neared, Y/N knew that her time with him would soon come to an end as he had mentioned to her previously.

“I’m not going to abandon you.” Harry murmured against the skin of her stomach. His lips tickling her with the words he formed, causing goosebumps to break out onto her skin.

“Hey, no mind reading.” She reminded, tugging at his luscious curls with a bit of force and he chuckled.

“I can’t help it. Sometimes you just think really loudly.” He said and she smiled. She sometimes wondered if she was completely delusional and in the midst of a psychotic break and none of this was real…but the marks he’d leave on her body, his scent lingering on her bedding, and the romantic gestures he’d lavish her with, proved otherwise.

“I guess I just don’t know how this will work… I mean, you love Persephone.”

“I do. But I love you most.” He said before kissing right above her belly button.

“Liar.” She whispered and he glanced up to her.

“Do not accuse me of lying. I could turn you into a…bug!” He threatened playfully and she cackled, which caused him to laugh along with her.

And when their fit did down she hummed as she patted his head a few times,“Go right ahead. Make me a little lady bug if possible and I can live on your shoulder. Go everywhere with you.” She said and he smiled and shook his head before continuing to kiss down her body to get to one of his favorite places on her body. Her eyes being his most favorite body part of hers, he would be lost in them if she’d let him. He moaned hungrily as he took in her scent and then latched his mouth to her sopping pussy. 

He lived for the way her fingers scratched at his scalp and pulled his curls hard as he honed in on her sensitive, little button until he had her withering on his tongue. She was absolutely delightful on his tongue and he couldn’t stop when he got started. Soon enough, his fingers were joining in the mix and she was soon coming several more times from his thick digits massaging the sensitive spots of her hot, tight inner walls. 

He’d found this spot inside of her that no matter how many times he’d go over it, it’d make her come undone for him until she was an unbelievably sticky and sloppy mess between her legs. So fucking wet that when he’d finally get his big cock in her it’d continuously slip out, making him groan in desperation as it interrupted his pleasure just when he was getting close. It was torturous and he absolutely loved it. Loved filling her with load after load of his come until each thrust had his seed squelching out of her tight little hole. He’d taught her endurance in their months together, but he would still wear her out. He just couldn’t stop burying himself in her or devouring her, connecting with her.

“Fuck baby, you just feel so fucking good… you’re so fucking good.” He moaned his praises as he got ready to come, “One more for me, I know you’ve got one more in you.” He muttered as she groaned into the mattress, her legs were trembling as she clutched the sheets beneath her as he drilled into her from behind. Her eyes were rolling back as she whimpered and keened such beautiful sounds of ecstasy. His finger at her clit was incessant and before she could even beg him to give her break her walls were clamping down around his cock.

“Oh my god…” she gasped as he ground his cock into her to help carry her through her orgasm. She felt like she was floating, it had all been so much, she was sweating and panting as he fucked her clean through it. Her body shivered with overstimulation as he started to thrust harder and faster, getting himself off now for the last time. She was like putty in his hands, he could use her however he pleased, she trusted him that much.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come.” He grunted as he delivered a few more sharp thrusts before stilling deep inside of her. His hands were around her hips, holding her flush against his body as he spilled his hot load of come into her. And he was panting as he came down, but refused to withdraw from the warmth of her body. He started lowering his weight over her, crushing her beneath him and she hummed happily as he finally settled over her. After a few moments he started to shift them onto their sides. Her back was flush to his front. His cock, still hard, was sheathed inside of her, twitching occasionally when her muscles would spasm around his length. “You’re everything.” He mumbled against her ear and she tangled their fingers together, “Wish you could be with me forever.” He said quietly.

This made her smile. Y/N had never really felt like she had a place in the world. She had always struggled to fit in, to find a place in it where she felt like she belonged completely. She’d wondered before if maybe she wasn’t meant for this earth? But she had no idea what Harry’s world was like. She was curious, but she also realized that in order to be there she’d have to die and she didn’t want to die. Not yet at least. There were so many things that she still wanted to do and experience…like tornado chase, travel to Europe, or see her favorite band live at least once. As much as she had grown to love him, he was Hades. He transcended time, he was the god of the underworld. He was the ruler of the afterlife, the highest judge in the universe! At the end of their life every single being answered to him for the way they’d spent their time. He was justice. He was vengeance. He was a God. It baffled her that a being as simple and fragile as her could even catch his eye.

“You shouldn’t think so highly of me, love.” He spoke quietly, like a whisper but in her head and she smiled.

“And why not?” She though inquisitively.

“You’ll make me too arrogant.” Was his response. She loved that she could hear his voice without it needing to be audible. 

“As if you needed any help with that.” She quipped in her mind as she grinned and he swatted the side of her thigh quickly and a giggled bubbled from her mouth melodiously.. “You should stop hearing my thoughts.” She reminded him, speaking aloud this time.

“I want to show you my world. Everything that I can offer you whenever you’re ready to join me.” He said and she sighed.

“What if I’m old and gray by then?” She questioned and he squeezed her tighter.

“I can become old and gray too or restore you to whatever age you desire to be.” He said and she hummed.

“That’s fascinating.”

“It is.” He agreed, “You know, there’s…a spell that can grant you temporary immortality. I could learn more about it and perform it on you, that way you can see everything there is to see without having to die.”

“Hmmm… a little weekend getaway to hell? Sounds nice.” She said teasingly and he chuckled and kissed her bare shoulder.

“S’paradise too, you know?” He said.

“I thought that was Olympus.”

“No, that’s where most of the other deities live. People don’t go there.” He explained and she hummed in understanding.

“Is it dangerous? The spell?” She asked.

“I don’t know, I’ll have to consult Hecate, she’s one of the goddess that also dwells in the underworld. That’s her area. We can weigh out the pros and cons together.”

“Alright, it’s worth looking into I think.” She decided, “And what about your wife? The first day of Autumn is just two days away.” She pointed out and he hummed.

“I’ll talk to her. Tell her about you. I think she’ll be glad that I’ve found someone other than her to keep me happy.” 

***********

Every time Persephone made her descent back to the realm of the Underworld Hades would throw a bash for her. It was an absolute lavish feast and everyone was a huge part of it, Admittedly, Hades had been very distracted with his favorite, little human so he only had those 3 days to plan this feast whereas before he encountered Y/N, he’d begin planning at least a month in advance. As soon as Hades arrived back in his realm several of his fellow deities conjured themselves.

“Are we having the feast or not?” Thanatos asked.

“Yes. I know I’ve been gone a lot-”

“Don’t worry, we’ve got it. The dead remain dead, all is in order.” He assured his friend and Hades smiled.

“Thank you.”

“You deserve this. You never have your fun.” He said and Hades chuckled.

“Let’s ummm, make this feast more intimate, yeah?”

“Alright. And ummm, let’s search through Elysium and the Meadows for some musicians. Just the better ones.” Harry said and Thanatos nodded.

“Nyx and Erebos did start setting up the great hall in their home a few days ago.”

“And your brother?”

“Wandering about the world. After you were gone more than a week he also took a leave. We shouldn’t count on him for any of this.” Thanatos said of Hypnos.

“Alright, fair enough.” Hades chuckled.

“I must tell you, Persephone is a bit…unsettled.” Thanatos warned. 

“Why?”

“Hecate overheard Eros bragging about “striking the ruler of the underworld with his arrow to fall in love with a human”. Boastful little prick…” he huffed and Hades sighed, “Ever eager to gossip, Hecate mentioned this to Persephone, or so I’ve been told by Hermes.” Thanatos explained.

“Unbelievable.”

“I told them it was just Eros being a prick. We all know how bitter he still is over Persephone’s rejection all those millennia ago…” 

“Can I be honest?” Hades said and Thanatos nodded.

“Of course.”

“He’s not just being a boastful prick…I think he succeeded.” Hades admitted. Thanatos was shocked to hear this. 

Anyone who knew the pair knew that the one with an unwavering and undying devotion in this marriage was Hades. He never even thought to gaze upon another being. And anyone who knew Persephone knew that despite her mostly pleasant and benevolent manner, she had inherited the jealously and wrath of her father, Zeus. She could be cold and senseless in her wrath. Hades knew this and it worried him for Y/N.

“If what you say is true then your human is in danger.” Thanatos said solemnly.

**********

Hades had been unsettled after his conversation with Thanatos. He had mentioned to Y/N that he would be rather busy until Persephone’s return and she fully understood this, but he needed someone to protect her from any possible attacks that his wife might hurl at the unsuspecting and fragile human who had his heart. 

