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blues824 · 11 months

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Good evening and happy early Christmas i found your account by looking through the obey me tags and saw you do obey me request if you don't mind may I get the obey me brothers with a Gilgamesh female reader? Sorry on my whole part if it's too long and if it is you can ignore it<3

Gilgamesh is ‏The strongest heroic spirit. Gilgamesh is the great half-god, half-human king born from the union between the King of Uruk, Lugalbanda, and goddess Rimat-Ninsun. He ruled the Sumerian city-state of Uruk, the capital city of ancient Mesopotamia in the B.C. era. He was an ultimate, transcendent being so divine as to be two thirds god and one third human, and no others in the world could match him. He was a despot possessing high divinity who believed he was invincible. He is not merely a legend, and is said to have actually existed and ruled during the Sumer Dynasty five thousand years ago. He was the King of Heroes (英雄王, Eiyū Ō?) who possessed all things in the world, whose tale is recorded in mankind's oldest epic poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh which portrays Gilgamesh as a hero, destined to be king and achieve great feats, who is driven to meet his destiny, facing challenges together with his best friend Enkidu.

he would reprimand the King and rectify his arrogance. They entered a battle that spanned several days, and Gilgamesh was forced to use all his strength to match his transforming opponent.

He became the greatest and richest king on Earth, who eventually acquired all the treasures of the world. Uruk became unprecedentedly prosperous, and Gilgamesh was considered so powerful that even the gods could not ignore his existence. One goddess, Ishtar the goddess of fertility, even fell in love with Gilgamesh and proposed marriage to the perfect king. He rejected her immediately because he knew her to be a witch who was unfaithful, cruel, and the corruptor of all men. She became furious, feeling that he had insulted her, and went to her father, the god Anu, to get revenge. She begged him to unleash the Bull of Heaven.

The unopposable beast of the gods caused seven years of starvation and destruction on the earth. Working together, they defeated it after binding it with the Chains of Heaven, causing the dark clouds covering the world to fade and saving the land from the flood. Ishtar's reputation was once again crushed, and her fury did not abate. She requested they be put to death for the sin of slaying a beast of the gods with the body of a human. Her request was granted, and Enkidu, created by the gods, was unable to defy the decree.

He slowly weakened and was returned to clay, as Gilgamesh desperately held on to the crumbling clod in his arms. He was angered by this, believing that he was the one who deserved retribution should it be required. Enkidu attempted to assuage him by telling Gilgamesh that he was only one of the many treasures in Gilgamesh's collection, that he would find countless more greater than him in time.

Enkidu returning to dust, meeting death, greatly changed his views. Death had never inspired grief or fear in him until that moment, and it had never once even been in his mind though he knew that it awaited all. Seeing the one who held equal power to him perish before his eyes let him register the true reality of death for the first time. Falling into depression and with his vigor gone, he sought out the Herb of Immortality, a spirit herb of perpetual youth and eternal life.

His title, King of Heroes, is not meant to call him a king who is a hero, but instead implies that he is the king over all heroes. He is mankind's oldest hero, the origin of all myths and model on which heroes are based, so his story is copied within the mythologies of all the countries of the world. The heroes of various myths are derived from his legend, so his Gate of Babylon possesses all of their Noble Phantasms. Though there are several heroes holding the title of "King", the King of Knights and King of Conquerors, he is the only one in all of heaven and earth crowned with the title of "King of All Heroes.He is often referred to as the "golden Archer" and the "golden-sparkling Servant," and Rider generally calls him "Goldie." He is similarly called Gold-glitter (金ピカ, Kin-Pika?) due to his hair, armor, and golden soul, but Rin's reasoning behind the name has less to do with the color of his hair and more simply due to the fact that she thinks he looks like he is living a rich and luxurious life.[8] He looks like a regular foreigner to both Rin and Archer, and he does not openly give off the impression of a Servant or Master due to his body being made of flesh after the Fourth Holy Grail War.

Personality ↓

He is extremely arrogant and selfish, believing himself to be the sole potentate and only king of the world even many millennia after his death. He cannot acknowledge the authority of anyone, including that of other kings and especially that of the gods. He considers all those around him as inferior due to this fact, viewing all other kings and heroes as a collection of mongrels, and loathes any individual who would try to be on the same level as him. The only exception is Enkidu, who he considered to be his equal and only friend.

Gilgamesh greatly differs from most of the sovereigns and leaders in the history of humanity. He placed himself before his nation and the people, and he had neither the curiosity nor desire to conquer, possibly because he had too much in the beginning. He takes the time to enjoy himself, mastering every treasure and every pleasure. With conviction to treat good and evil equally, he has no need for other ideologies and ways of life when the absolute basis is "himself."[5] His actions and way of life left him alone, so Enkidu compared rectifying his attitude to rectifying his solitude

Sorry for taking so long on this 😭😭. It’s a bit short, but romantic nonetheless.

Lucifer at first really disliked you until he saw that you acted exactly like him. You were prideful, you were arrogant, and you put yourself first. Being a queen and an overall highly worshiped person might do that to you, though. However, you saw him as your equal. The king consort to your queen, if you will.

He does find your habit of collecting treasures to be very annoying, but you spent your own money and used your own influence, so it wasn’t exactly affecting him. He actually does like purchasing things for you when you do something good, but you hate it because you think that he’s looking down at you.

Mammon also thought you were annoying but you pointed out that he had no right to have that much audacity. After all, he was worse than you were. This caused you both to get into a physical altercation, and you surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) came out victorious.

The two of you actually loved buying things for each other as an apology after fights. You both loved hoarding treasures, but to the Avatar of Greed, you were the best treasure yet. You loved how he played hard to get, as it meant that he was something/someone you didn’t have yet. Little did you know, you both had each other.

Leviathan almost cried because you reminded him of a character from an anime he had watched. Your personality matched them to a T, but you absolutely despised how he compared you to a lowly character from a silly show that was nowhere near as good and as awesome as you were.

As the two of you really got to know each other, he started receiving small figurines from you as gifts. The acts of affection made him so flustered that he couldn’t face you for a few days after each gift was given. When he finally gathered the courage, you would smirk because you were slowly conquering his heart.

Satan and you clashed heads at first. You both wanted to be number one, and your tempers were definitely not something to laugh at. Numerous times, Lucifer had to step in and stop the fight before it destroyed the entirety of the House of Lamentation. The fights often ended up in you both panting from yelling and throwing things around.

Gift-giving wasn’t really his love language, but he had to admit that he was impressed at your ability to show that you care about someone else aside from yourself when he saw that you gave him the next book in a series that he was currently reading. In return, he gave you a golden necklace, since you managed to get the book’s cover in true gold.

Asmodeus thought you were so hot. You know how some people like others who have anger issues because those anger issues are not directed towards them? That’s what the situation was. He got to see your more vulnerable and sensitive side, and it was reserved for him and only him. The thought just made his heart flutter.

He also loved getting you gifts just as you did with him, as it meant that you both could constantly be reminded of each other no matter where you were. You loved the feeling of being worshiped and in the middle of his world. It gave you such a great feeling in your chest, you couldn’t contain the smile that appeared on your face.

Beelzebub did not appreciate your prideful attitude, but he recognizes that he can be selfish as well. Especially when it came to food. Another thing is as you both get to know more about each other, he learns that you were a queen once. Instead of conquering lands, you conquered treasure because you believed that they were tools to create all of humanity and civilization, and thus are more important.

He also loves giving you gifts, and you like to give him the best food made from Mesopotamian recipes that you remembered with your oh-so-great memory. He might actually have a new favorite food, if you can cook. To be fair, he was surprised to see you cooking because you were a ruler and thus you had cooks of your own back in ancient Mesopotamia.

Belphegor and you also clashed heads numerous times. When he tried to kill you, he did not know what he was getting himself into. The thing is, you put yourself first. At that moment, you had to choose between either life or death. It surprised no one when you almost killed the Avatar of Sloth, had Lucifer not stepped in to stop you.

Your relationship didn’t repair any until much later, where you extended the olive branch by gifting him a new pillow from the same brand that his old one was from. Seeing it in his room after school made him smile a bit, but there was no way he would let you see that he was going soft for you.

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bittersweetresilience · 7 months

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félix and flairmidable as pandora’s myth

because i'm thinking about parallels between them again. this started a month ago:

(plain text in alt. i'm referencing hesiod's myth of pandora in theogony and works and days both because it's the original or, more accurately, oldest surviving account and because it's the one i'm most familiar with.)

briefly, the myth is as follows. after zeus denies mortals the gift of fire, prometheus hides it in a fennel stalk and gives it to them anyway. he is punished with the classic eternal liver eagle situation, at least until herakles rescues him, while mortals are punished with our lovely lady.

hephaistos and several other gods are recruited to create pandora, the first woman. under instruction from zeus, hephaistos sculpts her divine features from clay, athene teaches her craft and weaving, aphrodite gives her grace and desire, and hermes gives her a "dog-like, shameless mind and thieving ways . . . deceits and wheedling words, the habits of a thief." she is named pandora, meaning 'all gifts.'

hermes brings pandora to epimetheus, who weds her, forgetting the warning his brother prometheus had given him against receiving gifts from the gods. pandora has a pithos or greek jar with her containing all of the evils of mankind, and she opens its lid, releasing every spirit within but one: elpis, or hope. elpis stays within the pithos, trapped by the lid pandora has once again closed.

pandora's myth is an etiology or mythological explanation of evil, sickness, human labor, and toil. in a way, to félix, the miraculous are an etiology of the same. why does he feel compelled to obey orders even when they are unfair? why are his feelings troubled whenever he finds something that brings him joy? why is he hurt, blamed, unloved? why does his life seem to be linked to a ring? for him, the miraculous are the answer.

more clearly, pandora is made in the image of men and goddesses and instilled with a devious nature. félix is made in the image of adrien, and by definition their mothers, and he surfaces with a clever, trickster-y nature as well. both are gifts, and both are punishments. the only mixup is which one comes from and goes to whom.

pandora's pithos, funnily also referred to as pandora's box, becomes the miracle box in this story. félix opens the pithos by giving all of the miraculous inside to monarque, leaving only hope, or the miraculous of the peacock. he wears the miraculous of the dog while he does this, with the dog-like thieving ways hermes gave pandora.

with this, the golden age of mankind ends, and an age of toil begins. the released spirits or kwami become the plagues of mankind, such that their concepts replace the names of akumas and sentimonsters as antagonists of paris. and hilariously, the age of toil is the fifth age of mankind hesiod describes, just as the season after félix opens his pithos is the fifth season.

