#have been playing a lot of Hades and Cerberus is a Good Boy
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Can you write something about how Cater, Jade, and Azul will live if they were in the medieval times? Just curious how Cater's facade revolves around the internet and how he will act if he doesn't have it :)
I’m deeply interested in this prompt because I’m also very curious where the concept came from. Anyway you’re hereby dubbed medieval anon and hopefully I will live up to your standards.
I also wasn’t sure about some specifications so I’m going with Medieval Twisted Wonderland which has some Surprising results based off the canon time periods of the movies 👀
As the medieval era is stated to be from roughly 1300s-1450s, two of the great seven were actively reigning at this time 🤔🤔🤔
Unfortunately modern twst is kind not that different from medieval era twst so the main difference is a lack of technology which means this ended up…interesting :) I hope this is alright
Epic Rap Battles of History
Characters: Cater, Idia, Azul, Jade, Lilia (mentioned) and a whole lot of Disney characters
Cw// crackfic, light hearted, death mention, a little bit of acting out of character
Cater Diamond and Idia Shroud
Maybe Cater should have been paying more attention to exactly what as going on, maybe Idia shouldn’t have picked a fight with the guy, but either way, the attempt at getting away via potion smoke bomb certainly didn’t have the expected effect.
Gone were the walls of Night Raven College, and in were the plague infested streets of Briar Valley’s capital city, lost, and looking entirely too eye catching for the citizens.
Cater is the more quick thinking of the two of them, immediately trying to find a place to go off and hide so they can change clothes
Not quick enough, it seems, because guards dressed suspiciously like Diasomnia students have noticed and are Not About To Let This Weird Shit Slide
Oopsies, Cater’s internet lingo and Idia’s blatant sarcasm isn’t the right move with the fae
Jail
Now, stuck in jail because of stupidity, Cater and Idia have a little more time to think about what the fuck is going on
They’re beginning to think they’re stuck in the past when who but Lilia VanRouge wanders in to begin interrogating them
Confusion, just so much fucking confusion
Not sure if this is an elaborate prank or if Lilia is just not who they thought
In the end they’re freed from prison
Now, onto your actual question, I’d imagine that Cater would put his skills to good use
His signature spell is insanely helpful no matter the time period, but what’s even more helpful?
He becomes a bard.
Cater’s already 2 degrees away from being a bard now, to be fair, but it’s an easy and fast way to make some coin and find a place to sleep.
Even better? Since music has changed and improved wildly over the years, Cater knows a million different songs and has insane skills compared to those of the medieval persuasion
Instead of being all instagrammy, he’s utilizing his skills to flirt with fae and get boons.
Eventually he ends up back in Maleficent’s palace to play for her
By utilizing his signature spell and his musical skills, he’s a one man band. Literally.
She grants him a boon and sends him home
For Idia, I think it would be a different story.
He’s gone from recluse to adventurer almost solely because he doesn’t have skills outside of technology.
Sure, he could sit around making clocks or something, but the fact that he has flaming hair and looks like the Greek God Hades means that he kind of doesn’t have a choice. People just keep coming up to him with quests
So he gets stuck wandering the hillside with a merry band of idiots, slaying a couple monsters befriending some others (he came across Cerberus, tamed him and called him a good boy while everyone else pissed themselves)
Overall when he’s not worried about everything else he’s honestly kinda chill
He hates the food though. The lack of sugar is killing him.
Ends up finding a cavern full of random ass magestones, pockets a few and then suddenly he’s have in NRC having to explain what happened over the past few months and why he and Cater look and act so differently.
The first time Cater looks at his phone when he’s back he genuinely kind of forgets how it works. He’s so behind on trends and shit that he just. Puts that away for another day.
And Idia is honestly relieved he’s exhausted. Goes to his dorm to tell Ortho everything
Azul Ashengrotto and Jade Leech
A simple summoning spell for a relic forgotten long ago has lead to a terrible accident and the disappearance of two students from Octavinelle, gone without a trace.
Evidently, the damned thing had gone so wrong that Jade and Azul were transported from Night Raven college to the Sunshine Lands, just at the border of the Coral Sea.
Azul and Jade are genuinely lost for words because wha t
Well, after wandering around town for a week and finding nothing of note, they realize their ‘be human’ potions have now begun to wear off and hop down into the sea.
Imagine their surprise when they find all these figures of fucking LEGEND just hanging around
Literally have no idea what to do when they find THE MERMAID PRINCESS WITH HER LEGS FOR THE FIRST TIME HOLY SHIT THE SEA WITCH IS ALIVE-
they figure out they’re in the past pretty quickly before that but now they have like. Exact timeline.
It’s okay Azul and Jade are very persuasive and smart and find work easily.
One time Azul actually saw Ursula and her eels. He didn’t know what to do and ended up inking and running off.
Jade, on the other hand, just laughed at Azul. He didn’t try and meet the sea witch either though
Instead they end up working for the Sea King because oh?? The Sea Witch was banished and they need a new royal magician??? You know who can do that-
Oh no the crab servant is missing with your daughter? Well Jade can step in for the time being.
Just like. So long as you help them get back to their time.
Azul “I’d like to make a deal with a ruler” Ashengrotto gets to live all his wildest dreams. Dude is literally the more proficient royal magician there is (in that time period anyway-)
Jade is just absolutely vibing. He’s just doing what he normally does with Azul so it’s not really stress, and it’s actually kinda nice to stretch his fins for a while.
When Azul finds out that the sea witch died he’s mourning for days though and Triton honestly doesn’t wanna deal with it and finally sends them home
Jade and Azul are mostly unaffected by this experience, however they do have a whole new context for history.
Floyd is so happy to see Jade though that the twins can’t be seen without one another for a solid month
And Azul is very happy to have his legs back and also to find out that octomers weren’t always considered ‘ugly’ and that the sea witch is very stunning in person
#twisted wonderland#twst#twst headcanons#jade leech#twisted wonderland headcanons#azul ashengrotto#twst mc#idia shroud#cater diamond
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More undateables with a demigod hades mc???
By request, have yourself a part two!!
Demigod MC Series: Hades Pt. 2 (Un)Dateables Edition!
I will ask that y’all please don't ask for continuations of other gods unless I say it’s okay to do again. This series already fills my inbox something fierce and this is a one-off that I allowed for during the request window. If I have to make ideas for new gods while continuing a bunch of old MCs, it'll burn me out fast...
Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena, Hades Pt. 2
Diavolo
Oh, he has no problem at all hosting a child of the Underworld, hell he even throws them a welcome banquet when he finds out! Hades is a dear friend - and practically a parental figure to him growing up - so he's more than happy to take in one of his children for a year.
Diavolo is actually one of the few people that the MC can talk to about their home with any kind of fondness. Usually when they bring up things like the comforting wailing of the River Coctyus, the brothers will give them weird looks... but Diavolo knows where they're coming from!
He spent numerous summers in the Underworld growing up doing things like pestering Charon on the River Styx or playing games with Cerberus (the other one) in the Asphodel Meadows... His beach house is actually modeled after his childhood summer home in the Isles of Paradise! Really, it can be a lovely place if the gloom doesn't bother you!
So in the spirit of his fond memories, Diavolo really tried to make their time in the Devildom a fun one!... in his maybe trying a little too hard way…
Poor MC found themselves offered pretty much everything under the moon… Tickets or exclusive passes to different cultural events/festivals, invitations to gala events, and tours of nearly every inch of Hell by the Prince himself - it was… it was a lot for the poor introverted thing…
It didn’t help that Diavolo would have a hard time gauging if they were having any fun due to their naturally melancholic nature, which only pushed him to try harder… He means well, he does. He’s just not the most in touch with what would make an anti-social doom child happy...
It took Barbatos and Lucifer stepping in for the mortal to actually start getting some much needed space and that improved their experience significantly. Sometimes less is more, Dia… Less is more. But they appreciate his efforts anyway.
Barbatos
Also has a pretty amicable relationship with the Ruler of the Underworld, though his is much more professional compared to Diavolo’s. He actually has a good deal of appreciation for the man for taking good care of the Prince during his visits, so he sees this as an opportunity to return the favor.
Like Diavolo, he’s rather focused on making sure the MC is having a good stay in the Devildom, but he’s much more subtle about it. He’ll come by the House often to check up on them and make sure everything is to their liking...
Even the brothers notice that he treats them like anothering visiting Lord/Lady in that way, which he would argue they very much are and should be respected as one. It’s the least the Devildom can offer their father at this point.
His visits may also be an excuse for keeping an eye on the brothers to make sure they don’t do anything to inconvenience their “young guest…” To be honest, the entire House is a little paranoid about that… Nobody wants to know the punishment for hurting MC if Barbs is the one dishing it out...
Apart from watching out for them, Barbatos tries to encourage the MC to accept the Young Lord’s gifts (while also actively advising Diavolo to go easier on them at the same time). It would be so disheartening to him if his Prince feels like he hasn’t offered them the best experience that he could… He’s sure they understand.
Any time that he invites the MC to tea, they usually end up talking about their father in some way. Barbs knows a surprising amount about the god… He’s been around about as long as Chronos - preceding the birth of Aether and Chaos themselves - so he has some stories to tell.
The MC did once ask him why he doesn’t just run everything if he’s really been around for so long... his answer was: “Kings and their kingdoms will rise and fall… Worlds upon worlds are born, then cease to be. But time is what brings about all changes… So, I think I’m perfectly content with the power I possess. Wouldn’t you be?”
Annnd they never asked Barbs another question like that again… and people think death is scary…
Simeon
He was honestly a little worried for their new companion for quite a while… It’s not like there’s never any sadness in the Celestial Realm or anything, but they seem to have something else entirely…
He’s heard stories about the Underworld. He’s never been himself, that’s usually a job for the Seraphim due to the… dreary nature of the place - but he’s heard it would make the Devildom look downright festive…
If he were being honest, he had half expected the MC to be obsessed with skeletons, ghosts, and other elements of darkness but that wasn’t the case. They certainly knew a lot about those things, but they appeared to have a healthy interest in the afterlife in general, so they asked him a lot of questions about the Celestial Realm, angels, and how the souls of the blessed are treated up there… It was surprising to say the least.
Of course he did the same and, frankly, Simeon found it incredibly wasteful that so many Greek followers find themselves just wasting away in a field of nothing for so long… but that’s neither here nor there.
He was also surprised by how gentle of an influence the MC ended up being on Luke as well. He had always suspected that the little angel just needed a bridge between him and Devildom to start finding appreciation for it, and the MC fit that bill perfectly - nothing he was used to, but still approachable enough to make everything less frightening. He thanks them a great deal for that… but...
It’s just that… Well they’re just so… depressing sometimes…! He doesn’t want to blame them because it hardly seems like their fault! They’re a very kind person, it’s just an atmosphere around them… It brings him to tears if he isn’t careful…
He’s invited the MC to Purgatory Hall on multiple occasions to chat and try to make them smile… When they do, the gloom is dispelled - even just a little - and they’re a truly beautiful creature regardless. It’s just so unfortunate that their life brings so much sadness...
Even so, he actually likes the MC enough to consider basing a character on them if he ever wrote another book. Something about a gloomy but sweet protagonist at home in a world of darkness sounds appealing… doesn’t it?
Luke
He didn’t know how to feel about the MC when they met. At first, he actually thought they were just as unhappy as he was to be there due to how depressed they looked but when they told him that wasn't true, he was really confused...
The Devildom is a dark, brutish, and dangerous place. Why would anyone feel at home down here??
But… well… He would spend time with them at RAD between breaks (partially to help scare off their many, many demonic suitors) and it might be weird to say, but they really made the Devildom look beautiful… literally.
The world just looks better when they’re around! It’s really hard to describe because it’s not something you notice much until they leave, but when the MC is around everything looks more vibrant and inviting! The grass gets greener, flowers grow bigger, and butterflies/birds hover around wherever they are like they have their own gravity - the realm loves them!
It started getting hard for Luke to hang onto his disdain for the place when they made it look so appealing… And then they started talking to him about the Underworld and the creatures they’d befriended there… creatures a lot worse than any demons he’d seen there...
Like. If the MC can be good friends with a bunch of rude walking corpses, then he could probably make friends with a demon right? There’s nice ones… kind of…
Beel. He can make friends with Beel.
Like Simeon, he does feel bad that they seem so sad all the time… but unlike the older angel, he’s a bit more understanding that this is just how they are and enjoys his time with them regardless. (It helps a lot that just being around this little bean of a boy can lift their spirits anyway).
And you know what’s even better for him? When Lord Diavolo gives the MC tickets to things that they don’t want to go to, sometimes they’ll invite him along or give them to him instead!
He’s gone to the Devil’s Coast with MC and Simeon sooo many times by now and he loves it!! Maybe the Devildom isn’t so bad after all, I mean, it can be a lot of fun when you go to the right places, anyway.
Solomon
Oh, he finds them both deeply fascinating and utterly terrifying - so just his sort of test sub-er, person!
He kids (somewhat), Solomon isn’t that dumb/lacking in self-preservation instinct. Experimenting on a child of death in a land of the dead (even if it’s not their “home turf”) would be asking for trouble. They’d have more than enough ammunition to fight him off and if their father found out? Immortality wouldn’t even begin to save him...
That being said, questions aren’t necessarily experiments… and oh boy, does he have a lot of them.
If the MC isn’t being pestered by Diavolo or the brothers, then they’re probably having to put up with Solomon nipping at their heels trying to get them to use their powers or answer all sorts of “innocent” scientific questions…
“MC, reanimation of Greek dead requires a blood offering, correct? Do you have to sacrifice animals for that process or do you allow them to feast on your own?”
“MC, when you’re controlling a skeleton do you move the body as a whole or do you have to animate each individual bone due to their lack of ligaments?”
“Think fast!! Oh look, you just caught the skull of my good friend, Richard! Could you bring him back from that, or should I fetch the rest of him?” 🙂
They put up with it because, believe it or not, he’s not nearly the weirdest person they’ve ever met (a lot of crazy people drift in and out of the land of the dead…) and well… they’re a pretty lonely person too so it’s not like they have a lot of standards when it comes to friendships anyway.
