#what did demeter feel when hades took persephone away?

[doodle-dog-diary]

Reading a transmigration novel listening to slipping through my fingers from mamma mia and getting emotional about demeter and persephone

[telvess]

Record of Ragnarok, Hades x Persephone!Reader

Sorry for delay, but my writer's block came back.

*SWF*

— Mother, are you sure it’s wise for me to accompany you? — you looked at yourself in the mirror. Your mother chose a modest toga for you that completely covered your shoulders and neckline and was long enough that nobody could even see your toes — I can wait for you here. Your eyes met your mother's in the reflection of the mirror. Her grim visage was present - cold, distant, severe, just like winter. So different from the mendacious one that’s she usually portrayed. — You’re safest by my side — her voice reminded you of the sound of a branch breaking. Demeter wore a simple black robe, her brown hair was braided. She got walked up to you, stood right behind you and watched your reflection in the mirror with cold eyes. The cold she emanated sent an unpleasant shiver down your spine. — Stay within my arm's reach, or at worst within my sight — she instructed — Come now, child — she took your hand and led you towards the doors.

You just needed to pass the bifröst and your mother would never find you again. The only way to achieve this was to make your disappearance seem like an accident. That would take away any suspicions and give just enough time to escape. After Gigantomachy, the Greek gods had much to celebrate and much more to discuss. Even if your mother didn’t take part in the war, she still was excepted at this huge event. Such an opportunity for you may never come again. But before, you had to pretend to be an obedient daughter who was brainwashed by your mother to the point where you couldn’t imagine life without her. So you did what she said - you stayed by her side throughout the entire event, you didn't participate in any conversations, you didn't pay attention to anything - and you looked as uncomfortable as you could in the presence of strangers. On the last day of the event, Demeter seemed contented, even in her grumpy mood. That’s why when Hera asked for her, she didn't look at you once. — Stay here — she commanded. You watched her approach Hera surrounded by nymphs. They exchanged greetings and then your mother checked you out for the first time. Shortly thereafter, it happened a second time. She lasted over a minute without paranoia taking over. You sat still like a sculpture. Only your heart was betraying you, but Demeter couldn’t hear it. She checked you out a third time, and then fourth almost immediately after. Now, you ordered yourself and with wildly beating heart, you joined the passing group. You tried to move as fast as you could, but your long toga prevented you from doing so. You lifted up your dress, hearing in mind your mother sucking air through his teeth at that shameless act. You were passing other gods and goddesses, nymphs and elves. With a few exceptions, you didn’t recognize anyone. You gritted your teeth, feeling anger rising in your chest. You were so old yet you didn’t even know people in your on pantheon. That conclusion gave you even more motivation to speed up. The others gave you looks of surprise or annoyance, but you were too focused on finding a way out to care. Once you were outside, the fresh air cooled you down. You took a deep breath and smiled. The prospect of freedom together with a thrill provided emotions you had never experienced before. The dark sky was full of stars. Everyone was inside at that moment, so the path to the carriage was clear, but just in case, you walked hidden in the shadows so that no one could see you from the balconies. Each carriage was specially marked, every god had different preferences. Once you spotted the right one, you sneaked right under the coachman's nose and hid in the storage, where they kept luggage case. It was big enough for you to fit, full of someone’s clothes. Now it was time for the hardest part: waiting. Your mother was probably looking for you and pulling her hair out at this point. You knew how cunning she was - you took after her - and you couldn’t help but let your worries grow. What if you never actually outwitted her? What if she knew about your little plan all along? What if she suspected something and just let you have a this luttle illusion of freedom, just to rip this apart a few minutes later?

You didn't know how long you had been hiding at that point. It felt like it lasted for about an hour as your numb body slowly began to ache from lying in the uncomfortable position. You heard voices from time to time, and they grew louder over time as more and more gods began to leave the event for their palaces. Did your mother keep your disappearance a secret? You expected much bigger fuss, and hoped that her uncontrollable rage would get her into trouble… The sigh escaped your lips as the carriage shook and moved. Was this really happening? You didn’t want to jinx it, but the fire of happiness lit in your chest. Please, don’t stop, please, don’t stop… They listened.

You peeked through the crack in your chest from time to time. It was stupid of you, but you couldn't help but see Valhalla getting smaller and smaller by every second. Leaving it behind was one of the biggest steps you had ever taken and it felt great. But the carriage was moving in such slow pace that you had to fight with yourself to not jump out of your hiding place. First you had to pass the bifröst and enter the Underworld in the carriage, then… worry about what to do with your freedom and how not to die on the first day of your life - you repeated to yourself.

The Underworld wasn’t as dark as you expected. At least not where you came from. The sky was grey and brought gloomy atmosphere, that was only enhanced by the landscape of bare rock mountains, but it was less scary and depressing than in your mother’s stories. And you haven't heard or seen any demons yet. The carriage was travelling on a bumpy road, causing chest with you inside to constantly shake. You tried your best to ignore it, but as the minutes passed, your patience slowly wore thin. One time - when the carriage ran over something exceptionally big - and you hit your head on the cover of the chest, you decided that you had had enough and you opened chest with too much force. The lifted hinged lid hit the back of the carriage too hard, the rumble seeming especially loud in the quiet place you were in. You cursed your stupidity and held your breath, hoping the sound remained unnoticed. — Stop the carriage! — you heard a stern voice. You groaned. What should you do now?! For lack of a better option, you decided to hide in the box again. With your heart beating madly, you listened from the inside. You heard the door open, then barely audible footsteps and… silence. You bit your lip, feeling building sensation in your stomach. You didn’t see or hear anything, but your mind told you that someone was right next to your hideout. — You’re waiting for me to leave, aren’t you? — you said loudly. — Yes. That was short and brutal for some reason. Suddenly all your excitement and thrill of unknown disappeared, replaced by embarrassment. At that moment you felt so small, hidden in someone’s chest like a common thief. You bit your lip and stood up, without looking up. But your numb body didn’t exactly listen to you, so you lost your balance and fell with the massive chest you were hidden in. You landed on the ground, among the rocks and dirt.

— Ouch… Speaking of embarrassment… Your head was right on someone’s shoes. To your surprise it wasn’t sandals that Greek gods usually wear, but a pair of leather shoes filled with square patterns. Quite extravagant in your mother’s opinion. You raised your head and saw a very formal outfit; long white jeans, a blazer with patches decorated on the left and right side and a collar that spans all the way to his upper chest. Above were cold, almost indifferent purple eyes assessing you. You had never seen Hades before and had no particular idea of him, but you had to admit: he was a very handsome man, with his noble features, grey hair and a leaf-like pattern tattooed above his left eye. Not to mention his strong aura that floated around and took your breath away. — Oh, hi… — you mumbled with a soft smile, trying to remain nonchalant. Hades didn’t flinch. — Hi — he replied, a note of moderate interest in his tone — You know, if you needed a ride, you could’ve just asked. You smiled and slowly stood up. You couldn’t stand his spiral eyes, so you focused on your toga instead. The fabric was no longer white, and brushing off the dirt didn't make much of a difference. — Thank you, but I wanted to keep a low-profile. When you looked at him again, this time, face to face, you noticed in his eyes sparks of understanding. Your face remained the same, but inside you were trying to fight the feeling of anxiety. He recognized you. — You’re the one that was missing… — said Hades — The girl. You shrugged. — So my mother made a mess after all… — She thinks something happened to you — Hades’ words didn’t match his tone. He seemed intrigued, his eyes looking at you curiously. — I had to make it look like an accident, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to escape — even if he didn’t asked, you still felt obligated to explain yourself — You probably won’t keep silent if I ask you to, right? — I'll probably only mention you if someone asks first. — Oh, I like that! It was probably just your imagination, but Hades’ lips twitched slightly. You smiled yourself. He showed no signs of wanting to betray you, which made the anxious flew away and now it was time to get a better look around. And so you did. The world around you was as ugly as through crack in the chest. The sky as grey and landscape as unfriendly. You could look around, no matter what direction and still see everything, without somebody panting into your neck felt. It was just amazing. You took a very deep breath and winced at the smell of sulphur. — Helheim isn’t friendly place for a lady, especially this young — you heard. You looked over your shoulder at Hades, who was still standing in his previous spot.

— I can take care of myself — you answered, confidently. — I have no doubts — he said, but you were sure it was out of politeness. You knew he found you naive for thinking you had a chance against the demons, but you didn't care. You could be as dangerous as dust to these creatures, and yet you refused to turn back. — May I ask why? You met Hades’ eyes again. — Why what? — Why Helheim? — No one would have expected such a choice. Especially not my mother. At least that’s what you were hoping for. — Demons aren’t friendly and this place is full of them — Hades tried to reason with you again, but it gave opposite effect. You frowned. — Anywhere is better than my mother's prison — you said upset — At least I’ll die seeing the sky. For the first time, Hades' face showed signs of surprise. Only for a moment, but apparently he didn't expect to awaken your anger. He smiled at you as if he was contented with the answer, then turned to the carriage doors. — To the carriage — he said, firmly, stopping right in front of it. Maybe you were very naive after all because you so quickly assumed that he was good? — I’m not going back there — you crossed your arms. — You aren’t going on your own either — you were informed with calmness that made something snapped inside you. — Said who? You were ready to fight if necessary, even against someone as powerful as Hades. — Me, the king of the Underworld — Hades looked at you with such confidence that you realized very quickly how slim your chances were against him. After all he was the one who stopped Titans all by himself… You didn’t move a bit, you just watched him carefully and waited. Hades sighed. — Such a troublesome young lady — he mumbled, more to himself than to you — We’re heading to my palace. You can stay there for a while until you figure out what to do next. You blinked few times a little surprised. Oh? — Why do you care? I’m not your problem. Hades smiled again. — You remind me of someone. — Who? — Get in the carriage — he ordered again, but the sight of your still sceptical expression irritated him greatly — Or I swear, make me repeat myself one more time and I’ll use methods that your mother would kill me for. You burst into laughter, but Hades didn’t share your joy, so you fell silent. You felt like he wasn't joking and he actually wanted to use his strength, but for some reason, part of you, wanted him to do so… how strange that was… — Fine… — you gave up and finally moved. Hades opened the door for you. The inside of the carriage was definitely much nicer than the inside of the chest. You sat down in the soft, red seat on the driver’s side. Hades gave his servant some instructions and joined you soon after. You two saw in silence and just stared at each other. Once the carriage moved, you couldn’t take it anymore and shouted: — Why are you helping me? You must know my mother! Despite your outburst, Hades remained calm. He reached for the glass of wine on the small windowsill and drank some before answering.

— I do know Demeter. You rolled your eyes. — Then why? — you kept demanding. — Because I like the sound of your confidence. You opened your mouth, then closed it again. The confusion must have shown on your face because Hades chuckled over his glass. There was something about him that was just… very cute. You felt annoying warmth rising to your cheeks. How embarrassing… You looked away, pretending to suddenly be interested in the mountainous landscape outside the window. — You’re strange man — you muttered. — How so? — If you really know my mother, you know what she is capable of. Hades didn’t seem worried. In fact, he made himself more comfortable in his seat and crossed his legs. — Your dark-robed mother was a friend of my grandmother, who declared war to us not so long ago. I do know her more than you think. Besides, her own daughter chose death in Helheim over her company. That alone speaks for itself. — Hard to argue — you admitted — You know… — a gentleman would offer me a glass… — you pointed to the open wine. Hades smiled at you and granted your wish without a word. — Have you been drinking before? — he asked, observing how you smelt wine and took a small sip. You frowned at the strange taste and shook your head, which made Hades laugh. He raised his glass to make a toast — For the many first times then. You smiled back and drank it all in one go.

[demeterdefence]

i want so badly to like this scene because on the surface it has so many elements that could have and might have worked if they were implemented any differently but god it's still such a surface level display of a plot that's been hanging around since season one.

like yeah, she would be! persephone has not seen her rapist since he threatened to expose the photos he took of her during the assault, and it caused her to break down and run away. she knows he's manipulative, she's seen first hand how apollo has warped and twisted so many people to hide his crime, she knows he's powerful and dangerous. even surrounded by so many other people, the nineteen year old girl who was asleep in her bed is still terrified of apollo.

i have zero issue with this part - in fact, i really sympathized with persephone here. the idea of not only having to play nice with your abuser, to pretend to give them an ounce of respect or kindness they do not deserve, but knowing they are not sorry for what they did, knowing they want still to hurt you in some way? you can be queen of the underworld or the mortal realm or of all the gods, and that is still a horrifying prospect.

but then we run into this:

and it's not a bad sequence, or a problematic one; the issue is that persephone has not done any of the work to get to this point.

and by work, i'm talking about therapy, about sitting down and talking to someone about this on her own terms. she had one therapy session where her assault was tacked into the last five to ten minutes of the session; there is no indication she's ever gone back. she's been confronted on her assault - hades, hera, artemis, eros, and hermes have all found out about it without persephone telling them, or wanting to tell them, and hephaestus is aware (which it seems persephone does not know) because he deleted the photos of her assault. hera and hephaestus literally saw her assault in those photos. all of those people and instances are outside of persephone's control; she has never, not once, told any of her friends or her husband of what happened to her of her own choice. in at least three of those instances, she had to comfort the other person who is finding out about her trauma.

and that leads to another issue, which is that persephone has categorically refused to bring apollo to justice. in the past, when apollo had leverage over her, and she was still coming to terms with what happened to her, it was understandable that persephone didn't want anyone to know what happened. the problem is that in the time between her rape and current time, apollo has tried to kill one of her close friends, brought demeter to zeus in exchange for persephone's hand, attempted to kill the king of the gods, and is now weaponizing the deadly winter to become king. at least three members of the olympians know persephone was assaulted, including the queen of the gods. persephone has witnesses and backup and power, and she is still not using it to put apollo away.

so this promise to protect herself, to protect the nineteen year old girl who was alone with a monster - it rings a little too hollow for me. because persephone isn't protecting herself, she's running from herself. she's running from who she used to be and what she once was and what led her to that point. and as so many abuse victims can attest to, running often feels like the easiest thing, and the most protective thing. but at some point, you have to stop running, because it isn't protecting you - it's wearing you down.

persephone doesn't need to run anymore, and as much as i like to trounce this comic and all the narrative choices, i say this with a lot of compassion and remorse: this isn't protecting herself, and i want better for her.