(as an aside, many scholars draw parallels between pandora, made of clay, and her pithos, made of the same. with the miracle box as félix's pithos, félix as a child of magic might mean something new.)

pandora releases every spirit but hope. the meaning of this has always been unclear. was hope meant to be an evil? was its imprisonment meant to be a blessing or a curse? certainly félix wants to keep duusu with him, as elpis with pandora. hope and a weapon, a spirit like her siblings, all at once. and his exchange of the miraculous inspired as much debate about his intentions, origins, and consequences. i don't have answers to the questions about pandora, but with félix in mind, i can raise some more.

both pandora and félix were created the way they were by someone else's hand. for someone else's reasons, with someone else's guiding force, seen or unseen. when pandora opened the pithos, was this an act of free will? what about when she closed the lid? what did she feel keeping elpis inside? was it her fault for being pursued by her nature? could it have been a choice?

the same questions can be asked about félix. his narrative is one of grappling with autonomy. the threat of nonexistence dogs his every footstep. was trading the miraculous a choice or a necessity? was his deception the only natural next step of the life he was made to live? was he free for the first time when the miraculous of the peacock entered his hands? did he feel regret obtaining it? did he feel relief?

in the end, as with all stories, there is room for interpretation. there are countless versions of pandora's myth, because the story changes with the authors, with the culture, and with the meaning of hope. so too for félix's story. he writes his myth himself.

#🌃#miraculous ladybug #felix fathom #felix graham de vanily #i am UNWELL about him #as i should be #ml meta #ml strikeback #ml representation

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shivadraw · 7 months

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So, I made references for the three 'Void Deities' from my two stories!

First of all, we have the two from "Children of Darkness (Soul of Void)" it contains a bit more of lore from Shade Lord's part (not really a spoiler tho because I don't know how to get THAT into the story)

Name: ??? (Her creations call her Mother and similar names)

Tittle(s): Void Goddess / Mother Void / Void Given Shape

Age: A few milennia (the youngest of the three)

Pronouns: She/her

Creator of one universe and adoptive mother of the Gang until she gave them to Shade Lord, powerful but still learning the limits of her power over her own universe, bitter and vengeful, doesn't care for anything that doesn't posses void with few exeptions. Her starry appearence is only for the eyes of her children alone, anyone else would see endless black, but the Souls of her creations (and adoptive children) keep the starry look at a lower degree as one would have to be close to notice it.

Name: Shade Lord / Shade

Tittles: Void God / Lord of Shades / Void Entity / God of Gods / Void Given Focus

Age: A few Eras

Pronouns: He/Him

After fusing his original universe with Destiny's he let himself being separate into hundreds, less powerful, of versions of himself as a way to protect the multiverse from deities like Fate, the one who takes the Gang being the orignal and most powerful. A faint blue glow is on him thanks to the LifeBlood Cocoons linked to the Abyss, glow only to be seen by his enemies as his children prefer the total darkness that he radiates, for them the blue glow only belongs to what they see as decorative plants. Calm and reasonable would not hesitate to level to the ground of the Kingdom over the Abyss (or a far away multiverse) if that means to protect his children from further damage.

Now, from "Nature vs Nurture", we have the nameless Void God!

Name: ??? (It's creations call it 'their God')

Tittles: Void Deity / The Eternal Darkness / Void Given Mind / Lord of Void / God of Gods

Age: Acient (The oldest of them all)

Pronouns: It/Its

Only the darkness would be 'seen' by its enemies, only its creations have the privilege to see the light of its eyes, an old deity who just wants to sleep and see its beloved creations happy. After its Destroyer was taken away it has been traveling through the whole dimension in search of him, whole multiversus crumbling at its slow but eternal path of fury, this Fate has sealed her destiny.

#fgod error #children of darkness au #nature vs nurture #undertale #hollow knight #shade lord #void deities

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ladyiristheenchantress · 4 months

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Divine Energies - Introduction

Hello friends! This is the first part of my series on divine energies, this series will include elements, archetypes, constructs, and ideas! As we go along if you have a divine energy suggestions you would like to see let me know!

What are Divine Energies? Historically divine energies have been many things, the origins are not super clear but some of the oldest cultures had an idea of divine energy, whether its Shaki in Hinduism, or in ancient Greece divine energy representing how a god materializes. In any case divine energy has a newer connotation, for many neopagans it represents something that has deity energy, however is more adjacent to an idea or concept than a god by a name.

For example: Poseidon is the god of water, and water is the divine energy. Poseidon has cultural contexts and mythos, however, water is eternal and doesn't have one set mythology or context. Often times gods can control these energies, but the energies can also control themselves. A lot of elemental practitioners describe it as "Cutting out the middle man" because you are rejecting the idea of a totally organized structure of mythos. Another example is divine archetypes which is a form of divine energy. You see a lot of terms like "divine mother", "Divine masculine", or "Divine lovers" Its stories or applications have grown with humanity since the dawn of language and it's something cultures and people have honored since the dawn of time.

Where do they come from? Aside from the vast cultural history and entomology of the word, a lot of people ask where these divine energies stem from. Overall, people believe that these energies either came before humans like the elements, some believe they were created as patterns arose from humanity like for archetypes, and some believe that they sprang up as they interacted with humanity like people honoring the energy of grain during a harvest season.

How are they similar to deities? Divine energies are similar to deities in the sense that they encompass great power. Some divine energies are omnipresent and omnipotent, some of them are not. Each divine energy can be tapped into, and in some cases stand the tests of time. They are powerful and unique, they are well respected in every community across the globe, and grew with humans from the very start.

How are they different to deities? Divine energies can change and fit cultural settings with the same basic themes, for example, Poseidon is not a universal experience, but water is. Every culture might have a new name and mythos for a water god, however, water itself doesn't change much in symbolism. Divine energies also usually dont have a set creator or creation story with science and religion coming together to try and work together. They work in mysterious and interesting ways, but represent a common theme or idea. Deities tend to be their own entity with a background, but divine energies are the divinity within a concept. Can you give me some examples?

Divine energies can be

Elements

Archetypes

Collections of objects

Over arching themes

Natural world concepts

So things like 'the universe', crops, Fire, etc, it really can be anything. What seperates them as divine energies is that they are things humans have been exposed to, they are concepts and theme's rather than set gods and goddesses.

What does Worship vs Work vs Devotee look like? Worship - People worship divine energy by tapping into a theme. This can be simply meditating on it, evoking it into your day to day life. This relationship tends to be more one sided where you simply gaze at it from a distance

Work - Working with a divine energy usually means communication pathways are actively open, you speak to it and it speaks to you. You may be guided forward on a journey, you may be tasked with learning from the divine energy as an idea, and you tend to stick to a specific theme. Another aspect I want to mention is these energies tend not to diverge from their common theme, but it may require other steps. For example: The divine lover archetype may require you to do shadow work because it may be important for you to perceive its themes better.

Devotee - A devotee to a divine energy is someone who has taken on great responsibility to cultivate a relationship with the energy. It is someone who has set up space, offerings, and time to receive and send messages and preform their work. This is usually a life long, contractual relationship and is very serious. This usually is the path priestex's will take when they have worked with an divine energy for a very long time. On the flip side: Historically common folk were devotee's in a sense. Farmers were devotee's to the field seeing their crop as its own entity, water keeps were devotee's to their trade, etc. Today it looks a bit different, with many people not needing to be a devotee out of necessity anymore, however it still can be done today Worship vs work with Worship vs Devotee How do they speak to us? A major aspect I want to discuss is that the concept of 'reaching out' is different. It is not like a traditional spirit or deity, often times its not a divine energy contacting you directly but rather a calling from inside yourself that draws you to energy. This has existed within human beings and tends to be the main way someone is called forward to divine energy. This is because it represents a concept so it reflects what you need in the moment. With that said you can reach out to any divine energy you wish, even if you aren't exactly called forward, but the divine energies won't go looking for you, you will look for them in your times of need.

These energies speak to us in the rustle of tree's, the flowing of water, and the sound of music. They are within our writings, our foods, and our plays. They are everywhere humans have touched. These energies tend to be subtle, not making a huge deal of their constant presence, however when called forward they can feel overwhelming. They tend to show you rather than tell you, and encourage you to watch them and know them to gain full lessons. Some of them are more esoteric and quite, others are more bold and ready to show you the ropes. Whatever the case, they speak to all people as we interact with the world. Revel in it! Enjoy learning from them and understanding them.

What are some problematic aspects? Some new age spaces have encouraged a binary idea of a divine feminine and a divine masculine which stems mainly from Wicca. A lot of people have also taken it a step further including 'dark feminine.' Make sure you are doing your part and making sure you are not following any problematic stereotypes. stereotypes =/= archetypes. For example: the divine feminine is always described as submissive and vapid, which is rooted in the unfair treatment of women. Another aspect is the idea that you are 'dark' and 'evil' for speaking your mind or being assertive, which is exactly what the 'dark feminine' trend is. On the flip side, the divine masculine stereotype puts this pressure on people to always be strong and tough, and it's considered an 'imbalance' if you're too assertive. that you have too much 'masculine energy.' or even denying men mental health care because they just need to "tap into more masculine energy." Another major issue found with these terms is how the terms divine “masculine” and “feminine” are being used in ways for other people to police what a "proper" woman and man is like. For example, for a man to “be in touch with his divine feminine side” by let’s say painting his nails, wearing a skirt, taking care of his skin, and loving our bodies, we are perpetuating the idea that these things are gendered for women to do in the first place, which are further enforcing gendered stereotypes. we can honor our ancestors and these archetypes and even gender identity and expression, however, we need to recognize when something is a stereotype vs an archetype. Not to mention, a lot of these communities have used it as an excuse to exclude LGBT+ friends, either to attack them directly or push them from the community. In recent times people would rather use active vs passive or receptive vs giving energy rather than assign gender to a specific trait because it gets messy. Another alternative might be to honor the actual expression and gender identity of these energies and not assign them to societal pressures, rather just letting them be.

Like with anything, It is very important to be well-read in this subject as there are cultural nuances within this conversation. Plenty of cultures have an aspect of honoring the archetype of woman and men, even nonbinary and transgender people, its important to point out when someone is used to harm other people or when a concept was hijacked for an agenda. Support and uplift cultural voices, and those who call out problematic behavior, and especially assess and look into your own belief systems.

