#Lycaon the Balanced One

[heckcareoxytwit]

A preview of X-Men Red #13

X-MEN RED #13

SHE’S BACK! Genesis once again walks the island she ruled for millennia—with the Annihilation Staff in her hand. But what is in her heart? Is the return of the Mother of Arakko to be celebrated—or feared? As the Fall of X closes in, the Great Ring must decide…or risk their own fall from grace.

Written by: Al Ewing Art by: Jacopo Camagni, Federico Blee Cover by: Stefano Caselli, Jesus Aburtov Page Count: 28 Pages Release Date: July 19, 2023

[sanctus-ingenium]

i answer your asks vol... 6?

This one made me actually consider how they balance the humours beyond just a simply "they scour it out". Because sometimes a holy beast gets 'sick' and it's not necessarily related to any sort of tissue growth, it's more often a mechanical fault and because the beast is considered to be alive, he is then therefore 'sick'. So how do we deal with this? An enginesmith will make the necessary repairs, but sometimes the sickness is related to environmental conditions. The four humours are arranged on a scale like this:

A mechanical fault associated with being too hot and dry could be something like a lack of lubrication on moving machine parts. So this would be considered the reason for a production of yellow bile (excess of yellow bile, btw, was what Pantera was diagnosed with on his last outing). Whether or not the bile is literal or more symbolic depends on the case. Anyway this was the reason Pantera is associated with fire (originally, when I was designing them all) and Leun, diametrically opposite, is associated with phlegm, water, acid, etc.

But anyway, the way to fix these imbalances in hot/cold/wet/dry is to simply reduce whichever one is excessive. In practice, keeping holy beasts maintained even when they're not out on a crusade is a full time job for an army of workers, where the atmospheric conditions need to be as neutral as possible. Too wet and you've got rust, too dry and the metal fatigues, to hot and it might warp and break, too cold and the joints won't fit properly, etc etc. Although the enginesmiths view this through a lens of The Four Humours, it's also just good practice to try to keep things balanced.

Btw while they do cure an excess of blood by bleeding the holy beast, they don't make leeches big enough :'(

-

There are illustrated representations of dragons that are pretty traditionally dragony (typically a winged serpent with many tails representing the stinging tendrils). These are added to drawings and art as a catch-all symbol for a conscious and targeted Evil. The laity, which is very devout, is unlikely to associate dragons with resistance - dragons cause a lot of damage too, and those stinging barbs will kill you just from the trauma of the impalement before the venom even has a chance to (unless you just get grazed, in which case.. the venom will paralyse you. then kill you)

So active rebellions/civil wars/wars of succession have occurred many times. The subjugated Midaean nation/territory (depending on who you ask) rallies around their beloved Saint Lycaon, a wolf. Flags and signs depicting a wolf devouring a crocodile/a lion/whatever holy beast currently tops the hierarchy of the church would be more likely. Rebellion itself is rarely black and white and as neat as picking a symbol the church hates. It is more likely people would pick a symbol that they love. Outside of Midea, the Mezian empire might not be at its peak but it also has not given its own citizens and laity a reason to take up arms against it.

at the start of the story, at least

-

awesome questions thank you @curious-sootball !

So the nerve cords inside the vertebrae are artificial, but they still perform the same physiological function as a real spinal column. They interface with a knight's dialogue. This produces an incredible amount of heat - this is why the spines are often exposed, even though that might be a point of vulnerability. The spinous processes in particular are very effective heat sinks.

But the tail? In most cases we don't need the tail, really. The spinal column ends at the base of the pelvis. The tail is cropped for most beasts on purpose - we don't need this thing dangling around and becoming entangled, and it has no machinery around it to act as replacement muscles so it couldn't move even if they wanted it to. Krokodilos's tail is the exception and it's just extremely heavy for not much pay off. That's a lot of additional engines we gotta maintain.

So the tail tends to be abandoned. The bones are kept of course but not mounted on the chassis where they're not needed. With no nerve cord running through them they don't run hot either so they won't disperse heat all that well.

Now for replacing bones... they don't. The bones that exist in the chassis are the bare minimum needed to perform the required functions - basic movement. They don't have ribs, they often don't have phalanges. A skull is there to complete the nerve cord - but all you need of that skull is the occipital bone. Nothing more.

