#aidoneus asks

[kuunibal]

@gumidachi You asked me if I had a blank template of the chart I have in my About Me. I also can't find the original link/post for it (I think it was on DeviantArt), but I did save a blank version. Note that the original is catered for characters and not IRL, but you could change the title if need be.

[dionysianfreak]

What are your views on myths? Also is it true that Homer and Hesiod (myths? Views?) existed wayyy before they even wrote anything? Does that mean those views are "true" because they were believed in for years? Also just wanted to ask: are Hades and Pluto the same? (Sorry for the long question!)

hello dear ! :)) no worries about the long question ! it gives me a lot to think about. since there's a lot going on in this ask, I'll break this into pieces so that it can be a little more comprehensive ! 💕

what are my views on mythology ?

complex, to be honest. in my personal religious practices it doesn't come up often. I tend to use mythology to understand how the ancient people viewed each other/their culture, rationalized the unknown, or dig for religious clues/beliefs found between the lines. some mythological writings are the only evidence for Deities we would never have known about otherwise, as an example.

i also view it as an amalgamation of historical art pieces that are crucial in understanding ancient Hellenic society, culture, morals, and centers of worship. plays and myths were how people entertained each other ! many myths were born from very impactful worship centers, such as the lake in Argos where Dionysos was said to enter the underworld. mythological stories are captivating and dramatic because they were meant to capture the attention of everyone and be memorable enough to continue being told.

ultimately, even though I don't put religious weight onto mythology, it would be wrong to ignore it entirely. the people who practiced helpol were listening to these stories and remembering them, and THAT itself is important.

is it true that Homer and Hesiod's views/writings existed before they lived to write them ?

this is a complicated question. if we want to get technical, all philosophies are informed from the views before them. new world views end up combined with old ones in a neverending philosophical cycle. religion is an evolutionary practice, meaning (in most cases) it will constantly change over long periods of time. we see this in written sources that tweak the details of an otherwise unchanged storyline.

Homer is an especially complex case because we aren't even sure that Homer was a literal person. even if he was, we know VERY little about his life. I commonly see people speculate that (if he was real), he was probably born in the 8th century B.C.E.. Hesiod is usually believed to have lived in the 7th century B.C.E.. for context, the Mycenaean/Minoan civilizations were around as far back as 2900 B.C.E.. that's over 2,000 years of culture, religion, and life BEFORE these great writers were even conceived. their writings were a culmination of 2,000+ years of culture and a snapshot of creativity and history for a small window of time. so yes, it's true their principles are informed from years of previous cultivation but that doesn't make their accounts false.

Homer is a little special though, because the Illiad was based on a real-life war and we only know this war happened because of Homer. His story isnt necessarily a retelling of the war, but it used the war as a major event of the tale. the Illiad is the whole reason we found Troy in the first place and know of the real-life conflict between them and the Achaeans. we have absolutely no idea if the events he describes, such as the war starting over Helen, are actually true. it can be compared to how people now will write fiction about people or events during real life wars, like the story of a non-real soldier during the very real WWI.

Hesiod is different in the sense that his works are more like didactic poems and are generally believed to have some kind of moral lesson. He has more historical information than Homer just because his works focused more personal analogies and information on his/ancient Hellenic life. Homer's stories were an oral tradition meant to entertain and preserve a very impactful war. with Hesiod, we get a peek into beliefs, culture, and life from that time period, but that doesn't make his account the correct one. his experiences and values are not universal in the slightest.

finally, the most important piece of context is that Homer and Hesiod's works appear right after that area of the world went through their dark ages. this means that around 1100 B.C.E., we have little to no written sources of significance. written language was not prioritized for whatever reason and, for the most part, we have no idea what was going on mythologically. these periods most likely prioritized oral tradition and some theorize that "Homer" may be a lost word attributed to the oral tradition of these times. this is pure speculation because we cannot know without a written source.

so, in summary, Homer wrote of events that did exist but we can't know how accurate his account was. Hesiod and Homer wrote of many different things that were inherently passed down to them via oral tradition that changed along the way. it changed because all cultures and religions change. we have no way of knowing exactly where most of the mythos we have originated, especially because a lot of them came down from the dark ages. this does not mean that their views were not their own, just that it's nearly impossible to not be impacted by previous generations.

does this mean their views are "true"/the correct ones ?

no, it doesn't. it's generally harmful to try and find "correct" sources because no region in the ancient Mediterranean could agree. every person will have a slightly different worldview. there are certainly ideas that unify helpol and ideas that contradict most areas of it, but religion is not a tangible science with strictly true or false information. there is a LOT of grey.

so, in my opinion, no one has the "correct" views. Hesiod was correct within his own philosophy/theology and Homer was correct about details of his stories, but that will not be correct for every single person who lived in ancient Greece. all we can do is gather the information we are given and try to find common ground.

are Haides and Pluto the same ?

I'm not an expert on Haides's worship, so someone please correct me if I misspeak. before Rome, Haides was also known by His epithet Plouton, meaning "The Lord of Wealth". some sources call Him Aidoneus or Plouton due to a stigma around speaking His name and a fear of inviting a VERY kthonic God closer. some sources seem to treat Haides and Plouton as two distinct Gods. regardless, Haides was known as a God of wealth due to His association with Persephone/Demeter and because ancient currency literally came from underground. coins were made from metals mined very deep below the surface, the underworld.

Haides was absorbed into the Roman Pantheon when Greece was taken by Rome. He was conflated with a local wealth Deity i believe, or it may have been a local plant fertility God, or both. when this conflation happened, the Greek spoken name of Plouton became the name of a God of riches and wealth named Pluto/Dis Pater. the big ideas for both God's are nearly the same—underworld Gods called upon for riches and plant fertility. I know there are many characteristic differences and unique cult practices that don't allow room for people to claim They are the exact same Deity. if anyone knows the details, feel free to correct me or add !

some people argue that Haides and Pluto are the same, but this is not a unique sentiment when speaking about Greek and Roman Gods. those who retained many of Their Greek features and associations are especially vulnerable to this idea. most people don't know that the Roman Gods are often all combinations of two or more Gods. it just so happens that Greek culture had a particularly distinct impact on Roman state religion.

so basically, no Haides and Pluto are not the exact same God. They each have features and cult practices that are unique to Themselves, even if They are very similar on the surface.

