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greekbros · 3 years

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"greek-Bros: When in Rome, wait wut?; The Reboot Nobody Fucking Asked For"

*after two incidences with his sons, Zeus has recruited Hades and Poseidon to investigate why the living hell was so distracting about Rome*

Zeus: *poorly disguised as a shepard* Well, it is a mighty fine city indeed. It's almost comparable to Athens. Don't you think so?

Poseidon: *also poorly disguised as the world's most muscular fisherman* It is dear brother! Why even our statues here are incredibly beautiful!

Hades: *who's cleverly disgusted as an old lady* hmf.

Poseidon: What's the matter Hades? Disgruntled that you don't have a shrine dedicated to you?

Hades: No quite frankly I actually don't care about shrines or temples in my honor. *Looks around and sees the same issues that the Bois saw* .....why do the mortals here call me Pluto?

Zeus and Poseidon: *both laugh at that*

Hades: Hahaha, laugh all you want.

Centurion: YOU TWO! How DARE you laugh at that poor, ugly old crone! You're under arrest for harassing the elderly!

Hades: *grins*

Zeus: *having absolutly none of this BS* .......

Poseidon: Ugh but sir we-

Centurion: *takes out cuffs and chains, FuCkInG puts them on Zeus and Poseidon* You're coming downtown! *Drags the both of them*

Zeus: *glares into space completely understanding why his sons tried to destroy Rome*

Poseidon: But sir! You can't just thrown people in jail for laughing!

Centurion: *in a completely casual tone* I deeply sorry sir but as of late there has been a zero tolerance policy throughout the city, orders say we MUST make an immediate arrest and put you through the identification process.

Hades: *still as an old crone clicks heels and walks away to sight see*

*later*

Mortus: *looming in the dark corner of the interrogation room, walks slowly to the table and slams his fist*.....where were you on the day of the Coliseum's destruction... And if you weren't there where were you on the day of its reopening?

An innocent bean farmer: *shaking in fear* ugh....in my field sir?

Mortus: *glares at the farmer*

A Centurion: *walks in the room* Sir! We have more prisoners! I think you maybe interested in these two.

Mortus: *slowly turns around* ......if this is another dead end.... you're joining the rest of the scum at the crucifixion field.

A Centurion: *gulps* ....y-yes sir.

Mortus: Bring them in...oh and release this one.

Bean Farmer: *just fucking bolts out of the room*

Mortus: .....

Centurion: *brings in Zeus, whom already looks a little claustrophobic in the already small room* There's a second one outside.

*outside*

Poseidon: *apparently has attracted the attention of many young beautiful women* Fear not Roman citizens! For I Po-*thinks of a name*...uhm...Paul.... understands your infatuation, but alas I am happily married, BUT let that not stop you from admiring my very being! *Tries to flex while handcuffed*

The small crowd of women: *swooned*

A Centurion: oh shut up.

*inside*

Mortus: *actually a little intimidated by Zeus and his stone cold resting death face*....Well now....you rather large for a shepard. Retired I suppose?

Zeus: ....no.

Mortus: Than what is your occupation?

Zeus: ......I do not think you have the jurisdiction to ask me.

Mortus: *getting angry* Where were you when the Coliseum was being destroyed!?

Zeus: .... Probably with your mother, who I would be certain would be very ashamed that her son has decided to harass the elderly.

Mortus: *steaming mad* YOU WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION!

Zeus: I want to speak with my lawyer.

Mortus: WHAT?!?

A Centurion: Um sir, we have a Mr-*looks at a crudly written card* Plutonium? He's a law maker and legally represents the detainee.

Mortus: *feeling a cold sweat as if the devil has entered the building, looks at Zeus*

Zeus: *smiling*

Mortus: ....bring him in.

Hades: *now looks more like a mortal version of himself but now carries a satchel* Good evening my name is Cryus Plutonium and I have heard my client and his brother have been unlawfully detained. *Places a scroll on the table* Sir if I may infer, I've been working several weeks in the law office and I have found no evidence of this new "Zero tolerance policy". So I do believe you have no legal right to detain and must release him-

Poseidon: *from outside* AND ME!

Hades: -and his brother.

Mortus: *stares in disbelief* ....what.

Hades: *slowly walks to Zeus and unbinds him*

Zeus: thank you.

Hades: Now. Let us l-*feels a sword near his next* ......

Mortus: *has just about snapped* .....I've been after you and your mutant kin for a whole year and three months.....you owe not just me....but you owe the empire....an explanation.

Hades: ............

Zeus: ...........*lifts a finger, shocks him and tases Mortus, knocking him cold* ................you know something.......I think I finally understand why the children hate this place.

Hades: *shakes his head, as the two leave they see poseidon just flexing for a small crowd while the Centurion who was gaurding him is tied to a support beam*

A Centurion: Please help me.

Zeus: *points and sarcastically smiles* No. *Walks to Poseidon and drags him* It's time to go.

Poseidon: Awww....but I was just getting the crowd warmed up!

Hades: Let's just say they'll be warmed up with a few weeks of heavy thunderstorms.

Poseidon: .....can there be earthqu-

Zeus: You may bury the lot.

Poseidon: *smiles* Huzzah!

Hades: Or....we can be a little less intrusive.

Zeus: Fine, I shall ask Odin if he wants to help.

Hades: Yes my thoughts exactly.

Zeus: *still angry until he sees Octavia and little Caius and suddenly feels a little odd*......Hades.

Hades: yes

Zeus: I understand you don't have children...but what are the chances that one of my sons may have left something behind.

Hades: *trying to understand what Zeus meant until he saw Caius* Hmm....oh come now you're not going to take the child away from. His mother....or..... fornicate with her.....are you?

Zeus: .....oh damn it all....we can't destroy this city........

Poseidon: *in a singsong tone* I can! *Suddenly a little rumble starts until Zeus bonks him on the head* ~°

Zeus: No....the city of Rome...if officially protected.

Hades: ........all this because there's a bastard grandson around here isn't it?

Zeus: Silence Hades. Look at him, not a care in the world. Enjoying his moments with his dear mother talking to Hera a-WHAT THE?!?!

Hades: Wait Hera is here??

Poseidon: *rubbing his head* Hey look! It's Amphitrite too!

Hera: *talking to Octavia* Oh yes, married life is great but have you ever considered divorce?

Octavia: Oh heavens no, even though my husband has been rather distent. I'm positive he isn't in an adulterous relationship. That's punishable but crucifixion here.

Amphitrite: Well yes darling, for the WOMEN, men here get away with it scot-free.

Octavia: Oh heavens no.

Caius: *squirming a little*

Octavia: aww what the matter deary.

Hera: *knotices that Caius has few enough features of Zeus to be related but not directly enough to be his son* Aw what an adorable little baby boy. Who's the father?

Octavia: oh I'm happily married to General Mortus Biccus.

Hera: hmm....

Zeus: Oh there you are my beautiful, wonderful and not here to make sure I'm cheating on her wife! *Grits teeth* what are you doing here?!

Hera: ....I was wondering the same thing. I'm here shopping for some exotic fruits.

Amphitrite: *shows her basket of bananas*

Zeus: Oh.

Poseidon: *enthralled by the bananas* ohhhh.....

Hades: Well....I guess we can all go home then.

Octavia: Oh my! This must be your husband. You must be very lucky to have married such a big strong man.

Hera: *unamused* I am so blessed.

Zeus: *puts his arm around her* not as blessed as I am to be married to her.

Octavia: aww.

Caius: *kinda happy sensing he's found grandma and grandpa* c:

Zeus: *now getting a closer look, the baby literally looks like a spitting image of Hermes* oh my.

Mortus: THERE YOU ARE! *huffing and puffing from running* You are all under arrest!

Octavia: Oh Mortus, don't be so rude to these fine people they have done nothing wrong.

Mortus: This man shot LIGHTNING out of his finger! And that one *points to Hades* is...well he's just scary and THAT one is just annoying! *points to Poseidon*

Poseidon and Amphitrite: *sharing a banana and suddenly stop* hmf?

Mortus: These men are connected to the destruction of the coliseum last year and the disappearance of Gaius!

Zeus: ....Oh! You mean my sons? Oh yes they're actually harmless. You see, they're traveling magicians and they perform fantastic illusions!

Mortus: NO! FUCK YPU OLD MAN! I know what the people saw! Clearly something is going on! ...my suspensions are...that you...and your cohorts.....are demons!

Octavia: Mortus!

Caius: :c

Zeus: ....oh that's rather rude.

Hera: Now hang on a minute. Let's prove our innocence.

Zeus: Hera what are you doing?

Hera: .....you know, the gods are technically innocent....and exempt from being accused of any crime.

Mortus: *tempted to mention Emperor Caligula and his recent campaign against Poseidon but decided not to*

Hera: ...so...if we were gods...we would be innocent.

Octavia: Hmm...she does have a point.

Mortus: What are you getting at?

Zeus: *deep sigh* Fine...I lied.....me...my lovely wife and my brothers....are all gods......I'm actually Zeus, she's Hera and so on and so forth. My sons are were Apollo, Hermes and Dionysus....you see....it's likely their fault for losing their tempers, I apologize for that too. And I apologize for shocking you but you did threaten to crucify me.

Mortus: ..........*starts laughing hysterically and has officially lost his mind*

Octavia: Oh dear. Let's go honey, I must apologize for my husband's behavior. He's been working day and night. Oh sweetheart let's go.

Caius: byebye c: *waves*

Mortus: *while laughing like a mad man* HAHAHAH wait! I HAVE to know this but IS Caius here yours?!? HAHAHAHA I mean, I don't have BALLS! HAHAHAHAHAHA *gets dragged back home*

Zeus: ......you didn't help with that last portion did you?

Hera: No. I figured a man who looked as pathetic and desperate like that probably was already at his wit's end.... Speaking of which is that child yours?

Zeus: hmm....

*back at Olypmus*

Zeus: *pulls the ears of Hermes and Dionysus*

Hera: *helping with the situation and pulls Apollo's and Ares's ear*

Zeus: You boys are forbidden from returning to Rome. And as for you Hermes....it's one thing frolicking with farm maidens with incompetent husbands....but a war general with no testicles?....shame on you.

