#nymphe graves

[cyazurai]

The world as everyone knew it was over. When people had joked in the early 2020s that the world was on its way out, the apocalypse was beginning, etc, they weren't that far off.

Everything was happening all at once. Natural disasters, civil wars around the world, global unrest, and finally World War III in the 2030s. Every country was willing to do whatever they needed to do in order to end the way and ensure victory for the correct side - whichever side they considered the correct one. Some opted for nuclear bombs, others for biological warfare, and others yet chose the newly created AI super soldiers.

And who could have foreseen it, but everything went terribly wrong! The Nuclear bombs decimated things and irradiated them. The biological weapons spread farther than they were intended, killing those that used them as well as the intended targets. The AI super soldiers, well... they rose up against humanity in general, which anyone could have seen coming.

Things spiraled out of control until only 1% of the population was left standing. Some time before things had gotten to the point of no return, a giant space station had been launched. People from around the world had gone to live on this station, as an experiment - and every one of them was spared. As things spiraled out of control many people had been sent up to the station to save them, but eventually the rockets stopped coming back, and those left on Earth had to pick up the pieces, wondering if their saviors would ever come.

But after having to scrounge and fight and be cutthroat in order to survive in this world, some people have grown to prefer the lawlessness of the post-apocalyptic world. They go by many names, but in Simerica they are called the Lawless. They are plunderers, murderers, criminals, and the kind of people you wouldn't want to meet in the bright sunshine, let alone a dark alley at night.

Not everyone wants to be Lawless. Many want to bring a return to the days they barely remember, from the Before time. The days when the air wasn't toxic, and you could go for a walk with a loved one without worrying about getting gutted like a fish for your meager belongings.

Our story follows one specific girl who gathered together a group of misfits to attempt to rebuild a life for themselves from the ground up - at least until they can find a way to build a rocket themselves.

Nymphe Graves, founder extraordinaire.

Her birth name isn't Nymphe, but she would sooner cut her own tongue out than tell you what it actually is. Born in the winter of 2029, she has next to no memory of the life before the war. Her father was a doomsday prepper, and that's the only reason why she's alive to start over - unfortunately, her mother wasn't so paranoid, and had divorced the man and ran away to marry a millionaire. Lot of good that did her.

She's never known a real community, since she and her father lived in that basement bunker for most of her childhood, and as such it's made her want to create a world where people can have that again, even if it's a bit of a selfish reason why. She wants to be a confidante to her neighbors - someone they can trust.

As such, she tries to befriend anyone she meets that doesn't seem like a member of the Lawless - and hell, even if they are maybe she can win them over in the end.

Because of her upbringing, she's not a fan of the little markets she sees around - buying things just never made sense to her because it's just so easy to find whatever you need, or make it yourself. Don't be lazy, DIY.

She has the utmost confidence in herself and the fact that she can actually do this thing. Self doubt is not a thing she allows into her life, because the moment you allow yourself to doubt that's when they can get you.

Maybe building a rocket is a bit out of her league, she's not exactly book smart, but someone has to know where to start at least. Right?

(Next introduction in the next post. This one got too long. The rest won't be this long I promise! Also the posts will be sporadic, not like my regular legacy posts. I will not have a schedule. I will post them when I have them.)

[trashmagicnymph]

[kantikotoq]

did a little cosplay :3

[matchatarot]

Hello Bunny! There are a lot of beautiful things about you, but here are the ones your person adores the most. You can adapt the reading to a friendship or a romantic interest, just take what resonates! To pick a pile don’t overthink it and choose the one that draws you in the most while thinking about the reading intent.

Love, Matcha ♡

☆ masterlist

Pile 1 ₊˚.༄

You’re such a sweetie. Your person sees that you’re someone who has been through a lot. You’ve lost a lot and had to go through life-changing emotional challenges that gravely impacted your mental health. The thing they love the most about you is how you’ve alchemized that energy and transformed into a loving and compassionate being. You still find emotional fulfillment out of life, you’ve kept the ability to give and receive love even through it all. They are completely enamoured by you and they want you to know that they will always be there to help you. They love it when you ask them for help if you need it or they wish you did. They might have a little bit of a saviour complex when it comes to you. They think that you can be hesitant when it comes to relationships, that you’re wary of people’s intentions and that you wouldn’t just spend time with anybody. They love that you’ve decided to let them in your life despite this. If you guys are in some sort of union, either romantic or friendly, they feel extremely proud that you chose them, it gives them an ego boost honestly. They adore that you’re someone who follows your intuition, you might have anxiety but you still make the effort to rationalize your anxious thoughts when possible and manifest. Your faith is one of their favourite things about you. They also obviously love how beautiful you are! They think you’re so pretty and that you have pretty privilege, because they don’t understand how anyone could get mad at someone with a face like this, at least stay mad for long. Honestly, they see you as adorable, they want to take care of you. Since you’ve been through so much they wish they could give you enough love to kind of make up for it. They also like how you’re someone who can admit your flaws and your errors. They love the sound of your voice and the words you use, they think you have a good vocabulary. Their favourite thing about you is that you bring light into their world, they see your soul as so pure. They think you’re so angelic, that your presence is a blessing.

Queen of Cups

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Pile 2 ⊹˚˖ ☆

You’re so cool. You’re a go-getter, you’re not scared to take action. Their favourite thing about you is how determined, grounded and strong you are. You take care of yourself and your life. They love how you’re responsible, you’re someone they trust. They love how you’re not scared to philosophize, think and discuss difficult topics. Their favourite thing about you is how smart you are and how you teach them things. They really love how you always want to do better and bigger. You’re no bullshit when it comes to challenges. They love your ability to stay true to your decisions. Sorry if it’s cringe, but they think you’re not like the other girls or any gender. They think you’re better than the rest. They love how you give nymph vibes. Most people who chose this pile probably asked for a romantic relationship because they’re clearly attracted to you… If it’s not that type of relationship disregard that but I see that they want you. If you’ve been having sex they love it and it’s one of their favourite part of their relationship with you. They get a lot of pleasure from it and they love that you seem to love it too. They love the way you look naked. If you’ve been seeing other people they’re super jealous. If you were asking for a friendship, they’re also jealous of your other friendships. They want to always be the one having fun with you! You’re the person they have the most fun with! If they ever did anything that hurt you they’re so sorry, when you fight they want to go back to you right after. Maybe you guys sometimes fight and then make up and they love when you’re willing to forgive them and have a discussion. You’re not scared of being the bigger person, but you don’t judge them too much. They feel like they can be themselves with you. They see you guys being in each other’s life for the long term, they hope for it. They admire you, your looks and your mind.

Queen of Pentacles

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Pile 3 ‧₊˚ ♡

They’ve never met anyone else like you. Their favourite thing about you is that you’ve offered them a new way to see life. They love how you’re free-spirited and spiritual. They love how you’re a leader. You lead by example. You guide people around you, they feel like you bring them clarity. Their favourite thing about you is how you offer love and compassion. They love how you are a peaceful person. You’re only in a competition with yourself, but even then you practice detachment. You’re patient and you have a strong mindset. They love how you manifest the things you want in your life with this powerful attitude. They want you all for themselves. They love when you want to see them and when you claim them as your person. If sometimes it’s time to stop hanging out and you say things like “No please stay!”, they love that. They love partying and having fun with you. They think you’re the life of the party and that you’re good at bringing people together. They love how you don’t care about what people say about you. You let them talk. You might have had to cut off family members, your person thinks you don’t care what your family think about your lifestyle and they admire that. You inspire them because you have a lot of general knowledge. You’re the type to know a lot of fun facts. They like the way you tell stories and how many stories you have to tell. They’re scared of losing you. They might have nightmares about you guys fighting and it stresses them out. They feel youthful and free with you. When they’re with you, they feel like it’s the universe giving them an other chance. Perhaps they had a lot of endings before you. If it’s about a romantic interest and you’ve never had sexual encounters they’re ready for that step. They’re in general ready for the next step in your relationship. They want to be able to try out a lot of new things with you. They think that if they stay with you they’ll feel young forever.

High Priestess

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decks used for this reading: l’oracle du chemin spirituel by Valérie Defour & Valérie Saussez, modern witch tarot deck by Lisa Steele, amor et psyche oracle by Georges Barbier, les vampires oracle by Lucy Cavendish, mystical wisdom by Gaye Guthrie, oracle of heaven and hell by Travis McHenry

[ozzgin]

A comprehensive list of works based on monster type. Note that it doesn’t include OCs or Series.