For more information check out these links: Spiritual Misogyny Gendered Energies dont have to be opposites Divine feminine scams Why they are innacurate terms

Wrap up I cannot wait to start this journey with you all! This is going to be an exciting journey into divine energies and im so glad I was able to make an interesting master post for you all! If you have any questions feel free to ask me using the ask feature! same with if you have a specific energy you would like for me to explore! Fair Winds travelers!

#pagan witch #divine energy #magical theory #witchcraft #culturalexploration #deity work #deity #energy work #energy #spirituality

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aikoiya · 9 months

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LoZ - Hyrule's Pantheon

Hyrule is a tritheistic country by nature due to how it was created. As such, the most important & powerful deities are part of triads.

Din = Hyrule's fiery red Goddess of Power, a higher goddess & the oldest of Hyrule's trifurcated creationist deities, the Golden Goddesses. Originally from Jïasïd within the Ûjïa Desert, a small country in Baydaan, the continent far to the southwest of Hyrule beyond the Gerudo Desert. Which at the time of Hyrule's creation, the Gerudo Desert was a great sea named the Lanayru Sea. During that time, Baydaan & Hyland (a placeholder name for the continent that Hyrule is on) were entirely separated by that sea. Din's true name is Geladïna & acts as both the Hylian Goddess of Power & the Gerudo Goddess of the Sand, Vah Gela. It was in Jïasïd that she created the Gerudo when she infused too much of her fiery passion into a flower in her garden, forcing it to grow large & bloom & from that flower came the first Gerudo. She also rules over the domains of fire, lightning, earth, sand, hardship, gemstones, treasure, the forge, the seasons, passion, & dance. Before creating the Gerudo, she encouraged the evolution & growth of the Gorons as a species, having found such creatures absolutely fascinating as there are very few even non-sentient species that were truly inorganic. After the accidental creation of the Gerudo, she then aided in the elevation of the Mogma as well. Geladïna's husband was Jawàrik, a higher Gerudo god of war, strife, responsibility, & conquest. With him, she gave birth to Gàlondo, who later became The Bringer of Demise. After the eternal war began in the Gerudo's home country, it became obvious that their marriage would be a sexless one. It was determined that they should annul their marriage before one of them committed a faithless act. Once that was finished, Geladïna later collected a harem of mortal concubinus/male concubines (Vo'màzren), all Gerudo men, with which she had 7 half-goddess daughters with, who eventually become the 7 Heroines. Her sacred animals are snakes, specifically cobras, as well as eagles, salamanders, & fire/lightning dragons. - As Din, she is always depicted with wing-like protrusions behind her ears & her associated symbol on her forehead, while as Gela, she is always depicted with a large ruby forehead ornament resembling the one that Ganondorf wears in TotK & a Màlàki Kōbra (Royal Cobra) that sits around her shoulders much like a feather boa.

Nayru = Hyrule's oceanic blue Goddess of Wisdom, a higher goddess & the middle of Hyrule's trifurcated creationist deities, the Golden Goddesses. Also known as the Goddess of Time. Originally from the land known in Spirit Tracks as New Hyrule (& Termina's alternate) across the Necluda Sea east of Hyrule, where she is worshiped still. She rules over wisdom, order, knowledge, law, water, truth, history, & time. She is also the patron goddess of prophecy. However, the visions she gives tend to come through her immense amount of knowledge & wisdom concerning how people, the world, cause & effect, & time all work together like a giant machine. This plus her logic & innate intuition regarding such things results in her very rarely ever being wrong. But it does happen. However, she is also able to interface directly with time to look forward & observe the many paths that time can take, but much like Garnet from Steven Universe, if she doesn't take something into consideration or think to look for it, she can miss it. Or even if something entirely unexpected happens. However, she is also good at quick strategizing & course correction, so while she can sometimes be surprised, she's quick to regain her stride. It's also important to know that interfacing with time takes energy & the farther forward or backward & the more timelines she observes with it, the more it takes out of her. Also, though she is a goddess of truth, it manifests in such a way that it renders her incapable of stating falsehoods. As such, she's learned how to masterfully deflect or frame the truth in certain ways, then let the listener trick themselves into a lie of their own making via their own incorrect assumptions. This has resulted in her becoming very cunning & manipulative, as well as a masterful strategist. She can also be quite cryptic at times, sometimes even speaking in riddles. Though, those close to her know that when she speaks directly, especially in absolutes, then whatever it is she says is something that she believes 100%. She aided in the elevation of the Parella before eventually creating the Zora. It is said that she is married, but it is unknown to mortals as to who to, but it was with him that she had Hylia who, herself, created the Hylians with the aid of her husband. Her sacred animals are fish, snakes, specifically water snakes, crocodiles & alligators, amphibians, & water/ice dragons. - Always depicted with fin-like protrusions behind her ears & sometimes with either a scroll, a harp, or an hourglass in her hands.

Farore = Hyrule's verdant green Goddess of Courage, a higher goddess & youngest of Hyrule's trifurcated creationist deities, the Golden Goddesses. Originally from Calatia to the west of Hyrule, passed Hebra. She rules over the domains of courage, life, nature, the forest, flowers & plantlife, wind, lightning, fertility, secrets, & spirits. She is also referred to as the Goddess of Wind. Also the patron goddess of hedge magic or naturamagy. Hedge witches such as Syrup & Irene pray to her for aid regarding such things. Her creations were the Kokiri/Koroks, the Deku Scrubs, & the Kikwi. As a life goddess, she is naturally able to create more peoples than most deities. Likewise, her mother is said to have been the one who originally created fairies. She's actually heavily associated with the green moon, however, due to it only taking place once every 420 years, this particular aspect of her divinity just doesn't tend to get a lot of attention. Farore is also said to be married, but it is still debated amongst mortals as to who to, but whoever it is, it was with him that she bore Sheikaku, Karina, & her other children. Sheikaku later created the Sheikah in conjunction with his wife. Anyway, her sacred animals are monkeys, birds, foxes, butterflies, & wind/lightning/poison dragons. - Always depicted with flowers in her hair & a dagger at her hip. Very rarely is she depicted cradling a large book in her left arm with her right pointer finger pressed against her lips as if to shush the observer. She actually has reasonably dark, tanned skin. Much like that of the Asian Indian nation IRL. Her clothing style, likewise, much resembles that of the Hindu.

Hebrogar (ᚺᛇᛒᚱᛟᚷᚨᚱ) = An old higher god of war, ice, the north wind, the aurora, bravery, battle, the mountains, justice, virtue, protection, righteousness, the hunt, the wilderness, the forge, family, masculinity, the bonds of both family, comradery between brothers-in-arms, & brotherhood, & to a lesser degree, hospitality, food, & brewing. While not specifically a god of spirits, he is a very spiritual god by nature, one who is very focused on balance. The old god of the Hebra province from before Hyrule expanded to include it. Is much older than the Golden Goddesses, who often went to him for advice. He was a typically stalwart & stoic individual, but could also be quite jolly & hearty, especially when in a good mood. Hebra was originally inhabited by a stalwart breed of humans, as well as Yeti (also called Avskyelig) who were beings of Hebrogar's own creation. He is also considered the patron god of the Búralupáns & Ritos despite having not created either species. Hebra's culture back then being similar to that of a mix of the Norse & the Celts. Hebrogar's sacred animals are bears, horses, wolves, & bucks & he often takes on the form of these animals when he wishes to appear to mortals in visions or in real life as, like I mentioned above, he tends to be a more spiritual god & his magic tends to reflect this fact. Very much enjoys whittling, camping, fishing, & hunting. Very much a wilderness or survivalist type of man, a mountaineer. (Has more in common with the Norse God of War & Justice than even Sheikaku.) He is thought to have been the husband of one of the Golden Goddesses, but as to whether it is Nayru or Farore, is unknown, though there is evidence to suggest that he might be the father of Sheikaku & Karina which would indicate Farore. (He actually is married to Farore & is the father of her children. He & Nayru did have a fling once long, long ago before he married Farore, but it never amounted to anything really. And it's actually through Nayru that he & Farore first met. Though, this is all entirely unknown to mortals as Hebrogar tends to be a very private man.) - In art, he is often depicted as a large, muscular, sculpted man with long, platinum blond hair with the sides of his head shaven & what's left pulled back into Viking dreads, as well as a single, wolf-like, icy blue eye with a slitted pupil that lights up like the aurora when angry, the other is missing & the scar is covered with an eyepatch. Also possesses a well-groomed beard. He has claws & wolflike teeth. Not just canines, his entire set of choppers looks as though you set wolf teeth to fit inside a human mouth. He's also often portrayed with battle scars, one of the largest being a set of large claw marks that score diagonally across the left side of his face where his missing eye would be. His clothing tends to have a Nordic or Celtic edge to it, often featuring leathers & furs.

Gàlondo = Formerly, a higher Gerudo god of war, power, conquest, fire, lightning, specifically dry thunderstorms, pride, destruction, bloodlust, & the burning desert sun. Son of Geladïna & Jawàrik. Later, he became the first patron deity & king of the gods of the then unnamed Hyrule. However, in Hyrulean depictions, his association with the sun is almost entirely dropped while his alignment with lightning became more central to the mortals' perception of him, thus causing him to be more ssociated with storms in-general, rather than just dray lightningstorms. A couple centuries after he became the patron, Hyrule was beset by The Bringer of Demise. While technically a sun deity similar to Hylia, he rules over a very different aspect of the sun than her. Specifically, the burning desert sun & how it radiates down upon the land & its inhabitants punishingly & unforgivingly, which often results in him being associated with oppression. The light he cast was nothing like Hylia's gentle, life-sustaining radiance. This, when paired with his alignment to dry thunderstorms, it results in him being more so associated with the hardships that come with living in the desert. His sacred animals are boars, oxen, rams, lions, & eagles. - Often portrayed with long, flame-like, deep orange hair, sharp, radiant, golden eyes like that of an eagle, & Orc-like tusks.

Hylia = A higher Hyrulean goddess of the sun, light, sky, magic, clouds, wisdom, & visions. She is also the current & longest-reigning (recognized) patron deity & queen of the gods in Hyrule. It is unknown by mortals as to who her father might be. Her sacred animals are butterflies & birds, specifically owls, loftwings, & bluebirds. Created the Hylians in conjunction with her husband & was the one to forge the Goddess Sword. Taught blacksmithing by her husband. - She has feathered wings shaped like butterfly wings covered in iridescent lavender plumage & appearing to have the sun in her sky-blue eyes.