Hermes: *knows what he's talking about*.....worth it. *Feeling his ear getting pulled* ow~°

#Zeus #when in rome wait wut #greek-Bros #greek bros #greek gods #roman vs greek jokes #hera #poseidon #hades #Amphitrite #dionysus #Apollo #ares #hermes

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florafey · 3 years

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Malogranatum - 5

Falling Swift As Rain

Persephone gripped Nike’s hand tighter and tilted her head back to face the glittering sky, swaying gently to the music. She was not drunk but she was closest to it she had ever been. Nike, however, was certainly drunk after four hours of partying like it was her last night alive. Persephone had started to realize that all the deities partied like Nike- like they were running out of time. To her, it was a beautiful thing. Well, beautiful might not be an appropriate word, considering Dionysus had been serenading her and Nike for the past song or two as he stood on a statue base. Naked.

Persephone had been burning with embarrassment ever since Dio had started paying attention to her without his robes on but she couldn’t help admitting it was rather funny. And the attention wasn’t bad, she just wished Dio would put his clothes on. Nike was still laughing herself hoarse and beckoning Dio down, but Dio liked where he was.

“Apollo, please, go tell him to get down before he kills Honey with embarrassment.” Nike managed to pull herself together long enough to grab ahold of Apollo as he was passing them. The god’s hands were full of food and drink he was taking to Athena and Aphrodite. He smirked at the two goddesses.

“No can do, darlings. Get him down yourself.” He winked and disappeared. Persephone giggled and said, “Forget him, Nike. Where has Helios gone? I wanted to say hello.”

They had been at the party for close to four hours but Persephone still had not seen Helios. Nike had come once night had fallen to help Persephone sneak from her mother’s house and up to Zeus and Hera’s estate where the party was taking place, and Persephone was glad for her friend’s help. Between her racing heart and fear for waking her mother, Persephone probably would have been too nervous to actually sneak out if it weren’t for Nike’s cunning smile and soft steps showing her the way.

Persephone was thankful she had come. The pale blue silk dress she wore was wet and grass stained, much like her pink one after her first party on Olympus, but she couldn’t have cared less. The wine was delicious, the food sublime, and the company of her friends irreplaceable. The goddesses had squealed and raced to her when she entered with Nike. Kisses and hugs were exchanged, Apollo and Dionysus being rather overeager with their kisses until Nike smacked them on the heads and Persephone fell away blushing.

But for all the company she currently had, she still felt as though something was missing. Someone, more like. And he was. Persephone didn’t want to admit it because the night was everything she hadn’t dared to ask for, but she was slightly disappointed that Hades was not here. That wasn’t to say he wouldn’t eventually come. Parties such as these often lasted days but Persephone did not have that kind of time.

A warm hand slid around her neck, draping across her shoulders. “Who is it you’re searching for, sugar?”

It was Hermes. He had been just as surprised as the rest of them to see Persephone in attendance, and he had laughed in pride when Persephone told him she had snuck out of her mother’s house.

“Nobody. I’m just looking. Have you seen Helios?” Her answers were too quick. Hermes raised a brow but didn’t press the question.

“He arrived about half an hour ago. The last I saw him, he was wrestling Ares. Poseidon was taking bets. Care to place?”

Persephone laughed. “No, I’ll settle for watching, thank you. Walk with me?”

The three of them set off, Nike swaying slightly with drink. Dionysus was still singing atop his perch but his voice wasn’t bad and Persephone blew him a kiss as she passed. Dio fanned himself and pretended to faint.

Helios and Ares were on a stretch of lawn by the pool. They were naked as well, but they had better reason to be than Dionysus. They were grappling with each other, muscles straining and sweat gleaming in the torchlight. Persephone’s eyes grew wide as she watched them. Nike had also gone still, eyes fixed on the gods. Hermes looked from the goddesses to the gods and back again.

“You’ve never looked at me like that,” he complained.

“You’ve never looked like that,” Nike nodded at Helios, who had just pinned Ares and was struggling to hold him down. Persephone hummed in agreement. Hermes scoffed and didn’t respond.

Poseidon indeed was taking bets as the match was occurring, calling out moves and who was currency favored. It resembled what Persephone had heard of an Olympic wrestling match, but both participants were more than a little tipsy and it was taking place in a yard. Women were also forbidden to watch Olympic games as all the men competed naked, but it was clear that the goddesses were the target audience for this particular match. They sat in groups and pairs around the makeshift ring, giggling and shouting encouragement. Persephone smiled, then gasped and began to cheer Helios on when Ares slipped out of his hold.

Hermes was still peeved at the attention they were paying to wrestling match so he left them to their devices and disappeared towards the pool. Nike tugged Persephone over to where Athena and Aphrodite were seated in the grass sharing a plate of food.

“What do you think of the entertainment, Persephone?” Athena winked. Persephone blushed furiously and stuck her tongue out at her friend.

The goddesses sat through the first match and then the second when Apollo stepped in and wanted a turn against Ares. After winning both fights in a row, Ares was bold enough to challenge Janus, and the two-faced god accepted. Helios had found the girls after pulling his clothes back on, and Ares and Janus’ fight was so violent that Athena spent half of it with her face pressed against Helios’ arm. Persephone cried out with Nike when Janus’ fist crashed into Ares’ mouth and blood went spraying across both gods.

“Are they insane?” Persephone whispered to Helios.

“A little,” was the reply. “They’ve never gotten along so I assume this fight was a long time coming. Just be glad it isn’t Nike and Nemesis in that ring.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Helios,” Nike chastised. “That whoring bitch couldn’t draw my blood if you offered her half of Zeus’ estate. In fact, I’d give you half of Zeus’ estate if you could get her legs closed long enough to stand her upright.”

“She’s standing right over there, my dear,” Helios nodded to a spot across the lawn. “It seems you owe someone else half of Zeus’ estate. Shame. There’s so much I could have done with the place, too.”

Nike’s platinum hair glittered as she turned to glare at Nemesis. The goddess of revenge was indeed standing across the lawn, her sleek black hair cut into a severe bob and dark lines of kohl winging out from the corners of her eyes in sharp points. Even at a distance Persephone could practically taste the tension in Nemesis’ eyes. Persephone’s gaze slid to see who Nemesis was conferring with and almost flinched when sparks flew down her spine. Hades’ arms were bare tonight much like the other gods, and Persephone ate up the sight of his swirling black tattoos curving over muscle. Nemesis was clearly appreciating the sight as well. She kept dragging her eyes over Hades and clearly expected him to take the hint but the god of the Underworld settled himself against a curved patio pillar and drank deeply from his wine. In his hair glittered a single silver ring holding back the longest parts in a neat clasp. His profile was backlit by the soft light of the lanterns and Persephone took in his features as though she was trying to memorize them. He was beautiful. Frightening, perhaps, but beautiful nonetheless. And how frightening could someone really be if they took time to name their hound?

From besides her, Nike whistled low. “Look at him,” she said appreciatively. “I wonder what brought brother eldest out tonight.” She was looking at Hades as well. Athena and Aphrodite twisted to see.

“Perhaps Nemesis did,” Aphrodite said. “Although I can’t imagine- oh, nevermind.”

Hades had just pushed off the pillar and strode away, leaving Nemesis in mid-sentence. Her jaw twisted in irritation but she made no move to go after him.

“Oh, Hades. Always the diplomat,” Athena sighed. “It’s a shame, really. I’ve had a few conversations with him and he’s really very kind.”

“Kind? Did I just hear you describe Hades as kind?” It was Hermes, back from wherever he had gone to sulk. Persephone scooted over so he could plop down in between her and Nike. “My dear Athena, the amount of times Hades has almost sicced his hound on me should be enough to tell you that kindness is not one of his virtues.”

“Were you in his domain?” Athena asked.

“Well, yes, but-”

“Were you pestering him?”

“Yes, but-

“Were you making demands to him on behalf of Zeus?”

Hermes was silent. Persephone laughed and had to duck Hermes’ swat in her direction.

“I’ve always found him to be one of the more sensible gods,” Helios added. “It gets exhausting watching them all run around desperately trying to right their wrongs and avoid the consequences of their own actions.”

“And Hades doesn’t?” Nike wanted to know.

“Hades doesn’t fuck other gods’ wives. That makes him more sensible than nearly everyone at this party.”

“Speaking of sensibility,” Hermes rose to his feet and plucked a grape out of Athena’s hand, “I must go speak to the god himself. Since dear Athena reminded me so kindly of my duties.”

“You cannot be serious,” Helios said. “Zeus does not have you working tonight. How can he? If it's business he wants to discuss with his brother, he can do it his damn self- he’s across the lawn from him.”

Nike whistled low. “Let me know when you decide to tell Zeus that. I want a front row seat to that shitshow.”

“As much as I appreciate the defense in my honor, dear Helios, I’m afraid I’m in no position to protest against my God King. So I shall embark on this odyssey of violence and treachery only to barely make it out alive thanks to the fact that a certain demon hound is absent.”

Hermes turned to leave. Aphrodite rolled her eyes and asked, “How much have you had to drink?”

“How much of what?” Was the answer. Aphrodite grimaced. “This isn’t going to go well.”

“What can Hermes possibly need with Hades right now?” Persephone asked as they watched Hermes pick his way across the grass.

“I can’t imagine. But then again, Zeus has his own ways of dealing with business. I feel bad for Hermes. I’m inclined to think he and Hades would otherwise get along if it weren’t for Zeus forcing him to deal with Hades on his behalf.”

“But I’ve seen Zeus and Hades speak before. Surely there can’t be that much bad blood?”

“Oh, I don’t believe it’s bad blood, per se. It’s more like,” Aphrodite paused and looked at Helios for help. Helios tilted his head, considering, and said, “It’s more like Zeus tries to treat Hades’ domain as his own, and Hades doesn’t allow him to. Zeus doesn’t do very well if he’s told he can’t do something, but there isn’t technically anything he can do to make his brother submit to his wishes.”

“I see,” Persephone said. “And...you know all this...how?”

Helios winked. “I’m the god of the sun, my dear girl. I ride a chariot across the sky every morning and night, and I see everything the sun sees.”

“Does the sun shine in the Underworld?” Nike asked.

Persephone caught herself before the answer slipped out, remembering just in time that she wasn’t supposed to know anything about the Underworld or its master.