[hellishfig]

i just listened to "persephone in the garden" by aidoneus on repeat at least 7 times

and when i finally let the next song play i remembered that i arranged my queue to play "it's never over (hey orpheus)" by arcade fire afterwards

not beating the allegations

[valdiis]

Character Traits: Aidoneus Forgeron

Aidoneus by @placesyoucallhome

— B A S I C S

Name: Aidoneus Forgeron Nicknames: Aidon, Commander, 'Smith Age: Early 50s or so, just entering middle age for an Elezen Nameday: 16th sun of the 6th Astral Moon Race: Ishgardian Elezen Gender: Cisgender Male Orientation: Homosexual, leaning towards demisexual. Profession: Former Temple Knight, now blacksmith and something secret he keeps to himself.

— P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

Hair: Salt and pepper black, coarse but straight, a little unruly. Eyes: Ice blue. Skin: Medium to dark brown, but somehow not a Duskwight. Tattoos/scars: No tattoos, but multiple scars. Mostly claw marks from dragons. Most prominently, however, his left arm is missing from just below the shoulder. He has a metal prosthetic that works off aether and machine oil.

— F A M I L Y

Parents: His father, Degmone Forgeron, was a Temple Knight too, but is now deceased - a casualty of the Dragonsong War. His mother, Daeira Mereioneaux, is elderly, but lives still in their small home in Ishgard. He visits her every few weeks or so and there's a lot of love there. Siblings: None. Grandparents: His mother's father was a priest of the Church, but not an Inquisitor, and his grandmother was a seamstress. His father's father was a Temple Knight (there is a pattern) and his husband was a scribe; Degmone is adopted. All have perished due to war or age. In-laws and Other: He has no in-laws or siblings, and is not aware of any cousins - though he has a couple. Pets: For a while, he had an orange tabby cat named Squit, but said cat passed away a few years ago. He has considered getting another, but fears he wouldn't be able to take proper care of it.

— S K I L L S

Abilities: While he was a trained lancer with the Temple Knights, he is no longer able to wield a lance. He can, however, wield a greatsword (don't ask how that works because I don't know, it just is). He is also a blacksmith - and that's his primary profession now that he's no longer a Knight. Despite lacking his dominant hand and having poor fine motor control on the prosthetic, he still manages to hammer out decent armor. Hobbies: He can sing remarkably well. He has a deep, soothing bass that sounds lovely inside a cathedral. Aidon also likes to read - primarily military history and memoirs.

— T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Aidon is a deeply caring, chivalrous man. He believes in helping the poor and downtrodden, the sick and weak, and even just the unprepared-for-the-cold. Most Negative Trait: Losing the touchstone of his faith at the end of the Dragonsong War has made him bitter and cynical. While he personally will care for individuals, he is deeply suspicious of organized groups. He's also rather cold to most people, masking his caring heart with a chilly, grumpy exterior.

— L I K E S

Colours: Black, blue, and grey. Smells: Fresh-baked bread, hot coals, church incense, the Coerthas forest after a hard rain. Textures: Soft fur, warm flannel, hard metal. Drinks: Gin. Lots of it. Hot chocolate if he's feeling indulgent. Mulled wine is another popular drink with him.

— O T H E R D E T A I L S

Smokes: No. Drinks: Heavily. Drugs: No. Mount Insurance: I-insurance...? Uh, no? He rides a traditional Ishgardian black chocobo named Alyente. Been Arrested: Not...yet...

Tagged by @briar-ffxiv (Thank you! I had a lot of fun with this!)

[angelic-dollz]

⤷ ⸝⸝⠀intro — ꜝꜝ

⋆ 𐙚 ˚ byi . .

— ♡ i freely block so plsssplsspls dont be a freak </3

— ♡ i am 5teen !! pls dni if ur a mdni acc , js block me or smth ⸜(*ˊᗜˋ*)⸝

— ♡ this is a digital diary / vent acc , so there will be triggering topics on my page :P pls keep this in mind when viewing { im talkin mentally ill type venting . . . }

— ♡ feel free to send asks !! spamming in gen is awesome imo so plspls do !!!

— ♡ tags ill use ~

venting =

ᛝ 𓈒 a𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵𝓼 b𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼 🦴 ♡︎ ﹕

yapping =

⿻ ⋆ ゛a𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵𝓼 b𝓸𝔀 🎀 ◞◞ .ᐟ ⋆

moodboards / aesthetics =

◞◞ a𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵𝓼 w𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 🪽 ⌇ ⊹ ࣪ ˖

filler =

⭑ 𓂃 ૮ ට ﻌ ට ა ⭑ .ᐟ

⋆ 𐙚 ˚ abt me . .

— ♡ hello !! u can call me angel and i use it / its prns { more names and prns below :P } ! im pangndr but do have some neogndrs - and i think im abroromantic / cupioromantic ?? still questioning all that — if i use she / her on myself btw that doesnt mean im comfortable w anyone else doing it !! dont be weird abt it plsss

— ♡ i am medically recognized w audhd and plan on getting a bpd + ptsd diagnosis in the future . diagnosed w clinical depression and anxiety while living my best life eva !! { someone send help ( ˃ ⩌˂) }

— ♡ asks r always open !! i dont rlly have a dni other than the basic , js dont be weird and we're good

— ♡ i wouldnt consider myself apart of any fandoms , i rlly js lurk and dont talk to anybody that likes the same stuff i do T_T if u see smth we both like , PLSSS TALK TO ME ABT ITT !!! i need an excuse to yap let me out of my enclosure plsplsplsplsl

⋆ 𐙚 ˚ likes . .

— ♡ hyprfix atm ~ history of different fashions

— ♡ media ~ date everything , class of 09 , spec ops the line , lego monkie kid , illusion carnival , fnaf , dont starve together , detroit become human , pjsk , little nightmares , the walking dead games , life is strange , call of duty modern warfare { characters more than story / games tbh . . . } , dailtown , arcane , rottmnt , the quarry , until dawn , generation loss , ena , spiderman , moonknight , deadpool , cuphead , coryxkenshin , my little pony , ddlc , mouthwashing , tadc , and prob more !!!