Sheikaku (精格, Refinement, as in to refine oneself) = The true name of the Fierce Deity. A higher god of war, wrath, (divine) retribution & justice, protection, the truth, music, the forge, heroism, courage, balance, the wild, the sword, the moon, spirits, kishin (protector deities/tutelaries; they are considered his vassals), psychopomps, & death. The second patron deity of Hyrule & the current king of the gods of its pantheon via marriage to Hylia. However, despite his position of such great importance, he has long since been forgotten by mortals & faded into obscurity despite all that he has done & sacrificed of himself for their benefit. His sacred animals are wolves, foxes, ice/wind/moon dragons, moths, & rabbits, but he is also heavily associated with hawks, horses, & bucks. However, he's most associated with wolves with foxes coming in second. Used to love fishing & hunting with his family. He has much in common with the Norse god of war & justice, Týr. Created the Sheikah in conjunction with his wife. Considered a very tragic figure amongst the deities. Called a Daikishin by the Sheikah & a Dāvoh'lawàr by the Gerudo. Has 4 eyes, the Bargainer Statues being early depictions of him. He made the Goddess Harp & gave it to Hylia as a wedding present. He then later designed the Master Sword for her to be able to protect herself should he ever not be there, but The Bringer of Demise returned too quickly & he was forced to act. He fought the Daimaō for weeks while his wife finished the Goddess Sword. It is unknown where he went, but there is said to be a Temple of the Gods somewhere that is said to depict all the legends of Hyrule, so the answer might be there. (After fighting Demise one final time & being struck fatally to allow Hylia to forge the sword, rather than die quietly & leave both Hyrule & his family to fend for themselves, he gave up his immortality to protect them from The Bringer of Demise in his next life, which was the First Hero.) - Looks like what we know of the Fierce Deity, but much taller, with 4 eyes & darker, more tanned skin resembling Impa's from Skyward Sword. Hair is long & silvery-white, typically pulled into a fishtail braid that hangs over his shoulder, pronounced canines, & originally had blue eyes with slitted pupils, but later his eyes turned a glowing silver due to mastering the Mind's Eye (which is something only moon deities & their peoples are capable of). In Sheikah depiction, he wore an outfit that resembled a mix of the Fierce Deity's armor's coloring & chestplate, but with a Mystic Set pattern & featuring Depths Set script & a helmet resembling a samurai's with a crescent moon featured at the center & a mouth guard resembling the bared fangs of a vicious wolf. So, a bit like a Sheikah samurai. The patterning of the Mystic Set would be etched into the chestplate's surface. Finally, the Double Helix Sword would act as a Zanbatō. I like to think that the original sword more resembled the Furious Deity Mask's sword, but with the sort of eye symbol at the hilt & serrated right edge like the Vengeful Deity Mask's sword, both from Hyrule Warriors. Is positively littered with scars much like his father. And in Hebran depictions, he is referred to as Túlfrmundr (ᛏᚢᛚᚠᚱᛗᚢᚾᛞᚱ, Protector Wolf) where he is shown wearing a wolfskin headdress with the ᛏ rune in the center of his forehead or the symbol on Wolf Link's forehead, just in a distinctly Norse style.

Karina = A higher goddess of love & passion. Also rules over tender sexual relations (specifically the emotional connection made between those in love during sex), femininity, pudicity & faithfulness, righteous retribution & justice, as well as healthy relationships, bravery, music, the hearth (specifically the home, hospitality, food/cooking), balance, beauty & art, the moon, the truth, nature (especially flowers, fruit, oases, the seashore & the tides) & the hunt, healing & medicine, soulmates (specifically, the bond between soulmates), & is known to be a defender/protector of children & abuse/rape victims regardless of their sex. As well as holding power over the domains of weddings, marriage, vivafatility (pertaining to fertility & virility; this is a word I made up), childbirth, & motherhood. Being a goddess of righteous retribution, justice, kijugami (protector ogre godesses/tutelaries; they are considered her vassals), & a defender of abuse victims also qualifies her as a warrior goddess of protection, or a Tutelary Goddess, meaning she has a natural inclination towards fighting & protecting others much like her brother. She & her brother are both classified as Daikijugami (A female Dharma Pāla being the closest real-world equivalent) & a Dāvah'làra. Due to both her power over flowers & fruit, as well as cooking, as well as her mother's domain of hedge magic, she has become the patron goddess of hearth magic or gastromagy, specifically nutritional gastromagy. Basically nutritional gastronomy with magic. Hearth mages, & even potioneers, pray to her for aid in the healing of others. Is the eldest daughter of Farore & the younger twin sister of Sheikaku. Originally worshiped in Faron, Ordona, & Necluda, but has since been embraced by Hyrule as a whole, as well as the Gerudo. Thought to be the most beautiful of the Hyrulean goddesses. She also encouraged the development & evolution of a group of Remlits, who eventually became the Zonai, who still look to her as a mother. Which is why there seem to be some connections between the Zonai & the Sheikah. Sacred animals are foxes (Dusttail Foxes amongst the Gerudo), wolves, water birds & Marriage Doves (jian birds), the Hearty Bream, hippocampi, dolphins, moths (specifically Everlost Mosths), water/wind/moon dragons, & specifically amongst the Gerudo, Dune Leopards & Sand Cats. (Dolphins aren't the rapists of the sea here.) However, in Hyrule, she's most associated with foxes, with wolves coming in second. She disappeared at around the same time as her brother & has yet to be seen since. - Wears a string of pearls as a circlet with a gilt-edged scallop at the center & a pink, one-shouldered, Hellenistic Chiton with a gold border at the hem. She is known for having long, wavy platinum blond, almost white, hair that reaches her knees, icy blue eyes that later turn a glowing silver upon mastering the Mind's Eye, tanned skin like her brother's, a pair of moth wings behind her ears, & facial markings similar to Sheikaku's but less jagged & more curved. Oddly, she is also depicted with a pair of daggers at her hips & dual shortswords sheathed at her lower back, so it can be assumed that she is a warrior goddess, but Hyruleans seem to forget about this fact. Is also sometimes seen with a double-limbed bow & arrows. She is strangely depicted with a 2nd pair of arms beneath the pair you typically see. Has as many scars as her brother. Is referred to as Kariaina-no-Mikoto by the Sheikah, who often portray her like Benzaiten or Kannon. Faronites call her Kalina & tend to depict her with more emphasis on her connection to nature & water. Particularly flowers & the ocean. On the other hand, the Gerudo refer to her as Vah Kàvtrïna or the Oasis Mother, Wahē Vah'ma, & regularly depict her as a huntress & associate her with the hunt for love & companionship. Though, the Zonai instead call her Nantli Kuxnikte-ha & depict her similarly to Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of the moon. For more on her, go to my Karina Goddess of Love & Passion post.

The Golden Goddesses were once also often referred to as "The Three," the "Golden Trinity," the "Gilded Triad," the "Holy Triumverate," or the "Aureliad." Despite popular belief, the Golden Goddesses are not actually related by ichor, however, they are such close friends that they often consider each other to be sisters. While the Golden Goddesses used to be widely worshiped all over Hyrule, since the time of the flood, the worship of them has fallen by the wayside. Despite being Hyrule's creator deities, they were never really in charge of the pantheon there.

What is unknown is that the Golden Three, as well as many other deities including Hebrogar, were the ones who initially fought off the Bringer of Demise the first time. However, the battle had left them all severely injured as well as infected by his On'nenryoku which prolonged their recovery far longer than it should've been.

Anyway, after the Deku Tree reconnected the islands, they, as a unit, have been largely forgotten by most other than a few of the folks in Ordona.

The Golden Goddesses have since returned to their home pantheons in Jïasïd, New Hyrule, & Calatia.

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Zephos = Minor god of the wind, specifically sea breezes & brother of Cyclos. Takes the form of a frog. Is mostly only worshiped in Faron & Kakariko these days. On the Koholina Archipelago, he is referred to as Polinahe. The smallest island in that archipelago happens to be Ahiahi Island, otherwise known as Eventide.

Cyclos = Minor god of wind, specifically cyclones & waterspouts, brother of Zephos. Takes the form of a frog. Is mostly only worshiped in Faron & Kakariko these days. On the Koholina Archipelago, he is referred to as Inikiniu.

Valoo = A minor god of the sky. Secondary patron deity of the Rito, though the worship of him has fallen by the wayside recently for most other than the Coastal Rito of Koholina. Takes the form of a great red dragon. A vassal of Din. On the Koholina Archipelago, he is referred to as Kahu Walu & is believed to reside on Kelekona Keha Island. Kahu translating to “guardian or caretaker” in Faronic.

Levias = A minor whale god of the sky. Appointed warden of the skies by Hylia.

- Jabu Jabu = A minor fish god of water & secondary deity of the Zora, though the worship of him has fallen by the wayside recently. Takes the form of a giant catfish. A vassal of Nayru.

- The Wind Fish = A minor whale god of wind & dreams. He has been speculated to be related in some way to the other whale deities, however it is unknown as to how.

- Jabun = A minor fish god of water & protector of Nayru's Pearl. Said to be descended from Jabu Jabu. On the Koholina Archipelago, he is referred to as Kilo Hamuni & is believed to be an ancient Wai Akua or water deity who is thought to live on Hoʻomaka Island. Kilo meaning "seer" in Faronic.

The Great Deku Tree = A minor god of the forest. The patron deity & father figure of the Kokiri/Korok. Takes the form of a massive tree. A vassal of Farore. Said to have once been the first Forest Sage, who later achieved enlightenment & ascended into godhood much like the Satori.

Malanya = Minor goddess of horses, the fields, breezes, & freedom. Not to mention a protector of merchants, travelers, & ranches. Normally takes the form of a great & majestic mare or even a centauress, but will also take on a sort of puppet-like great fairy appearance to mess with mortals as she is somewhat mischievous. Her true form is much grander than what is seen in game. She was a dear friend to Sheikaku while he was a god & often fought at his side, or rather as his comrade who just so happened to offer her services as his steed. She now often takes on the form of a mortal horse in an effort to aid her companion's reincarnations. When acting as Malanya, she pretends to be male to throw her friend off her scent. Her favorite vegetable is the Endura Carrot & she very much enjoys food & music, even having a favorite song. Most commonly worshiped in Akkala & Ordona.