[diiwata]

probably not an original hc: what if it was revealed that persephone price was coryo's first lady?

according to the myth, hades took persephone from demeter to make her queen of the underworld, a place where the dead are kept. she is allowed to return to demeter every few months, thanks to a compromise from zeus that involved the seeds of pomegranates. in the months of her absence, the earth is covered in snow.

what if coriolanus snow took persephone as his first lady despite the repulsion he felt whenever he was around her because of what he saw from her father? and what if that repulsion was exactly what led him to marry her? he keeps her locked in at all times, but is allowed to return to her father on occasion. the times when she's away from her loved ones feels so cold.

cold like... snow, perhaps?

and coriolanus isn't blind. he knows that his good friend, festus creed, had his eye on persephone price for a while. but the coward never made a move. he simply admired from afar. he knows what people would do for love, -- he experienced it himself -- so: did he also take persephone as his wife because it would keep festus close to his side? he'd swear loyalty to coriolanus if it meant getting to see persephone price and making sure she was safe (now that he knew what snow was capable of)?

persephone price is now the queen of the underworld. after all... is panem not just a large graveyard for district children?

[aphroditelovesu]

A Flower in the Winter

❝🌾 — lady l: I wrote this as a preview of that headcanon I did of Demeter a while ago, you can read it by clicking here. I decided to delve into that and how Demeter felt before meeting the reader. I hope you like it! ❤️

❝tw: mention of parental neglect.

❝word count: 772.

The goddess of agriculture watched the beautiful snowy fields with a deep sense of melancholy. Her shoulders were slumped and her normally stern expression was sad and her gaze filled with unshed tears. It was like another one of her days away from her beloved daughter, she became just a dust than she used to be when Persephone was with her. She just felt empty and aimless.

She needed her beloved daughter with her. She was desperate and would do anything to have her loving daughter with her at all times. Anything.

Demeter missed her daughter very much and even the most terrible winters and the suffering of humanity with it did not help her feel better. Maybe nothing would make her feel she could never replace her beloved daughter and it's not like she wants to. She just wants to have Persephone back with her again, like they were before that bastard Hades kidnapped her.

Unfortunately none of that was possible.

Demeter took a deep breath, enjoying the cold winter breeze. It had been about two months since her daughter returned to the Underworld and again the goddess found herself alone. She doesn't remember how lonely she would be after the blessed six months had passed. With the departure of her beloved daughter, sadness completely consumed her and all the plantations were facing a harsh winter. It was a vicious and unbreakable cycle.

A loud wail was present near where the goddess was sitting and she looked towards the noise, but her eyes did not catch anything. Shrugging, she went back to focusing on her feelings, but the noise was heard again but closer. Demeter looked over her shoulder suspiciously and without much interest, but her eyes nearly popped out of her orbs after she glanced at a child, a girl she thought looked a lot like someone she detested.

This child was practically identical to the God of the Underworld. Identical to Hades.

For a few moments the goddess didn't know what to do, she was beyond confused and distraught. She was completely distraught. Just a few glances at the child in front of her was enough for her to figure out who she was.

The goddess of agriculture always knew she had a granddaughter but she never thought much about it. She never bothered to meet her despite being asked several times by Persephone, she didn't want to have to deal with yet another proof that her daughter really had been taken from her. Demeter wanted nothing to do with her, and a small part of her felt resentful of a child she'd never seen in her life because of everything that had happened. She knows it's irrational but she doesn't care.

But now looking at the tiny, frail, crying figure of the child, she didn't know what to do. Why was she there? How did she get out of the Underworld? Did she run away or did Persephone send her daughter to go comfort her mother?

She honestly couldn't say, but just contented herself with watching the child who also didn't take her teary eyes away from the goddess. The two stared at each other for a while, until the girl decided to break the silence, ''Grandma?'' The voice was low and uncertain, but Demeter heard it loud and clear.

Demeter was silent, she felt strange being called that. The girl didn't even wait to hear an answer and ran to where the goddess was sitting. Demeter shuddered as she felt small arms hugging her tightly and with a certain desperation. Not knowing what to do, she hesitantly returned the hug which grew warmer the longer it lasted.

This isn't so bad, she thought. How long has it been since I received such a warm hug?

She finally understood what had happened to her granddaughter after hearing the hurried words come out of her little mouth. Demeter felt sulky and she saw herself in that child, she had been neglected by her parents and that's why she decided to flee to the surface. And she felt a satisfaction in discovering that she was the one her granddaughter was looking for.

Maybe it's not such a bad thing to take care of a child again. It's not so bad having a granddaughter to love and care for.

Demeter decided to take in her granddaughter. She saw in her a second chance to have what had been taken from her but this time the goddess knew she wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Nobody would take her granddaughter away from her, she won't let that happen again.

It's not so bad having a granddaughter to love and care for.

[carrlyn-stan]

Campfire song

Pairing|| Luke x Hades!Daughter!OC

Summary|| Luke comforts Holly after she gets a verse during the campfire song in TLT musical

Word Count|| 915

Holly watched the campers eat in the dinning pavilion. She poked at her food as Luke looked toward Holly. He sat by a unclaimed kid who just came to camp.

Luke slid Percy a glass of Ambrosia. Holly couldn't hear there conversation over the Apollo cabin starting to play guitars. She raised her glass along with the rest of camp as Luke toasted to the gods.

"My dad is Hermes, he messangers things, you'll know his sign by his shoes with those wings. I'd wait by the phone, but the phone never rings, OH NOO!" Holly listened to Luke sing. She frowned at their very similar stories.

"I know how that feels," she muttered.

"When your dad's a god, life can be tough! I met the guy once, and once was enough!"

"Oh, I hear that," Annabeth murmurs

"Annabeth!' Luke cheers.

"My mom is Athena," Annabeth joined in on the song, "she's smart and she's wise. She had sworn of gluten and she has sworn of guys. But if she came to camp, it be a surprise, oh noo!"

The rest of the camp joined in on the oh no.

"Oh and my step mom, she hates me, and my dad works all day. So I left Virginia and I ran away."

"Wait is that true?" Percy asks.

"Everybody!" Luke shouts. Even cranky old Holly joined in.

"Oh things couldn't be worse, when your parents run the universe. Ohh things couldn't be worse when your folks run the universe," "alright who's next."

A girl from Demeter cabin stood, "Oh my mom is Demeter, goddess of grain, she gets excited when it starts to rain. But planting and planting and planting's a pain, oh no! Right, for their sixteenth birthday my friends got a car, I got a fern in some dumb mason jar."

Grover let out a laugh, "Ooh, ooh, my turn! v I'm the child of pan, god of the wild. For those who love nature they're often beguiled. He's not really my dad, but i'm sort of his child, oh no. He went for a hike to explore new frontiers, no one has seen him for thousands of year."

The camp once more repeated the chorus before coming to Chiron.

"Oh, well, my father is Kronos," the camp fell dead, "remember my lecture, he ate his children."

"Yeah, Chiron wins," Luke said through gritted teeth. "What about you Holly?"

"Umm… my parents aren't quite like all of yours. My father was Hades, my mother Persephone, I was born eighteen years ago, on a technicality, oh no. A prophecy stated my early arrival, what a load of absolute shit. Dropped at the gates of this mighty camp, I was raised by Mr.D to one day be a god, yet that training has made me want to stay, oh no, so when the summer solstice comes, I won't know what to do, my life has gone to absolute poo," Holly looked down at her meal, she felt tears wanting to stream down her face.

"Aaa Alright Percy, it's your turn," Luke told the boy next to him. He did, however look towards Holly, her sad face breaking his heart. Without much warning Holly suddenly disappeared. Once out of the sight of the pavilion she wandered over to a tree. On the tree there was a ladder.

She started to climb till she was met with the familiar sight of her tree house, one she had built for her as a child. As she entered a set of small glowing lights flickered on. She crawls over to a small padded bench and sat down. Holly was under the roofed part of the tree house.

She took a deep breath in as rain starts to fall. Holly snaps her head to the crawl space. She saw a mop of curly brown hair emerge from the trunk.

"Can I come in?" Luke asks. He could barely see Holly nod. Luke pushes himself up into the small house. He walks over and sits down next to the girl. They both watched to the rain hit the wooden deck of the tree house. For Holly, it had soothing properties.

"I'm sorry I'm such a wreck, it's just my past is hard," Holly leaned into Luke's side. He wrapped his left arm around her shoulders.

"My history is hard to, at least one day you get to go and be with your dad," Luke harshly laughs.

"I don't even really know him, it was them who didn't even want me. I was supposed to be a great, amazing, universally loved gift."

"We all were supposed to be," Luke frowned.

"I don't even know how I'm supposed to go to the underworld when I've, one, never been there, and two, I don't even want to, I have to!"

"Are you sure you can't chose?" Luke looked towards Holly.

"No I can't, something about the gods needing this, requiring this," Holly groaned.

"The gods need to be put into their place," Luke muttered.

"What?" Holly looked up at Luke. Oh gods! Luke thought, she can't know. Why was I so stupid? Not yet at least.

"Um.. nothing, I just said I wished you had a choice," Luke lied.

"Oh, I wish I had a choice, too," Holly whispers closing her eyes. She graciously made her head comfortable on Luke's shoulder. Luke knew he loved Holly, he knew he wanted her in on his plans, but she couldn't know about, not yet at least.

[nectaric]

TOP 10 MOST SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS IN HADES' LIFE:

choose ten moments within your muses' life - moments that have impacted them the most - and explain why. moments can be good, bad, or both. tagging: @ichoric / @aetheryic, @singofus @kallistcs @brokenbow @seekesotsibteadmist @triickst @intothewildsea @madefate @championsofthegate @asoulunbound @heartheaded and you!

10.  first spring without persephone.  this was when it truly sunk in just how much he had messed things up.  it was a period of immense reflection, and guilt, and introspection. hades thought he knew what it was to be lonely before, but this was so much worse.  he realized how bad he fucked up, basically, and it impacted his future treatment of persephone significantly.

9.  being swallowed.  being consumed by your own father and spending your formative years in darkness and bile is pretty shitty, and its left him with some pretty serious issues, fears, and opinions on fatherhood.  however, the reason this is so high up on the list is simply because of the distance between hades and this event.  it was difficult, but compared to a lot of things that have come after, its… child’s play.

8.  early relationships.  some of the first relationships hades ever had (pre-persephone, of course) were pretty significant, and shaped his entire view of love and romance.  though there’s no proof, obviously, i’ve always headcanoned a lot of “non-canon” relationships during the titanomachy.  and one of those is the relationship i’ve imagined hades had with zelos during the war, which started out fairly innocent but turned out to be exploitative and unhealthy. hades was in a very vulnerable space and zelos, intentionally or not, took advantage of him, which really did not help hades’ already fragile sense of self.  then there was demeter, who in my headcanon was a very positive relationship for him, one that helped to heal his perception of love, sex, and himself a little bit.  after the war was leuce, who despite holding hades’ attention and affection, was not meant to be. i don’t think hades was at all ready for a relationship and therefore leuce did not work out.

7.  inheriting the underworld.  i don’t think hades was upset about this assignment, because he had always preferred the dark and quickly realized just how much he disliked the politics of olympus. but he wasn’t particularly thrilled either, and venturing into a massive realm, an unruly realm, and trying to make order of it was exciting, but also difficult and isolating.  and it is what solidified him as this deity to be feared, not loved.

6.  titans 2 (or 3?):  so this existed purely in the world of roleplay w/ @ ichoric but it has been no less significant on my hades.  he watched his family die, felt their souls ripped away from the world of the living.  he was forced into exile, spent weeks tracking down his missing children, running himself ragged.  for the first time since his youth, he was in full blown war again, which dredged up a lot of old horrors.  the only good that came from this was the rekindling of old relationships, wounds being closed -- particularly with his siblings, nieces, and nephews.

5.  getting sober.  i think this is one that takes time for hades to come to grips with and fully recognize its impact.  he knew how his drinking affected him and his family, and it’s part of his motivation for actually getting sober, but it’s not until he’s sober for a while that he realizes how much better they’re all doing and how much more enjoyable his life is, and generally how much healthier he is.  despite the pain he was trying to cover up, he feels happier more often.  food tastes better, he sleeps better, sex is better, everything is just so much better and he never believed it could be, but here it is and he’s so grateful for it.

4.  the titanomachy.  fairly obvious, here, but no less significant.  he emerged from the darkness and was thrown into a ten year long war, with no skills, no safety.  it was long and brutal and took so much adaptation that it left him with a lot of issues.  he was physically injured, abused, manipulated, and left in fear during this time - but he also got to meet his family, make friends, and transition too.  so it was a very significant period of time, in good and bad ways.

3.  the birth of his children.  its kind of hard to rank any one of them higher than the other, so i’m meshing them together.  its also hard to compare these to the one below, so imagine that these two are sort of all meshed together.  but he adored his children.  he never thought he would get to be a father, but then there his children were.  he cherished them.  he loved being a father.  he still does, i should add.  but in that moment, he was content.  every time one of them was born, he felt more complete.  and then disaster struck :)

2.  marrying persephone.  aside from the chaos this also created and the sheer impact it had on the world around them, marrying persephone is also the source of almost all things good in his life.  he adores his wife, grew with his wife, had beautiful children with her.  the only reason i put this above the last one is because he couldn’t have the kids without her, so… i guess this wins out.