Typically he would call on his own wife or Hecate when someone or something required the utmost protection, but these two were the ones who’d been consorting all summer long and likely had turned against him to some extent. Persephone was reasonable, maybe he could convince her to not harm Y/N. But what worried him was that she was all alone on earth without anyone there to guard her. Hades wasn’t all that excellent in his practice of spells, but he did find himself at his altar, performing a spell for Soteria - the spirit of deliverance and protection - for Y/N. Being Hades, the spirit realm was always more susceptible to his wishes. And it gave him peace to know that his offering was accepted. 

The next couple of days passed by quickly and soon they were congregated in the great hall of Nyx’s home as a grand and gorgeous theme played as Hecate and Hermes escorted Persephone inside. Of course, Hades was pleased to see her, he did love her, but it was different now. Still, he was fast to meet her and take her back into his arms as he kissed her lips with adoration. She didn’t have to know that he longed for another’s taste.

“Welcome home, darling.” He said and she smiled.

“Thank you.” She responded softly.

Persephone expected far more fanfare than this small feast that was laid out before her. Typically the underworld was alight upon her return. She had mostly dismissed Eros’ whisperings about him supposedly claiming a victim in her husband, the all powerful Hades. But the thought reentered her mind when she saw the reception he’d given her this time.

It was still lovely, but this was not at all what she was accustomed to. She was his queen. The second most sovereign being in his realm…did she not deserve more than this? It baffled her, it truly did. So when they finally returned to their home and he did not immediately jump at the opportunity to worship her body, she had to confront him.

“Are you not happy to have me back home?” Persephone’s question didn’t catch him off guard. He expected it, he had just been trying to figure out a way to tell her.

“Of course I am.”

“Then what’s the matter?” She questioned him sternly. He was trying to find the words, “Does it have to do with that human you took as a lover?” She asked, “The one that Eros is bragging to all of Olympus about making you fall in love with?” She added and Hades sat at the edge of the bed and sighed.

“Yes.” He said simply and he could just sense her rage boil up in her blood. He could practically hear her thoughts of revenge and the level of cruelty she was imagining made him grateful for having cast those protective spells over his love. “You can’t hurt her.”

“Hecate has more power than those spirits you pray to.” She said and Hades turned to her.

“Please don’t do anything to her.” He said and she was just so stern.

“You were only devoted to me, Hades. And then some pathetic, mortal little thing appears and you’re done for?”

“I didn’t know this would happen! You told me it was alright. To just do as I pleased and I did! You take lovers all the time! For ages sometimes and I’ve never felt threatened by any of them!”

“Yeah, because you’re fucking Hades! And I’ve never fallen in love with any of my lovers. At least not in the way that you’re in love with this human.” She argued.

“It’s not like I planned for this to happen! It just did…” he explained, “I’ve even…considered asking the fates what I should do because I don’t know what to do.” He said honestly and she shook her head.

“I don’t even want to know what they’d ask you for in exchange for revealing something unknown to you.” She said.

“I know… it would be absolutely insane, but I don’t want to hurt you or Y/N. That’s her name.” He said.

“Don’t tell me her name.” She mumbled, “So what…you make her immortal and make her queen of the Underworld? Then what happens to me?” She asked. “You fought tooth and nail to save me from being hurt, you treated me until I learned to love you and-”

“You’ve never been in love with me, Persephone. I know you’ve tried, but it’s never been like what I felt for you. Like what I’m feeling now for her.” Hades explained. And well, she couldn’t’ argue with that. Did she love him, of course, he risked his existence to save her from the cruelty of the Olympians, but she was never as devoted to him as he was to her. He worshipped the ground she walked on…and not having that felt…empty. “And no, I wouldn’t make her queen, you’re great at it. You’re balanced and smart and I trust you to always do the best thing. She’d just…be here with me when her time on earth comes to an end.”

“What if she lives to be 90? And she’s all…frail and ugly?” Persephone asked.

“Hebe owes me one.” He said and she sighed.

“This is…madness. Even if you’re the ruler of the underworld, she still needs to be judged and she’ll be confined to whatever region of this place that she deserves to be in.”

“She’s good. All good.” He said and she scoffed.

“There’s no such thing.” Persephone said incredulously.

“Look, just watch her for a few days. Just look at how she lives, the way she is, the things she does…” Hades appealed and Persephone shook her head, “Please. I want to bring her here,  show her what it’s like. With Hecate’s help-”

“She won’t help you without my blessing.” Persephone cut him off.

“I know that. That’s why I want you to just observe her. I assure you, she’s no threat to you. She never will be. She’s not like us…she has no lust for power or position, she just…wants to be happy.”

“Oh great, just what we need, another Hedonist like Hypnos and Dionysus…” she quipped.

“If she doesn’t have power over anything what would it matter?” He asked and she sighed. “Please, Persephone. I have given so much for you. For your happiness. Would you not do this one thing for me? For my chance to have the happiness the rest of you have had for millennia?” He appealed and she just had to tear her eyes away from his as she felt her heart softening a bit, her obstinance slowly melting away.

“Fine.” She said and Hades smiled happily. 

***********

After a week of settling back into her routine in the underworld, Persephone traveled to the earthly realm to observe Y/N. It irritated her how painstakingly kind she was. Hades was right, she was far too good for this earth. She was a school teacher for children and she was excellent at it. She was charitable, nonjudgmental, and admittedly she was ethereal in beauty. She’d fit right in with the other deities. After observing her that first week, Persephone asked Hecate to join her in her observations. They watched her closely, scrutinizing every single thing she did. Hades had mentioned to her that he was supposed to be visiting her the week after she had done her observing, but when she called Hecate to join her he couldn’t leave. They were the main three rulers of the underworld. So he couldn’t go and each night, she’d have to put up with endless questions from him about what Y/N had been doing? Did she seem disappointed? Was she angry at him? And she starved him of any answers. Hecate even cast a spell over her so that he couldn’t see or hear her thoughts. It was cruel, but the more she observed this human, the more she understood why Hades had fallen for her nurturing and pure spirit. 

Of course she was disappointed that he hadn’t come. She called him “Harry”, which she felt was rather insulting, to bestow a god of his caliber with an earthly name, but that’s who he was to her. He was right, there was no longing for power or strength or wealth - she just wanted love and acceptance - the kind of love that he had given to Persephone for millennia and that she had never really understood or appreciated. She and Hecate heard Y/N’s thoughts on the situation, her understanding that even if he could take lovers, that his wife was his reason for living. That he adored her. He had apparently shared with her their true story and it made her sad for Y/N. To see her so powerless in this situation, to see her just accept the fact that she’d never get “Harry” back.

“I can’t stand to see her that miserable any more. I’m going back.” Hecate said after their 3rd week of observing her. But the second Hecate made it back to the underworld, Hades was traveling to earth. It was just moments later that he met eyes with Persephone before he conjured his physical form in her apartment.

“Harry!” She gasped when he suddenly appeared, startling her. “God, you scared me so bad!” She groaned and threw the strawberry she was about to eat at him. He just glanced down at the spot on his chest that had just been hit by the fruit, but she was soon stepping up to him and hugging him tight. “It’s good to see you.” She smiled as she pulled back from their hug.

  “You too. I’m sorry, I’ve been really busy.” He explained and she nodded.

“I understand, but ummm…I needed to talk to you about something.” She said and he immediately frowned. Persephone tuned into her thoughts and soon understood that she was going to ask him to end things. 

“I already know what you’re going to say. No. I’m not ending this.” He said and she groaned.

“No mind reading!” She scolded and he sighed.

“I already told you, love. I can’t help it sometimes!” He defended himself and she sighed.

“Look, it’s for the best.” She said and he pouted, “I know that you can take lovers but…this is not that.” She said to him, “You have a wife. A wife who you said yourself, is basically your other half!” She explained, “You should go be with her. I mean…what’ve I got left here, another 40-50 years on this earth? I’m just going to get slower, older, weaker, more fragile…I love you, I love you with my whole heart but I can’t spend my life waiting for you to come back when you have a chance. You keep the balance, your role in this universe matters far more than my own, Harry. Your time is better spent in the Underworld than just…wasting time with me.” She explained and he smiled at her.

“It’s never a waste time when I’m with you.” He said and Persephone nearly gagged at the way they were looking at each other with so much adoration. Sure, she loved him, but not nearly as much as this little human loved him. Loved him so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own happiness for his? 

“You know what I mean.” She huffed.

“I talked to my wife about you.” He said and she frowned, “I want you.” He said and her gaze softened but she shook her head.

“No, Harry. You can’t do that to her.” Y/N said.