But the second they breathe a word of this to Barbs or Diavolo, this boy is on his way to a royal restraining order… Where does he even get those skulls…?
#obey me#obey me shall we date#shall-we-date-obey-me#obey me undateables#obey me datables#obey me diavolo#obey me barbatos#obey me simeon#obey me luke#obey me solomon#obey me demigods#obey me requests
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10 Anti LO Asks
1. Is there any given reason as to why Hekate, who was close to Demeter and only joined the Underworld post Persephone's marriage wasn't made her friend in this comic? BC that would be such an easy way to give Persephone a true, deep friendship with another woman and have it matter to the story, because all Hekate seems to serve in LO is just being Hades' lackey and being a case of "look how progressive Hades is! He has a friend who is a girl!", so she's just pawn to make him look better. :/
2. Not a critique, but more of a question. How do you honestly think the LO ending will be? Because we know Hades and Persephone obviously end up together, but how do you think the stuff with Apollo, Leto, Kronos, etc will pan out? What about Thetis? Semele? Do you think the Eros and Psyche plot will ever wrap up? Do you think Persephone will ever get her degree? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
From OP: I’m not sure. I feel like the ending would be one of the only times RS actually uses a time skip. I think the antagonists (Apollo, Thetis, Minthe, Leto, and Zeus specifically) will be punished somehow. For Kronos, I don’t know since he’s already in Tartarus so they can send him back. Semele would probably be one of the reasons Zeus gets punished. Eros and Psyche’s plot might get a wrap up eventually but I can’t see it happening until after the trial but it’d most likely be before the ending. Persephone would definitely get her degree since RS can’t completely drop the plot (even though, it’s been dropped for now).
3. This is more of a WT critique, but I hate how they claim they're this diverse, progressive company when overwhelmingly the only series they promote is just just the same repetitive, heterosexual romances of rich white people. Sure there are slight variations between LO, Let's Play, First Night with the Duke, etc etc, but ultimately they're all the within status quo. They have a few more diverse series, but you have to look for yourself over them promoting those series. It's so annoying.
4. not a critique per say but i wish this comic didnt make fun of cerberus so much :( hes a good boy and they just use him to make fart jokes :(
5. Yeah, RS has no goddamn idea what she's talking about. The whole point of Ouranos is he was already born more powerful than Gaea and she had to rely on her sons to take him out, not Ouranos "forming a union" with her and him taking advantage of her powers (whatever that means? Did he eat her too?) and Zeus took out Kronos because, you know, he ate his siblings and Rhea plotted to take him out. IDK how RS claims shes so well researched on all of this when she doesn't even keep basic facts intact.
6. this isnt even about the comic per say but why is hekate so ugly. they did my girl so dirty?? edna mode looking ass.
7. Rachel is forgetting a lot of plot points. We get to see Hera react during the trial, but not when Thanatos name drops Thetis getting taken to by Zeus to the country club. Does Hera not care anymore? I feel like Rachel can’t go back on cheating plots because she made Hera /hades fine (Persephone feeling like she can’t compete with Hera instead of feeling i dunno disappointed in her role model and love interest) I feel like if something doesn’t directly affect hades and persphone Rachel kinda sweeps it under the rug. Examples
Hera’s dreams about Kronos and the blood. She had to bed rest and now she’s somewhere at the courthouse watching (I’m assuming since Hecate went to the court house and is chilling with Hera)
Daphne tree arc, when is Persephone gonna find out, when are we gonna see more of Thanatos and echo reflecting on it?
Any development on Aphordite Ares Hermes Semele Artemis Athena, Hestia, Demeter???
I feel like Hephaestus was only put in the story to expose Apollo and just maybe soften Hera. Idk I feel like Rachel used the other characters to rush Hades and Persephone’s relationship but when actually acknowledging it she pumps the brakes because all the other characters haven’t developed as fast.
8. What I don't get is Persephone doesn't need to be the most important, unique, special goddess ever to be a good character? She just needs to have a personality, goals, and flaws to be a good character, not being the chosen one/destined queen/unique powered deity. Rachel seems to be confusing (tbh rather outdated and boring) overpowered tropes as "development" over actually letting Persephone be a character. She's already a rich, doted on, adored goddess, she doesn't need more than that.
9. how are these goddesses so OP and all yet are still so easily married off to and destroyed by the men? also zeus is already king who swallowed a "fertility goddess", why would he need another one in persephone? he's already on top. all this is implying (especially with how rachel just makes hxp rhea and kronos 2.0) that HADES is going to take advantage of her power and become immortal dictators. Maybe that's how the dread queen panel stays canon, they just enslave EVERYONE at the end. feminism!
-----FP Spoilers/Mention----
10. I just HAVE to point this out but fast pass eps from 184-86 are PURE FILLER! Absolutely nothing happens. And they just keep talking about their feelings over and over and over agAIN. It’s absolutely exhausting. Sorry for sounding sour but in comics/webcomics, when a char. Talks about their feelings, it’s suppose to be a special and somewhat scarce moment where you see someone completely different narrate they’re back story/feelings/etc. But they just won’t stop repeating the same damn thing over and over again!! It’s literally the same thing. “Oooooh I’ve never felt like this before” or “I’ve never shown my true self to others” bs is extremely cliche and annoying as all hell. I also have to point out that each time anything about sex or anything that’s slightly sexual comes out of P or H’s mouth, they both act like little middle schoolers who just found out what a dick is? Sheesh. Overly goofy moments makes me not wanna take their romance seriously because damn it, they’re grown adults and just giggling to the word peepee makes them extremely flustered and over react like children. Hell, I’m 20 myself and I don’t even act that way!
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So I've been playing The Hades Game like fucking mad for the last few weeks, and although I'm not very far in it (at least, I don’t think I am; I’ve only beat Hades once!), I'm absolutely in love with it! Anyways, a certain idea has been kicking around in my head for awhile now, so I thought I'd share it with y'all; feel free to tell me what you think of it! (Warning: spoilers for when you beat Hades the first time!)
Anyways, I've already seen a really cool AU post for if Demeter raised Zagreus on the surface by herself (which you can find HERE; please check it out, the outfit for Zag alone is an amazing concept, and I love the artwork!!!) but I keep thinking about an AU where, after Zagreus dies at birth, Persephone runs away and takes his wrapped up body with her.
On the surface, she reconnects/reunites with her mother Demeter, and with her aid, the two of them manage to resurrect the newborn baby, though now he has more white in his hair than anything else. After that, Persephone sends Hades a letter to tell him that Zagreus is alive and well (because she actually has some fucking class), before proceeding to raise Zagreus on the surface with her mother, far away from the entrance to hell. The Olympians also help her out a bit, but mostly they just help by hiding Zagreus when it’s necessary.
(The rest is under a cut ‘cus this got a bit long, sorry!)
Years pass in relative peace, until Zagreus is about as old as he is in-game (I think he’s around 20-25ish???) and is living well, working with his mom and grandma to take care of their gardens and live peacefully away from mankind; he especially loves tending to the animals and guiding lost mortals to safety. However, one day while foraging for fruit in the deepest corners of his mother’s signature garden, Zagreus happens across a strange man in long robes, who introduces himself as Thanatos.
The two men get along swimmingly from minute one, and after agreeing to meet with each other again soon, they leave and tell their families/friends all about the experience, having no clue who they are to each other. After all, Thanatos was told growing up that his lord’s first wife died giving birth to their first and only child, who was a stillborn, and Zagreus thinks his father died of disease (his mom didn’t have to heart to tell him anything bad about his dad). Needless to say, they’re gonna be in for quite the shock soon.
Cue Hades losing his shit and calling on Thanatos, Megaera, and Achilles to go find his progeny and bring him home; he gives them special permission to leave the Underworld without any resistance, trusting Than to lead the way back to Zagreus. Achilles is less than thrilled to be performing such a morally grey task for his master, but Meg and Than are eager to prove themselves, so he begrudgingly agrees to help, even if it hurts his conscience to do so.
Persephone and Demeter also freak the hell out on their end, scared shitless by the fact that Death incarnate has just met their son/grandson, and they’re worried that he plans on coming back again soon. Demeter suggests sending Zagreus to live with the Olympians until this all blows over, but Persephone disagrees, wanting her son to stay nearby in case he grows ill (it’s implied that she’s a bit overprotective of him, mostly because she’s afraid of him dying again; this also means she refuses to let him know that he’s in any danger, believing it would only make things worse for him in the long-run). Frustrated but understanding her daughter’s pain all too well, Demeter at least convinces her to call on the Olympians for aid, which Persephone agrees to do.
The gods promise to help of course, but... well, they're low-key lying; they wanna see how this plays out first.
After several days of traveling through hell (literally), the “let’s kidnap Zagreus” gang makes it to the surface, and they immediately head to Persephone’s garden. All this time, Zagreus has no idea that he’s being targeted, so he goes about his chores as usual, only to run into Than again, and hey, he brought some more friends for him to meet! Zagreus is friendly with all of them, being raised to be very polite by his guardians, and while he’s busy chatting with Than and Achilles, he doesn’t notice Meg sneaking behind him. Just as Zagreus is rattling on about how the animals have been faring this summer, Meg stabs Zagreus in the back with a blade coated in Hades’s blood, cursing him to belong to the Underworld again.
With Zagreus now unconscious from a sedative that was mixed with the blood, the trio hurry off with him back to the Underworld, but not without Persephone seeing what they’ve done to her son. Horrified, she begins to sob, and winter arrives in the mortal world without so much as a fall season in-between this and the summertime.
When Zagreus comes to, he finds himself in a bedroom similar to the one he has in the game, but it’s much cleaner and has less objects of personal value to him. Hades is standing at the foot of his bed when he wakes up, and very calmly, Hades tells Zagreus that he’s his father, and that from now on, Zagreus will be living in the Underworld with him and his people, where he so obviously belongs. It’s a shame his mother can’t be here, of course, but they just need to wait awhile, that’s all; surely she’ll come to her senses and return home soon, now that her husband and son are here.
Zagreus jumps out of bed and faces his father as soon as he’s done monologuing, ready to tell him off for what he’s done, but to his shock, Hades hugs him as soon as he’s on his feet, and admits that he’s waited for this day for a long, long time. He asks his son to please just accept that this is his home now, and despite still being a bit surprised (and subtly hugging Hades back because Longing), Zagreus tells him straight up that he can’t, that he has to get home, especially with winter coming in a few months!
Dejected but not overly surprised, Hades simply nods in acceptance, but he still warns Zagreus that it’s no use trying to fight it; he’s stuck here, now and forever, so he may as well get comfortable and try getting along with him, because no one’s going anywhere anytime soon. Zagreus is horrified, but he nods nonetheless, unsure of what to say or do just yet.
Later that night, as Zagreus is struggling to sleep in this new, unfamiliar place, Achilles comes to him and apologizes about what’s happened, and although he can’t magically fix everything for him, he tells Zagreus that it actually is supposedly possible to escape; it’s just that no one’s ever done it before. Driven by his desire for freedom and the thought of reuniting with his mother, Zagreus tells Achilles that he’s going to find a way out, no matter the cost. Achilles congratulates him on his tenacity, but warns him that it won’t be easy. Still, he’s willing to help Zagreus as much as he can.
From then on, I imagine the game playing out very differently from the original, with a rather frazzled and scared Zagreus trying to get home to his mom and grandma, but with none of his training from Achilles in this AU, he has to rely on something his mother taught him; his connection with earth and all it’s inhabitants. Or, in his case, his connection with the spirits of animals (a cross of his dad and mom’s powers). That’s right, I’m making The Hades Game into a fucking Pokemon-ripoff, but still with some rouge-like elements mixed in (mostly with Zagreus not keeping his animals after runs).
Having royally fucked up in not stepping in sooner to protect Zagreus, the gods end up helping him out by sending down animals associated with them for the young god to tame for a run (I’ll come up with them later). They usually offer a selection to choose from, and from there Zagreus can build up a team and use it to try and escape the Underworld.
To replace weapons, I like to think he’d have “signature” animals that can help him out for any of his runs, specifically ones from Achilles, Poseidon, Zeus, Demeter (once he reaches the surface at least once), and eventually even Hades gives him one if they bond together enough ((yes, it’s Cerberus... kinda; it’s a puppy version of him, otherwise he’d be OP as fuck)). Zagreus’s signature animals can all be given names, and they keep certain skills that they pick up through enough experience battling in the Underworld for Zagreus.
As for story-line stuff, Zagreus ends up in a very fish out of water situation as he tries to get to know everyone in Hades’s house (he’s still our kindhearted Zag, after all, and he knows most of them aren’t to blame, not even really Than!) while also focusing on his goal to get home to his mom. Hades ends up being a lot nicer to him in this AU, perhaps overly so, as he’s trying to make his son like him more in order to make up for lost time (and fill the hole in his heart that Zag’s initial death as an infant and Persephone leaving with him created). It’s part of the reason he’s even letting Zagreus try to escape; he wants him to learn that it won’t work on his own terms (and maybe also scare the kid so bad that he comes running to him for comfort afterwards).
Also, I should really note that Zagreus is 100% a sweet country farm boy in this AU, and he has no idea what the fuck is going on with pretty much anything in the Underworld, much to everyone’s astonishment. For example:
Meg: Gods, it must be weird getting used to everything down here, huh? Sick of stepping in bat shit yet? Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it, and Dusa’s pretty good about cleaning it up to begin with.
Zagreus: I mean, I guess? It’s not that different from chicken shit tbh.
Meg: What the fuck is a chicken???
After that... yeah, I dunno. I’ll try playing Hades some more, see if I think up anything else that could be interesting, but for now, I hope at least someone ends up liking this dumb AU (if not, I’ll still like it... might even try my hand at drawing for it a bit tbh). Again, please check out the person who’s post/art I linked earlier in the post, ‘cus their art is really awesome and inspired me to include Demeter more in this AU!