1.  the death of zagreus.  this completely threw his entire world into chaos, broke his spirit and tore apart his family, and hades was never the same again after this happened. everything up to this point has been quite impactful, but nothing so much as this. i’ve talked a lot about how zagreus’ death affected him, so i won’t elaborate too much, but there is no denying how much this changed his life and perspective.

[winns-stuff]

LO RANT:

Y’all this is reason number 7238 of why I do not understand why Demeter gets so much hate and why I will never take anyone who bashed her seriously. Let me tell you why before I get into anything cause this shit is absolutely ridiculous.

Before we do anything we need to discuss what criminalized Demeter in the first place which is the intervention thing. First off, she went down to the mortal realm in hopes of talking to her mother to try and come to an understanding with her and while this would’ve been an amazing time for them to talk about things and mend their bond, you know give the audience at least a speck of what the original myth was about, but instead Rachel took this as an opportunity to immediately demonize Demeter even though Hades had criminal acts against him with his parenting. He quite literally made Thanatos work and abused him verbally (possibly even physically since he’s so comfortable putting his hands on him and near him as well) but no one ever brings that up since they’ve had one conversation with each other where Hades blamed everything he inflicted on Thanatos for centuries probably on Thanatos himself since he can’t possibly be responsible.

Anyways, let me remind those who don’t know that this was a piss-poor attempt to absolutely ruin Demeter’s character since none of it made sense in the long run. Mainly because prior to this event Demeter went to go and take Persephone home after they “rebuilt” the Underworld and in this chapter apparently Persephone had balls because she stood up against her mother and put her foot down, which is pretty in character because before the intervention she literally had no problem with going off on her mom and even going as far as yelling at her. People try to equate their relationship to that of Mother Gothel and Rapunzel and it just doesn’t work with them at all, Gothel did not care about Rapunzel and only made sure she was even alive for her hair since it was the only thing keeping her alive. I suppose you could say that since Demeter’s source of happiness is Persephone that they have a similarity there but it’s kind of a weird statement since Demeter adores Persephone because that’s her daughter, if she hated her people would think she’s a bad mother and plus mothers are supposed to love their children unconditionally that’s literally the backbone of motherly instincts and such. Next one would be about Gothel and Demeter keeping both Persephone and Rapunzel inside of the tower away from others, this is also pretty weird since Demeter never isolated Persephone and she was always surrounded by the very nymphs that she claims to care for a lot, Demeter’s goal was never to hide her it was to protect her and obviously she would try and keep a close eye on her when an underaged Persephone gets tricked into kissing Ares on her land out of her sight, like Demeter didn’t just decide that it was time to randomly keep nymphs around her that very situation of her young daughter being preyed on by someone older made her do that. Unlike Gothel who literally made Rapunzel socially inadequate because she kept her away from EVERYONE she never even got the chance to touch grass let alone talk to someone that wasn’t her, they’re not the same in the slightest. Nothing about their comparison makes sense.

But away from that and back to the episode, once again Persephone stands up to her mother and basically speaks for Hades while he stands there in creepy protest of Persephone returning home which I don’t even know why she wouldn’t want that since she had to deal with traumatic things happening to her both in the Underworld and Olympus, the only time I feel like she’s had good memories (except the AOW of course) was in the mortal realm. Anyways, Hades was absolutely furious at even the word “home” coming from Demeter’s mouth which makes me feel like if anything he’d be the one having an intervention for Persephone to convince her to never leave let’s be real. Not only that but Demeter didn’t yell or force Persephone to do anything, yes they argued but they always bump heads like this and even afterwards Demeter just left it wasn’t like she took Persephone with her or anything she just left peacefully. Not much about this interaction screams emotionally abusive mother or at least to me it doesn’t, there should’ve been much bigger signs if so because I feel more like this is just a rebellious teen vs mom conversation yet nothing too serious other than a disagreement. So knowing all of this the intervention shit did not make sense at all, nothing about it was in character for the both of them and their dynamic never showed them like this. It’s so insane how people really nodded their heads and believed that this was how they always were when it wasn’t, in that scene Persephone couldn’t even defend herself or speak up instead she broke down and cried which is understandable for the situation but it makes no sense since we’ve seen their previous reactions be completely opposite of what we’re shown now. I know people don’t like thinking critically but y’all couldn’t have actually thought this made sense, it was probably a lot of excuses and convincing made I’m sure.

Anyhow onto the main topic I know I’ve been stalling, many people got mad at Demeter for trying to dress Persephone in white clothing like she’s always worn which she isn’t wrong that woman willingly dresses in white all the time there’s quite literally no other color in her wardrobe except for that. But everyone took this as very abusive and manipulative which I would’ve agreed with if they had the same energy towards every other character in this story who also forced Persephone to wear white… But I don’t see any commotion for that. For example everyone applauded Hera for forcing Persephone to wear a dress she picked out herself on her damn wedding day and they completely forgot how genuinely messed up it is with the context of the story. Not only did this woman insist on giving Persephone a grand coronation despite her pleas for a simple one, she completely shamed Persephone for even thinking about dressing herself for once and made her put on a dress that she picked out herself not even caring about if Persephone wanted to wear it on the most special day of her life essentially according to her. But let’s not forget literally YESTERDAY because we know LO doesn’t do time skips Hades referred to her pet name in front of her which he’s probably used during his cheating montage with her for CENTURIES, why would Persephone even accept the idea of Hera dressing when she knows about their history together. I genuinely felt like throughout the wedding it was Hera actually being married to Hades and not Persephone because it seemed like each and every word Hades said to Persephone she took it for herself which isn’t really that shocking since Hera has literally been living vicariously through Persephone and making her follow the path that she’s probably wanted for herself.

I seriously do not understand why everyone accuses Demeter for doing that when they praise Hera who literally did everything in her power to get her niece together with her ex- fling, and it seems like it maximized to a thousand when he put up boundaries. The whole situation is very disgusting and creepy.

[writingamongther0ses]

It was a quiet fact.

Poseidon did not have daughters with mortals.

He had several daughters, but all of them had been with his wife or other goddesses or nymphs. In Hades's opinion, it was for the better. Poseidon was known to be...protective of his children, especially the girls. In the age they had formed in, it was for good reason.

So when the gossip mill hit his ears of a demigod child, he found himself paying attention.

Her name was Rhea-Kore Ianthe Calimeris. apparently RK for short, and she was now ten years old.

Now, Hades had stayed far away from the other gods' children for years, following the rules Zeus had set forth after his dreadful spawn had nearly ruined the world. Not to mention that it rankled everyone else when he adopted any demigod he could get his hands on. No, apparently, it didn't matter if they were unclaimed or not. He had a nagging feeling that his brother would especially be angry if he found him anywhere near the girl. But his curiosity ate at him.

The girl's name was clever. Zeus had always been a mama's boy, and the second part would certainly warm Demeter's heart if not Persephone and himself personally. The middle name was an interesting choice, but another plead to Persephone, referencing her old friend, and the young lover.

It felt like a call.

So Hades went.

The girl, his niece, lived in an apartment building in Columbus, Indiana. The place seemed decent enough, in his opinion. The moment he stepped onto the floor the bored-looking receptionist had directed him to (apparently, there was only one Calimeris apartment), it took all his strength to not immediately turn around.

Wards of shielding and warning had been practically carved into the walls. He couldn't see them, but he could feel them, all screaming at him to turn away, that there was nothing for him here. Hades gritted his teeth and stepped forward. Either Poseidon visited often, or the girl's human parent was smart.

The moment the man opened the door, saw his face and paled, and immediately tried to slam it, his guess was on the latter.

"Nope." He shoved his foot in and barely resisted a yelp at the strength the man was putting in. "No, no, no, Mr. Calimeris, we-"

"I don't care!" The man yelled, the door creaking under their struggle. "She's not here, she's not a part of this, go away!"

"I'm afraid-" Hades slammed his shoulder into the door. He paused at a yelp and peeked in. The man sat on the floor, looking a tad dazed but unharmed. Hades pushed the door open fully and stepped inside. "I'm afraid she is a part of this." The man glared up at him, but his glare stuttered when he offered a hand. "I'm not here to harm you or her, if that reassures you. I'm just interested in meeting my youngest niece."

The man took his hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. He had to admit, his brother had good tastes- Mr. Calimeris was a beautiful man, even when age lined his features, with bleached blonde hair a shock against brass skin and soft brown eyes. "He said it was dangerous."

"If he was to come knocking, Mr. Calimeris." Hades followed him into the apartment proper, looking around. It was a cozy home but strikingly small.

"Pelops."

"Eh?"

"My name," Mr. Calimeris was in the kitchen now, digging in the fridge. He shut the door with his hip before offering a thing of Snapple tea to him. "My name is Pelops. I liked the story, and so did he. And if you insist on hanging around, you'll refer to me by name."

Hades opened the Snapple. "Alright, Pelops." A thought tugged at him, briefly overpowering his mother and wife's namesake. "You liked that?"

"Eh, the idea of being remade spoke to me." Pelops set his tea down and stared him down, tilting his head. He looked less angry and more curious now. "Now, could you explain why you're here? I did everything he suggested. We've been safe, I made sure of it."

Hades nodded. "Still, news about my niece has gotten out-"

"Niece?!"

The tiny voice nearly made him jolt. What did make him jolt was when he looked down and saw his mother's face right next to him.

His niece had inherited his brother's looks for certain. Somehow, that meant she looked like the few images of his mother in childhood. Curly dark hair was pushed out of deep blue eyes with purple flower hairclips. The tilt of her head as she stared at him, however, was all Pelops.

The power he could feel, on the other hand...

Oh, brother, what did you do?

The child standing in front of him was the child not of how his brother was imagined now. Under the surface was more feral, animalistic power, power that had died out with the Dark Ages. It made his teeth ache, wanting to scream that he was there, that he was alive. Hades turned his eyes to Pelops, who stared at him back with wide eyes.

Who was this man?

Her name is Rhea-Kore Ianthe Calimeris!

[au-writer]

Hades

editing this formerly popular fic. you know when you go back and reread something you had writtien and hate every bit of it? yeah thats this one for me. anyways heres wonderwall.

part 1

pairing: you x Seungcheol

word count: 2800ish

summary: based loosely on the hades and persephone myth, typical kidnapping and disgruntled demeter ensue as you struggle to stay where you feel you belong.

“Seriously, you nymph! Stay still” you teased Cupid as he fidgeted with his bow and arrow of hearts. You were trying to fix his hair how his mother liked it best. There was to be a banquet later, and everyone needed to look their best.

“Your mother, as well as my mother, are expecting us to look our best for today. I would hate to make either of them mad. Aphrodite’s anger is only second to Hera.” you told him, yanking his hair none too gently. He was getting on your nerves.

“Fair point,” Cupid nodded.

“You know you get filthy running around with the god of war all afternoon. You can’t see Zeus with dirt under your fingernails” You continued to baby him.

“But Ares is my friend! He and Hermes were…”

“Causing mischief, probably. I can hardly trust Hermes and Ares to be good role models for you!” you cut him off, shaking your head as you addressed the other two boys by their titles instead of their names.

“There. Finished. Please try to stay indoors at least until tomorrow” you told him as he stood, bow in hand.

“No promises” he said, as he ran out of the room, finally happy to be done. You stood and walked to sit in front of your vanity, ready to make yourself presentable when your mother, Demeter, walked in.

“Afternoon, mother” you told her glancing at her reflection in the mirror behind you.

“Why are you not ready yet, Persephone?” she asked.

“I was getting the cupid boy ready. Aphrodite had asked me to.” You clarified. Your mother nodded.

“It is best to appease Aphrodite” she agreed. You said no more, as she wandered around your room, filling you in on the latest gossip.

“All nine muses will be there tonight. It is so rare to see them all in one place” she said and you nodded in agreement, not really listening to what she had to say. Why would you care who was, or wasn’t, attending tonight?

“I heard that Apollo will be at the gathering tonight” your mother said as she ran her hands over the curtains and tapestries that hung in your room. She changed them regularly, never feeling like her home in Olympus was complete and to her liking.

“Thank you for the warning. I will be sure to avoid him” you spoke, not looking up from your vanity. Your mother saw you roll your eyes in your reflection.

“You cannot decline a wedding proposal from a god! One as respected as Apollo anyways” she said as she walked over.

“I do not like Apollo in that way. We grew up together and to see him romantically would be…” you trailed off, unsure of how to make your mother understand how you hated that Apollo had chosen to marry you.

“He keeps hounding me for my permission to marry you.” She took a comb and began running it through your hair. You said no more and sighed. Your mother had been pushing you to become Apollo’s wife for a while, and you were growing weary of talking her out of it. It was emotionally draining.

“The gifts he has given us would make anyone weak with how wonderful they are” she added, smiling. If she was hoping this would convince you, she was wrong. His gifts did nothing to impress you.

“The thought of marrying him makes my stomach weak” you said under your breath as you mother wandered away to pick out a dress for you to wear. She walked back over as your sister, Despoena entered, bubbly and smiling as always.

“You aren’t ready yet? Don’t you want to get there early and see the gods arrive? They say it is quite a spectacle when the gods get together, all wanting to show off to each other” she pounced onto your bed, excitedly. Your mother walked over and fixed the pillows that Despoena had dislodged from their perfect position. You got dressed in a hurry to make your sister happy. She had been waiting for this night for a while.

While you walked with her to the front grounds of Olympus to view all the god’s elaborate arrivals, she held onto your hand, but still managed to twitter about.

“Poseidon is rumored to leave the sea and come to the party tonight. He hasn’t left the oceans in hundreds of years!” she said, speaking very fast.

“Dionysus too. They say he gathers donkeys to pull his chariot into the court!” she giggled at this. You smiled.

“Apollo will be there as well…” she nudged your shoulder as you and her arrived at the edge of Olympus. There were already several your young friends ready to watch as well. They all sat about the soft grass on a hill that looked over the canyons and seas of the earth.

“And you can help me avoid him” you added.