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do here but the trouble with that is that I…am in love with you now.” He explained and she looked so conflicted.

“I love you too-”

“I know.” He smiled.

“The blasted mind reading!” She groaned in irritation and he chuckled and grabbed her hands.

“Sorry.” He laughed breathily, “It’s the truth though. It’s different with you. Everything is just different and I want you t-to be with me. Forever.” He said and she chuckled nervously.

“Oh my god…”

“I know.”

“But how?”

“We’ll find a way. And it doesn’t have to happen any time soon. You should enjoy your life for however long you need, but just know that you’re the one I want by my side age after age, until the world passes away. We’ll just be together, loving each other, exploring everything the universe has to offer because I’m a fucking god and we can do that.” He said and she was smiling as tears trickled down her face.

“That sounds phenomenal but is she OK with that?” She asked and well he stayed quiet. He knew she was there, watching, listening to his profession of love.

“Yes.” Persephone caved. Her response so soft that only his hearing could detect it. 

“Yes. She’s ok with it.” He said and she sighed in relief.

“I don’t have to like…be the queen of the underworld right? Like I can just…hang out?” She asked nervously and he just hugged her into his chest as he laughed. He could also hear Persephone laughing a bit at her question.

“Yeah, baby. You can just hang out.” He said softly before kissing her head and with that settled Persephone disappeared back to the Underworld.

**********

It was a few days later when Hecate had been able to really perfect the spell to grant Y/N a temporary immortality for her visit to the underworld. She was going for the weekend so she could see what everything was like. Obviously, it was nothing like you’d imagine, but they had inspired storytellers in the ancient times with terrifying images and ideas to scare people into behaving just a little bit better. Which, Harry had assured her of as the day of her visit grew closer. 

Finally, the day came and Harry had appeared in her home with an ethereal, feminine being at his side. She was as tall as him, with a slender build. Her skin was pale and she had long, black hair creating a very stark contrast. Her eyes were a cold gray color that seemed to look straight through her soul but Y/N could not look away.

“This is Hecate. One of the main rulers of the underworld. She will cast the spell on you to grant you immortality for your visit.” He explained.

“I must warn you that you will fall terribly ill when you return from your visit. The travel between realms will catch up to you when you’re back in your human form. It’s relatively normal.” She admonished.

“I understand.” Y/N said and with that confirmation she started speaking in what Y/N could only assume was some celestial or greek language. Little sparks started to appear around her and then they started drawing closer to her. She winced when they started to stick to her skin. The little flecks of light felt hot against her, but she held perfectly still, and she gasped when they started to be absorbed into her skin. She could see her hands and arms radiating more and more and more until suddenly everything stopped. Her head felt fuzzy for a few seconds before Hecate grabbed her hand and out of nowhere slit the palm of her hand with a blade. Y/N winced and pulled her hand away quickly.

“Was that necessary?” Harry reprimanded Hecate as he hurried over to Y/N, “Are you alright?” He asked as he grabbed her trembling hand but when the two glanced down to inspect her wound they saw as it started to fade until it was gone, leaving no trace of the injury.

“I had to make sure it worked.” She smiled to Hades.

“Ready to go?” He asked and Y/N bit her lip and nodded. 

They opened up a portal, so she could know exactly where to go and Hecate walked through first and disappeared. Then he grabbed her hand and gave Y/N a reassuring smile before he started leading her through it. It felt tingly as she made it past the portal into some in-between dimension. It was overwhelming. She could suddenly hear everything. Nature, people talking in many languages, cars, ambulances, animals…it was just so busy. And as they continued stepping through that in-between dimension it started going dark. “I’ve got you.” Harry assured her as they were surrounded by pitch black before they were suddenly stepping out to what appeared to be a river bank. It looked like a gorgeous and peaceful place. The sun looked to be setting at the moment and it made the water glimmer and glisten beautifully, it looked like liquid gold. The ground they walked on was lush green grass and before her was a wide river and on the opposite side of it she could see gorgeous, glistening castles settled deep into the landscape. It was breathtaking, there was so much to see, but then Harry turned to her, capturing her attention.

“Welcome to hell.” He grinned and she chuckled.

“It’s…beautiful.” She said and he smiled and nodded. “Where did Hecate go?”

“She had other business to attend to. I’m going to give you a tour.” He said as he guided her over to a dock where a lone man stood at the very end. The boards slightly creaked as they walked over to the man standing at the end of the dock.

“My king.” The older man said and half bowed as soon as Harry, well Hades, approached.

“Charon, this is Y/N. Y/N this is Charon, he-”

“Guides the souls down the rivers of the underworld.” She said and Harry nodded. Charon seemed pleased that she knew of him, the slight smile on his face gave it away, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“Precisely. I will take her around myself.” He said and Charon nodded and then waved his hand and another boat started to emerge from the water. Harry got in first and then he helped her on and with a wave of his hand, they started to glide froward. 

“The layout of the underworld is basically a circle that funnels down. This is the main river, the River Styx. With each full turn you make around the river you descend into a deeper level of the underworld. Obviously, the lower you go-”

“The less pretty it is.” She said.

“Exactly.” He confirmed as they started to veer to the right. “To descend you would find the portal in the water and that will take you lower.” He explained. “That small offshoot there is the river Acheron. The river of pain and suffering, this is the way all souls go and it takes them to the judgement chamber where their life will be weighed and their fate decided. This is all part of the top level. The main land is where we deities reside as well. The little bit of land there with the large building is the judgement chamber. And then we have some islands coming up in just a few moments.” He said as they glided through the water at a faster pace now that they were riding a current.

“That is Elysium.” He said and she gasped as she took in the island. It was lush and vast. Not as vast as the mainland where the deities resided but it was something to behold. There were also gorgeous greco-style buildings residing on a hills that peeked out of the tree line at its base. They weren’t all that close to the island, but she could make out a few people on the grassy fields. “This is essentially paradise. Not too many people go there. The souls that have earned a place in Elysium are given the choice to stay here or drink from the river Lethe and start a new life on earth.” He explained and she looked surprised.

“So reincarnation is a thing?”

“Yes and no. So for those who have lived a life worthy of Elysium, their paradise is whatever they choose for it to be if they choose to stay.” He explained, “So if I were to have died and made it here and decided to stay in Elysium, everything I was in my life stays with me. I would remember what I did in my life, my family, friends, and say I wanted to have you with me. I could very well ask for my paradise to be your apartment with you for ever and ever, though it’s not really you, of course, but to those who stay it doesn’t really matter. You could come out to the fields, befriend other fellow residents of the islands, essentially do anything you wanted to do. The universe is so vast that each person that chooses to stay in Elysium essentially gets their own world. That building you see at the top of the hill?” She nodded, “That’s the entrance and exit to each person’s paradise. Obviously there’s a hall there for feasts and anything else you could want. But most people who are here tend to stay in their own world. Their utopia.” He said and she smiled.

“Wow… and what if you grow tired of it?”

“Most don’t ever leave it. But you can always…start over. You can take the ferry to the river Lethe, have a sip and everything you were gets wiped clean and the essence of your soul is just used for a new person. Every single person is unique, but the substance of your souls are the same, that’s what makes you alive, it’s what some would call the breath of life or consciousness. So it’s not exactly like the typical reincarnation where you remember the lives your soul has lived through, it’s just what makes you a living being. And life just, keeps going…there’s not really any purpose or meaning intended for it, the meaning and purpose are entirely up to you as an individual, it’s just what you make of it.” He explained and she nodded in understanding and once again they took off. That kind of blew her mind; learning that the purpose of everything was just to be and make your own meaning. It gave her more peace than anything.

“How many people have made it to Elysium?” She asked as they started to pick up speed again.

“In all of history?” He asked and she nodded.

“1,000 maybe?” He asked and she looked shocked.

“Anyone I might know?” She asked with a smile.

“Ummm…J.R.R. Tolkien.” He said and she gasped.

“Really?”

“He was a wonderful man. Everything he did was done with love and the utmost care. He loved the earth, he loved looking after it. He took care of people even when they were awful to him…he was a stellar man.” Harry explained with a smile.

“Did he stay?” She asked and he nodded.

“Yep. He just wanted to be with his family again.” He smiled and she did too.

Before they knew it, they were rounding the river and he was guiding them down to the portal to the next level.

“This is as far down as we’ll go. I’m not going to take you all the way to the bottom, it’s not a nice place to be.” He said and she nodded. The second level was a bit darker. It looked very normal, but the land was vast and it looked like a city with farmland almost. Like earth basically. “This is the place where most people go. The Asphodel meadows and the Fields of Mourning, then running directly through these you’ll find the Cocytus river, it irrigates the fields. So on this level people basically live normal lives. They’re working the tasks they are assigned until they have worked off their bad deeds. Then, they get taken to the River Lethe, drink from it, and start a new life on earth.” He said and she hummed.