— ♡ hobbies / interests ~ kemonomimi , drawing , writing { or at least trying to ... } , reading , researching stuff i like , decorating things , singing , crafts , theatre , acting , nature , hiking , traveling { i NEEDDD to do this more often T_T } , music , video essays , character analysis' , altfashion { special ones r trad/rom goth , hippie , 2000s + scene emo , 90s street wear(?) , shiro lolita , and jojifuki !! not the freaky kind i swear } , jewelry , PSYCHOLOGY !!!! , cosplaying , meaningful convos , psychological horror { PLSSS REC ANY KIND OF PSYCH HORROR PLSPLSPLS } , canines , seraphim's or js angels in gen

— ♡ music ~ the crane wives , glass animals , korn , the living tombstone , jt music , bitter ruin , paris paloma , cosmo sheldrake , chonny jash , yaelokre , fiona apple , aidoneus , hako yamazaki , poppy , evanscence , flyleaf , STOMACH BOOK , will wood , sheena ringo , she wants revenge , bôa , きくおはな ( kikuohana) , lana del ray , beabadoobee , the cardigans , liana flores , laufey , mitski , solya , willow moore , cibo matto , msi { ik theyre awful , i dont support them obvi } , tyler, the creator , ghost and pals , riproducer , vocaloid { pls recommend artists . . . } , etc { i LOVEEEE MUSIC }

⋆ 𐙚 ˚ misc . .

— ♡ i project into all the characters i love , so dont be surprise if u see me talk abt a character being super mentally ill even tho they probably wouldnt actually be like that !! if u dont like js block :/

— ♡ i rlly wanna get into anime / manga but im super picky abt what i watch / read . if u know any in the genres of psychological horror , or js deals w mental health stuff , pls lmk !! { also where to watch it ?? }

— ♡ names i use ~ ditzy , cross , cecilia , gutz , purity

⤷ prns ~ my names , doll / dolls , bite / bites , rot / rots , pup / pups , grim / grims , holy / holys , heaven / heavens

[nevraeldarya]

Hello, so sorry to bother you, I just have a few questions I've been wondering about for a while, so sorry if this is kinda all over the place:

What was it that made poseidonas start to view Rhea as his daughter? I get that he couldn't really do much about her insulting and ignoring him cuz killing her would kill him (probably), but at what point did he go into denial about her being his daughter? (If that makes sense).

When Poseidonas first met Rhea, could he tell that she was his (alternate’s) Daughter? (I'm assuming that he could tell cuz of her aura, and that Poseidon’s essence is the same regardless of universe), if so, what was his initial reaction and opinion of her?

What is the opinion of Sally in the ROR universe? Like, from both humanity and gods? Cuz, from their point of view, this is a HUMAN who not only slept with a god, but slept with Poseidon and had a child with him (something that is impossible in the ROR world), and had RJO poseidon say that she is a queen among mortals lol

Also, completely unrelated note: I saw that ask about how Aidoneus is living his best life, and I can't help but agree for both brothers. Cuz they now have an heiress/heir, and they didn't need to have sex or anything to have them, and they are biological related to them (idk if it's biological cuz their gods, but still) (I know they could adopt, I'm not looking down on adoption, I just think that as Emperor's blood ties would be important to them from a bloodline perspective, if that makes sense?)

Anyways, sorry to bother you. I hope you have a nice day😅

What was it that made poseidonas start to view Rhea as his daughter? I get that he couldn't really do much about her insulting and ignoring him cuz killing her would kill him (probably), but at what point did he go into denial about her being his daughter? (If that makes sense).

He didn't go into any denial stage or anything, she exist and that's it, but what cemented the idea of her being his daughter was after the war with Kronos and he gave her the Lady of the Vortex title

When Poseidonas first met Rhea, could he tell that she was his (alternate’s) Daughter? (I'm assuming that he could tell cuz of her aura, and that Poseidon’s essence is the same regardless of universe), if so, what was his initial reaction and opinion of her?

He knew, he just didn't give a fuck 🤣, he thought she was annoying and pathetic, and cause they are stuck together he decided to correct her and make her less pathetic, thus creating the warrior Rhea we know and love.

What is the opinion of Sally in the ROR universe? Like, from both humanity and gods? Cuz, from their point of view, this is a HUMAN who not only slept with a god, but slept with Poseidon and had a child with him (something that is impossible in the ROR world), and had RJO poseidon say that she is a queen among mortals lol

Tbh, Poseidonas finds her okay (which is really a high compliment from him) he likes her cooking, Aidoneus also likes her, what Poseidonas especially approves about her is that PJO Poseidon did invite her to live with him under the sea and protect her, usually any other human would have jumped to the opportunity and accepted, but Sally refused cause she wanted to rely on her own strength and raise her daughter, Poseidonas approves of that.

In the ROR universe ... well the others gods can't really say anything can they when Sally has Aidoneus and Poseidonas on her side ya know ?

Also, completely unrelated note: I saw that ask about how Aidoneus is living his best life, and I can't help but agree for both brothers. Cuz they now have an heiress/heir, and they didn't need to have sex or anything to have them, and they are biological related to them (idk if it's biological cuz their gods, but still)

REAL ! gods don't have DNA but their essence is a clear link.

Aidoneus is a very busy god who rarely takes vacaccion, despite many other death gods existing they don't do the job he does, the other death gods are just the managers or chief of a department while Aidoneus is the whole ass CEO of the Underworld, so he is BUSY, which means, he never had time for anything romantic wise, and when he has time he spends it with his family not pursuing someone.

I never wrote this, but ROR Persephone snuck into the Underworld to hide from her mother for a bit, you'd think the whole Hades and Persephone would happen then too, but nooo Aidoneus grabbed ROR Persephone like a cat and dropped her at the door of her mother's house and banned her from the underworld cause she went and caused some chaos there 🤣. Poseidonas hates anything to do with romance, in ROR universe Amphitrite does not exist, his TRIDENT is AMPHITRITE, that's the name craved on his Trident.