“Avoiding the sun god? There is no possible way” Cupid, still with bow and arrows across his back, told you as he took a seat next to you and Despoena.

“Avoiding the sun god is like avoiding the sun itself…” you bantered.

“Nearly impossible!” Despoena said as she closed her eyes as the sun warmed up her face.

“Avoiding the sun is easy. Wait until nightfall” you shook your head. Cupid chuckled.

Looking down you saw a cleft in the earth far to the north.

“What about the god of the underworld? Is he welcome?” you asked, staring at the dark crevice in the earth you had been warned never to venture close to. It was a place you were told you would never come back from. Dark and cold, it was not a place fit for a fair Olympian.

“Hades? I haven’t heard. No one speaks of him if they don’t have too” your sister shrugged as she adjusted her seat on the grass. You fell silent as your sister took over the conversation. All your friends knew she was the one to ask about the latest affairs and gossip. Like mother, like daughter.

As the gods arrived in the fanciest ways imaginable, you and your friends were in awe. It was very exciting, having never seen so many gods in one place at one time.

 Later that evening, you and Despoena entered the banquet hall where the party for the gods was being held. The both of you wandered around hand in hand. There was so much to see and so much excitement going on at once.

The god of war was relaying great tales of heroes he protected. Aphrodite was giving advice on wooing men, much to the delight of the giggling girls that gathered around her feet. Smells of fine ambrosia filled your nostrils. The muses were entertaining everyone with sweet songs and poetry, when your eyes fell on someone playing the lyre for them.

“Oh dear” you said, pulling Despoena in another direction. She looked to the area you were pulling her away from and smiled.

“Avoiding him already? He is occupied with the muses” she tried pulling you back in Apollo’s direction.

“Good. Hopefully he hasn’t noticed” you pulled her once more, while hiding your face.

“But he plays such wonderful music” she said, looking like she was stricken with Cupid’s arrow itself. You looked around, noticing this wasn’t possible; Cupid wasn’t anywhere nearby.

“He has a lot of wonderful qualities, but he bores me. I can only listen to poetry and the lyre so often.”

“He raises the sun. That must keep your attention” Despoena shook her head at how picky you were being.

“Raising the sun is the same every morning” you rolled your eyes as you told her this.

You and she wandered to the other end of the hall where Zeus sat, chatting with his brother, Poseidon. They were crowded by many other lesser gods and goddesses and your arrival went largely unnoticed.

You allowed your eyes to graze across the people in the room. You nodded to a few of them you knew as your sister searched the room for someone handsome that she could flirt with.

As you glanced over Zeus and Poseidon, your eyes fell on a man that was sitting on Zeus’ other side. He looked bored as he looked at the crowd and his eyes were unfocused.

“Who is that? Next to Zeus?” you asked your sister in a low voice.

“Poseidon? The god of the seas?” you rolled your eyes as she said this.

“No, I know who that is. I mean the other god on Zeus’ right” you said, unable to look away.

“That is the god of the underworld. Hades” she said. You turned and looked at her.

“How do you know who everyone is?” you asked her.

“Same way mother does” she shrugged, not giving you a complete answer.

Seungcheol, with the title of Hades, felt bored as he sat next to Zeus. He and Poseidon were conversing about something that wasn’t of interest to him. His judges of the underworld sat close by and were noticing their ruler’s boredom.

“Should you eat something to pass the time?” Jeonghan asked Seungcheol.

“We could call for the muses to entertain you” Joshua added.

“No, thank you. I will just count the minutes until I can return home” Seungcheol said, smiling at his faithful judges. He went back to scanning the room absentmindedly, when his eyes fell on you. He squinted his eyes, something he did when he saw something of interest. Jeonghan noticed this and followed his gaze.

“Persephone” he spoke to Seungcheol, who turned to look at him questioningly.

“What?” he asked.

“The name of the maiden you stare at. Persephone.” Jeonghan clarified a second time. Seungcheol nodded, and continued to watch you, saying no more.

Zeus had overheard and turned to his brother.

“Hades, do you have eyes for Demeter’s daughter?” Zeus began teasing.

“I haven’t seen her before. I wouldn’t think that means I have eyes for her” Seungcheol denied.

“Cupid must be nearby” Poseidon teased, adding to the conversation.

“No, I see him flirting with Melpomene. Good luck, cupid.” Zeus said in his booming voice, spotting Cupid in the crowd.

“Do not get too attached. Persephone has been wooed by the sun god” Zeus added.

“I can understand why” Seungcheol tried to brush off as he continued to watch you. Hearing you had been promised to someone else dampened his mood even more.

If you were oblivious to Seungcheol staring at you, your sister was not.

“Hades seems to have taken a liking to you” she whispered. You turned and caught Seungcheol looking at you. He quickly looked away, having been seen.

“I’m sure he is staring at a lot of women in this room.” You didn’t think too much into this. You looked back to Seungcheol once more, and indeed caught him staring at you again. Your sister giggled.

“Cupid is playing a dangerous game” she added.

“I know. Everyone knows Melpomene isn’t the type to enjoy being flirted with” you were watching Cupid’s failing attempt at getting the muse’s attention.

“I don’t mean literally, silly. I mean Hades” she was looking back at him once more.

“Hades should have no interest in me. My own mother brings forth life to the soil of the earth. The god of the underworld could see nothing appealing about me because of this” you disagreed with your sister, but she was not listening anymore. She was distracted by her own interest in someone nearby.

The rest of the night, you were growing curious. Nearly every time you looked at Hades, you caught him staring at you as well. This was beginning to make you wonder what he could see in you that he found appealing. Maybe he didn’t know who you were?

Growing bored, you excused yourself from your sister, who hardly noticed. She was enraptured with Ares and his brave tales. You rolled your eyes as you exited the hall away from all the other bodies. Looking for a moment alone, you walked to where you knew a large balcony was situated that gave you a wonderful view of the skies at night.

You rounded the corner and stopped dead when you saw the balcony already occupied.

“Sorry, I wasn’t aware someone was here already” you became cautious when you noticed the person out here was Hades.

“If you will excuse me” you bowed yourself out, but his words caught you.

“There are plenty of stars for the both of us” he said, leaning on the railing of the balcony. You walked slowly over, not wanting to be rude and ignore his invitation. You stood a few paces away from him and looked at your hands folded on the railing in front of you.

“Enjoying yourself?” Seungcheol asked after a moment, having watched you be embarrassed by intruding.

“Enough” you sent him a smile.

“Are you?” you added.

“Enough” he teased.

“Does the god of the underworld not find this party to his liking?” you asked, feeling warmed up to Seungcheol enough to continue conversing.

“We don’t hold many parties in the underworld” he said, facing you.

“I would think not” you chuckled as you and he fell into silence, unsure of what else to say.

“Can you see the stars form where you live, Hades?” you addressed him, looking up into the sky.

“We have the best view, but please, don’t call me Hades.” he shook his head at the title you called him by.

“Why not?”

“Call me Seungcheol. Hades is too proper” he, too, looked at the stars above the two of you.

“Seungcheol. Nice to meet you.”

“You as well, Persephone” he took you aback, knowing your name.

“How do you know who I am?” you asked.

“Zeus told me.” He said simply.

“Of course,” you nodded.

As the night wore on, you and Seungcheol remained on the balcony. He was much more interesting to talk to than anyone else in the party.

“What do you do in the underworld? I’ve heard that you ‘rule over the dead’, but I don’t really understand what that means” you asked, standing side by side. Shoulders nearly touching.

“I make judgments on whether someone gets cursed or rewarded in the afterlife. I have been told I am too soft, but it is a lot of pressure knowing I condemned someone to an unpleasant fate for the rest of eternity.” He explained. You nodded your understanding.

“I was told to stay away from you, but you seem very fair. I daresay I’d even call you personable” you admitted and joked.

“My reputation never catches many friends” he smiled.

Despoena had come searching for you. She peaked out the doorway onto the balcony when she heard voices. She fell back and hid behind the wall, when she saw it was you and Seungcheol, looking rather cozy with each other.

“There you are! Your mother asked me to…” Cupid rounded the corner but was pulled into hiding as well by Despoena. She quickly shushed him.

“Why are we hiding?” he asked in a hushed voice.

“I don’t want my sister to see us” she said, peering out once more at you. She wished she could make out what you were saying as she saw you laugh and smile at Seungcheol.

“But why are we whispering?” Cupid asked as he tried to peek but was pulled back by Despoena.

“So, my sister doesn’t hear us. This isn’t your doing, is it?” she asked, suddenly suspicious.

“Is what my doing?” Cupid raised his voice, unsure of what was even going on.

“Hush! Never mind! You don’t have the power to get those two to fall in love” she shook her head.

“I would too!” Cupid began arguing. Despoena rolled her eyes, and left her hiding spot, ready to return to the party with Cupid.

When the party was ending, the sun was cresting the horizon.

“Apollo is telling us to call it a night” Seungcheol said as you and he watched the chariot pull the sun into view.

“It appears so” you agreed, not ready for the night to end.

“I suppose I will see you at the next party” you and Seungcheol walked back inside together. You were constantly surprised at how calm and sweet he seemed. You had only heard unpleasant things about him previously.

“Of course,” he kissed your cheek, trying to be sneaky, but your sister has a knack for seeing everything. She rushed to your side and pulled you away.

“Mother needs you!” she shouted in your ear, as you tried to protest. Despoena rushed you away from Seungcheol as you waved goodbye to him over your shoulder.

She herded you towards your chambers as the guests began filing out. Many of them looked tired and worn out from being up all night. You, however, could’ve stayed up for hours.

“What were you thinking?” your sister asked as you and her retreated to your chambers for some privacy and a well-earned nap.

“Nothing” you lied.

“Hades? You spent the entire night with him” she teased, lowering her voice.

“Hardly.” You lied once more. She was your sister; she could see right through you but did not press the issue.

[s1ater]

the devil’s command. theodore nott x reader

the story of persephone; the sweet daughter of goddess demeter who was kidnapped by hades and later became the queen of the underworld. heartbreak; (of a person) suffering from overwhelming distress; very upset.

you never trusted draco nor was he ever someone you considered to be there for until you found yourself in the same boat as him.

it was a different kind of hell. the voices in your head and the faltering of your skin, changing from its usual full of life in color to a dead variation, and the nightmares.

four days previous to your dismay, you had made the unbreakable vow to the platinum blonde boy you sat across from right in that moment.

unwillingly, your hand had been joined with his while both your families and the dark lord himself watched.

unwilling was slightly false with the willingness you had shown the moment narcissa had asked you hesitantly to join draco in the vow after the boy had revealed you knew of everything, discovering you listening in on snape and his own discussion of the dark lord.

unwilling, as you had known it was wrong the moment you had gripped draco’s forearm and he gripped yours, snape preforming the spell that slowly began to connect the two of you.

you felt your true self slip away with each ‘yes’ and ‘i do’ you mumbled. your eyes had begun to feed your cheeks silent tears to the thought of what you had gotten yourself into, what you would soon become for the purpose of he who will not be named.

the man, no, the devil who had shook your hand, welcoming you to the worst days of your life.

°•

you only thought of him. you spoke to no one, not even draco. you didn’t eat, you didn’t sleep, and when you did, it was always of the dark lord who woke you back up. you wished for mercy against all things that took toll on your mind and body, but you received none.

it took theo a day to figure something wrong of you. he hadn’t seen nor heard from you the whole day and neither had the rest of your friends. it wasn’t until draco revealed you may had been in the astronomy tower did something very strange dawn upon theo.

draco didn’t care for you. he almost didn’t want anything to do with you and you yourself never really got to the warming up part of the relationship with draco. so the fact that draco knew where you were out of all other people you had a closer relationship with, was concerning.

when theo reached you, his hand gently grabbed the back of your neck as you continued to gaze out to the storm that begun to swell out all around hogwarts, your eyes then squeezing together as theo continued to rub the side of your neck with the pad of his thumb.

“i’ve been looking for you all day.”

you couldn’t bare to face him. you were screwed, knowing damn well he’d always find you no matter where you went or what you did. he was like magnet, connect at heart with you.

“what’s going on in your mind, dovie,” he dipped his head low to come closer to yours, pressing his lips close to the crest of your ear as you kept quiet, squinting at the dark clouds.

you knew if you opened your mouth it’d all spill out, everything.

“tell me what you’re thinking about, baby,” he then held your chin, tipping it to the side so you could see him better even as he was behind you.

he was playing the patient game well with his arms easing around you. he was always patient, completely understanding and upmost adoring with you, something he often got made fun of for by the rest of your group but he couldn’t care less.

“baby-“

“theo,” you turned abruptly, now facing and looking up at your concerned boyfriend. “i cant do this.”

“do what, darling,” he laid his hand on the side of your face, stroking your cheekbone with his thumb as you swallowed harshly, feeling tears beginning to brim your eyes.

you loved theo. you didn’t want to hurt him. he was everything to you but you knew you had to end it with him if you were going to continue to stay alive.

“us, theo,” you almost whined, “we have to breakup.”

°•

“what’d you do to my girlfriend, malfoy?”

theo had marched into the slytherin common room, anger seeping from every pore as he had his eyes set right on draco who sat next to pansy, both lowly holding a conversation.

pansy had never seen theo so angry, his jaw clenched and eyes dark with hurt pouring from the center of his pupils. he was never one who tended to let his anger get the better of him but rather stay silent and wait for outcome. he rarely got angry at all.

but something had changed in you. you no longer had those innocent filled eyes he adored and that full happy content smile you always had on. you always had a glow to you. you were his girl, someone he always wanted to hold and protect, but something happened, something he wasn’t there for and resonated with draco.

he found that a very a valid reason to get angry.

“i don’t know what you’re talking about,” draco spat quietly with his palms rubbing together. he hadn’t looked up to theo who was now storming over to him, his knuckles turning white before leaning close and over the boy.