“It does, faintly. There was a long time where I wasn’t allowed to bring the sun to the Underworld but quite a long while ago Hades had a change of heart. I suppose everyone needs her now and again. She is a wonderful companion.”

Persephone wondered at Helios’ words as the conversation drifted elsewhere. They tried to keep track of Hermes but the god was quickly swallowed up among other revelers and distractions. They also looked up after nearly half an hour to find that Hades was not standing where he had been the last time they saw him. With no way to find their friend or the subject of his foolish mission, they decided to wait a while longer before starting a search.

Another half hour drifted by before the food was gone. Aphrodite pouted to Helios that she was still hungry and became affronted when he suggested she get more herself. Persephone desired to stretch her legs and thus was more than happy to offer to fetch Aphrodite some food. A small rebellious piece of Persephone’s mind knew, however, that she was simply bored and wanted to risk running into some excitement.

As she wound her way closer to the palace doors, Persephone found that she was extremely comfortable in the presence of the other deities. If this had been her first night on Olympus, she wouldn’t have dared leave Athena or Aphrodite, and she certainly wouldn’t have been wandering off looking for Hades. But here she was.

She was only halfway to the palace when she spotted Hermes. He was indeed with Hades and, not at all to Persephone’s surprise, the conversation did not seem to be going well. Hades was frowning down at Hermes as he chattered away, gesturing with his hands about something clearly important. Hades appeared thoroughly unimpressed. Persephone watched as the god of the Underworld straddled the line between irritation and anger, and wondered if she had time to turn back and get Helios before things went truly south. But when Hades snapped something vicious at Hermes, his dark eyes flashing with violence, she decided there was no time.

She backtracked from her path towards the palace, edging closer to her friend and cursing him the entire way. Her heart pounded painfully against her ribcage; Hades looked so angry, was it wise to interrupt them? But Persephone did not feel good leaving Hermes on his own, despite how he got himself into the situation just fine, so she continued on and told her foolish heart to be still.

Her foolish heart was still fluttering when she approached the pair. Hades noticed her first over Hermes’ shoulder. His expression cleared ever so slightly but the anger didn’t fade, especially as Hermes said, “This isn’t coming from me, Hades, it’s coming from Zeus.”

Hades turned his attention back to the unfortunate Hermes and growled, “Then tell my brother to speak to me himself. I will not have his messenger scurrying back and forth between us like a frightened dog. If Zeus finds it beyond himself to look me in my eye, he must not need his business done.”

Persephone closed in on Hermes before he could reply, and she called out to him to prevent him from saying something foolish. He turned, his face lighting up when he saw her. He was still inebriated and it was clear Hades knew this as well.

“Persephone! What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you. What are you doing...here?” She tactfully smiled at Hades, whose eyes hadn’t left her form and was currently drinking deeply from his goblet of wine. “You said you would only be gone a moment.”

“I did?”

“Yes. An hour ago.” She gave him a meaningful look, hoping to convey to him how important it was for him to get out of range from Hades, without making it obvious to Hades what she was doing. She didn’t think she was succeeding.

“I’m finishing up some business with Hades, I’ll- have you met him? Let me introduce you!”

Before she could say anything, Hermes was giving Persephone’s hand to Hades and making formal introductions. Any sign of anger was now gone from Hades’ expression, much to Persephone’s relief. His hand was warm as his fingers closed over her own. He brought her hand up to brush his lips against her knuckles, bowing respectfully to her. Persephone could barely keep her balance as she dipped into a shallow curtsey. A flood of heat tingled down her limbs when she felt how soft Hades’ lips were against her hand. When he finally released her, the tips of her fingers were trembling and a visible blush had bloomed across her cheeks and nose.

“It’s an honor to meet you, my lord,” Persephone managed. “I apologize if my friend has been inconveniencing you.”

“Do not assume yourself deserving of my anger, my lady. It is not who I wish to strangle.”

Hermes choked on his wine behind Persephone. She barely hid her smile as she said, “I understand Hermes has worn out his welcome.”

“Only slightly.”

Hermes made a sound of protest. “Why do I feel like I’m being turned against? Persephone, you were supposed to swoop in and rescue me with your beautiful dress and shining hair, not blush at my foe.”

Persephone’s blush only worsened at Hermes’ drunk words, and she was even more appalled when Hades chuckled into his wine. She glared at her friend.

“I have half a mind to leave you here to get the beating you had coming to you.”

“I do have business to finish, thank you for reminding me. Hades-”

“No.” The irritation was back.

“You haven’t-”

“No.”

Hermes sighed and regarded Hades like he was a stubborn child refusing to eat dinner. But Hades was not a child, he was one of the oldest and most powerful gods alive, and he was currently looking back at Hermes like he wanted nothing more than to drown him in the nearby pool.

“This is a party, Hermes, surely anything you need to discuss can wait until later?”

“Listen to your pretty friend, Hermes. She has an endearing voice, does she not?”

Persephone needed to get away from Hades if she wanted to prevent swooning. She dared a glance over her shoulder at him and was met with his dark gaze.

“I’m trying to help,” she whispered to him.

“You’re doing marvelous. Carry on.”

Hermes leaned around Persephone and said, “Hades, if you’d only consider-”

Hades rolled his eyes, clearly ready for Hermes to be gone. “I’ll give you my consideration if you give me a single thing.”

“Which is?”

Hades held out his hand, palm up. Hermes looked at it for a while before glancing down at his own hand holding Persephone’s. Slowly, hesitantly, Hermes placed Persephone’s hand in Hades waiting palm. Hades took it and said, “I’ll consider. Next time I hear this discussion will be from my brother himself or no one at all. Is that understood?”

Hermes nodded. “Perfectly, my lord.” He turned his attention to Persephone and asked, “Will you be alright, my love?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m not Zeus’ messenger.”

Hermes feigned injury at her words but winked at her before he turned and left the two alone. Persephone became suddenly very aware of her hand enclosed within Hades’. He dropped it, however, to pass his cup of wine into her hand. He deftly picked another goblet up off the tray of a passing nymph who smiled flirtatiously on her way past.

“I’m sorry about Hermes-”

“I told you not to apologize for him. He makes his own decisions.” The scolding was light and lacked edge. Persephone swirled her wine in an attempt to settle her nerves.

“That was a skillful rescue, I must compliment you,” Hades said. Persephone frowned lightly. “What do you mean?”

“You hadn’t been looking for him.”

“I...he...had been gone for too long and we knew he wished to discuss business with you and so I came looking.”

Hades smiled slowly, like a cat. “No,” he whispered. “You didn’t.”

Persephone felt trapped but she didn’t want to back down. “I beg you to explain yourself, my lord. I fear you have confused me.”

“You would have me believe you left your friends to seek out Hermes alone.”

“Yes. I found him with you, not to any surprise. He did tell us he needed to speak with you.”

“You were going into the palace, not to Hermes.”

Persephone fell silent. How..? He had been watching her. That was the only answer. He had seen her leave Athena and Aphrodite; it had been clear she wasn’t searching for Hermes because she hadn’t been.

She recovered the best she could, but there was very little to save. She fixed Hades with a gentle glare. “Are you accusing me of something, my lord?”

“Only being more interesting than I initially gave you credit for.” “What does that mean?”

“Must you have everything explained?”

“Must you insist on talking in ambiguous circles?”

“Only as much as you continue to look at me like that.”

“Like what?” Persephone breathed. The words were out of her mouth before she realized she had asked for an explanation yet again. But her heart was beating in her throat now, and she didn’t know how she had managed to remain upright thus far. She didn’t know where her boldness was coming from, how she was able to exchange banter with Hades and not stutter an apology for intruding upon his night, as her mother would have surely insisted she do if Demeter had been present.

Hades tilted his head down, a few precious inches closer to Persephone. His gaze was as smooth as silk, at least for the time being.

“Like you came here for something.”

Persephone’s instinct was to deny his statement, but she found herself guilty as charged. She had stood up with the intention of finding Hades, had she not? She had left her friends with the desire to run into trouble, had she not? But she couldn’t very well tell Hades that. And it seemed like he already knew, anyways. She twisted on the spot, not knowing how to respond appropriately. But Hades didn’t press her. He leaned away, taking with him the faint scent of cold air and night sky, and took a sip of his wine.

“I’m surprised to see you without dear Demeter.”

Persephone smiled wryly. “You aren’t the first to tell me that tonight.”

“May I ask?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Do I look like I can’t?”

Persephone’s smile widened with genuinity. “Can you ever answer a question?”

He graced her with a rare smile, the likes of which she had received once before, many nights ago as she teased him from a distance. “Yes, goddess, I can keep a secret.”

“She doesn’t know I’m here. I came by myself because I wanted to come and enjoy the party without her hovering over my shoulder. So here I am.”

Hades looked mildly impressed. “A novel feat, I’m sure.”

“Yes. It is. I’m not sure why it took me so long.”

“I can think of a few reasons.”

Persephone blinked in surprise. “You can?”

Hades looked at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Love is always binding, even if it's poisoned.”

Persephone was rendered speechless yet again. “Oh,” she whispered. “Yes, I...I suppose it is.”

After a stretch of pensive silence, Hades chuckled deeply. “How Demeter would rage if she found you here.”

It made Persephone smile a little. “Perhaps she would act rationally. I have been to Olymuos before, after all.”

“I meant here within an arm’s reach of me. But yes, perhaps.”

Persephone looked inquisitively up at the god of the Underworld and couldn’t help but ask, “Does my mother not like you?”

The question didn’t seem to offend. Hades’ mouth twitched at the corners, and that was response enough, but he said, “Demeter and I fail to see eye to eye on many things. She’s a headstrong goddess, for better or for worse.”

It was the politest way of insulting someone’s mother that Persephone had ever heard. She was becoming impressed by Hades’ inexhaustible couth. She took another sip of wine, savoring the warmth as it slipped down her throat. “For better or for worse.”

“May I ask?”

“I suppose you can, my lord.”

“Hades.”

Persephone paused. “I’m sorry?”

A smile. “My name, precious. I prefer people use it.”

Persephone had only just recovered from Hades’ taunts about her motivation in interrupting him and Hermes, and now between the pet name and the permission to use his name, Persephone was right back to square one. Pounding heart and sweaty palms.