#supercasey ramblings#hades game#zagreus#zagreus hades#thanatos#hades#persephone#demeter#megaera#achilles#hades farmboy au#i dunno what else to fucking call it#thanzag#if ya squint
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Hello!! My first time requesting and I was wondering if you were willing to do a Hades! Tokoyami x Fem! Persephone! Reader of the Afterlife AU. Like what happened in the Greek story with Persephone; Reader getting used to living with Tokoyami in the Underworld (fluff). Bonus points if Dark Shadow is a huge birb and is taking the role of Cerberus.
MISSING PIECE — T. FUMIKAGE
Note(s): Am I soft for this birb boy ?? HELL YEAH. This one melted my heart and I enjoyed writing it a lot! Thanks for requesting, I hope I did this right lol. Requests are open (yes even the AU! Fest)!
Warning(s): None. Just fluff.
—
In all the years Tokoyami ruled over the underworld, he had never felt this way before. Only you brought this feeling out of him. Only you made him feel things that are foreign.
Only you.
Despite having power and the beauty truly fit for a God, loneliness always stuck to him. It was the only one who never left his side at all. It was weird for someone like him—since his brothers have been known to have multiple affairs—to be lonely. But then again, who would want to be with the King of the Underworld, right?
No one.
Until you came around.
Wandering the halls, Tokoyami recalled the first time he met you.
He was wandering about in a meadow. Finally taking his brother's advice and taking a relaxing vacation of some sorts. In all honesty, Tokoyami was starting to regret his decision. He should've stayed in the Underworld. Who knows what chaos would ensue without him there?
"Stop being a workaholic." His brother's voice played inside his head. Well somebody has to be one out of them three.
Suddenly, Tokoyami stopped. What was that? What was that beautiful harmony he heard? As if the humming lured him in, Tokoyami found himself staring at a young woman.
The woman seemed happy, caring for and picking some of the flowers in the meadow. The sight was breathtaking, beautiful. So much that Tokoyami couldn't look away. How can someone look so ethereal while doing such a task? Effortlessly too. How can someone take his breath away with just a simple look?
Is this what mortals call 'love at first sight'?
It might be too soon but Tokoyami was so sure of it. It must be love. It was love. One look at your figure, his frozen heart began to thaw. He felt his heart beat and beat and beat as he watched you from afar.
Moments pass by and his eyes meet yours. Those eyes were so innocent, so pure. Tokoyami couldn't help but drown in genuinity of them. Before Tokoyami could even register it, he found himself walking towards you. The woman who somehow caught his eye and his affections.
On the other hand, your eyes widened at the sight of the ruler of the Underworld approaching you. You felt his presence, his stare that held a thousand emotions earlier but decided not to say anything. You heard about him. People say he was cold, bad. Some even paint him to be a villain. But now, you were starting to doubt their words. The man approaching you looked soft, sad, lonely. It was nowhere near cold at all.
Once he was infront of you, you greeted him with a bow, not knowing what to do. Should you kneel? Should you be casual with him?
Clearly, you lack skills in the social department.
Not to worry though, Tokoyami lacked them too.
He cleared his throat, Tokoyami didn't know what to say. And in his panic, all he could muster to say was, "Hi."
You held back a giggle at his awkward stance and greeting. "Hello." You flashed him a small smile.
Cute.
"May I know your name?"
"Ah, of course. I am Persephone. It is nice to meet you, Your Higness."
"Please, no need for formalities." Tokoyami stated as he gave you a rare smile. "You can call me Hades."
You didn't know it yet by then but love immediately blossomed between the two of you. The meadow no longer was just a place where you can admire the beauty nature has to offer, no. The meadow became a place where you also admire the beauty the Underworld had as well.
He hated to admit it but he would have to thank his brother's pestering for this. So thank you Zeus—or Kaminari—for forcing him out of the blues in the Underworld.
Tokoyami's once dull life, brightened as you came along. Just the sight of you in the meadow brought out the colors of his monochrome world. You brought him happiness. Something that was rare to find, especially in the place he rules over.
Back to the present time, Tokoyami felt the corner of his lips twitch upwards at the sight of you and the three-headed bird that the souls in the Underworld fear. The bird that guards the Underworld, Dark Shadow. The fearsome bird who was being clingy and putty in your hands.
"I'm afraid Dark Shadow favors me over you now." You spoke up once you felt the presence of your warm lover approaching. Your tone was smug and playful, shoving the fact that the bird does love you a lot more now in his face. Your words made Tokoyami roll his eyes.
"That's because you're giving him treats behind my back." You and Dark Shadow gasped at that, offended at the claims. Tokoyami let his smile grow wider as you and Dark Shadow shot him a glare.
"Your Highness! We would never!" You feigned hurt. "Do you not trust us at all?"
"How could I not trust my Queen?" Dark Shadow took that as a sign to leave the two alone. Once Dark Shadow left, Tokoyami pulled you in an embrace.
This felt good. Too good to be real. It felt like a fever dream that he never wanted to wake up from.
As if reading his thoughts, you placed your arms around his midsection, letting him know that you were in fact real and you were here, in his arms, ruling the Underworld together.
"Fumikage." You called him by his real name. Hearing you call him was heavenly, his real name adding an extra kick to the attack.
"Yes, my Queen?"
"Although it made you take drastic measures, I'm glad I'm here. With you."
"I'm glad as well." Tokoyami replied as you broke free from the hug and stared up at him with those pure eyes he fell in love with. It was true, he was glad. You were the missing piece in his life he never knew he needed. The missing piece that made his life complete. "Do you regret it? Leaving your home, I mean."
"I will never." You cupped his face with your hands while his hands found their place on your waist. "If it meant being with you then I'll never regret a thing." Your eyes and your words spoke the truth. He felt his heart burst from the overflowing emotions he had in it.
Slowly leaning his head down to yours, you closed your eyes and savored the moment his lips met yours. Tokoyami brought you closer and closer until your bodies touched. No gap between the two of you at all.
Pulling apart to breathe, you smiled at the man infront of you whom you called your lover. "I love you, Fumi." The words came out easily as you looked at him, your eyes full of nothing but love and admiration for the man.
"I love you too, Y/n." As long as you're with him, Tokoyami felt complete.
"So, wanna pull a prank on Kaminari?" Yes, he was complete indeed.
"What a mad banquet of darkness you have in you, my Queen." He replied. "But yes. Let's go."
"Dramatic as ever, Fumi."
"I do not know what you're talking about, Y/n."
"Sure, sure."
#boku no hero academia#my hero academia#tokoyami x reader#tokoyami fluff#tokoyami fumikage x reader#tokoyami/reader#tokoyami fumikage/reader#I LOVE THIS EMO BOY#dark shadow is cerberus#hades!tokoyami#persephone!reader#hades!tokoyami x reader#afterlife au#greek mythology
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I've played Hades for like the past two days, I think. And a lot of my nectars have been going to Cerberus because I have a soft spot for dogs and he's a really good boy. <3
The others have mainly gone to Achilles, Nyx and Charon because Achilles is the mentor and Zag would. Nyx is mom and we gotta show appreciation for her and Charon just because I adore the nonsensical talking ferry man.
Haven't gotten to Thanatos yet, but I got a feeling I'll be giving him a lot of nectars.
#sylv's rambles#meg didn't make a good first impression for me#so I didn't give her one right away#and that turned out to be a blown opportunity#cause ever since she either is talking to someone else#or isn't in the house#I'm still trying to warm up to her#I don't hate her#I just think she needs to chill out a little?#far be it from me to judge zag for liking#women that like to play rough#but uh#I think sometimes she takes a little TOO much joy#out of beating the shit out of him#I am curious as to what caused a rift#in their former relationship though#like zag is so easy going#I can't see what could've caused such bad blood between them
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Your grasp on the Narrator froom Hades and his voice is amazing. Like, I'm gesturing at Poster Boy. Do you have any headcanons about the Narrator aka as Homer and just why Zagreus can hear him? No seriousness needed, fun and silly is good!
Thank you, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the use of the Narrator in the fic! At first I decided to use that voice because it amused me, and once I started, that choice became extremely useful to the story from a structural standpoint.
Out of all the theories I’ve seen floating around about the identity of the Narrator, headcanoning him as Homer is definitely my favorite. However, the identity of the Narrator isn’t anywhere near as interesting to me as his role in the story.
At first glance, you could argue that Hades is a story about a hero defying his Fate—to be stuck in the Underworld—and failing again and again. it sounds like such a tragic tale, doesn’t it? It certainly has all the elements to be a tragedy: a shitty parental figure, a protagonist rebelling against his mandated place in the world, a seemingly hopeless quest.
But it’s not a tragedy! Why doesn’t it read like a tragedy? It’s thanks to the Narrator.
Yes, Zagreus’ personality plays a big part in the lightness that permeates the story, and not a day goes by that I don’t feel thankful he’s not an edgelord, but the Narrator reinforces and threads that hopeful joy through the tale, even as he makes sadistic fun of it sometimes, such as with all the inventive ways of killing him on the surface. His often judgmental comments about Zagreus’ surroundings—his descriptions of Cerberus’ presumable thoughts, his jabs about the messiness of Zag’s room—bring a lot of levity to a tale that could have easily been Extremely Edgy.
(I put the rest of this under a cut because I get easily carried away talking about narrative devices...)
My favorite example of this is the flashback to the day-or-night that Hypnos puts the House to sleep and Zagreus goes through Hades’ records to find hints about his mom. Of all possible resolutions to that scene, Zagreus finds out the truth from the Narrator, who forgets that he’s being overheard! And it injects humor into a narrative beat that could otherwise have been very dark, as a revelation of a crucial secret that turns Zagreus’ world upside-down.
Not to mention, it keeps the scene short and tight by providing an answer that may have taken longer for Zag to discover on his own! Then, when Nyx finds Zagreus and asks to talk, the Narrator cuts away from what was probably a very dramatically-charged conversation, both preserving the mystery (we’ll find answers as we continue the story) and the light-hearted tone.
Narration has a lot of power in itself, just as much if not more than elements like character or setting, because the decision of how to frame a story is much more important to the type of story it becomes than the actual events of it (see: Hades could have been a tragedy). Allowing Zagreus to hear the Narrator not only provides humor when they quip at each other, it’s also funny because Zagreus constantly listens in to other people’s conversations, and so it feels appropriate that he too should be eavesdropped on like that. And when you establish an outside viewpoint with a wider knowledge than the protagonist, and then make the protagonist able to hear them, you can get away with a lot when it comes to advancing conflict.
Poster Boy would not work half as well without the Narrator. It would be a different fic. But because he’s there, I knew I could get away with a lot of underhanded tricks and nobody would complain or notice—hopefully. (Some light spoilers for the fic ahead.)
For example: at the very start, I tell the reader exactly what the story’s going to be about. I tell you the theme immediately, the lesson that the character has to learn in order to grow, which is the core of every story, and which would normally be a lot subtler and spread out through the tale. Yet that statement doesn’t seem out of place or pedantic, because it’s the Narrator. (Yes, there is also Achilles as a more traditional vessel to state the theme later on—fear is for the weak—but my point stands.) Then at the end, I tell you that he learned the lesson, and again it doesn’t seem forced. Yay!
And in the parts of chapter 2 that could have been grim or dark—and definitely tried to be, in the early drafts—the Narrator lets me add levity and salvage the fluffy and light tone of the fic from what is a darker narrative beat. The conversations with Meg are difficult for Zagreus, and he regrets the way things ended between them, and is afraid of history repeating itself with Thanatos. But here the Narrator was extremely useful to keep things as light as could be, for example with Zagreus’ quip to him when first meeting Meg and later the Narrator’s disparaging comment about how Zagreus eats the cookies.
All of this is why I love the Narrator so much. I don’t know if this wall of text is what you were expecting or hoping for, Anon, but I hope it answered at least some of your curiosity!
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Thelma Eris
Born of Nyx alone, Thelma Eris, Enyo Eris, and Charon are the eldest children of the Night. Charon, eldest, was born first of Nyx; then came the twin daughters, both named Eris and differentiated by their natures. For there is not one kind of Strife alone, but all over the earth there are two. As for the one, though she is now barred from the splendid House of Hades, a man would praise her when he came to understand her; but the other, who can only be roused by the drumming of war, is blameworthy: and they are wholly different in nature. Enyo Eris fosters evil war and battle, being cruel; in times of war, she stalks the earth and no man can escape her long— but mercifully, she sleeps most life-times, and no man loves her. Perforce, through the will of the deathless gods and the cruel Fates, men pay harsh and cruel Strife her honor due. The elder twin, called Thelma, is that House-banned eldest daughter of dark Nyx; she makes her home in the apple orchard that sits alongside the gentle banks of the weeping Cocytus, where that bitter river meets mortal waters and races towards the sea. Her House, humble amongst all the gods’, sets in the roots of the earth; her lands abound with apple trees which bear up golden fruit imbued with sweet flesh and blessings and foulest curses, and with golden sheep which bear up golden fleece and poisonous bites and breaths of fire. She is far kinder to mortals; she stirs up even the shiftless to toil: for a man grows eager to work when he considers his neighbor, a rich man who hastens to ploughing and plant and put his house in good order; and neighbor vies with neighbor as he hurries after wealth. Potter is angry with potter, and dancer with dancer, and miner with miner, and judge with judge; and in their struggles, their striving, praise is given despite themselves to the holy Strife. Thelma Eris is wholesome for men.
Thelma Eris, Goddess of Holy Strife, keeper of the Golden Apples/Sheep (Ancient Greek language joke)
It’s a working farm; she’s got a fairly good relationship with local mortals, even if most mortals don’t want to live near the Cocytus— however, her stretch of the Cocytus is full of ordinary sorrows, such as ‘sad I missed a concert I was looking forwards to because my date was going really well and I didn’t want to end it’, ‘I outgrew my favorite shoes’, and ‘my dog is getting too old to play tug-rope with’.
Goddess of Blessings and Curses, Nurses (archaic for babysitters/nannies/au pairs), and farming
Her symbols are: Open gates, shrikes, sheep, geese, cattails, poniards, baskets, Evil Eye charms, komboloi beads that are not used by priests, quinces, unbound hair that is long, quinces, apples, the number ‘x’, apple cider, and felted wool.
Her main symbols are the golden apple, the poniard (a type of stabbing knife), and the evil eye.