“So not too bad.”

“No, very neutral. They get food, water, to sleep, it’s all very humane. But kind of like prison I guess, where you do some labor so that you’re not just, chilling in purgatory. And depending on how much bad they did is how much time they spend here.”

“What about kids?”

“Children and any other innocents get taken straight to Lethe.” He said and she nodded.

“And our animal friends?” She asked and he smiled.

“Their souls are a little different, they don’t have the same consciousness humans do and are considered innocents as well. So the ones that do incredibly heroic things are often given to those in Elysium who want an animal companion. The others get to go back to earth like every other being.” He explained.

“Oh my god…” She gasped as she saw a river that literally looked like lava starting to stem off.

“That’s the Phlegethon river. It’s so hot that as soon as you touch it you just…cease to exist. It’s fast and painless. All three rivers  merge here, so if we get on it we’d go down to Tartarus - that is essentially hell.” He explained as they started to make their way back up. “You have to be incredibly cruel to end up there.” He explained, “But it’s not like eternal torture. Basically everyone eventually ends up in Lethe to start a new life except these people down here, some souls are just corrupt. I have no idea why or where that comes from, but after a few tries at redemptions I learned that it wasn’t worth trying to redeem them. They just came back to hurt people again because it’s not the same type of bad that everyone else carries inside, this is a capacity for evil that is beyond repair.” He explained and she nodded, “Once they have suffered their sentence they get sent to the Phlegethon and that soul ceases to exist. So people who have senselessly murdered others for example, they have their own level and are often subject to the same pain as their victims. So someone like Jim Jones…he’s still down there. He’s to spend time in several of the levels.” He said and Y/N hummed.

“Wow, a cult leader?”

“Yeah, most of the cult leaders are down there for a while on several levels too, mostly for harming innocent people. They’re some of the most evil people.” He said. 

“Definitely. I approve of this system. Seems very fair to me.” 

“I agree. I mean, I am a bit bias as it was my design…but I think it works justly.” He said as they started to emerge by Elysium again. Then they started rounding the back of the mainland and soon were approaching a larger dock. Other boats were lined up there neatly, they were as nice as the one Charon had produced for Harry, or Hades. “You are not moronic for calling me Harry.” He said to her with a grin. She groaned and playfully smacked his arm.

“Stop reading my thoughts!” She said with a grin.

“You think really loud! I’m sure everyone heard that.” He chuckled and she rolled her eyes at him.

“I don’t even know what that means! How can one think quietly?” She giggled and he smiled.

“It’s not about being literally quiet. It’s about quieting your mind. Regulating your emotions.” He said and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “I can sense them and that lets me in your head. So when I do this…” he said as he leaned in, just an inch from her face. Her pupils blew wide and she immediately started to get excited to have him so close. “Your amygdala starts producing and firing dopamine, oxytocin, glutamic acid…and you start to get excited. Then you get a little horny for me.” He said teasingly and she bit her lip, “There’s so much going on and we as celestial beings can sense that. You’re vulnerable to your emotions and that allows me to get inside. And when I’m inside I can start to figure out that you want me to kiss you. That you want me to touch you in all those places that are part of your body, but actually belong to me now. I can practically feel your longing for me as if it were my own longing, angel.” He said and her skin was littered with goosebumps upon hearing this, “I know it has been quite a while hasn’t it? I’ve neglected you for basically a whole month and you can’t help but be this loud for me. Can you?” He asked and she moaned and grabbed his face before smushing her lips into his. 

She kissed him with the the fiery passion of a million burning suns. And as Harry gave into their kiss his emotions swelled and the adoration he felt for her overwhelmed him. Having her there with him in his world, having her meet the likes of celestial beings she never knew were real, showing her the secrets of the afterlife, it was such a special moment to him that he couldn’t help it as his joy just forced a surge of power from his body so great that the the waters of the river became agitated, and a beautiful breeze suddenly whipped around them, and the sun reemerged from the horizon. She pulled away upon feeling the sudden shifts around them and he chased after her lips, giving her a few more smiley kisses and when they parted and looked into each others’ eyes everything fell still again.

“Did you just…force the sun to come back up?” She whispered with a giddy grin and he actually blushed as she looked over his face. He looked just as surprised by this as she did. 

“I-I guess I did.” He said bashfully and she nuzzled her nose to his which made him feel so happy and warm inside. It was such a cute gesture that had caught him off guard and then she kissed the tip of his nose before pressing her forehead to his and he was blushing again, showing off that gorgeous and boyish toothy grin. It made him feel innocent, like a child. That’s something he had never felt in the ages of his existence. He had never even been a child, but the warmth and safety and comfort he felt then with her was a feeling he would cherish for eternity. “That’s how much I love you.” He said softly.

“I love you too.” She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and just held her close until they were docked safely. He helped her off and started guiding her down the path that would lead them down to all of the homes the deities lived in. “So how do we get to the top of the mountain?” She asked.

“We fly.” He said and she looked skeptical and he chuckled, “I’m joking. We teleport, through the portals.” He said and she cackled which made him grin. 

He then guided her to a portal opening, similar to the one they had arrived through. Moments later they were emerging on a path that led them straight to the steps that led up to the gorgeous, deep green door of the dark colored, gothic style castle. She would’ve said mansion, but it was far bigger than a mansion. She literally was glancing up at the intricacies of the exterior as they made their way up the steps. When he opened the door she smiled as she immediately looked around. It was beautiful and dark, it obviously looked great, but she loved that it was lived in, it wasn’t pristine and museum-like, like she imagined it might be.

“I love this.” She said with a smile as she spun around to take in the whole foyer.

“Yeah?” He asked as he came up, hands circling her waist and she nodded in confirmation.

“Ummm…are we staying here w-with your wife or-”

“No. I told her about you when she came back and how it’s different with you.” he said. “After a few days she had a new place built for herself.”

“Oh OK…so she’s not happy about it.”

“I don’t think it’s so much hurt as it is jealousy.” He explained, “The way I’ve been with her up to when she left the last time was…like a queen. She technically is, but you get what I mean. But I’ve been sharing her forever, she’s never had to share me before or see me treat someone else the way I’ve always treated her.” He explained as he started guiding her up the grand staircase. 

“Well sharing a body is far different than sharing feelings.” Y/N said and he smiled.

“You’re right, but I’m not sharing feelings though.” He said as he turned around to face her and her eyes softened. “Everything I did used to be all about her, for her…worshipped the ground she walked on and well…now you’re all I want. S’quite a big change.” He said and she hummed.

“I feel bad now.” She pouted and Harry shook his head.

“Don’t. I mean, she loved me for what I did for her, but never in the way I loved her.” He explained, “Hence the sharing option.” He added and she nodded in understanding.

“Would you share me?” She asked and he frowned.

“Absolutely not. Out of the question.” He said immediately and she giggled.

“Good.” She said and he smiled, “Do I have to share you?”

“Nope.” He said and she grinned, “I’m just yours, angel.” He said as his hand wrapped around the back of her neck and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She melted at the feeling of his lips smooching into hers. Her hands wrapped around his body to hold him closer.

“Mmmm, does the house tour start or end in the bedroom?” She asked and he grinned.

“Fuck the tour.” He mumbled and she smiled as he suddenly picked her up hurried up the staircase and into his bedroom. She smiled when she saw it for herself. It was huge and dark, the bed was enormous with the most beautiful, wooden black bed frame holding it up. The carvings along the tall posts were intricate and she couldn’t help but inspect them when he set her down on the floor. She then glanced up at the high ceiling and smiled, it looked like she was staring straight into space.

“Is that-”

“Yep.” He smiled. “I keep a portal open into space. It’s so gorgeous to look at.” He explained and she smiled and let out a satisfied sigh.

“That’s incredible, Harry. Or should I called you Hades or?”

“Whatever you want, angel.” He said and she smiled.

“What if I call you… daddy?” She questioned as she sat on the bed and he smirked, “Or sir? Do you like that better?” She asked before she peeled her shirt off and dropped it on the ground. His mouth was watering and his eyes grew dark with arousal. His heart thumped as she stood and started to undo the button of her pants. She grinned as she watched his eyes rake down her body, his lip bitten beneath his teeth.

“What’s the difference?” He asked as he came closer. He too started to undo the buttons of his shirt.