If they break a leg, it might be repaired using screw and plate fixation. The bone may deign to knit together (enginesmiths swear that they don't allow tissue growth ever.. but sometimes you need some periosteum. Don't tell the bishops). But if it gets crushed? That's the holy beast done, scrap heap time. The majority of all holy beasts that have ever existed have already broken down and been decommissioned at the start of this story - we only have seven left (eight if you count krokodilos). Krokodilos is an unusual case because he is not dead, so they can't just hold a state funeral and add his heart engine block to the big hall of old hearts in the cathedral. He's sleeping.

But he's the exception. Take Saint Guinefort - dead as a doornail. He had a full funeral, his heart was put in the hall and his body was [redacted] like they do with all dead holy beasts. And then he was [redacted] and now our pal "Sir Victory" with the metal arm uses him as Nosewyse. Circle of life.

I think sidecar motorcycle is a pretty apt way of looking at him lmao. You don't wanna know how many people he's cooked.

-

Hey there! So I know I've mentioned they are similar to pterosaurs but they are not related to them at all. In fact they are cetaceans :) Later art I did of them plays up the mammal traits a bit more. Check out these nipples

However it is a fact that they are not closely related to modern cetaceans - as in, they did not evolve from modern whales and dolphins, but belong to a side branch that diverged relatively early, around the same time dragons were leaving the water for the skies. That art is quite old too, from before I kind of nailed it all down, so if I drew them now I would remove the more derived traits (i.e the single blowhole, the tail flukes, etc) and tidy it up a little. They diverged from the lineage that would become modern whales before the pelvic limbs were lost. I originally depict them having the crowbar-like claws on their feet to lever skin parasites off the dragon, but i think they are more likely to not use their feet much at all, and are more likely to use their single huge beak-like tooth to do the job instead. They cannot walk on flat surfaces.

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Only insects and, specifically, winged insects :) I know it would be really cool to have various other giant arthropods but milennia ago, when they crossed into Thera for the first time, insects were the only fliers. And there is no other way to get over the mountain range quickly enough for it not to kill you. The mountain range in which the endless city sits is completely and 100% devoid of life. A journey on foot for a tiny bug would be next to impossible - they are more likely to starve or simply turn around and go back to where the food is.

The winged insects, otoh, can cross the range in a day or less, if the breeze is flowing right. And they would find plants already there in Thera - also solely wind-dispersed species from the previous time the mountains arrived and linked the world with Earth. The insects didn't really come by choice, sometimes the wind just blows the wrong way, but they definitely got lucky.

There are wingless insects in Thera today but only because they lost that trait over time (like ants or larviform female beetles). They have managed to colonise every reasonable habitat, including the sea (though the sea is not very salty) and have developed into a lot of very strange forms which might be unrecognisable to us. But a lot of them just got bigger and smarter.

This time round, in the period of time the story is set (early 1900s on earth), the mountains appeared and new animals crossed over who were not insects. Birds have become invasive in Thera, happily taking advantage of the smaller insect species who are completely unprepared for this new threat. There are also some wind-dispersed spiders hanging out now.

EDIT: oh i forgor the parasites on the flying insects that first colonised thera... yes they would have mites and horsehair worms and things of that nature

[vampnyx]

Diaval

Race: Demon

Occupation: Mechanic

Personality: boisterous, charming, easy to get along with, VERY flirty, good liar, intimidating when he wants to be, has a dark side, introvert-leaning ambivert

Family: Demons don’t really have families. He’s got several demons in hell that he keeps in touch with (one could call them childhood friends), but he has no relationships with his blood relatives (this is common for demons).

Background: Young demons are quick to become self-sufficient and often are just set loose in hell to torture souls. Some demons escape to the human world, shift to a human-like form and take manual labor jobs as they are much stronger and dexterous than the average human. Diaval began working on a farm where he was often brought in to help repair heavy machinery. It was here that he found he liked the work of a mechanic, and studied auto repair in his spare time. He now owns an auto body shop that primarily employs and serves the needs of other monsters. 