Thelma Eris got banned from the House of Hades by flooding Asphodel with the Phlegethon. She didn’t mean to do it; but this was the last in a long string of fuckups and disasters she directly caused. Zagreus adored her, and in terms of the game, is following in her footsteps. You can find graffiti she left all over the four zones of the underworld, with high frequency in Tartarus, and Elysium; the only places her graffiti can be found in Asphodel is the first room and the stairs between zones; and in the Temple of Styx, her graffiti is under Cerberus, and will only appear once the sack has been given to the goodest boy. After Zagreus talks to Eris the first time, the graffiti will change from vague sign posting to encouragements. Her DLC is a farming simulator; and if Zagreus makes it to her house, he’ll almost always be killed by a goose.
She can tell on sight which apple/quince is just a regular but FANCY fruit, and which is horrendously cursed, and which is CHOCK FULL OF WHOLESOME BLESSINGS AND DIETARY FIBER. Absolutely fought an actual daimon when she was a kid; 1000% willing to throw down again. Enyo blames Thelma for their lots in life; after a while Thelma can be like “Not everything wrong with the world is my fault!” Because Thelma can snap a little, as a threat. Definitely the sexiest of the nominally Chthonic characters no I don’t take critique.
SOME DESIGN NOTES:
Wings on the head like her mother
Tits out party central + shortest chiton this side of Aphrodite who is BARE ASS NAKED
Y’gotta have red hair + CURRRRLS
She stabbed that eye out of Ssssomething, that’s somethings actual eye on that knife
SOME SHIP NOTES:
Starts with a crush on Ares, finishes with a wedding with Dionysus; ritually ‘murders’ him every winter, it’s really just some knife play and kinky sex but gotta work in that Suffering God angle somehow Dionysus overshares YOU CAN’T TELL ME HE DOESN’T
Zagreus’ longest stints Above is for things like weddings, parties, etc; eventually he does manage to get out longer than a few hours
Keepsake:
Golden Worry Beads
Effect:
Curses of Chaos shall transform 1/2/3 encounters faster.
Bond:
From Thelma Eris; a bond of Strife.
In striving forwards, we grow beyond.
PROCESSSSSSSSSS:
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Tempted to ask about Elian headcanons. But I shall also request Juno and Zagreus headcanons to give a bit more variety
I hope I did this right, lol
Elian
Headcanon A: realistic
If Elian didn’t grow up to be a warrior, he would absolutely have been a chef or a cook instead. Considering that he grew up during a literal famine and has his own complicated relationship with food, he’d be one of those chefs who cooks food for people who can’t afford it. Charity work? Hell yeah!
Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious
He would probably also raise his own animals if he were a chef and end up never using their meat in his food because he feels so bad doing it. This man has developed a bond with his animals unlike any other. He will never kill this pig, this pig loves him and will hunt for truffles and mushrooms for him.
Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends
When Elian finally does die, it will be many, many years in the future. It will be a quiet death, a forgettable one. It will be following a battle that he never wanted to fight. It will be without the memory of Talon or Nania. He will have forgotten his past, his roots, where he came from. He will know that he is missing something, but he doesn’t know what, and he will never have the chance find out. He will not know what he was fighting for. He will die defending Gresha, and Gresha will have long forgotten him. He will die for nothing. He will die for everything. And he will not be remembered.
Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.
Elian has a photograph and a journal with nothing but his memories of Nania and Talon because FUCK YOU HE WILL NOT FORGET THEM IN HIS IMMORTALITY.
Juno Steel
Headcanon A: realistic
Juno has always been quietly, hopelessly bi and a sucker for romantic notions. He is a man who has always wanted and craved a romance that is something good and worthwhile. He is a lady who has always longed for someone to hold him, assure that his trauma is okay, and it is valid, and he is valid, and he is worth fighting for. He has always been scared, though, what the case would be if they wouldn’t. So he tries hard to ignore it all as best he can.
Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious
He and Rita met when Juno was just starting out in the private eye business. After they met, Rita tried to become his mom friend and ended up becoming his little sister--despite being older. I’m pretty sure she’s older. Right? Juno had absolutely no idea what to think of her and the weird way she handled herself and situations she found herself in, and it took him ages to adapt and get used to it. He still isn’t used to it. He doesn’t care. He wouldn’t trade her hard work and dedication for anything.
Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends
Juno became a private eye because he thinks he’s better at solving others’ problems than he is at solving his own. He uses PI work as an excuse to not focus on himself. He doesn’t want to work on himself. He wants to distract himself. He wants to solve problems, but never, ever his own. He’s fine--don’t worry about it. Tell him about your problems. Let him figure out how to help. Don’t you dare try to help him, you monster.
Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.
Juno experimented with his gender a lot when he was younger. He and his twin played dress-up together, did each others’ hair and make-up, had a hell of a time doing it. No wonder his mom got confused between who was who. No wonder she killed the wrong one.
Zagreus
Headcanon A: realistic
Even though Zag wants to leave Hell to find his birthmother in the hopes that she can somehow fix everything wrong with his life, he does still see Nyx as his mother. He does love her. He does appreciate her. Nyx will always be his mother, just as Zagreus will always be her son, and they love and care for each other very deeply. But Zag has always known, deep, deep down, that he is different from her other children. After all, Achilles’ journal itself says that she rarely shows favoritism. Rarely shows maternity. So why does she treat him with exception?
Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious
He is super fucking dumb when it comes to realizing people have crushes on him. Even when it’s right in front of his stupid face. Dusa, you are not subtle, not at all. Sweetheart, you’re so lucky Zagreus is a fucking idiot. Zagreus, I will punch you, you stupid fucking idiot. There are literally hearts coming from her when she speaks. She literally tried to ask you out on a date. Zagreus, you’re stupid, so, so stupid. I love you, you stupid, stupid man. Are you a himbo? I want to say you are.
Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends
Zagreus and Hades used to get along to some extent, when Zag was a young, young child, before things changed, before he started noticing that he is different from everyone else. Hades used to try to be kinder. Try to understand his son. It was hard. Hades misses Persephone. He still loves her. She was always the more maternal of the two. Maybe Zag could feel like something was missing even back then. Maybe Hades could even see that, and that’s why he distanced himself so harshly from his son. Maybe it’s easier for Hades to deal with, but Zagreus suffered as a result, and they grew bitter toward each other because of that. Zagreus doesn’t remember those better times. Hades does.
Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.
Cerberus taught Zagreus how to say ‘fuck you, Dad’ and get away with it. That’s it. That’s the theory. Make Dad mad when you were a kid? Give the good ol’ puppydog eyes after destroying the lounge. Guaranteed, Hades will go a little bit easier on you. Until he doesn’t, because you’re growing up and should know better, you stupid, stupid boy, you absolute buffoon. You dumb, queer mess. I am screaming.
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Lore Olympus Novelized, Chapter 4
First Chapter - Previous Chapter
Hey, it's been a while. Life has been rough, so this took some time to finish. Since I'm having to play with the chronology of the chapters a little to fit a literary narrative format, the comic's Chapter 5 is LON's Chapter 4. It’s finally Pining Hades o’clock, my friends!
As always, this is merely an unofficial fan adaptation. All plot and dialogue belong to the talented Rachel Smythe. I'm just playing in her sandbox.
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“I’m not into this.”
Silence.
“I’m not happy with myself,” Eros said, a little louder this time. Still, his mother ignored him as she flitted from car to car.
He glanced around the moonlit parking lot in the hope that there would be somebody, anybody around to put a stop to this nonsense. Of course, there wasn’t a soul to be seen.
“I’m so uncomfortable right now.” What an understatement. Eros had that creepy-crawly sensation like a thousand bugs moving under his skin when he thought about all the rules of consent he had broken in the last two hours. Ugh!
He kept his eyes straight ahead as he shifted the dead drunk, unconscious goddess in his arms, attempting to make her more comfortable. After all, it wouldn’t do for her to have a cramped neck or pinched nerve after a night like tonight. He had to have some standards.
“Oh, stop fussing and hurry up. Serves her right for being so trusting,” Aphrodite said without even a glance in his direction. She stopped and cocked her head. “Eros, do you know how to pick locks?”
For crying out--
“Ma, what the fuck are we doing?” Yeah, okay. He probably should have asked that question a couple of hours ago, but whatever. “I left a perfectly good orgy for this, I thought you had an actual emergency. It's late. I'm cold.”
His mother finally looked him in the eye, and, much to his disappointment, she seemed far more annoyed than concerned at his insubordination.
“Look at this girl." He held up Persephone, her head lolling to the side. “She’s like the personification of a friggin’ cinnamon roll! An adorable, pink cinnamon roll!”
Aphrodite only crossed her arms and glared at him.
Oh, my gods. What. Even.
“Why are you jealous of a cinnamon roll?!” Eros took a calming breath. Getting angry with his mother only made her more stubborn. He took on a more coaxing voice and said, “Let’s just take her back to Artemis and tell her you’re feeling a bit more deranged than usual.”
That got a reaction.
“Check that sassy attitude, Mr. Man,” his mother said with her hands on her hips, using a tone she normally reserved for his younger siblings. She turned away and clasped her hands to her chest, eyes misting over far too quickly to be sincere. “You still owe me big time after that bullshit you pulled with Psyche.”
Then she glanced back towards him, her eyes now narrowed in a chilling gaze. “You want to see her, right?”
And that was that. Eros pressed his lips into a thin line and remained silent.
“Yeah, I thought as much. Now help me find his car.” Aphrodite flipped her lavender hair over her shoulder and continued down the parking lot, her fists clenched at her sides. “Stupid Hades!”
Why was she acting so weird tonight? Everyone already knew she was beautiful, especially when she wore a getup like she had on tonight. Iridescent white with her purple complexion? Always a winning combination. And, besides... “Since when did you give a crap about the King of the Underworld?”
His mother shot him a glare over her shoulder. “It’s about respect!”
Eros sighed. “I’m pretty sure that breaking into someone else’s car is a crime...”
“Listen--”
“...aaand it’s not very respectful.”
“Listen.” She spread her hands out to the side of her face and little sparkles of light shot out of her fingers. “Listen.”
The sparkles formed a hazy image of a cartoonish, disgruntled Hades.
“We’re gonna hide her in his car." Aphrodite gave a little twirl of her finger and the cartoon Hades flung open his car door to reveal an equally indignant Persephone. “Once he gets home, he’ll find her. She’ll be super drunk and do a buttload of embarrassing stuff. He will think she’s totally gross.”
The imaginary Persephone fell to the ground crying as the cartoon Hades shrugged. Aphrodite lowered her pitch to something exaggerated and rough and not at all like the King of the Dead. “I’m a big stupid idiot and Aphrodite is the most beautiful goddess ever.”
“And then!” His mother returned her voice to normal as the image of Hades pushed a judgy-looking Persephone off of his driveway. “Since he took her home drunk, she’ll think he’s a creepy, old man."
Aphrodite smiled and closed her eyes, looking so content that she may as well have spent the day at a spa. “That’s the plan.”
Eros stared at her and tried to make sense of the raving nonsense he had just heard. At least this was Hades and not one of his brothers they were talking about, so Persephone should be safe enough. But still, this was beyond messed up. Did his mom really think this would work?
Aphrodite’s smile dislodged a bit and one of her eyebrows crooked upwards as she looked up at him, waiting. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Fresh hell, I am embarrassed for you.”
She tried to protest, but he kept talking, “Mom, you seem to have such a distorted view of people these days...when did you stop seeing the best in people?”
Aphrodite pinched her mouth shut and spun on her heel with a “Hmph!” as she continued her march through the parking lot.
"When did you forget about kindness?" Eros followed after her, "When did you forget about love?"
Still, Aphrodite walked onwards.
It was at this point that Eros realized he may have given his mother a complex. Gods, what a fucking mess.
—————————————————
Hades pulled his car into the driveway and proceeded to sit and stare out the window, not really finding the will in his bones to move. This was the worst night he had put himself through in a while, and he wondered just how much more scotch it would take for him to wipe it from his memory.
Not only had he somehow fucked things up with Minthe, but he had acted like a complete fool at his brother’s party, all for a pretty girl he had never met. Looking back, even his thoughts were embarrassing. ‘Like a rose in a snarling mess of brambles?’ Where had he come up with a phrase so disgustingly saccharine?
Just then, a small sound from the back seat cracked through his ruminations. He turned his head and saw…
What. What the...why...how???
She was there. Persephone. In his car. Somehow.
She was curled up asleep in his backseat, covered in roses of all things -- because of course she was -- and she looked, she looked…she looked miserable. Pale and sick. There was a small slip of paper attached with tape to her thigh, and drawn on it was a delicate little heart.
Aphrodite.
She must have overheard him at the party, but he didn't remember seeing her there at all...which was probably Aphrodite's problem. The Goddess of Beauty had always been a diva that never liked to share the spotlight, but when did her ego get so fragile?
Hades shut off the engine and walked around the car as quietly as he could. When he opened the rear passenger door, Persephone let out a small, whimpering groan at the sound, but stayed limp, one of her knees dangling so far off of the seat that it almost drooped to the floor. There was no way she would be able to walk in that state.
Deciding to look only at what his hands were doing, and not at the disheveled goddess slumped over in the back of his car, Hades half-knelt on the floorboard and began brushing Aphrodite’s signature roses off of the seat, their cloying scent filling the air. His gaze remained glued to his fingers as he peeled the little note off of Persephone’s thigh and crumpled the offending piece of paper into a ball.
Trying to be gentle, and most likely failing, Hades hooked one arm behind Persephone’s shoulders and the other under her knees, sliding her out of the car and doing his best to avoid bumping her into anything. Her head lolled against his shoulder and the smell of alcohol on her breath replaced the scent of the roses. A lot of alcohol.