Aliens

Short: Inexperienced Alien Partner (Fem Reader)

Androids

Idea: Imperfect Androids

Short: Android Caretaker

Short: Malfunctioning Android

Short: Android Partner finding your fanfiction (GN Reader)

Angels

Yandere!Angel x GN!Reader 1

Yandere!Angel x GN!Reader 2

Short: Biblically Accurate Angels (GN Reader)

Computer/Digital

Yandere!Internet Monster x GN!Reader

Yandere!Internet Monster x GN!Slasher Fan Reader

Demons

Yandere!Devil x Fem!Reader

Short: Demon possessing your cat (GN Reader)

Fairy/Fae

Short: Fae x GN!Reader

Yandere Nymph Grove

Folklore/Urban Legends

Yandere!Aka Manto x GN!Reader

Short: Mothman x Crybaby!GN!Reader

Ghosts

Short: Ghost Harem x Exorcist!GN!Reader

Short: Haunted house with a monster fucker (GN Reader)

Short: Haunted house with a broke Reader (GN Reader)

Short: Haunted house with an oblivious Reader (GN Reader)

Short: Ghost Harem (GN Reader)

Short: Ghost Butler

More Ghost Butler

Gods

Short: Eldritch God with Average Human

Short: Eldritch Island God

Idea: Lovecraftian God x Detective!GN!Reader

Yandere!Eldritch God x Detective!GN!Reader

God of Death x GN!Reader

Hybrids

Yandere!Hybrid x Phobic!GN!Reader Various!Hybrids x Reader on period Yandere!Bear!Hybrid x GN!Reader Lion!Hybrid & Tiger!Hybrid x GN!Reader Lion&Tiger Hybrid: Mating Season

Bird Hybrids Short: Duck!Hybrid

Bunny Hybrids Bunny Hybrid Twins Hare Hybrid [Comic]

Bull/Cow Hybrids Cow!Hybrids x Bull!Hybrids x GN!Reader Hucow Husband Intro Hucow Husband flavors Yandere!Fem!Cow Barista x GN!Reader

Puppy Hybrid Short: Puppy!Hybrid and Adult Channels + cont. Short: Puppy!Hybrid and mating Short: Puppy!Hybrid's first Christmas

Reptile Hybrids Short: Lizard!Hybrid Carnotaurus (Dinosaur Pack) x GN!Reader

Spider Hybrid Spider Hybrid Horde x GN!Reader Short: Tarantula Hybrid (GN Reader) Tarantula Hybrid [Comic] Tarantula Hybrid NSFW preview

Underwater Hybrids Yandere!Octopus!Hybrid x GN!Reader Octopus Mating Habits [Doodle] Hammerhead Shark!Hybrid x GN!Reader Hammerhead Shark and Catcalling [Comic] Anglerfish Hybrid x GN!Reader Sea Slug Boyfriend [Comic]

Merfolk

Short: The Lighthouse (GN Reader)

Idea: Merfolk x Ship Passenger GN!Reader

Yandere!Merman x GN!Reader [Obra Dinn]

Yandere!Merman x GN!Reader x Yandere!Prince

Naga

Naga x Smartass!GN!Reader

Orcs

Yandere!Orc Siblings x GN!Reader

Short: Orc Stepbrother (GN Reader) + Orc Stepdad

Short: Orc!Secretary (GN Reader)

Tentacles

Tentacles at the Workplace [Doodle]

Tentacles at the Workplace 2 [Doodle]

Doctor Visit [Doodle]

Eldritch Island God [Comic]

Vampires

Yandere!Vampire Clown x GN!Reader

Vampire Clown: Clown Nose [Comic]

Vampire Clown: Blowing the horn [Comic]

Yandere!Vampire x GN!Reader

Yandere!Priest x GN!Reader x Yandere!'Angel'

Werewolf

The Wolf x Witch!Reader [Wytchwood]

Short: Wolf!Hybrid x Fem!Reader

Short: Werewolf mate who marks you before leaving

Werewolf Christmas Visit [Doodle]

Zombie

Yandere!Zombie x GN!Grave Robber!Reader

Zombie Househusband [Comic]

[yandere-sins]

Monstober 2024

Monster-Enthusiasts, Monster-Lovers, and Monster-Fucker, I call upon thee! This upcoming October is going to be spooky!

It's time for a whole month of delicious monster content! Whether you want them to stalk, to hunt, or to devour your little protagonists (mind you, the monsters are the real protagonists of the story, hehe), I want to see a month dedicated to the beauty of the Ugly and Horrible! All things monster are welcome—art, writing, any kind of showcasing a monster! No matter how cruel or how obscene you like it—now's the time to show it off! ♥

I have prepared a list of monsters & prompts for your guidance, however, if you'd rather do a different monster or a different prompt, that is totally fine! If you prefer to stay private and not have your post reblogged to this blog, that is totally alright, too! This is merely for fun and giggles, and I welcome everyone who wants to challenge themselves this upcoming October to use this list if they want!

How to participate in my Monstober:

- Starting October 1st create something with the monster or prompt of the day! That is all you have to do.

You don't have to do all days or even in chronological order. Feel free to alter the prompts as needed. Your monsters do not have to match the usual descriptions of their kind! Post whenever and whatever you like as long as it is still connected to monsters!

- If you want your entry to be reblogged: @ me yandere-sins in your post, don't forget to put content warnings if any apply (especially Violence & Sexual Content—however, those are very welcome!), and put long texts (once they reach 3k words) under a read more! I'll reblog the posts as soon as I see and have the time to get to them!

Prompts

Day 1: Chimera | Mixed // Misunderstood // Insanity

Day 2: Werewolf/Werecat | Full Moon // Claws // Beastly

Day 3: Alien | Otherworldly // Uncanny Valley // Space

Day 4: Harpy | Cliff // Flying // Illusion

Day 5: Nymph/Dryad/Leshy | Plants // Playful // Nature's Bounty

Day 6: Naga/Lamia | Scales // Wrapping around // Poisonous

Day 7: Sphinx | Riddles // Sand // Giant

Day 8: Merfolk | Water // Singing // Alluring

Day 9: Folklore Creatures | Cautionary Tales // Truth // Naivity

Day 10: Mimic | Treasures // Hungry // Wrong

Day 11: Yuki-onna/Snow Spirit | Snowstorm // Promise // Guiding

Day 12: Witch/Wizard/Magician | Magic // Spells // Towers

Day 13: Shifter | True Form // Unbelievable // Transformation

Day 14: Minotaur | Labyrinth // Bannished // Following

Day 15: Eldritch Horror | Eldritch // Imprisoned // Tentacles

Day 16: "Church" Grim | Graveyard // Protecting // Spirit

Day 17: Dragon | Fire // Hoarding // Fairytale

Day 18: Kitsune | Tricked // Tails // Mystical

Day 19: Elf | Warrior // Swift // Merciless

Day 20: Goblin/Orc/Troll/Oni | Hordes // Village // Brutish

Day 21: Kelpie | Deception // Following // Stuck

Day 22: Skeleton/Zombie | Undead // Loved // Grave

Day 23: Angel | Feathers // Guardian // Watching

Day 24: Ghost | Shadows // Invisible // Coldness

Day 25: Vampire | Blood // Biting // Night

Day 26: Fae Folk | Lost // Fairy Circles // Names

Day 27: Drider | Silk // Cave // Ensnared

Day 28: Demon | Summoning // Contract // Otherworldly

Day 29: Gods | Reign // Glow // Worshipping

Day 30: Human | Real Monsters // Dangerous // Smile

Day 31: Free Choice of your favorite monster or a completely new one!

I look forward to all the monstrous ideas you'll come up with! ♥

[kiame-sama]

It's been as hot as hell these past few days in America. My AC units are having to go on seperate plugs just because they're getting overworked and overheated. I've heard that some people's AC is shutting off entirely.

How do the boys react to an overheated Darling or kiddies? I feel like Jamil would love the humidity and all, but someone like Ace or Deuce would be unable to function in this weather.

Also, for those who have pets, keep an eye on them during this weather! Don't leave them alone outside without supervision! There's been reports of animals being left out and dying! Take care of yourself and your animals, please and thank you!

Warnings; yandere behavior, Human= Reader, gender neutral reader, multiple yandere monsters, Monster TWST AU,

Rollo is panicking and unsure how to help. He can only heat things up, not cool them down. He will try to find a shaded area for you and will be willing to fan you, but he lets out constant heat, so he may overwhelm and warm you on accident.

Jamil LOVES the heat. He enjoys laying in the sun and warming his scales under the light. Dry heat or wet heat, he doesn't care, it feels nice to him either way. if he notices you are uncomfortable or heating up too much, he can actually lay his coils on top of you or wrap you in them. Because he is Naga, his body is naturally colder than most other species, so being under his scales while he moves them every few minutes would actually mean he constantly has a cold spot to help cool you down while you in turn warm him up. He can even find something to fan you with using his tail.

The Dragon can easily shield you with his wings as well as use his magic to create a breeze for you to keep you cool on the unbearably hot days. Malleus is unbothered by the heat most of the time and is happy to do what he needs to so you are comfortable, but if he genuinely thinks you are overheating or in extreme discomfort from the heat, he will begin to get upset. Malleus' sorrow beings about a blizzard, so you may long for the heat once he actually gets in his emotions. For the most part, Malleus is good at keeping you cool before it gets to that point.

Idia is technically considered to be as cold as the grave despite his flame hair. As a creature from Tartarus- the Land of the Dead- Idia is cold enough to chill others to the bone. He isn't often one to soak up the sunlight, more a creature of shadows and darkness. If you are too warm and hug onto the Shinigami, you may actually start to shiver because of how cold Idia can be to the touch. Lay on top of him wrapped in a blanket and he will keep you at a nice chilly temp. You may even long for your heated blanket if you snuggle Idia long enough. He is quite cold and that chill can be felt by touching him.

Kida is an Air Nymph and can easily create a breeze to cool you down. Due to his natural affinity for air, if you mention to him that you are feeling too warm, he will happily make a chilly breeze that cools you down in the heat of the day. Let him know if the wind is too cold and he will adjust as needed.

Neige is eager to try and keep you comfortable, going as far as fanning you with his wings to help you cool off. Neige will happily do whatever he can to make sure you are comfortable and cool on event he hottest of days. Do you need a cold drink? He can get that for you! Do you need shade? Well, he can happily use his wings to shield you. Just communicate with him and he will do what he can to keep you comfortable and at peace.

