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sanktagenyas · 4 years ago

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alrighty so i guess coherent thoughts about this book might be a very generous estimate of what i’m about to write here but i’ll write down my thoughts anyway ‘cause i wanna share and possibly hear yours like for real interactions with my posts are not just welcomed they’re encouraged.

ok so to start our protagonists are alina and mal and our antagonist is the darkling and i pretty much related to alina right away because i love a hero with insecurities and doubts, i love an underdog so of course i was always meant to fall in love with alina starkov on sight. now the darkling... should be that i and everyone else would be beyond tired of the dark, tall, handsome and mysterious/scary men in fiction especially when they whisk our hero away for even more mysterious and/or nefarious purposes that they leave them completely in the dark about BUT the charisma fucking jump off of the pages i don’t know what else to tell you. and i am deeply intrigued about him and his backstory and also him and how he feels about our protagonist because when you catch the attention of a centuries old immortal being that says something about you but it says more about said immortal imo.

we come to learn that the darkling is beyond ruthless and yet he still a capacity for love after all this time even if it’s quite out of use to say the least. and just the fact that out of the thousands of people who have crossed his path there’s this one girl he saw and he was like well look at that someone who’s not unremarkable for once. and i know that’s not exactly a romantic sentiment but that’s how it starts, folks.

but anyway to cap my little ramble here despite the fact that i’ve seen that kind of villain before i do still really love the darkling. i like that we don’t have all the facts yet about what led him to become who he is so there’s just the right amount of mystery around him to keep you wanting to discover more and he is just human enough that he is not this caricature monstrous villainous figure (alina would beg to differ but i don’t listen to what alina yells at people when she’s angry)

now onto mal. i’m trying to word this in a way that doesn’t make me come off as a raging anti because the truth is that would require me to be invested in mal enough to hate him and as of now i’m just not. with book one being told entirely in alina’s perspective it’s pretty in your face that we should care about mal. our hero loves him and we want her to be happy, right? plus we really shouldn’t ship her with the villain there are so many wrong aspects about that dynamic just to name one aspect the deceit and the lies. the foundation of darklina is so fucked we should not ship it, right? well see that’s where i would argue that my biggest issue with darklina as a ship is the darkling in the final act all but saying fuck alina’s agency i’m going to make her my puppet for eternity not because that is necessary to accomplish my plan but because i’m jealous and resentful that she left me behind and didn’t embrace my plans for ravka and therefore embrace me.

and you might think wait i’ve lost the plot we were talking about mal and now we’re talking about darklina and the darkling but rewind back a little i said my issue with darklina in the final act of the book is the darkling pissing all over alina’s agency. and he might do that in more extreme ways than mal but mal certainly does seem to view alina as property at times and that implies him not respecting her agency. i could point to the fact that saying “don’t tell me we don’t belong together” is only framed as romantic statement because it comes out of the mouth of one of our protagonists and not our antagonist but that’s a cheap shot, it’s easy. instead i’ll echo my thoughts i shared about that malina reunion in chapter fourteen. mal was not one bit concerned about alina there and even though he says later on that not one hour was spent not thinking about her and wondering about her wellbeing all that flies out of the window the second he sees her with the darkling during the fete and here’s the thing if he had caught them mid makeout session i could understand him letting jealousy completely overtake him to the point that he doesn’t ask if she’s ok or how she’s been treated here and just assumes based on appearances (let’s not forget before she unlocked her powers alina was well and truly miserable regardless of the luxury afforded to her by her new grisha status so appearances don’t mean shit malyen) that she must be hunky dory and then tiptoes the line around slutshaming her but definitely crosses the line over into making her feel like shit for circumstances beyond her control territory and all that over seeing her do magic trickery at a party with another guy.

alina is allowed to be attracted to another man, she’s allowed to have feelings for another man. they’re both guilty of miscommunication as they obviously both feel the same way about each other but alina has the decency to keep her jealousy to herself and not have outbursts about mal getting close to other girls like she owns his ass or something. that put me off and then i was hoping there would be a talk that would clarify things and he would apologize and that happened but it also came with the revelation that mal was upset to see her happy with the darkling. so he’d rather see the woman he loves miserable and alone rather than happy and belonging? and that’s the romantic lead i’m meant to be fawning over? i’m just not seeing it right now and that’s why even as he so generously offers her absolution (idk if you can read my sarcasm but just to be clear it’s sarcasm) for having loved the darkling and tells her he loves all of her even the part that loved the darkling i’m like..... i don’t believe you boy.

i guess in summary my thoughts about mal as a love interest is i need some consistency you cannot have him throw a jealous fit over seeing alina standing with another man (that’s literally all they were doing for real) and looking happy about it and then have him be like i don’t care i love you anyway. you cannot have him act as though he owns alina and in the same breath throw in her face that the darkling owns her (i hate this foreshadowing thank you very much) and you cannot have him get cold or angry at so much of a mention of a life she might have that doesn’t include him and then expect me to believe he’s made peace with her having feelings for more than just him. he’s not even able to accept a scenario where she goes off and does shit that doesn’t involve him as he shows no interest in her life in the little palace for the longest time. meanwhile you can literally read all about alina wondering what happened to him and what he went through trying to get to her. and for the love of saints i would love it if alina would stop acting like she needs to be forgiven for these feelings i absolutely get that she feels conned and ashamed about it but you do not need to ask anyone for absolution for falling someone who made you feel seen for the first time in your life. fuck that noise.

i just know trust issues are gonna arise and i know he doesn’t feel that way truly. if alina turned around and at some point decided to show mercy to the darkling mal wouldn’t understand or accept it and i’d fully expect a guilt trip to ensue.

now that’s my thoughts on mal as a romantic lead and that’s about the biggest aspect of him we’re focusing on but i do think he is a brave man who genuinely cared for his friends and genuinely cares for alina as that whole journey to hunt morozova’s herd definitely proved. he loves her i don’t doubt that but one grand gesture doesn’t excuse the way he treats her earlier in the books is my point and as been pointed out by others i don’t like how much alina relies on him even when he isn’t here. her refusal to let go of him was directly affecting her happiness and overall health as she couldn’t come into her powers before she thought he was lost to her. if i’m not liking who the hero becomes when she’s with the love interest it’s a big indicator i’m not gonna love said love interest as much as i’m clearly expected to by the author. i like mal just fine, he’s not without redeeming qualities, i just don’t love him yet and i may never do and that’s ok.

now i wanna take a moment and a couple sentences (it won’t be a novel i swear, pinky promise!) to talk about the twist that i should have seen coming miles away and i already know once my sister watches the show or reads the book whatever comes first i will be mercilessly teased about not seeing it coming. but when i found out the black heretic and the darkling are one of the same my jaw dropped. as memers might say i took that personally. and even though we have a lot of grounds to covers still and unanswered questions such as is the darkling still alive? if he is what is he up to now? is baghra dead in a ditch somewhere or worse? will alina and genya ever see each other again? why was zoya so standoffish and violent with alina, what’s her story? the question in my mind most prominent is what happened to the darkling? what happened for him to become who he is. i love the quote monsters are not born they’re made and i much prefer to see a villain who wasn’t always one than one who is just evil for the evulz. so i want a backstory and i also wanna learn about baghra while we’re at it.

it’s all fun and well for her to denounce her son’s actions but and i hate to break it to her but YOU RAISED HIM LADY. so yeah baghra’s whole speech to alina is missing parts for sure because she’s not just gonna admit her hands are covered in blood as much as the darkling’s are. not without some pressing at least.

sooo to cap off all this i guess i would have just two throwaway remarks and that is that i am getting a lot of gay vibes from alina and if i took a shot every time she remarks on genya’s beauty or just gushes about genya in general i’d be drunk by now and i hope we get an actual queer romance somewhere in these books even just between side characters. second remark would be ivan i’m waiting for you to find some redeeming qualities my dude, i was rooting for you! at first he is a raging dickhead about it but seemed to mellow some and then near the end it’s right back to square one and i am really sorry about his brothers dying but having lost family members is not actually a get out of jail free card that gives you free range to mistreat people just because you can.

#shadow and bone #shadow and bone book spoilers #i'm not putting anti malina tags on here because i'm not interested in engaging in disc-horse #that's why i'm also not tagging characters or ships but if it wasn't clear i am darklina trash yes hello #this is a) a mess and b) far too long but it's what it says on the tin aka my incoherent garbage thoughts

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utterlyhopeful-fics · 5 years ago

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Rise Above

Soooo I’ve been OBSESSING over the Witcher series (and currently reading Book 2 in my off time). I can’t seem to get Geralt out of my head and I basically ran out of fics to read/ patiently awaiting updates, so I let my imagination flow with this one.

It’s going to be a multi-fic with the first three chapters completed and too many ideas brewing. I’m thinking of posting weekly (every Sunday) if there is interest? Please let me know what you think! All feedback is greatly appreciated. I’m also finishing up some Mayan stories because the fandom needs some extra love.

Masterlist

Geralt of Rivia x Reader

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: slight man bashing, language

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Since early adolescence mother always cautioned of the intrepid bewilderments and betrayals men were guilty of alluding to. Their mortal trickeries and wickedness so elegantly aimed to prey upon their next doe-eyed victim patiently awaiting. Mother also taught her to never succumb to their predatorial tendencies without a fight. For this made Y/N swear to never become what others around her so willingly yielded to, and that was a promise she intended to uphold until her last untimely breath. Even against her worst nightmares, Y/N would willingly glower straight into death’s mischievously hollowed eyes than ever give a man a sliver of power over her very existence especially without her consent. Her mother made sure of that.

Y/N reigned from the bountiful lands of Temeria. Plentiful on unharvested acreages and majority of kind folk. Her livelihood rotated between feeding livestock, sharpening blades, tending to her colorful harvested gardens, and riding her beloved stallion, Mr. Darcy among many other hobbies that encapsulated her attention. Days blended into months as Y/N kept with her daily chores watching in discomfort as her mother pretended their lives weren’t about to be upended in numerous ways. Even the mere existence of magic couldn’t make undeniable ailments evaporate. Humans were a multifaceted bag of bones; mages were an untouchable species still yet to perfect their untapped capabilities. Y/N wasn’t too keen on categorizing herself hence her importance of isolation. Her once radiant mama rapidly dissolved into emaciation, staying presently beside Y/N for a moment’s more of honest love.

“Do not let fear grip its’ treacherous claws into you. For I know the searing pain of losing a beloved.” A ragged gasp slipped her lips as she ventured on, her words choppy. “I spent a good amounts time wallowing. Misery is an old friend. And its occasional deviousness ruses you sometimes into thinking that its constant companionship will remain and that one is unable to attain blissful happiness. But you can, you can walk away from pain. Never forget your choices, my love.”

“You have my word, forever and beyond. I will live in your image.”

Her bones progressively weakened as many sleepless nights withered into dusk; her skin once glowed with the light of a thousand suns now had a clammy-cool manifestation. Y/N refused to acknowledge the painful jab that infiltrated her deceitful senses, so she stayed the course and masked her outlandish emotions. Now wasn’t the time for pity. But her one solace and comfort were the freedom and exhilaration her morning rides brought to her burdened soul. It was in these hushed moments of tranquility she could actually feel the fresh air maneuver throughout the entirety of her body, engulfing her lungs in a welcoming burn. He truly was a beauty to behold. Y/N couldn’t help but notice how the flitter of his silver mane reflected upon a summer’s day or the thickening of his luscious coats preparing for a long winter. When her loneliest moments fleetingly caught up to her, she was never sincerely lonesome.

Old wives’ tales voiced intricately woven fantasies of princesses awaiting their rescuers in decaying castles merely passing time as their hair grew longer in confinement. Y/N recollected eavesdropping upon the town baker’s inviting stories by the ages of nine, quests chockfull of bravery and resolution, doubt beginning to flood her veins. Another story, another vapid man to ‘save’ the day. She could barely hide the chuckle that fell off her lips when she dare glance at the girls lost in tragic intrigue. One tale in specific resided in her childish memory; painting a certain princess that captured the eye of a handsome knight all within the shadows of her forbidden fortress. His velvety voice promising her everything her heart was trained to desire, all she simply had to obey was his one command; to throw down her beautifully kept hair in order for her release to occur. Why were women forced to choose and best be timely in such a life altering circumstance? Y/N wondered if the Princess truly desired to be set free from her silent haven.