And now you're telling them that they get kids for free because their counterparts are idiots ? Neat !

Now they have little heirs, awesome 🤣

(I know they could adopt, I'm not looking down on adoption, I just think that as Emperor's blood ties would be important to them from a bloodline perspective, if that makes sense?)

Sure they could adopt, but it isn't the same thing as having someone that has your essence, so yeah the "bloodline" (or essence line here) is important.

[kopivie]

finding out that wriothesley's constellation is cerberus doesn't help my brainrot about this au that the anon suggested either...

wriothesley as "hades", the terrifying duke of meropide. no one actually knows his name -- wriothesley is but a whisper on the lips of the exceptionally brave (or amazingly stupid) who dare to try and say his name out loud. he has many names, so people often refer to this unseen duke with several names. ("aidoneus", "ditis pater", "orcus", etc.)

wriothesley likely happens across you and your oddly placed flower shop during one of his trips to the overworld. sigewinne had asked for a souvenir from the overworld, so he stopped by the coffee shop for some tea for himself and stepped inside your store right after. it's weird that such a fragrant store would be next to a coffee shop, but the scent of the flowers was so pure -- it was as if the coffee shop didn't exist when he stepped in. the flowers were mesmerizing to him. but what was even more mesmerizing was you, the flower shop owner who stumbled out of the door upon realizing that you had a visitor.

the flowers seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when you entered the room. perhaps it's due to the dendro vision that's dangling from the chain on your neck? whatever the case is, the entire world becomes static as wriothesley becomes fixated on you.

i'm a little scattered rn since my attention has been pretty fixed all day, but i'm thinking so hard about this, like...

wriothesley wants you in a way that is so dangerous. he wants you so badly, he's kind of scaring himself. he's no idiot -- if he's scaring himself, then he's sure to scare you. so he approaches you slowly, all the while feeding you hints that you should return to the underworld (the fortress of meropide) with him. he knows that you wouldn't do too well down there with the lack of sunlight and flowers, but he can work around that. he'll make it work. he has to. he will.

but maybe after courting you for so long, you still refuse to go. after all that? after all the effort he's put in to keep you in the dark about his desires? maybe after all that, he kinda blanks out. you fall asleep in your little apartment illuminated by moonlight, but awake in the fortress of meropide.

there's no map, no directions, no friendly faces, no stars to guide your path. just the stench of ozone and wriothesley, who insists that you'll be happy here. he'll make you happy here. he promises.

[stars-and-darkness]

hi! saw that you're a darklina fan...do you have any good fic recs? loved your darklina fics btw

i am a darklina fan (my beatiful toxic shaylasssss, they are so unwell), though ironically enough over the years i've come to prefer the books to the show, meaning my own fics aren't to my taste now ashdjhdjkdfnh

but i'll never pass up on an opportunity to rec stuff, so:

show-based stuff:

All Is Bliss (Until Someone Loses An Eye) by AquitaineQueen24

'There is this; Kirigan is going to hate sharing his big find with Peter and the Apparat. You’ll look like a saint incarnate when the Emperor starts screaming and throwing a tantrum.’ ‘Indeed. Praise saints for once that I’m married to a complete and utter moron.’ Empress Catherine may have only wanted to change the world for a few days at this point, but that in no way means that General Kirigan is permitted to monopolize the Sun Summoner. General Kirigan, who has been planning to change the world for nearly three hundred years, thinks the new Empress is very sweet. Emperor Peter just wants people to be afraid...of how much they love him. (Why doesn't the Empress love him?!?!) Alina Starkova very much wants to change the world, but also wants everyone else to calm the hell down and stop trying to recruit her for their coup.

Ember Island Players Present: SOL KOROLEVA by PresidentHades

SOL KOROLEVA is a new production from acclaimed playwright Aidoneus Prazident. She has scoured all of Ravka gathering information on the Sun Summoner Alina Starkov. Her sources include the orphanage matron at Keramzin, First Army officers, Little Palace chambermaids, a stableboy, and a plethora of acerbically witty diary entries from an anonymous contributor. This production is brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players.

The Book of the Raven by qqueenofhades

To my dear and unfortunate successor: I have debated for many years whether I should finally commit this story to paper. In one sense, the decision might seem easy: I am a historian, after all, and the reconstruction and understanding of the past is our profession’s stock in trade. But there is always the question of where it crosses over into autobiography, where scholarly objectivity gives way to subjective memory, where one cannot always be sure that the historian is, in fact, the best person to tell the historian’s own story. Does the weight of academic responsibility, of factual clarity, of reconstructing events as they truly “were” (itself an utter fallacy, but that is a discussion for later), overrule the understandably human impulse to make it a better tale, to clean it up around the edges, to present one’s own actions in the most benevolent and justifiable light? Despite my unique circumstances, I am no more free from that impulse than anyone else, and so I must ask whether you are willing to trust me as the narrator of my own history.

Social Sciences by yrulikethis

Extremely private Professor Morozova simps over happily married Sunshine-y oversharer Professor Starkov. Gossip and speculation ensues.

Our Lines in the Sand by GaleSentinal

In which being an orphan, a soldier, and a cartographer is more integral to Alina’s identity and she pays attention to the world around her. Meanwhile spending some 400 years in power confers certain advantages to the Darkling, but also certain blind spots. In this fight to secure a better tomorrow, both will be confronted with the same question: What are they willing to sacrifice in order to win? A reworking of the series from the ground up, where the politics are more realistic, grisha abilities are more than just magic artillery, people aren't inexplicably stupid, the religion and history are more present, everyone has an agenda, everyone has their secrets, and imperfect people love, struggle, laugh, fight and strive for a world that they can live with.

kato stara rana e nashata lyubov, mili moĭ by Darnaguen

First part of a trilogy of forehead kisses I promised to write for a Tumblr prompt. I chose Netflix's new Shadow and Bone as the subject against my better judgement, having not read the books it's based on. So… be gentle?