The Light Spirits = Major spirits of light that keep the light of Hyrule safe. Were major figures in defeating the Interlopers (a group of Sheikah traitors that started the Hyrulean civil war in OoT) & sealing them away. Can only be seen by the brave of heart. Though, they haven't been seen at all in a long time. The spirits were originally Ordona the Calopus, Faron the Bushy-Tailed Monkey, Eldin the Raptor, & Lanayru the Gator Serpent. Not many still honor them besides those residing in Ordona as, originally, 3 of the 4 lived within a short horseride's distance from Ordon. It's due to this that they have heavily influenced Ordon's religious culture. - Originally, Ordona & Faron were one & the same, but due to an important task, they split themselves in 2. They have since remerged to become Fardona the Long-Tailed Calopus & reside in what today is known as Haran Lake in the Fural Plain & act as Ordon's patron. A calopus being a horned wolf.

Búraló-mná (Pronounced: bura-low-mnaw) = Wolf women. Mid-level spirits of wolves, the forest, freedom, music, the wind, fog, mist, snow, nature, & the moon in Ordonian myth. They are said to be able to switch between human & wolf in an instant. Are well-known for the markings on their faces. Their human form is that of a gorgeous pale woman with hair as white as snow that reaches to the ground & drifts through the air ethereally. Their eyes are said to be an unnaturally bright & striking shade of blue. They are also known for their unbelievable grace & speed with which they can be found dancing in the woods & singing their haunting songs or running freely with packs of wolves. - They are much like fae, but are particularly reminiscent of Aisling from the Secret of the Kells. They worship Sheikaku & Karina. The chiefess of the Búraló-mná is rumored to have been the mother of the Hero of Twilight, but this is only known amongst the fae. She had fallen in love with a Hylian man who died in a conflict & when she gave birth & saw the mark upon the boy's hand, she knew of his great destiny. Because of this, she waited for when she knew that the blacksmith of Ordon would be patrolling at night & left her son there. She made sure that he was found by the kind man before leaving with tears in her eyes. She'd watched over him ever since.

Búraló-síth (Pronounced: bura-low-shee) = Also called Faelcú (fayl-koo) or Sídheach (shee-ock). Wolf spirits of Ordonian myth that are very closely related to the Búraló-mná. Extremely old ones can grow to be as large as small cows. They also come in a variety of colors. Though, they are marked by peculiar patterns. Anyway, Búraló-síth are also known for taking souls to the afterlife, thus making them a type of Psychopomp. They are also said to protect lost children & guide them to safety. - Based off of real-world Irish & Scottish folk creatures called Cú-síth (Pronounced: coo-shee).

Fairy Queen = Whether she is a minor goddess or a major spirit is unknown, but she is the leader of all fairies, including the Great Fairies. There is only one, but she hasn't been seen since the floodwaters receded. There has only ever been one other known Fairy Queen, Venus of the Spring of Happiness, but that was before the current Fairy Queen's reign. It is presumed that she lives in the Fae Realm which can be accessed through the moon on full moon nights.

- The Great Fairies = High-level Spirits reigning over the Fairies. There have been a large number of them over the millennia, but the newest four have begun to preside over the domain of fashion. The new Great Fairies are named Cotera (blond), Kaysa (pink-haired), Tera (mint-haired), & Mija (lavender-haired). There, of course, have been other Great Fairies that have been recognizable among the many others.

-- The Great Butterfly Fairy of Flame & Generosity, the Great Mayfly Fairy of Ice & Honesty, & the Great Dragonfly Fairy of Forest & Riddles from Old Hyrule. (MC & FS)

-- The Great Fairy of Power, Great Fairy of Wisdom, Great Fairy of Courage, Great Fairy of Magic, & the Great Fairy of Kindness from Old Hyrule. (OoT & MM)

-- The 7 Great Sea Fairies from the Great Sea. Those having been a very different-looking bunch from most of the others. They have not been seen since the floodwaters receded. (WW)

-- The Great Fairy of Ordeals & Tears from the Cave of Ordeals. Had a strange habit of never wearing a top... (TP)

-- The Great Rupee Fairy. (ALBW)

Inu'waipā'ani = Minor seabreeze spirits of mischief & play in Faronic myth. They are known to play little pranks on people. Mostly harmless but are much like Koroks in that they are very child-like & might not always understand things. For Inu'waipā'ani specifically, how their pranks might affect others. Never intentionally malicious unless angered or corrupted by Malice or Miasma. As such, most of the time, if they notice that their pranks have hurt someone, whether physically or emotionally, they'll often feel very guilty & bless their victims with Moanipōmaika'i or “lucky breezes” that cause fortunate things to happen as a result of said breezes. Or in the case of them having taken a very sentimental or important item, they also return said item. Though, it's often a bit scuffed up too. They are thought to play with Koroks, young Keaton, & even Skullkids.

Keaton = Mid-level fox spirits of riddles, cunning, breezes, illusions, & luck. Hasn't been seen much recently. A bit trickstery, but are ultimately harmless & are often described as carefree & as gentle jesters. It's said that when a gust of wind does something that at first seems inconvenient, but ends up resulting in something beneficial, it's actually a Keaton lending a helping hand while getting a bit of a laugh out of it at the same time. An example of which being when you're looking for something in a book, but a gust of wind flips the pages, making you lose your place, only for it to land on the exact page you needed whether it was the one you were looking for or not. Or when a breeze takes your hat & you chase it only for it to land at the feet of someone who ends up becoming the best friend you'll ever have or even your future husband/wife. They can choose to be invisible whenever & in such instances, can only be seen either by those who've mastered the Kokoro no Me (心の目, Mind's Eye) of the Sheikah or the Euyinen al'Màh'è (Eyes of the Moon) of the Gerudo (two different names for, essentially, the same thing) or by those wearing a Mask of Truth, a Lense of Truth not being quite strong enough. As a result, the Keaton are considered guardian spirits of the Sheikah. The Keaton's patrons are Farore, Sheikaku, & Karina, making them similar to Inari in a way. - The Keaton are diligently taught the process of teaching the Mind's Eye & other such Sheikah traditions as the ancient forging techniques, ancient Sheikah Fūinjutsu, & so on, just in case the Sheikah ever lose sight of their mission to protect Hyruleans & their traditions begin to fade. In such instances, it is said that a Keaton will appear to a promising young Sheikah & teach them how to achieve these things as well as how to teach it themselves. Though, don't be surprised if they play coy about it, give riddles to guide the young Sheikah to figuring certain things out themselves (being very fond of the Socratic Method), or just outright demand offerings in the form of Keatonzushi or Keaton Udon. They very much enjoy witty conversation & that becomes very clear in their own speech. Many have a Cheshire Cat type of disposition, though even though they ask riddles much like the Cheshire Cat, be assured that they never ask anything that they don't think the listener can figure out themselves & the riddles always have a real answer. They just like getting the brain moving.

Lord Satori = King of the Mountain. A somewhat minor god/higher spirit of the mountain, animals, the forest, nature, springtime, good fortune, & bounties. Noted to be a noble creature. Heavily associated with horses, deer, & stags. His appearance resembles that of the Satori we see in the games, but he's a cervitaur. Meaning he has a humanoid torso that sprouts up from the horselike body. One with a truly magnificent white beard. Once a sage, had reached enlightenment in a similar way to Buddha in Buddhist myth, was allowed to eat of the Fruit of Life from the Mother Tree of Life in Jïasïd, grew old & died, then reincarnated as a higher spirit/minor deity who watches over all animals who live in the forest of his domain. Used to wear the Mystic Armor when he was alive. Sacred plant is the Satori Cherry Tree under which he would often meditate, specifically named after him. Favorite fruits are the Golden Apple & the Satori Cherry. Also quite enjoys Endura Carrots. Presides over Satori Mountain where the bounty of spring can always be found which is why the mountain has so many resources. However, he can appear anywhere there is a Satori Cherry Tree. The Ancient Cistern's central statue in Skyward Sword was actually a depiction of him in life. - Hyrule has a festival every year at the end of spring where they give thanks for the bounty given to them by his blessing. They do this by harvesting the cherries from the nearest Satori Tree at the beginning of spring, turning it into alcohol (villages are often paired up for its creation & each pair has their own recipe), & the best batch is offered up at the Satori Trees as thanks. This was originally a Sheikah holiday, but it has since been adopted by the whole of Hyrule. While it was originally a time to bask in the wonders of spring & give thanks to not just Satori, but also Karina, the Deku Tree, & Farore, it now mostly focuses on Satori, though Karina is still a major part of it & while the Deku Tree & Farore's part has been forgotten, the festival's decorations still feature much iconography pertaining to them.

- Satori = Takes the form of a chimeric creature resembling a blue, cloven-hooved horse with antlers resembling gilded laurel branches, golden cloven hooves, & 2 owl-like faces along with a glorious white beard. The creatures we see in the games are Lord Satori's vassals who have managed to reach enlightenment as well.

- Blupees = Minor spirits of fortune & followers of Satori. These creatures were once mortal like Lord Satori & his vassals, who was a mortal who reached deification through enlightenment. Others later followed him; however, in a way, the Blupee is much like the entry level of the Satori branch or family of spirits & they must work up to becoming a true Satori as these creatures have yet to entirely be rid of their own earthly desires. They are known for collecting & hoarding valuables then letting them go in the name of protection. The transition from a being who needs things & attachments, to one who neither wants nor needs them is often a difficult one for those unprepared for the amount of work it takes & it isn't uncommon for many to backslide.

- Bubblefrogs = A minor spirit of greed & delusion. What happens either to Blupees when they are unable to let go of greed & allow it to fester or when a mortal tries to become a Satori by use of shortcuts rather than personal & spiritual growth. These doomed spirits have met a roadblock on their journey to enlightenment & require intervention to proceed, having gotten lost underground. The Bubblegems are explicitly created when Blupees are unable to be rid of their earthly desires & become consumed by greed with the Bubblegems acting as a way to purify the Bubblefrogs when they make contact with a natural source of divine magic, which restores them to Blupee status. To aid them on re-finding their way, Blupees will guide those with the divine gift to the caves where Bubblefrogs dwell & Satori will pinpoint the exact locations of the entrances.