“Right. As you wish, Hades. Ask away.”

“Do you enjoy living in the mortal realm?”

“Oh, yes, I do. It’s beautiful and my mother takes very good care of what’s in her control; the mortals love her.”

“It sounds innocent.”

Before she could think about what she was saying, Persephone said, “What do you know of innocence?”

She savored the brief look of surprise that crossed Hades’ face, but it was almost instantly chased away by amusement and the spark of an accepted challenge.

“Little indeed, flower. Tread softly over this ice.” His voice had changed. It was softer now, lined with something smooth that Persephone couldn’t quite place. But she was having trouble focusing much on anything except the god in front of her.

Persephone twirled innocently on the spot. “As you wish, my lord.”

His fingers were warm when they took ahold of her chin. He tilted her face up in a firm yet gentle grasp to make her look him in the eye.

“Try that again,” he said softly.

“Try what again?” She liked the way his hand fit around her jaw and didn’t want him to let go.

“Don’t play dumb, Persephone.”

It was the sound of her name that pushed her to compliance. Coming from him, it was the sweetest thing she had ever heard. She smiled shyly.

“As you wish, Hades.”

He had gotten what he wanted, but he was slow to let go of her. He tapped his thumb against her cheek before finally dropping his hand.

“Forgive my manners. I forgot to thank you for the daisy.”

It was surprising enough to startle a laugh out of Persephone. She was glad Cerberus had known to whom to go after her visit with him.

“You’re very welcome. Will you tell Cerberus hello for me?”

“I will. But you can always tell him yourself.”

Persephone laughed and felt the warmth of a blush spreading across her cheeks yet again. If she had known she was going to have this much enjoyment away from her mother, she would have dared to sneak away years ago.

#malgranatum #hades and persephone #Persephone #Hades #Greek Mythology #greek gods #greek goddesses

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intelligentdumbass · 4 years

Text

The Obligatory Beach Episode

(Yeah this is more crack-ish)

———————

The sun shone bright and high on the afternoon sky as the crystal waves crashed into the sand.

Poseidon and Zeus were surfing; the god of the sea trying to use all sorts of subtle tricks to make his brother fail every time. Ares, Artemis, Athena and Hermes were having a good ole round of beach volley ball. Apollo was laying down, wearing shades of course, and chatting with Persephone and Aphrodite while they built a sand castle on top of him. Dionysus and Hephaestus were drinking wine under the shade, with Hades not too far off; trying to make sure he doesn’t get any sand stuck in between his toes. In the meantime, the barbeque was under the care of all three of Kronos’ daughters, along with some other snacks while they shared each other’s stories. Some of the minor gods were here too, like Hebe cheering on her siblings in the volley ball game and Iris walking around with a drink in her hand.

As you can see, things were surprisingly peaceful, well, at least for now.

It just so happened that eventually Zeus was sick of his brother’s bullshit and decided to try to find something else to do that would hopefully be more advantageous for him fair for the both of them. When they got back on land, the god’s eyes shifted towards the volleyball resting on the sand. It seems that his kids were on a break.

“Okay, how about we have… a volleyball game?”

“Just us? Ehhhh, how about we add some more? Maybe… two each?”

“Oh, gladly. Apollo! Athena!”

He got a single, unanimous response. “NO.”

“…I’ll give both of you a day off each?”

“…”

“A week off-”

And just like that, they were now standing beside him on one side of the volleyball court. (Ignore the complaints of Persephone about her damaged sand castle and Hermes’ faint grumbles of wanting that week off too.)

Now it was Poseidon’s turn, but before he even spoke, Artemis and Ares eagerly volunteered.

Hermes’ frown turned into a curious grin. “Oh-” “Ohhhh… Oh, this is gonna be fun.” He disappeared for a minute before coming back with a camera around his neck. Hestia, on the other hand, was already trying to convince all the mortals in the beach to evacuate and go home early. In other words, most of them were anticipating the worse, but how bad could it possibly be?

Well, only one way to find out. Time to spin the wheel and roll the dice.

Before anything else though, Athena got Zeus and Poseidon to swear on the river Styx not to use their elemental prowess during the game.

The first round started out fine. Zeus served, and Poseidon managed to send it back, which was then countered by Athena, then Ares, then Athena again, then Artemis, then Apollo… It was actually kinda fun to watch with how fast the ball was moving. It ended with a point going to Poseidon’s side, with the ball also hitting Apollo’s leg, causing him to trip.

“Oops, my bad.” Artemis apologized, without much remorse, while going to get the ball.

The god glared and got up, dusting the sand off. Later, in the second round, Apollo did a spike that definitely wasn’t supposed to be an act of revenge that somehow hit Ares square in the chest instead, making him fall back-first on the sand.

“Oh shit-” “That wasn’t on purpose I swear-” He stopped when the war god sent the ball hurling right back at him, but luckily he moved out of the way at the last second. Unfortunately, that meant that the ball ended up wrecking the barbeque.

Before anyone else could react, Hera grabbed it and spiked it back, hitting Zeus on the head so hard he actually ended up falling on the net, breaking it. “ACH-” “HEY! Why me? What did I do?!”

“Well shit.” Athena glanced at her father. “I suppose that ends the game.”

“Wait, I have an idea…” Poseidon picked up the volleyball. “Let’s play something else instead.”

“That is..?”

“Well… Anyone up for some dodge ball!?” He threw it at Athena, who just side-stepped out of the way, causing it to hit Hermes on the face and crush the camera he was holding.

“Hermes!” Apollo immediately rushed over, one of the few times he genuinely sounded concerned in this entire mess, and scooped him up to go where Dio and Heph are while the messenger whined about all the lost footage.

Meanwhile, Zeus had already stood up, holding the ball. “Oh if it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get!” He launched it towards Ares, who summoned his shield at just the right moment, making the ball bounce off, and it would’ve hit an unsuspecting Apollo if Artemis hadn’t pulled out her bow. Instead, her golden arrow had unintentionally guided the ball to create a giant crater in what was supposed to be Persephone’s newly fixed sand castle.

“OH, COME ON!”

Aphrodite patted her on the back as Hephaestus walked over to offer his help in rebuilding it, again.

Demeter frowned and sighed. “Okay, that’s enough please!-” “Ah!” Someone had thrown the volleyball, hitting her left hand and landing on a plate of spaghetti. She looked at the direction of where it came from, glaring at Hades, but the god of the underworld looked just as shocked as she was.

“Wha-” “Hey look, I know what it looks like and why you might think that I did it but I did NOT-” He got cut off by a wave of sand and a few stray drops of tomato sauce and pasta getting into both his robes and his hair. Demeter didn’t throw it, she kicked it over. The god looked horrified as there was a faint echo of laughter and glared back at the grain goddess.

Persephone felt bad because she saw that it was Eris who did it this time, but even she had to suppress a small giggle. “You know, literal centuries have passed. When will you two ever make up? Or, no maybe not that but at least, like, leave each other alone?”

“Huh?” Dionysus blinked. “Wait I heard something something make out-”

Hermes burst out laughing while Apollo face palmed and Persephone gagged. Fortunately for Demeter, she hadn’t heard what the wine god said, but Hades did and he looked like he wanted to vomit. He kicked the ball, but instead of hitting Dio, it landed right on Hermes’ face again, and the two brothers next to him almost swore as loud as he did with the sudden rush of sand. Apollo coughed a little, before turning to Hermes.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Ugh, ya think?” He held a hand over his face. “I think… I think I broke my nose again.”

Apollo moved Hermes’ hand away, examining his face, and just did what he did before; that is, give him a small peck on the nose because apparently that works.

A few moments passed before Dionysus cleared his throat. “You know, I can go rent a room if you’re going to keep on staring at each other like that.”

The messenger blushed while the blonde just ignored him, glancing around like he was looking for something. “Where’s the ball?”

“Uhhhh, over here.” Dio passes the volleyball to his brother. “Why?”

Apollo stared at it for a second, at which the ball suddenly burst into flames. Speaking of the ball, the only reason it’s still intact at this point is because Hephaestus made it specifically to withstand the strength of all the gods.

“Um… bro?” The messenger nervously eyed the miniature sun. “What’re you doing?”

“Something I should’ve tried a long time ago.” And with that he tossed the ball. It was quite the impressive throw really, travelling all the way to the other side of the beach until it ended up hitting Eros’ back with the heat of a G-type main-sequence star. The bastard yelled and quickly ran off into the water or else his wings would start catching fire. Thankfully, to Psyche’s relief, the ball immediately stopped burning the second the deed was done.

There were a few more victims of the deadly volleyball that day as more and more gods used it to ruin someone’s day. Of course, it immediately had to end the second someone accidentally hit Hebe on the shoulder.

Oh well, just another day in being immortal.