“something has happened. my happy little girlfriend is no longer happy, draco, she looks like she wants to kill herself and i have no idea why but i know you have something to do with it,” theo continued to lean over draco, his voice low and so angry that he was seething. “what the fuck did you do to her?”

“i didn’t do anything-“

“bullshit.”

pansy slowly leaned away on the black leathered couch, beginning to fear of what theo would do. he hadn’t been the only one to notice the significant difference between you and draco. she saw less of you and draco, but draco was still physically present, just mentally absent. his usual bickering had ceased and he no longer found the energy to complain or eat.

“you did something,” theo gripped his collar now, yelling and almost yanking him to his feet, “you fucking did something. what did you do? what the fuck did you do to her?”

he felt a pair of arms grip around him, pulling him away as he continued to swear and yell at draco. he repeated the question, never feeling so angry until then, thinking of your weak self, weeping, and hiccuping as you tried to break it off from him.

“theodore, let go of him!” blaise yanked and yanked after approaching the situation, hearing all the yelling from his room, but theo kept his grip, now practically screaming, drawing more attention.

“that’s my fucking girlfriend, my fucking y/n! what’d you do?”

mattheo and enzo rushed, one grabbing draco while the other grabbed theodore, trying to pry them apart from each other. and then in five seconds they had theodore on the ground, blaise pinning him still as he tried to wiggle from his grip.

“calm down, nott, calm down!”

theo continued to struggle against blaise’s grip but had then kept his mouth shut, a great amount of grief overcoming him.

“what’s going on?” lorenzo looked between everyone in the room, “huh?”

“theodore practically jumped draco,” pansy spoke fast, looking between the boys.

“he didn’t jump on me,” draco muttered, “only yanked me.”

“yeah okay, but what happened,” mattheo was already tired of their in between bullshit. he would leave if he didn’t get answers soon. “what is going on?”

“he did something to y/n,” theo whispered, now staring at the high rise dark ceilings. blaise’s gripped loosened and he begun to straighten back up slowly.

draco stayed silent as they all looked to him, his gaze falling short, now not denying theo’s claim.

“well, did you?”

draco stayed silent.

“did you?” mattheo’s voice became stern, his stare on draco harsh as they still stared at him until he finally broke.

“she made the unbreakable vow,” his elbows were on his knees as he mumbled lowly, regret immediately causing him to put his eyes on the carpeted floor.

“what’d she swear to,” theo sat up quickly, eyeing draco but he continued to advert his gaze. “what did she swear to, draco?”

it’s silent till draco inhaled sharply, “only to keep my secret.” 

blaise glanced at mattheo who shared the same look of confusion as silence once again took over them. theo didn’t want to even know as he stood slowly, running a hand across his face. he begun to walk away, to exit the common room until draco called out once more.

“i’m not the only one she made the vow with,” his voice was even lower, hesitant and he sounded as if he was about to be sick. “she joined in hand with he who will not be named, promising her life to him, promising to obey every command of his. he owns her now.”

“draco, how do you know of all this?”

“he’s a death eater now,” mattheo looked to pansy and the rest of them that surround draco, all slightly shocked with their jaws going slack and eyes lightening.

“can’t you die from saying this, draco,” pansy whispered before mattheo quickly spoke, his eyes going distant.

“it wasn’t his vow, it was theirs. he only dies if draco made one with.. he who will not be named.”

“i fucking knew it,” theo gritted his teeth, marching right back over to the boy, “you hated her so much, you just had to ruin her life right with yours.”

“i never wanted to hurt her,” draco finally stood, “she’s the one who took the vow even after i told her not to.”

“was this before or after the two of you were practically bound for life?”

“it’s not my fault.”

“you ruined her life!”

“it was her decision!”

theo felt very overwhelmed. his mind racing fast as it finally dawned upon him that you had practically sacrificed yourself to the dark lord. it pained him to think of what you were possibly going through, with him in your head every second of the day, no longer having a life.

he wanted to hold you, kiss you, make sure you knew you were safe with him. he wanted to promise you things he knew he probably couldn’t keep, what he still wanted to reassure you that you were safe with him.

but no longer could you feel safe no matter what anyone said or did.

[enha-ha-ha-ha-hypen]

So, I was reading Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, and this is what I found. I think I now found the reason why Demeter was so protective of Persephone. She was scared that her daughter would have to go through the same things she did. She didn't want Persephone to be raped.

Many Hades-Persephone shippers villainise Demeter. They show her as a controlling mother, who doesn't let her child breathe without permission. But I don't think Demeter was that controlling. Demeter loved her daughter. She adored the very ground Persephone walked on, as mentioned. And of course, as a mother, she didn't want her child to be harmed, so she kept her secluded, which was safe ( according to Demeter). If Persephone didn't go out, she wouldn't encounter men the way Demeter had encountered Zeus and Poseidon on those unfateful days and hadn't been abke to save herself. At home, Demeter would always be there to save her daughter. No man or god would harm her girl. She even appointed some Nymphs so that her daughter won't feel alone when Demeter was busy; So that, if Demeter, by chance, was far away from Persephone, there would be someone else who could save her.

But one day, it all went down when Hades kidnapped Persephone. Demeter thought her daughter was done for. Because one of the big three, Hades — the one whom she knew as the cruelest — had took away her daughter to be his wife. Hades would ruin Persephone. He would ruin her small, naive girl. She was scared, but she can't show her fear because she was a goddess. Gods and Goddesses don't show fear. So, she converted her fear into anger and raged. She swore that there would be no grain on earth until she got her daughter back.

You see, Demeter had a very bad experience with two of the Big Three. So why shouldn't she be scared of the third one? Men say not all men, and yet we, women, are wary of all men. So why couldn't a goddess, who already had a bad experience from two of the gods, not be scared of the last one? She had a right to do so.

[mushroom-creacher]

Hades was a powerful man.

Powerful, but lonely.

He wasn't the social type and was never close with the others. He always attended events, but everyone was distant. No one would risk angering the Ruler of The Underworld.

He told himself he liked it that way. That meant no one would pester him for petty favors and superficial gifts. But even he knew that was a lie. He craved connection. Love.

But he knew that would never happen. Not for him.

At least that's what he thought. Until he met her.

Persephone.

He didn't expect it. Nobody did.

But, on a warm spring evening, as he strolled through the park, he couldn't help but hear the chatter. Not uncommon for the parks on Olympus to be filled with gossiping Nymphs. Something was different this time, however. The nymphs were huddled around someone. A god.

Hades could immediately tell from the aura of power. It was new, clearly hasn't reached its full potential. Odd. Zeus normally assigned new gods their duties as soon as they are of age.

He caught a nymph walking his way.

¨Excuse me. I wasn't aware a new god had been born?"

The nymph was slightly startled. ¨Oh she's only new to Olympus! Demeter raised her on Earth until now. She's finally allowed up here as long as we supervise and look out for her."

¨A god raised on Earth? Why?"

¨Her father is Zeus." She said it like it explained everything. And it did. Hades knew Zeus had wronged many, he wasn't surprised by Demeter´s distance from Olympus.

He nodded in understanding.

That's when he finally saw her. The crowd of nymphs parted to reveal the most gorgeous person Hades had ever seen. She was elegant and graceful, with flowers sprouting all around her. He could feel his face flush and his heart drum.

The nymph must have noticed because she cleared her throat and stood taller. ¨Don't get any ideas. She is forbidden from interacting with any of the men on Olympus. It is our duty to keep Persephone safe." With that, she marched back to the group.

Persephone.

The name ran circles through Hades´ head. It would continue through his walk to his car. And the drive home. And as he lay in bed.

He couldn´t stop thinking about her.

But something else kept itself in the front of his thoughts.

¨She is forbidden from interacting with any of the men on Olympus."

He was absolutely smitten.

But he could never be with her.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hades was heartbroken and it showed.

Everyone on Olympus, gods, titans, and nymphs alike, could all see the shift in mood.

Some days he would neglect his duties and lay in bed all day. Some days he would overwork himself to the point of exhaustion. Thanatos had to stop him from working for longer than he could handle.

After a very tiring week, Thanatos decided it was time to stop messing around.

It was another depressive evening and Hades lay in bed. He thought about Persephone. Her smile. Her eyes. He started to drift off into sleep.

Fwoomp!

The blankets were ripped off in a hurried motion.

Hades jumped up, not expecting to see his assistant walking towards his closet.

¨What the fuck, Thanatos," He growled.

¨Good evening, sir."

¨What is this about?"

Thanatos was searching through suits as Hades sat up in bed.

¨There is a party this evening and you are going to attend. I've already brought the car up to the front and verified your attendance. All you need to do is get ready."

¨I´m not going to a stupid party." He tried to pull the blanket over his head again, but Thanatos snatched them away.

¨I understand that you are upset, but you have been neglecting your health and your duties. If anything is going to break you out of this melancholy mood, it's a good-fashioned party. Now get in the shower, comb your damn hair and get in the car!"

Hades was taken aback by the sternness in his voice but did as told. He took a shower, put on a nice suit, and drove to the party.

He immediately regretted it as soon as he got there.

It was loud and crowded and dark. But it was too late now, he had been noticed.

¨Hades, my man! Where the Hell have you been? Ha! Just a little Underworld humor, you get it!" The obnoxious man gave a hard pat to Hades´ shoulder.

¨Evening Zeus. How´s Hera?"

¨Eh, you know how she can be. She's probably around here somewhere. Anyway, how have you been? We haven't seen you in a while."

¨I´ve been dealing with things."

¨What kind of things?"

He didn´t want to deal with Zeus´ nosiness so he absentmindedly scanned the room. It wasn't long before someone caught his eye. It was her.

Persephone.

Zeus followed his gaze. ¨Oh. Lady trouble?"

Hades started to walk away but Zeus followed.

¨What? Too scared to talk to her or something?"

Hades sighed. ¨Her mother has forbidden all men from interacting with her."

Zeus snorted out a laugh. ¨Why would someone do that?"

¨You should know."

¨What do you mean?"

Hades turned back to Zeus with a deadpan expression. He desperately wanted out of this conversation. ¨She's Demeter´s daughter."

Realization hit Zeus´ face. ¨Oh."

¨Exactly. So can we please not-¨

Zeus cut him off. ¨I can help!"

Hades stepped back in surprise. ¨What?"

¨I can help! She's my kid too so I give you, my blessing! There! Problem fixed!"

Hades had to stop himself from calling Zeus a number of rude names. ¨You do realize that fixes nothing at all. Even if she did want to talk to me with your 'blessing,' she's guarded by Demeter´s nymphs. All instructed to keep her away from men."

Zeus stood there, thinking for a while. Hades was just about to walk away when he grabbed his arm.

¨I have a plan," he declared, grinning.

¨No.¨

¨What?"

¨Your plans are never good."

¨This one is! I promise you! You'll like it!"

¨No. I´m doing anything you say."

¨Ok, you don't even have to do anything! Just be at the park tomorrow at 1-ish."

Hades walked away. He wanted to talk to her. So much. But teaming up with Zeus? That was just stupid. Still, he found himself thinking about it on the drive home.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

¨This is stupid," Hades muttered to himself. He was at the park. He didn't know why he was there. He didn´t want anything to do with the stupid plan. But he did want to see her again. Persephone and her nymphs were in their normal spot, talking.

He didn't have to wait long before Zeus showed up. He tensed. He wouldn't let him do anything stupid.

But all he did was start talking. The nymphs were hesitant at first. Not letting him even see Persephone. But after a while, they were all captivated. Probably some dumb, exaggerated story he has told a million times over. They weren't paying attention to her, and she was already bored with whatever story Zeus was telling.

That's when a row of gorgeous flowers and plants sprouted up. Starting small, they grew quickly, clearly trying to lead her somewhere. Hesitant at first, curiosity won over and she followed.

Hades was confused. What was going on? What was Zeus planning?

That's when he noticed that the trail of flowers ended directly below his feet. He stood there, staring down at his feet, for so long that he didn't notice the figure right in front of him.

¨Hello?"

The voice shook him out of his thoughts. He looked back to the person in front of him. It was her. He felt a blush creeping up his face.

She started to look confused. He realized he´d been silent for too long.

¨Um… Hello."

¨Are these your flowers?" She pointed at the trail.

He chuckled. ¨Not really."

¨That's too bad. They´re quite beautiful."

¨They are, aren't they? Reminds me of my greenhouse a bit."

Persephone´s face lit up. ¨You have a greenhouse?"

Hades smiled. She was beautiful, especially when she was excited. ¨Yes, technically. Thanatos is the caretaker. It's his pride and joy. I often visit it when I need some fresh air."

A confused look came across her face. ¨Thanatos? Does that make you…. Hades?"

Hades cursed at himself in his head. There it was. She was going to run screaming. Stupid job. Stupid Underworld. Stupid Hades. Stupi-

¨I´ve always been curious about the Underworld."

¨What?"

No one ever asked about the Underworld, besides if Hades could promise them a spot in Elysium or what tortures were most cruel in the Fields of Punishments.

¨On Earth, humans would tell stories about it, but they can exaggerate quite a bit. Since I'm a goddess, I'll never see it. So, I´ve always been curious."

¨Um, well I can take you there if you'd like?"

¨Hm, I don´t know. Mother told me not to trust the men up here."

¨Yeah, I heard. It's up to you. My car is just around the corner."

She stared at Hades for a moment, as if studying him. After what felt like an eternity, she smiled.

¨Lead the way, Mr. Hades."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The drive was short, but it felt like hours.

The two talked the whole time.

She told him about her life with mortals and Earth. She talked about how she would comfort mortals in their last moments and how she would use her divine abilities to bring peace and justice to the towns she visited.

He told her about Olympus and the Underworld. Stories of some of the well-known people who died and entertaining things that can happen down there.

Hades never wanted it to end.

They drove through the Gates of the Underworld and down the winding road to Hades´ mansion. Persephone looked around in awe the entire time. Hades smiled to himself. He loved seeing her so happy and excited, especially about his home.

She practically jumped out of the car when he parked in front of the mansion.