Likes: meeting people, motorcycles, taking apart/re-assembling intricate machinery/tech, sports, mechanical things, puzzles, honest/genuine people

Dislikes: nosy people, crowds, people who look down on monsters, silence

Strengths: very knowledgeable about machinery, charismatic, great at first impressions, good at making excuses/changing the subject, good storyteller

Weaknesses: short-sighted, has a bit of a temper, intense/intimidating, emotionally closed off/not used to being open about his feelings (or having them)

Beliefs/Morals: doesn’t really think of humans as equal to monsters (they just have the numbers), no moral compass to speak of but he defers to his more morally-inclined friends

Appearance: lavender dreads, red eyes, strong/bulky, painfully casual

Human form: The tallest of the group, big muscles, defined only bc he forgets to eat

Demon form: pointy red horns, bat wings that are almost translucent, physically larger than his human form but not as big as Lycaon’s werewolf form, claws

Style: masculine, casual, likes to wear leather, either covered in grease/oil or cleaned up there’s no in between

Distinguishing marks: do dimples count?

Habits: smokes blood cigarettes, likes to have a device to fidget with (he wears a spinner ring when he’s not at work)

Favorites [music, movies, foods, etc.]: anything with heavy guitar, horror movies & gore (because it reminds him of hell…), he’s not picky about food and tries to balance his meals but he really doesn’t enjoy cooking so he’s not usually successful on his own. 

Hobbies: He likes working out when he’s not at the shop, and otherwise loves tinkering with things. He buys old electronics to take them apart and either build new things or make them work again (he’s the guy with a 90s imac that runs on macOS 13)

Cardinal Sin: lust 

[senatushq]

"Only the fire of life can melt the chains of death."

Sickness swept across the city. Hospitals were flooded with supernaturals and mortals alike as it seeped into the countryside as well. Even those with magic were not immune, falling ill one at a time, those that were already compromised found the disease too much to fight off and fell over as a result. Numbers climbed higher and higher, a brutal mortality rate that the city was ill prepared to deal with. Infrastructure gradually collapsed as the city closed its borders to any seeking to travel within, those outside of the metropolitan did not fare as well as those within, cabins of corpses and disease that quickly spread to livestock as well. All the while, Pestilence looked on in great delight. 

Caught between life and death, Meryasek’s body was sealed away under his lover’s care. Heartless and cold, the rise of a new drow felt imminent as the Queen of the dark court laughed from her throne. Vengeance was hers as she waited for the curly haired boy to be born, word from the Underdark did not come, and as she sat idle she began to grow impatient. Meryasek would not have the same fate as Aegnor, she would not see him elevated, and she would not give him the chance to be restored. Ayi’ig intended to bury the boy so deep that Titania and her wretched subjects would never find him again. That would be her great revenge. 

Death was not so impressed. They were on vacation and everyone was being very rude. Across Rome those that had fallen over the past month rose again, the plague had been strong enough to kill but Thanatos thought that those who had died deserved more time. Climbing from graves and sitting suddenly up in the middle of cold storage, the many lost within Rome seemed completely fine. The plague subsided and Death’s vacation continued. 

Across Rome the senate gathered their forces. The Ivy called to the ancient city their many long-standing members and sent out the missive that others should join. Hidden witches of Scotland's Gaelic highlands, dormant Celts, practitioners of seidr and many others. To the halls of the Ivy Coven's rising tower they gathered , overflowing into the other magical homes: Narcissus, Amaranthus, and Dahlia respectively. The senate, in a means of striking back, expelled the seraphim from the Alstroemeria home and banished the Blessed from the city entirely. Once more the darkened home was filled with ripe, magical blood as the five majorly intersecting Roman ley lines were worked to form a protective barrier around the city.

A monarchy of vampires came to Rome, from Europe, Asia, Africa, and both North and South America. The death of a magister was a slight that would be answered, and it seemed the future of their kind hinged on the balance within Rome. Hosted within the vampire estates, the palaces swelled in number as blood was continuously manufactured to appease their growing hunger.

Long believed gone, the archdruids had returned to Rome with vigour. Those scattered across the globe made their pilgrimage to the Pyramid, one that was once desolate, now was bursting with more life than it had ever before. Keepers and acolytes alike, their numbers bolstered in great force once more.

Within New Rome Lycaon made good on his promise, under the light of the full moon of September 28th, Lycaon called to the state the many wolves and packs that littered the country. Over the coming weeks lycans would flock to the forest, not one pack, but many as they swarmed to the city of their progenitor, and the alpha that had vowed to take Rome in their name.

Under the rule of the chancellorship and with the added protection of the White Flame and the lorendrow, the Fairy King's forest was further fortified. Blood fruits reached maturity, a primitive form of ambrosia, nearly perfect, but still incredibly potent. With the rise of the Daemonfey King, Meryasek, he took his place upon the throne once more. The aasimar Dareth at his side.