Like clockwork, Y/N left the bakery in disarray all while quietly venting underneath her breath. The fable lived on for centuries later as all the women in her village maintained their perfectly kept long locks as long as the Gods allowed. From that moment on, Y/N kept her silky blue hair shoulder length and out of the way. Her mother should have named her rebellion by her mannerisms and ideals alone but deep inside her cavernous belly, she carried great pride of her kin, knowing she wasn’t graced with a foolish daughter as far back when she was safely in the warmth of her womb.

Y/N was brazenly gorgeous with a fierce lioness temperament that left men thirsting at her feet, but she merely wasn’t interested in what any suitor had to offer no matter the amount of gold, land, or riches. She was satisfied with little for her happiness to flourish. Her athletic build aided her in this strenuous life asking for no help and receiving none was her personal policy. Her lineage solidified their strength. Hushed whispers from townsfolk accursed them to witches but they had no humanly conception of the power that laid within their own bloodlines. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop men’s gazes upon the beautiful duo.

Y/N had received no official training as mages were accustomed to but her mother put her faith wholly into her only living daughter. By five, Y/N was capable of complex charms and potions her mother had never laid witness to and for this simply delighted her. Y/N recognized that magic was a tedious give and take, an equal force of dynamics in order to maintain nature’s balance and in secret, she efficaciously thrived. Magic was an underlining necessity that Y/N made sure to never abuse in her favor no matter the situation. She was born and bred with a ferocious vigor and damned be the day she would allow her abilities to do her heavy lifting. Blood, sweat, and tears was her silver lining and Y/N be damned if that was ever taken away from her. She was always a compulsive pessimist, always looking for the soft brown spot in the fruit, pressing so hard she created it. She excelled in the art of secrecy always staying perfectly out of reach even to the woman who adored her completely.

Her mother’s passing hardened her seemingly aloof heart or so she was told. Memories do not always soften with time; some grow vicious edges like knives. Some hearts will forever understand each other whether death’s door stand in their way or not. Curiously, she didn’t remember when she became exhausted. She didn’t remember when exhausted was no longer exhausted, it just was. The tiredness was in her hardened bones and she accepted this state of being bogged down in apathy. Though through her mountainous misery, goodness could often be found residing in the middle of hell.

Trapped in the comfortability of mundane routine, Y/N fantasized about a journey brimmed with mischief and riddled adventure, but little did she know the Gods were listening to her every whim. Fate and destiny happily intertwined. Over a period, her dreams grew consistently worrisome; haunted by an attractive man with hair the color of the moon, hypnotically golden orbs aside his more than chiseled features. If she were to extend her arm his way, he was just barely out of reach and oh, how she desired for a simple touch; to know what stood in front of her was reality or foolishness.

What really unnerved her was the repeatedly jumbled words almost as if the man were submerged under harsh waters. His eyes relayed urgency that Y/N couldn’t quite decipher, not quite yet. With every vision entangling itself profoundly into the corridors of her singular subconscious, Y/N was further entranced by the strange gentleman she was graced with every night fall whether by coincidence or curse. And as he groggily faded into oblivion, Y/N had never slept so soundlessly in her entire existence.

#geralt x reader #geralt of rivia x reader #rise above #my writing #the witcher #series #geralt imagine #the witcher netflix #geralt x y/n #geralt of rivia x y/n #witcher fanfiction #fanfic #geralt of rivia #witcher #henry cavill #henry cavill x reader #reader fic

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that-spider-fan-over-there · 5 years ago

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I've been writing this since 2AM, and may be 4:35 AM right now, but it doesn't change the fact I want a mashup of Jester's Tear - Celestial Aeon Project and Mysterious Paths - Marco Belloni.

... Yes, those are Virgil's and Janus' themes, no, I'm not a shipper. What about it?

Jokes aside - no pun intended - I personally think it'd be a badass and bittersweet theme.

We don't know what else Janus can do, and Virgil's past is really catching up to him, and it's gonna have consequences, Janus is just the first one of the consequences.

And then I noticed the parallels and everything went downhill XD. Basically, long post, if you don't wanna read it, it's fine!

Name reveals:

We could assume that Janus and Virgil were close enough to share their names, while the others apparently didn't. For 25-30 years.

V: Guys, he's a liar! You literally know him as Deceit!

J: Glass houses, Virgil... You yourself said you're not a beacon of truth.

V: Yeah, because I'm wrong a lot.

J: Oh, so you've never been reluctant to share anything with the group, then?

V: Don't...

J: What? I just meant your name.

V: DON'T!

Also, noticed that even their names have a parallel, in and out-universe?

My name is Virgil! Okay, it's like a bandaid, you just gotta rip it off!

I don't have a simple answer to that question... but here's a start... My name... My name is Janus.

In-verse parallel:

Virgil:

Wasn't exactly... Loved by the rest of the Core Four at first, but as time went on, they started to trust him more and more, so they knew that he didn't truly harm them.

Built up a bond with Logan, Roman and Patton even before they fully accepted him. He's proved to Logan he can be really intelligent, he finds Patton pretty cool, and Roman isn't actually a person he hates - they're just prideful and stubborn.

Revealed his name to people who he had mutual trust, all were accepting, and despite being laughed at first, the one who laughed did regret it afterwards.

Janus

Isn't trusted, with good reason: He disguises into other Sides time and time again, he manipulated one of them. He's secretive, withholding.

Toyed with Roman's insecurities, pretended to be Patton and Logan (twice!) who he was willing to drag by the neck with a Vaudeville cane. Basically, he broke a possible bond with Roman (who already had a weak ego), made Logan feel way less wanted by his friends, and Patton isn't even trusting him, he just offered a seat at the table.

No one actually prepared for his reveal, one of the Sides sank out before, and the same one who laughed had good reason to do so. Even Thomas didn't trust him.

Virgil was already trusted before his name reveal, but Janus used his name to gain their trust.

Out-Verse Parallel:

Virgil is the name of a Roman poet, and the name brings up the word "vigilant"... Or a character of the same name who guided Dante through the nine circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno. And added bonus? It means Staff Bearer. And isn't Janus the one who has a staff?

Janus is the name of the Two-Faced Roman God of duality, transitions, changes, archways and time... Kinda reflects on the character development that Virgil has since Season one. And it includes archway? Back to Dante's Inferno.

Mysterious past?

We also can assume that they had a really bad fight, and Janus is the main reason why Virgil is so wary of the Others:

Do not allow him or any of... His friends to stick around that long ever again!

- Virgil, Selfishness vs. Selflessness (Part 1)

He phrases it as if Janus is just the gatekeeper, but he's still the main concern. Maybe he learned something Janus never bothered to share with him? Something crucial?

And one thing I remember? Of all of the Core Four, the one who,has more hesitation to shapeshift is Virgil, and we know this since Season 1!

Remember Making More Changes? You might argue that's because the rest changed him against his violation... But then you realize that he was hesitant changed into a puppet in LNTAO, before saying that he'd do it if it helped! And it might be a stretch, but even changing clothes bothers him! In 12 Days of Christmas and SvS Part 1!

Now, who's the Side that specializes in disguises, trickery, changes and impersonating others?

Maybe an incident happened that involved Janus impersonating him to hide a crucial secret, and Virgil found out?

Common goal, different stance:

A funny thing about both Anxiety and Deceit is that they're so different, yet they work for the same thing: Defense.

Virgil is the social anxiety, obviously. He's fight or flight response, so we assume he's the main defense mechanism. But, as shown in FWSA, he's also willing to shove it down for the sake of Thomas' hopes and dreams, even in the risk of things going wrong! However, he's still heightened, social anxiety. He's prone to panic attacks, recklessness, and can be blunt and sometimes, insensitive. He lays down general worst-case scenarios.

Janus doesn't care for who's hurt, as long as he's listen to. He's defense in the form of aloofness, apathy, brutal honesty (ironically), egoism, he doesn't back down. Imagine how different FWSA would have gone with him! However, he points out that being selfish isn't bad, and his grey view of the world balances out the optimistic nature of the others. He sets out personal worst-case scenarios, which are more realistic.

The thing they have in common, however? They're both acting on Thomas' sake. They only want him to be able to defend himself from the bad things in the world.

Conclusion/TLDR:

As much as they hate each other's guts, they're way more alike than they'd like to admit. Virgil is a contrast to Janus because, while he hates change, he's the character that developed more, while Janus isn't willing to. And that might be a clue to what happened between them. They're also looking out for Thomas in similar, yet different ways, and it does have pros and cons.

...

... This all started because I wanted to say I wanted a mash-up version of their themes, but the point still stands!

Something is building up in arcs. Mysterious past, a common trait, a secret that involves who they are down to their names, even their name reveals!

Anyways, I'm truly excited for the next time we see those two interact, and I want to know what happen to them as much as I want to see the next Side, and that's why I wanna see a theme mashup: It can be a final argument between them, or a sign that they're putting their differences aside and start over!

Anyways, I hope you have a good day, or night, if that's the time,for you right now! Thanks for reading!

ILY, and Peace Out!

#the spider rants #TS Sides: Virgil S.#TS Sides: Janus S.#Sanders Sides #Thomas Sanders

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waiting4inspiration · 6 years ago

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Steve Rogers Masterlist

Posts with (*) denotes to the imagine/drabble containing smut

Ask me to be tagged in future works

The Project - Masterlist

Summary: While taking down a HYDRA base, the Avengers come across an enhanced person who seems to take a liking to Captain America.

What’s in his Heart

Summary: When you left to join the war as a nurse, you said goodbye to a small, skinny Steve. When you see him again a few months later, you can hardly believe your eyes when you see a giant man with his face.

Blackout

Summary: Steve helps you when you come back to the tower drunk and he’s the first person to see you in that kind of state

I need you

Summary: After an ambush on a simple recon, Steve fears that he’ll lose you. Especially after he’s just confessed how he feels about you

Not Fair

Summary: You get terrible new that requires you to have to leave everything behind. Including the love of your life, Steve.

Rain

Summary: You love it when there’s rain and love standing out in open, but Steve doesn’t want you to end up sick so he gives you his jacket when he notices that you’re cold

Bleeding Out

Summary: Steve helps you through one of your dark days and you finally tell him about your dark past and why you’re broken

Ghostin’ - Part 1 II Part 2

Summary: After losing Bucky in the snap, Steve’s always there to comfort you over the years and you end up falling in love with him. Things start to get complicated when they plan on bringing everyone back and you’re not sure what’s going to happen between you and Steve if they succeed.

Camping

Summary: You and Steve go camping on your week off and you’ve never been more excited to get away from everything and have him all to yourself.

Shed a Tear II Part 2

Summary: Steve chooses to leave you to go back in time to be with Peggy, breaking your heart after losing so much. You can’t bring yourself to say another goodbye

Claiming (ABO Dynamics) * II Part 2 * II Part 3

Summary: During a mission with Steve where you two have to act like an alpha and omega couple, feelings get involved and things get a bit heated between you when you prepare to take down your target and you both get distracted from the mission

Too Late For Us

Summary: After an innocent person died in your arms during a mission, you needed Steve there to comfort you and reassure you that none of it was your fault. Instead, Steve has himself engrossed in the mission making you decide that it’s best if you just leave

Five

Summary: When you and Steve find out that you’re not having one but five babies, Steve freaks out a bit and lets it slips to the team who are now persistent to give you possible names.

Cold Shoulder

Summary: Steve returns to the compound after the Civil War between the team, making you ignore him and give him the cold shoulder because he left you alone and without a word

The Flirt

Summary: Steve is dared by the team to say a cheesy pick-line to you at a bar and you challenge him to give you a better one with the reward of getting your number.

Pain and Happiness

Summary: Steve rescues you from HYDRA when they try to control your mind again. They remind you about every mistake and the bad things from your past, making you believe that you deserve to be in pain.

Down and Dirty *

Summary: Steve’s been thinking a lot about taking your relationship to the next level, even if he’s nervous about it.

The Assistant II Part 2 II Part 3

Summary: Working as Steve’s assistant is your dream job, but your boyfriend isn’t fond of you working so hard. Which is why you’re planning on breaking up with him.

Savior *

Summary: You have a miserable marriage with Brock Rumlow and don’t expect to get out of it soon. When you meet Steve, he becomes your savior and rescues you.

Lies and Deceit - Masterlist

Summary: Steve wants to divorce you so he can marry Peggy, but there’s no real reason to file for one. So, he sets up a plan to catch you kissing someone and accuse you of cheating.