As he walked towards the house, an emotion between sadness and anger grew behind his ribcage. There was no reason for her to be here, no reason for her to be mixed up with someone as...volatile as Aphrodite. No reason except for--
Hades felt Persephone stir against his chest and she let out a little moan, now reaching out an arm as though she were attempting to grab hold of something. A small butterfly made of pink light appeared on her wilting fingers while another fluttered about between her neck and his shoulder. Hades finally let his gaze drift up to her face and...hell. Even in as pitiful a state as she was in now, with her brow all furrowed and her skin far too pale, he would still say Persephone was more beautiful than Aphrodite. Thank Gaia the little goddess was practically dead to the world right now, otherwise, she would be able to hear his heart beating a thousand miles per minute and--
Hades frowned and looked away, resuming his path towards the house. He was not one of his brothers and he was not going to act like them tonight. Staring slack-jawed at someone across the room in the middle of a crowded party was one thing, ogling an incapacitated woman you were carrying into your home was very much so another.
A low whine pierced through the silence as a shape made of darkness padded out from the shadows. One canine head split into three, all six ears standing at full attention.
“Settle down, you might scare her,” Hades said as he motioned with his hand to halt his guard dog’s advance. He held Persephone closer with his other arm, vaguely realizing that one of her hands had curled itself around the lapel of his coat. Cerberus whined again, but his ears and tail relaxed by a fraction.
Good boy.
With only the minimum amount of fumbling and jostling, Hades managed to get the two of them through the sliding glass doors and into his living room. He shifted Persephone in his arms and bent over to deposit her into the nearest chair. Before he could lower her so much as two inches, he heard her make the smallest whimper into his shoulder as she flopped one of her arms around the back of his neck. Hell on Olympus, she sounded so sad, so scared. And why was she clinging to him? Was she so drunk that she thought he was someone else? That had to be it.
Cradling the back of her head in his hand, he whispered, “I’m just - I’m just going to put you down for a sec, okay?”
She did not answer, but he felt her arm slide off of his neck. As he laid her down in the chair, he tried to ignore how much he didn’t want to let go of her either.
Tasks. He needed tasks. Tasks were going to be his best damn friends tonight.
Task one: water.
His feet took him from the living room to the kitchen without further thought, his hands on autopilot. Open cupboard, grab glass, close cupboard, place glass under faucet, turn on faucet, turn off faucet, walk back to the living room, and--
He came to a halt the moment Persephone came back into view. She still looked miserable, of course, but even with her sickly pallor, she positively glowed in the darkness. Seeing her splash of bright pink against the ever-present shadows of his home, a dusting of wildflower petals gathering around his chair, it dawned on him just how foolish his attraction to her was. The King of the Dead together with the Goddess of Spring? The very thought was laughable, absurd.
Hades sighed as he knelt in front of the chair and Persephone opened her eyes, half-lidded and unfocused. He held the glass aloft in his hand, shaking it a little in an attempt to get her attention. “You should drink some water.”
Her expression remained blank, a slow blink being the only sign that she may have comprehended his words. When she made no move to reach for the glass, Hades leaned forward, placed a tentative hand under her jaw, and held the glass to her lips. Though a few drops did spill out the sides of the cup, he saw her throat make weak work at drinking. Good.
Now for task two: accommodations.
Once she had nearly drained the glass, he set it aside and again picked her up from the chair, heading off towards whichever of his abandoned guest rooms he thought most likely to be ready for seldom-seen company.
As he carried the inebriated goddess through the darkened halls, Hades felt her sink deeper against his chest with every step, until she had nestled her head against his cheek, her fingers toying with his bowtie. Nobody had the right to be that damned adorable when they were blackout drunk. He tried not to think of what would have happened if Aphrodite had dumped her in someone else’s car by mistake. Someone like Zeus, or Ares, or Apollo.
He crossed the threshold of a suitable room and a knot formed in his throat as he came upon the third and final task of the night: sleep.
“Sorry for manhandling you…” Hades said as he sat down on the bed and pulled back the covers, Persephone’s legs splayed across his own. Somehow speaking aloud made this feel less...creepy. He let go of her once they were settled, expecting the little goddess to lie down and bury her face in a pillow. Instead, much to his contradictory discomfort and happiness, she steadied herself by looping her arms around his neck and slumped her head onto his shoulder.
Wow...right. Okay. This was not going the way he had planned. He cleared his throat and reached towards her feet.
“If you sleep with your shoes on, you’ll get sores on your feet,” he said, deciding that narrating his actions to the silent goddess made him at least feel much more comfortable. Though taking her shoes off wasn’t nearly the same as, say, changing her into pajamas, it still felt like it passed some boundary of intimacy. As he slipped one stiletto heel off and then the other, he noted that they came off a little too easily, like they were half a size too large. Hades thought of all the nights he had crashed on his office couch, too exhausted to bother taking off his shoes. The ill-fitting ones had always left behind the worst blisters. He winced a little at the memory. “Trust me, I know.”
Lifting the covers with one hand and cradling her back and head with the other, Hades managed to steer Persephone’s legs under the sheets. Her arms, however, stayed outstretched and draped over his shoulders even as he laid her head on the pillow. Damn, if he didn’t know that she was too drunk to even sit up on her own, he would have thought she was trying to seduce him--
A shiver ran through Hades, electrifying enough he might have mistaken it for one of Zeus’ lightning bolts. So light that he could barely register the sensation, he felt the slight brush of her fingers skimming over his hair. It stole the breath from his lungs. One by one, her fingers traced over his ears and ran along his cheeks, her touch gentler than anything he could remember. But, the pads of her fingers were also somewhat...rough. Not the soft, downy skin he would have expected of the dainty goddess.
For a moment, he wondered if she were attempting to map his face through touch as each finger spread over his features. Some outlined his cheekbones, one of her thumbs glided over the side of his nose, and a few of her fingers, gods, slid along his jaw. Each digit only made the barest, most tantalizing bit of contact with his skin, and that alone was nearly overwhelming. It wasn’t until her other thumb grazed the corner of his mouth that he realized had been sitting spellbound this whole time, his eyes shut as he leaned into her touch. Practically a puddle in her hands.
…Would she want to map out the rest of him with those hands?
You are not your brothers. You are not your brothers. Snap out of it! You are NOT your brothers.
Hades sighed and brought his hands up to catch hers before they went anywhere else. “Now stop that.”
Looking down, he could indeed discern a set of calluses padding her rosy fingers and palms. The puzzle of Persephone only continued to grow. It was a good thing he still had his gloves on, otherwise he would be so very tempted to explore those callused hands with his own.
Who was he kidding? He was already tempted. Which meant that he needed to leave.
“I’m going to bed now. Goodnight, “ he said as he released her hands.
Yes. Good. Satisfied that he had done the correct, gentlemanly thing (to the best of his abilities at least), he headed for the door.
And then he heard it.
From behind him came one loud, giant sniffle. And then a small whimper. And then another sniffle.
Oh.
Oh no.
She was crying.
Before he knew it, he was back at the side of the bed, kneeling on the floor. “I can take you home if you want,” he said, noting more of those luminous pink petals had formed on the dark sheets, “I just don’t know where you live.”
“Please don’t tell my mom how drunk I got tonight,” she whispered, her voice all cracked and warbled. Tears were already streaming down her cheek as she clung to the pillow beneath her. “She’ll make me move back home if she finds out.”
Hades nearly chuckled, “Your mother? Demeter and I aren’t exactly best buds. I may be a lot of things, but I’m no snitch.” Surprised to find his hands moving on their own, he wiped away her tears in an attempt to stem the flowing tide. “Sweetness, don’t get worked up. Everything will seem one thousand times better in the morning.”
With one last baleful look at him, a gaze reminiscent of her earlier flash of sadness at the party, Persephone closed her eyes. Hades pulled the covers up and over her bare shoulders. At least his reassurance had given her some kind of peace.
After shutting her door behind him, he wandered through the shadowy corridors, his feet finally leading him to the rooftop patio. Hades breathed in the chill of the Underworld’s eternal night. The cold air on his skin, however, did nothing to reduce the memory of Persephone’s delicate touch on his cheeks.
Damn.
She shouldn’t be here.
Sunlight and wildflowers and warmth had no business being in the Land of the Dead, especially when she didn’t have a choice in the matter. Not that she would ever want to come here of her own accord anyway.
Hell, this entire night had been a new level of idiocy for him. Of course, Minthe was tired of his dour bullshit. Of course, Aphrodite would have been in the Olympian suite at the party. Of course, she would spite a less powerful goddess out of petty jealousy. Of course.
Hades gripped the handrail of the balcony as he surveyed his shrouded, dead kingdom, and had what he considered to be his most logical thought of the night:
This is all my fault.
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Together
Prompt: Persephone and Hades meet and fall in love before they are demanded to separate.
Pairing: Hades x Persephone
A/N: Hey guys! I know it’s been ages since I’ve written on here but I suddenly had the urge to get back to it. No one requested this but I simply love Hades and Persephone so I just started writing. It might be a little long but I really liked what I was doing with it so hopefully you like it too and have a read.
Persephone opened her eyes and found herself very confused. She looked around her and found herself laying on a velvet couch in a dark cave. She couldn’t remember how she got there, the last thing she remembered was running around in a field of flowers she was tending. She could hear her friends giggling through the trees. Persephone had seen a shadow moving through the bushes and she tried to follow. Persephone grimaced and let out a sigh, this was why mother never let her go out, especially on her own. She always got lost. Everyone is probably worried sick.
Blinking her eyes to adjust to the dark lighting, she took a look around the room. Next to her, near the head of her couch, there sat a gold throne with black cushions. The room was big around her and her breath caught in her throat when she saw sitting in the middle of the room was the biggest god she had ever seen. If you could call it a dog. It was massive with three heads and she could see it’s sharp teeth every time it breathed. She was rather thankful that it was peacefully sleeping. She definitely didn’t want to find out what it would do to her if it was awake.
Slowly, Persephone pushed herself to sit upright on the couch and she froze in her seat when she saw a large, tall dark figure standing over a table, facing away from her, at the end of the room. She could vaguely see different dishes of food on the table and the man was picking a little of everything to put on his own dish. Persephone watched him move with a given grace to his movements and she found that she wasn’t scared. She felt oddly … content and at peace exactly where she was.
Persephone held her breath as the man slowly turned to face her. He lifted his head and gave a slight look of surprise when he saw her. In his hands was a plate of food and glass of water. He didn’t take a step towards her, simply just standing there staring at her as she stared back at him. “Hi,” she whispered but it seemed to echo off the walls.
“Hello.” They both continued to stare at each other, neither too captivated to do anything else. As Persephone looked at the man, she couldn’t help to notice that he was quite handsome. He might not have been traditionally handsome but he took her breath away and her brain turned to mush. He wore a black fittest suit and he filled out every part of it, he stood far from her but he seemed impossibly tall and his eyes were the lightest shade of blue she has ever seen. She felt a familiar pull to him and she couldn’t look away.
The man slightly swallowed and slowed made his way over to her. “I’m glad to see you’re awake. You had me scared there for a second. Here, I got this for you.” He knelt down next to her and nervously handed her the food and drink. She reached out and their fingers grazed each other as she took the plate and she let out a small gasp. Even when he was kneeling, he was as tall as her when she was sitting on the couch. Looking up, she felt a pull towards him like the small space in between them was too much. She wanted to be near him. She needed it.
“Thank you. May I ask how did I get here?”
He helped her sit up all the way, he reached around the couch and put a pillow behind her back to let her sit comfortably. “Eat, you need it.”
“If I eat, will you sit and talk with me?”
“Of course. If you’ll let me.”
“Please. I’d want nothing more.”
“Then I will be right here. I was walking through the woods early, I had business up with the living. I heard small footsteps behind me but I had just assumed it was just a bunny or something. I had gotten onto my chariot to come home and it wasn’t until I got here that I found you hiding in the back. Asleep. Was the ride too long and boring for you?”
Grimacing, Persephone looked down at her food. How embarrassing? What was she thinking. Being curious and sneaking to someone’s home are two very different things.
“Sorry. I don’t even know how I could explain that without sounding extremely creepy.”
“It’s alright. You gave me quite the scare. I thought you were dead.” They shared a laugh together and she looked at him again, she couldn’t look away from his eyes for very long. It was like she needed to see them to breathe.
They were speaking softly again and Persephone swore he could hear her heart beating so damn loud. “You’re Hades.”
“That I am.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
He continued to stare at her and his express gave nothing away. “All horrible things I’m sure.”
Persephone didn’t answer. Because it’s true. For as long as she could remember, he was someone she was always told to stay clear from. That he would be no good for her. When she didn’t answer, he knew but he still gave her a small smile. Persephone knew that he didn’t smile much and seeing even just a small one felt like the sun was shining on her.
“I’m told you're no good. You’ll just hurt me when you can. You’re always with the dead so you always think of the dead. That would always want people dead.”
“Is that all? I would’ve thought the gods would’ve come up with better scares than that.”
“Also I should stay away from you because you deal with the dead.”
“Oh? And you’ll be dead if you deal with me?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“You shouldn’t be so trusting. You’re in the Underworld at the moment. You’re in my kingdom and you don’t even know me.” Hade has got a little smirk on his face, probably trying to scare her. But she didn’t feel scared. Somehow as they were talking, neither of them seemed to notice that they were both leaning in closer. Maybe she wasn’t the only one feeling this pull between them.
“I know you won’t hurt me.” Her voice was husky and his smirk slowly dropped. He started looking down at her lips then back at her eyes.
“How can you be so sure?” and now it was his turn to speak softly.
They were close enough to feel each other’s breath. Less than an inch more and they would be kissing. The tension was so strong and neither of them had the power or the will to turn away. Hades couldn’t describe what was happening to him. He didn’t know her, he never did anything reckless but at that very moment, he would do anything just to kiss her for even a little.
Unfortunately, Cerberus decided that that was the best moment to wake up and demand to be played with. Cerberus jumped up suddenly and let out wall shaking barks, scaring the couple apart. Hades jumped to his feet and Persephone sat straight up like a stick on the couch. Unsure of how his pet was going to react to a new person in their home, Hades jumped up to block Persephone from view. Damn it. He should have moved Cerberus out of the room but it was impossible to move that monster.
Hades was ready to wrestle Cerberus if he made a move for her. He didn’t know why, but he felt oddly protective of her. No one or thing was ever going to hurt her again. Though Cerberus had the keenest sense of smell and he had four little noses to help him too. The dog knew she was there and made a run for her. Even if Hades tried, he was an ant compared to the animal but he tried to push him off anyway.