¨You seem excited," He chuckled as he got out of the car.

¨It's so beautiful! It's like a dark cave!"

¨Most people think it's creepy."

He started making his way into the mansion as Persephone walked beside him.

¨It because they're scared of death."

Hades raised an eyebrow. ¨And you´re not?"

¨I´ve seen death. I´ve been around it more times than I could count. It's something gods will likely never experience. This is as close as we can get." She waved a hand to the dark walls of the hallway.

Hades nodded as he led her through the twisting halls and rooms. They walked in mutual silence, Persephone still looking around until they found themselves in the greenhouse.

Persephone gasped. ¨It's beautiful…¨

Hades smiled. ¨I knew you'd like it. The only truly living thing in the Underworld."

Persephone walked around the large building, bursting with plants of all kinds. There were vibrant flowers and dark leaves. Everything was different but felt so right together.

¨Ahem."

The sudden voice startled both of them.

¨Hades, you know I appreciate your visits, but it is easier on my heart if you warn me beforehand."

Hades chuckled. ¨You will never forgive me for that broken pot will you, Thanatos."

¨Never."

¨Persephone, this is Tha-¨

¨Thanatos!" She ran to the god and wrapped her arms around him.

Thanatos smiled and hugged her back. ¨Lady Persephone. It is always a pleasure to see you."

Hades stood there, confused, as the two separated. ¨You two know each other?"

Persephone blushed. ¨Oh I forgot to mention... Like I told you, I used to comfort mortals in their last moments. So, I would often meet Thanatos retrieving their souls. He was one of the only gods mother would let me talk to."

¨Demeter was always really protective over her. I´m glad you finally get to have a little more freedom."

¨Me too. And I'm glad I got the chance to see you again!"

Hades chuckled. ¨Well since you two are already well acquainted, would you like a tour of the greenhouse?"

Persephone beamed and looked at Thanatos.

He smiled and started walking.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a detailed tour of the greenhouse, Thanatos left Persephone and Hades to themselves. They talked and laughed and joked for hours. Time flew by for the two.

It wasn´t until Persephone checked her phone that the fun ended.

"Crap."

¨What's wrong?"

Persephone got up, still staring at her phone. ¨It's getting late, I should head back…¨

¨Oh. Yeah, my bad. Let's get you home."

They walked through the mansion in silence, both avoiding eye contact with the other.

They reached the front of the house and Hades opened the passenger door.

Persephone stood in the doorway.

¨What's wrong? Don´t you need to get home soon?"

She stood there, silent, for what felt like a year. She looked at the ground as she quietly spoke, ¨I don't want to go…¨

¨You... You don´t?"

¨No! This place is so beautiful and amazing, and Thanatos is here and you´re here!" She blushed as she said the last part. ¨I don't want to leave. Not yet."

Hades smiled. He was blushing and he could hear his heart thrumming through his chest. ¨Well maybe... Maybe you could stay here for a few days? It'd be a learning experience and I have plenty of rooms for you to stay in.¨

¨I´d... I´d like that a lot."

They both stood there for a while before heading back into the mansion.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Persephone had planned to stay for a few days.

But days turned into weeks and neither she nor Hades gave any sign of wanting her to leave.

She would help in the greenhouse and Hades would teach her more about the Underworld. Every minute they spent together; they grew closer. They spent their evenings walking together. Sometimes talking, sometimes in total silence.

Everything was perfect.

Until Hermes came knocking at their door.

Hades wasn't surprised at first. Hermes was the messenger for the gods. He delivered the important messages so he would often come to the Underworld to fill Hades in on the happenings of Olympus or tell him when the next big meeting was.

But Hermes wasn't his usual, jovial self. He was fidgety and serious.

¨I´m gonna be real with ya, Hades, I don´t bring good news." Hermes had situated himself on the couch opposite Hades.

¨What's going on? The last time you were this serious was the Titan Wars," Hades joked, trying to ease the tension.

Hermes sighed. "Demeter´s pissed. She knows Persephone is here and she knows that it was Zeus who distracted her nymphs."

Hades tensed. He hadn't thought about what Demeter would think of Persephone´s stay. Of course, she´d disapprove. Who would want their child living in the land of the dead?

Noticing Hades´ silence, Hermes continued. ¨Zeus tried to calm her down but she went ballistic. She’s not letting anything grow on earth. It’s an eternal winter down there. So many humans are dying. She said we will only let up when Persephone returns to Earth.”

“What…”

The voice came from the doorway. They turned to see Persephone, on the verge of tears.

“Perse…”

“Humans are dying because of me?”

“No, this is not your fault. We’ll work this out, I’ll talk to Demeter.”

Persephone shook her head. “No, she won’t let up until I go back with her. I’ll have to stay on Earth.”

“You just got here. You can’t go yet…”

She sniffled, trying to hold back tears. “I don’t have a choice. I can’t let anyone else get hurt because of me.”

Hermes finally spoke up. “I was instructed to bring you to her. I am very sorry, I know this isn’t ideal.”

“It’s ok. You’re just doing your job.”

“I’ll wait in the car. Let you two say goodbye.” Hermes walked out with a sympathetic look to the two.

There was a long silence.

“I’ll miss you.” Persephone was the first to speak.

“I’ll miss you too. These past couple of weeks have been amazing.”

“They have. I love it here. I wish I didn’t have to leave.”

Hades stood there for a moment, before running to the greenhouse. He looked around, hurriedly. Then he found it. A bright pink orchid in an obsidian pot with electric blue trim. He grabbed it and ran back to Persephone. She was heading to the door.

“Persephone wait!” He ran to her, steading the plant. “I want to give you something.”

She turned around to face him, clearly crying.

Hades couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. He felt that if he spoke, he’d start crying too. So he handed Persephone the orchid.

She gasped and held it gingerly. “I can keep this?”

“Something to remember the Underworld. And me.”

She smiled, still crying. But this was different. These tears weren’t as sad. They were hopeful.

“Thank you, so so much. I’ll plant it somewhere special.”

He nodded and before he could second guess himself, he kissed her on the cheek.

She blushed and stood there in surprise.

“All of the Underworld will miss your colorful personality and shining smile.”

Before he could turn back to the house, she pulled him in and kissed him deeply.

He was in complete shock. It was like electricity through his entire body. He quickly shook out of his stupor and kissed her back, pulling her close.

When they finally pulled away, Hades could feel how hard his heart was pounding.

“Goodbye, Hades.” She whispered as she walked to Hermes’ car.

He got out before she made it even halfway. “I can’t do this! My hopeless romantic side can’t separate you two! You’re meant to be together.”

Persephone and Hades stood there, shocked.

“I’ll work something out, don’t worry about it. I’ve always been good at lying,” He winked and drove off.

Persephone turned and ran back to Hades. They were both smiling as she threw her arms around him. He picked her up and spun her around. She laughed and kissed him.

They were together.

Everything was perfect.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next few days were bliss.

Hades and Persephone spent them together endlessly, talking and learning from each other. Nothing could ruin their happiness. Not even Hermes’ next visit.

“So, I can stay?” Persephone was perched on the armrest of the couch.

“Well, kinda. See I told Demeter some story about you eating a third of pomegranate and since you consumed something from the Underworld, you were tethered to Underworld.”

“So, she can stay?”

“That’s where the downside comes in. Demeter’s smart. She said that since you only ate a third of it, you’d only have to stay down here for a third of the year. You still have to go back up.”

“Dammit.” Persephone cursed.

“But you do get to come back for a third of the year. It’s not much but it’s all I can do for you.”

“Thank you, Hermes. You’ve been more than helpful.”

Hermes got up and started to walk to the door. “Oh! One more thing before I head out.” He turned back to Persephone.

He cleared his throat and stood taller. “Goddess Persephone. As you are now a part of the Underworld, a kingdom governed by Hades, land of the Dead, you have been assigned a divine duty. By decree of Lord Zeus, King of the gods, you are hereby known as Persephone, Lady of the Underworld, goddess of Punishment. It is your duty to conceive punishments for the souls of the Damned.” He relaxed and smiled politely. “Have a nice day!”

And with that, he was gone.

Hades turned to Persephone, shocked. She had the same expression.

“Well,” She smiled. “Now I have a job!”

[percabeth4life]

i want to know the original version of hades and persephone story. there are so many versions I've read and i wanted to know which one do you believe in or which one do you think is the real one?

Okay so to start with. If we wanna really go back, Hades came into existence after Persephone. But alas, we aren't speaking of this version.

We are talking about the version where Hades sweeps Persephone away without so much as a hello.

The problem is a lot of the stories of Ancient Greece are well... They're lost. They were primarily shared through oral tradition, and written down over time. And so many stories we may not know. On top of that, many that were written down were lost, destroyed or just vanished, to time. Plus, we don't know how to translate Linear A, but we do Linear B, and there may be a version somewhere in Linear A. Overall, it's just possible we don't know the earlier versions.

But the earliest version we do have is from the Homeric Hymn, from the 7th or 6th B.C.E. This hymn is actually one to Demeter, not Hades or Persephone. The myth, while speaking of the two, is actually about Demeter.

It is, for the time period it is from (and you must keep in mind the culture of the time to understand the myth) a feminist myth.

So the culture of the time.

In the time period women did not have the greatest of rights, something improved upon today, but it means that the Father (and/or King) had full rights to hand their daughters off to another man.

That is what happens in this myth, Zeus tells Hades he may have Persephone's hand... But Persephone did not wish to go. And likewise Demeter was not informed.

By the culture of the time that does not matter, but Demeter *makes* it matter. She searches for her daughter first, then when she discovers where Persephone was taken and who was the cause (Zeus) she is angered.

Demeter then refuses to step upon Olympus, not allow any plants to grow, until she sees her daughter again.

This is obviously a problem, so Zeus sends Hermes down to retrieve Persephone (who btw was unhappy and missed her mom). Persephone leaps up with joy to see her mother again and Hades agrees immediately. But he secretly feeds her pomegranate seeds just to be sure she would return.

The reason this is a feminist myth is because of Demeter, because she refused to accept her king and her daughter's father handing their daughter off in marriage. And she refused to such an extent that they had no choice but to compromise with her (and had Hades not forced Persephone to have the pomegranate seed she wouldn't have even had to compromise).

For the culture of the time, Zeus and Hades were taking actions that were more than okay, nothing they did would be considered wrong. But Demeter stood against it.

Demeter stood for her daughter to not be married off, and demanded she be returned, and Persephone (tho she came to love Hades) was relieved to return to her mother.

Many of the "new adaptions" have Persephone wanting to leave Demeter, wanting to be with her husband, and Demeter being overbearing. But originally it was mutual love, Mother and Daughter missing each other and the Mother fighting to get her daughter back when everything of the time said she had no right to.

And so the myth as we know occurs. This is the myth I ascribe too, being the oldest we have, and I do wish more realized how Demeter's actions are why the myth is so important.

I have copied the Hymn in it's entirety below the cut. It is fairly long and four parts. If you have questions about it, feel free to ask!

Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter (abridged) (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th or 6th B.C.) :

I. HAIDES ABDUCTS PERSEPHONE

"[Demeter's] trim-ankled daughter whom Aidoneus [Haides] rapt away, given to him by all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer. Apart from Demeter, lady of the golden sword and glorious fruits, she was playing with the deep-bosomed daughters of Okeanos and gathering flowers over a soft meadow, roses and crocuses and beautiful violets, irises also and hyacinths and the narcissus, which Gaia (the Earth) made to grow at the will of Zeus and to please Polydektor (Host of Many), to be a snare for the bloom-like girl--a marvellous, radiant flower. It was a thing of awe whether for deathless gods or mortal men to see: from its root grew a hundred blooms and it smelled most sweetly, so that all wide heaven (ouranos) above and the whole earth (gaia) and the sea's (thalassa) salt swell laughed for joy. And the girl was amazed and reached out with both hands to take the lovely toy : but the wide-pathed earth yawned there in the plain of Nysa, and the lord, Polydegmon (Host of Many) [Haides], with his immortal horses sprang out upon her--the Son of Kronos (Cronus), Polynomos (He Who has Many Names).

He caught her up reluctant on his golden car and bare her away lamenting. Then she cried out shrilly with her voice, calling upon her father [Zeus], the Son of Kronos, who is most high and excellent. But no one, either of the deathless gods or mortal men, heard her voice, nor yet the olive-trees bearing rich fruit: only tender-hearted Hekate (Hecate), bright-coiffed, the daughter of Persaios (Persaeus), heard the girl from her cave, and the lord Helios (the Sun), Hyperion's bright son, as she cried to her father, the Son of Kronos. But he was sitting aloof, apart from the gods, in his temple where many pray, and receiving sweet offerings from mortal men. So he [Haides], that Son of Kronos, Polynomos (Of Many Names), Polysemantor (Ruler of Many) and Polydegmon (Host of Many), was bearing her away by leave of Zeus on his immortal chariot--his brother's child and all unwilling.

And so long as she, the goddess, yet beheld earth and starry heaven and the strong-flowing sea where fishes shoal, and the rays of the sun, and still hoped to see her dear mother and the tribes of the eternal gods, so long hope clamed her great heart for all her trouble . . . and the heights of the mountains and the depths of the sea ran with her immortal voice : and her queenly mother heard her.

II. DEMETER SEARCHES FOR PERSEPHONE

"Bitter pain seized her [Demeter's] heart, and she rent the covering upon her divine hair with her dear hands : her dark cloak she cast down from both her shoulders and sped, like a wild-bird, over the firm land and yielding sea, seeking her child. But no one would tell her the truth, neither god nor mortal man; and of the birds of omen none came with true news for her. Then for nine days queenly Deo wandered over the earth with flaming torches in her hands, so grieved that she never tasted ambrosia and the sweet draught of nektaros, nor sprinkled her body with water. But when the tenth enlightening dawn had come, Hekate, with a torch in her hands, met her, and spoke to her and told her news : ‘Queenly Demeter, bringer of seasons and giver of good gifts, what god of heaven (theon ouranion) or what mortal man has rapt away Persephone and pierced with sorrow your dear heart? For I heard her voice, yet saw not with my eyes who it was. But I tell you truly and shortly all I know.’