Truth and Trickery - Masterlist

Summary: You return to New York to get away from the fights between you and Thor. Your return includes encountering the people who hurt you, but also bring some good news and a promising future (Sequel to Lies and Deceit)

#steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers masterlist #steve x reader #captain america x reader #captain america imagine #captain america masterlist #avengers #avengers imagine #the avengers

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fivepercentgodsandearths · 6 years ago

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WHAT is the Five Percent Nation's culture?

I’ve written a number of articles in the past concerning WHAT the culture of the Five Percent is. The purpose of those articles have always been to clarify our perspective and how we choose to attend the world. Not just for the outside audience who may live and work in proximity to Five Percenters, I also did that for those for insiders; those who say they are Five Percenters. I am starting to see online posts and discussions again about whether our culture is God-Centered, Supreme Mathematics, Supreme Alphabet, I Self Lord And Master [I.S.L.A.M.], 120 Degrees or etc. So the question is, what is our culture and what is it not? Is it possible that all of these, and other elements, represent various aspects of our way of life? If so, what is the middle point of our culture that all of its people activities are centralized around? As a Nation, and primary to that worldview, is our Universal Flag; the Sun, Moon, Star and Seven. This flag is an emblem of our Nation which means that we share a common culture or people activities such as language, diet, customs, social norms and chronology. The Sun, Moon, Star and Seven on our Universal Flag are all seen from the perspective of the Planet Earth [a woman who has brought forth/bringing forth life]. As a nuclear family, the Sun is symbolic to man, the Moon is symbolic to a woman's Mind and the Star is symbolic to the child. Seven is the number of perfection or divinity which means that Godliness must be central to our family unit. Seven is in the middle of our Universal Flag because its superimposition is a sign of protection, not misogyny or male chauvinism. "I-God" is also used to describe our culture in our National Anthem 'The Enlightener' [Supreme Team Version]. The 8 points are all right [alright] angles that ensure that our cipher [family] is complete: 8 × 45° = 360° [cipher]. The white represents clouds of deception that reminds us of the inner/outer deceit, trickery and treachery that can undermine our ability to be a unified family. As a family we share a common culture or people activities such as language, diet, customs, social norms and chronology. Does our flag accurately express cultural perspectives that are primary to our worldview? I would say yes. I've seen some argue that their culture is Supreme Mathematics. Yet when people make this statement they are not referring to the supreme application of various fields of mathematics. They are saying that their entire culture is based upon adding something to something else; 1 + 2 = 3. Supreme Mathematics IS NOT just about simply reducing digits until you reach a single-digit number. That's like only using addition in Arithmetic. 😳 For example, when some folks say Wisdom Understanding borns Power [2 + 3 = 5], they just talk about Power without ever elaborating on HOW Power, in principle, is a composite or synthesis of the individual principles of Wisdom and Understanding. If this were Chemistry, Power would be a Compound and Wisdom and Understanding would be the Elements that are bonded together to create that Compound. As Elements they have their own unique identity and when fused together they forge a new substance called a Compound. Water [H20] is a natural Compound composed of the Elements Hydrogen and Oxygen. Image striving to explain what Water [H20] is without defining how its Elements forged it... What makes our Mathematics Supreme is our ability to demonstrate the higher application of life principles through any field of mathematics, not just simple addition in Arithmetic. Mathematics is the operating system of the universe. Supreme Mathematics is a higher order operating system. Consider its application in teaching Prime Numbers. A Prime Number is a whole number greater than 1 that is composed of one set of factors. For example, 3 is a Prime Number because it is composed of the factors 1 x 3; one times itself. 7 [God] is the highest Prime Number in the Arabic Numeral system 1-9 and 0. As a Prime Number, 7 [God] is also composed of one set of factors 1 x 7; one times itself. This means that there is only one set of circumstances [factors] or one primary condition that contribute to the outcome of being 7 [God]. That single condition is self awareness/consciousness; 1 [Knowledge] x itself [7]. Without Knowledge [awareness/consciousness] of self as a primary factor, it is impossible to know how to identify and express the best possible qualities of strength, influence and godliness. In other words, it is impossible to determine what a Prime Number is without first identifying its set of factors [circumstances]. Some people claim that our culture is Islam meaning "I Self Lord And Master." The 9th letter in our Supreme Alphabet is the letter “I” which represents “I or Islam”, Islam being I Self Lord And Master and I Sincerely Love Allah’s Mathematics. The Arabic, yes Arabic numerals 1 through 9 and cipher [0] correspond to our principles of Supreme Mathematics. When you add our use of Arabic words within our language such as Allah, Islam, Koran, Muslim, Musa, Muhammad and etc. it is easy to see what some people would think we are Islamic. The numerical system and alphabet that a Nation of people use are cultural tools that help construct, calculate, quantify, compute and communicate our people activities. Do our Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet accurately express cultural perspectives that are primary to our worldview? I would say yes. Then there are those who state that our culture is 120 degrees/lessons. 120 degrees is like 120 landmarks on a map of human geography. Some of these landmarks represent actual people, places, things and events. Some of these landmarks are also symbols of people, places, things or events. Whether these landmarks are actual or symbolic, our exposure to them plays a critical role in how we begin to see, define and navigate this map of human geography. The first lesson or landmark we learn is who the original man [and woman] is. Because I know and have studied this extensively, my view of the world, and how I attend it, is very different than someone who does not know this. If we were both looking at a city landscape, this is one landmark of importance to me that is either unseen or not of equal importance to someone else. This would be no different than a person driving by a gated enclosure they rarely noticed until someone proudly brought it to their attention that several of their family members are buried there going back six generations. What one person drives past, another person makes it a point to stop and visit. Neither is right or wrong, I am simply pointing out how we navigate life and that our GPS [Global Positioning Device] is determined by what’s in our head. So when someone who had or has lessons no longer uses them on this map of human geography, we must ask ourselves what device are they using to globally position themselves? Do 120 degrees accurately express cultural perspectives that are primary to our worldview? I would say yes. I think one of the problems is that some people are looking for a single palatable soundbite to describe our culture to outsiders. Ask an Irish, Italian, Punjabi, Cuban Cameroonian or other citizen of a Nation, "What is your culture?" and see if they can give you one answer. When they do give you an answer I am sure that it would be a combination of things that are primary to their worldview. This is the same kind of response you will get from Five Percenters. It is a combination of our Universal Flag, Supreme Mathematics, Supreme Alphabet, 120 Degrees and other elements such as language, diet, customs, social norms and chronology that represent our people activities. Our culture IS NOT just centrally or singularly one of these elements, it is all of those elements and much more! In sharing our worldview it is important to meet people where they are. If I am talking to a person who is health conscious I may discuss the dietary aspects of our culture with them. If a person is coming from a Christian background I may discuss their biblical principles that coincide with our cultural worldview. If someone is invested in the youth I may discuss the youth advocacy and community outreach emphasis of Allah, our Nation's founder. The landmark court cases that our Nation have won in correctional facilities around the country were only possible by meeting the Administration and Government where they are through the use of legalese. The irony to the question, "WHAT is the Five Percent Nation's culture?" is that it is a personal and collective inquiry about the identity, nature, or value of our Nation. That is a question that we individually and collectively answer each and every day by how we are living. The more consistent we are, individually and collectively, about living our culture, the less confusion there will be concerning our identity, nature, or value of our Nation. That is what is the true middle point of our culture

Peace, Saladin

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angelofthequeers · 6 years ago

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Ladybug and Reine Nuit: Chapter 8

The Pharaoh II

Disclaimer: I don’t own ML.

@miraculousl4dybug @livinthebilife tagged as requested :)

Part 7 | Part 9

“No way,” Reine Nuit says. “Ladybug’s not five thousand years old. She’s a teenager at best!”

“Not the girl,” Pharaoh says impatiently. He telekinetically opens the roll of papyrus and reveals a black-spotted figure in an Ancient Egyptian robe swinging a yo-yo. Huh. Marinette had been right, then. “Ladybug. My sworn enemy!”

“You don’t look a day over three thousand, Ladybug,” Adrien quips, looking over his shoulder from his captive position. Reine Nuit wonders if it would be morally acceptable to strangle the guy, since he seems so insistent on getting into deadly situations anyway.

“It does make sense that the Miraculouses would be that old,” Nino says, although he really doesn’t look like he wants to draw attention to himself at all. Poor guy. Reine Nuit totally owes him an ice cream as Alya for what he's been dragged into.

“I’m going to carry out the spell to bring my long-lost love Nefertiti back to me!” Pharaoh growls. “With one hundred mummies and an offering of a pure soul to persuade the sun god Ra to return my sweet princess!”

“Adrien’s the furthest thing from a pure soul,” Nino deadpans.

“Hey!” Adrien exclaims. “You’re not so pure yourself!”

“Neither of you are the sacrifice,” Pharaoh scoffs. “The best sacrifice would be my old nemesis. What purer soul than that of Ladybug?”

“Say what?” Ladybug blinks.

“But I don’t trust you to keep any promise you might make about exchanging yourself for these civilians,” Pharaoh says. “I’m very much aware of your ability to wriggle out of the tightest of situations like the little insect you are. Therefore, I’m taking these boys as mine. And if you don’t come and offer yourself when the time is right, I will rip their souls out and offer them to Osiris in the underworld myself.”

“Oh,” Adrien says faintly.

“Uh, is it too late to say that I don’t consent to this?” Nino adds. Pharaoh just turns and steps through the bent bars without a word, easily bending them back into place when Ladybug and Reine Nuit charge at him.

“Oh, come on!” Ladybug snaps. She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Think you can get us out of here, pretty kitty?”

“But of course, angel bug,” Reine Nuit says. “Cataclysm!” Once the bars are dusted, she and Ladybug bolt up the stairs out of the Egyptian exhibit and into the main museum.

“You should go and recharge,” Ladybug says. “I’ll go after them. It’s me he wants, after all.”

“Just don’t end up as a sun god sacrifice, okay?” Reine Nuit jokes. “It’d be a pain in the butt to replace you.”

Ladybug rolls her eyes with a smile, then heads for the main staircase out of the Louvre. Reine Nuit ducks into a side room and says, “Claws in,” to release Plagg.

“Ah, my love!” Plagg cries when Alya presents him with a wedge of Camembert.

“Hurry up,” Alya says. “Ladybug needs us back out there.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Alya crosses her arms and taps her foot, waiting for Plagg to finish his cheese. “So, when were you gonna tell me that Ladybug’s kwami is over five thousand years old?” she blurts out. Plagg shrugs.

“Even older. Same as me. We’re tiny gods, remember? Tikki and I are as old as creation and destruction themselves. What, did you think we just sprang outta nowhere just for you?”

“It would’ve been cool to know!”

“I thought it was obvious!” Plagg lets out a large belch. Alya wrinkles her nose.

“Ugh. Yeah, you’re done. Plagg, claws out!”

Outside the Louvre, hiding behind a nearby post with Ladybug, Reine Nuit spots Pharaoh surrounded by mummies shambling around him, forming the shape of a cross: an ankh, if Reine Nuit recalls her Ancient Egyptian correctly, with the base of the ankh against the Louvre pyramid. At his feet are Adrien and Nino; Nino looks like he’d love to make a break for it if not for the mummies, while Adrien’s eyes are glinting as he aims his phone around at the mummies to capture them on film. Once again, Reine Nuit questions his state of mind.

That would be you if you didn’t get the ring, snickers a little voice that sounds so much like Plagg that Reine Nuit would happily allow Pharaoh to bash her skull again to shut it up.

“Oh, sacred Ra, god of the sun!” Pharaoh chants as the sceptre floating next to him begins to glow. “I, Pharaoh, offer to thee a pure soul! The sacrifice for the return of Nefertiti!” As he speaks, the Louvre pyramid begins to glow, and a bright beam of light shoots up from the point of the pyramid to create a dark, swirling mass in the sky. “I bow to you and present this gift with my mummies! In company, we pray to you the safe return of Princess Nefertiti! Awaken, Nefertiti! Awaken! Awaken, Nefertiti! Awaken!”

“At what point does this stop being Hawkmoth and start being actual Egyptian magic?” Reine Nuit says as the mummies start to chant with Pharaoh. “He doesn’t seem to have any limits when he’s creating akumas, does he?”

“Doesn’t bode well for us,” Ladybug agrees.