Saints and Sinners (Are you the Hunter or the Prey?) by BrytteMystere

Through the centuries, they change the world, and are changed by it in turn.

Ten Suns in the Sky by PresidentHades

Alina has a happy childhood in a border town that never gets razed. Her father is a clever otkazat’sya blacksmith who labors over creations to rival any Fabrikator’s. Her mother is a Shu Inferni who teaches her daughter to embrace the sunlight in her hands and their heritage. When the family makes a fateful attempt to cross the Fold, the Darkling finds not a pawn but a queen.

kołysanka by Darnaguen

“Sing me a song, Alina.”

book-based stuff:

backstage behaviour by limnaeus

“If you told them the sky is green, they would believe you. If you told them to, they’d kill themselves trying to attack the Grand Palace. Are your fanatics so different to my loyalists?” It is an alluring thought, an intriguing power she hasn’t mastered – shouldn’t even attempt to master – half as much as the sunlight. It is a fine line she must perch on. He doesn’t realize there is also danger in being so loved. Her devotes would tear her to pieces just to keep a part of her with them. They would spit on her and burn her as soon as they found out just how little of a saint she truly is. Or; Alina is a Saint and the Darkling is into it - for political reasons, of course. A visitation of plans and prayers and Ravka's destructive love.

Serendipity by DukeOfDucks

It was him but she had never seen him like this, not even when he had collapsed in her arms, a dagger in his heart. He was still the same— the sharp jawline, the pale skin, the lips— and yet his cheeks were stained red like a child in a fever. His quartz grey eyes were half-lidded, unfocused yet looking up at her, and his perfect lips were parted to let out small struggling pants. His cheekbones had always been sharp, but now he was downright gaunt, and she wondered when he had last eaten. “Alina,” he finally whispered, so quietly it could have been the wind murmuring in her ears. She leaned closer, her hand still on his shoulder, not pulling away when he wrapped his own around her wrist again. “I didn’t know where else to go,”

Three's a Crowd by InsectKin

Alina and Mal's quiet night in Keramzin is interrupted by a newly not-dead visitor. They never made a very good trio.

To Demand Aim by manico_del_lume

To be immortal is to often pick up new hobbies: it keeps life interesting. This time, the Darkling tries out darts.

Saint of Heretics by NoAngelKnows

For six hundred years Sankta Alina has ruled as the physical personification of the nation of Ravka's spiritual and national identity. With the persecuted Grisha flocking to her side as a fanatically devoted army and aligning with the Lantsov family to establish an unbroken line of ruling tsars, under her reign Ravka has risen from a dark age of unending warfare to a unified kingdom bound by peace. But after six hundred years under the heat of an unrelenting queen of the sun, Ravka is suffocating from the traditions and laws of the past. Once meant simply to preserve and protect Ravkan culture and lives, it is employed to ruthlessly strangle and suppresses any attempt of progress. Now the land is boiling with rebellion and revolution and the question is being whispered all over the land: "If the people have grown ready to rule themselves, what place is there for the ancient Mother of Ravka?" Then, down from a mountainside in the heart of Ravka, comes a black-haired boy with grey eyes and a power unseen in any Grisha for six hundred years. The scales are precariously balanced, which side will his power uplift and which will it bring low?

Worst Laid Plans by goblins_riddles_frocks

(fair warning, this one's darknikolina)

Nikolai seeks to make alliances with both sides of Ravka’s civil war.

Winter in the Little Palace by redsixwing

Baghra and Alina's wildly different perspectives on the Darkling, and how things could have gone if nobody listened to Baghra.

The Silence of Your Touch by goatsandgangsters

Set during Ruin & Rising. After Alina first uses their connection, she wants more. Only this time, he isn’t alone. But that just makes it more fun. Or, “How to Frustrate (in more ways than one) Someone Who Can’t Talk Back: An Exploratory Study ft. Alina Starkov” — In her quiet moments, she would pick it up and study it, like a rare and beautiful gem. The sharp lines of his face. The slant of sunlight through the window. The stillness of him, the hitch in his breath, the waver on the edge of a precipice he so wanted to fall into. She had known that feeling many a time, the waiting, the wanting, the lure of it. But she hadn’t expected to see it in him. She wanted to see it again, the catch of his breath. She wanted to know what she could do to him.

Fata Morgana by DukeOfDucks

The future is bright. Bright with the strength of an ardent sun. Hot with the blaze of all-consuming grief.

Vulnerability by goblins_riddles_frocks

Alina visits the Darkling and finds him unconscious, still recovering from their last encounter in the chapel.

i am singing now as rome burns (mash your mouth against me) by bellemon

��Don’t say her name. You killed her,” he hisses, fingers closing around her neck, even as his thumb caresses the curve of her throat, even as his fingers intertwine with the fall of hair that lies at her nape. “She died for you.” “She died because of you,” Alina snarls, even as she leans into his touch, even as she hates herself for it. “We both killed her.” He gives a growl of rage and surges toward her. For a moment, the rage in Alina’s heart gives way to fear, to relief, to desire. He’s going to kill me. But then he is kissing her, lips crashing against hers like flint on steel, and isn’t that the same thing? ---- Alina does not resist the pull of their tether. The Darkling welcomes her in his own way. (Or, Alina and The Darkling are just two people hiding their Thirst through power plays)

[winterspellsfrozenkit]

Can you do the etymology of the Twisted Wonderland characters names ?

I could... However, there's actually a couple of lovely videos on Youtube by @yuurei20 that explains the etymology of the character and dorm names by translating the Official Fanbooks and giving some context, so I'd suggest watching those because I feel like I'd be rehashing a lot of stuff they said. If you need to find them on YT, the Youtube handle is YuuRei and the titles of the videos I'd suggest watching are "Twisted Wonderland Etymology: Character and Dorm Names" as well as "Twst Etymology: Cater's Name" I'm aware they don't cover all the names, like they don't cover Sebek, Silver, or Lilia, but these are good starting points to look at.

THAT SAID, I will point something out about Idia's name because Idia is my favorite character and this is not mentioned in their videos about Idia's name and a lot of people don't seem to mention this connection.