#for some reason my laptop wont let me post shit-#goddammit #greek gods #greek mythology #too lazy to just tag all the gods rn so-#the olympians #crack #tumblr why wont you let me post on my laptop #so yeah #that’s why there’s no read more thing #mywritingshit

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keeping-up-with-the-olympians · 5 years

Text

IF THE GODS HAD TUMBLR BLOGS

Aphrodite: You think you’ve seen a feminist blog? Think again. There are ~tasteful~ pictures of nipples left and right, quotes about body image and lots of empowered women. The title is: freethenip_keepthewhip Rupi Kaur would probably deem the blog too much, but somehow she manages to keep it to a sane level. Everyone follows her, even tho they all deny it. 10/10 inspirational as fuck

Hermes: He runs: yaboy-hermesss This blog is a mess. There is no such thing as a theme, or any kind of cohesion, the boy just reblogs what he likes. That’s it, that’s the only rule. It’s a shame he mostly only blogs when he’s high, so it’s a game of “will today be a motivational quotes over colorful sunsets OR Low-resolution pictures of literal houseplants in the dark” kinda day? 7.5/10 – if you’re high too, it’s the best thing you’ve seen all year

Dionysus: AKA: yourdaddywouldnever. The blog is pretty tame, it’s mostly just memes and an occasional photo of the latest shenanigans he’s gotten into. But he likes everything. EVERYTHING. From cat pics on Hephaestus’ blog to random selfies of Indian dudes, it seems like Dio uses the like button every time he takes a breath. 5.5/10 the blog itself is really mediocre

Hephaestus: Pictures. Of. Cats. Just so many cat pics. He recently began adding gifs to the mix. He names every kitten, and his tags are full of things like #fluff #meow #furryfriends. There is an occasional photo of him posing (but pretending to be natural) and some of those memes your aunt would post on facebook, tagged with three crying-laughing faces. The name is: hephaestus1 – “hephaestus was already taken” 9/10 gotta admit the kitties are cute as fuck

Hestia: Poetry blog. She uploads her own stuff and reblogs quotes from others, but the main purpose of tumblr for her is to get into debates about meaningless stuff in the comments. Her blog’s name is: lines_of_revolution 6.5/10 the poems are not bad actually, but for the love of everything, don’t tag her

Ares: His blog is mainly black and white images. He tries to maintain an aesthetic but sometimes it is too much for ADHD boiTM, and he spirals into a pit of sad and miserable quotes only. But when he’s doing good, the pictures are a very decent way of telling what mood he is in, and actually tell a pretty good story of his week. The blog name is: ares-godofwar 8/10 when he’s fine

Artemis: This is The Aesthetic Blog TM. Everything matches with everything. She keeps up themes that change every month, and there is not a post that’s out of order. The blog is so aesthetically pleasing, legends say you can not look at it for more than 15 minutes at a time or your life will fall apart and nothing will ever seem worthy of looking at again. Her blog is: goddessofperfection

Apollo: There is no good way of putting it, Apollo’s blog is a good ol’ pornblog. He strongly argues and puts it as some kind of “artistic choice” or “naturalistic expression” but that’s no way of fooling anyone when there are more naked butts on his page than on Burning Man. His username is: harp_me_up (he spent 3 weeks coming up with this name) 5/10 for the denial (just admit it bro)

Demeter: She runs: demeter-dontmakeatumblrplease. Now listen. I don’t have any explanation for this. But her blog is the funniest shit ever. In the history of time, it is the most hilarious thing to grace this blob of stone we call Earth. It is just straight up hysterical. It resonates with everyone. The things she reblogs and the things she posts herself. Quality content. This is what I’m here for. And by myself I mean everyone ever. 100000/10 would recommend

Athena: Song lyrics everywhere. She probably thinks the site is a knockoff karaoke bar. Her blog is the equivalent of every single time a song has gotten stuck into your head for two days. Besides that, it’s usually “intellectual” stuff such as quotes from famous thinkers, but just when you think there is more to that than annoying lyrics, a line from I Wanna Know What Love Is pops up and the illusion is ruined. Her blog is: itsa-kindof-magic 5/10 pretty boring (sorry)

Persephone: Pretty convinced that her site (queen_of_the_dead) is just a cover for some serious satanic shit. It’s straight up scary. Can’t really give a rating, cuz I’ve only looked it up once and it still haunts be, but let’s go with a 10/10 not to piss her off.

Hera: It’s a pretty standard hipster blog with the trademark pics of cozy coffee shops and those backpacks (you know, the ones you see on the back of a dude with a beard longer than your last relationship) in every color imaginable. The blog is: mom_friend101 It’s cute and sweet and reflects her personality very well. Lot’s of rolled up pants to reveal crazy patterned socks. All around great vibes. 9/10

Hades: Ah yes, the dog rating site. “how many TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT IT’S NOT A DOG RATING…!!” Ssssh, Hades, it’s okay. We all have a soft spot. A for effort for posting some other stuff once every month or so just to keep up the illusion. But it is what it is. His blog is: not-a-dog-rating-site JK, it’s actually: hatethis_hades 10/10 because it’s the best thing to come out of the grumpy old man (the dude gives every dog a max score)

Poseidon: Doesn’t get the concept of it, regularly confuses tumblr with twitter and posts his opinions nobody asked for. His username is: better-than-zeus, and he begins every single one of his posts with “Now guess what…” a strong 8/10 because he is actually pretty funny but no one will admit it, so don’t bring it up

Zeus:

AKA: zeusofficial Only posts about twice a year and it is always a link to some other site or article you know you’ll never read. -100/10, this is not your granddad’s facebook page, get it together man

#aphrodie #hermes #dionysus #hephaestus #hestia #ares #artemis #apollo #demeter #athena #zeus #poseidon #persephone #hades #keeping-up-with-the-olympians #gods #greek #greek gods #mythology

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seanymphic-blog · 6 years

Note

I'm curious. Can you give us a rundown of what Thetis thinks of the Olympians and what you imagine her relationship is like with each of them?

thank you so much for sending this in !! i am going to put this under a cut because it got quite lengthy. there are NOT based on what i plotted until now with my partners , but on what was assumed before plotting.

ZEUS. before her marriage , thetis used to have a lot of admiration for the king of gods. we know that zeus had romantic interests with thetis , which were more or less reciprocated by the nymph. she has always been close to him , even before she rescued him when the other gods revolted against him. the moment he had arranged the marriage with peleus , though , thetis lost most of her trust in the king. she forgot about it during the trojan war , when she supplicated him in order to win back achilles’ honour , and it started to become a fading emotion of hatred. thetis knows that she needs zeus’ favours and trust if she ever gets into a situation that requires them , so she keeps an open heart.

HERA. hera was the one who raised thetis , so she thinks of the queen as her mother. everything she learnt in her foundation years and before she was entitled leader of the nereids was learnt from hera. it was hera who taught her how to be a respectable goddess. before her marriage to peleus and achilles’ death thetis couldn’t understand the queen’s anger – but now she does. she learnt from hera that anger and revenge are as needed as love and understanding. thetis keeps hera very close to her heart and i like to think that she calls her mother ! the fight for the golden apple made her admiration for hera waver , but her love for the queen won.

POSEIDON. poseidon is someone who thetis is very close to because of their domains , but also because she spends plenty of time around him. she feels comfortable around poseidon and her trust was won by him. the marriage of her sister to po drew her closer to the god and i reckon that he is one of the few people who know thetis very well.

DEMETER. thetis is impartial to her. they haven’t had a chance to get close , other than formal interactions. she respects demeter and looks up to her as a goddess and as a mother. somehow thetis can find herself in demeter’s actions of shielding persephone , because the nymph tried to protect her son through many ways too , even if their causes were different.

ATHENA. before the trojan war , thetis had no opinion on athena. the fight for the golden apple gave her a bad impression , but i doubt that there is any other god to whom thetis owns as much as she does to athena. she protected her son and guided him , even fed him in the time of mourning. thetis would do anything that athena would ask of her.

APOLLO. it is needless to say that thetis absolutely despises apollo. i think the reasons are obvious , because he guided paris’ arrow into achilles’ heel. more reasons as to why thetis hates apollo are : he is incredibly selfish and unreasonable , even moreso than the other gods , he does not seek righteousness but victory , and he is part of why achilles had his honour tainted.

ARTEMIS. again , thetis is impartial. if anything , she dislikes artemis because of her brother , but she does not bear any grudges against her directly.

ARES. thetis dislikes his reckless , savage behaviour. she would never say it out loud because he is an olympian , but she finds his attitude unworthy of respect in most situations. of course , she is willing to give him a chance if he were to show a new face , but otherwise she keeps her distance from him.

APHRODITE. not only does thetis dislike aphrodite , but she finds her pathetic. this comes from a place of differences in moral codes and personalities. thetis’ twisted view of mortals made her unable to understand why aphrodite would go to such lengths for paris and force helen to love him. thetis saw herself in helen , so aphrodite giving her away to paris only made the nymph hate her even more.

HEPHAESTUS. as stated before , thetis loves hephaestus and this love is reciprocated. he is like a brother to her and if she had to she’d protect him again and again , do anything for him. i don’t think that they’d help each other for favours , but because they love each other as family. she accepted him when hera and zeus didn’t , and he kept her company and showed her the arts of crafting.

HERMES. impartial. she admires him for his honour , but otherwise thetis isn’t in any with relations with hermes.

DIONYSUS. out of all the olympians thetis feels most close to dionysus ! during the time lived under the sea with the nereids , dionysus breathed life and mirth into thetis’ life. she misses the time spent with him , as she got very attached to dio. thetis regrets isolating for years from everyone , dionysus included , and therefore losing what she built with him and others. she has had strong feelings for dionysus , which could have easily developed into something romantic but didn’t.

HESTIA. again , thetis is neutral. she has a lot of respect for hestia , but other than that she doesn’t have any strong feelings regarding her.

#anonymous #—— ･ ⇀ / headcanon. tough as sea - echoing rocks.#—— ･ ⇀ / answers. the tide cries.#i had so much fun writing this aaaaaa thank u so much anon !!!!

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melancholyintroverts-blog · 6 years

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Without Even Realizing Chapter One (Jason)