Denied subjects for sacrifice, the necronomicon continued to seize power. Souls trapped within did not truly die, the meat for the book a means of super seceding Thanatos’ decree. Over the past year Necromanteion had grown, where once it had been a dilapidated temple in the Otherworld: the only notable fixtures had been of three dragons. One for Ayi’ig, one for Leviathan, and one for Tiamat. As the book grew in strength, the temple’s physical appearance was a direct reflection of this. From a ruin to founding stone, to a great cathedral, to a sprawling estate. Now the book far exceeded any strength it had held before and a dark tower rose at the centre of a sprawling city of burning iron. New Dis. The tower of Necromanteion at its heart rose high into the Otherworldly sky, surging with dark strength as the lords of this infernal city ruled from above. Pythia with her faithful generals, and a city to harbour the growing forces of the damned. Monsters pulled from the Abyss, new creatures stitched together, and entities loyal to decay swarmed the streets as the Asphodel prepared for war. 

ooc info

Surprise, Mery is alive!

Also surprise, literally no one died y’all have no chill. 

New Dis, who Dis. 

Lots of lycans in New Rome now.

Lots of witches in Rome now.

Lots of vampires in Rome now.

Lots of druids in Rome now.

Acceptances are open again from September 25th-October 12th, after which there will be another addendum until December 7th. I know that’s a long time but the next event will be big and I need to make sure everyone is included. Plus, bringing in new characters during the event won’t make a lot of sense. Don’t worry, you’ll all have lots of spots open once the event is over :)

[oracleact]

Yet another marvelously sexy marvel mutant

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Lycaon_(Arakkii)_(Earth-616)

Lycaon the balanced or Lycaon two wolves. According to what Sunspot said and the action of Lycaon taking the seat of stalemate at the table of dawn of Arakko which previously belonged to Idyll a precognitive omega level mutant who died by the hands of Isca the unbeaten, he is according to Sunspot an “omega Wolverine”

I wonder what an omega level Wolverine is capable of? What would a omega level Wolverine be able to do?

Also I made a mistake with some facts with the other ask similar to this one which was bothering me so here’s a fixed version.

oh he’s super new too which I didn’t realise, I wondered why I hadn’t heard of such an awesome character before.

I’ll never get caught up on marvel comics to this extent but I really hope to see more of this big dude floating around! he not only looks incredible but his build up so far is intriguing.

[princeescaluswords]

*enter scene; a fancy hat sits on the stage of a university lecture hall, when suddenly, it rises with me wearing it as I emerge from the floor. "Hello, welcome to my TED talk on Fandom Logic"* Gosh, Stiles is so gosh darn stubborn for not bowing to Derek and recognizing his sovereignty. Surely, a prodigy sleuth who helps his dad solve cases could've figured out Derek's family's sacred, ancient link to the territory. He literally complained about playing "Robin" aka sidekick. He thought it a good idea to trigger a survivor handcuffed in a police cruiser by bombarding him with blunt questions, asking invasive questions about his dead sister.

You see, you've come across something very profound, even as you were being funny. It's another aspect of fandom racism.

Even in the earlier seasons, before Scott became Alpha, there was one clear thing that fandom had foremost in their mind -- Scott had certain things he had to achieve before he could be considered worthy of being liked or even being tolerated, and those things were absolutely about how he treated the adult white men in his life. They watched as the show repeatedly outlined how Scott was pursued, manipulated, and confounded. How the Hales took his submission to them as their Lycaon-born right, how the Argents treated him as a dangerous animal at worst and an annoying animal at best, how Deucalion saw him as a prize to be added to his collection, and consistently -- as one recent commentator on Tumblr pointed out so effectively -- expected Scott to react to this behavior in a coolly logical and completely selfless manner for anyone to even consider granting him protagonist status.

And Stiles? Stiles just had to show up for them to think that he was worthy of veneration.

I mean I always talk about how Scott earned his heroic status in the first seasons by not giving into the urge for violence unless he felt he had no other choice, for valuing others outside his own social circle, and for refusing to bow to intimidation and manipulation. That is the story of Teen Wolf and how Scott was the lead protagonist, because he could have done all these things. Even as a teenage boy, he had the opportunity to hurt those who hurt him, the opportunity to ignore anything but his own significant problems, and the opportunity to choose a side to make his decisions easier. And he didn't do any of those things.