Though much to everyone’s surprise, when Cerberus ran up to Persephone, he didn’t attack. He simply jumped around her, wagged his tail and gently laid all his giant heads on the couch, looking at her. Hades stood there, staring at his dog in disbelief as his monster of a pet was gently waiting for Persephone. She slowly and cautiously put down her plate and cup on the floor and even more slowly, reaching out to pet the dog. Her hand barely covered one of its noses but she could see his tail was wagging and she smiled brightly at him.
“Hello there. How are you. Oh aren’t you such a good boy, yes you are helloooo” she cooed at him.
“I have to admit, I’m shocked. He doesn’t take well to strangers. I should’ve put you in another room, I’m sorry. I’m thankful he wasn’t aggressive with you. I wasn’t sure what I would’ve done if he had attacked you. I apologize, I should’ve have put more thought into your safety.”
She looked up at him as he came over and started petting Cerberus too.
“See? You won’t hurt me.” Hades stared down at her and he didn’t know what to say. He had barely known the girl and she had left him speechless more than he could count.
Hades cleared his throat, stood a little taller before he spoke again, “Finish your food. I’ll call someone to bring you home.”
“No!”
His eyes widened slightly but she caught it. Nothing else of his face told her what he was thinking ande didn’t speak again, waiting for her. She took the time to compose herself before she spoke and made a fool of herself.
“I mean. There is no hurry. I’m … quite tired, too tired to make a trip. If it would be no trouble, if I could just … spend the night. Just a while more, to gain my strength.” She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving when she had just found him. He intrigued her and something told her to stay. She felt more at home wherever she was with him than she has ever felt with her friends.
“It will be no bother. I will have a room ready for you and you can reside there until you are energized for the travel back.” He called for Cerberus to follow him as he left the room. Persephone let out a breath of relief and smiled to herself. Staying made her happy and she couldn’t quite explain why.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Persephone let out a laugh at something Hades had told her and he smiled at her fondly. Cerberus was resting beside her feet as they all sat around the dinner table. The fireplace was lit across the room and candles were flickering around the table. It has been weeks since she first arrived and every night she asked to stay some more.
The first few days, she followed Hades as he dealt with business and they would spend evenings lounging together. After the third day, Hades showed her to a garden she could tend to, the plants looked dull and dark but with her care, they thrived and she took pride in them. After a week, she started to have her own schedule and agenda around the Underworld as Hades had his own duties to attend to. She met more people around and they started coming to her to ask questions and asking for her opinions.
Every night, she and Hades would come together to have dinner. After, they would simply enjoy each other’s company. No matter where she went, Cerberus was there nipping at her heels.
She was happy. She had a place here. With him. They haven’t kissed. He was always a gentleman and never crossed that line though she has dreamt of it plenty. She feared that she would never grow courageous enough to make a move on him but he never made her feel uncomfortable or pushed her which she appreciated. Ever since she had arrived, each day, she saw him smile at her more and more. He’s even making jokes now, who would’ve thought.
“And I told him, if he wanted that, he would have to go ask Hera instead of complaining to me.” He said dramatically as he told his story.
Persephone gasped loudly and laughed at him, “You did not! You could not be so cruel as to push him into Hera’s path. You know she would rip him into pieces if she heard what he was saying.”
“Exactly why I told him to talk to her!”
They laughed together and enjoyed dinner when suddenly they heard loud running footsteps towards them. Looking up from their plates, they saw one of Hades’s closest helper run into the room out of breath. “Sir!” he said quite urgently.
Hades’s face immediately changed to seriousness. Persephone hated seeing him so … blank. He never showed emotions when dealing with his godly duties but he always looked at her so warmly. Feeling the change in the room, she sat up taller in her seat and listened intently. She felt like it was her place to stand by him and she needed to be strong by his side as he is.
“What can I help you with?” Hades asked calmly.
“Sir. I’m sorry. There’s been a rumor circulating around that you have captured Miss Persephone. I know that is not true and everyone in Hades is spreading the word that that is a lie! But the other gods don’t believe it. I’ve gained news that Miss Persephone’s mother is causing an uproar above and Zeus is now on his way to demand you give her back. I tried to stop him sir but he is on a mission. He too believes you kidnapped her.” The helper’s face looked truly upset.
Persephone couldn’t believe what she just heard. Hades kidnapping me? They always think the worst of him of course they would make a wild rumor like this. How could she be so naive, she should’ve sent word to her mother but she had been so happy, it didn’t even cross her mind thus far.
Looking over at Hades with scared eyes, she wanted to cry and ask him to fix things.
After what felt like an eternity, Hades dismissed the helper and sat quietly, thinking. After she could no longer sit there, Persephone asked, “What are we to do?”
Hades looked up at her and she could see the sadness in his eyes.
“There is not much we can do. I believe that nearly every god out there believes that I kidnapped you and ruined you. For that, I’m sorry. My image is hurting you.”
“Stop that. You didn’t do anything. I was the one who ran to you. I wanted to stay. You never hurt you, I can’t see how they could not see how amazing you are.”
“I’m sorry my dear but we both knew our time was limited. We escaped reality for a moment but now it is time to return.”
Tears were building in her eyes and seeing them pulled at Hades’s heart strings.
“Please. I don’t want to leave. I fear that when I leave, I will never be allowed to see you again. And … I can’t have that. It hurts to be away from you. I can’t leave you.” Persephone whispered her last words and tears rolled down her face.
Hades reached over and covered her hand on the table. After a moment, he pulled her hand to urge her to stand and pull her into his lap. He held her close as she turned her face into his neck and she cried. They simply held each other in silence, her heart broke with every second knowing she would have to leave soon.
He finally pulled away from her and lifted her chin so she would look at him.
“I love your eyes.” She whispered, her face still damp from her tears.
“And I love how you smile.” She continued.
“I only smile at you, my dear.”
She didn’t stop to listen to him, her words seemed to be pulled out of her.
“I love how kind you are. And I love the way you hold my face. And I love holding your hand. And I love how you are always there for me when I need you. And I love how if you laugh a little too much you snort a little.” She giggled at that one.
She reached up to wipe his face as some tears escaped.
“And …. I love you. Just you. All of you. And no one can tell me I can’t.”
Before she could move, he cupped her face and slammed his lips down onto hers. She let out a breath and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back urgently like she needed his kiss to be alive. She felt alive. And she felt love.
Hades finally pulled away from her and she let out a little whine trying to pull him back. He chuckled at her and said, “One second, baby. I think I have an idea.”
“To let me stay?”
“Sort of.”
Hades reached on the table and cracked open a pomegranate. Seeds fell out and rolled onto the table in front of her. Turning to face the table, she raised her brow in question. Hades picked twelve seeds and laid them out in a row for her. “Eat as many seeds as you want.”
“How is this going to help us?”
“Just trust me.” He kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“Okay, you weirdo.” She smiled at him before examining the seeds. She shrugged and scooped up six seeds and threw them into her mouth.
“There. I ate six. Now what? Is there a spell or something?”
“Or something. See each seed represents a month. You just ate six.”
“Ooookay? I’m still not getting it.”
“Well you ate six, so that’s six months, right? So from now on, for six months out of the year, you’ll have to be here with me. And for the rest of the year,” he waved his finger over the remaining seeds, “you’ll be able to be above with your friends and family.”
She let out a gasp, “You’re a genius! That way I’ll have time for here and up there.”
“Precisely.” He said proudly as she turned on his lap to face him.
“Do you think this will work?” She sounded nervous.
“I’m not sure but I hope so. I’ll negotiate with my brother. I’ll make it happen.”
“Promise me. Whatever happens, we do this together. If you’re going to talk to Zeus, I want to be there too. I don’t want him trying to say you kidnapped me!”
“Alright. Alright. Calm down, tiger. We do it together. And Persephone?”
“Yes?”
“I love you too.”
They smiled and shared a kiss as they heard Zeus coming to get them.
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─ the mirrors surrounding you did as they were meant to, reflecting back a spitting image of OH SE-HUN - but it’s clear something is wrong from the moment that a vision of BRINGING YOUR MOTHER PERSEPHONE BACK HOME TO THE UNDERWORLD strikes you. perhaps it was a passing daydream in the frenzy of the funhouse. you reassure yourself - you’re ZAGREUS, a TWENTY-FIVE YEAR OLD TATTOO ARTIST whose virtue lies in your KIND-HEARTED & PERSISTENT , although you’ve been told that you tend to be quite REBELLIOUS & SELF-DEPRECATING, and you’re associated with BEING BORN WITH MISMATCHED EYES ; ONE A FIERY RED AND ANOTHER A BRIGHT GREEN, SURROUNDED BY SHADES AND SKELETONS OBSERVING YOUR EVERY MOVE, & CRAWLING OUT OF THE RIVER STYX by those around you. suddenly, however, you’ve found THE STYGIAN BLADE KNOWN AS STYGIUS on your person - was that always there? from the moment you leave the funhouse, memories from your life in HADES have begun to return - leaving whoever you had been before in the mirror’s reflection behind you. you can almost hear HOLY ROLLER by SPIRITBOX following in your wake.
QUICK FACTS —
FANDOM: hades — a dungeon crawler video game about greek mythology
FULL NAME: zagreus
ALIASES: zag, little hades, prince of the underworld, god of rebirth, god of hunting
AGE: twenty-five physically but he’s also immortal
DATE OF BIRTH: unknown
PLACE OF BIRTH: house of hades, deepest depths of the underworld
SPECIES: god
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: bisexual
ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: biromantic
PROFESSION: testing the underworld's security
HEIGHT: five foot nine
EYES: he inherited his parent’s eyes. the right one is a fierce red like his father, while the left one is a vibrant green like his mother.
HAIR: jet black in color and usually styled to be swept to one side
BUILD: muscular, toned
UNUSUAL FEATURES: his feet and ankles are infernal. which essentially means they’re always radiating heat and glowing as a result. they give off sparks of fire when he runs or walks due to the similarities to lava. it’s important to also note that the flames are harmless so nothing will burn as a result of his physical feature.
PARENTS: hades (father), persephone (mother), nyx (mother figure)
GRANDPARENTS: demeter, chaos
COUSINS: athena, artemis, ares, dionysus, hermes
UNCLES: zeus, poseidon
AUNTS: hera
PETS: cerberus
BEST FRIEND: thanatos
COLLEAGUES: aphrodite, achilles, hypnos, megaera, dusa, orpheus, charon
SIBLINGS: an only child but considers ransom drysdale an older brother
LIFE IN CANON —
Zagreus is the only child born to Hades and Persephone. Although at first he had been stillborn. The Fates decides that Hades shouldn’t have an heir and Persephone ran away in grief but refused to return to her birthplace on Olympus since she disliked all the bickering the Gods do. She would settle in Greece to grieve and Demeter covered the mortal realm in an endless winter for her daughter.
Nyx would bring Zagreus back to life with her powers in an extremely lengthy process and would become his mother figure. Hades raises him on his own alongside the Goddess of the Night but never speaks of Persephone and doesn’t let anyone in the House to say her name either.
The prince would befriend the Fury Megaera and the God of Death Thanatos when they’re all children . . . . the latter ending up becoming his best friend. It’s kind of ironic, don’t you think? Zagreus is the God of Rebirth and being so close to Death. They’re such opposites but every time he would die and be reborn again he could count on his best friend to bring him to the River Styx.
However, once growing older Zagreus grew bored of always being stuck in the House of Hades. He wanted to explore the Underworld and try to see what life is outside of their realm. His father didn’t approve of this and would try to stop him in this ridiculous quest. He would die several times trying to make his escape but due to the nature of his ability to be reborn he just ends up stepping out of the Styx and hanging his head when realizing he’s back home again.
Achilles trained him and has become like an idol to Zagreus. Everything he knows about combat comes from him and doesn’t think there’s anyone is a better fighter than Achilles. Which gave him at least a little chance in making it through the obstacles arranged by Hades to keep him home. The other Olympians aided him to give him an additional advantage.
One night, Zagreus would discover a letter left by his birth mother which gave him even more motivation to make it out of the Underworld to try and find her. He needed to see Persephone at least once. It’s bittersweet when the boy is finally able to do this as he’s forever bound to the Underworld like his father and only has limited time in Greece with his mother. He would die of natural causes and Thanatos would have to come get him since he is Death after all. Zagreus would fight his way out again and again and again just to get more time with Persephone. He wanted to learn everything about her, why she left, and just exist there with her for their limited amount of time allowed.
After numerous visited, Zagreus was able to convince his mother to come home by reminding her of the bonds of family. Zagreus and Persephone sail back to the House of Hades by Charon. Persephone resumed her duties as Queen of the Underworld and Hades finally respects his son again. The escape attempt turned into a job of finding security vulnerabilities throughout their realm. Their family was reunited again and for once? They’re all happy again. If Zagreus was going to be bound to roam their realm for eternity then he’ll do it happily knowing his parents are both here too.
Persephone would reconcile with the other Gods and Goddesses by inviting them to a feast in the House of Hades. They all thought that Hades and Persephone eloped and had Zagreus. She avoided telling them about her resentment of Olympus and told a lie that she could only leave the Underworld a few months out of the year due to eating pomegranate seeds. The Olympians accept the lie but know the truth and just want to move on.
There’s a lot of lore that comes along with playing someone tied to Greek Mythology so . . . I’m not going to cover everything but this is the plot from the game! All other Greek Mythology related lore can be assumed to have happened but I’m not going to write it out.
LIFE IN ALUCARD —
THE ITEM FOUND ON HIS PERSON:
STYGIAN BLADE also known as STYGIUS and the blade of the underworld. It’s a longsword that belonged to Lord Poseidon before he opted for his trident. It’s one of the finest weapons to ever be wielded and played a role in sealing the titans deep within the deepest recesses of tartarus. Achilles gave the sword to Zagreus since he knew Hades wouldn’t pay any mind. You could feel how eager Stygius was to have a partner again and be used in a fight at the time.
Zagreus doesn’t understand where the sword came from but something told him to hold onto it. He currently has it mounted over his television in his house.