“Ladybug! Come out and offer yourself as the sacrifice in exchange for the lives of these civilians!” Pharaoh demands, grabbing Adrien and Nino by their wrists and shaking them.

“What’s the plan?” Reine Nuit says. “Does your Miraculous Ladybug also bring people back from the dead if he hurts Adrien and Nino?”

“I’d rather not find out,” Ladybug says grimly.

“Ladybug will totally take you down!” Adrien shouts.

“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Reine Nuit protests. Okay, so Ladybug deserves all the attention she gets and more, but sometimes it’s disheartening to be the one brushed aside when Reine Nuit is just as much a hero as Ladybug.

“And she’ll purify the akuma that’s most likely in your medallion!”

“Huh,” Ladybug says. “He might have a death wish, but at least he pays attention.”

“Any ideas?” Reine Nuit says. Ladybug frowns.

“Hmm. Well…if he wants a sacrifice, I say we give him one.”

“You’re gonna give yourself up?” Reine Nuit says.

“While you sneak around and get the medallion,” Ladybug winks. “You’re used to skulking in the shadows, aren’t you?”

“If you get sacrificed, I’ll kill you.”

“I think I’ll be too dead to care.”

“Ladybug!” Pharaoh bellows. Ladybug emerges from their hiding place with her hands up.

“I’m here!” she says. While everyone’s attention is trained on Ladybug, Reine Nuit starts to edge around behind Pharaoh so that she can grab his akuma.

“You’ll exchange yourself for these mortals?” Pharaoh says. Ladybug looks at Adrien and Nino, then nods.

“I will.”

Pharaoh holds out his hand for Ladybug to take. Just before she lets him grab her, Reine Nuit springs out like a cat, aiming for the medallion around Pharaoh’s neck. But a split second before her fingers can close around it, he kicks Ladybug away and turns to grab Reine Nuit by the wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

“Oh, come on!” Reine Nuit complains as Pharaoh lifts her off the ground. She hisses and kicks, but he is totally unaffected each time her boot makes contact with his abdomen.

“Trickery!” Pharaoh bellows. “Fine! If you won’t give yourself up, Ladybug, I’ll just sacrifice your cat instead! Gods, give me wings!” He floats up to the beam of light emanating from the pyramid point and dumps Reine Nuit on it, and she grimaces at the ticklish warmth of the light against her stomach. Over Pharaoh’s shoulder, she catches sight of Ladybug summoning a Lucky Charm, but it’s impossible to discern it from this distance, especially since it’s so small.

“Oh, Ra, god of the sun, accept this humble offering and return the princess to me!” Pharaoh chants.

“Wait!” Ladybug cries. “Don’t hurt Reine Nuit! I’ll let you take me instead!”

“Too late, Ladybug!” Pharaoh says. “You tricked me once. I won’t let you trick me again!”

“Not even when I’m really giving myself up this time?” Ladybug says. Pharaoh squints down at her, clearly looking for any signs of deceit in her pretty face.

“Fine,” he says. He flies down to take Ladybug by the hand, then returns with her in tow, clearly not trusting her to keep her word if he frees Reine Nuit first. Reine Nuit studies Ladybug’s face for any sign of a new plan, but Ladybug’s not giving anything away, so Reine Nuit figures that her partner’s got it covered.

“Whoa!” Reine Nuit exclaims when Pharaoh knocks her off the beam of light and she goes tumbling down the pyramid, wincing every time she bashes her head on the glass. She crumples on the ground in a groaning heap, absently wondering if Miraculous Ladybug extends to healing concussions after all the head injuries she’s sustained today. When she looks up at the sacrifice, she’s mildly alarmed at the way her vision blurs and then refocuses, but it seems to be a one-off, so she just lets it go until Ladybug can heal her up.

“Reine Nuit!” Ladybug calls from on the light beam. Reine Nuit staggers to her feet just in time to see Ladybug hold up her Lucky Charm – a pair of scissors – and cut the cord hanging the medallion around Pharaoh’s neck. With a shout of rage, Pharaoh dives after it, but Reine Nuit is quicker.

“Cataclysm!” She uses her staff to vault her into the air and grab the medallion before Pharaoh can reach it, although she’s surprised that she manages to get to it first considering how her head is spinning. As soon as it touches her sparking hand, it crumbles into dust, releasing the evil little akuma from within it.

“No!” Pharaoh howls. With the akuma freed, the light beam flickers and dies, and Ladybug nimbly lands on top of the pyramid and slides down it to the ground.

“Nice work, Reine Nuit!” she says as she captures and purifies the akuma with her yo-yo.

“My head feels weird,” Reine Nuit giggles when her head begins to tingle. Looking alarmed, Ladybug throws her scissors into the air to summon her Miraculous Ladybug, and the healing ladybugs send a warm thrill down Reine Nuit’s body as they fix the physical damage done to her from the battle. Nearby, the kneeling Pharaoh’s villain skin melts away to reveal Jalil Kubdel.

“What happened?” he groans, looking around. Ladybug and Reine Nuit just grin at each other.

“Pound it!”

“Thanks for saving us, du – uh, Ladybug,” Nino says.

“Oh, no problem,” Ladybug says with a wink. “I couldn’t let anything happen to my two favourite civilians, could I?”

“We’re your favourite civilians?” Adrien whispers, eyes shining. Reine Nuit snickers, remembering his reaction when he’d caught her to give her back the book – the book!

“Uh, Ladybug?” she says. “Can I talk to you before we transform back?”

“Sure.”

“I just gotta get something first. Meet you around the corner?”

Ladybug nods and swings off. Reine Nuit dashes into the Louvre to fetch the history textbook from her bag, then heads back out to meet Ladybug behind a nearby building, wincing when her ring beeps urgently.

“Thanks for saving me from that weirdo,” Reine Nuit says. “I’m too gorgeous to be sacrificed.”

Ladybug giggles. “I couldn’t let my favourite partner be sacrificed, could I? Anyway, what’s up? It’ll have to be quick because we’re both about to transform back.”

In response, Reine Nuit holds out the textbook. Ladybug gasps and snatches it away.

“You dropped that when we were saving the pilot the other day,” Reine Nuit says. “Adrien gave it to me. Don’t worry, he didn’t video it or try to look into it or anything,” she adds when Ladybug’s eyes widen. “But he doesn’t know which one of us it belongs to.”

“Good.” Ladybug’s shoulders slump and she swipes open her yo-yo to store the book inside. Reine Nuit stares enviously. Why can’t her baton do that? “And…you’re not going to try and figure it out?”

“Nah,” Reine Nuit says. “Not gonna lie, it’s super tempting, especially ‘cause I know that only our school has that textbook.” Ladybug’s eyes widen again, but Reine Nuit doesn’t feel too bad about letting that slip. Even footing between them and all. “But I’d be a total hypocrite, since I’ve got a secret identity of my own.”

Ladybug gives her a soft smile that makes her insides flutter. “I’m glad I can trust you, Reine Nuit.” Her eyes widen when her earrings beep. “Uh oh. Bug out!”

“Wait!” Reine Nuit says before Ladybug can swing off. “Why exactly did you have your history textbook to save a helicopter?”

“Studying,” Ladybug says with a mischievous smile. “Duh. Don’t you study when you’re saving the day?” Then she’s off, leaving Reine Nuit to watch with a smile while timing out and turning back into Alya. After a moment, Alya shakes her head and turns to head back to the Louvre and meet her friends, mummification explanation on the tip of her tongue. At least she’s got a convenient excuse for vanishing during an attack this time.

#miraculous ladybug #aotq fic #aotq: reine nuit au #chat!alya #marinette dupain-cheng #alya cesaire #adrien agreste #nino lahiffe #pharaoh #the pharaoh #adrien w h y #rip nino #nino just wants to live

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3wisellamas · 7 years ago

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Because there still aren't enough Deltarune theories: Fun Facts About Cards

So, I was thinking a lot about @pirenja's older post on Jevil and Seam as The Fool and The Magician, the first (or first and last, depending on who you ask) cards of the Tarot major arcana and which usually map to the Jokers in a standard playing card deck.

There's also the MINOR arcana, though -- the plain numbers and suits that make up the rest of a Tarot deck, and look a LOT like a typical 52-card deck. I knew about those, but didn't know those, so I got curious and spent a couple days looking into it, just for funsies.

So, uh...holy shit. The card-based Darkners aren't just playing cards, they're TAROT cards. The characters we know fit almost ridiculously well to their cards, and there were a couple parallels I found particularly interesting. Allow me to infodump, and add in a few extra fun little things that also came up in some card research, and which might have some...interesting implications on the rest of Deltarune. A lot of this is gonna come from Wikipedia, as well as this site.

Just a heads-up, this post is gonna include a lot of theories (some of which may or may not be pure crack) and will be LONG, and much of it will look like this:

...But in a fun way, I promise. ~^

First, let's go over some REALLY brief info about some of the cards we've seen so far in Deltarune. The ties between these guys and Tarot are pretty damn obvious, especially when you look at the four suits:

Diamonds: In Tarot, their equivalent is Pentacles or Coins. These are associated with wealth, business, and physical possessions.

Sounds a lot like the Rudinns and the King of Diamonds, right? I mean, they're so obsessed with their treasure that they sold their beds to have more of it!

Hearts: The Tarot equivalent is the Cups. Associated with emotions and bettering oneself.

Hathys are pretty big on emotion -- they're the ones you keep flirting with in encounters, after all, and the proceeds for Hathy's bake sale go towards their health.

Clubs: The Tarot equivalent is the Wands. This one I had to work a bit to figure out, but it seems to be more associated with social things, passion, and desire/drive.

Clover is definitely a social one, seeing as how they're throwing their birthday party in the castle when you arrive. And they're also VERY passionate about three specific topics, which actually plays into pacifying them!

Spades: Now for some fun. In Tarot, these are Swords, and are most associated with...take a wild guess. Ambition, power, violence, and the military.

Yep. Shall we look a bit closer at the actual cards in the Spades suit, then?

First off, the King of Spades/Swords. The card is LITERALLY called The Warlord, and is associated with force and discipline, ruthlessness, intelligence, and sometimes coldness and abuse in a negative reading. Pretty damn accurate to the King, I gotta say. Not a lot of room for interpretation here.

The other Spade we know of, though? A...little less clear-cut, but still works. Lancer is the Jack of Spades, meaning his Tarot equivalent is the Page/Knave of Swords -- same card, just an older name -- which is indeed all about youth and energy, as well as learning and observing, and keeping cool in danger. However, the card is also called The Spy, and also has a meaning of concealing oneself and keeping secrets.

Hm. Some of that really sounds like Lancer, some...doesn't? Perhaps our boy has an arc and some more character development ahead of him. Or...I'll get back to this. Because there is some interesting theory fuel here once I bring in another point.

Now, for a Spade we DON'T know yet, but that we know very well is coming: The Queen. The Queen of Swords is associated with intelligence, strategy, independence, and...repressed sadness and divorce? Hm.

HM. If the King of Spades is meant to be a Dark World mirror of Asgore, could the Queen end up being a dark mirror of Toriel, out in self-exile? Time will tell. And when we do finally meet the Queen in future chapters, she will very likely be one hell of a big deal, if the Tarot theme holds, so keep the card description in mind for that!

But, we can't stop at the Queen; we're missing a big, major detail. In Tarot decks, and in fact in historical playing card decks in general, there are FOUR face cards of each suit, not just the three we see in a typical deck. At the top are the King and Queen, obviously. At the bottom is the Page or the Knave, as I said up there the equivalent of the modern Jack. And the last one, between the Page and the Queen? The Knight.

No, really. The Knight is a CARD. But, I'm gonna go further than that: We already know someone, specifically a card person, in the Dark World who fits the description of the Knight of Swords/Spades, quite well in fact:

Associated with major, drastic changes -- pretty appropriate for the person who's been jailing kings and opening up dark fountains, huh?

Impulsive, and constantly takes actions without much planning beforehand.

Fanatical and single-minded, obsessively loyal to one thing and one thing only at a time.

Confident, to the point of arrogance. Basically, obsessed with themselves.

Articulate, good with words, and a sweet-talker, able to get what they want through speech and charm alone. Ironically, not often associated with direct action, and can mean cowardice.

Also, a bald-faced liar -- their whole thing is trickery and deceit. They also keep a LOT of secrets, like the Page.

Worth noting, the Knight often replaces the Queen entirely in older decks, and is considered the card right under the King of Spades, as his main servant or advisor.