If it is getting too warm for you to stay comfortable, go swimming with him. He can hold you right along the waterline on his back, letting you longue across his equine figure as he swims lazy circles through the water. If you really want, he can cast a spell so you can safely submerge completely under the water and chill out in the lake with him. He will ensure you are comfortable and safe regardless while you spend time in the lake with him.

Sounds like you could use some time beneath the waves with him. Azul promises that you will be comfortable and safe while you are by his side. He will give you a potion that allows you to breathe under the water and he will happily swim with you while the two of you escape the heat of the day. Just let him know and he will move his schedule around to accommodate your needs.

[cyazurai]

Nymphe had been traveling for a couple of years as she gathered her small group of misfits. They were from all over Simerica, and gradually, somehow they had found each other. She would be eternally grateful, because in just a short time she had grown to care about each and every one of them, and despite some of their shortcomings, they were valuable members of their little society.

But they knew that eventually they would have to settle down. They had originally thought about finding a place away from any signs of society - out in the countryside, where there was less likely to be Lawless about, and less chance of radiation or the remnants of biological weapons.

When they saw Evergreen Harbor, though, they knew that it was the place. It was the perfect place to start anew - it had so much trash they could repurpose for their own needs, as well as houses to raid. The more law-conscious of them raided the garbage piles, while those who were less... squeamish about stealing from dead people broke in to steal a few necessary items they could easily carry out.

Once they had scavenged enough items, they cleaned out an empty lot so they could have somewhere to stay, at least temporarily. They didn't have a lot to their names, but they were able to put together a small homeless encampment with beds made from stolen mattresses and store pallets.

"I don't see why we didn't just steal the frames, mattresses, and sheets," Gabriel commented once they had gotten everything set up.

Nymphe was beginning to grow frustrated - she loved her community members, but sometimes it was like they had rocks for brains and couldn't really absorb information that was told to them. "Do you want to drag a bed frame all the way here? I know I don't. And Goldie said all the beds were already stripped ages ago. What sheets were they supposed to take, Gabe?"

"I don't know, check the linen closets maybe?!" He was beginning to get frustrated, but they were all exhausted and frustrated so no one really held it against him.

"We did," Goldie piped up, glancing over from her conversation with Eugenia. "Picked bare. No clothes in drawers, no towels, no bed sheets, no throw blankets, nothing. We have to make due with what we found."

And that's exactly what they were going to have to do.

[zarnzarn]

Part four (+FOUR ASKS FUCK YEAH) of the reverse odyssey au! all tagged on the blog.

1/2/3/4

||

Penelope takes a shaky breath and waves off the maid trying to light one of the lamps. The maid bows nervously and leaves the room, bumping into the fake door with a squeak before running off.

Must be new. Who's hiring them, though?

A rustling noise next to her pulls her attention away and she turns to watch Polites nod gravely to her and then sink down at her feet, petting Argos. If she'd had energy, she'd raise an eyebrow, but all she can think of is how Odysseus would have teasingly asked her why she wasn't chiding Polites for looking so unkempt and miserable with his wooden leg unpolished and crutches uncared for, in his roundabout, carefree way of being worried. Already Eurylochus had run himself into the ground and taken so ill he could barely speak. She'd have to keep a careful eye on them both.

In her most secret, private moments, Penelope remembers Anticlea's muttered words about Athena teaching Odysseus her emotional repression along with the battle strategies, and has to tamp down on a smile desperately in case an owl is nearby.

Although, on the topic of Athena.

Penelope looks out at the sea, grimacing at the green algae now covering the waters. It was poisoning the fish, that much was for sure, making them float to the surface in droves of corpses, a clear insult to the water god- and only Athena with her cunning would be able to cause such widespread damage.

On one hand, it was glorious to see how much the goddess loved her husband, no matter if her infamous pride was probably the larger reason why she had poisoned the oceans so. It was still in part for Odysseus' curse that the waters now found themselves under a brutal, uncaring attack, becoming more filthy by the day, and something in Penelope's chest that was still a nymph despite all her effort to rid herself of it purred in satisfaction.

On the other hand. How long till they ran out of fish?

Queen Anticlea, bless Hestia, was the descendant of a farmer, and had spent much of her time as queen overseeing the grain of their kingdom and bullying them all into establishing good agriculture- but the rains had been bleak and old Leartes had not remembered to barter for a freshwater supply this year, so they ran the chance of running slim, especially with six hundred men now returned.

The heavy doors creak open and Penelope comes back to herself. A problem for later.

"Good evening, everyone!" A voice calls from beyond, nasal and cheerful, and they all rise.

Ctimene is a tall woman, thin and sleek, with a chiton bare of patterns but made of the finest cloth. What comes to mind since the day Penelope first laid eyes on her is sharp, from her hairstyle to her amber eyes, someone who wears a smile as warm as her brother's but doesn't expect you to believe in it like he does- doesn't need you to, because she's going to get her way regardless.

She'd left Ithaka a few months after Penelope arrived, coming home sporadically from where Penelope assumes she's been happily terrorizing Same, but she remembers how her husband's sister is.

That she and Odysseus did not kill each other in the womb itself is something of a minor miracle, is the general consensus amongst everyone.

"Princess Ctimene," Penelope says, bowing.

"Queen is what your missive said," She replies before Penelope can speak further. Her eyes narrow and Penelope carefully shows no sign of her impending headache- Hermes' eyes are not to be looked upon, and his children share his preference- and holds the gaze calmly. Ctimene throws her hair over her shoulder with a toss of her head. "So, did my idiot brother finally run out of luck?"

Penelope blinks and- actually looks. Ctimene is a stone tower, but Penelope can suddenly see the cracks- a trembling lip, the flash of agonized grief in her eyes, fingernails clenched into her own palm.

"No!" She blurts out, stumbling down the stairs to take her hand. "No, he's not- he is not lost to us, sister, I should have written that before."

"What does that mean?" Ctimene's eyes narrow, as she pulls herself up, emotion hidden once again. "Speak plainly, Pen."

Pen hits her straight in the chest, stealing her breath from her for a moment. It has been so long since her Helen and Clymenestra and Iphitimene have called her that, and for Ctimene to do so so easily, even though they barely know each other-

She takes in a shaky breath and holds herself back high. "Poseidon has- cursed Odysseus, for blinding his son instead of killing him. His men were allowed to return in exchange, but he swims the seas as a strange creature now, with the tail of a fish, unable to speak to us; we spent the last year on the seas, looking for him, but were taken away by bad luck and bad timing just as we reached him and-"

"What are you talking about?" Ctimene interrupts incredulous, unfolding her arms to finally let her body language show. "What? Poseidon? How in Gaia's name did that fool- I thought he was being held hostage by Troy or something! Cursed?"

Penelope tries not to let her resolve waver. Ten years of only letters and missives have taken their toll, as much as she was spitefully determined to not let them; to have to deal with the injustice now that the war was not yet over for her, that there was still a fight left before she had her husband in her arms again, her darling, trickster husband who she spent every morning missing, every moment she was alone aching for-

Her husband, who had been at her fingertips, who had looked at her for that one brief moment with recognition and joy so bright and loving and a smile so wide at her presence that her final image of him now was blurred because of her tears-

Her husband, who had been swept away. Whom she had failed.

"Yes," She replies. "But during our search- we were blessed... by the presence of Lady Athena herself."

"Let me guess," Ctimene interrupts, lips quirking in amusement. The men around her frown and look at each other with disbelief as she has no reaction to the news, as if gods appeared to mortals as often as the goats bleated. "She lectured you all for running off without a plan and dragged you back like disobedient children."

Penelope's mouth opens and closes, with no idea what to say. She feels her aunt's paranoia about the wrath of the gods grip her and she has to actively fight the urge to shake this woman and tell her to keep her mouth shut, but- was that not... technically what had happened?

"I would not put it that way," She manages, hoping that no one is around to hear. "Athena's counsel is unparalleled-"

"Do not bother," Athena says next to her, and several people shout and fall to the floor, trembling. Penelope herself feels her heart drop to the ground in fear. "You might convince a mountain to move aside, before you get this insolent woman to show some respect to me. Hello, Ctimene."

"Hi, Athena," Ctimene straightens up, hands behind her back as she grins, suddenly looking much more younger and childish. "Where have you been? You haven't come to meet me in ages!"

"On the battlefields of Troy," Athena says dryly. By someone's grace, she is not yet angry; although from the pieces Penelope is putting together, her husband's mentorship seems to be much less hands-off than she'd assumed it was; and she can describe Odysseus as many things but significantly not someone you can spend a lot of time with without having a high tolerance to annoyance.

That would give Ctimene some leeway with her casualness, but she really needed to stop talking before Athena grew cross with them as well-

Ctimene pouts, moving closer. "That's no excuse," She insists, giving half the people in the room so much stress that Penelope thinks they'll keel over in a faint, and the other half some new resignation to dying violently. "I want your wisdom too!"

Athena- laughs?

"When will you ever change, weasel?" She says, lips twisted in amusement.

"Never," Ctimene says, warmer than Penelope's ever heard her, before straightening up and tilting her chin up. "So. You want me to take the throne."