A lot of people point out Idia could be coming from the word Idea and that's where they think the name comes from because he's a maverick genius, but he is based on Hades, a Greek god with many different epithets.

Greek gods had different epithets that represented aspects they were worshipped under. An example of this is Athena Parthenos, which means Virgin Athena or Athena the Virgin. That particular epithet is what the Parthenon is named after.

Hades has an epithet that could be also where Idia's name came from. Hades Aidis. This means "Hades the Unseen" and it fits really well with Idia being a recluse who hides in his room and usually attends things via tablet. Given Idia's grandmother's name is Aidne, which appears to come from one of Hades other names/epithets, Hades Aïdonefs/Aidoneus, I really think the epithets and Greek myths played a big part in the Shroud names.

This would play into why my Yuu, who I based on Persephone, is called Kora. (If Disney will not give me much Hades and Persephone stuff, I will make my own). The name Cora/Kora comes from the Greek Kore, the name associated with Persephone before her abduction into the Underworld, that translates to "maiden" or "girl".

The reason I did Rook's nicknames rather than sending the person who asked me to YuuRei's video about Rook's nickname was because I was also giving a bit of my understanding on some of the nicknames as to WHY Rook gave those specific nicknames. Such as why Trey is not a Monsieur, but a Chevalier.

If you'd really like me to make a list over the etymology of the names with my personal takes on some of the names, I can, just send me another ask and I'll make the very long list, but heads up, that will take me some time. As in at least a couple of days up to a week's worth of time so I can do more research and stuff and write down all the connections for each characters. But for a starting off point, I really feel like those two videos I mentioned are really helpful for understanding the name etymology.

[aliciavance4228]

Pretending that Hades and Persephone never cheated on each other and erasing Adonis and Minthe is something, but portraying Adonis and Minthe in a negative light and turning them into some generic villains in order to show how pure and superior Hades and Persephone's marriage is makes me go buy a gun.

I can somehow understand that when it comes to Minthe, since we have this fragment where she's turned into the mint plant after boasting about how she's more beautiful than Persephone, and how Hades will soon get rid of her:

„Mintha, men say, was once a maid beneath the earth, a Nymphe of Kokytos, and she lay in the bed of Aidoneus; but when he raped the maid Persephone from the Aitnaian hill, then she complained loudly with overweening words and raved foolishly for jealousy, and Demeter in anger trampled upon her with her feet and destroyed her. For she had said that she was nobler of form and more excellent in beauty than dark-eyed Persephone and she boasted that Aidoneus would return to her and banish the other from his halls …” (Oppian, Halieutica)

However, I will still criticize 99,99% of the fanfictions and retellings where she appears, especially because in many of them a) Demeter is a toxic mother who asked Minthe to sleep with Hades in the hope that in this way her daughter will divorce him, despite the fact that in some versions she was literally the one who punished Minthe in order to protect her daughter's dignity and status as the Queen of the Underworld and b) she's usually the only one who's blamed for sleeping with a married man and Hades is still viewed as this innocent little being, as if it doesn’t take two to tango.

But demonizing Adonis? The guy who was groomed by almost every deity who found him handsome, including Persephone aka the one who raised him and was supposed to be only a mother figure to him? The character who's perceived as an object of desire rather than an actual human being and yet so many people fail to see the abusive undertones behind his relationships and still make Adonis x Aphrodite content? I've even seen fanfictions where the authors kept the part where he was raised by Persephone, but twist the sexual nature of their relationship and write Adonis as a jerk who finds himself worthy of sleeping with a goddess like Persephone, and Persephone as this loyal wife who would never cheat on her husband. Are you guys really willing to go that far to the point of giving Adonis an Oedipus Complex?!

Yes, this myth is already very disturbing, yet there's no need to ignore Adonis' abuse by pretending that he enjoyed it, or that he was the abuser all this time.

[cerenityserenitea]

Persephone in the garden.

Pairing: Adam Warlock × Peter Jason Quill

Theme: Persephone in the Garden

Summary: Quill promised Adam he would wait.

So he waited.

A/N: Guess who dies again again guys!! Did ya'll know the Spartan species in Marvel live a roughly 200-300 years? Anyways I made this while listening to Persephone in the garden by Aidoneus.

Adam Warlock. The Golden Gladiator. Him. The Avatar of Life.

Quill watched as he loses him again.

But this time it was different.

So different...

This apparent perfect man has decided to take the one blade that could kill Warlock to save his hide.

The man fell into his arms. Slowly dying. Quill looked into the other's eyes. Weakening, brows furrowed.

"Adam! What...why...shit. Holy fuck please stay with me!" Quill shouted. He tried desperately stop the bleeding.

He felt a hand hold his face. Wiping tears.

He didn't even notice he was crying.

"Please Adam! you promised me we would go back home. You promised!" Quill sobbed as he cries out through the tears.

Adam pulled them closer. Their foreheads touching.

"Wait for me...." He whispered.

..

....

.....

That day the Gaurdians won the war.

While Quill lost his heart.

But time still passes. People had to move on and change.

Quill decided he would take on the role of being king of the spartans seriously.

Diligently serving his people and his planet. Still going out to save the galaxy once in a while.

His attendants would take note he liked to sit in the garden to talk to himself.

It started, once every now and then.

Then it became monthly.

Then weekly.

Then often.

Then daily...

The attendants don't really disturb him. It seemed like a meditation. Like a ritual. As long as the king did his job.

He spend long nights in the garden talking to himself.

He did this for days.

Days turn into months.

Months turn into years.

Years turn into 2 centuries...

He always asked how long. He always asked when will that day be.

Quill woke up. Stretching his arms and tired body. Doing his usual duties and business. He walked through his halls. Walking back to that garden. He really did love that garden.

It was at top of his home. The building he made to be comfortable like earth.

He filled the garden with beautiful flowers and alien flora.

Opening the door while changing his shoes. He moves gently and slow. Taking his time.

"Peter Quill?"

That voice...

Peter looked up to see he had a visitor. His eyes widen in disbelief.

There stood a familiar golden man. Emerging from the cocoon surrounded by flowers.