Notably, according to that Tarot site up there, they are heavily associated with major career changes and promotions.

You figured it out yet?

Oh yeah. Worm knight.

Let's go through some points with both Rouxls Kaard and that card description in mind, if you don't believe me.

Uh, hello? Confident, impulsive, acts without thinking, fanatical, self-centered? The card description may as well be the guy's Wikia bio.

Articulate...well, he tries. Can't fault him for that. (yes you can)

Honestly, aside from that "God. Damn it." moment, can you give me one instance in which his manner of speaking WASN'T overly flowery and fancy, to the point of ridiculousness? That's, like, his most defining trait.

He's a coward, never actually facing you himself until you reach the castle, and instead preferring to vandalize puzzle solutions and throw minions at you.

He seriously butters you up during the entire second shop conversation, and in fact almost constantly from the moment K.Round is defeated for the final time -- he says he's always on the winning side, which at the time is you, and does his best to claim he never truly opposed you at all, that everything was a test, he just wants to help you, etc. The guy even tries to BRIBE you at the very end if you went pacifist, offering Susie a plate of worms for letting him lie about his involvement in your adventure, to boost his own ego.

Did I forget to mention he's pretty much got a lot of the Rudinns and Clover (and a lot of fandom it seems) charmed with his looks and manner of speaking, and wrapped around his finger as well? Because that.

Throughout the game, Rouxls really is nothing more than a big talker and a big liar. Most obviously, the first time you talk to him in his shop he says quite a bit, but does a COMPLETE 180 on ALL OF IT after he's defeated for the final time, suddenly going from praising the King to hating his guts and claiming to be undermining him, from mocking the Fun/$!? Squad to praising them and offering assistance, and from complaining about Lancer to admitting he cares about the kid quite a bit.

Also, consider: His "ultimate puzzle", which he suspiciously refused to show us...

Even if it's not explicitly pointed out as such, Rouxls is King Spade's second in command, the guy serving directly under him in the castle in the absence of the Queen (or any other castle staff besides the guards, for that matter). In very old decks before the Queen was a thing, Knights are in between the Page/Jack and the King and are considered the King's advisor/right hand guy.

Knights also have a lot of very close connections to Pages, both in card games as well as history. A page is literally a knight's very young (age 7-14) apprentice and servant, and stick close to them and learn from them -- similar to Rouxls' lesser dad/son relationship with Lancer! (Also, a thought: medieval knights would often carry lances, supplied by said page!)

During battle, the King calls the Knight "My Knight". This might confirm that the Knight is indeed a member of his own court, the Knight of Spades, and not of another suit. However, from the tone and some of the other things he says throughout the battle, it’s clear that King Spade actually owes allegiance to the Knight, rather than the other way around. Possibly even some fondness for him, from that particular tone. And...I'm not gonna beat around the bush on this. King Spade is totally Rouxls' sugar daddy. The King just up and fires everyone in his castle, and gives this random unqualified prettyboy the next-highest position after himself out of absolutely nowhere? Yeah. No. Even incompetent kings don't just do that. There's something really weird going on there, something about their relationship that screams there’s some shady business going on behind the scenes. Though, potentially, one could also flip the script, seeing the new job as repayment for putting King Spade in power...

One final point, getting a bit away from the card again. In the game, The Knight is supposed to have a close connection with the Dark Fountains, able to “pull them from the Earth” and manipulate their power to bring darkness or whatever, right? When using the Card Castle fountain to go home, Kris and Susie teleport in a massive column of white light, that looks like this:

(Sorry, screenshotting that particular moment is tough...)

Look a little familiar?

Yep, I'm gonna go there. The same goddamn teleport animation. Nowhere else in the game is that particular animation used, even when it kinda should -- for instance, Jevil’s scythes also teleport in vertical columns of light, but those look entirely different!

There's some other things about Rouxls that actually make me super suspicious of the guy, but one that does so even more now, that I really should bring up if I'm claiming him to be The Knight: Remember that last battle against K.Round? When Rouxls brings out his "Control Crowne"? That lets him control anything “disc-shaped”, and (if we take Ralsei's word for it) looks incredibly painful?

...What the actual living FUCK??! Seriously, is no one else IMMENSELY ALARMED by the fact that not only is this crown a thing that exists, but for some goddamn reason it just happens to be in the puzzle guy's possession??

I'm bringing that point up for a pretty big reason, though: Another name for the Diamonds/Pentacles suit is DISKS. If Rouxls wasn't just bluffing (like he does on everything else, admittedly), there's a good chance he might be able to use that crown on Diamond cards as well.

And Rouxls DEFINITELY has a lot of interesting connections to Diamonds himself, beyond that. Rudinns generally seem to be pretty enamored with the guy, and the whole suit is all about money and even represent the Merchant, or if you will, the shopkeeper class. (And if you ask him why he’s selling things to you, he will admit he's raising money, for...some reason.) In a four-color deck, Diamonds are usually represented by the color blue instead of red. Also, Diamonds/Pentacles represent the Earth element, which is where one would find worms and insects. So, he may very well have a close connection to Diamonds, as well as being the Knight of Spades...

I'll get back to that one as well, though, because there's another point I wanna bring into this whole card mess that might complicate things. Because while researching, I found a very, very interesting little bit of trivia about the Joker card...

Second half of this post and a LOT more fun cracktheories under the cut. Yep, you heard me, I'm still only halfway done here!

So. The Jokers, Fool and Magician, former members of the card court, before...something went wrong. You know how Jevil (and presumably Seam, as his only equal) can apparently do anything? Well, while researching Tarot, I also randomly looked into the Jokers and their functions in a couple of other card games, the biggest being Spades, because why not.

In Spades, the Joker card can attach itself to any non-Spade card in the deck to make it count as the equivalent Spade, though still inferior to the real Spade card. In other words, Jokers can turn other cards into Spades.

No, I'm serious. Look for yourself.

This idea I’m mostly just having some fun with here, but if this little bit of trivia happens to come into play in the next few Deltarune chapters, it might have some SERIOUS implications on what we know about the Spades court. In particular, it means we might not be able to take...really, any of the Spades characters we meet at face value (pun not intended, but appropriate).

But you know what? I think we should take a closer look at the Spades we already know, and see if that might already be the case.

The King fits his card description very well, and we actually see the other three kings locked up in a cage, so none of them could have been converted into the King of Spades. So, we can pretty much confirm he's who we think.

But, then there's Lancer. So far, he's the only Jack we've seen -- I know the card characters were originally based on a set of playing card designs by @kanotynes, and that the Jacks in that deck included not only Lancer but also the various minor enemies we see: Rudinn, Hathy, and Clover. But, in the game, those three don't seem to have any royal ties at all, definitely not as princes! So, I think we can confirm that they're not actually the Jacks of other suits in Deltarune.

So, I'm gonna go back to my first Tarot loose end -- the Page of Spades/Swords, Lancer. Remember how I pointed out some pieces of the card's description didn't fully match the kid? The secrets, the concealing of one's true nature?

What if Lancer's not the Jack of Spades at all, but rather another Jack that was converted into a Spade by one of the Jokers for whatever reason? Let's take a quick look at the other Pages, and see if one fits Lancer a bit more, shall we?

The Page of Hearts/Cups: A "sweet-natured child", immature, creative, naive, a bad childhood, and self-centeredness. Not a bad fit for Lancer, gotta admit!

The Page of Diamonds/Pentacles: Planning for and seizing future success and opportunities, loyalty, sometimes associated with fruit trees and harvests (”Delicious little apple” / "Sweet little peach"?), and most importantly, a student, constantly learning just like the Page of Swords. Also not a bad fit, though maybe a little less than the Page of Cups.

Now for the really fun one. The Page of Clubs/Wands: Inspiration, optimism, also creativity and making plans, rushing into things without thinking (appropriate for the Knight's charge...), "a bit of a cheeky charmer or lovable rogue", impatience, laziness, and a big emphasis on "losing yourself". Also, did I mention that Wands represent the fire element?

So, really all three other Pages have elements that fit this kid in different ways, but some of the things about that Page of Clubs are...striking, to say the least. This possibility might be worth keeping in mind when chapter 2 ever gets released!

Now, then, there's also another Spade we know, even if unconfirmed, with no known equivalents in other suits to rule out. Could Rouxls also have been another suit, and got converted into the Knight of Spades?

Remember all those weird connections to the Diamonds suit I pointed out? Well, let's talk about the Knight of Diamonds -- A Red Knight, if you will!

"A young man who is dark of complexion and features." This is an actual quote from Wikipedia.

Defensive -- focus on protecting home and family.

Hard worker, determined, stubborn, finishing what you start.

All about questioning one's work or home life, or where they stand on an issue.

An animal lover.

The "wish card", about making your wishes and dreams come true, via perseverance and ambition.

Also, a negative interpretation is a loser or laziness, expecting results but not putting in the effort.

Not a PERFECT fit, but still an interesting comparison, no? Especially those things about fulfilling your wish, but failing by not putting in the effort required, kinda like how Rouxls is quite proud of becoming the high-ranking and privileged "Duke of Puzzles", but doesn’t actually put together anything other than simple block-pushing puzzles. Another thought that comes up: The control crown(e). If Rouxls was originally a high-ranking Diamond/Disk suit, that fucking thing suddenly makes WAY more sense. (Also, it would make all the Blue Diamond comparisons really funny in hindsight. Just saying.)

Yeah, I know, claiming that Rouxls is the Knight is a big enough deal, and this extra cracktheory about him being a Knight who switched suits is one even I'm admitting it’s crazy, and over-analyzing is just what I do. Who knows if all or any of this will still be plausible by chapter 2. However, worth noting: If Rouxls was originally another suit, and got converted into the "Lesser” Knight of Spades/Swords by one of the Jokers, then there is very likely ANOTHER Knight of Spades/Swords out there, a much more powerful one. Hm...

...Naaaah. Too obvious. And on the same note, if my cracktheory about Lancer being the “lesser” Jack of Spades up there ends up actually being somewhat accurate, then there's also an original one out there somewhere...

...Maybe? If you look at that description up there again, it actually seems to fit Ralsei even better than it fits Lancer -- the things about concealing one's true nature, keeping secrets, intelligence, and analysis suddenly become quite fitting. And didn't Ralsei's original concept art include a reversed spade instead of a heart on the front of his robe?

So, if these are the case, what card is Susie? I'm...admittedly not sure. ^^; I bet someone else can find a card that fits her though, so I'll leave that one open.

Okay, okay, I'm done with the wild theories now. Lastly, I just wanna mention a couple of other interesting, weird card things I found out while researching. Won't go as in-depth with these, but including them because why not:

A lot of people have been theorizing about the idea of Darkners bleeding like humans, and unlike monsters. What if I told you that "bleeding" is an actual card term? When you bleed your cards, you're accidentally exposing your hand to other players out of turn.

Remember when Rouxls called the party "mine amigose"? Kind of an odd line, especially coming from him, but it was actually another card game reference! Also from Spades is the term "Three amigos": A nickname for the Ace, Queen, and King of Spades. Interestingly, the Ace of Swords is all about cutting through lies and exposing the truth. (Maybe that could be a card for Susie in future chapters?)

Hell, there’s just a LOT of card references thrown all over the place. A cute one is when Jevil says “piip piip” during his fight -- like the dots on dice, the individual symbols on number cards are called pips.

Want another fun Tarot card meaning? Take a good look at the Nine of Swords. It's generally considered the worst card you could get, even in a mostly positive reading -- It's literally called The Nightmare, and represents fear, stress, being overwhelmed, grief, doubts, cruelty, etc. Basically, if it's bad, it's in this card, up to and including a complete breakdown. Now, recall another line that seems totally benign at first, courtesy of Jevil: "From now, a nightmare will awaken in your hearts. In the shadow of the Knight's hand..." If I were y'all, I'd make damn sure to WATCH THIS CARD.

Also, "The Knight's hand"...of cards, perhaps? :P Okay, bad joke.

There's sometimes three Jokers in a deck -- a white one in addition to black and red. Just sayin'. Might wanna also keep your eyes open for a third Joker in chapter 2, maybe chilling out with the Queen wherever she is?

#deltarune #delta rune #undertale #spoilers #I guess?#emtheories

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bazypitchandsimonsnow · 7 years ago

Text

Black Fire and Violet Flowers

Rating: T

Genre: Fluff/Light angst

Word count: 7467

Summary: The King of the Dead is lonely and sullen. That is, until a strange god wanders into his realm. Based on "reunion kiss" request.