"Yes." Penelope steps in, heart pounding nervously. Talking in front of Athena with a clear mind was wracking, but Ctimene's familiarity gives her confidence enough to step in. She knows politics. She had ruled Ithaka for ten years. She is a princess of Sparta and the best statesperson of her lands, and she must believe in herself for others to believe in her. "I have written up a contract-"

"None is needed," Ctimene interrupts, waving a hand dismissively. Penelope is stunned silent for a moment, letting the other woman turn away to comment on the worn curtains- then her blood boils. This- This absolute-

It takes every inch of her will to calm herself down and not show any sign of her anger in front of all the people looking on. It is a skill honed well from arguing her father and uncle in court, but in front of Athena it feels scorchingly worse, unbelievable mortification.

"May I ask why?" Penelope says, voice cold.

Ctimene turns in surprise, eyes flicking to the side and back. "I do not contract with family," She says, voice slightly smaller, and all the anger goes rushing back out of Penelope, leaving both embarassment and relief in its wake. "I have no designs to the throne of Ithaka, after all. But if you want, I could."

"Please," Penelope inclines her head, walking forward to place the scroll in her hand. "And in the future, do remember that while dealing with any of the Spartan family, at least, there is no love lost between blood. Contracts are needed in every aspect of politics."

Ctimene nods, and Penelope turns away to bow in front of Athena while her courage lasts. "Goddess of Wisdom, patron of Ithaka," She pitches her voice respectably. "May I inquire about a matter, if I might recieve your blessings to do so?"

"Granted."

"Our people rely on fish," She says simply. Does not look up to see if Athena is angry, about to fly into a rage and curse her for her insolence. "I would greatly be thankful if you would let me know if we require to trade for supplies from the mainland this year."

Athena is silent for a long moment. Penelope's heart pounds. Then- "It will last a month more. Do not eat seafood till then."

Her breath escapes her. "Thank you, Pallas Athena."

She turns back to the men, lifting her chin. "We will stay in for the rains and resume our search next summer, giving Odysseus time to return to the sea. When we sail, Ctimene will be crowned queen, and rule with her husband until we return. But the men who had come with us the first time will be all replaced by a new cohort."

She silences their loud protests with a raised hand, trying not to waver in the face of their betrayed looks and devastation. "No," She says firmly. "Odysseus sacrificed himself for all of you to return home, to make new lives safe and happy; not spend time chasing him down on the high seas endlessly. Honor his choice. We will have rotations every season, barring the storms. Choose amongst the remaining men who will be coming by next harvest."

Polites looks at her as the men are dismissed, filing out of the main hall muttering desolately. "I will not be leaving, Penelope."

Her lips quirk. It might be the first time he's called her by name. "Wouldn't expect any different." She's incredibly aware that this is uncharted territory, her first actual order as Queen of Ithaka. Ten years she had learnt the politics, but it had been under Anticlea and Laertes, with an end date she could look forward to. Now she is no longer a replacement sovereign, no longer has a husband sailing back to lighten her load.

Queen of Ithaka. How ironic, that of the three jewels, of all her sisters, she was the only one to achieve their dream of being able to rule alone and visible- yet it meant was that she would never be happy.

She turns back to Ctimene and Athena, who are both staring at her with the same unreadable expression.

Discomfort rushes through her- had she said the wrong thing somewhere?- but she pushes it aside to bow again. "How is Eurylochus?"

Ctimene smiles, and something genuine breaks through. "Better. Did you know he was not eating, though?"

Penelope starts at the sudden accusation, shocked. Feels anger rise at Eurylochus' idiocy, putting her at odds with her sister-in-law because of his own stupidity. "No, I did not," She said evenly. "Rations were distributed equally."

"But you must have known!" Ctimene snaps. "How-"

Athena places a hand on her shoulder. "Screaming helps no one."

Ctimene jerks her head to the side, cheeks burning. Penelope opens her mouth to say something, but the other suddenly rushes past, skirts billowing. "I have to go. Let us meet in the evening, Penelope."

"Alright," Penelope says, and when she turns back Athena has disappeared as well.

She takes a long breath, shoulders slumping as the doors bang closed. Then looks beside her and squints. "You better be eating. I don't want to hear nonsense about fainting and wasting away from you, understand?"

Polites snorts and gets to his feet. "Yes, your grace."

She groans, putting her head in her hands, exhausted. "Why did he have to not eat? Now Ctimene blames me and will fight me on everything as recompense. How was I supposed to even know!"

Polites sighs, and she remembers with a start that he is Eurylochus' best friend as well. "You must understand, Penelope." He says quietly, with all the sorrow that she knew he'd been pushing aside for a brave face with the men, their unending optimism made person. Some days, even she couldn't tell whether he was acting or not. "That the reason we got into this mess at all was because of the two of us."

Penelope frowns. "I'm sure that's not-"

"It was on Eurylochus' behest that we stopped for food. It was on my insistence that we trusted the Lotus people. Odysseus would still be here if it wasn't for the two of us, pushing him to make decisions on behalf of all of us, then standing back while he took all the punishment for it."

"That is what ruling is-!" Penelope exclaims, but is cut off again.

"It was still our fault!" He bursts out, voice cracking. "Do you know, not one second-in-command survived the Trojan war? That the war only stretched as long as it did because Odysseus was the only strategist determined to not let even one of his men be a casualty? I myself saw three soldiers throw themselves in front of fatal blows for Patroclus, I saw Diomedes' general get shot down after he forced his king to stay back while they inspected a rumor about a crack in the wall- man after man died for their rulers, and us? All six hundred, whole and hearty, returned miraculously to our families, our home; while our brother and friend-" His face twists up. "-our ruler who made it possible is lost to us. Ten years of his love and care and jokes made us lose sight of the fact that he was still our King, not just our captain. We should have been the ones to go, Penelope. Even if every man, every soldier had been Poseidon's cost- we knew the risks. We knew when we sailed that not all would return. If no one else, me and Eurylochus should have had the damn courage-"

He breaks into sobs and Penelope drops all sense of propriety to pull him into a hug, mouth downturned as she silently cries as well, shoulders jerking.

"I miss him," He sobs. "My best friend. Why did the gods have to take him? Why must the Fates be so cruel?"

Penelope's eyes mist over, as she turns to stare out the window, out at the poisoned ocean, her husband swimming somewhere under its waters.

Come back, she begs. Oh, Odysseus, everyone loves and misses you so. Come back soon.

[youryanderedaddy]

Summary: An unlikely encounter brings you and Cassian together, resulting in a decade - long obsession born out of lust and hatred. tw: female reader, hinted non-con, abuse/violence, obsession, jealousy, misogyny, degradation, slut-shaming, bullying, threats, choking, religious trauma, religious imagery, religious inaccuracy My ko - fi <3

Cassian still remembered the day you first met, the one he dreaded the most - the early spring warmth mixing with the smell of frost-hidden snowdrops. The earth being cleansed and reborn after a long, sluggish winter filled with challenges for the sinners' burning souls. Back then he was still working at the altar, freshly out of high school - barely nineteen, somewhere between a confused boy and a man of Christ.

He was called to fetch water from the well - it was nothing out of the ordinary, this was the sole reason he was part of the church, to help the elders with baptising and burying the dead. He was coming back with a rushed step when he saw you - bumped into you, to be exact. You were wearing a light white dress that covered just above the middle of your thighs, your ankles and feet fully exposed with just a pair of brown flowery sandals to go along with. You looked a bit older than the boy - maybe two or three years, he decided, as there was something mature in your beauty, an air of influence most girls his age didn't possess yet.

It all happened so fast - Cassian gasped in surprise as the water spilt all over you, sticking to each and every little crack and hem of your thin cotton dress. The wet fabric hugged all your curves, as if damp just to tempt him. He immediately looked down, covering his face with one hand as he tried to collect the fallen jug with the other, cheeks beet red. You, in turn, smiled playfully, reaching for the small pot before the man could grab it. You wiggled it in the air, laughing with your teeth out - glowing in the soft sunlight. He mumbled something incoherent, perhaps begging you to return it - but you were quick on your feet, running towards the river with the tool in hand, your soft giggles bursting like bubbles.

The boy hesitated for a second before eventually following after you, innocent brown eyes widening with a mix of fear and surprise, heart beating violently against his chest - this was the first time he was so close to a woman. After chasing you around the forest for a while, he stopped to catch his breath just to realise he had lost you somewhere along the way. He looked around, already panicking - too frightened to even begin imagining how the elders would react once they knew he had lost the ceremonial canna. 

“Looking for this?” You suddenly called out to him, a playful smile tugging at the corners of your pink lips. He quickly turned to face you, blushing once again as he spotted you sitting among the rocks surrounding the stream with the sun caught in your loosened locks - and his jug in your soft palms. You looked just like the nymphs his mentor had warned him about - cruel, whimsical creatures, yet painfully, breathtakingly beautiful. They liked to trick lost travellers and lonely shepherds, taking their soul for all eternity. 

Cassian took a deep breath and mouthed a quick prayer to his patron, bringing his hands together. He could do this. He wouldn’t be swayed by you no matter how cunning you may be - for his soul belonged to Christ and Christ alone.

“Stealing is a g-grave sin, Miss.” The boy exclaimed, voice shaky yet unrelenting as he took a step towards you. “So please return the can to me at once!” This time he sounded almost breathless, whiny like a mere child. You couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped your parted lips. “Aww, no need to get mad. I am simply borrowing it.” You cooed at the disciple with slight mockery, pretending to eye the item in your hands with great interest. 