So, then, said Hekate. And [Demeter] the daughter of rich-haired Rheia answered her not, but sped swiftly with her, holding flaming torches in her hands. So they came to Helios (the Sun), who is watchman of both gods and men, and stood in front of his horses: and the bright goddess enquired of him : ‘Helios, do you at least regard me, goddess as I am, if ever by word or deed of mine I have cheered your heart and spirit. Through the fruitless air (aitheros) I heard the thrilling cry of my daughter whom I bare, sweet scion of my body and lovely in form, as of one seized violently; though with my eyes I saw nothing. But you--for with your beams you look down from the bright upper air (aitheros) over all the earth and sea--tell me truly of my dear child if you have seen her anywhere, what god or mortal man has violently seized her against her will and mine, and so made off.’

So said she. And the Son of Hyperion [Helios] answered her : ‘Queen Demeter, daughter of rich-haired Rheia, I will tell you the truth; for I greatly reverence and pity you in your grief for your trim-ankled daughter. None other of the deathless gods is to blame, but only cloud-gathering Zeus who gave her to Aides, her father's brother, to be called his buxom wife. And Aides seized her and took her loudly crying in his chariot down to his realm of mist and gloom. Yet, goddess, cease your loud lament and keep not vain anger unrelentingly : Aidoneus Polysemantor (Ruler of Many) is no unfitting husband among the deathless gods for your child, being your own brother and born of the same stock: also, for honour, he has that third share which he received when division was made at the first, and is appointed lord of those among whom he dwells.’

So he spake, and called to his horses: and at his chiding they quickly whirled the swift chariot along, like long-winged birds. But grief yet more terrible and savage came into the heart of Demeter, and thereafter she was so angered with [Zeus] the dark-clouded Son of Kronos that she avoided the gathering of the gods and high Olympos. She [Demeter] vowed that she would never set foot on fragrant Olympos nor let fruit spring out of the ground until she beheld with her eyes her own fair-faced daughter.

III. THE RETURN OF PERSEPHONE

"Now when all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer heard this, he sent Argeiphontes [Hermes] whose wand is of gold to Erebos, so that having won over Aides with soft words, he might lead forth chaste Persephoneia to the light from the misty gloom to join the gods, and that her mother might see her with her eyes and cease from her anger. And Hermes obeyed, and leaving the house of Olympos, straightway sprang down with speed to the hidden places of the earth. And he found the lord Aides in his house seated upon a couch, and his shy mate with him, much reluctant, because she yearned for her mother. But she was afar off, brooding on her fell design becuase of the deeds of the blessed gods. And strong Argeiphontes [Hermes] drew near and said : ‘Dark-haired Aides, ruler over the departed, father Zeus bids me bring noble Persephone forth from Erebos unot the gods, that her mother may see her with her eyes and cease from her dread anger with the immortals; for now she plans an awful deed, to destroy the weakly tribes of earth-born men by keeping seed hidden beneath the earth, and so she makes an end of the honours of the undying gods. For she keeps fearful anger and does not consort with the gods, but sits aloof in her fragrant temple, dwelling in the rocky hold of Eleusis.’

So he said. And Aidoneus, ruler over the dead, smiled grimly and obeyed the behest of Zeus the king. For he straightway urged wise Persephone, saying : ‘Go now, Persephoneia, to your dark-robed mother, go, and feel kindly in your heart towards me : be not so exceedingly cast down; for I shall be no unfitting husband for you among the deathless dods, that am own brother to father Zeus. And while you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods : those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore.’

When he said this, wise Persephoneia was filled with joy and hastily sprang up for gladness. But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter. Then Aidoneus Polysemantor (Ruler of Many) openly got ready his deathless horses beneath the golden chariot. And she mounted on the chariot, and strong Argeiphontes [Hermes] took reins and whip in his dear hands and drove forth from the hall, the horses speeding readily. Swiftly they traversed their long course, and neither the sea nor river-waters nor grassy glens nor mountain-peaks checked the career of the immortal horses, but they cleft the deep air above them as they went. And Hermes brought them to the place where rich-crowned Demeter was staying and checked them before her fragrant temple.

And when Demeter saw them, she rushed forth as does a Mainas (Maenad) down some thick-wooded mountain, while Persephone on the other side, when she saw her mother's sweet eyes, left the chariot and horses, and leaped down to run to her, and falling upon her neck, embraced her. But while Demeter was still holding her dear child in her arms, her heart suddenly misgave her for some snare, so that she feared greatly and ceased fondling her daughter and asked of her at once : ‘My child, tell me, surely you have not tasted any food while you were below? Speak out and hide nothing, but let us both know. For if you have not, you shall come back from loathly Aidao and live with me and your father [Zeus], the dark-clouded Son of Kronos and be honoured by all the deathless gods; but if you have tasted food, you must fo back again beneath the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a third part of the seasons every year: yet for the tow parts you shall be with me and the other deathless gods. But when the earth shall bloom with the fragrant flowers of spring in every kind, then from the realm of darkness and gloom thou shalt come up once more to be a wonder for gods and mortal men. And now tell me how he rapt you away to therealm of darkness and gloom, and by what trick did strong Polydegmon (Host of Many) [Haides] beguile you?’

Then beautiful Persephone answered her thus : ‘Mother, I will tell you all without error. When luck-bringing Hermes came, swift messenger from my father the Son of Kronos and the other Sons of Ouranos, bidding me come back from Erebos that you might see me with your eyes and so cease from your anger and fearful wrath against the gods, I sprang up at once for joy; but he secretly put in my mouth sweet food, a pomegranate seed, and forced me to taste against my will. Also I will tell how he rapt me away by the deep plan of my father [Zeus] the Son of Kronos and carried me off beneath the depths of the earth, and will relate the whole matter as you ask. All we were playing in a lovely meadow, Leukippe and Phaino and Elektra and Ianthe, Melite also and Iakhe with Rhodea and Kallirhoe and Melobosis and Tykhe and Okyrhoe, fair as a flower, Khryseis, Ianeira, Akaste and Admete and Rhodope and Plouto and charming Kalypso; Styx too was there and Ourania and lovely Galaxaure with Pallas who rouses battles and Artemis delighting in arrows: we were playing and gathering sweet flowers in our hands, soft crocuses mingled with irises and hyacinths, and rose-blooms and lilies, marvellous to see, and the narcissus which the wide earth caused to grow yellow as a crocus. That I plucked in my joy; but the earth parted beneath, and there the strong lord, Polydegmon (Host of Many) [Haides] sprang forth and in his golden chariot he bore me away, all unwilling, beneath the earth : then I cried with a shrill cry. All this is true, sore though it grieves me to tell this tale.’

So did they then, with hearts at one, greatly cheer each the other's soul and spirit with many an embrace: their hearts had relief from their griefs while each took and gave back joyousness. Then bright-coiffed Hekate came near to them, and often did she embrace the daughter of holy Demeter: and from that time the lady Hekate was minister and companion to Persephone.

IV. GIFT OF AGRICULTURE & THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES

"And all-seeing Zeus sent a messenger to them, rich-haired Rheia, to bring dark-cloaked Demeter to join the families of the gods (phyla theon) : and he promised to give her what rights she should choose among the deathless gods and agreed that her daughter should go down for the third part of the circling year to darkness and gloom, but for the two parts should live with her mother and the other deathless gods. Thus he commanded. And the goddess did not disobey the message of Zeus; swiftly she rushed down from the peaks of Olympos and came to the plain of Rharos, rich, fertile corn-land once, but then in nowise fruitful, for it lay idle and utterly leafless, because the white grain was hidden by design of trim-ankled Demeter. But afterwards, as spring-time waxed, it was soon to be waving with long ears of corn, and its rich furrows to be loaded with grain upon the ground, while others would already be bound in sheaves. There first she landed from the fruitless upper air (aitheros) : and glad were the goddesses to see each other and cheered in heart. Then bright-coiffed Rheia said to Demeter : ‘Come, my daughter; for far-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer calls you to join the families of the gods, and has promised to give you what rights you please among the deathless gods, and has agreed that for a third part of the circling year your daughter shall go down to darkness and gloom, but for the two parts shall be with you and the other deathless gods: so has he declared it shall be and has bowed his head in token. But come, my child, obey, and be not too angry unrelentingly with the dark-clouded Son of Kronos; but rather increase forthwith for men the fruit that gives them life.’

So spake Rheia. And rich-crowned Demeter did not refuse but straightway made fruit to spring up from the rich lands, so that the whole wide earth was laden with leaves and flowers.

Then she [Demeter] went to [the leaders of Eleusis] . . . she showed them the conduct of her rites and taught them all her mysteries . . . awful mysteries which no one may in any way transgress or pry into or utter, for deep awe of the gods checks the voice. Happy is he among men upon earth who has seen these mysteries; but he who is uninitiate and who has no part in them, never has lot of like good things once he is dead, down in the darkness and gloom. But when the bright goddess had taught them all, they went to Olympos to the gathering of the other gods. And there they dwell beside Zeus who delights in thunder, awful and reverend goddesses. Right blessed is he among men on earth whom they freely love: soon they do send Ploutos (Plutus, Wealth) as guest to his great house, Ploutos who gives wealth to mortal men.

And now . . . queen Deo, be gracious, you and your daughter all beauteous Persephoneia, and for my song grant me heart-cheering substance."

[flightlessangelwings]

Grant a Name to a Buried and a Burning Flame ~ Chapter 1

Hades!Din Djarin x Persephone!Reader (gender neutral, no y/n)

Chapter 1/3

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: Hades/Persephone retelling, historical setting, hints of soulmate AU, arranged marriage, slight angst, some fluff, mutual pining 

Thank you to @ollypopp​ for letting me bounce ideas and talk my thoughts out and thank you to my wonderful partner @we-can-be-himbos​ for beta reading for me! 

Moodboard made by me

~

“Persephone!”

You turned your head toward the voice that called your name. It wasn’t your birth name, but once you became of age you were assigned the name and your real name was never used in public anymore. No one remembered how or why it started, but it became tradition for every royal to assume the name of an Old God as a title and signifier of their status. Most took to it and even forgot their birth names, but you made sure that you used your real name when you were alone with yourself. 

Some maybe wanted to forget and embrace their role in life, but you didn’t want to forget. If you were honest with yourself, you didn’t even want this role. But, you were born into it and as soon as you were old enough, you were prepared for the day you would lead your kingdom. You were good at it for sure, and leading came naturally to you, but you didn’t feel like this was your calling. You didn’t even feel like this was truly a home to you, even as beautiful as the land was.

The voice belonged to your mother, Demeter, who found you in the garden again. It’s where she usually found you: alone in the peace and quiet, surrounded by your favorite flowers. Flowers always lined your chiton and served as decorative accents to the long robe you typically wore. Sometimes, you even tucked one behind your ear as well. The beauty of the harvest and forests were one of the only comforts to your kingdom. Otherwise, it all just felt lonely to you, and like you didn’t truly belong there.

“Yes mother?” you rolled your eyes before you turned to face her. You already knew what she came to see you about and you dreaded it. 

“Persephone you know you can’t spend all your time out here. You have responsibilities,” she always pushed your royal duties on you and then some, and you hated it. She always seemed more concerned for what you could offer her than what you were as a person, and it got under your skin more than you liked to admit.

You felt trapped in your role, in your kingdom. With a defeated sigh, you decided not to argue with her this time, “Yes mother.”

It was another several days before you could sneak out to your garden again, and you felt smothered every minute you stayed within the walls of the palace. It was lavish and beautiful, and the sun always shone through the windows, but you still felt suffocated. With a deep breath, you took in the fresh air and plucked your favorite flower from a nearby bush. As you exhaled you whispered your name, a habit you got yourself into so that you would never forget it. At times, your mother had trouble remembering her birth name, and you didn’t want that for yourself.

As you gazed down the horizon, you suddenly felt a pull to run past the gate that separated your palace and garden from the rest of the kingdom. It was as if a voice inside your head screamed at you to get out, to leave and never look back. You had heard that voice before, and you almost gave in several times. But you always stopped yourself just before you stepped over the threshold. Before you even realized your movements, you moved forward until your body lined up with the border.

Beyond the lush of your own kingdom lay a more barren land, and you could see the darkness shadow in the distance. It should have scared you, you should have wanted to stay away from it. And yet, you couldn’t help but feel a pull towards it instead. The kingdom in the distance was the complete opposite of yours: where yours was sunny and colorful, the other land was dark and dull. It looked as if the land was lifeless, though you knew it had a daily large population.

You looked back over your shoulder, and when you didn’t see anyone, you finally took the next step.

Once you started, you couldn’t stop and you ran as fast as you could. For the first time in your adult life, you felt free. Some of your flowers fell off in your haste, but plenty more still decorated your figure. The one that you had tucked behind your ear stayed somehow, and since it was your favorite you were grateful for that little comfort. The weight of your royal title felt far away, and you could just be you. Even as the darkness and emptiness of the land surrounded you more and more, you embraced it. 

It was a quiet land, and you stayed in the forests and away from any villages to stay hidden. The trees were so dark they were almost black, and hardly any vegetation grew on them. You became more aware of how much you stood out here; a lone flower among the dirt, a lone light in the darkness. Nevertheless, you kept on the move.

Suddenly, you heard the sound of footsteps behind you, and you spun around to find that you were no longer alone in the dark forest. A hooded figure emerged from the shadows, and though it didn’t seem to move quickly, it still somehow ended up in your space before you realized it. You let out a gasp as the figure reached out and grabbed your arm, and even this close, you couldn’t see a face. The flower that was securely tucked behind your ear fell to the ground from your sudden harsh movement.