But he did do some things that maybe he shouldn't have. He did choose to value certain things that maybe in the long run, didn't have any value but anyone but himself. He did lie to his mother and to Allison, neither of whom deserved it. It's arguable whether he didn't balance the long-term consequences of some of his principles. On the other hand, he wasn't the leader of a counter-terrorism unit, he wasn't the CEO of a fortune five hundred company, and he wasn't the leader of the werewolf resistance.

He was an asthmatic sophomore who played lacrosse and worked in an animal clinic after school. And yet, parts of the fandom reject the very idea that he's the heroic protagonist because he made decisions like a sixteen-year-old who didn't want to give up his life for someone else's ancient grudge.

On the other hand, they celebrate certain decisions Stiles made -- which are also completely in line as a sixteen-year-old boy -- as if that makes him the most relatable human being on the planet.

Stiles literally feels left behind and useless because while his best friend was constantly threatened with death; was shot, stabbed, slashed, and poisoned; and was forced to make decisions that affected not only his life but the lives of others on a daily basis; Stiles didn't get superpowers ,too, yet the fandom has literally no problems with this at all, because, as someone observed to me, Stiles's behavior is standard for a sixteen-year-old boy. In fact, parts of the fandom literally use Stiles's frustration with Scott not using his transformation to make Stiles's life better as evidence that Scott is a Bad Friend.

Do you see the problem here? Stiles has exactly ZERO expectations placed on him by the fandom. He can lie to his best friend and his father, torture his best friend, scheme to get someone killed, and allow himself to be coerced by a violent alpha, and that's just so understandable for someone in his position.

Scott has to give up lacrosse, his girlfriend, and freedom to serve the needs of a man who tried to mind-control him to kill a guy or another man who broke into his house, assaulted him and threatened to kill him, or he's a selfish prick.

As I've been on Tumblr and listened to minority fans talk about the burdens of fandom, it's become obvious to the casual observer that they're absolutely right. White characters become popular by existing; they're allowed to be children or human or flawed and still be celebrated. Minority characters must be perfect but not too perfect, must be self-sacrificing but never demand anything, and above all must never have age-appropriate desires that inconvenience shitty white serial killers in any way.

BUT IT'S NOT RACISM.

[vrednic]

COLLATERAL DAMAGE (PT. 2)

Teen Wolf x Vampire Diaries AU

Prompt: Teen Wolf, but with a twist. Scott McCall has a twin sister… and she falls in love with Derek Hale.

Summary: After Scott refuses to join his pack, Peter Hale turns Serena McCall into a werewolf. Will her transformation be for better… or for worse?

Word Count: 3,285

Author’s Note: This series will skim the events of seasons 1-3. I have a lot of content planned, so there will be some skipping around at certain points, but it will all work in unison, I promise! I hope you all enjoy part 2! Please let me know if you’d like to be added to my taglist. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading :)

*PART ONE IS HERE. *

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Werewolves.

The topic of lycanthropy was one I hadn’t visited since freshman year english. I thought back to the unit of Greek mythology, and how we had been assigned research projects on famous Greek myths. My english teacher gave us the liberty to choose our own myths, and I had naively chosen Lycaon of Arcadia. Lycaon, the king of Arcadia, attempted to trick Zeus into eating human flesh, testing to see if he was truly all-knowing. Angered by Lycaon’s blasphemous actions, Zeus punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf.

Oh, the irony of it all.

For the past three weeks, I have been given gradual insight into the world of the supernatural. The full moon was fast-approaching, and I needed to learn everything I could as quickly as possible. I wasn’t yet sure how I felt about my transformation. I was amazed at how quickly I began noticing changes. Overnight, it seemed, my senses had been dialed up to a thousand. I was stronger, faster, and more confident. I could smell, hear, and sense things other people couldn’t. One of the most fascinating things about my newfound abilities was that my body’s healing process was nearly instantaneous. The only downside of it was that I had yet to experience the brutality of the full moon. I was afraid that I would see things differently after, that I’d realize that I’d never be able to control it. Would my supernatural powers really be worth being enslaved to an insatiable bloodlust every month? Would it be worth putting my friends and loved ones at risk, especially when one slip-up could mean death for any and all of them?