“I am n-not mad!” Cassian swiftly contested, crossing his arms to appear more intimidating, if that was even possible. “I am just frustrated - righteously so, since y-you took something that belongs to me, and refuse to give it back.” He continued, puffing his chest out towards you in annoyance. You found his attempts to convince you utterly adorable - but the only thing they accomplished was making you want to pick on him even more. “If you want it so bad, come and get it!” You egged him on, dingling it just above his head once again.

Then suddenly, just for a split second, something in his eyes changed. The brown turned dark and muddy, almost glowing with fury, his teeth grazing his cheek until he could taste the blood on his tongue - and next thing you knew, he had pushed you into the stream, soaked up to your chin. You started coughing, desperate to keep the water out of your lungs, but his hand pressed heavy against your chest, shoving you towards the very bottom of the river.

It was your turn to panic, cheeks heating up with uncertainty. You looked up at Cassian with soft, pleading eyes - begging him to let go. It was all too much for the sheltered boy - your prior teasing, your pitiful gaze, your warm skin shivering against the drenched, transparent clothing, leaving little to the imagination… He subconsciously began tugging at his tight golden collar, feeling the cold sweat creep upon his neck - then he slowly released you, letting your body rise up to the top without any added weight on it.

The disciple stared at your trembling form for what felt like eternity, unable to look away. Soon enough you came to your senses, scurrying to cover your breasts - but despite your best attempts at hiding, his fervent gaze kept threatening to burn a hole into your flesh. You opened your mouth to say something, perhaps an apology of sorts, or even an accusation - yet no sound came out. 

And just like that the boy was gone.

***

Cassian cried the whole night, he cried his little heart out, hugging the Mary Magdalen icon close to his chest - hoping, praying that he could be redeemed. He was sick, utterly sick. The way he had felt, the way his body had reacted to you - it was sinister, devilish, unholy. Something completely unbecoming of the sacred figure he aspired to become once his altar duties were finished. He was supposed to be different, a beam of light in a crowd of darkness and misery, and now he was filthy, reeking of sin - of you.

His racing thoughts left him restless, unable to close his eyes. He had no other option left - he had to confide in his mentor, it was the right thing to do. It was going to be alright, he tried to rationalise. Repent, and you will be saved. A sin admitted is a sin resolved and punished from within, from your very core. That’s what the elders always said - sin was human, but deceit was intentional, it meant that your soul was purposely straying away from God’s love and protection. The ones who were truthful and eager to accept their faults could still ascend to Heaven.

And Cassian was lucky - so, so lucky, because his mentor proved understanding to the troubles of his soul. He reassured him, taking him into his arms, the smell of incense and wax and home enough to soothe any heartache. The old man smiled gently, petting his hair - telling him that beauty was a Godly virtue, and there was nothing wrong with admiring it for his body itself was a fruit of desire and love. Then once the boy had stopped sobbing, his breathing finally even, the priest pulled him to the side and reminded him that he was one of his best students, and as such he simply could not be tempted and swayed by the weakness of the flesh. The deacon had seen him - had felt the cleaness in his eyes, and that’s precisely why he had chosen him; for his unyielding chastity and goodness. And he was never wrong about his pupils - so it was obviously the woman’s fault. 

Cassian could understand it now, clear as day. You had tempted him. You had stolen his sleep and his tears like a siren, like a Jezebel. But that was fine, completely fine. It was all part of the big plan. Temptation was good - faith always had its challenges, and he’d be damned if he let someone as wretched as you lure him into severing his ties to God. This was his future. This church was his home, and so it would remain. He would become the next deacon of Holy Agnes, and you would be no obstacle. Just an underwater stone - a bug he had to crush so he could be free and whole again.

***

Several years passed by with a snap of a finger. Cassian slowly matured, soft cheeks and bright eyes turning sharp and mundane with his newfound restraint. He had adapted some level of unconscious stoicism, set on raising above the lowly human needs. And yet he kept seeing you everywhere he went, like a ghost of the past.

Sometimes you were in the garden by his church, laughing and smiling with avid colours covering your body. Countless dingley pearly bracelets stacked one on top of the other heaving on your little wrists like a fire circle. You were loud, never one to suppress your silvery ringing voice. Other times you were sitting by the nearby lake, sewing or knitting, writing in a worn out notebook with fleeting papers all over your lap. You were in the bakery he walked by after Mass, on the opposite side of the farmer alley he frequented on the Sabbath. Always just a breath away, but never quite close enough. 

He wanted to touch you. He wanted to drag you in by your hair and yell in your ear until it bled - you, who so innocently strolled left and right with your pretty twirly dresses and skirts that never covered your knees, you with your naked hands parading around the park with nothing on your mind, but rainbows and sunshine. As if you didn’t know you had ruined his youth with aching sickness over you - as if you didn’t care he had spent countless hours agonising, wondering whether he’d see you again. Wondering whether he’ll be able to hold back from reaching out and completely devouring you. 

Were you looking for attention, looking so bubbly and careless, bright shouting colours on display? Were you hoping to tempt him again by showing all this vulnerable, ripe skin? Had you completely forgotten about that unlikely encounter that was permanently engraved into his memory with the burning mark of hellfire itself? 

Because it certainly seemed so when the whole village was whispering about you and your countless misdeeds. People were saying that you were pursuing a crafting clerkship in the nearby town - that you were travelling alone, or in the company of strange men, sleeping in unknown taverns on the road for days. Drinking and drowning in debauchery. Rumours had it that you would give yourself away to the highest bidder, thus being able to fund all those adventurous trips across the land. 

Cassian didn’t want to believe them, and he refused to partake in the tired, painfully repetitive conversations of the common folk who flocked to the church for warmth and food like a herd of sheep to a master. To him tattle was a sin of itself, a needless effort to drop the Lord’s name in vain just to curse a harlot or to mock an innocent, unsuspecting widow - but from day to day their words became harsher, crueller, ungodly. You were made to look like Lilith herself, and he couldn’t help believing what he could feel with his own heart.

It was a simple fact, really. You were just a whore, and nothing more - because he could clearly see you clinging to another man’s shoulder through the small glazed window of his, pushing your chest towards the dark stranger - laughing unabashedly at his jokes, gazing into his eyes, prompting him to claim your sweet lips. You were a whore, because you let them all have you, yet you belonged to neither. Not even to him - not even when you appeared in his dreams, tormenting him even in the comfort of his own psyche. 

You would share your warmth with him then, caressing him - letting him rest against your soft breasts, letting him inhale your tantalising aroma. Teasing him endlessly, just to disappear at dawn, just before he had his final fill of you. And just like that the cycle repeated, driving him crazy.

***

It was another warm spring day when you two met again face to face. When he saw you, hair dishevelled and clothes torn apart, he thought he was still dreaming - but you were even more beautiful, even more radiant now. That’s how he knew you were real. He could finally touch you, he could smell the salt and morning dew on your skin, could lick the tears off your puffy, swollen eyes.

You had been dragged to the church early in the morning by the wife of the mayor, kicking and screaming. The older woman had been furiously gripping your wrist, forcing you to trip after her in a desperate attempt to keep up. Once inside the ceremonial hall, she had pushed you down at the deacon’s feet like a sacrificial lamb before a pagan god’s altar.

“Martha, dear, what’s wrong?” Cassian was quick to intervene before the woman could mess you up even more. “You know it’s unbecoming of a lady of such wise age to engage in this ungodly behaviour.” He explained calmly - it was obvious that he held no wrath for her, and this was all just a performance. The mayoress was very influential in the village, so he had to be careful with his words, lest you’d both be in trouble.

“Oh, Cassian, Cassian!” The wife all but crumbled against the man, heavy, accusatory sobs strangling her speech. “This harlot has done it again! She tried to destroy another family.” Martha kept wailing in a theatrical way, hanging off the deacon’s white collar. “My family, Reverend! I saw her talking to my husband, oh, it was utterly despicable! I might faint just thinking about it.” She rambled on and on, cheeks turning comically red. “She must be possessed by the Devil - I see no other explanation behind her constant sinful endeavours.” She fluttered her lashes as if attempting to persuade the deacon, going as far as to use the title only given to priests. “I beg you, Father, do something. Teach her the right way, make her repent. Our village can’t keep tolerating these… these outrageous conducts!”

You looked up at him just as he lowered his head to you, your eyes meeting. Your orbs were wide and filled with fright just like that day in the forest when he had pushed you into the river. You were gripping the end of his robes pitifully, tearfully shaking your head as if trying to deny all those ugly lies, mouthing off little sounds he couldn’t quite understand - and just like that he was nineteen again, sweating and mad all over you, lost in your sweet pleas for help. And help you’d receive.

“Calm your senses, Martha. I will deal with this.” Cassian patted the wife’s shoulder reassuringly, nodding at the big gate leading to the garden. “You must not worry anymore, you know you have a weak heart. Just - just go home for the day.” He looked at you one last time, and the sheer black burning intensity of his gaze made you shiver. “I know what to do from here.” He made an airy gesture at the older woman, smiling benevolently. “You’re right. Enough is enough.” 

With that she finally left, satisfied that some order would be restored ultimately. The hall remained silent for a while; massive, dim-lit, over-decorated with various gorgons, demons and monsters - designed specifically to scare those who wouldn’t give in to salvation. “Leave us alone.” The man mumbled at last, snapping his fingers at the altar servants and nuns, who in turn hurriedly flocked to the back rooms, nowhere to be seen. You could feel the tears drying on your skin from the freezing cold air, leaving trails all over your scorching hot cheeks. He was observing you carefully, scared to miss even the slightest of reactions - your pain was so expressive he wanted to seal the memory forever in his brain. After all, he had dreamt of this for years. The day when he finally has you at his mercy with nowhere to go. 