ANIMAL FAMILIAR:
Zagreus has a puppy version of Cerberus living with him. They have vibrant red fur and three heads. They’re a very good boy but have attachment issues. If Zag is gone for too long then some of the furniture in his home will get destroyed. Each head has their own personality!
ORIGIN:
Zagreus was born into an extremely wealthy family. He’s an only child which meant getting away with most of his shenanigans growing up. They wanted their son to accomplish great things which meant that they spoiled him. Whatever the boy wanted? He got.
You could imagine their disappointment when Zagreus expressed an interest in art from a young age. He didn’t care about playing sports or preparing to take over the family business. Always more content to sit down with a fresh pad of paper and pencil. He become quite the talented artist in adulthood, working toward being better with everyday. Zagreus even does some graphic design commissions.
His true passion is tattooing. Which you could imagine the look on his parents’ faces when they were told that their only son wanted that as his career. Their love outgrew their disapproval though and would support this venture just as long as Zagreus still came to mingle at events. His body quickly becomes covered in ink which often makes him the talk of the party.
IF YOU CLICK HERE THERE’S REFERENCE TO AT LEAST THIRTEEN OF HIS TATTOOS.
He’s a soft man despite appearances and most people know it. Zagreus often feels like something is missing from his life but eventually it all makes sense when the memories from his canon lifetime come flooding back in. How could he forget? How do you come to terms with realizing something you’ve been reading about all your life is suddenly true? He knows that going up to people and saying “hey i’m a god” wouldn’t get many reactions where it’s believed. So, Zagreus pushes it deep down and focuses on his tattoo appointments and tries to deal with it on his own.
#duality.intro#ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟʟ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ. [ MUSE ]#i finally did it#insert elmo rise emoji here#death tw#a lot of mentions throughout
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Hello, everyone! I know I don’t post often but I come with something neat, the first chapter of my newest fanfic! I don’t directly post a lot of my fanfics on here, but here we go!
When was the last time you saw the sky?
Summary: The goddess of spring decides to finally start fixing things. How she goes about it, however, may cause more problems than she wants.
Or, Persephone's disappearance, and the direct aftermath.
Chapter One - train
ao3 - tumblr
First - Next - Last
There was light, streaming in through the cracks in the closed blinds. A large, brown suitcase had been thrown onto the bed in the center of the room, the goddess of spring’s bed, and was filled to the brim with summertime and springtime. Right next to her, another suitcase sat on the floor, smaller and stuffed with clothing. Not the fun things, of course, unceremonious was a good word, thick black jackets and sturdy boots and rough, durable dresses. There was no point in trying to bring along anything flashy, her beloved green wide-sleeves would have to stay.
She’d managed to squeeze her fur coat, her expensive, elegant fur coat with the green gradient, to the bottom of the suitcase, but she had to pawn it off later when she had some money.
She finished zipping up her suitcase. It was heavy, the flowers and seeds and fruit weren’t weightless. She took the season suitcase in one hand, the clothing in another, and the adrenaline kicked in. She felt her heart speed up, the thumping was deafening her. She grabbed the straps on the suitcases, and tried to focus on the weight. If she dropped them, she could be stopped, and if she was stopped, she would never get out. The train would leave without her, for the conductor could only wait for her for so long, and she would be here, explaining to her husband why she had tried to go up top without telling him.
Where had it all gone wrong?
She knew the answer to that, she did. It was always flawed, her and Hades, always cracks in their relationship. They could destroy the world together, if they fought, and they both knew this. They married anyway, thinking that they could never fight, and that if they did, they would remain calm and reasonable and love each other. Never go to bed angry. Do what the other gods couldn’t. Love each other. Be confident that their six months was enough, that it was a good balance. They agreed. It could work, they thought. Love each other. That was enough. They couldn’t kill. They couldn’t destroy. And yet, he kept coming earlier and earlier to pick her up. And yet, she drank until she passed out. And yet he kept building factories and she kept seeing how the world was turning. Her lover was lucky, he only got what was left, the aftermath, the sold, the bought.
She could only stay complicit for so long.
Her suitcases banged against her legs as she ran, the pitter-patter of her flats were thankfully quiet. Across the hallway, down the steps, right at the left bedroom, down the steps again. The heat from the machinery downstairs was most felt down here, she thought, big windows and awful air conditioning didn’t help. She could see, outside, the dead working on the walls and the power grid underneath the main work stations. This was supposed to keep her here? The stifling humidity, the blinding light, the repeating clangs of hammers and nails? This? She stayed at the end of the windows, wishing she could just run across the floor to the door as she had done with the others. Unfortunately, Hades had two offices, one on the third floor where he signed deals and made sure dead souls were properly bound to the underworld, and one on this floor, where he did everything else. He had passed out in there, tonight, and if she woke him up, she didn’t think she would be getting on that train.
She slowly started to walk, breaths becoming quieter and lagging. Hades, her husband. Hades, who loved her, and for a period of time, loved her well. She felt herself getting nostalgic as she walked, as odd as that was. They played dominos. She always won. He told her he let her. She told him he was just bad. He smiled and told her that he never learned how to play. She told him he would have to learn. He told her she didn’t want to - he had better things to do. She told him that he didn’t. He told her work. She told him that she was more important than work. He smiled wider and told her damn right. He kissed her. She told Hades she loved him. That was true. Persephone loved Hades very much. She still did. She loved him more than the moon loved the stars, more than fire loved paper, more than the wind loved cold, more than birds loved song.
But she loved up top more. She loved the flowers that would die without her there, the dried yellow grass, the shriveling crops. The humans who enjoyed them, she loved them too. All of their suffering was too much, she thought, they were starving. Cold and starving and poor, dealing with her missteps, selling their souls for food. She had to help them as much as she could. Hades had his warehouses, his workers, the other underworld gods shut up in their villas across the Styx. She wasn’t leaving forever, she tried to tell herself, she was bound here, she would heal the world and come back. Hades could deal with that, the underworld could deal with that.
She had crossed the first floor. She put her suitcases in one hand, dug into her pocket, found a hairpin, jammed it into the doorlock, and began to try to unlock it. She’d tried this before with a string of mostly-successes, and after a few seconds, the door was thrown open. She rearranged her suitcases again, and ran. She couldn’t think about Hades anymore, she couldn’t, she knew it would simply make her turn back. She, instead, focused on the heat, the clangs, what she would be leaving. Up on top, it would be better. On top, she would have quiet and darkness and the warmth she brought. Good food she made. She passed some workstations, thankfully the dead were looking down.
The wall was soon in front of her, smelling like sweat and brick and mortar, and it made her a little sick. Spotlights were attached to the top of it, and it seemed like all of Hadestown was working on that wall. A wall to keep everyone inside. A wall, built up by everyone. Kept them free, they murmured as they worked. Free. Free. She could swear they actually thought that, that was going through their mind. We are free. She ran faster, she had no intention to throw up on her way out. She could leave this, she could, she’d always wanted to. She slid through an opening in the wall, and the train was visible. She smiled a little, that was her ticket to saving the world, that was all she needed. No alarms going off that she could hear. Her legs felt like jelly, so she slowed down a little. She was going. She was going to rebuild the world. She was going to help the people who deserved it. Change was coming, she could feel it in her body, change that she would bring. She would finally make the masses happy, happy, it would be okay.
Her good mood was suddenly swallowed whole. No, she thought, No. Not him. Of all of the things that could’ve stopped her, why him?
A dog had appeared in front of her, a large dog with three furry heads and a large, black furry body. He seemed to smile as he came closer to Persephone, and the middle head gave her a lick on her cheek. Baby blue collars were around each head, and he had come from the doghouse a few hundred feet out. Not here. Not now.
“Cerbie,” she said, softly. He laid down, rolled onto his side, and she smiled. Her baby wanted belly rubs, how adorable. Against her better judgment, she leaned down and began to pet him, and she laughed with her eyes full of tears.
“I’m gonna miss ‘ya, Cerbie,” she said, “I’m gonna miss you, and you, and you, an awful lot.”
He barked.
She laughed more, a strangling, stifling sound.
“You’re the best boys, do you know that? The best boys there ever were.”
He smiled, at least it looked like that to her. She wasn’t sure how long she stayed there, wishing she could bring her baby with her, thinking about what it would be like to share a motel with him. She’d work all day for his food, and make sure he was safe and good, and they would cuddle together at night. Almost like the word home, almost.
Her mind drifted. Home used to be a cottage, with her Ma. Her Ma. Ma and dogs. Ma hated dogs. She would push them out of her laps, out of her house, and cats too. No animal would be present in her house, only the delicate flowers and bright trees and maybe grassy fields outside. Those were worthy of her and her daughter. The cottage that used to contain her and her mother was now overgrown, she’d seen it. Vines growing through the windows, roses through the cracks in the bricks, and it made her want to cry.
Her Ma’s house.
Her late Ma’s house.
Persephone’s mother’s body, a knife in her chest, ichor spilling. She was dead. She is dead. A mortal found with her food stash a few days later. It had gotten so bad, so bad, they were murdering gods if they had food. She had started to cry, really cry, and Cerberus sat up and licked her tears away. It only made her cry more.
If her mother was being murdered for her food, things had gotten bad.
If food was so sparse, she had to make it come back again.
If Hades wouldn’t let her go up, she had to do it herself.
Ichor spilling out of her mother. Ichor spilling out of her mother. Ichor spilling out of her mother.
Her mother.
She had to get out of here, out of Hadestown, for her mother’s sake. She wrapped her arms around Cerberus, but found herself unable to let go. The train whistle sounded. She had to get over there, she had to leave. Yet, she couldn’t leave Cerberus alone, she didn’t want to. She needed someone to love. Someone to care about, someone to get rid of her tears.
She sniffed, wiped the dog spit and tears off her face, and asked, “Cerbie, do you wanna come with Mama on a vacation?”
The dog’s heads all nodded. They barked, unanimously. He had never been out of Hadestown before, he seemed very happy. She picked up her suitcases again, and made a motion with her head. Come on, Cerbie, let’s go. They ran through the blank landscape, dead land, how long did they bound and leap towards the train, two miles, three miles, four? Neither of them tired. They arrived at the train station, both hysterical with smiles and faint laughter. She was already babbling goodbyes, not even on the train, goodbye wall and workers and heat and dead land.
“Load up, Cerbie! Load up!” She cried. Cerberus climbed the steps, and was on the train, and another whistle came. The train began to move, slowly, and yet she swung around. She was in the train car, and shut the door. She had made it. She was here.
Cerberus ran up and down the train aisles, and Persephone sat her suitcases down. She fell back into a red-velvet lined chair, her legs meat, she felt unable to walk. A bit of deranged laughter escaped her mouth, goodbye manor! Goodbye riches! Goodbye watchtowers and royal title! Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye mother! Goodbye long green dresses! Goodbye jewelry! Goodbye good booze and good drugs! Goodbye Hekate and Thanatos! Goodbye everyone! Goodbye Hades, my darkness, my light, my dearest-darling-damned! Ha!
She threw her head back, calmed her laughter, and began to cry again.
#when was the last time you saw the sky#my fanfic#hadestown#persephone hadestown#cerberus hadestown#hadestown fanfic#hadestown au#poppy.posts#poppy.writes
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I was wondering,,, why do you say the dark wife is one of the worst books you've read? I read it a few years ago, and I dont remember anything about it tbh, so I'm curious
Oh boy, where do I start? I had a lot of problems with this novel, both as a Greek myth retelling and from a writing standpoint. Now, keep in mind that I read thisabout 2 years ago, so I might be forgetting some small details here and there, but I’ll try to explain the main reasons it bugged me so much. So buckle up, because this is gonna be a long one.
Characters: All the characters are two-dimensional and poorly developed. None of them have any amount of nuance or depth.Zeus is moustache twirling villain who is evil for the sake of being evil. Hades is as good as Zeus is evil, endlessly noble and selfless and devoted. I genuinely can’t remember a single defining trait of Persephone? She’s such abland and generic protagonist, nothing really stands out about her in my memory other than her obsessive pining over Hades and hatred of Zeus. A lot of this feels like it’s pulled straight from the shallow and occasionally downright inaccurate readings of Greek myths that have become so popular in recent years, especially on places like tumblr (Zeus as an evil rapist, Hades as a pure cinnamon roll, Persephone descending willingly into the Underworld, etc.).But there are also more confusing takes on these characters, like turning chaste virgin goddess Athena into a self-centered, promiscuous lesbian (not to say that being a lesbian or being promiscuous is bad, it’s just such a strange interpretation of Athena’s character that doesn’t make any sense)And don’t even get me started on poor Charis! Charis, Persephone’s first lover in the book, exists solely to be raped and killed by Zeus. She’s fridged to show us that Zeus is BAD and giving Persephone a reason to hate him. The author’s treatment of this character is lazy and offensive. I’m sure this is something that won’t bother all readers, but as someone with a deep love for the mythology, I found the portrayal of the Greek gods franklyinsulting. Plot:“Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie.”Here we run into a big problem with the narrative. We’re told from the very prologue that the story of Hades and Persephone we’re familiar with is a lie, a narrative created by Zeus, and this is Persephone’s attempt to set the record straight.These are the first lines of our story: “I am not my mother’s daughter. I have forfeited my inheritance, my birthright. I do not possess the privilege of truth. The stories told by fires, the myth of my kidnap and my rape, are all that remain of me. Forever I will be known as the girl who was stolen away to be the wife of Hades, lord of all the dead. Andnone of it is true, or is so fragmented that the truth is nothing more than ashadow, malformed. The stories are wrong. I am not who they say I am.I am Persephone, and my story must begin with the truth.Here it is, or as close as I can tell it.”Well, this doesn’t really make any sense when, at the end of the story, Zeus is defeated and thrown into Tartarus. Why does this narrative survive into modern day when Hades and Persephone won? Why is Persephone only able to tell her story now, after thousands of years without Zeus in power? Speaking of Zeus and lies, the justification for the whole “What, Hades is awoman?!” thing really doesn’t make any sense. We’re told that Zeus calls Hades “lord” of the dead as a joke, Hades even refers to it as a “slur” in the story. The reason given for this is that Hades is only attracted to women. Well, if that’s the case, why doesn’t that same logic apply to Athena, who’salso shown to be attracted only to women? Or to Persephone for that matter? Same-sex attraction, even between women, is never shown to be frowned upon in their society, so why would Zeus single out Hades for her attraction to women? And why do all the other gods apparently go along with that “joke” to the point that Persephone literally didn’t know Hades was a woman until she meets her in person? And why, again, did this idea of Hades being a man survive into modern day? The story is constructed so poorly on so many different levels. There are so many threads that are just dropped entirely. For example:- The story starts with Demeter confidently proclaiming that Persephone will become the queen of the gods, setting up this big rivalry between her and the daughters of Hera and Aphrodite. This plot never goes anywhere, in fact, I don’t think it’s ever brought up again after the first chapter, and Demeter basically spends the rest of the book cowering before Zeus. - There’s a significant plotline about Pallas having Persephone try to deliver a message to Athena, a plotline that is unceremoniously dropped without anyresolution. After all the build-up, there’s a throwaway line about Pallas giving the note to Persephone right before the big showdown with Zeus, and that’s the last we hear of it. We never see it delivered, we don’t get to see Athena’s reaction to it, we don’t know how this impacts Pallas, if at all. In fact, Pallas basically doesn’t show up at all after this point. Then there’s the main conflict of the story: Zeus wants Persephone, and as we’re told over and over and over, Zeus always gets what he wants (the author really beats this into our heads). We’re never really given any motivation for any of Zeus’ actions, so this conflict feels weak and contrived. It doesn’t help that we get so much build-up for what a terrible threat he is, and then Persephone defeats Zeus, the most powerful god, feared by all, in like… two pages? It’s such a weak and anticlimactic end to the story.