Tuesday It was all extremely surreal, the war. Sometimes my mind wanders off to Nowhere In Particular Land, which makes everyone think I'm going insane and that I'm completely delirious 24/7. Thank the gods Leo is back. Yeah, yeah. So, Nico felt him die? He clearly explained that this particular "death" was a different feeling. Who listened though? No one. When Leo came back, it was ridiculous. Piper wouldn't stop cursing, but it felt good to have my best friend here. He always managed to keep me from dozing off to Nowhere In Particular Land by waving his arms and yelling "YO!". It was good knowing that everything was soon going to settle in. Piper and I have had some moments of alone time too, so, great. Everything will be back to normal soon enough. Oh, I almost forgot. Nico. I felt a strange connection towards him after what happened when we encountered Cupid. Not strange in a bad way though, it was more of a bond. I felt the need to know he wasn't in any sort of pain. Nico can't know that I'm feeling protective of him though. It would annoy him. Will not let that happen. I just wish- "JASON! Dude, I've been waving my arms for so long they might snap off so snap out of it before I snap something that'll make you feel pain, Dios mio. Nunca aprenden! (Dear God they never learn!)" Leo was impatient...wait. What time is it? "It's time for dinner, come on we're having a barbecue today!" I realise I must have thought aloud. "Okay, okay..." I really need to focus, I'm starting to get annoyed with myself. The walk to the mess hall felt like a thousand years, but we finally got there. I took in the fresh aroma of exotic fruits, warm bread, and meat. You name the meat, I smelled it. I took a seat at Zeus' table because I really didn't feel like breaking the rules. Not like some people, I guess. Then, realising I forgot to bother to get any food, I walked towards the table with the actual food, placed some of the fricking food onto my plate and gave my offering. To get better, to hopefully having everything go back to normal. I turned to see all of my friends sitting at a table together. My body filled with warmth at the sight of them. "Fuck it," I muttered under my breath. "Damn those rules." I took a seat next to Piper, her gorgeous eyes smiling up at me. "Hey, same team for capture the flag on Friday?" She asked me with her beautiful pleading eyes and that intense charm speak that I absolutely couldn't refuse. "Of course." I chuckled lightly, immediately feeling comfortable at the table. "Frank, are you gonna eat that roll? And your grapes?" Percy was always hungry. I wondered how he did it... "No, go ahead and take them." He smiled at Percy while watching him grab it from his plate with anticipation. "Thanks, bro. Really. I fully appreciate-" "Okay, let's get down to business guys, seriously," Annabeth interrupted the guy sitting next to her with a serious expression plastered all over her face. "We know that Aphrodite, Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, and Ares are going to be a team for capture the flag. Now, this leaves Demeter, Hermes, Hephaestus, Hades, and Apollo for the other team since othercabins decided not to participate. Which team do you guys believe will be-?" "Oh, come on let's talk about that later, please. You know? When it's actually time for the capturing of the flag." Percy yawned, kissed his girlfriend goodnight, and stalked off. At that moment, Nico flinched and Will asked if he was okay. I thought he was over him? "Yeah. Fine. Just tired. Goodnight, Will..." With that, he walked off to his cabin. Did Nico lie to himself and Percy about not having any feeling towards him anymore? What if he was only dating Will because he wanted not to feel those feelings towards Percy? No man, I can't think that. I have to believe he's happy. He is, he is. Isn't he? https://www.wattpad.com/453778615-without-even-realizing-posttraumatic-stress-jason

#percyjackson #jasongrace #pjofanfiction #wattpad #ashleyandfandoms #firstchapter #nico di angelo #solangelo #pernico #leovaldez #annabeth chase #hoo fanfiction

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greekschist · 3 years

Conversation

Hestia: So you're saying that Zeus occasionally provokes Hera... on purpose?

Demeter: He says he enjoys the thrill of being an endangered species.

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florafey · 5 years

Text

Malogranatum - Part 2

Chasing Freedom

Three hours passed since Hades and Persephone exchanged first glances and the party was not slowing down. If anything, it had just reached full swing. Sometime recently Zeus had thrown open the doors of the ballroom and encouraged his guests onto the sprawling grounds underneath a dark, star-speckled sky. The weather was fair enough, tainted only by a breeze that made the goddess squeal and wish they had worn less sheer dresses. Nike had swept Persephone from her perch on the base of the statue and, with Athena and Aphrodite in tow, had given Persephone her first glance of the grounds of Mount Olympus. Of course she had seen them before as a child, but never like this. Never as a guest, never from Zeus and Hera’s home.

It was breathtaking. The vast lawn spread out like a goddess’s fan, bejewelled with flowers and elegantly carved statues. A low stone wall marked the edge, and the mountains in the distance were visible beyond it, giving the impression that you were about to topple off the edge of the world. Some brave deities were seated on the wall, swinging their feet and enjoying the view.

Others were lounging on the low furniture set into the stone pathways but most others were being more liberal and rolling on the grass, chasing and tackling each other with such energy that Persephone immediately identified them as the younger gods and goddesses. And wanted to join in. She delighted in a good chase; she had had tons of practice running from Hermes, her nymphs, her mother, and was a quick little thing when she wanted to be.

Nike slipped away to steal more wine from Dionysus, who was currently prancing around a raging bonfire on the far side of the lawn. Her spot was soon filled with a soaking wet Hermes and it was only then that Persephone noticed the long, rippling pool of water set into the grass to her left. Athena squealed when Hermes lunged for her and caught her in his arms, sending water droplets cascading onto her silk dress and impeccable hair.

“Hermes!” She cried disdainfully. “Persephone, make him stop!” Persephone made a half-hearted scolding noise and managed to yank Hermes off Athena before he could make her truly grumpy.

“If I wanted to get wet, I would have stayed with Helios,” Athena sniffed, flicking her damp hair over her shoulder. Hermes made an odd choking noise in the back of his throat.

“Oh, don’t be dull, Athena, we should go swimming.” Aphrodite stood on her toes to better see the pool and who was around it. “Is that- oh there’s Ares! I haven’t seen him in hours!” She nudged around Hermes and set off towards the god that was never without his entourage of giggling, blushing goddesses. Halfway to the edge of the pool, she turned over her shoulder and shouted, “Come on, Honey!”

Persephone smirked at the nickname bestowed upon her by some of the older goddess. “I’ll protect you if you wish to stay dry,” she nudged Athena playfully and pulled her along as she followed Aphrodite’s path to the water. But Athena quickly found that it was no fun staying on the grass when most everybody else was wading and swimming and she soon joined in. The gods stripped to their pants to swim while some of the goddesses wriggled out of their dresses and some decided they didn’t mind if their clothes got wet. Nike and Aphrodite were more than happy to remove their dresses and as comfortable as Persephone was with herself, she doubted the night would end pleasantly if Demeter happened to see her treasured daughter swimming in a pool of half-naked men and women while clad only in her silk underthings. She doubted the night would end well as it was; she had stayed for far longer than Demeter had intended and she may have been purposefully avoiding her mother for the last three- or four- hours.

So Persephone’s dress stayed on. She waded up to her knees, knowing she would get scolded for the wet silk, and didn’t shy away from splashing the others when they showed interest in playing, knowing she would get scolded for her wet hair. But if she was already in trouble, why wouldn’t she get into a little more trouble and make a good night even better?

Eris appeared with food and it was only for her provisions that the deities ceased their splashing and jumping and screaming.

“Like a pack of children, all of you,” Eris dropped a wink at Persephone and offered her a leg of lamb. The meat was tender and sweet and quelled Persephone’s hunger until a tipsy Apollo grabbed her around the waist to keep her still while he lent down and nearly finished it all off with three bites. Eris tilted her head back and cried with laughter at Persephone’s shocked face.

“Children and brutes, perhaps,” she corrected, wiping the tears from her eyes and handing Persephone another piece of meat. The young goddess gladly bit into the lamb and quirked her lips up. “This is why I much prefer the company of pretty women than curly-haired men,” she mused to Eris, knowing Apollo could overhear perfectly well. His own curls were damp and chestnut brown from the water. She squealed when Apollo shoved her, nearly causing her to topple over. Eris snatched the food from Persephone’s hand as the goddess launched herself at Apollo in retaliation. The god boomed with laughter as the small goddess collided with his chest and stuck, her arms and legs wrapping around his torso like a baby monkey to his mother.

She had intended to knock him under the water, her dress be damned, but the force of her body had not done the job. Persephone huffed with annoyance and slapped away the arms that rose to keep her around his waist. Instead she dropped down to her feet and leveled Apollo with narrowed eyes. “You’re quite rude, Apollo.”

“Of course.” The snarky god sketched a bow.

“And insufferable, too.”

That earned her a smirk. “I suppose I would only prove your point if I asked you to take your dress off and join me for a swim.”

Before Persephone could respond, an apple hit Apollo in the head and landed with a splash in the water. Nike, from behind the pair, yelled, “Yes!” in response to Apollo’s question. Persephone giggled and snatched the apple to toss it back to her friend with a quiet wink.

The pointless games continued. Laughter broke out constantly as friends and strangers splashed and tickled and pulled each under the cool, clear water. Competitions were quickly started, especially among the gods eager to show off in front of the goddesses. It was eventually agreed that Ares was the most proficient swimmer out of them all, along with the fact that none of them were to challenge Poseidon. The High God, while older than most, still showed his youthful side now and then at Zeus’ parties. Poseidon was known to take part in competitions- but only the ones involving his own domain.

But the party-goers eventually tired of the games and of the water. Persephone had hauled herself up to sit on the rim of the pool with her feet tapping the surface of the water, her silk dress pulled up to her knees and spread behind her with the hopes of it drying before Demeter was any wiser. Beside her sat Dionysus, whom had been disallowed into the water to his state of inebriation.

“Let’s play a different game!” Artemis called. She had recently come from inside where most of the older deities had remained. The grand doors were still thrown open and the warm light from the ballroom cascaded onto the green lawn. During the rare moments when the deities outside were quiet enough, the rumble of conversation and music could be heard from the pool.

“As long as I don’t have to watch Ares win,” Apollo grumbled, running his fingers through his sopping curls. Ares smacked Apollo’s ass with an unnecessarily heavy hand which only made Apollo turn around to aim for Ares’ face. Nike was between them before either one could make any rash decisions, putting her hands on their chests and saying to Artemis, “Yes, a different game might be preferred. What do you propose?”

Artemis shrugged. “Oh, it doesn't matter to me.”

“Let’s put on a play!” Dionysus called, eliciting groans from those around him. Hermes groaned the loudest and Dio reached around Persephone to flip him off.

“How about a chase?” Persephone offered. “We can make teams, or participate individually if some of us,” she glanced meaningfully at Ares and Apollo, “can’t get along.”

Ares smirked at her from the water. But Nike was on her feet, excitedly bouncing up and down. “Yes, yes, a chase! Wonderful idea, Honey!”

Athena pulled herself from the water and wrung her hair out, sending droplets pouring onto the grass. “I’ve always enjoyed the Shadow Game myself. That’s a chase enough for anyone, I should say. Except for maybe Nike.” The goddess in question winked at Athena. “The Shadow Game,” she explained to Persephone, “is common enough among the younger deities. We play it on nights like this when the older ones are gossiping and having their idea of fun while the rest of us are too drunk to play anything sophisticated but still aren’t ready to go home.” Nike shrugged. “It’s simple. Easy to play.”

“How do you play?” Persephone asked.

“Like she said. Easy.” Aphrodite climbed out of the water behind Apollo and donned her dress once more. “A single person is chosen to be Mortal while everyone else is a Shadow. Boundaries must be set before the game starts and they can be as large or small as is agreed upon. But all the Shadows must start at one boundary line with the Mortal in the exact middle. Once the signal is given to start, the Shadows must race to the other boundary line while the Mortal tries to catch as many Shadows as possible.”