“I see that you’ve decided to succumb to a life of sin.” Cassian started off haughtily, moving just a bit closer - you were still kneeling on the floor as if you had assumed an eternal repenting pose. His fingertips grazed against your chin, his touch radiating pure ice - cold frost as his head tilted down in rehearsed condescension. “It’s quite unfortunate to see someone so beautiful give up on Christ.” He continued, eyes practically glued to your quivering form from above. It was intoxicating to have you in this position, quivering below him. He wanted to see you like this all the time, he decided. It suited you to be underneath him - you were a filthy, wicked adulterer and he was your saviour. He deserved your worship. He deserved your pain, and everything that would come with it. 

“But then again, you’ve always been a temptress.” The man crouched next to you, quick as a snake - gripping your chin between his two fingers. “It must be oh-so difficult for you to act like an honest woman.” His grip got tighter. “Especially when you possess such a dirty, sinful bod–

“S-shut up!” You cried out, pushing yourself to stand on your knees. “Shut up, you know nothing of me, Reverend. You look at me with those eyes… Don’t think I don’t remember.” You hissed, suddenly gaining back the courage the woman had knocked out of you earlier, adrenaline pumping through your veins. “I’ve seen you follow me, I’ve seen you in my nightmares… You want me! You want me, and it’s driving you insane.” You gave him the cruellest look you could muster.

“The dirty one, the sinful one is you - you, and every single bastard in this goddamn village that seems to think they own me.” You spat it out, everything that had been building up over the past few months. The hurtful rumours, the nasty remarks on the streets, the way everyone was measuring you up, touching you without permission… This was your breaking point. “You don’t own me. You never will.”

Cassian was seeing red. Before he could even begin to summon any reason, his hands had tangled into your hair, pulling on it with malice he had never experienced before in his life. He was a being of love and kindness - yet any time he faced you, he turned to this gruesome, unholy beast of a man. It was all your fault. You had ruined him, since the moment you first met him you had been ruining him. You made him like this and there was no going back now. No amount of tears or pretty pleads could save you from the horrors that inevitably awaited you in Hell - the one on Earth. The one he was going to create just for you. Anything for you.

“Do not sully me with this blasphemous tongue of yours, wench. Don’t you dare utter a single word to me, lest you want to lose it.” The man hissed, venom dripping off every over pronounced syllable. His whole body was shaking with fury, skin red and painful as if on fire. One wrong movement could set him off into a flame that would kill you both. “I don’t want to hear a sound from those tainted lips of yours. Who knows how many have kissed them, hmm?” His face got dangerously close to yours - so close you could feel his warm breath across your cheek. Your heart was pounding violently against your chest in a fruitless attempt to escape the rib cage. You tried to push the deacon off you, but he didn’t bulge an inch. 

“Aww, you’re going to hurt me with the same hands you caress your lovers with?” He grinned manically - you had never seen a man so unhinged. You had always known he was dangerously unstable as the forest incident had proven - which was the reason you kept your distance over the years, but you could never imagine he’d be so… bloodthirsty. “Have you got no shame?” Cassian was spiralling, going in mental circles. 

He finally had you in his arms again, your skin warm and malleable against his - yet the only thing he could think of was all those men you had allowed by your side over the years. It was like he could see their fingerprints all over you, red and scorching on your body as if to mock him. As if to laugh at him for ever trying to fight the temptation in the first place. Your lips were wet and pink, so perfect and vulnerable trembling before him, just begging to be bitten. He reached in to kiss you - just like he had done so many times in his dreams, but he was met with your equally wet, cold cheek instead. You had turned your head away.

“Anyone, but me, huh?” The man screamed at the top of his lungs, beyond wild as he shoved you to the ground, crawling over your body in quick succession. You felt the blood drain from your face - could this be your final moment? “You are willing to give yourself to anyone, but the one who actually deserves you…” His hands travelled to your neck as if they had a mind of their own, voice suddenly dropping to a desperate, shaky whisper. “The one who craves you more than anything.” His fingers danced over your throat, holding your life in one tight grasp.

“What do you mea–”

“All my life I’ve been a good man.” Cassian interrupted you once again, tone back to its initial biting spite. “An honest man, goddammit! And I am not going to lose everything because of… because of some fucking whore!” His words aimed at your heart just like daggers, and your eyes watered. You squirmed like an injured animal, praying to whoever was up in the sky that he would release you, but God wasn’t so merciful to sinners, apparently. “So you’re going to kiss me, right here, right now.” He was holding your wrists over your chest as he positioned himself between your legs. This couldn’t be happening right now, but it was. You were doomed, you had been doomed from the start. 

“You’re going to kiss me like you kiss your lovers.” The deacon paused to lick the tear running down your chin, groaning at the heavenly taste. You wanted to drop dead. “Like you love me.” He pressed down on your neck, squeezing tighter just so your eyes would fill up with hundreds of tiny little tears - it made you look so glossy and cute. “Did you hear me? You are going to kiss me like you fucking love me, you damned slut.” Your face was turning blue from the lack of oxygen. 

“And then I am going to fuck the Devil out of you.”

[twst-drabbles]

Silver 7

Summary: Sleepy morning kisses with Silver. With a trail of pets behind him waiting their turn.

(Originally was going to write some hardcore angst regarding Janitor Prefect and their time travel shenanigans, but eh, lemme get this light piece out first before that. It’s Lilia and Janitor angst if you’re wondering. Anyways, enjoy this cuteness!)

Silver always had this strange sense of when you wake up. He didn’t even need to be looking at you. You just take in a deep breath and Silver would zip right by your side in a moment, no matter what state of being he’s in.

Sunlight hit your eyes, dragging you from whatever senseless dream you had, and within seconds Silver walked to your side. He bent down to your face.

“Good morning,” his voice was gentle, pleasant as he smiled. He reminded you of iridescent soap bubbles reflecting light. Smelled like them too.

Wait.

“Did you just get out of the shower?” You squinted, voice gravely with sleep. “You just have a towel on.”

“I heard you waking.” Silver leaned in and pressed a kiss against your lips. “I can’t start my day without this.”

A gentle kiss on the lips, then two on both cheeks, then finally ending on one on the forehead. The same kisses you give him right before you both go to sleep.

“Of course you can’t,” you sighed as you pushed a strand of his hair behind his ear. “Morning by the way. What time is it?”

“7:01 AM,” Silver didn’t get up. Instead he laid his head on the bed. His eyes were always a marvel to you, glowing with an affection you still have trouble understanding the depths of. It’s nice.

“Later than usual, huh?” Usually he wakes far earlier for his morning training regime. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can catch the plant nymphs copying his moves. Well, Ace and Deuce mostly. The rest usually just sit there, watching for trouble.

“Sebek’s a little tired from following Malleus around.” Silver pulled the blanket over your shoulder, stroking a thumb over your jaw. “I figured I could sleep in a little.”

“That’s good, that’s–” there was a squeak and you had to lift your head, “…seems they’re awake now.”

Behind Silver, on the nightstand where you had a lamp and a couple of books was Malleus, Lilia and finally a very sleepy Sebek. Poor little critter was practically falling asleep on his feet. Lilia was looking fluffier than usual, smile curled in that eerily evil way. And Malleus was looking a little sleepy grumpy, but not quite enough to stop him from looking tall and proud.

“…they formed a line,” said Silver.

“That they did.” How cute. It’s rare for them to behave.

“They want their morning kisses,” chuckled Silver.

“Yup.” Because it’s become a routine for all of you. For Silver to greet you in the morning this way, and for the rest of the pets to come in and get their own kisses in turn.

“Let me grab a few more first.”

“Put on clothes first, Silver.”

[freddie-77-ao3]

just imagine game night at chb

ares is the god of games. do you know how competitive his children are? ellis wakefield almost slit cecil's throat when cecil implied that monopoly was just a game.

speaking of cecil, do you know how often he cheats? so much. so so much. he keeps monopoly money in his pockets at all times just in case.

most of the hermes kids do. alice and julia were banned from-- well from all games. partner games because they insisted on partnering with each other and then whenever they lose they would beat each other up, and single player games because they would team up until they were the last two left and then would ignore the board game and fight each other. will has a separate stack of infimary records for julia and alice game related incidents.

travis teaches the new kids how to cheat. he doesn't care to play himself he just enjoys teaching people how to cheat. how does he know all the cheats?

drew tanaka memorized all the cards from literally every trivia game they have. all of them. even the most obscure. she's not allowed to play trivia anymore.

travis still has the scar from the last time clarisse and annabeth played uno against each other. they were all 8.

lou ellen manipulates the mist to win. she's not good at art but goddamn if her pictionary drawings aren't VERY well done.

clarisse and chris are VERY competitive. silena and charles aren't. somehow, clarisse and beckendorf always end up a team. so do chris and silena. yeah that always ends well.

actually clarisse in general. she's banned from playing against annabeth (who is also banned from quite a few people herself), michael (again, digs his own grave), all of the hunters of artemis (when she began losing at monopoly she kicked the board off the table and started a brawl between fifteen people. phoebe's hair hasn't looked the same since)

connor refuses to cheat on any game but thinks it's the hottest thing ever when malcolm cheats.

speaking of which, malcolm cheats "badly" like half the time. he makes it obvious most of the time and then when he really wants to win you find out he's actually very good at monopoly cheating. you'll never know he's cheating.

whenever will bluffs he starts giggling. cecil banned him from poker for being an "affront to the very sport". yes, cecil thinks poker is a sport.

thalia and percy played monopoly together three days after she was un-tree-ified. the tree nymphs in that area of the woods are still scared of demigods.

and just what are they playing to win? just ask katie gardner-- or travis stoll. their weed and smuggling business is through the roof.