“Mmmm, I think daddy is more on a tame level…” she said as she reached out to help him finish off his shirt. She loved his body…she now understood why all the Greco-Roman sculptures featured such ripped ass men…if the gods were the inspiration then the artists did a great job of capturing their beauty. She smiled up at him as her hands slid up his bare torso and helped the material off of his shoulders. “You’d continue taking care of me how you do, but you can make some rules for me to follow during our…sexy time.” she said and he chuckled, “You’re in charge. Play your part and I’ll play mine. And when we’re through, back to your sweet wonderful self-”

“I think I’d be sweet and wonderful the whole time.” He said and she smiled.

“True…with Sir, it feels a bit more…official…I’d…” she felt herself blushing jus thinking of it, but he could hear what she meant.

“You’d be all mine. Everything?” He asked and she nodded and he continued reading her thoughts, “Want me in your head? Want me to use you? Want me to own every part of you?” He asked and she bit her lip, “You’ve got some nasty thoughts for such a sweet little thing, you know?” He teased and she leaned into him and hid her face in the crook of his neck and kissed him there. His cock was hardening up quickly and she kissed up his neck, “Everything you’re picturing in that beautiful brain of yours, I can do those things to you.” He said lowly and smiled as she reached his jaw and kissed him there again.

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah, angel.” He smiled as his hands landed on her bottom. Kneading at her plush butt before landing a sharp smack. “When did you get so nasty?”

“After that first time.” She said and he chuckled.

“Liked that did you?” He asked lowly and she pulled back and nodded.

“Loved it. Love you. And I love what you do to me, how you make me feel when you just take me how you want. Just wanna be good for you.” She said and he smiled.

“You are. You’re so fucking good for me.” He hummed and grabbed her hands, “Now keep being good for me and suck me off.” he said lowly, “M’so fucking hard for you. Want to feel that hot little mouth drooling all over my cock.” He said and she smiled and tiptoed to kiss his lips before kneeling down and quickly undoing his pants so that she could get to him.

Her mouth watered as she released his cock. It slightly bounced from the weight of it as it fell forward. She wrapped her hand around him and glanced up at him as she let her tongue out of her mouth and placed his tip on the flat of it and he smiled as she licked and then sucked it between her lips.

“Fuck, good girl.” He hummed in satisfaction. Her slow strokes along his length and her sucking at his tip had his brain going fuzzy. He moaned when she tongued at his frenulum and he reached for her head, “Fuck yeah, keep doing that f’me.” He hummed and she did as she was instructed. Her free hand reached between his legs and cupped his balls which made his eyes close. She gave a gentle squeeze and he groaned in satisfaction. Her eyes squeezed shut as he pushed her head halfway down his sizable cock and with that, he was reaching the back of her mouth and after she adjusted she blinked her eyes open again before relaxing her jaw and sinking all the way down. “Oh shit…” he moaned with hooded eyes as his tip sunk into the tightness of her throat. Her eyes were tearing up, but when he read her thoughts, asking for more he smirked and thrust in a bit deeper. She choked down her gag as he started fucking her mouth. “Shit baby, so fucking good for me. Letting me fuck your throat like this. Should I give it to you like this more often?” He asked teasingly and she moaned however she could and Harry grinned before he pulled her off of him by the hair, “What was that, angel?”

“Yes, sir.” She responded breathily, her eyes were absolutely darkened with lust for him.

God, he wanted to take over her perfect and willing body but it was more satisfying to know that he didn’t need to go to those lengths to have her do to him all the filthy things he wanted. He smirked and then shoved her head back down and he sunk into the back of her mouth with far more ease this time around. She moaned around him, he could feel her trying to swallow but couldn’t and maybe what he did next was an evil thing but he found no will to stop himself as he groaned and came on the spot. His generous load flooded her mouth and he could feel her trying to swallow it down but in moments she was coughing around him and he pulled her away as she coughed out and swallowed down what was left in her mouth as she also swallowed gulps of air. His sperm was dripping out of the sides of her mouth and her mascara was running down her face, streaking down her kissable cheeks. 

“That’s what you wanted too, wasn’t it?” He asked and she rested her cheek against his thigh and nodded. “Your words, baby.” He insisted.

“Yes, sir.” She rasped out as she continued to regain her oxygen. Having him that far down really took away her ability to properly breathe and it made her head all fuzzy.

“You’re so good for me. You know that?” He hummed his praise as he pushed her hair out of her face, “Stand up and look at me, angel. Let me clean you up a bit.” He said and she glanced up at him and he smiled as he helped her stand. His thumb and index fingers cleaned at the sides of her mouth and she eagerly licked up the rest of his cum from them. He then swiped away her smeared makeup to have her looking good as new. “God, I love you so much.” He hummed with a smile as his eyes met her own and his palm cradled her face.

“I love you too.” She whispered as she leaned into his touch.

“S’your turn now, angel.” He spoke softly. “How should I go about it, hmmm? You still feeling a little wild or do you want me just like this?” He asked and she bit her lip mischievously as her eyes met his, “Alright then.” He chuckled, “What’s gotten into you?” He grinned as he pulled her over to the bed and let her fall down into the plush and heavenly mattress. 

She exhaled as she looked over his face, studying him just a bit. His hand reached out and traced down her side, he loved the curves of her body and the feeling of her skin under his fingertips. She smiled as he touched her lovingly, he could practically feel the life force in her emanating towards him when they were skin to skin. Not that the gods weren’t alive, but they were eternal, there was no need for their life force to fight to continue functioning, it was steady. But hers, it peaked and felt more intense when they were together. A human’s purpose was to find the things that made them feel happy and that in turn, helped them live longer and fuller lives. He was enamored with the fact that for her, he was what did it. He fed her soul all it needed to keep her going. He couldn’t wait until they could finally be together forever and ever. Yeah, he felt things a bit differently than she did but he felt what she felt as well. Like finally his existence had a purpose other than just dictating the fates of humankind. His purpose was to meet Y/n and fall in love. It had to be, because suddenly everything just made sense.

“Gonna answer my question?” He asked as she had just continued admiring him as he had been admiring her.

“Yeah sorry.” She giggled, “Just being here with you in this…realm?” She said with question, “I ca’t help but feel a little…small.” She explained and he frowned, “Oh no, not in a bad way. Just in a way that gives me some perspective. Like up on earth with me you’re just Harry, you know? Silly, sweet, far too giving, humble…normal.” she said and he smiled, “But being here, where you belong? I feel the difference.” She explained to him with a nod, “I feel how you’re different. How powerful you truly are. You’re a god.” She chuckled nervously, “And I don’t feel like I often treat you with the respect you deserve because we’ve always been on my turf, you know?” She said and he hummed, “So ummm…I think I’m just really settling into my role where I feel…comfortable right now. Which for some reason feels like a more…subservient position?” She said with a bit of questioning in her tone.

“Well first off, I need you to know that I don’t think of you any less whether we’re on earth or here. You belong by my side wherever we are, not beneath me.” He assured her and she smiled.

“Well maybe sometimes beneath you…” she murmured with a mischievous little smirk and he chuckled and rolled his eyes, “But ummm…I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t mind the power dynamic. It scares me a little but it also excites me.” She explained with a smile. “I like it more than I ever thought I would.” She shared and he smiled as his thumb ran over her kiss-swollen bottom lip.

“S’funny because when I’m with you I don’t feel like I have the advantage at all. Maybe that’s why I have to really try to…take on a more dominant role with you?” He shared, “You make me feel like I’ve always wanted to feel. Just a man.” He said and she smiled. “And yeah, I’d love to get freaky with you how you want.” he said with a grin and she giggled, “But I need you to know that I don’t think I’m bigger and better or more important than you. You’re all I ever wanted, I’ve been waiting eons for you.” He said softly and she blushed hard as her adoration just swelled and swelled until it manifested physically that way. “I’m so glad we found each other.” He said sincerely as he tenderly caressed her face.

“I am too.” Y/N smiled and then exhaled, “I often think about how…lucky I was that you were there that night.” She said and his gaze softened. “You didn’t have to interfere.” She said and he smiled slightly.

“I absolutely had to.” He insisted, “I was so angry for you.” He recalled, “The things that prick was thinking of doing to you…” he scowled, “And then seeing how pleased you were just to be there, possibly making a genuine love connection with someone? It was infuriating. You were so vulnerable, so well-intentioned. I couldn’t let him ruin your life. I had to do something. But that’s just it, isn’t it? Only I could have done something in that situation. It had to be me.” He realized and Y/N nodded. Her eyes were welled up with tears of joy because no matter how twisted the circumstance was, this had been meant to be.