“It gets tricky when entire properties get included,” Eris added. “And, if we have enough players, there can be more than one Mortal at a time.” She shrugged, a grin tugging at her full lips. “Makes it that much more exciting.”

Persephone’s brow arched. Sounded perfectly intriguing. “I suppose whoever makes it to the opposite boundary line without getting caught wins.”

Nike nodded. “Just what they win is always up for discussion, though. I distinctly remember a few Midsummers ago Aphrodite managed to sneak around Eris and win.” She shrugged. “Hermes had said he would steal Hera’s opal vase for whoever won, but,” she cast a glance towards the open ballroom doors, “as far as I can tell, it’s still there.”

Hermes waved her comment off. “Now, now, I never said when-”

“Are we going to play or what?” Ares was the last to emerge from the water, his dark skin dripping wet and causing Aphrodite to look quickly away. Persephone stood and let her semi-wet dress swish around her feet. She supposed her mother would notice it after all and, with her hair still hanging in damp ringlets down her back, there was a fair chance Demeter would give her a sound scolding. But she didn’t let her mood darken. There was a game to be played.

“Who will be playing? Hands, hands.” Nike lifted her fingers and did a cursory count of the deities that had raised their hands to show participation. She clapped gleefully when she saw how many wanted to be included. “Perfect. Now, who shall be Mortal? Any volunteers?”

Apollo shoved Hermes forward but the messenger god was quick to swat Apollo’s hands away and duck out of Nike’s line of sight before he was picked out. Nike huffed and cocked a hip out dramatically. “Oh, come on. Don’t be sissies.” In that moment she reminded Persephone of Aphrodite.

In the end, three Mortals were chosen due to the amount of Shadows they would have. Eris, Artemis, and Nike herself. The boundaries were set: the far edge of Zeus’ grounds marked one side, and the opposite side was placed through the grand palace and out on the front stretch of lawn near the entrance. It would be a long and arduous game but Persephone was not deferred. If anything, it caused her to want to win even more. Her lack of experience would put her at a disadvantage but she had speed and sheer will on her side.

And at least she wasn’t drunk. Dionysus had insisted on participating but he hadn’t been able to stand straight up for a few hours now and Persephone was interested to see how well he fared on the playing grounds.

Eris herded her fellow Mortals around her, and Artemis set about plotting their strategy for the precious few minutes the rules allowed them. But Artemis was not the goddess of the hunt for nothing. From Persephone’s side, Athena whispered something about being at a disadvantage.

Ares was quick to remind the three when their time was up, and the Mortals broke off and dispersed to hold their strategic placements. Eris remained smack in the middle of the back lawn, facing the Shadows as they lined up against the far boundary. Nike slipped into the glowing ballroom to filter out anyone who got past Eris, and Artemis looped around the side of the palace to halt anyone lucky- or skilled- enough to get through the ballroom and onto the front lawn.

When Artemis and Nike signaled they were ready, Apollo lifted two fingers to his mouth and blew a sharp, clear whistle that marked the beginning of the game.

Deities scattered haphazardly, some running straight for Eris while others dodged and swerved around the outsides, and others still used each other as shields when Eris got too close. Persephone watched Hermes shamelessly shove Aphrodite into Eris’ path, scampering away with a cackle of childish glee. Aphrodite swore and barely managed to avoid Eris’ outstretched hand. She hauled her skirts up to her knee and raced after Hermes, cursing him the entire way.

Persephone laughed quietly to herself and tried to remember to keep an eye on her surroundings. She wasn’t the best at staying focused; any passing movement or light always caught her eye and distracted her from the more important things at hand. But she was able to stay alert enough to scatter away with the rest of the deities when Eris plunged into the middle of the group.

With Eris momentarily distracted, Persephone lifted her dress with one hand and darted into the darkness, closer to the palace. She felt better with Eris at her back. From behind her, she heard the dismayed cry of a female deity being tagged, followed by the uproarious laughter belonging to none other than Dionysus. Persephone giggled again and laughed even harder when she glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Dionysus get tagged.

Up ahead of her was Hermes and Athena. Aphrodite hadn’t yet managed to get past Eris and she was running out of time if she wanted to do so with as many distractions as possible. Apollo had already disappeared inside the ballroom where Nike awaited. Persephone could not see Ares anywhere but she knew better than to think he had already gotten tagged. She allowed herself to slow her pace to conserve energy. Eris was still behind her, picking off the stragglers that hadn’t yet attempted to dash for the ballroom.

The stretch of yard separating the far boundary and the ballroom was long and slightly uphill. Persephone’s breath was coming in quick, short pants by the time she reached the open doors and crept inside.

The ballroom had emptied significantly since Zeus had thrown open the doors to the grounds, and the sheer vastness of the room hit Persephone like a slap in the face. She felt impossibly small as she entered, scanning the thin crowd for Nike’s slash of blonde hair. She spotted her mother who was now seated next to Hera near the front of the ballroom. Zeus was standing a few strides away, deep in conversation with his two brothers. The sight of Poseidon made Persephone laugh as she thought of Ares and the swimming competitions. But the sight again of Hades had her smile freezing and her eyes widening.

From her left, came a polite cough. She spun to see Nike leaning casually against one of the enormous marble pillars, an eyebrow arched into the air and her mouth twisted with a playful smirk. Persephone smiled, a thrill running down her spine, and slowly began to back away.

A little voice in the back of her head warned her about her mother’s presence and what Demeter might react if she caught sight of Persephone participating in such games. She supposed Hera had been the reason for Demeter staying so long; it was a rare honor when the Queen of the goddesses wanted your company for the entire night. But Persephone decided not to listen to the warning voice when Nike said, “You made it farther than I thought you would.”

“I know,” Persephone shrugged, making Nike’s smirk turn into a grin. “I believe I could outrun Hermes if he ever had the balls to race me.”

At that, Nike threw her head back and laughed. “Don’t let your mother catch you using that language, little goddess. And don’t let Hermes hear you saying things like that.” Nike wagged a finger and prowled closer. “You might find yourself in a spot of trouble.”

Persephone matched Nike’s forward steps with backwards ones. She was aware of a second marble pillar rising up behind her so she angled away from it. “Oh, I think I might go tell Hermes exactly that. Once I tell him I outran you and Aphrodite, that is.” She was talking large and Nike knew it. A feral gleam shimmered in her eyes as she lowered her finger and halted her movements. Persephone, too, halted.

They waited, watching each other for the slightest of motions that would set them both off racing- one for safety and the other for a fistful of silk material- both trying not to smile. Then, there- a twitch of Nike’s shoulder- and Persephone turned and fled on winged feet, flying across the marble floor.

It was not uncommon for deities to play such games during a party or celebration, so the gods and goddesses that Persephone raced past barely raised an eyebrow. The paranoid voice in her mind chanted Don’t look at your mother don’t look at your mother don’t look at your mother and for once, Persephone heeded. Shapes and colors became blurred in a panoramic swath as she sprinted towards the front doors across the large floor. Nike was giggling, just a few steps behind, and despite being short of breath, Persephone couldn’t help but laugh as well.

This was fun. She wished she had a better word for it but she did not. Fun. Careless, youthful, slightly mischievous, largely unreasonable fun. Persephone knew then that she would fight and claw for even the slightest scrap of what she was experiencing.

There was no chance that Demeter had not spotted Nike chasing her daughter. Practically everyone left in the ballroom was aware of the game underfoot; some older deities had even taken seats and started watching with interest. The younger gods and goddesses were frequently the night’s entertainment during parties like this one. The forefront of the ballroom was to Persephone’s left- where she could see Hera and her mother, as well as the three brothers slightly closer to the front doors.

She felt a hand close around her elbow in the split second her attention was elsewhere. She jerked, heart thumping, thinking it was Nike, but the skin was a shade too dark and the nails were painted an astonishing shade of gold. Athena.

The goddess pulled Persephone along with her until the two of them were far enough away from Nike that they could safely split off in hopes of losing their pursuer due to the other. Persephone veered right as Athena swerved left. A quick glance over her shoulder told Persephone that Nike had chosen Athena to follow, most likely due to the fact that Athena’s energy was flagging and Persephone was naturally much quicker.

She took a hiding spot behind a pillar and attempted to catch her breath. Athena was running directly towards the forefront of the ballroom, where both Hera and Demeter had paused their conversation to watch. Hera was observing with a hint of maternal amusement as though Nike and Athena were her own daughters she was watching play. Demeter looked slightly baffled- and more than a little relieved that her own daughter was not amongst the rowdy, young deities. So she hadn’t seen after all.

Hermes streaked past Persephone’s pillar and was out the doors in a flash. Seconds passed before Apollo, coming from the opposite direction, followed. Persephone was close enough to the front doors that it was possible to reach them if she made a run for it but her throat was burning, her legs were heavy, and she was hesitant to run for the front lawn when she was in such bad condition. Especially when she didn’t know where Artemis was. Since she was currently safe from behind her pillar, she decided to give herself another moment to catch her breath.

Her damp dress clung to her as she leaned back against the marble and tried to steady her breathing. She could hear the noises of the game around her: Ares darting around pillars in an attempt to avoid Nike’s line of vision, Athena squealing when she ran herself into a dead end and barely avoided Nike’s outstretched hand, the whispering and laughing of the older deities as they took amusement in the playfulness.

“Persephone, watch out!” She spun away from the pillar when Ares cried his warning. Eris had come in from the back lawn and had been creeping around the side of the pillar in hopes to sneak up on her- she would have succeeded if Ares hadn’t seen and called out.

Eris swore at Ares as Persephone dashed away like a frightened deer and quickly out-strode the smaller goddess. Ares’ laugh boomed through the ballroom. He was through the front doors just a second later. Nike and Athena were still playing their game of cat-and-mouse by Hera and Demeter, but Demeter’s attention was fixed on her daughter whom she had just spotted.

Persephone internally cursed Ares. He had saved her skin, yes, but in doing so had also exposed her to her mother. She reminded herself not to care. Think of how much fun you’re having. So what if mother knows?

Eris flanked Persephone’s right, forcing her to swerve left towards the front of the ballroom. A final row of pillars separated them from the daises the elder and more esteemed deities occupied for formal business. Zeus had since halted his conversation with his two brothers, and when Persephone swung around the pillar and pressed her back against it, hiding from Eris, she found herself locking eyes with him.