[vaquerolvr]

What kind of mythical creature do you think the CoD boys would be? 🤔

i used wikipedia to research this,, apologies if it’s not accurate to their culture/region

price

i’m tempted to say that everyone is a werewolf because i love werewolves

but i will limit myself to one (1) and designate price as our resident werewolf

gaz

i’m torn between several but i think a selkie

silly guy who falls in love when you track him down to return his coat to him after he misplaced it

or: pretty boy who charms you away from your neglectful husband (is it really homewrecking if the home was already broken?)

ghost

barghest

someone better than me could probably write something poetic about him being an omen of death

soap

kelpie

he just seems like a horse guy (literally, in this case)

alejandro

dullahan

i don’t have a reason for this one, i just have an image of him scaring people by throwing his head at them

rudy

totally Normal human man

just a regular guy! nothing weird about him!

ignore the fact that his presence always has you on edge and the way your instincts scream at you to not turn your back on him

what do you mean his teeth are too sharp and he moves too quickly? you’re imagining things! he’s just a normal guy

graves

dragon

my main reason for this is that i saw fanart of a different evil blonde man as a dragon and since that day, the idea of graves as a dragon has plagued me

makarov

vampire

he gives old man vibes…probably drinks blood out of a wine glass

keegan

satan himself

something demon adjacent. an imp, maybe

nikolai

forest spirit, similar to dryads/nymphs in greek mythology

giving him any bird creatures feels like a copout

[moirasgrimoire]

hey! (If I did everything right) I found out water is dominant element, do you have any extra tips on connecting with it? I’ve read your other posts but wanted to ask :)

🌊 Water Magic: Everything You Need to Know

Water is more than just a life-giving substance — it is an ancient, sacred force that shapes worlds, heals souls, and carries the memory of the Earth. In magic, water is the element of emotion, intuition, dreams, and the subconscious. It teaches us to flow, to feel, and to transform.

Water Through the Cultures of the World

Water flows through the heart of every civilization — not merely as a necessity, but as a sacred force, a living entity, a divine mystery. Across cultures and ages, water is a mirror of the divine, a veil between realms, a symbol of purity and chaos, of life and death.

In ancient Greece, water was a domain of gods and spirits — Poseidon, the mighty ruler of oceans, held sway over storms and earthquakes, while the Naiads, graceful freshwater nymphs, dwelled in springs, wells, and streams, often guarding their sacred waters with both love and wrath.

In Hinduism, the Ganges River is not just a river but Ganga, a goddess incarnate. Her waters are believed to purify karmic debts, and millions bathe in her current during sacred festivals, seeking rebirth and liberation.

In Shinto, the indigenous spirituality of Japan, water is essential to misogi — purification rites where practitioners cleanse body and spirit beneath waterfalls or with ritual washing, connecting to the kami (divine spirits) through flowing purity.

In African Traditional Religions, especially in West Africa and the African diaspora, we meet Mami Wata, a powerful water spirit who is both nurturing and fearsome, known to offer wealth, beauty, and wisdom — but at a cost. She is a siren of transformation.

Among the Celts, sacred wells and springs were portals to the Otherworld. Pilgrims would leave offerings at these liminal places, hoping for healing or divine insight. Water was, and still is, a bridge between the physical and the unseen.

Water, then, is not only a symbol but a teacher. It teaches us to flow, to cleanse, to destroy, and to begin again.

Mythical Creatures

The element of Water is alive with beings from folklore and myth — some enchanting, some terrifying, all tied to mystery, emotion, and transformation.

Naiads, Undines & Nymphs – Spirit guardians of freshwater bodies. These ethereal beings are often protectors of sacred springs and rivers, bestowing blessings to those who respect their domain… or curses to those who defile it.

Mermaids & Sirens – Embodying both beauty and danger, these sea-dwelling enchantresses lure sailors with haunting songs. In some traditions, they bring wisdom from the deep; in others, they drag mortals into watery graves.

Selkies – From Scottish and Irish folklore, selkies are seal-folk who shed their skins to walk as humans. Their stories are bittersweet — tales of longing, transformation, and never truly belonging.

Kraken & Leviathan – The deep sea holds monsters beyond imagining. The Kraken, from Norse legend, could sink entire ships; Leviathan, from Jewish lore, is a primordial sea serpent representing chaos, untamed power, and the divine abyss.

Water Deities Around the World

Yemayá (Yemoja) – Orisha of oceans, motherhood, and protection. Gentle but fierce, she rules over salt water and the tides of human emotion. She is worshipped with seashells, flowing fabrics, and offerings cast into the sea.

Poseidon / Neptune – The storm-bringing gods of the Greek and Roman pantheons. Wielding a trident, they ruled the seas with volatile tempers — powerful, creative, and destructive.

Brigid (as a goddess of sacred wells) – Celtic goddess of healing, poetry, and the eternal flame. Her wells are still visited today for blessings and prayers, especially in Ireland.

Tlaloc – Aztec god of rain, fertility, and water. Both feared and worshipped, Tlaloc could bring bountiful crops or devastating floods. His presence was vital for life in a harsh climate.

Sedna – Inuit goddess of the sea and all its creatures. She dwells in the deep, and Inuit shamans must journey to her spirit realm to appease her and ensure successful hunts.

These deities and spirits remind us that water is not passive — it holds memory, magic, and majesty. These are just a few examples, there are many others.

Everyday Water Magic

You don’t need to live near the ocean to work with water. Here are some daily practices:

Drink water mindfully – Bless your water before drinking. Infuse it with intentions for calm, clarity, or healing.

Ritual baths/showers – Cleanse yourself energetically with herbs, oils, or crystals. Imagine negativity washing away.

Swimming in natural water – Lakes, rivers, and seas connect you directly with the element. Offer gratitude before entering.

Altars – Add a cup, bowl, or chalice of water to represent the West. Refresh it regularly and speak your prayers into it.

Types of Magical Water

Each kind of water carries its own energy. Here’s a summary:

Dew Water – Rare and magical; used in love spells and offerings to fae spirits.

Glacier Water – Tied to ancient wisdom and clarity.

Lake Water – Brings peace, self-reflection, and joy.

Ocean Water – Strong, ever-changing. Used for protection, power, and working with sea spirits like Yemaya.

Pond Water – Nurtures self-discovery and opens new opportunities.

Rainwater – Extremely versatile. May rain is especially potent for blessings and fertility.

Snow Water – Symbolizes purity and transformation. Use it for cleansing and change.

Spring Water – Associated with new beginnings and abundance. Takes on the spirit of its landscape.

Storm Water – Fierce and charged. Use for protection, motivation, rebirth… or darker magic like hexes.

Swamp Water – Thick, murky, and powerful. Useful for bindings, banishings, and revenge.

Water in Astrology & Tarot

Water signs are:

Cancer – Nurturing, emotional, and protective.

Scorpio – Deep, intense, transformative.

Pisces – Dreamy, psychic, and empathetic.

In the Tarot, water is represented by the Suit of Cups, symbolizing emotion, love, intuition, and relationships. Major Arcana cards tied to water include:

The Moon – Illusion, dreams, intuition.

Death – Transformation and emotional release.

Temperance – Balance, healing, alchemy.

The Star – Hope, divine guidance, purification.

Judgement – Renewal, emotional awakening, spiritual rebirth.

Plants

Apple – Love and divination.

Gardenia – Clarity and purity.

Eucalyptus – Healing and cleansing.

Chamomile – Peace, sleep, and soothing energy.

Iris – Inspiration and dreams.

Cucumber – Cooling and balance.

Hyacinth – Grief, love, and transformation.

Jasmine – Attraction and lunar energy.

Lemon – Clarity and emotional purification.

Lotus – Spiritual awakening and rebirth.

Peach – Immortality and desire.

Rose – Love, beauty, and heart healing.

Thyme – Courage and psychic energy.

Violet – Tranquility and spiritual connection.

Crystals

Aquamarine – Calming, protection, and communication.

Amethyst – Intuition, dreams, and emotional balance.

Blue Chalcedony – Gentle energy and soothing communication.

Coral – Emotional harmony and sea magic.

Pearl – Wisdom from experience, lunar connection.

Rose Quartz – Love, self-care, and emotional healing.

Turquoise – Healing, truth, and flow.

Types of Water Magic

Water is one of the most magical elements. Its magic includes:

Divination – Especially hydromancy (scrying in water), dream work, and tarot reading.

Lunar Magic – Water responds to the moon; moon phases influence emotional and magical tides.

Healing – Baths, teas, and elixirs for emotional and spiritual restoration.

Revenge – Especially when working with your shadow self — though powerful, this should be approached with caution and responsibility.

Water is a mirror — of the world, of others, and of yourself. To work with it is to look within. To flow with it is to surrender, and to trust.

Blessings of the sacred waters upon you May your magic ripple outward like rain across still water.