“Yeah.” She whispered as she reached for his face. She cradled his perfectly sculpted jaw in her soft hand and he leaned into her touch. “I love you so much for it.” She said quietly and he smiled.

“I love you.” He smiled down at her before lowering himself enough to kiss her slowly.

Moments later his tongue was smearing against her own as their kiss quickly grew steamy. Her legs spread to let his hips down collide down into hers. The sizable outline of his cock rubbing over her clothed pussy was making her core tingle deliciously. She needed to feel his cock right up against her throbbing little clit. He was quick to peel off her underwear and sink off of the bed and onto his knees. He spread her legs and groaned at the sight of her. She was pretty everywhere. She smelled divine, it made his mouth water. He sponged kisses up her thighs until he was right up against her pussy. He let his tongue roll out of his mouth as his thumbs spread her open a little more and he started to lick at her entrance. Her little hole was oozing slick right onto his tongue. After she stopped squirming from that he teased around her clit until she was squirming again. Keening for him to mind her clit, shivering in anticipation of the feeling.

“Just a little bit more, baby.” He encouraged her, “Need you absolutely dripping f’me so I fit.” He mumbled against her pussy. 

“Wh-what?” she muttered in question and he glanced up at her.

“Baby, we’ve been doing things while I’m in my human form.” He chuckled and her eyes widened a bit at the realization.

“Right…duh…so what’s…different?” She asked. She was doing her absolute best not to show her nerves but she forgot way too easily that he could read her mind. Her precise thought in this moment was- How big is too big?

“Well it’s not exactly what you might think. My anatomy actually adapts to fill you perfectly. The spots that I can get to sometimes I’ll be invading from the start. If you beg me to go deeper I’ll get in deeper. If you want me to stretch you even more than I do now, you’ll get that. If you had some humiliation kink and needed me to be smaller then…” he trailed off and Y/N was completely enthralled by the idea of this. She already loved that he overwhelmed her in every sense of the word, she couldn’t even fathom how much fun this would be for her.

“I’ll need to be more mindful before I crave more than I can handle.” She said with a smile and he grinned up at her.

“That would be wise.” He hummed before smooching his lips against her inner thigh. “But just know that whatever you desire, whatever you need, s’already yours.” He said softly, “You’ve got me in the palm of your hand.” He said and she bit her lip to suppress her grin as he said this, “I bend to your will. You are the single most powerful being in the universe and you don’t even know it.” He said softly with the most belly-wrenching rasp before kissing a bit further up her thigh again. 

Y/N melted upon hearing him uttering these things to her and she reached down and grabbed him by the hair to push him back up against her dribbling pussy. “Please, keep going. I need to come on your tongue.” She insisted. 

Harry wasted no time in stuffing his face back against her sopping folds and sucking on her clit gently as he slid his fingers into her easily. Y/N felt absolutely helpless and at his mercy as his fingers reached a bit deeper and rubbed against that particularly sensitive part inside of her that just drew the sounds out of her with far too much ease. It was a lethal combination and it was taking her right to the edge far quicker than she was used to. The way that the tingles inside of her were starting to build up so fast and the heat was starting to surge up to her head as she focused everything she had on that feeling was making her body tremble.

“I’m gonna come!” She warned through a pitchy whine before she started to wither in Harry’s hand. It felt so good as her hips writhed and followed the movements of his hand and mouth, she ground herself against his mouth desperately. Making the most of the experience, riding it out and relishing in the breathless and magical feeling as Harry continued to fuck his fingers into her until she couldn’t breathe. Her sharp inhale got caught in her throat when his fingers mercilessly railed into her g-spot until she was gushing into the palm of his hand. Her grip on his hair was only getting tighter as he forced her into a second orgasm. He loved to feel her trembling beneath him, unable to even make a sound from how much she was feeling. He groaned and bit into her thigh gently as he started to slow down enough to let her catch her breath. Her sharp inhale made him grin and break the gentle grip of his bite on her plushy thigh.

“Fuck…” she giggled breathily and he glanced up at her. Her eyes were glossy and lidded and his were just dark, he was already hungry for more of her.

“Are you alright?” He asked and she nodded silently with a pleased smile adorning her lovely face.

“Very.” She smiled. And as his eyes met with hers his heart started to thump so hard as the singular thought in he heard was how much she loved him.

“Angel?”

“Yeah?” She asked as she smiled down at him and raked his hair back and off of his forehead.

“I wanna go slow.” He hummed as he started to press himself up. “Need to show you everything I feel. Need you to understand how it feels for me.” He said breathlessly before kissing her deeply, “Can I?” He asked between kisses and she nodded.

“Yeah. Please, show me.” She hummed, her eyes, all full of need and longing, locked onto his gaze. 

In seconds the energy shifted and she felt herself submerge deeper and deeper as he possessed her. She was looking at him from so far away inside of her mind. He was smiling  dopily as he surely read her thoughts. 

“Ready for me?” He asked and she nodded and prepared herself but he wasn’t sinking into her he was actually playing with her brain. She suddenly started to feel all fluttery inside. It was so intense.

“Sometimes it’s so bad I swear I have to throw up.” He said softly, his voice echoed and bounced off of the walls of her empty mind. “I feel so warm. So at peace.” He continued saying and all she could do was smile from her prison. She was dying to feel him inside. His erection was pressed up against her, she could feel the steady throbs of it against her. “Need me inside, angel?” He asked, she was begging for it, “Alright.” He hummed. She loved the smugness emanating from him. Moments later she was regaining control of herself. “Want you here with me.” He said and Y/N smiled and slid her hand up his strong bicep.

“Please.” She whispered with need. He licked over his lips before guiding his cock to her entrance. His hips pressed forward as she spread her legs wider for him, eager to feel him start to push inside of her. They both sighed in relief as his thick, ruddy tip sunk into her.

“Fuck, angel…” he grunted lowly as her warm, plush walls squeezed around his cock. 

Y/N moaned as he sunk in deep and ground into her, getting even further inside. He dropped his weight to his hips and really let her feel him inside of her. Her nails bit into his back as he started to rock his hips bak and forth setting a glorious pace. Their hips moved together like they were in a dance, back and forth, give and take. She felt so safe with him, she was obsessed with him. Her eyes squeezed shut when he ground down over her clit. A small whine slipped past her throat as he did things exactly the same until she was right on the edge.

“Not yet, baby. Not yet.” He instructed and she groaned in defeat as her limbs relaxed as her body eased out of it’s near climax.

He closed his eyes for a second and suddenly everything was growing dark and they were shrouded by swirls of stars and constellations. Her heart was swelling with awe and wonder at the vast beauty and then she just felt more love for Harry. 

“I’m making one for you.” He said, “A constellation.” He clarified and she chuckled because she had no idea what to even say to that! If she had his power she would’ve made one of him too. 

“I love you so much.” She declared softly and he dipped down to kiss her. He started to pick up his pace, delving deeper and deeper into her slick little pussy. He was dying to get her pregnant, the thought crossed his mind every single time he was inside of her. The was she squeezed around him, the ridges of her spongey and hot walls literally made him feel stupid. He felt like he lost all control, he would fuck her for hours if she could take it. He loved the idea of filling her up he had before…

“Can I come inside?” He asked and she nodded quickly.

“Please, daddy.” She emphasized and he groaned and started to go faster as he started to come undone. 

“Fuck, angel…” he groaned before he started to grunt with each thrust into her as he came inside. “You come until I’m done, okay?” He instructed and she nodded. He slowed his pace for a moment before flipping her onto her knees before he continued sheathing himself inside of her with long, slow thrusts. Her arms felt trembly as her fists squeezed the covers tight. He was fucking right into her spot and it was making her so fucking wet. They could hear it as he started to fuck into her harder, “Oh you feel so fucking good…” he moaned before squeezing her hips hard and then holding her against him as he pressed in as far as he could before grunting as he busted another nut in her pussy. 

Y/N’s mind was drawn a blank, she was absolutely drunk on him. Before she could even process it he had her on his lap and she was desperately humping up against him, fucking his cock with a rabid need. Her soft, little grunts were coming out in perfect time with her movements. Harry’s lips smooched down the valley of her breasts before he opened wide to suck her right nipple into his mouth. He sucked fervidly at it as she rode his cock, he needed to feel her coming around him.

“Come for me when you’re ready, angel. Wanna feel it.” He mumbled and she nodded. He snuck a hand between them and started to swirl his thumb over her clit, spurring on her orgasm. Y/N’s body was already taut and trembling, eagerly awaiting his permission to come. She started to lose her rhythm as the friction on her clit became too great of a distraction. Y/N was covered in goosebumps as the fire started to spread from her core all the way out to the rest of her body. Her tummy started to tighten as she felt her walls pulsing and throbbing around his big cock. She was absolutely stuffed of him. The wet sounds of his cum mixing with hers brought her that much closer to her end.