Rensei the Star Painter (連星, Binary Star) = The god of the stars & chronicler of the gods said to be who painted each constellation in the sky. Originally a Sheikah god, but is now also known by most of Hyrule as Astrendi. He is depicted holding a scroll in one hand & a paintbrush in the other. He would paint a picture, let it dry, roll it up, wait for night, then hold the scroll up to the night sky in the place he wished the constellation to appear, then snap the scroll open, which would burn the image into the night sky, thereby burning the scroll to ashes in his hands. Believed to paint significant images from history into the sky. - The Gerudo have a similar figure in their pantheon, only he is believed instead to be a sculptor or stonemason who uses his hammer & chisel to break holes in the night sky, allowing the light of eternity to filter through to the mortals below as it is believed by Gerudo that the Earth is contained within an orb of obsidian that floats within a sea of light along with other worlds. This entity is believed to be a Dohnàkht, which is similar to the Greek concept of a Titan. This being goes by the name of Nàjbek the Starcarver.

Shugoshin (守護神, Guardian Deity) = Tutelary Deity of Sheikan theology.

- Hakamoriru (墓守る, Protect the Grave) = A Mitama-no-Shugoshin (神霊の守護神) of Sheikah theology. Whenever a new graveyard or cemetery is built somewhere in Hyrule, it is tradition that the first to be buried in it, is meant to be a recently deceased guard dog or even the dog of the gravekeeper himself. One that was well-loved & fiercely loyal. It's believed that when this happens, its spirit will manifest as a fierce wolf in its prime & protect the graveyard or cemetery or tomb from any ill for 2 centuries, at which point, it will move on & a new watchdog's ashes will be buried in the grave & take their place. Their collars are often enshrined at the Kamidana (神棚) of the gravekeeper's house & become Shintai (神体, Body of the Kami). The gravekeeper's home acts as the entrance of the graveyard or cemetery itself as well as a sort of miniature temple where one can give thanks to the Hakamoriru for protecting their ancestors. In this way, the gravekeeper also acts as a Kanuushi (神職, God's Employee) for the temple. However, the dog's ashes are buried at the Hakamoriru Jinja (墓守る神社, Grave Protector's Shrine) at the back of the graveyard/cemetary itself. Upon being buried at the Jinja, there will be a small festival where a ceremony known as Bunrei (分霊) to propagate the spirit of the Hakamoriru by placing it into the collar, at which point, it will be transfered to the Kamidana of the gravekeeper. The grave temple in Kakariko is the main temple of all Hakamoriru, meaning that it's also the largest. - This is actually inspired by the English/Nordic folktale of Church Grim, but viewed through the lens of Japanese Shintoism.

- Kishin (鬼神, Wrathful Ogre God) & Kijugami (鬼女神, Wrathful Ogre Goddess) = Lower Ogre-type Tutelary Gods/Goddesses or Shugoshin (守護神) of Sheikah myth that worked under Sheikaku & Karina. These Kami, despite being powerful & fearsome in battle & scary-looking, were also known for being compassionate & benevolent by nature. There aren't that many of them, but they are tasked with protecting innocents & avenging those that they couldn't protect. However, in the case of Kishin encountering the soul of a person with a particularly high level of On'nen (怨念, a feeling of hatred, malice, grudge, & resentment that can make ordinary spirits furious & evil ones even more so; what is referred to as Malice or Gloom), they will eat the soul. However, this does not in any way destroy the soul itself. Rather, you could say that it's a way to fast-track the process of the soul forgetting its previous life, thus giving it another chance to try again to be a better person in the next life. Thing is that it's actually much healthier for a soul to forget its previous life at its own pace, because it may still have some things left to resolve. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. For those curious, yes, they are, essentially, digesting as much of the bad influences from the soul's life as possible. While nourishing, it isn't a fun process for them as the more On'nen the soul possesses, the worse the Kishin's indigestion is likely to become. We all have to make our own sacrifices for the greater good. It's just that in this case, that sacrifice is unfortunately a Kishin's digestive health & physical comfort. - Functions almost completely like Pāla.

-- Daikishin (大鬼神, Great Wrathful Ogre God) = The head Kishin. - Closest real-world approximation is a Dharma Pāla.

--- Daikijugami (大鬼女神, Wrathful Ogre Goddess) = The head Kijugami. - Closest real-world approximation is a female Dharma Pāla.

--- Ōkishin (女王鬼神, King Wrathful Ogre God) = Another word for Daikishin. Used to describe Sheikaku.

--- Joōkujigami (女王鬼女神, Queen Wrathful Ogre Goddess) = Another word for Daikijugami. Used to describe Karina.

The 3 Great Dragons = The 3 dragons appointed to guard the Sacred Flames by the goddess Hylia. This includes Firona the Great Water Dragon of Faron, Eridin the Great Fire Dragon of Eldin, & Lanello the Great Lightning Dragon of Lanayru/Gerudo. They seem to be quite skilled opera singers. - I changed their names because the Light Spirits already had those same ones beforehand, so I instead gave them names inspired by their French & Japanese translations.

- The 3 Elemental Zonai Dragons = Naydra the Ice Dragon, Dinraal the Fire Dragon, & Farosh the Lightning Dragon. While not dragons appointed by the goddess, they are treated with similar reverence by mortals. Originally, these dragons were Zonai who underwent draconification in order to act as guardians of Hyrule. While they are no longer able to access their memories, draconification allows one to retain a single core desire that was integral to the draconified's purpose. For Zelda, it was helping Link however she could, for Ganondorf, it was to destroy Link, & for the 3 Elemental Dragons, it was watching over Hyrule. Not anywhere near as powerful as the 3 Great Dragons as they are not true born immortal dragons the way the Great 3 were. Rather being (very long-lived) mortals with minds unprepared for the full weight of immortality to just suddenly be thrust upon them without proper training or preparation, let alone earning it the way Lord Satori did. Thus, resulting in the transformation breaking their minds. Had they undergone similar intensive spiritual training, then they would've been able to keep their sense of selves. - Also, I'm changing their appearance a bit so they have forward-facing, predator eyes rather than prey-like eyes situated at the sides of their heads & lion-like brush tails. Maybe even the third eye that Zonai are regularly depicted with. It doesn't make sense for them to lose an entire eyeball.

Adalgrim = A minor god of masks, mystery, merchants & trade, joie indirecte/muditā/freudenfreude (sympathetic or vicarious joy; pleasure of delighting in other people's well-being, happiness, or success rather than begrudging it), & altruistic generosity. No one actually knows much about him other than that he has a disturbingly wide smile, loves masks, & loves to share his masks with others. Is believed to guard a mask that has an ancient evil sealed inside it. He is actually the most well-known god in Goponga, where his name is Aubermasquem & he is often depicted wearing an oddly humble, yet elegantly made mask of his own & entertaining children with puppet shows or giving out ornate handcrafted masks. His primary goal as a deity is believed to be to spread joy & happiness through generosity & other acts of goodwill. Due to this, he's also quite well-liked by the Mogma, who themselves have a culture of showing people they care by giving valuable a/o practical gifts, specifically the treasures that they find through treasure-hunting. In their terms, this would be known as felicidonata or gifted happiness. - The Happy Mask Salesman, though his true form is reminiscent to Clopin Trouillefou from Disney's Bells of Notre Dame.

Helios = A minor winged god of the sun, sky, clouds, wind, light, & the weather. His sacred animals are birds, specifically loftwings & eagles.

---

Hyrulean Holy Relics

LoZ Cultural Masterlist

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kursed-arcana · 9 months

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Sailor Quartet traits

I answered a question about gathering info on the sailor quartet recently and thought I'd share my educated guess on their characters here.

love the quartet but they're isn't a lot of material on them. For their eternal transformations it would probably be Ceres crystal power make up and so on but but Ceres asteroid power make up would probably work as an earlier phrase.

You can find info on their order of birth, and some personality trait info in various bonus materials like that above. Other things you can kind of guess based on their circus rolee, powers and traights, as well as which of the inners they parallel.

So the following is guess work for them based on on their parallels, circus abilities, colors and what the Roman gods represent would be can be.

Ceres is the flower magician so you can say she'd have plant based powers which does match how the inner guardians abilities were partially inspired by wuxing elements. Her element would be wood and possibly earth. It also matches what Ceres was the goddess of. She was God of crops and grain, as well as motherly relationships and fertility. So this also helps show her as a mirror of Venus in that it can be a form of love. Shes Leader of the group. If venus looks like serenity to serve as a body double then that can possible applied to Ceres, which would explain whey her main color is pink. Both in hair and her sailor suit. The yellow ribbons can be seen as influence from her parallel with minako. Interesting that they both wear ribbons in their hair.

Ceres was supposed to talk very aristocraticly and be kind of stuck up. The note above says she thinks highly of herself which does match her behavior in super s. Like when she targeted the painter lol

Vesta would be fire. Which makes sense, one of the things her patron goddess is god of is the hearth (fireplace). She parallels mars. So her attacks could maybe also be fire animals, like how mars had snake fire. Doing that could match her role as the animal tamer. She's the youngest. Also God of virginity, home and family. The virginity influence would also match sailor mars and how she took a vow of chastity.

Juno is trickier. She's the third oldest and her goddess is the protector and special counselor of the state. She was equated to Hera, queen of the gods in Greek mythology. A consort of Jupiter, so there's a parallel with Sailor Jupiter there. Has warlike aspects and is a godess of marriage. Juno as a character is very tomboy like and the acrobat of the group so that also helps draw a parallel to Mako. With her goddess being Jupiter's wife you could argue that she could have lightning powers like sailor jupiter. If we stick to wuxang maybe metal could be her element and metal clattracts lightning so it works kind of.

Then there is Pallas. She is the second oldest but most immature. Counterpart to mercury and the tactician of the team. So we could associate her with the wuxang element of water like mercury. She's also the ball rider so balls of water could work as an initial attack, maybe like Mercury's bubble spray in the og anime. The og anime also showed her having some keen insight in a few scenes like when they worked with the guardians to help set up that event. Now their are 2 Pallas in Greek mythology. One a titan and the other is an epithat for Athena. We'll go with Athena cause that would tie her to wisdom, strategic warfare and handicraft. Which would suit her as she is supposedly a strategist like mercury and was shown enjoy various things like dolls. The notes above say she is kind of stupid, but that could really just be her immaturity. Plus the notes above are more about their circus versions, which were corrupted by Nehelenia, so it's possible she magnified their nore negative traights.

I think it's worth considering their anime portrayal as part of their character. Takeuchi was involved with the 90s anime despite its many liberties, and the 90s anime does build on and flesh out a lot of concepts. So if it doesn't directly contrast something from the manga, I think it's OK to contemplate how things like the quartet's characterization can fit into their manga cointerparts.