There was also some sort of convoluted plan concocted by Zeus to, idk, have the dead rise up and overthrow Hades? For some reason? Again, we never get any clear motivation from Zeus. As far as I can remember, we’re never told why he hates Hades so much, or why he wants to overthrow her. I don’t even remember if the author explained what Zeus was going to do with the Underworld without Hades there to rule. I’m sorry, I genuinely can’t even remember the details, but it was just reallybadly set up and, once again, easily solved in a few pages.And that’s really the main problem with the story, everything is so easily solved. Our good guys all get happily ever afters with no sacrifices and no consequences for anything, and there’s always a quick and easy solution to any threat or conflict. Mythology:So how does it hold up as a Hades and Persephone retelling?Well, not great, imho. A lot of classical elements are incorporated into this retelling, but they’re stripped of any meaning or importance to the plot. The pomegranate? It’s there at their wedding, but it never figures into the greater narrative.Demeter causing famine by bringing infertility to the fields? She does freeze the world in this story, threatening everlasting winter, but unlike in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, it’s not an act of agency on her part, refusing to submit to the will of Zeus and fighting to be reunited with her daughter. Nah. She’s just being manipulated by Zeus and it’s used as a cheap reason to tear our lovers apart.And somehow, I don’t even know why seeing as it doesn’t tie into Demeter freezing the earth or Persephone eating the seeds of the pomegranate, butPersephone is still forced to spend half the year on earth and half in theUnderworld.In the epilogue, we see her in modern day New York*, acting as psychopomp (for some reason???), happily guiding the souls to the afterlife, which we’re told is her duty for the half of the year she spends above ground. I’m just so confused as to what the author was even going for here. Where did this come from? It doesn’t originate in the original myths, but it’s also not explained (as far as I can remember) in the book.*This isn’t a problem with the book per se, and it’s 100% a matter oftaste, but I personally really dislike it when mythological figures appearin a modern setting, especially when the author has to put them in anAmerican setting rather than the geographical location of their origin, whetherthat’s Greece or Egypt or Scandinavia or what have you. Romance: Hades and Persephone are destined soulmates and instantly fall in love pretty much the moment they first set eyes on each other, which doesn’t allow for any growth or progression of their relationship. They’re instantly deeply and madly in love with each other and their feelings never change over the span of the story. They spend most of their time together staring lovingly into each others eyes and when they’re separated for literally 3 days Persephone basically spends her entire days languishing in despair.It’s ridiculously melodramatic and cheesy, which again, personal taste thing,I’m just really not into. Other writing issues: - The worldbuilding is pretty much non-existent. The story doesn’t feel grounded in any particular time period or cultural context, and you never get any sense of the setting, or how the world works and what this society is like. - The pacing was really poor, either dragging or exploding into rushed action. - A lot of page time is spent on describing things that doesn’t really further the plot or has any thematic relevance. One example would be the garden of metal and precious stones Hades made for Persephone. It’s cool I guess? But what purpose does it serve? We also waste a lot of time which could be better used developing the characters or moving the plot forward on watching Persephone play with puppy Cerberus or petting Hades’ horses (see poor pacing). - There’s a lot of talk about Persephone having some sort of grand destiny, and that her actions have been prophesized. This is never properly explained and it only serves to weaken Persephone’s story arc, stripping her of agency by implying that she doesn’t really have a choice in the matter. Prophecy and destiny are story elements that have to be handled delicately and are easy to screw up, and they’re just dealt with so clumsily here. - Also the writing was just… not very good.I’m sure there are more things I could dig up and complain about, but I feel like this is probably too long and rambly already, so I’ll stop here.
Obligatory disclaimer:This is obviously just my personal opinion. There are a lot of people who love this book (going by Goodreads ratings, I am clearly in the minority) and I am genuinely happy for them! I also mean no disrespect to the author who seems like a genuinely lovely person.
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Family Dog
Zagreus lets himself rest a moment with Cerberus in the Temple of Styx. It gets interrupted. [100% spoiler for the Big Bad Update; content warning for implied/referenced child abuse.]
[ Read on AO3 ]
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He stumbles out of the temple’s back corridors with blood dripping down his face and a persistent ringing in his ears. He’s feeling everything at about a five-foot remove, which is good when it comes to the pain radiating from the fracture in his left leg but less good when he actually has to fight. Which he will, again. He hasn’t even found anything for Cerberus yet. But if heads into the tunnels right now, he’ll be dead in seconds. And then he’ll wind up all the way back home. Again.
He spends a full minute staring at the entrances to the tunnels, trying to will up the determination to go get himself killed. Then, instead, he goes to Cerberus.
Three pairs of furry red ears perk up as he approaches, and Zagreus holds his empty hands up apologetically. “Sorry, boy,” he says. “Nothing yet. But can I just…” He gestures vaguely in lieu of finishing his sentence and, when Cerberus tilts one head in question, indicates what he means by going ahead and doing it: he plops down next to the enormous dog and slumps back against him. The protest of his broken leg grows briefly urgent and he shifts, teeth gritted, until it recedes into the distance again. He exhales. He needs this. Just for a minute.
One of Cerberus’s heads makes a thin whine—concerned about Zagreus, or maybe about the fact that Zagreus is interrupting his duty without even bribing him first. Zagreus isn’t sure which, until another head extends its tongue to lick gently at the cut on his head and the third nuzzles his shoulder. Zagreus relaxes a bit. “Careful, boy,” he murmurs. But the hound is careful, without being told, and this—this is nice. He breathes just a little easier. When he closes his eyes and buries his face in Cerberus’s thick fur, he can remember the past, if not fully pretend that he’s back there. He used to fall asleep snuggled up with Cerberus like this. Now, he can’t tell whether he’s falling asleep or simply losing consciousness as he breathes in the familiar (though not inherently pleasant) smell of dog. He might be dying. Finished off belatedly by a satyr’s poison, or something. But Cerberus is with him, at least. There are worse ways to go; he’s experienced quite a few of them. Between stretches of cozy non-thought, he wonders how he’ll appear on Hypnos’s list this time, and he hopes Cerberus won’t be too startled when the waters of the Styx claim him.
Some indistinct time later, a familiar gruff sound.
“There you are. I should have known I’d find you here, boy.”
Zagreus startles awake, stomach clenching, wondering how he let his father catch him asleep on Cerberus again. He hates that, he’ll lecture him for sure—but as he scrambles frantically to his feet, pain shoots up his left leg and slaps him back into the present. Right. The Temple of Styx. The surface. His father here to stop him personally, time after time. Hades glares down at him, and his lips crack into a cruel smirk as Zagreus stumbles, but Zagreus just glares back. He’s holding onto Cerberus with one hand for balance, but he’s standing.
Hades sneers at his defiance, as ever. “Were you planning to face me in that state? No wonder I find you lazing about here instead.”
But Zagreus isn’t a child caught in a moment of naughtiness anymore. He meets his father’s critical gaze without flinching. “Lazing about? I’ve been throwing myself headlong into this for weeks, hardly taking a moment’s rest to myself. Is ‘lazy’ really the insult you want to go with here?”
“It is. You are lazy, engaging in this nonsense rather than making yourself useful around here. Sooner or later, I’ll grind it into your head that your place is back in the House.”
“No you won’t.”
Hades narrows his eyes. “And what do you think the alternative is, you stupid boy? Should I kill you here, or wait until you bribe your way past Cerberus once more?” The hellhound gives a guilty whine, one muzzle buried against Zagreus’s back like he’s trying to hide. Zagreus almost stumbles again. But for once Hades lets an opportunity to mock him go by, instead giving a heavy sigh and speaking tolerantly. “It isn’t your fault, Cerberus, I know that. You’d still be resting comfortably at home if it weren’t for this boy’s obdurate foolishness—”
“Or if you would just leave him there instead of dragging him onto duty,” Zagreus points out.
Hades’ eyes turn hard again as he turns them back to his son. “Don’t interrupt me, boy.”
“Oh, am I interrupting? You know, you could be sitting comfortably on your throne right now, working on all that paperwork you love. No one’s actually forcing you to come out here. And you certainly don’t have to get Cerberus involved. That’s all on you, Father.”
“On me?” Black rage twists Hades’ face and he takes one enormous step forward, the temple walls quaking with his footfall. Zagreus’s stomach plunges. But pain makes him slow, and before he can reach for Coronacht, Cerberus is on his feet with one head bowed low and protective over his shoulder. Zagreus feels rather than hears the low rumble of a growl in his throat.
Hades stills. His eyes are dark with stony indignation, but when he speaks, his voice only sounds tired. “Cerberus.”
The hound whines with one mouth and gives a muffled bark with another. The head curled around Zagreus continues its barely audible growl. His posture is strained, and Zagreus glances backwards to see his tail tucked halfway between his back legs, quivering nervously. Zagreus reaches up and combs his fingers through the scruff at Cerberus’s neck. “Thank you, boy,” he murmurs.
Hades groans in exasperation. “You thank him for this? For turning aside from his duty and defying me, out of some misguided fondness—”
“Father, please.” His voice comes out hard, not pleading, because he is angry and he’s tired of this. “He’s fond of you, too, and if you didn’t keep dragging him into this, he wouldn’t have to choose between us.”
“I’m dragging him into this? Preventing escape from my realm is his job.”
“Which we both know by now he’s just not going to do when it comes to me. Why do you bother?”
Truth be told, Zagreus doesn’t really want him to stop; he’s glad to see Cerberus so near to his goal every time. For now it means he gets a moment’s rest and affection before his father beats him to death to stop him from achieving the one thing that matters to him, and someday it will mean that he gets to say one last goodbye. But as Cerberus looks between father and son now, Zagreus only feels empathy towards the poor dog’s divided loyalties and resentment towards his father for putting them all in this position.
Hades’ lip curls as he fixes his burning glare on Zagreus, careful not to turn the weight of his rage towards Cerberus. He doesn’t answer Zagreus’s accusation. He only scoffs, at last.
“Fine! He can make whatever choice he wants, and I won’t stop him. It hardly matters when I will put an end to your foolishness myself as soon as you step through that door.”
Zagreus sends him a clipped smile. “Then why don’t you step outside and wait there for me, Father? I’ll just be a moment.”
“Don’t you give me that cheek, boy,” Hades snarls. “You won’t even make it through the door this time.”
But he turns and stomps out of the temple, thus doing exactly what Zagreus suggested. As the heavy door swings shut again, erasing the sliver of moonlight that plays across Cerberus’s fur for a brief moment, Zagreus exhales. His knees and the muscles behind his shoulders quiver with exhaustion, and his leg has gone numb in that peculiar way that means his brain has given up on communicating pain to him. But he’s not dead of poison, and his father hasn’t killed him right in front of Cerberus, so. Small mercies, here. He wraps his arms around the closest of Cerberus’s necks, buries his face in his fur, and embraces his friend.
“I’m sorry about all of this, boy,” he says, his words muffled. “You know you mean a lot to me, don’t you?” A quiet yip of affirmation, and one of Cerberus’s enormous tongues dragging affectionately through Zagreus’s hair. Zagreus squeezes a little tighter. “I’m really going to miss you when I get out.”
For a moment, he lets himself feel the hound’s body move as he breathes. But then he steps back, catches himself from staggering, and sighs. He’s still in no shape to fight.
“Just this once,” he says with a wry smile, “would you let me through without a snack?” Cerberus sends three baleful looks his way, and Zagreus nods understanding. “No, I know. You have your guard duty, and you take it seriously. The Underworld’s better with you in it.”
It’s just that’s never been true of Zagreus, so he’s got to get out of here. And if his father doesn’t like that, he’s going to have to kill Zagreus himself. He refuses to die among these vermin here. Not this time, not after that little confrontation.
“Wish me, luck, boy,” he says, and he manages a flicker of optimism. He hopes Cerberus will find his smile reassuring. “I’ll be back in just a few minutes, so I hope you’re hungry!”
Cerberus’s tail thumps once against the ground, and two of his mouths loll open eagerly. He barks once. For an enormous, allegedly (and factually) vicious watchdog of hell, he is unbearably cute, sometimes. Zagreus reaches up to scritch behind his ear one more time. Then he turns towards the temple’s back tunnels, favoring his bad leg, and resumes his search for a delicious treat for his best boy.
#hades game#hades#hades supergiant#zagreus (hades game)#cerberus (hades game)#hades (hades game)#international dog day!
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