“I’m gonna come! Oh baby, I’m gonna come!” She gasped and he wrapped his arms around her midsection and hugged her close as she started to come. The pulses of her contracting walls around him pulled his final orgasm from him too. As she shivered in his arms he spurred on her pleasure by continuing to fuck her through his own orgasm, it was far too much but he could not stop. Being with her felt too good. They were both struggling through it, tears brimming their eyes until it was just too much and they had to slow down. 

“I love you so much. Just so fucking much…” he mumbled as they fell onto the mattress and kissed passionately. It was such a special and tender moment, everything about this was right. And as the kiss ended they were suddenly back in his bedroom and she smiled at him. He just took her in for a few moments, admiring her beauty, but then his smile faltered for a moment.

“Hey, don’t think about my mortality…” she said and he sighed.

“How’d you know?”

“I can read minds too.” She grinned and he smiled slightly. 

“Do you want all of that normal life stuff?” He asked and she shrugged.

“Not without you. But I also…don’t want to die.” She said and he nodded before kissing her cheek.

“There’s gotta be a way.” He said.

“If you find the way, you let me know. I’d say it’s worth a shot.” She said and he smiled.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She confirmed.

She had no idea what any of this would entail and she didn’t really care. All that mattered to Y/N was that he was going to find a way to let them be together. He was her other half. There were no if, ands, or buts, it was a divine union. He was hers and she was his, always.

Feel free to check out my masterlist

[enehana]

Chthonic Gods' Cabins Headcanons

Children of Hades, Persephone, Nyx, Hypnos, Nemesis, Hecate, Thanatos, Eris, Geras, Selene, etc. Any God that lives in the underworld or is a child of God that lives in the underworld.

They refer to themselves as Hellspawn endearingly.

They are so much more loyal to each other than to children of other Gods. They're all united by the underworld.

They have sleepover in the Hades Cabin. Chiron doesn't know, and he wouldn't allow it if he did. The Hecate Cabin masks their presence so others can see, hear, or sense them.

They treat children of Hades like royalty. They're all the pretty princesses of the underworld. They put a pink, fuzzy crown on Nico one time. He didn't particularly enjoy it, but he didn't stop them.

They make homemade candles and hold rituals in cemeteries and abandoned playgrounds.

They always make sure Hazel is welcome at camp. She is a queen. She can't be uncomfortable or unhappy at camp half blood.

They held a grand funeral for Bianca. She has a beautiful burial plot. Fresh flowers every week.

Sometimes they go frolicking through the underworld, holding hands and skipping. Purely for the irony.

They kind of consider Will one of them? They're a bit iffy about him because he's a son of Apollo, the sun god, but they appreciate how happy he makes Nico.

The underworld children that can summon spirits (Mostly Hades children. Children of Hypnos can make dead people appear in dreams. Few children of Nemesis can control vengeful spirits. Few children of Ares can call upon dead soldiers who lost their war. Thanatos children.) will gossip about the spirits they spoke to. They'll also work together to try to summon a lost friend or family member, to give one of them some form of closure.

The Hades cabin leads their little clique. Planning outings and meetings.

The Hypnos cabin regulates their dreams, making sure everyone sleeps relatively okay. They keep their dreams not terrible for the most part.

Children of Selene will use their powers to radiate moonlight, effectively making other children of the underworld slightly more powerful.

Children of Nemesis act as their regulators, their judges. If someone wronged one of them, the entire Nemesis cabin will get revenge for them.

Children of Nyx are their guards. All they have to do is look at someone, and they'll think a million times before they even interact with one of them.

Children of Persephone will grow flowers and fruit for them. They keep their lives bright and meaningful. A symbol of peace, even if only in short periods.

Children of Hecate will enchant anything for them. Magical weapons mean more security. And Tarot readings. A small glimpse into the future will calm them down so much.

Children of Geras will give them wisdom. Old age comes with experience. And experience leads to knowledge. An excellent guide for young, inexperienced demigods.

Children of Eris will remind everyone of what someone has done. Never forgetting someone's blatant wrongdoings. They warn everyone when they hear about something someone has done, trying to keep them out of trouble.

[obsidian-pages777]

Pick a Card: Your own Persephone and Hades Love Story

Left to right- 1->3

Introduction

This reading will give you, your own personalized rendition of a love story as if it were inspired and based on the mythology of Persephone and Hades. These two mythological entities were famously known to have had a deep, profound and, also to mention, a rocky ride of a journey in love. If you are interested in this Gothic theme of a potential love life , pick one of the piles above.

================================================================================================

Pile 1:

To represent your relationship you received The Lovers. This card signifies a deep and meaningful connection. Your love story will be one of profound passion and mutual respect. Just like Persephone and Hades, your bond will be transformative for the better as the Strength card showed up as well. You will both bring out the best in each other, finding balance in your differences.

To represent the challenge you will face in your love story you have received The Eight of cups, Wheel of Fortune reversed and the Nine of Wands. This indicates sudden change and upheaval. There will be challenges and disruptions, but they will serve to strengthen your relationship. Much like Persephone’s abduction, these challenges will lead to a new and stronger foundation for your love. There will have to be a letting go, loss and simply regrouping your strength so that it makes way for a refreshed energy. You might leave something important to you for this relationship to occur. This might not feel like the correct decision at first but you decide it is anyway.

To represent the sweet progression of your love story you have received the Page of Swords, Ace of Cups and Four of Wands. These cards bring hope and inspiration. After overcoming obstacles, your love story will be one of healing and renewal. You will have a reason to celebrate this journey with a beautiful gesture of commitment, such as a well thought out and creative proposal made by your partner to you. It could even be a destination wedding or an intimate and romantic engagement party of sorts that will be one that happens to be the hallmark of your relationship in the eyes of many, since there might have been speculations regarding the longevity of your connection because of your previously mentioned challenges. You will both emerge stronger and more connected, finding joy and fulfillment in each other's company.

================================================================================================

Pile 2

To represent the beginning of your profound love connection you have received The High Priestess. This card symbolizes intuition and mystery. Your love story will be marked by a deep, almost mystical connection. You will both understand each other on a profound level, much like Persephone and Hades, whose love was rooted in the underworld's secrets.

Secondly you received the card of Hades himself The Death. This card signifies transformation and new beginnings. Your relationship will go through significant changes, shedding old patterns and evolving into something entirely new. Just as Persephone's life changed when she became queen of the underworld, your love will transform you both. You might feel that this person has an air of intimidation to them. Despite your reluctant nature to consider the longevity of this connection as certain, you might still be drawn to them as though you are influenced by a mysterious force beyond your control. I feel as though this is a connection that your ancestors would require you to have this lifetime.

Thirdly and most conveniently you have received The Temperance card and The Two of Cups. These cards represent balance and harmony. Despite the changes and challenges, your relationship will find a beautiful equilibrium. You will both learn to blend your energies, creating a partnership that is both peaceful and powerful. After all you see each other eye to eye. There is a rightful place in each others hearts made just for the both of you.

================================================================================================

Pile 3

To start things off you have received The Ace of Pentacles and Six of Cups. These cards symbolize abundance and nurturing. Your love story will be one of growth, both emotionally and perhaps even physically. Like Persephone's role in the cycle of life and death, your relationship will be a source of renewal and creativity. You will feel that this connection is a fresh start for your life. You might have met this person before once upon a time, whether you recall it or not.

You have also received The Devil card. This card indicates temptation and passion. Your relationship will be intense and possibly a bit tumultuous, with strong desires and deep emotional ties. However, like Persephone and Hades, you will find strength in your connection, learning to navigate the darker aspects of love. Since this card speaks for itself there is not a necessity for another pull regarding the main challenge to be faced.

The Justice card is present here, it brings fairness and truth. Further you have received The two of Pentacles. Your love story will ultimately be one of balance and justice, where both partners are seen and valued equally. Just as Persephone balanced her time between the underworld and the earth, your relationship will find its own harmonious rhythm. There will be compromises made with proper communication as shown by the presence of the Ace of Swords to end off the reading.

[cynicalclairvoyantcadaver]

All right, ok, LISTEN. I don't know who needs to hear this, but I'm pretty sure that some people do. It's ok to hate Percy Jackson because it depicts the Greek Gods in a terrible way. Rick Riordan has the creative license to write them however he wants, but it's still fine to be annoyed at how they're portrayed.