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mmkin · 3 months

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A Most Willing Queen (Hades x Persephone)

Well, here it is for my fellow Hades and Persephone fans/enjoyers - the first chapter of the story! It's posted on my AO3 here but there is also a cut under the lovely GIF of Hades.

Content/trigger warnings - Teen safe (some flirting) Mentions of bullying.

A Most Willing Queen

I've loved mythology since I was a kid, and the myth of Hades and Persephone has been one of my favorites since I was introduced to the wonderful world of myths. I also enjoy the retellings of myths and fairy tales, I was a kid when Disney's Hercules came out and I loved it, even though the movie diverged from the myths in some wacky (but fun) ways. Recently, I watched the cartoon that was made from the movie and really enjoyed myself and then watched the movie again. Ahh, nostalgia ahoy.

So I decided to do a Hades and Persephone story, using the world/characters from Disney because well, this version of Hades is a heckin lot of fun. Persephone appears in the movie near the end when the gods are gathered around Hercules in gratitude. She’s the one with blonde hair and pale purple skin, and a headpiece/headdress thing that looks like a flower.

I like classical/historical retellings of mythology and fairy tales but I also enjoy fun and light-hearted retellings, whether set in the modern day or just using modern language and anachronisms (like this version of Hercules)

In classic mythology, Hades is the oldest brother, but in Disney's Hercules, he's the youngest, so I am using that. The time frame for this is a bit ambiguous as it spans years, but it begins not too long before Hercules is born.

So here we go, and I hope you enjoy this! All feedback is welcome. This was quite a challenge for me to write because historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and I had to keep reminding myself that anachronisms were perfectly ok – and needed – here. I’ve never written anything like that before, so I tried my best to capture some of the humor one could find in the show or movie, especially with Hades.

Brief historical note – the aulos is a two-piped flute. It can be seen in classical Greek art and I wanted something other than a basic flute or Pan pipe.

o0o0o0o

Mother did not like bringing her up to Olympus too often. Persephone wasn't sure if she should be glad for that or not. She was the daughter of a mighty goddess, one of the Dodekatheon, and her mother was also one of the children of Cronus himself. Pretty high up there in the hierarchy and yes, Zeus defeated Cronus and the Titans, but he hadn't done it entirely on his own. And as her mother would point out, lightning bolts don't feed mortals. And one of the fastest ways to become happy is with a full belly, which Persephone couldn't argue with. God and mortal alike enjoyed a good meal and going to bed with a full belly. Even if the gods didn't need food, the banquet tables of Mount Olympus were piled high when there was a party.

Since she was born, the importance of the cycles of Nature was ingrained into her. Mortals died, plants died, but that was part of the cycle of life, and it was Demeter’s job to help maintain that balance, and as she got older, some of that responsibility became Persephone’s. For she was also the Goddess of Spring, dancing through the fields and causing the flowers to bloom as Greece warmed from its yearly cooling.

But doing that, and all the other things through the year got tiring. Persephone dreaded the idea of eternity following the same routine. Whenever she expressed boredom, her mother always scolded her, reminding her of how important it was to ensure the plants grew as they should, going through the cycles. Or she would switch up the nymphs that attended her daughter, thinking that fresh faces would help alleviate some of that boredom.

Persephone was always supposed to be bright and cheery because, after all, she was the Goddess of Spring? And who wanted a quiet or gloomy spring, her mother would point out. Persephone could appreciate how important it was to be mindful of Nature and the blessings and rhythms of the earth. And all that jazz.

But sometimes she just didn't feel like doing any of that. She just wanted to enjoy peace and quiet, and not listen to the chatter of the nymphs or her mother's lectures. And she didn't want to wear that stupid flowery headpiece her mother chose for her when she was performing her goddess duties. She got the theme – Demeter's plant theme was pretty in-your-face to anyone who looked at her, but the flower motif was so overdone.

“Can you believe it? Hera’s pregnant again!” Mother laughed, clapping her hands with excitement. Persephone held back a shrug as she sipped some nectar. Even though having a baby was a pretty big part of nature, she’d always thought the process somewhat messy. Nature didn’t just involve plants, after all, even though animals were more Artemis’s domain.

“That's lovely. She and Zeus look so happy," Persephone said politely. She wouldn't begrudge another couple's happiness, even if the party was not as fun as she'd hoped it was. Mother was constantly at her side, giving her little opportunity to have a real conversation with another god. Sometimes another goddess would seek Mother's attention, and Persephone would try to sneak away, but Mother would eventually notice she was gone and go after her. Agggh.

That would change when Artemis approached them. She wasn't sure if Artemis had needed to talk with Mother, or if the Goddess of the Hunt was trying to help out the younger goddess. Maybe because Artemis's mother had been pretty protective until the wild young goddess had proven once and for all how independent she was.

Persephone let out a sigh of relief as she moved among the other gods – some of whom she had not seen in years – and taking in the grand sights of Mount Olympus. It did feel a bit strange up here, being so far away from the earth. She heard snippets of conversation, much of it centered around the upcoming baby, but also of various other things – dealing with worshipers, petty rivalries with other gods, the latest fashions, and the like.

Some of the gods here had been here since the beginning of creation and she felt awed by them. She’d heard the tales of how the Titans had been crushed by Zeus, who set the order of the world right so that mortals could live in peace. And then he’d apportioned lots to himself and his brothers, and those who had helped him in the mighty battle against Cronus and the other Titans.

It was said that Zeus, in his wisdom, granted the lots according to each god’s abilities. And it was something that seemed to have worked. No one could deny that Poseidon or Demeter were not happy – or suited – with the spheres they’d be given headship over. And likewise for many of the other gods.

Except for one. Gloomy as Hades might be, it was an open secret that he was unhappy with his lot. Someone had to take over the Underworld, but no one else wanted such a morbid place when there were delights in heaven and earth to be enjoyed.

She'd only seen him a few times and never exchanged anything more than a few polite words with him. But she felt bad for him after hearing the way the other gods talked about him. Maybe he wasn't as handsome as Apollo, or as friendly as Hermes, or easy-going as Poseidon. But she couldn't imagine that being stuck with a place no one wanted would do favors for anyone's mood.

She blinked as the very deity she was thinking about slunk past her, looking quite pissed off. Probably Zeus had another dig at him. It seemed that the gods rotated through the same few sets of jokes about Hades. About him being so stiff. Or having a fiery temper. And sometimes a bit of wrestling, as many brothers did, but Hades never looked like he was having any fun when Zeus or Poseidon had him in a headlock.

Most other people would have just laughed at Hades behind his back as he sulked off. Persephone stared for a moment before retreating from the party, almost gliding after him.

He stepped outside. Thick wisps of clouds surrounded the pavilion, and Hades muttered to himself as he slid his hand across his hair. She could practically feel the tension radiating from him. Suddenly, he whipped around, scowling at her. Several meters separated them, and she flinched back at his sudden movement. He blinked in surprise and straightened himself.

“Yes?” he asked diffidently, though she could still sense his anxiety and stress.

“I-” She blinked and looked at him. “I just… um.” It sounded so logical in her mind, but when it came time to speak, she found herself unable to express just what she wanted to say. “I’m sorry you had a bad time and… um.”

He raised his eyebrow. “I don’t remember the last time anyone showed any concern about how I was at these parties.” He slid across the ground, wisps of thick gray smoke curling around the hem of his clothes. It was hard to not feel intimidated as he towered over her, but he seemed more interested now instead of angry. So she continued, feeling a little calmer.

“I mean, the jokes and comments people say. Mother says it’s just how things are, but…” She shrugged. “I don’t see them treating one another the way they treat you. They’re jerks.”

There was an almost imperceptible shift in his expression. “That is observant of you, Persephone.” The way he said her name sent a small shiver down her spine, and against the darkening sky, the blue flames that danced around his head were ethereal. He didn’t look so scary like this, with the gentle twilight around him.

“Um, thank you?” she said with a small smile.

“No, no, really. You’re a breath of fresh air, you know that. I mean, aside from being the Goddess of Spring and all that. These parties are a drag and babe, you really made my day.”

Babe? But when he said it like that, it didn’t bother her. Had any other god called her that…

Mother told her about how her flowers brought joy to people. And Persephone knew that. She could see the joy in people’s faces when they saw flower-covered fields, when they plucked flowers and inhaled them, or used them for oils and perfumes, and so on. But it was nice to see that she’d brought happiness to a tired and bitter god with a few kind words.

She blushed and laughed shyly. “So… um, what’s the Underworld like?” she blurted out. He slid closer, wisps of smoke trailing around her feet.

“Eh. Could be more lively. Decor hasn’t been updated in a few thousand years, but who’s there to impress? The dead? They just pile up and I wonder if the place will ever get full. Doesn’t seem like it, but hope springs eternal.”

Despite his morose description of the Underworld, Persephone was still intrigued. She’d lived on earth. She’d seen heaven. Wouldn’t it be interesting to have seen the underworld, too? Before she could ask another question, she heard her mother shout out her name.

“There you are! What are you doing out here?” she demanded, barely noticing Hades.

“Mom! I just needed some fresh air.” Quickly, she glanced at Hades. A little help here, bud?

“It does get loud in there,” Hades said. “One can only see the same faces and hear the same jokes so many times…” He rolled his eyes. Persephone bit back a smile as she met his eyes. “Anyway, I’ve done my duty and made my appearance, so I believe it’s time for me to amscray. Got my duties in the Underworld that Zeus so generously bestowed upon me. Good night, ladies,” With that, he gave mother and daughter a small salute and disappeared into the ether.

“What was that about?” Mother demanded.

“What was what about?” Persephone asked with genuine confusion. She hadn’t done anything she wasn’t supposed to, was she? She’d just chatted a bit with Hades, who… well, actually didn’t seem quite as bad as the other gods thought.

“What did you talk about?”

“What? Mom!” Persephone said with a small huff. “Um, I asked him about the Underworld.” She left out the rest of it, though she did wonder if her mother ever stopped to think about how stupid the whole ‘let’s pick on Hades and call it teasing’ schtick was.

“Why?”

Persephone wanted to roll her eyes at that. “I was just curious about what it was like in a world opposite of ours. Figured who better than to ask than the god who ruled that place, right?”

“Mmm.” Demeter scowled, but quickly settled her face into a pleasant expression. You don’t have to be so protective, Mom! Jeez. Despite her mother's efforts to shelter her, Persephone wasn't ignorant of what mortals did. After all, her mother's work was inevitably tied with fertility even though there were other goddesses that resided over marriage or love. She saw the way that some of the gods looked at her and knew what they wanted.