He still looked young and spry. Sculpted like greek statue come to life. His face also in disbelief. Those golden locks, longer and flowing with the wind.

Adam looked at Quill. He observes the changes with the man he knew for a long time. His hair greying and a few more wrinkles than he last remember. He changed a lot.

Not just physically but also mentally.

Adam could see Quill wasn't the same as he last time he saw him. He also realized that Quill took his cocoon and safely stored it away. This was one of the rare times he fully rebirth with his memories and mind not jumbled up.

Also the most gentle rebirth.

Quill walked to him. Adam approaches Quill to close the distance.

That foreign feeling he was familiar with. His heart beating fast. His hands shaking as he aproaches Quill.

He was worried, he was scared to know what change. Did Peter move on? Is he angry he took so long? Is he angry he took that hit for him?

He couldn't look into Quill's eyes to see his reaction.

"I'm sor-"

Adam felt warm lips on his forehead. A gentle touch that held his face. Looking back at Quill. He saw the tears streaming his face and the happiest smile the terran-spartan could muster.

"Took ya long enough." Peter said as he embraced Adam tightly. As he wanted to never let go. As if he never wanted lose him again. Burying himself into Adam's new clothes that came with his rebirth. Inhaling that foreign familiar scent.

Adam blushed flustered at the action. Sighing as he holds up Quill's face. Pulling them close, their foreheads touch. "I'm sorry for the long return." He sighs.

"Doesn't matter cause you're here now Warlock~" Peter quipped. Staring into the cosmic beings eyes. Finally closing that distance.

Lips touching.

The warmth shared between both bodies as Adam kisses back. His hands hold Quill's longer hair he decided to grow out.

Quill's arms wrapping around Adam's waist, leaving no space between the two bodies.

It felt like a long time until the two came up for air.

Keeping each other close.

"No more sacrificing yourself for me now please..." Peter sighed.

"No promises..." Adam chuckles

[kuunibal]

Favorite love metaphor?

Love as something you cannot escape from unscathed. Love as the sharp grip of claws into flesh, as the tender caress to the side of one's neck before the bite. Love as devouring, as cannibalism, as becoming. Love as violence. Love as religion.

[aidoneusmusic]

okay holy shit idk what to say but

Aidoneus I’ve been OBSESSED with your music for a couple years now and can I say I just aspire to be like you. If someone asks me what my dream would be, it’d be to write Greek mythology music. The Hyacinthus harmonies haunt me in my sleep and I regularly think about Persephone in the Garden to the point I could probably write a thesis on the lyrics.

Sorry if this is a bit much lmao- but you give me hope that people like me can write music too and !!!!!!!!!! queer greek mythology songwriters !!!!!!!!!! I’m just some random person but you have no idea how much you’ve changed my hopes and passions eeeee ok that’s it bye

Hi !!!! Thank you for reaching out to say such kind things! Don’t worry, it’s not too much at all!

I’m super grateful that you think so highly of my work, and that it’s inspired you to create your own similar stuff! There’s never enough Greek myth / folklore art, in my opinion, so the more the merrier :D Especially from fellow queer folk haha

Thank you for being so sweet, and for listening to my music! I’m wishing you all the best with yours! If you end up making anything, I’d love to hear it! 💕 Have a nice day/night wherever you are!

[chrysanthemumgames]

Hi! I wanted to ask will it be possible for Hades and PC to have biological/magic children? If I'm not wrong I remember something like it was difficult because Hades is Death, but since I know in the myths they had two children ( Melinoë and Zagreus), I wanted to be sure that I remember correctly! I know it probably won't be in the main story anyway, it's just that the possibility for Hades to overcome a lot of his self deprecant concepts about himself, to see himself more than just Death/Hades (so accept and "own" himself also as Aidoneus), that he is worth of being loved and that sometime we are the one who put a limit to ourselves, is so beautiful and cathartic. And I can't help to see the possibility of Death being able to "partecipate" in a new cycle/start of a new life (exactly what the Underworld does for the mortals) thanks to the fact that he came to realize that Life loves him and that they are two side of the same coin, like the cherry on top 🤣

So I've been debating saying this for a while, because everyone's headcanon is their headcanon and with things like this that are well and truly beyond the scope of the game, I generally just prefer to let people imagine what they want. But... Hades is, canonically, biologically infertile. It has nothing to do with how he sees himself, it just is a fact that he has the Death domain, if you like, and that is one of its side effects (and indeed, one of the reasons why neither of his brothers wanted to run the Underworld, in spite of the power and influence that comes with it).

This is not any part of his self esteem issues, and doesn't make him think less of himself, nor do I think he needs to be able to have children to come to terms with who he is or come to see himself as someone who plays a necessary part in the life cycle of all things. (This is, in fact, part of his upcoming character arc, and so will actually be covered in the game.)

The message that children are a vital component of any of that would never be one I intentionally put in anything I write, and I would hope that if I ever accidentally did, someone would point it out to me. I don't think you meant to come off as saying that being able to have children is necessary for someone to think well of themselves, or be worthy of being loved, but it is easy to read that implication into your reasoning here.

He is magically unable to participate in the creation of children for the same reason: it's just incompatible with his domain. That said, there are plenty of other ways he might become a coparent with the PC, and anyone and everyone is free to imagine those as they choose! :)

[nevraeldarya]

So, I have a kinda stupid question, but what are the ror residents, both god and human, leading theories as to how Rhea and Nico were born? Cuz u mentioned that unless the are suicidal and want to ask Poseidonas, or hades who might tell them, then they are in the dark.

Idk, but I just imagine everyone asking the previously dead fighters what nifelheim (spelling?) Was like, and whether it would be possible to have a child with nifelheim itself, or something weird like that😅

Cuz from their perspectives, only hades and poseidon came back with children, not Heracles, Susano'o or any other god who lost lol

Either way, I like to think the theories they had were WILD😂

Popped into existence.

Its not weird for gods to just birth another god alone, its just for them why would Poseidonas and Aidoneus have a kid now of all times ? Why not before ?