It's ok to hate the fact that PJO wasn't in Greece and that the explanation for why it was in America was terrible.

It's ok to hate the fact that Zeus, Hera, Ares, Athena and a whole lot of other gods were portrayed in a negative light.

It's ok to be furious because Ares is a bad parent in PJO.

It's ok to tear your hair out over the way Artemis and her hunt were written.

It's ok to be angry that Athena had children with mortals when she was a virgin goddess in the myths.

It's ok to be angry that Hades cheated on Persephone in PJO (even if you like Nico and Bianca and Hazel. It's fine to do both).

It's ok to be angry that Persephone and Demeter don't have a good relationship and that Demeter is largely painted to be an overbearing, helicopter mother.

It's ok to resent the fact that Artemis, the former's hunt and Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and another virgin goddess, were portrayed as literal CHILDREN despite there being no reason for Rick to do that.

It's ok to be annoyed with the fact that Poseidon was sanitized when he could've been such a morally gray character.

It's fine to cry about the fact that Aphrodite was largely reduced to a stereotypical, modern cartoonish version of RomANtiC lOvE when she was the goddess of LOVE, not just ROMANCE, SEX AND BEAUTY.

It's ok to like Trials of Apollo but want to smash things because Apollo was depicted as an incompetent dumbass. It's ok to seethe at the fact that Zeus was portrayed as an abusive father to Apollo when in the myths, he was quite loving.

It's ok to do this because PJO is one of the if not THE MOST major media that depicts Greek Mythology. It's basically a Greek Mythology fanfiction MODERN AU. And yes, it's helped thousands of children and adults and made them feel better, and it's almost as popular as Harry Potter for a reason. But it's still fine for Greek people, Hellenistic Pagans and even people who aren't Greek or Hellenistic to be angry with how Rick Riordan is continuously bastardising the Greek Gods and making them look more and more of a joke.

A lot of people who got into Greek Mythology used PERCY JACKSON as their first reference, and while Percy Jackson is a great start for venturing into Greek Mythology- PLEASE, PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT PJO GODS ARE NOT AS ACCURATE AS THE ORIGINAL.

POSEIDON IS NOT THAT GOOD.

HADES IS NOT SO VILLANOUS.

ATHENA IS NOT SO COLD AND UNCARING. SHE'S A MAIN PATRON OF HEROES AND RARELY ABANDONS THEM EVEN AFTER THEY'VE COMMITTED WAR CRIMES

DIONYSUS IS NOTHING LIKE HIS PJO COUNTERPART.

ARES IS A GOOD FATHER.

DEMETER AND PERSEPHONE HAD A BEAUTIFUL, LOVING RELATIONSHIP.

HERA IS NOT SO HORRIBLE. SHE HAD HER GOOD MOMENTS

ZEUS WAS NOT THAT BAD IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY AND HE WAS ALSO A CARING FATHER. HE SENT BLOOD RAIN DOWN TO MOURN HIS SON SARPEDON WHO WAS FATED TO DIE.

I know this sounds like I hate PJO, but I really do like the series. It's fine to like PJO and its characters while also disliking how the gods were portrayed. It's ok.

[nocturniashifter]

𝓦hat is your friendships like in your dr? | pick a pile

Hello, my angels! After a long time without posting any PAP, here I am. I really hope you like it and that it resonates with you ;) ♡

┈─★ Disclaimer: This reading is for entertainment purposes only and shouldn't be taken seriously or used as a substitute for medical and professional advice. It's also a general reading, so it may or may not resonate with you.

┈─★ How to choose: Close your eyes, take a deep breath and choose the image that catches your attention the most – trust your intuition.

MASTERLIST | PAID READINGS

── .✦ PILE 1

Shufflemancy: Hippies - flipturn, Picture Frames - rei brown, Knight - Maddox, I Love You But I Need Another Year - Liza Anne, Persephone - The Tragic Thrills.

It's funny because from the first moment you started your friendship, you and your friends are “the weird ones” together �� you might have a more alternative style or you just don't fit into the boxes that society tries to put you in/don't follow the expectations that society imposes on you.

In your friendship, you accept and love each other exactly as you are and since there is no judgement, you can let your weirder sides out because there is this safe space in your relationship lol. But although you may be judged as “the weird one” by other people or even by yourself jokingly, your friendship is very beautiful!

You really are there for each other whenever one of you needs. If one of you is going through dark periods in life, the other will not abandon you in those difficult times and will reach out to help as much as they can – you are like each other's knights in armor. I say this not only metaphorically, but for those who are shifting into a DR that involves a lot of action and is more dangerous, your friends will really be there to protect you because they want to keep you safe. They would even risk their lives for you if necessary – and they wouldn't do that for just anyone but you. It's so cute, you are always in their hearts 😔💗

You and your friends really love each other. But, one of you is facing mental health problems – you may not even have a diagnosis yet because this person is avoiding therapy, if it's you go now or I'll pull your foot when you're sleeping 🤨 – and you don't want to become a burden to the other person in friendship.

Because of this, this person who is facing this problem may end up distancing themselves from other people because they don't want to drag them into this situation even if all they want is for someone to be present in their life supporting them during this difficult time. Be there for that person just like they were there for you when the world was falling apart.

Demonstrate through words and actions that you care about that person's well-being and encourage them to seek profissional help because it will be beneficial for them - and if you are the one going through this, be there for yourself, take care of yourself and, above all, seek professional help. Know that, regardless of what happens, your friends love you very much and will always be here for you – when the world is falling apart or when everything is fine.

── .✦ PILE 2

Shufflemancy: Five Foot Tree - Flannel Graph, She Sings in the Morning - Pierce The Veil, The Fall - half•alive, What the Heck - Tried to run away, Ultimately - khai dreams.

Your friendship is so beautiful, pile 2! Your friends love you so much that if they could, they would take away all the suffering you have and leave you with only the best that life has to offer.

Your friends may think that they don't have many material things to offer you, but they give themselves completely to you and hope that that is enough.

In your friendship, your friends are not the type of people who tell you what you want to hear – no, on the contrary, they tell you what you need and often give you reality checks or make you wake up/open your eyes for a certain situation that you weren't seeing things right or lying to yourself, but they do it for your good.

Due to negative experiences in previous relationships – whether platonic or romantic – you or your friends have developed trust issues and therefore do not feel safe opening their hearts and being vulnerable with other people for fear of being stabbed in the back like It's happened other times. But, it seems that little by little you or your friends are learning to open your hearts, to share your thoughts and ideas and to trust each other despite the fears and insecurities you feel and that is very good.

You're the kind of friends who can talk about literally any topic or sometimes just make small talk – one moment you can be talking about the silliest, most idiotic things, making jokes, and the next moment you're having deep conversations about serious and important topics.

You and your friends are learning and growing together over time and through your experiences. You love and accept each other exactly as you are – including all your flaws. When you make a mistake, you admit it and always do your best to keep your friendship working. You support each other, care for each other, respect each other and generally bring out the best versions of each other. This is very beautiful, pile 2!

── .✦ PILE 3

Shufflemancy: Corpses - Saint Sisters, Cocoa Hooves - Glass Animal, To Love Someone Else - Avery Lynch, Tesselation - Mild High Club, new skin - VÉRITE.

You and your friends have more than just a friendship. Your friendship goes far beyond that: you are each other's family and you are truly there for each other in the worst and best moments you face in your lives.

Your friendship is so strong that you will spend your entire life by each other's side and will remain friends until old age. You've been through a lot together and will continue to be by each other's side whenever one of you needs it, until death.

Just like in pile 2, you or your friends have difficulty opening up due to negative experiences in previous relationships – be it trust issues, fear of judgement, fear of rejection or their own insecurities – and may end up trying hide parts of yourself. But all this effort to try to hide who you really are is in vain, because your friends can clearly see through you.

As I mentioned earlier, your bond is so strong that your friendship will last until old age and your friends know you better than you know yourself, so there is no need to try to be someone you are not because they love you exactly as you are. It is. Your friends really love you and you make them feel great, so stop thinking you're not enough.

For some of you reading this pile, one of these friends is your s/o and they really love you but they need to keep it a secret because they don't know if you reciprocate their romantic feelings and they're afraid of rejection or ruining their friendship with you.

Although you and your friends have many things in common, you are still completely different people who share world views that are not the same as the other person – and in your friendship this is not a problem, on the contrary, you end up learning a lot with the other person, gaining new perspectives and experiences. You take yourself out of your comfort zone and, thanks to you, your friends feel like they are different people than they were before and even better.

That was all, everyone! I hope y'all liked it. Until the next PAP! ♡

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