Read on AO3

AN: A fic while I'm updating another fic? What?! Well, that fic is all written and just needs editing. So I wrote this in between doing that. And honestly, I just really wanted to write a Persephone/Hades AU. It's one of my fave myths. The earlier versions though, without all the kidnapping and trickery. I don't see this as "sanitizing it" like some people say tbh cause A) Greek mythology is very fluid and B) The myths we consider "standard" are really just the much later versions that were written down by sexist men. Soooo imma go with the one that gives Persephone agency and choice in her life, k? Anywho, feminist Greek myth rant over, here's the fic! :)

EDIT: Also, yes, I’m aware there’s no read more on mobile app. Tumblr is a dick cheese and doesn’t put a read more on longer posts which is totally counter intuitive. I’m sorry. I wish I could fix it.

———————————————-

O gather round, lovers of stories. Listen as the muse Erato flows from these pages. Listen to the story of the King of The Dead and The Lord of Spring.

Many eons ago, after the Titans fell from their thrones, a young god was given a land to rule over. It was the Underworld, where all mortal souls find themselves when their time on Earth ends. The Underworld was misty, dark, untouched by the sun above. And the young god matched his domain. Legends say he had hair as dark as night and eyes like storm clouds. He wore a cloak made of black fire that hid his face and body from all. He has many names, some shrouded in mystery, but there is one we all know. A simple name: Baz.

Baz was a sullen but dutiful lord. He spent his days on a throne of ebony, maintaining his kingdom of wandering souls, keeping them confined, making sure those who were proclaimed damned by the demanding king of the gods were dealt with so. But his only company were the spirits, who moaned and groaned ceaselessly. They did not make for conversation. So Baz was alone, spending his days doing work, reading when his time was free, heart growing as cold as the air around him.

Some said he was more dead than the souls around him.

But one fateful day, Baz was checking the edges of his kingdom for faults in it’s enormous walls. But suddenly, his cavern lit up with golden light. Baz hissed at the unfamiliar view that burned his eyes. He could only squint at first, and saw a faint silhouette in front of him.

“Who are you?” The King hissed.

“Where is this?” The silhouette answered a question with a question. And Baz was not amused.

“It is the Underworld, the realm of the dead. Where else?”

“Oh,” the voice chirped. “I wondered where the noises were coming from.”

Baz’s eyes adjusted. The light dimmed into a soft glow. And there stood before him was a boy made of gold. Tawny skin, bronze curls, everything bright in contrast to the darkness of his realm. Spackles of strange spots covered his rosy cheeks. His chiton was made of small green leaves and blooming multi coloured flowers. Blue eyes the colour of the sky blinked back at him. Baz had never seen someone like him. He had never seen someone so alive.

“Who are you?” Baz asked once more, voice softened

“My name is Simon,” the golden boy said. “Son of David, god of earth and sky, and Lucy, goddess of nature. I was wandering through a meadow when I entered a cave. I heard the groans of pain and wished to know if someone needed help. I did not know it would lead to the Underworld."

Baz slinked back into his cloak. “You may leave if you wish,” he muttered.

To the King’s surprise, the Lord just shook his head. “No,” he said simply. “I wish to see what is here. May I?”

The King could only stare in true confusion for a moment. No one ever wished to stay, even the spirits housed here. They’d all flood out the gates and back to the world of the living if they could. But Simon’s mannerisms showed no deceit. He was genuine, and he was kind.

“If...you wish,” Baz said cautiously.

“I do,” Simon replied, and he was off.

Simon skipped into the depths of the dead like it was a daisy field, and all Baz could do was trail behind him. With every step Simon’s bare feet took, small flowers bloomed in the his wake. They pushed between the rocks, finding life even in the dark. It was the first time anything had ever grown from the barren soil. Baz was confused by the green things, avoiding them like an ill man’s cough. But he followed. For David already despised Baz's family, and he wished not to invoke any more of his wrath by letting his son perish in his realm.

“This place is quite cold,” Simon commented as he touched the rock walls, small vines crawling out of the cracks behind him.

“It is the realm of the dead,” Baz said. “There is no need for warmth.”

“Do the dead not deserve some warmth at the end of their lives?” The Lord asked. It was a question so simple, yet Baz had never once thought about it.

To Baz’s utter shock, Simon walked down the winding stony path, down towards the Fields of Asphodel, without a hint of fear. The few who had ever come here shuddered at the spirits. Simon was not like others though. With no hesitation, he walked through the see of moaning ghosts. Baz pulled his cloak closer around him. The spirits recoiled from his dark flames.

“Why do you not let them touch you?” Simon asked. His questions were endless. They were as annoying as they were intriguing.

“They are...not pleasant,” Baz replied. For it was easier to say that than to admit he had never once thought to walk among them. And he knew not what to do.

“They are your subjects. You should not be afraid.”

Baz sneered. “I am not afraid.”

“Then do not shy away.” Simon reached out his strong arm. The spirits gathered around his warmth.They clambered to touch his glowing skin, for but a taste of the sun they once knew. Baz was amazed and horrified. So many feared the dead. Simon treated them like they were old friends.

“Why are there so souls many here?” The Lord asked simply. “They seem a bit cramped.”

“They have nowhere else to go,” Baz replied.

“Really? There is nowhere else they could stay?”

Baz twisted his mouth, for he knew he was only telling half truths. And if this were anyone else, he would have left it at that. But Simon was so genuine, so trusting. There seemed to not be a truly deceitful bone in his beautiful body. And Baz, no matter what David proclaimed, was not a monster. He would not hurt a person who only showed kindness.

“Come with me,” Baz said with a flick of his head.

The King lead the Lord through the sea of souls to the opposite cliff. Together they ascended to its peak. A pair of dark wooden doors were set in the jagged rock. They were smooth and handless. Baz pushed them open with ease.

Simon gasped at the sight. It was a large field of bright green grass. Trees with twisting vines were sparsely interspersed in the area. Everything was bathed in yellow sunlight. Baz instinctively sneered at it. He did not come here often, for he did not like the light. It always revealed too much.

“What is this?” Simon asked with utter awe.

“It is the Elysian Fields,” Baz replied. “It is where souls worthy of the gods’ honour are supposed to go. But...there is no true way to determine who is worthy. Many earn one god’s praise while angering another. So these Fields remain empty.”

Simon frowned, and it made something in Baz twist painfully. He had never felt like this before. He’d never felt sad because someone else was. “Poor souls,” the Lord sighed. “If they are good, they should come here.”

“They would if I could figure out how to judge them fairly. I am a god, I could never be impartial.”

Simon’s face looked forlorn for another moment, but it quickly softened once more. He kneeled down and touched his hands to the bright grass. Purple flowers bloomed to the surface. Their colour was rich and deep, with a little touch of darkness. Simon plucked one easily, and held it out towards Baz.

“Here,” he said sweetly.

“Why did you do that?” Baz asked.

“There are no flowers here. Everywhere could use flowers. As well as everyone.” He shoved the flower more insistently towards him. With great caution, Baz reached out from his cloak and took the single bloom. He spun the small stem between his long fingers for a moment. His arm pulled back under the black fire, but he tucked the flower into his hidden chiton belt.

“Is there anywhere else just as beautiful down here?” Simon asked, looking around the Fields.

Baz knew of only one other place that could match the Elysian Fields in the Underworld. It was somewhere he frequented even less than than the Fields. But Simon would like it. So he started walking, and the Lord of Spring followed.

They walked out of the Fields, along cliffs over the sea of souls, and finally reached their destination. Together, they entered The Cavern of Riches. Baz could hear Simon gasp behind him. It was gasp worthy for many. The Cavern was a glittering marvel of jewels. Deep green, rich crimson, shining blue, and every other colour imaginable all decorated it’s walls. Simon traced the gems and marvelled at the many shaded lights they made. They shone brighter with Simon’s glow. Baz had not entered this place in eons. He saw no need for pretty things in his own dreary existence.

“You have so many jewels,” The Lord gasped.

“They grow here,” Baz muttered. “All the wealth the mortals desire lies in this cavern, but it is useless to them when they are dead. It is some form of final mocking, I suppose.”

“You did not create it?” His question was reasonable but simple, but Baz still scoffed.

“No. I was given my kingdom as it was made. I merely maintain it.”

“That is sad,” Simon sighed. “Everyone should be able to choose your home.”

Baz heard something helpless in the Lord’s tone. His glow dimmed for a moment. But only a moment, then he became bright again. Baz wondered what could make such a gorgeous, shining light blink out like that. Even if only for a moment.

Simon spent a few more minutes looking at the cave and all it’s majesty. But soon he walked out, wandering once more with the King following behind. The Lord stopped at the mouth of the River of Leith, the flowing water of forgetfulness. He dipped his golden legs in the cold stream. Baz would have been worried if gods were not immune to river’s effects. He stood behind as Simon kicked the water lazily.

“How did you truly come to be here?” Baz asked quietly.

Simon shrugged all the way up to his ears, then let his shoulders slump down. “I found the cave, I heard the groans, I wanted to help,” Simon replied.

“I know half truths well, and that certainly is one.”

The Lord did not answer. But he kicked the water violently, spraying it in a chaotic blue arc. Baz’s feelings twisted again. Slowly, he sat close to Simon, but still too far away to be considered comforting. For the King of The Dead was frightened for the first time in his long life, and to think it was of what a beautiful man would say to him.

“You do not have to tell me,” Baz said. “I am just confused. No one ever wants to comes down here, let alone stay. David tells everyone it is an awful place. But you are...different.”

Simon let his head loll back, blue eyes meeting Baz’s grey. He looked forlorn again. Baz realised he was forlorn. But he did not understand how such a bright creature could be sad. “It is not simple,” Simon whispered.

His head rolled back, his body pulling in on itself. Baz’s chest- no, his heart ached. He did not wish to see the bright boy so sad. He did not wish Simon to be alone. Slowly once again, Baz moved toward the Lord of Spring. As he did, he pushed off his hood, so he sat beside Simon with his face showing.

“I would not mind hearing it,” Baz whispered as well, fearing a raised voice would make Simon run.

The Lord lifted his head, eyes going wide for a second a Baz’s bare visage. Their gazes met. And soon, Simon sighed and nodded.

“I am the son of two great gods,” he said quietly. “My father is always watching over me from above and my mother from the ground. He commands me to perform tasks for him across the land, and she worries constantly for my well being. I love them both dearly, but sometimes their twin gazes are too much to bare. Humans believe I am the god of unbridled freedom. But I am surely not. I am duty bound and smothered. So when I saw the cave, all I hoped to do was hide for a short while. But then I heard cries and moans of the souls. I followed the sound only wanting to help a person I thought was hurt. The path kept going, and I ended up here, where I saw you. Then-”

“Yes, yes,” Baz sighed. “I was there for that part.”

Simon chuckled, and Baz could not help but laugh as well. He could not remember the last time he laughed.

“My father,” Simon sighed, “he also told me this place was frightening, but I wanted to see for myself. I now see that he was surely wrong. The spirits are not scary, they only need care.” Baz felt his pride soar, but it fell as Simon slumped forward again. “But I suppose I must go back to the surface now. Thank you for letting me see your kingdom, Baz.”

Simon began to stand, and Baz's pulse doubled. He was a selfish, greedy creature by nature, for he was a god of riches as well the dead. And he did not want to let Simon go. Not yet at least.

“Well,” the King said quickly, pushing it past his lips before he got scared. “I would not mind if you stayed a bit longer...”

Simon froze. His whole golden body went rigid like the human’s statues of the gods. Baz slowly stood as well. They were face to face. Though Baz stood a half a head taller.

“Really?” Simon breathed out cautiously.

Baz nodded. “You said you wished to help who was hurt. I shall accept your help with the souls, if you would be so pleased to offer it. You do not have to if you do not want to though.”

Baz did not want to be Simon's father. He wanted to give him choice. It was a flimsy excuse, but it was less pathetic than Baz’s desperation to not let him leave. And thankfully, Simon nodded. “Yes, yes, I would be happy to help.”

Simon's voice trailed off strangely, like he was going to say something more but stopped himself. He hoped he meant to say “and I want to stay with you.” But Baz did not question, for he did not wish to scare him away. So all he did was walk back towards his throne area, with Simon following behind.