“What are you doing here?” the hooded figure asked. His voice was deep and gruff, yet void of any malice. His hood completely covered his face, and from this close you could see that he also donned a mask for added anonymity. On his belt, he carried several weapons, and the deep black sword especially stood out. You could also see the armor he wore over his robes glisten in the low light. This was obviously someone you did not want to mess with.

“I…” you were at a loss for words. What could you say? It wasn’t like you wanted to divulge who you were or that you ran away from your kingdom. But you also didn’t want to seem like someone who had gotten lost in the woods either.

“Aren’t you a long way from home… Persephone?” you heard the slight smirk in his voice. He kept a grip on your arm, but it didn’t feel like a threat for some reason.

Your eyes went wide; how did he know who you were? Maybe you should have grabbed a cloak or something so that your features were hidden, but it was too late for that now. Strangely, you didn’t feel as scared as you should have been around him. It almost felt as if the voice in your head that pulled you forward led you right to him. Was that how he found you too? Was there a voice that pulled him as well?

In the distance, you could hear the howls of wolves: the Cerberus. Legend had it that a pack of black-fured wolves guarded the border to the kingdom. Some would even say that it wasn’t even an entire wolf pack, but just three unusually large dogs. Those who have glimpsed it say that they move as one, appearing as if they were one large beast with three heads.

The hooded stranger took your silence as an answer on its own and ushered you through the forest and away from the howls, “Come with me,” he spoke in a low tone. He left it unsaid, but he felt an immediate need to protect you and keep you safe, and that started with getting you out of the darkened woods.

It felt like a whirlwind, and you couldn’t even react as he led you to an unknown destination. As the outline of a dark castle came into view, realization dawned on you and you figured out who had found you, “Hades…” you breathed out.

He let out a single sharp laugh, “You’re smarter than you look,” he replied.

Hades was both well known and a complete mystery to everyone, even other royals. His kingdom was shrouded in shadow, the night to the day that was your own kingdom. He had a reputation for being a loner, and he was ruthless to any enemy who stood in his way. And no one had ever seen his face. You wondered if he even remembered his real name or if he was among those who had forgotten it.

Rumor was that he belonged to an ancient sect, the Mandalorians if you remembered correctly, and it was part of their teachings to never show their faces, but no one knew for sure. For the most part, Hades’ kingdom, the Underworld as it was nicknamed, was left alone. And that was how everyone preferred it.

You tried to struggle, but his grip was too strong, and though he did not hold you hard enough to hurt, you still failed to break yourself free. How did you find yourself so easily taken by Hades? Technically you did run away and into his territory, so were you really his prisoner? He did not seem interested in harming you, but he did not seem to want to release you so easily either.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he seemed to sense your hesitation and in his words he spoke the truth. He would never hurt you, not when he just found you. 

His words took you off guard and you looked into the blackness of his hood, “Then why don’t you let me go?” you offered back in as confident a voice as you could muster.

At that, he said nothing. You let out a dramatic sigh as you decided not to struggle for the time being. As your eyes darted around, you became increasingly aware of how much you contrasted your new surroundings. Everything was dark and plain compared to the robe adorned with flowers you wore. And yet, something about Hades’ palace was almost comforting in a strange way. Maybe it was because nothing about the castle was exactly lavish. It seemed to exist only for utility and not for show like your own palace was. It was much smaller than your own as well.

“Stay here,” he broke the silence as he left you in a small room and disappeared through the doorway.

There wasn’t much to the room, just a table with a bowl of fruits on it and a couple of chairs. As you eyed the bowl, your stomach started to growl and it dawned on you that you hadn’t eaten in some time. You looked around as you wondered if you should eat some of the food on the table. He had left you in a room with the bowl, which had to be on purpose, and he didn’t explicitly say that you couldn’t. 

With a shrug, you decided that a little snack couldn’t hurt anybody. Besides, who knew how long you would be here? You grabbed the brightest thing on the table: a handful of pomegranate seeds. They were surprisingly tasty, and you wondered how something this luscious grew in such an unforgiving land.

You had no idea how long you stayed in that little room. It was hard to tell the difference between night and day in this kingdom, but eventually you relaxed into one of the chairs and drifted off.

When you woke up again, you were in a different room and laid out in a soft bed. You furrowed your brown in confusion before you shot up to stand. The room was small; there was only space for a bed and a dresser with a small bathroom attached. One thing that did catch your eye, however, was there was a single flower laid out on the dresser. Upon closer inspection, you noticed that it was your favorite: similar to the one you had tucked behind your ear when you first encountered Hades. But, you could tell it was not the same one.

“What…?” you whispered to yourself as you picked up the flower and rolled it gently in your hands. 

Your thoughts were interrupted, however, when the door to the room suddenly burst open and Hades’ hooded figure stepped into the room. The two of you just stared at each other in silence for several long minutes. Your mind went in a thousand directions as you looked into the abyss of his face and you wondered what was going through his mind. Faintly, you also realized that the pull you had felt for so long as stopped now that he was in front of you.

“You like the flower?” he finally asked in a raspy voice.

“I… Yes,” you fiddled with it as you stuttered, surprised that the gift was from him.

He let out a soft laugh that you wouldn’t have heard had the room not been so quiet. It was a nice laugh, and it made you wonder if the rumors about him were all wrong. Sure he was an intimidating figure when you first met, but he seemed to be nothing but kind to you, even if he was your captor. Is that what he was? Ever since you left home, everything felt so strange and so upside down that you weren’t even sure about your current predicament. And yet, you didn’t feel afraid. This man was armed head to toe, and yet you felt completely safe with him.

“Follow me,” he broke the silence again as he stepped just outside the door.

You blinked a few times before you set the flower down and did as you were told, “How long was I asleep?” you asked as you fell into line a few steps behind him.

“All night,” he replied shortly. Both of you were silent after that. 

He led you down a hallway into a larger chamber that was beautifully lit with candles. Your mouth hung open at the sight, and the light was a welcome warmth after all the darkness that engulfed you since you were brought here. A man in a white robe stood at an altar at the end of the room and it took you a moment to recognize that your mother and father stood nearby. Demeter had a sullen look on her face while your father remained stoic.

“What is going on?” you asked, since no one wanted to break the tense silence in the room.

“We’re getting married,” Hades replied matter-of-factly. When you just stared at him, he continued, “Your father arranged it so that we can unite our kingdoms in peace.”

You were too dumbfounded to say anything and the ceremony went by in a blur. It was mostly a formality, nothing special or extravagant. It wasn’t that you were opposed to marriage, but you certainly did not think you would end up married like this. Sure it happened at times to unite kingdoms or bring peace to warring lands, but you had been groomed since childhood to take over the throne yourself, not get married off.

“Why did you have to do this, Persephone?” Demeter shook your shoulders once the vows were exchanged, “Why couldn’t you just listen to me and do your duty? Why did you have to eat the seeds?” she berated you with questions and you wanted nothing more than to run away again.

Truthfully, you didn’t even think of the consequences when you ate the pomegranate seeds, but Hades had argued that since you ate food from his kingdom and accepted his gift of the flower that you were bound to his land now. But, he struck a deal with your father that you could return home for half of the year if you ruled the Underworld at his side.

Rage burned within you as your mind caught up to your body. You felt used and tricked, which you expected from your parents, but not from your newly found companion. Why did you hold him in a higher regard than them? You didn’t think too much about it and shook the thought from your head. You ran away to escape the life that was expected of you, not to fall further into it. With a huff, you stormed out of the chamber and back into the room that you had woken up in.

You slammed the door shut behind you and leaned back against it with your eyes closed as tears of anger slowly fell down your cheeks. With a few deep breaths to calm yourself, you opened your eyes again and almost immediately they landed on the flower. What was once a beautiful gift now became an ugly reminder of your situation. You stomped over and grabbed the flower harshly and opened the window to throw it out.

Just as you were about to swing your arm, however, you froze. For some reason, you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. You tightened your grip on the flower as you tried again to throw it out, and again you couldn’t do it. With a defeated huff, you tossed it onto the dresser instead and collapsed onto your bed. 

Your bed?

You closed your eyes as you thought about what would happen next. A thousand questions ran through your mind. You could run away again, but where would you go? Was this any better than what you came from? Was it worse? Why did this Hades marry you so quickly after meeting once? Why were you more angry about not being consulted about this than being married to him? Why did you feel this pull to him? Did he feel that pull towards you?

Eventually your mind was able to quiet itself and you drifted off to sleep. Between your emotions and the way your mind raced, you found yourself exhausted already. And you just wanted to escape this realm for a little while and just dream. When you dreamed, you dreamed about him. 

What you didn’t know, however, was that everything you had felt was reflected in the blank stare of Hades’ hood. He found you in the forest because he felt a pull towards you; a pull he had felt every time he looked in the direction of your kingdom. To finally see you in person was more than he could have asked for, and he was captivated by you immediately. You couldn’t see it, but underneath the hood, he had a look of pure adoration for you. And more nights than not, he dreamed of you. In those dreams too, you always used his real name: Din Djarin. 

~

Notes: I hope y’all like what I came up with for this AU. I didn’t want to do a strait retelling and I took some creative liberties with this to make it unique. Chapters 2 and 3 are drafted and I’ll be updating this on Mondays so there won’t be a long wait for chapter 2. And I normally wouldn’t be specific about the pomegranates since not everyone likes them but since that’s a big part of the myth, I had to put it in here lol.

[winns-stuff]

demeter’s character assassination is so disappointing. she doesn’t deserve to be painted as a villain just for standing in the way of hades and persephone. i don’t support how controlling she is with persephone (i think kids need the freedom to grow from life experiences while having support from their parents to help guide them) but i do believe demeter is justified in her disapproval of hades. she knows from firsthand experience how nasty hades can be to others, so of course she would be worried for her young inexperienced daughter. i think demeter should warn persephone about these dangers and allow her to make her own decisions, instead of controlling her. however, this alone doesn’t make demeter a villain (in fact it makes her a multifaceted and interesting character with realistic flaws). there are stans out there that are really putting demeter on the same level of villainy as apollo bc they both “control persephone”. you’re gonna equate a worried mother to a rapist? wow..um... anyway, the only reason demeter is seen as such a bad person is bc rs keeps framing her that way. the most egregious example of this is the newest ep where demeter calls persephone home to publicly shame her for leaving the tgoem. everything demeter does in this ep feels out of character. when did demeter ever care about what persephone wore? when was persephone being in tgoem ever about demeter wanting to keep persephone a virgin? (iirc demeter never explicitly said she wanted persephone to “stay pure”.. enrolling her in tgoem was always about keeping her safe from ppl who wanted to take advantage of her fertility powers) it feels like rs is trying to find ANYTHING to make demeter look worse than she actually is. imo rs is trying to make demeter a part of the tgoem/purity culture plotline, when she never really was in the first place. demeter controlled persephone to protect her from ppl trying to take advantage of her. tgoem is about staying a virgin aka lo’s depiction of purity culture. now all of a sudden rs is suggesting that demeter was only controlling persephone to keep her a virgin. any reasonable person can see that demeter is trying to keep her daughter safe from predators (albeit in an over-controlling way) her disapproval of HxP isn’t some ploy to reinforce purity culture

tldr: rs is warping demeter’s character to make her a villain by pretending she is controlling due to purity culture instead of being a justifiably worried mother

I agree completely, the way no one took in acknowledgement that the decisions Persephone is making is literally going to end her life essentially is so infuriating and frustrating. Hades has already been using Persephone’s fertility powers by accident, it’s been confirmed by the comic itself. What does this mean you may ask? It means that no matter what, Persephone is going to be used by Hades and she will be chipped away piece by piece as centuries go along and she won’t even be able to do anything about it because it doesn’t matter if Hades doesn’t want to use her and it doesn’t matter if Hades loves her because that’s her destiny, it’s her destiny to be used by others because of this godforsaken incredibly stupid fertility goddess plot story. The fact that no one cares about this at all shows how little they actually care about Persephone.

In fact, let’s get into that. Why is everyone so pleased at them being together in the first place? Everyone used to hate the thought of them being together which I completely understand but why did they just all of a sudden allow her to be with him? He’s still an asshole, he’s still very self centered, he’s still a man child, he’s still incredibly short tempered, and he still doesn’t know how to regulate his emotions. There’s no change from the man they grew to hate to the man he is now so why exactly do they believe they’re good together now? If they really cared about Persephone they would understand just how terrible this sort of relationship would be for her. We see Persephone giving up literally everything to be with Hades and Hades not giving up anything in return, we see Persephone communicate things with Hades and being the first to actually start those conversations yet we don’t see anything coming from his end. There’s so much taking from him, he takes everything from Persephone and has the nerve to beg for me from her and if everyone’s so up her ass about her relationship why are they okay with her being in a relationship like that? The whole main cast of LO genuinely it feels like they staged all of this.

I genuinely believe that the main crew allowed this shit to happen on purpose because they just despised Minthe so much and they probably believed that she wouldn’t be a good queen so they needed a replacement. They probably knew about Persephone from Hermes and Artemis and allowed for her go into Artemis’ house finally after they decided that she would be a good match. They knew that it was her first time in Olympus, they knew how nice she was, they knew how innocent she was, they knew probably that she was a virgin. Hell I think they probably believed that she would be the only person in Olympus to actually tolerate and be tricked by Hades’ pathetic manipulative tactics, and with the cherry on top they knew that she essentially looked like a flower nymph which is confirmed to be a literal kink for Hades. They knew she was the full package and good enough for Hades to be all over and they never even blinked when it came to actually considering how she felt about the whole thing.

That’s why everyone’s so fucking fine with this bullshit they wanted this to happen and they groomed her into being a “lovely” bride for Hades. They got rid of every single doubt she had and made Hades seem like such an amazing guy just so they could rush them into intimacy and babies because they knew that Persephone didn’t have the heart to say no to him.

And that folks is my own little AU for the whole wedding and everything because there’s no fucking way. No fucking way at all.