[moss-bride]

Corpse honey

Lich! Lawrence x nymph reader

Rated 18+

Trigger warning: cannibalism.

He returns to the water some time ago, what could possibly be years or even a decade.

 

His arms had reflexively jerked to grasp at the surface and when he couldn't escape, his agonized lungs opened and gasped in pure liquid death. Water had poured down his throat and filled his lungs, it was a painful way to go.

 

 

His body, the thing that once hung in a perpetual tug of war between life and death, finally died. He returned to the shallow water, drowning for the final time.

 

In the lake his hands, knees, feet, and forehead beated against the rocks and submerged tree roots, they scraped his skin postmortem. Abrasions that make it easy for the animals of the lake to descend upon his body.

 

The putrefaction takes slow progressions of gases formed from bacterial activity, released in acidic burps that enlarge his crevices. His body attempted to surface but luckily he had tied his foot to a slab of concrete, leaving any rescue attempt fruitless. Body retrieval is something he didn't want to happen and still doesn't. He is where he belongs

There are no strong current or rough state of water waves; this is a calm cold lake yet his corpse had ripped brush underwater foliage with enough force to tear off large swaths of meat and every kind of external trauma.

Prolonged submergence causes his skin to wrinkle and become loose. Otherwise known as “washerwoman's hands.’ Postmortem, his body leaked and bloated. Fluid gathers in pleural cavities, his organs are decomposed, liquified into a terrible meat slushy mixed with dirt and vegetation that invade the respiratory tract. 

His body is the victim of animal predation. Turtles, fishes, insects, they all come to feast on his body. He provides them a heaven of shelter and food for a short time. His chest cavity pecked open and used as a hiding spot for guppies. The animals delighted in the formation of Adipocere, the breakdown, of lipids.

 

All this fancy language to say, that no one found his body and he has been left at the bottom of the lake undisturbed where he's gradually skeletonized. A peace he never found in life overtaking his sanity.

 

Until now, someone, a she, disturbs his careful watch. They become aware of each other the instant she touches his water. In the raindrops far reaching lagoons, lakes, oceans, and rivers. ...she was in a rapidly disappearing puddle before this. Her new territory is roomier

 

The water feels different. Much more still slow moving fish and tadpoles rushing through their cycle to part from the lake.

She doesn't know the human name for this lake. It's an unimportant detail she isn't interested in knowing. Humans name things then disappear, only to rename them later. 

The lake is the name that the fish call it. No human translation but it roughly means “to wait.”

 

She decides she likes this place, there isn't much disturbance or pollution and that's rare these days. Then s  spots it, a  sliver of white among the dark backdrop of midnight water. Still. Waiting. high pitched sound in greeting. The screech reaches down the lake and causes the maggots in what's left of his ear canal to pulse and scare writhing in panicked motion. Curling miasma.

 

It's hard to open his ‘eyes’ (the real ones having rotted away long ago and eat obeyed soes) long being frozen he nearly gives up. There's no way to see anyways, just an endless expanse of dark blue. But the familiar tugging in his head keeps his awareness from shutting again. 

 

It-she is floating down near him. A body that ripples waves and sinks fast to the bottom. He watches her float deeper into darkness, rough rock more smooth. 

 

Bodies are discarded down here constantly; it's an underwater grave littered with remains of bones both young and old. From boating accidents to drownings a few Heartbeats'd done himself.

 

 But what's different about this one? His skull, the crevices of deer full of water, notices the bruises and scales like a bruising had splotched her her body and left naked. She looks alive. Like the water is. He comes to the realization that it's  because she most definitely isn't human. Not the way he once was in a far foggy past. Weary of this woman he attempts to ask her again. “Who are you?”

 

She is silent. Simply staring at him

 

Fish flit past them, always on the move to avoid predators and seek food. Her hands release the bones and she inches back. His empty socket somehow gazing back at her. 

 

The bones speak to her as she pulls closer. What a find! A thing so peculiar and haunting in this lake. Her whisper- tracing the lines of ivory. His horns are a beautiful,  quietly glowing blue, a mash of human and elk.

 

She reaches a hand and grips the part of the of him that sticks out. The starting nub at the top.  Tracing the line of cartilage and fibrous tissue, she's surprised they haven't ripped.  

 

She glances back down to his sockets, making a chittering sound. Another greeting.

 

He used to be revolted by the thought of a stranger touching him but now there is no skin to flinch and feel it. Her hands cup his cold bones. She rests in a swirl of black, lake plants and hair.

 

He tries another question. “What are you?”  

 

But she counters it with her own. "How long have you been here?" She can feel the weight of his observation as she gathers clams and weeds. She's used to being the one watching but this is a rather pleasant sensation that she could start preening bashfully. “What did they call you?” she repeats.

 

If possible, the skeleton releases a sigh. ‘I don't remember. It's been too long.’ his waterlogged long gone brain struggles. His one company besides fish had been the lake flora. 

 

Here she is. Inhuman and possibly dangerous.

He watches her float like a wave or an eddie. Her eyes are unnatural and sparkling.

 

Asking a question.

 

Lahwahsh 

 

Lahresh

 

Lares

 

Lahrence

 

His name comes back and with it a distant ping like a radar spot in the distance. A feeling like he's missing something yet the more he concentrates the more it escapes him. 

 

What's left is distant flashes. Blue eyes. Anxiety. pill bottles. Red poppy. A pathetic end to an even more pathetic life, it doesn't matter anymore. He's something better now. A being worth the curiosity in her gaze. The cold water flows between them. Her hair follows and the strands nearly cascade over him

[talonabraxas]

“In order to know the light, we must first experience the darkness.” — C.G. Jung

Hekate - Greek Goddess of Magic, Crossroads, & the Moon

Hecate is a formidable goddess who has assumed numerous incarnations since her early beginnings in Ancient Greece. Although tales of her ancestry differ according to myth, she is popularly thought to be the daughter of the Titan god of destruction, Perses, and the Titan goddess of falling stars and the night, Asteria. With such a power couple behind her, it is no surprise that Hecate is considered one of Ancient Greece's most powerful deities.

To the poet Sappho, Hecate is Queen of the Night. To Hesiod, she is 'Supreme, both in Heaven and in the Underworld'. To Shakespeare, she is the mistress of the three witches in Macbeth. Hecate presides over spirits and magic. She can be found at the crossroads - both physical and metaphoric. She stands at the doorways and portals to other realms - including the spirit realm. And as such, she is a very good deity for College of Psychic Studies students to have on side.

Persephone, Demeter & Hecate

Many will know Hecate from the Persephone-Demeter-Hecate myth. When Hades, lord of the Underworld, saw the beautiful maiden Persephone, he fell instantly in love. Persephone was not only beautiful, she also had a fine pedigree, being the daughter of the great god Zeus and Demeter, goddess of nature. Hades planned to capture her and make her his queen. One day, Persephone was out gathering flowers. Hades seized his chance and kidnapped her. No one heard Persephone's scream… except the goddess Hecate.

Hecate took pity on Persephone, and on her mother, Demeter, who was wrought with worry for her missing daughter. Armed with a pair of blazing torches, she ventured into the Underworld to find Persephone and guide her back. Mother and daughter were reunited, but Persephone was doomed to return to Hades for a portion of the year. During these dark months, Persephone would assume her throne as Queen of the Underworld, with Hecate, her trusted companion and guardian, by her side.

The Triple Goddess

Classics scholar Károly Kerényi famously wrote that the Greek myths and their deities are archetypal blueprints of the human soul. The Persephone-Demeter-Hecate myth is the Triple Goddess: Maiden, Mother, Crone. It embodies all aspects of the goddess, and the three phases of the moon - Waxing, Full and Waning. Robert Graves describes this relationship beautifully in The Golden Fleece (1944): 'Maiden, Nymph and Mother are the eternal royal Trinity... and the Goddess, who is worshipped in each of these aspects as New Moon, Full Moon and Old Moon, is the Sovereign Deity.'

The Crone or waning moon aspect is Hecate. Another representation of Hecate, according to Barbara Walker in The I Ching of the Goddess (1986), is the Hindu goddess Kali. Hecate is associated with old age, death, winter, and, ultimately, rebirth. Her appearance heralds a call to transformation and healing, the end of a life phase leading to the inevitable start of a new one.

As the Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, Hecate is the wise woman. She assists in times of difficulty as the midwife to the psyche, bringing us through metamorphosis. Just as Hecate guided Persephone from the Underworld, she guides us through the dark night of the soul. Standing at the crossroads of our life, facing all directions with her flaming torches, Hecate can see into the past, present and future. She is the clairvoyant way-shower, lighting our path forward when we don't know where to turn.

Calling on the goddess Hecate

Any aspiring medium, intuitive and magic-maker would do well to call on the goddess Hecate for support and guidance. Hecate is as comfortable in the spirit world as she is in this one. She can assist us in strengthening our connection to spirit and support us in opening up and developing our clairs and psychic abilities. Hecate can also guide us on our path, showing us the next step in our self-development.

As with any deity, our relationship with Hecate is unique to each of us. However, there are various traditional ways to honour her. One is to be kind to dogs. Hecate's familiar is a black dog, so when you treat your canines with kindness, Hecate will look kindly on you. Another is to celebrate Hecate's traditional feast day on 13th August. Whether you place a dog figurine on your altar, or practice a monthly dark moon ritual to celebrate her, you will find a powerful ally in the goddess Hecate.