“Come then,” Baz said, “there is much work to do.”

———————————————-

And so Simon stayed. He slept in Baz’s room, which was merely a cave harbouring meager possessions and a bed. Baz did not tell Simon it was the only bed, that he had sacrificed his own resting place for Simon’s comfort. It would be too difficult to say, for Baz could not give a rational explanation for it.

During the day, Simon became a constant companion at Baz's side. The souls rarely saw the two of them apart. He was a nice presence to have while Baz performed his duties. And when his time was free, they wandered the realm together, the fields, the rivers, everything. Simon told Baz stories of his adventures across the world performing tasks for his father. He used few words but many expressions and big gestures. It amused Baz greatly, and he started smiling more than he had in centuries.

Simon was just finishing his latest tale while they sat at Baz’s long, ebony dining table near his cave home. He reached towards a bowl of pomegranates, but Baz slapped his hand away. The Lord looked at the King with true confusion.

“Do you not know?” Baz asked horrified.

“Know what?” Simon replied, his voice simple and eyes wide.

“If you eat food in the Underworld, you will be trapped here.”

“But I like it here,” Simon said with a frown.

“But do you wish to be trapped for eternity?”

Simon looked at him for a few more moments, then pulled his hand away. Baz knew he would. For as much as Simon seemed to like his kingdom, no one would ever desire to be trapped here. Baz knew that far too well. He would not wish his fate on anyone, least of all Simon.

Baz still kept up the facade of needing Simon's help, because he did not wish to seem pathetic. They sat together and went over ideas. Simon told him of the human ritual of trials, where wise, objective people judged if others were innocent or guilty of a crime. It was a brilliant idea. However:

“Who will judge?” Baz asked. “I cannot do it. I have not the time, nor am I impartial.”

“Souls of mortals who were wise and strong in life.” Simon suggested with ease. “They do not know the god’s motives and will judge fairly. Do you know of any?”

“No. I do not speak with the shades.”

Simon’s mouth pulled into a smile. “Then I may know of some.”

It turned out that Simon had met many great people in his immortal life and travels. He had met Agatha, the late Queen of Athens, who had fairly ruled the great land without a king her entire life. He knew Nicodemus, King of Macedonia, a powerful demigod who fought many wars and did so with honour. And finally, he spoke of Ebb, Queen of Crete and Nicodemus’ sister, who was even more powerful than her twin but incredibly kind. Simon brought them out from the sea of spirits, and they were all elated to see him once more.

“Simon!” Ebb yelled with joy, wrapped her incorporeal arms around him as best she could.

“Hello, Ebb,” he said with a giggle. “It is good to see you again.”

“We never thought we would,” Nicodemus added in, placing a kind hand on Simon’s shoulder.

“What are you doing here?” Agatha asked. “This is far from your realm.”

Simon gestured behind him, to where The King who stood a distance away. “I have been helping Baz.”

Agatha raise a curious brow. “Oh? The King of the Underworld has finally accepted assistance?”

Baz glared from under his hood, while Simon simply nodded. “Yes, and we have a task for all three of you.”

A great structure was erected for the rulers. They towered over the many spirits on thrones of diamond and obsidian. And after a soul had drank from the River of Leith and forgotten their life, they went to be judged. The Three Wise Ones, as they have come to be called, determined whether the person had lived an honourable life. If so, they would be born again into a new life. And they would at least three times if they were judged worthy after every death. Eventually, the good souls would be allowed to rest in the Elysian Fields. A paradise no longer left to be empty.

“Will this help them?” Simon asked as he sat on a cliff’s edge with Baz.

Baz turned his head slowly. Simon looked at him with wide eyes, and he knew the real question he wished to ask. Baz thought of how his realm would look without Simon’s light. And he decided it was not the worse thing in the world to seem pathetic.

“Yes,” Baz replied quietly. “But you may stay longer if you please.”

A grin threatened to split Simon’s face in two. “I do.”

———————————————-

And so Simon stayed even longer. He and Baz kept wandering the kingdom together constantly. Simon told even more of his stories, happy for the audience, and Baz let himself laugh louder. Baz introduced Simon to Cerberus, the fearsome three headed guard god of the Underworld. Simon loved the animal immediately, scratching under his many chins and petting his ears. Cerberus licked his tawny face with three big tongues.

“Who would ever be afraid of such a wonderful creature?” Simon cooed.

“Many are afraid of what they do not know,” Baz answered.

“Is that why mortals and gods are afraid of you and I am not?” Simon’s question were always so simple but carried so much. Baz’s heart beat faster, the same strange phenomenon he’d been experiencing since shortly after Simon’s arrival in his world.

“Yes,” Baz said. “I suppose so.”

Baz showed Simon his library, a small section filled with scrolls that branched off of his cave. They were piled so high they reached the ceiling. Many mortals were buried with them and ended up taking them down to the Underworld. Baz tended to keep the ones he found interesting.

"Why do you have so many?" Simon asked as he looked through the stack.

“My mother, the goddess of knowledge, she loves stories,” Baz explained. “She would read to me when I was younger. Before I was put here. I sometimes wonder if she still reads and thinks of me.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“Many ages ago. I cannot leave here, and she cannot come to me by order of David. He is still angry that she initially took the Titan’s side over his in the war. She has already apologized too many times but he will not listen. So, she can not visit me."

Simon frowned, for he always felt the sadness of others with as much intensity as they did. “I am sorry. I wish she could be here with you.”

Baz did not react. He did not want to seem as weak as he felt. But when Simon’s hand lightly brushed his cloaked, he let out a breath. And he let himself not be strong for once.

“I wish she were here as well,” he whispered.

Simon leaned his entire body against Baz. He did not flinch from his flaming cloak. For Simon was already the sun, and fire did not frighten him.

“I am not good with words,” Simon said. “I do not think I would read your stories well. But maybe you would...like to read to me?”

Baz turned his head slowly. Simon’s soft face was not deceitful. Not even the sign of a half truth was shown.

“You would not mind?” Baz asked.

Simon grinned. “I have told you my tales. I would like to hear some of yours.”

Baz smiled back.

In Baz’s spare time, the pair sat together as Baz read from his scrolls. Simon would lounge on Baz’s bed, on the Elysian Fields, or in the Cavern of Riches as he listened to the words. They were not frantic and energetic like his own tales. But much more paced, a slower build up to the end. Simon seemed to enjoy them, so Baz kept reading. He liked the way Simon listened. He gasped at tension, cheered at triumphs, laughed at comedy, and frowned at misfortunes. Baz enjoyed having such an engaged listener. He enjoyed everything about Simon.

One night, as Baz finished what he was reading, Simon was falling asleep on the grassy land of the Fields. Baz stopped his tale, and carefully put the scroll under his cloak. With even more care, he picked up Simon in his arms. The Lord of Spring curled against him in sleep like an infant dog. Baz’s arms shook nervously until he placed Simon upon his single bed. The god stretched out on the soft furs. He smiled as he dreamed. And Baz wondered if his heart had ever beat so fast.

Baz curled up on the pile of rocks that he had been using as his sleeping place. He always woke up before Simon could see him. But when he woke the next day, Simon stood over him with utter shock in his eyes.

“Is this where you have been sleeping?” he asked horrified.

Baz pulled further into his cloak. “Yes,” he replied.

Simon frowned angrily. But not at Baz, per se. He seemed to be more angry at the situation, glaring at the rocks and not the god.

“This will not do,” Simon said resolutely. “You need a house.”

“A house? You mean, a structure to live in?” Baz remembered hearing of those in Simon’s stories and reading of them in his own.

“Yes. Would that be nice to have?”

Baz was still unsure, but it sounded intriguing. “Yes, I believe it would.”

Simon told Baz what they needed to do. They chose the cliff with Baz’s throne for his home. Baz used his power to raise large blocks of black obsidian from the ground. Simon, feet as light as the wind, jumped up and ripped large parts away with incredible strength. It was crude but effective form of initial carving. Then he helped Baz shape everything how he pleased. The spires were tall, the entrance two large stone doors, all of it large and intimidating.

But when they moved inside, Baz made smaller rooms, ones that were cozy and comfortable. There were many fireplaces that let out a dim glow and warmth equal to Simon’s. Furniture was draped in comfortable furs. An entire room was dedicated to his scrolls. Baz’s bed chamber itself was the opposite of his almost empty cave, now with decoration and warm brown walls. It was a somewhat daunting task, even for a god. But Baz did it. For he wanted a home, a place he made and chose instead of being forced upon him.

“So shall I stay in the cave?” Simon asked when it was all done, tone joking but still nervous.

“No,” Baz said firmly, leading him to the room just beside his own. He pushed open the doors to reveal a large but cozy area. Small green gems from the Cavern of Riches decorated the walls. Leaves and flowers were carved into the wood of his bed. When Simon stepped in, his light made the room sparkle. He giggled with disbelief.

Baz stayed by the door, drumming his fingers nervously. “Is it satisfactory?”

Simon whipped around so Baz could see his smile. It was as bright and beautiful as he was. “It is wonderful, Baz. Thank you.”

Baz was about to say “you are most welcome” , but Simon ran into him before he could. His strong arms wrapped around Baz fiercely. Baz stood still for far too long. He did not know how to react to such affection he had not been shown in ages.

“Really, Baz,” Simon whispered, “thank you. I have always been forced to wander from place to place. I...I have never had somewhere made for me either.”

Baz sucked in a breath. He still could not believe that someone so bright was also so broken. Just as broken as him. He carefully put his arms around the Lord of Spring in return. His warmth prickled Baz’s cool skin. But he liked it, and he adored Simon more than anything ever before.

———————————————-

Baz soon lost track of how long Simon had been in his realm. He had become as much a part of the Underworld as the souls or the jewels. Baz could not imagine it without him. He did as he pleased, going where he felt he most wanted to be. And Baz always took time from his godly duties to be with him, reading to him or listening to his oral tales.

Together they sat in the Elysian Fields. Baz read as Simon twisted the last flower into his many coloured new crown. Simon paused his story telling to ask for some assistance. He dipped his head so Baz could place headdress on him. The smile Simon had lit up everything around him. Baz only wished to keep him here.

But the Fates had never been kind to him.

A figure appeared in lush green field. Baz stood to attention immediately. Simon followed, and then ran towards the person. Baz had no choice but to chase after the Lord of Spring and hope he did not become injured.

The figure bolted towards them to meet the pair halfway. Baz recognized her immediately. It was Penelope, the messenger goddess, wearing her usual knee high winged sandals and matching winged helmet. Baz had not seen her in ages, for though she brought souls to his realm, she did not enjoy his company and avoided him at all cost. The feeling was mutual.

“Penny?” Simon said with awe.

“Simon!” She yelled, immediately capturing him in a fierce hug. Simon hugged her back. But soon, her dark gaze moved to Baz, and she glared fiercely.

“You,” she growled, pushing past Simon to better jab her caduceus in Baz’s face. “How dare you!? Do you believe just because you are the King of the Dead you can capture another god and hold him prisoner? Arrogant bastard!”

Baz’s eyes went wide from behind his cloak. He leaned over her, unafraid and furious. “Captured?! I have done no such thing!”

“Liar!”

“No, Penny,” Simon said, trying to pull down her sceptre arm. “He is telling the truth. I wandered down her and chose to stay. Baz has been nothing but kind to me, considering I invaded his kingdom without invitation.”

The messenger goddess’ eyes went incredibly wide. She lowered her arm. “But...David said he saw you get carried off from a meadow. No one knew who it was. Only I thought to seek you out in the Underworld after so long.”

Simon looked very surprised. “So long? How long have I been away?”

“Months, Simon. You have been missing for half a year. And you must return to the surface right now.”

Baz clenched his fist under his cloak. Simon’s mouth fell open. “What?” Simon asked dumbfounded. “Why?”

Penny looked forlorn. “Because your mother has been in despair since you vanished. Her sorrow has made all that is green die. Your father is furious, and his anger has made the sky go cold. The mortals cannot eat, find warmth, or survive. They shall not live much longer like this. You have to come back so they will lift this frost.”

Simon’s face immediately fell. Baz could tell that he was horrified that he had caused such suffering. He was so kind, so giving, so heroic. He would never want to hurt anyone. But he had, by doing as he pleased and staying with Baz.

“You must leave, Simon,” Baz said gravely, but could not hide a waver in his voice.