That's all 😌🙃

[kopivie]

share some hades!wrio headcanons? I'm actually SO invested i'm going to die

oh! i think i can come up with a few! it'll probably be some facts about him, and maybe some writing? (note: i'm coming back after finishing this and.. i got so carried away.)

(also as a side note, if i were to write a fic about this, i might use a lot of greek/ancient greek terms and words, so if you see something like that, please don't be alarmed.)

first and foremost, i'm definitely clinging to That One Part of wriothesley's canon lore of him abandoning the name given to him before his murder trial. canonically, he just picked up the name "wriothesley" from an obituary because he didn't want to use the one his foster parents gave him. what that name was, we will probably never know (unless it's said in his story quest, which i haven't done yet.) that said, allow me to jump into my hades!wriothesley hcs :D

"wriothesley" is a name that very few actually use. much like canon, people often refer to him as "your grace". however, he has many, many monikers; "the duke of meropide" and "king of the underworld" are just two of many.

underworld residents (or to overworlders, meropide prisoners) coined a bunch of new terms to refer to the elusive duke: aides or aidoneus (meaning "the unseen" or "the invisible one"), orcus (meaning "killer" or "the one who kills"), ditis pater/dis pater/dis (all meaning something along the lines of "rich one"), or clymenus (meaning "the illustrious" or "the revered one")

note: these are all actual names used to refer to hades in greek mythology.

no one calls him those names to his face or in his presence. those names are spoken in whisper -- saying any of those names seems to evoke a physical reaction to anyone who may have been in the fortress long enough to understand the weight behind those names.

hades!wriothesley is not a benevolent being. he is extremely objective. he seldom makes emotional decisions, which leads people to believe that at times, he has no emotions to speak of. (which isn't true, obviously.) his impartial decisions have cost many a life.

i think that because he doesn't rely on his emotions when making many decisions, that is the reason why he goes overboard when it comes to you. it's a little like shaking an unopened soda bottle for an hour and then suddenly opening the top.

wriothesley's love overflows, it gushes, it stains everything it touches. it seeps into every pore and changes you from the inside out. the problem with this, however, is that you resist this change initially.

you are receptive to his... i don't wanna call it advances, since that often has a negative connotation. wriothesley is anything but pushy and inappropriate. he's gentlemanly and chivalrous, so much so that you almost want to scream sometimes. let's call it courting — you allow him to court you, although you keep him at a distance.

why do you keep him at a distance? i... don't really know. perhaps someone can send in a suggestion. but the point is that you don't fully indulge yourself -- sometimes you do, but you become slightly distant and apologetic afterwards. wriothesley understands and is happy to be patient with you, but...

i think my suggestion for your hesitancy would be that you can feel the love that he exudes, and it scares you. you're afraid of what might happen if you allow yourself to sink too deep.

and that... that is probably why you resent him when he takes you to the fortress. that's part of the reason, anyhow. you were afraid of drowning and he literally took you to the bottom of the sea. in a metaphorical sense, he basically tied a brick to your ankles and dragged you down to his own depths against your will. you can't fight, you can't resist -- you can only endure. that is why you're angry with him.

"why do you resent me so?"

hades has the audacity to ask you such a question as you study a flower that he'd brought back from his latest visit to the overworld. you hadn't known of his departure, but when he gifted you this fresh plant, you felt something ugly and bitter stir within you. you became fixated on it, deciding to hole yourself up in your room to spend time with the only thing that gave you peace. you don't react to his question.

he stays quiet for a while, but he doesn't leave. after about five minutes, he inquires again. "please, blossom. i must know. i just wish to make you happy."

you all but slam your hand down on your desk. "happy? you want to make me happy?" you haven't raised your voice, but your tone is as icy as the vision that dangles from his clothing. "set me free. let me go home."

wriothesley is quiet again. "...will you at least look at me?"

the wetness in your eyes forces you to shake your head. "you haven't earned my gaze."

"and what must i do to earn it?"

"i've already told you."

"what else must i do?"

that gets you to turn around. "why are you so stubborn? what is preventing you from letting me go? you yourself can wander between the realms freely, but i can't?" your eyes sting with unshed tears, though the sensation doesn't last long. your frame trembles as you cry, and wriothesley cups your face to wipe the tears away. "do not touch me." you hiss at him.

wriothesley gives you a humorless smile. "you're not pushing me away."

...he's right. why aren't you pushing him away? "you haven't earned the right to touch me."

"haven't i?" hades is leaning in closer. you can smell peppermint on his breath. did he drink tea before coming? his thumb caresses your cheek. your eyes list to the side. "blossom," he calls you. "please."

you have a hard time resisting when he begs you like this. you hate how you let him get away with murder. he's trapped you here against your will, denied you of your freedom, and yet you still allow him to treat you like a deity. you allow him to do as he pleases. you don't feel threatened by him, no -- what you feel is his sincerity. his longing. his love.

you lock eyes with wriothesley. he's sharing a breath with you now. "wh-what do you want?" you ask. "you've already taken everything from me. how greedy can one man be?"

wriothesley's eyes glimmer in the lamplight. you can feel his gaze drop to your lips. his voice is noticeably deeper when he asks, "do you want to find out?"

you're not sure what you feel when he kisses you. the kiss is soft, sweet, and tastes of peppermint. his lips are warm, as is the rest of him. he licks into your mouth slowly and patiently, and you don't fight him.

because really, you've never wanted to push him away. you want to accept wriothesley for who he is, bloodied hands and all. you want him almost as bad as he wants you. and yet you just can't accept him in his entirety-- not as he is now. not when he's secretive and evasive. but his affection gives you some reprieve; his love gives you peace overwhelming, so much so that you let your own feelings shine through in moments like these.

you end the kiss first. you pull away, breathless, though you notice that he doesn't move an inch. after a brief silence, you finally speak. "you're too much for me." you murmur. "you'll be death of me."

wriothesley takes your hands in his. "for as long as i rule the underworld," he replies, "death will never find you. and that's a promise."

(also obligatory catte tag bc i need a fellow wrio lover to see this 🫡🩷 @catcze)

(p.s.: lemme know if i shouldn't tag you in this stuff, okay?)