His eyes were cold blue, much like Poseidon’s, and full of paternal warmth that covered Persephone with a veil of confidence unfamiliar to her. If Zeus could chuckle at her running around in is ballroom clad in a damp dress, how angry could her mother really be? Poseidon had turned to better watch Eris and Persephone, a fact that didn’t fail to impress itself on the latter goddess. And, despite standing nearly thirty meters away, she could feel the weight of Hades’ gaze much like she had earlier that night. Identical, in fact.

She forced herself to focus on the game she was playing. She had successfully made it this far and she would never forgive herself if she lost because of her inability to focus due to someone looking at her. The fact that the someone was incredibly good looking and more than a little frightening and still watching her was against the point, she told herself.

The point was that she had lost Eris. Or it appeared that way. Eris was crafty and had played this game before. She could be hiding in wait for Persephone to make her move or she could be seconds from pouncing. Either way, Persephone only had one way to find out.

With her back pressed firmly against the cold marble, she edged around the left side and slowly peaked around the corner. A barren marble floor greeted her. That was to Persephone’s advantage if she wanted to avoid getting tagged, but the front doors were around the other side of the pillar. If Eris wanted to cut off her escape route, that would be the place to be. And Eris was smart- very smart. Her heart pounding, a smile rising, Persephone eased her way back to the direct middle. Demeter’s eyes were on her, cold and furious, but Persephone didn’t respond. I’m going to get in trouble one way or the other. I might as well win this damn game before I get scolded. Make some memories while I’m at it.

She went to edge her way around the right side of the pillar- but froze suddenly. Hades had just done the strangest thing. Nearly imperceptible, but it was as if he knew Persephone had been watching him from the corner of her eye. The smallest shake of his head- just once- so slight it was almost a dip of his chin. But Persephone had seen it, and froze.

Was he...helping her?

The thought was so strange and so sudden that it halted Persephone for a moment longer. She watched as Hades took in her shock and slowly curled the corner of his lip up in response. She noticed his hair was no longer neatly combed back as it had been a few hours ago. The dark strands curled awry, looking for all the world like he had just dragged his fingers through them. The collar of his shirt was unbuttoned now and she could see the sweeping arches of dark ink rising up to wind around his collarbone.

Okay, idiot, are we done? Can we get back to the more important matter at hand or are we going to lose because you want to act like you’ve never seen someone mildly attractive? Persephone hated her inner voice sometimes.

But some strange part of her gut was telling her to trust Hades. She didn’t move closer to the doors. Seconds ticked by, slow and brimming with anticipation. Across the ballroom where Nike was still chasing Athena, Persephone could hear shrieks and laughter and finally a cry of defeat as Nike triumphed.

Then it happened again. Hades tilted his head to the left, his dark eyes gliding slowly at something just over Persephone’s left shoulder. Eris was on the move. Persephone took the hint. As softly as she could, she gracefully edged around the curved pillar towards the doors. She would eventually have to break away from the safety of the marble structure and brave the vast stretch of open floor, but first she would have to decide when Eris was in the best position to allow her to escape. It would be impossible to know for certain. But she had trusted her help this far and was still safely hidden away, so Persephone figured she could risk it for a third time.

She halted her movements when she got to the edge of the pillar, where she froze, her heart pounding in her mouth. She wanted to laugh, to run, to jump with excitement, and she desperately needed to get out of Hades’ sight so she could finally allow herself to absorb what was currently happening.

With her eyes fixed on the God of the Underworld, Persephone did not miss his next motion. It was just as discreet as all the others, evading the notice of Poseidon but not Zeus, who was watching his brother with obvious amusement. Its meaning was perfectly clear. He sent a sharp nod towards the front doors and raised his wine glass to his lips. Go ahead, now. Run.

Persephone bolted. Her silk dress had somewhat managed to dry off and it flew behind her in pink ripples as she raced towards the lawn on strong legs and nimble feet. Eris was on her heels in a flash, swearing loudly at Persephone in her confusion as to how she had managed to get away. Persephone’s laugh fluttered over her shoulder, reaching all the way to Demeter and Hera. Athena’s cry of encouragement was the last thing Persephone heard before she cleared the doors and her feet met the cold grass of the front lawn. Her eyes immediately found Ares, busy dodging and ducking a hard-working Artemis, and Apollo, already across the boundary that marked her freedom.

Eris was still after her, as was Nike, who had abandoned the ballroom to better help her fellow Mortals with the particularly feisty Shadow they had on their hands.

“Run, Persephone!” Apollo shouted. He waved her closer, his bronze arms outstretched. “Come on! Come here!” She ran as though hellhounds were on her heels, her feet skipping over the grass, barely feeling the chill. Her arms pumped and her lungs burned but she was having fun and she had never been more willing to be in discomfort.

Twenty yards separated her from Apollo. She caught sight of Nike closing in on her left and Eris quickly appeared on her right, pinning her in. Somewhere behind her came Athena’s shout of, “Move, Honey, move!” and Persephone knew that she would not be the only deity who had stepped out of the ballroom to watch. It was like she had recently learned: they were entertainment to the older ones.

Ten yards left and still Persephone flew. Artemis was by now far out of reach, still struggling with Ares, but Nike had grown far too close for comfort. She had two options: move right and into Eris’ waiting arms, or run faster into Apollo’s.

Five yards. Persephone squealed with panic as Eris lunged for her but she was across the boundary line in a flash of color and Eris’ hand fell short. Apollo cheered loudly and caught Persephone, sweeping her up and spinning her around until she heard the cheers and laughter of Athena and Aphrodite who were now racing towards her from the palace. Apollo set her on her feet and let her catch her breath. Persephone’s heart was racing almost painfully and her legs felt ready to give out if she tried to take one more step. She turned to see Artemis feint left and finally tag an exhausted Ares. He swore at her, stumbling away, but she only laughed and let him go.

Nike had her arms crossed and a hip jutted out, her lips pouting at Persephone when she turned. “Since when were you allowed to be that fast?” she wanted to know. “Who told you that was okay? Have you been taking lessons with Hermes? Is that it? Hmmm?” Persephone laughed breathlessly as Nike ran at her and seized her around the waist. They spun a few turns until, both too tired to remain upright, they overbalanced and fell to the grass.

Nike’s long fingers found Persephone’s ribs and dug in, making the younger goddess shriek with laughter and wriggle desperately to get away.

“Alright, alright, let her breath for the first time in twenty minutes.” Ares pulled Nike off and smiled down at Persephone. Her curly hair had fallen out of its updo long before the chase had begun and by now it was sticking to the back of her neck with sweat. The night breeze helped cool her warm skin.

“We were all expecting Apollo to win because he always does, but it’s been a long while since we had someone new manage to make it past me,” Eris said. Instead of extending a hand to help Persephone up, she flopped down on the grass next to her. “Occasionally Hermes will win. Dio isn’t too slow himself when he’s sober, but…” she shrugged elegantly and winked at Persephone. “Not too bad, little goddess. Not too bad.”

“Why, thank you, beautiful one.” Persephone sketched a bow as best she could while remaining seated. “I don’t remember the last time I had so much fun.”

“You’ve been missing out, I’m afraid. Midsummer is always this much fun.” Artemis plopped down next to Eris and stretched her caramel brown legs out in front of her. “We rarely get together like this, you know, so when we do…” her eyes twinkled, “we try to make the most out of it.”

“You can’t go anywhere, Persephone, now that we know how exciting you are,” Apollo said. He and Ares crouched down to be eye level with the goddesses. “We would miss you too much.”

“Oh, please come back next year! You have to!” Athena cried. Her and Aphrodite had just reached their small group and they had only heard Apollo’s words.

“I don’t have any intention of not returning, believe me,” Persephone laughed.

“Good.” Athena sat with her shoulder against Persephone’s. “Because if you did, we would have to come steal you away and make sure you were happy.”

They laughed together at that. The kind words resounded in Persephone’s heart and it was then that she knew the word she was looking for: love. Not eros, love of the body, but philia, love of the mind. Persephone felt herself starting to slowly fall in love with each of the deities that had been so kind to her over the course of the night. She didn’t know what to do with that feeling.

“Your mother is watching,” Apollo whispered. Every head lifted to see Demeter standing in the doorway, framed by golden light, a hand on her hip and her eyes directed at the circle of young deities on the grass. They were far enough away that they could barely make out the hard line Demeter’s mouth was pressed into. Disappointment, a hint of anger, and yes, worry. Persephone mentally added grass-stains to the list of things she would be in trouble for. But when Hera glid elegantly outside on Zeus’ arm, Persephone felt a breath of relief. Demeter would hold her tongue in Hera’s presence. Even from the lawn, Persephone could hear Hera call Demeter’s name with excitement, along with something that sounded like “Where did you go off to?” She left her husband’s arm to reunite at Demeter’s side.

And it was only when Zeus smiled at his wife and moved towards two other figures framed by light that Persephone noticed who, other than her mother, had also decided watching the tail end of the chase was more exciting than anything happening inside.

Poseidon stood leaning against a small stone statue, laughing at something Hades had dryly remarked. Hades had been focused on the figures seated on the lawn but had shifted his gaze to raise an unimpressed eyebrow at his tipsy younger brother.

Persephone’s heart stuttered violently. She hadn’t given it a second of conscious thought- she hadn’t had the time to- but she realized she still didn’t know what Hades’ voice sounded like. But now that she realized she was ignorant, it was as if she had been wondering over it for days and days. She jerked out of her daze when Nike sighed dramatically and rose to her feet.

“I need another drink,” she announced. “If, that is, Dionysus has left some for the rest of us. Come,” she extended a hand and help Eris to her feet, who in turn reached down to help Persephone, “all this talk of Persephone leaving is ruining my mood. The night is still young. We have hours left together. Let us leave it at that.”

Aphrodite murmured her agreement. When the group of friends were on their feet, they began the trek back up to the palace where the golden light beckoned them. And with it came the possibility of new mountains to climb, new thresholds to pass over, new voices to hear for the first time.

#persephone #hades #hades and persephone #persephone x hades #greek mytholoy #retelling #greek gods #greek goddesses #malgranatum

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