She was curious about that sort of thing, but she hadn’t come across anyone that she would give serious consideration to. Her mother really needn’t worry about her, but there was no point in telling Mom that...

o0o0o0o

Persephone sneaked away from the nymphs as they danced and played their musical instruments, the cheery notes of lyre and aulos accompanying singing. It was something she often did when she wanted to simply be alone. She’d ask the nymphs to play music and then sneak away during their jam sessions. Yeah, Mom would scold, but without any evidence of wrongdoing, what could Demeter do but think that her daughter was weird?

The shade provided a welcome respite from the sun that had beat down on her head when she was with the nymphs, and she flipped her blond hair over her shoulder. The shade seemed to get thicker the further she went into the woods, and she paused as she looked around. The light at the edge of the woods seemed so far away.

“So what’s a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?” she heard someone ask. She yelped and spun around, nearly tripping over a root before she saw Hades, sitting against a tree.

“You should know better than to sneak on people!” she exclaimed softly, quickly straightening herself and brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.

“Babe, if it’s any consolation, I wasn’t trying to frighten you. But yes, it’s a habit of mine.”

Yeah. She could see that. “Okay, sure. But what are you doing here?” she asked.

“I’m here to see you.”

She gave out a small, surprised laugh and gestured to herself. “Me?”

“Why not? Things seemed to be going nicely on Olympus with our little meet-and-greet, but your mother barged in. I figure, this time, we could take the chance to relax a little and get to know one another better. Sound good?” He grinned at her.

Some – okay, a lot of – women would have been repulsed by that fanged grin. But there was an odd charm about it. It wouldn’t have looked right on any other god, but it suited him, just like the blue flames and dark smoke did. She stared at him for a few moments, considering the implication of Hades’s interest in her.

The other gods mocked or scorned him. She’d offered him a kind word and like he said, it was like fresh air. It seemed only natural he would seek more. Considering what she knew of him, could she blame him? And she would be lying if she said she wasn’t the least bit curious about him.

“… Yeah. That does sound good.”

He stared at her for a moment as if he could not believe his luck. It was cute how his eyes widened and his lips puckered a bit as if he was trying to decide if she was teasing him or not.

Damn, the other gods really had done a number on him, hadn’t they? Seemed like some therapy was called for, but that was not for the here or now. He blinked and quickly collected himself, running his hand across his head. His flames seemed to burn a little brighter. Now that she thought about it, there was a certain appeal around Hades that was lacking in gods that were considered more conventionally attractive.

He leaned back against the tree. “In that case, have a seat.”

She waved her arm, and one of the roots from the tree flexed up, raising itself high enough for her to be seated comfortably.

When she was seated, she was just outside of his reach, but he could lean over and grab her. She saw the wisps of gray smoke curl around her feet and wondered if perhaps she’d made a mistake. He might be socially awkward, but he didn’t have ill intentions, did he?

She looked up at his face. They stared at one another for a moment before both of them opened their mouths to speak. She gave a small, sheepish laugh and gestured for him to go first.

“So, what are you up to?” he asked casually.

“Not much, really. Just had to sneak away from the nymphs for like, the umpteenth time. How about you?” she asked.

“I decided I needed a break. I mean, I’m the ruler of the Underworld, who’s gonna tell me I can’t take a break.”

“Zeus, perhaps,” she pointed out, seeing a glimmer of a scowl on his face before she continued, “But you can be sure that he won’t hear of it from me.” She flashed him a smile, and he relaxed visibly, chuckling and shaking his head.

“And you won’t tell him if I have a drink, either?”

“Oh no, no. My lips are sealed!” With that, she made the locking gesture on her lips. He grinned and with a wave of his hand and a puff of smoke, a martini glass materialized, with an eyeball in place of the olive. She blinked and looked at it, trying to not look grossed out by the eyeball.

“Oh, how rude of me. Would you like one?” he asked.

“Yeah, sure. Just, without the…” She pointed to the contents of his glass.

He snorted quietly at that, but a drink materialized for her, thankfully sans an eyeball.

“So, it seems that perhaps I’m not the only one who needs to get away sometimes,” Hades commented as he took a sip of his drink.

“Not as much as you do, I think. But yes.” She sighed before she took a sip. “Oh, that’s strong. But good.” It was different from the beers and wines that could be produced from the grain and grapes grown in Demeter’s fields. The flavor was sharp and not what she was used to, but after a few more sips she was used to it. “It’s just… the same thing. Over and over. Year after year.” She was a goddess, and so she didn’t need to be as concerned about the passing of time as mortals. “Planting, growing, harvesting, preserving, the same grind over and over like some rat race and I feel bad about thinking about it like that way because nature is so important and I don’t want to disappoint Mother and-”

“Whoa, whoa. Hey. Take a deep breath. Have your drink,” he coaxed. She took a deep breath. Sometimes she would feel anxious, but then Mother would tell her she had nothing to be anxious about, and that there would be nothing to be anxious about as long as she did her duty. She reached up to run her hand across her hair, thankful she wasn’t wearing one of these flower headpieces. “Someone as young and cute as you shouldn’t be so stressed out, hey?”

“I'm one of the older gods of my generation. I just look young." Fresh-faced spring to her mother's more matronly appearance. She didn't hide the mild annoyance in her voice.

He stared at her for a moment before nodding. "Oh yeah, that's right. You don't come to Olympus very often, and neither do I. But may I say you look fantastic for your age."

“Is that meant to be a pick-up line?” she deadpanned. He grinned at that.

“Is it working?”

“Not really.”

His face fell so quickly at that it was almost comical, and weirdly enough, she felt a little bad for him. He was interested in her, but he was not doing the best job of showing it. Some people were just socially awkward, but she imagined that being picked on constantly didn't help. So she wouldn't be one of these people.

“It’s just that I get so many comments on my looks. How cute I am, how fresh I look, and all that. It’s not very original.” She took another sip of her drink. “Really, if you’re going to try to hit on me, maybe go for something a little more creative?”

He stared at her with his mouth open for a second before he quickly collected himself.

“All right, all right. You know what? That’s fair enough. I get what it’s like to be typecast, so…” He squared his shoulders as he looked down at her, and she could tell that he was putting serious thought into it. That was more flattering than she wanted to admit. “How about this? If you were a taser, you’d be set to stun?”

It was her turn to stare at him with her mouth hanging open for a second. That was more flattering than she expected. He blinked at her and looked nervous when she said nothing so he thew out another one.

“So, aside from taking my breath away, what do you do for a living? Do you have a Band-Aid, because I scraped my knees falling for you? No wonder it’s so gray around here, all the color is in your eyes.” With each line, he drew a bit closer to her, inch by inch. She did not move back, though some others would have.

Seeing the God of the Underworld trying cheesy pick-up lines on her caused her heart to give an unexpected flutter. She gave out a soft giggle. His eyebrow quirked in mild confusion as he tried to figure out if she was laughing at him, or just enjoying his lines.

“Do you have more?” she asked.

“More what? More lines? You want more?" he asked, delighted surprise in his voice. "Well, then. Are you an artist, because you're so good at drawing me in? Are you a time traveler, because I see you in my future? Do you know what my toga is made of? Boyfriend material." Closer still he leaned until his face was only half a foot away from her own. She might have felt threatened, but there was something… exciting about having him in her personal space. The smoke swirled around her feet and lower legs, but the pressure was gentle, barely even there.

What would it be like having Hades as a boyfriend? Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself, Persephone asked herself. She barely knew him! She blushed as Hades looked down at her, wiggling his eyebrows at her in a playful leer.

Mother would have told her to run. But she just stared back at him and smiled sweetly before she finished the rest of her drink. “I’ll admit, these lines are pretty funny. And I do thank you for humoring me.”

“I like a woman with a healthy sense of humor.”

She thought about what she’d seen on Olympus and the way he was treated. “I like a man who can make me laugh,” she retorted gently. This time, when they stared at one another, it wasn’t awkward. She was certain her lavender cheeks were more pink than purple now.

“Persephone!" one of the nymphs screeched. The spell was broken, and she gasped quietly as she spun around in the direction of the voice. The other woman was still a ways off, but she did not have much time. Annoyance flared up, and she took a deep breath before turning to Hades, seeing the blue flames edging with red as he glowered in the direction of the voice.

“I… gotta go. Sorry," she said. "Mom's been in a mood lately and I really don't want to provoke her. But it was nice to see you again, Hades." She handed the glass back to him, and he took it, their fingers touching for a moment and giving her a pleasant tingle.

“Wait,” she heard him say as she rose from her seat and turned from him. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him.

“I suppose you wouldn’t object to me seeing you again?” he asked as he reached out, picking up her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it. For a god of a cold and dark place, his lips were surprisingly warm.

“Not at all.” Her voice came out a touch thicker than she’d expected, and she found herself not wanting to pull her hand away. “Bring a few more of these pick-up lines next time, will you?”

He chuckled at that and nodded. “Until then, Persephone.” He disappeared into the ether, and Persephone stood there, staring at the spot where he’d disappeared, all the gloom gone before her friend found her.

o0o0o0o

Pain and Panic peered at their lord and master from behind one of the pillars in the throne room. There’d been something a bit off about Hades since he came back from his last visit to Olympus. A couple of times, they’d caught him sitting on his throne, staring off with a wistful expression neither of them had ever seen. He’d just come back from the surface world, and there was no mistaking the moony expression on his face.

“Could it be?” Panic whispered to his companion. They’d served Hades for hundreds of years and been around enough mortals – usually to spy or cause mischief on behalf of Hades – and seen them act like this. Old or young, male or female. They might be servants from the realm of the dead, but they’d seen enough of Aphrodite and Cupid’s work.

“If this came from one of Cupid’s arrows, it won’t end well,” Pain responded worriedly. They remembered that too well, even though it’d been ages ago. Manufactured love might be strong, but it wasn’t true love. It was like trying to replace real vanilla extract with the imitation stuff, and for one such as the God of the Dead, it simply wouldn't do. Really, it wouldn't, as the whole Leuce affair had shown. Talk about a dumpster fire.

“Hopefully the girl will be nice?” Panic replied.

“Well, there’s that,” Pain replied, crossing his fingers and hoping for the best.

#writing #strawberrycatbeans #villain gets the girl #fanfiction #hades #hades and persephone #persephone #disney's hercules #disney's hades #disney hades #disney persephone #hades/persephone #mythology #greek mythology

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