Simon looked over Penny’s shoulder at him. His expression was broken, desperate, wishing he could refute Baz’s words. But they both knew it was true. Their dream together must end.

“Allow me one more hour,” Simon said quietly. “Tell my father and mother you will retrieve me in one hour’s time.”

Penelope almost protested, mouth open and ready to argue. But Simon’s gaze was fire incarnate. He would not give any ground in this.

“One hour,” the goddess said before vanishing.

And so Simon and Baz were left alone together, as they had been for half a year. Simon slowly approached him. His eyes were round with sorrow. Baz tried to school his expression, but he knew Simon could see through him.

“I suppose this will be goodbye.” Baz tried to keep his voice neutral still. But his composure had already cracked and was still breaking with every passing second.

“Not yet,” Simon whispered. He stepped forward and reached behind Baz’s head, pulling down his hood. Baz did not protest. “We have one hour. So...shall we take the long path home first?”

Baz, despite his heart tearing in two, felt his pulse fly at the word ‘home’. That Simon considered the palace home. So Baz reached out of his cloak to offer his hand. And Simon took it without a second thought.

Together, they walked slowly across the gorgeous Elysian Fields, through the glittering Cavern of Riches, past Cerberus who licked Simon’s face, to the cliffs overlooking the Fields of Asphodel, finally ending at the palace. At the home they had created together.

Simon turned to Baz and reached into his cloak to take his other hand. Baz felt the warmth dance across his cold arms like rays of sunlight on his skin. Simon looked as sorrowful as the day he first came here. Baz wanted to hold him tight and never let go.

“Now we must say goodbye” Simon said quietly.

“I know,” Baz replied, voice just as soft.

“Will you forget me?”

Baz tugged him closer. “No, absolutely not. Will you forget me?”

Simon ran his thumb over Baz’s thin wrist. “No. Never ever.”

They stared, and they did not let go. Baz tried his best to commit Simon’s face to memory. Every freckle, every mole, every smile line and sweep of curls. He knew that when he was most miserable and lonely, when he would almost become the bitter man he was again, he would need to remember this face.

Simon stepped even closer, the flames of Baz’s cloak licking at his glowing skin. “I am glad I walked through that cave,” he said with utter conviction.

“As am I,” Baz replied instantly.

Carefully, cautiously, Simon reached up between them. Baz’s breath held, and then it hitched when Simon touched the cool iron of his cloak’s clasp. When the King did pull away or slap down his hand, Simon undid the hook. The dark flames pooled at his feet. Baz was only left in his simple black chiton and sandals. It had been too long since he had been without his ever present flaming cape. But he found did not mind with Simon. The Lord of Spring had already seen many parts of him. He was content with showing one more.

Simon warm hands trailed up Baz’s bare arms. Shakily, Baz placed his cool touch on Simon’s leaf covered waist. The Lord sighed, leaning forward so his ear was right over Baz’s heartbeat.

“I do not want to go,” he choked out.

Baz’s heart shattered into a hundred shards. He held Simon tighter, not caring how it appeared. He did not care. He just wanted to hold his Lord as close as he could.

“I wish you did not have to,” Baz replied.

Simon’s arms wrapped around Baz’s thin neck. He stood on his toes to better bury his face in Baz’s shoulder. Baz spread his hand against Simon’s strong back. He inhaled against his curls. Simon smelled like fresh flowers and sweet fruit. Like everything wonderful and beautiful in the world.

The men slowly pulled back, but not apart. Baz’s gaze drifted down to Simon’s slightly open mouth. His lips were the colour of the scarlet roses he had made grow in the Underworld. Baz had read of the human ritual of kissing, the act of two people who cared for one another putting their mouths together. He never understood the reason or urge for such a strange practice. Until now.

“Simon,” he whispered.

And Simon, Lord of Spring, god of growing, the shining sun in Baz’s dreary existence, kissed him.

His warmth did not tingle across Baz. Rather it exploded in him. It was like biting down on a fruit, letting the juices burst in your mouth and the sweetness coat your tongue. Baz’s whole being felt filled with light, alive and ecstatic. Simon kissed him with force, pressing their mouths together as hard as he could. Baz tried to match him but had no knowledge of what to do. He simply followed where Simon went. Tilted his head similar to how he did, mimicked the way his lips moved, held him so tight against him that he could feel every lean muscle in his golden body. He never wanted the moment to end.

But the Fates were never kind.

Simon pulled away. His blue eyes were glassy and his lips were swollen and even more red. Baz assumed he was in a similar state. They gazed at each other for many moments, committing their expressions to memory. But bit by bit, their arms had to fall from each other, because their time was running out. Simon lifted his flower crown from his head and offered it with outstretched hand.

“Here,” Simon said. “To remember me.”

Baz did not hesitate to take it. The petals were soft to the touch, like Simon was. Baz reached towards his belt and lifted a singular violet. The everlasting flower was still as beautiful as when Simon gave it to him. He placed the bloom behind Simon’s ear, taking a lingering moment to trace his jaw. Simon's blue eyes quivered.

“To remember me,” Baz said. “I was more lost than the souls here before you came. I can never thank you enough for that, Simon.”

Simon surged forward and kissed him once more. Baz felt he would surely melt like a wax candle. Simon pulled back, but kept their foreheads together. “You gave me so much,” he whispered. “A true home, freedom, happiness. Thank you.”

For once in his eternal life, Baz had no words. He wished to say three ones in particular, ones he read in the great love songs of the mortals. But they stayed stuck in his depression choked throat. All he could do was watch silently as Simon stepped back, and Penelope appeared, and the Lord of Spring waved before he vanished in a shower of light.

When he was gone, Baz struggled not to collapse immediately. Instead, he put his cloak back on, walked back towards his palace with his head held high, and entered his room silently. It was only when the door was closed that he let himself fall apart. He sat on the obsidian floor, curled within his fire and fiddling with Simon's crown under it. He did not cry, for the King of the Dead was still too proud to let tears fall. But he sat, and he did not move for a long time.

———————————————-

Baz did not neglect his duties. He still made sure the realm was secure, watched over the souls, kept them from the Cavern of Riches. And soon the days slid back together into endless duty and darkness. Baz occasionally felt the urge to become cold again, to abandon any sense of joy. But when he did, he simply touched the crown of flowers he always kept attached to his belt, and resisted temptation once more.

He was sitting on his throne, observing the souls and making sure they were calm, when the sound of pitter pattering steps resonated across the stone. Baz immediately stood. He was prepared to fight any intruder. His hands were already smoking with fire.

“Who goes there?” He announced.

“I have not been gone too long,” an all too familiar voice chirped. “Have you forgotten me already?”

Baz’s hands lowered immediately. His jaw feel to the ground. The pitter patter became closer, until a dim glow shone in front of him. The Lord of Spring was still as bright and alive looking as ever. And his grin was the most shining part of him all.

“Simon?” Baz whispered in disbelief.

“Hello, my darling,” he replied. “I have returned.”

Baz practically ran forward, immediately encircling Simon in his arms. Simon laughed with utter joy and hugged him back. They held each other so close that nothing could get in between them. Simon angled his head so their lips met with force. He was just as soft and warm as Baz remembered. Kissing Simon was a tidal wave of warmth. It was a sensation of falling and rising up all at once. It felt like coming awake after a long dark slumber. Baz only pulled off his mouth when he was sure it was not a dream.

“How are you here?” he asked.

Simon’s grin was playful, more like a god of mischief than spring. “When I returned to the land above, my father and mother were waiting. Father was angry but mother was overjoyed. I was not though. I love my parents and my land, but I...I already missed you so much it ached. Suddenly, Penelope asked me if I had eaten anything in the Underworld. I did not understand at first. But her face told me she had seen my sorrow, and her clever mind had found a compromise. I answered yes. Father was so angry and mother was so sad, but I promised them it was just six pomegranate seeds. So I would only spend six months of the year with you and the other six above with them.”

Baz’s brow pulled together, for he was even more confused than before. “But...you did not eat anything here.”

The Lord grinned wider. He loosened himself from Baz’s embrace and led him by hand towards the obsidian palace. Weaving through rooms, he ended in the dining area. Quick as the wind, Simon scooped up a pomegranate, ripped it apart, and tossed six seeds in his mouth. He was still grinning as he gazed up at Baz.

“Now I have,” he said. “And now I shall stay.”

Baz was once more at a loss for words. Words seemed insufficient for the joy in his heart. So he took Simon into his arms with one swoop. Simon shrieked and giggled, warm nose pushing Baz’s cold neck. Baz carried his love through their home. With a sweep of his powerful hand, their two rooms melded together. Walls joining, decorations mixing, two beds for a single person becoming one made for both.

Simon smiled into Baz’s skin. “Take me to bed?”

“As you wish,” Baz replied immediately.

He gently placed Simon on the furs. Simon reached up and undid Baz's cloak without hesitation. Baz let it fall, then leaned down to capture Simon’s warm mouth with his. They fell onto the furs together, shedding clothes like the trees shed leaves in autumn. They stayed in their bed until Baz’s cool skin felt truly warm.

Later, they rested, bare bodies still tangled under the soft furs. Baz watched as the low torchlight danced across Simon’s tawny skin and bronze curls. It astounded him that this man, a being of life, a piece of the sun, would willingly bring his light to his world. But he was here now. And for half the year he would for eternity on.

Baz held Simon closer. He leaned towards to his ear, and said the words he’d express through actions too many times, that were already obvious, but he never managed to say out loud.

“I love you.”

Simon pressed his face into Baz’s cool chest. His curls tickled his chin. He put one warm hand over his heart.

“I love you, too.”

———————————————-

And so the world became as it is now. Six months of the year, it is warm. The crops flourish and flowers bloom. But once the final harvest is done, aumtn and winter begin. For Lucy is sorrowful over her son’s impending departure, and nature shrivels and dies with her grief. Because David is angry over his son's choice in marriage, and the sky becomes dark and cold with his rage.

Lucy, unlike David, who prefers to brew in fury on his mountain, always hugs and kisses Simon goodbye. Wearing a crown of violets and dressed in a dark green chiton, he tells her that he loves her, that will see her again soon, and that he will be alright. She still watches with tears in her eyes as Penelope takes his hand and they disappear in light

But she does not see Simon as he returns to the Underworld. How he smiles at the large obsidian palace on the cliff. How he runs towards the figure in an open black fire cloak. How the Baz holds Simon close and kisses him like his eternal life depends on their lips being together.

“Welcome home, my love,” Baz always says.

“Thank you, my darling,” Simon always replies.

They walk to a pair of twin thrones overlooking the Fields of Asphodel, one made of ebony and the other of iron. The couple sit together above their kingdom, hand in hand. And if a spirit is lucky, they may see the small smile playing on Baz's usually sullen lips, as well as the less subtle grin spread across Simon's. For husband and husband are reunited once more.

The King of the Dead and Lord of Spring are in love, and they are happy.

———————————————-

AN: Fun fact: Crete has a well known wild goat population. Perfect for Ebb :D And I know many parts of this are different than original Greek myth, but I wanted to adapt it more to Carry On than make Carry On adapt to Greek myth. So no, the goddess of knowledge didn't initially take the Titans' side in the war, her son is not the trapped king of the underworld, and the god of spring isn't sent around on missions by his father. David just needs a reason to hate Natasha, Baz needs to be lonely and depressed, and Simon needs to be the overworked tired hero. Also tried to involve both Lucy and David in the myth of spring cause they both have a roll here with Simon. That is my mini explanation because I feel the need to explain myself all the time lol.

So I tried to incorporate some of grand poetic nature of Greek myth but that is a difficult style to mimic. Only successful case I've personally seen is Madeline Miller's books. But also credit where credit is due: this fic was heavily based on the version of the Hades and Persephone myth seen in George O'Conner's "Olympians" graphic novel series, specifically "Volume 4: Hades, Lord of The Dead". Olympians has some of the best myth re-tellings I've ever read. And I've read a lot lol. Highly recommend them. Though I also used one of the version of the myth I've heard where Persephone goes into the Underworld because she wants to help the spirits, cause that's something Simon The Hero would do.

Hope you enjoyed that. Requests are still open on my blog. If any of you aren't already, feel free to check out my ongoing fic, "Watford Cove". It updated yesterday and will every few days. Thanks for reading :D

#carry on #snowbaz #simon snow #baz pitch #penelope bunce #The Mage #lucy salisbury #greek mythology #hades and persephone #fluff #light angst #mysnowbazfic

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