I had been training tirelessly with Scott every day since I was bitten. Before school, after school, and during free periods. He had effectively taught me how to make my claws appear and disappear at will, how to partially shift into my werewolf form, how to follow scents, how to decipher chemo-signals, and how to trigger the healing process of an injury using pain. I was impressed with my progress, but I knew that I had only been exposed to bits and pieces of the extensive supernatural spectrum that I was now a part of. I had always been good at the technical side of things, so I knew that learning the basics of lycanthropy wasn’t going to be an issue. I considered myself to be on the smart side-- I had no problem displaying resourcefulness or creativity or administering critical thinking in complex situations. One thing I wasn’t very good at, however, was regulating my emotions.

When our parents got divorced, Scott and I handled things very differently. He was always a mama’s boy, and I was a daddy’s girl. Our father was an alcoholic and a cheater; something I knew all too well, but was also something I wanted to remain oblivious to. I’m assuming this realization is what made it easier for Scott to hate him, to be okay with moving on without him. It was harder for me to cope with his absence because our dad had always been my rock -- my hero --  and I couldn’t picture him ever hurting anyone. Especially me.

The night my mom kicked my dad out of the house for good, he had come home drunk. He instigated an argument with her over something, as usual. But with them it was never just an argument; it always ended up with them screaming at each other. Scott and I shared a room back then, and it was located right by the staircase, which was where they happened to be arguing that night. Not surprisingly, their heated voices turned into shouts, and we were both awoken. We peered through a crack in the door as our parents fought. My dad could barely keep his balance; his cheeks were flushed, his eyes crazy, violent words spewing from his mouth fueled by intoxication. I remembered vividly how he had lost his composure and grabbed my mother by the neck, slamming her against the wall. I let out an audible gasp and stood frozen in horror. Scott flung the door open and rushed into the hall, immediately wedging himself between our mother and father. My dad grabbed Scott’s arm, attempting to pull him out of the way, but yanked my brother with too much force. He was flung against the railing of the staircase, and he tumbled down the stairs. He was unconscious at the bottom of the stairs for maybe 30 seconds, and when he came to, he didn’t remember a thing. My mother ushered us back into our room and put us into bed. I fell asleep crying that night, but I didn’t know exactly for whom I was crying. Had it been for my brother? Had it been for my mother? For the loss of my dad? Or was it for me?

I hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to him. I woke up the following morning, expecting him to be there, bags in tow, waiting to talk to us one last time. But he was already gone. I knew he didn’t deserve it, but I couldn’t help but miss him. When the plea for divorce was initiated, there was never a discussion about shared custody or visitations. Once the divorce was finalized, I knew that he was never coming back. It was because of his betrayal and abandonment that I grew up with issues when it came to trusting people. I was filled with this deep, aching feeling of isolation, and it made me angry. Very. As I grew older, I got better at suppressing it, but I knew that somewhere deep down, it was still there. With the full moon prodding and poking at my resolve and self control, I knew it was only a matter of time before those feelings resurfaced.

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The day of my first full moon, I felt the effects as soon as I got out of bed in the morning. I felt my heartbeat rising with every breath that I took. When I got to school, my senses immediately began to feel overstimulated. Everything was brighter, louder, and more jarring. The sound of the bell ringing made me feel like someone was hammering nails into my skull. The people I passed in the hallway blurred together, all of their emotions and scents hitting me like a door to  the face. At lunch, the sound of people’s voices and laughter made me want to tear their heads off. I looked around the cafeteria, feeling myself grow angrier and angrier, for seemingly no reason at all. Rationally, I knew that these people had done nothing wrong. Emotionally, they were the piece of gum stuck under my shoe. My gaze locked on Jackson Whittemore, and I fantasized about how good it would feel to tear his tongue right out of his head. He had always been an asshole to my brother, so why shouldn’t I kill him? It would be extremely satisfying to watch the smug look on his face disappear as I stood over him, my hands drenched in his blood, as I began to tear him limb from limb…

“Uh, Serena? Are you okay?”

Scott’s voice brought me back to reality. I was suddenly overcome with anxiety as I realized the vile intrusive thoughts that I was just experiencing. What was the matter with me? This wasn’t me. I wasn’t a killer. Only, maybe that wasn’t exactly true anymore.

I nodded, fabricating a smile. “Yeah, no, everything’s great. I was just thinking about my research paper for… biology. It’s due tomorrow and I have no clue where to start.”

“That’s fair,” he said. “But remember that it’s perfectly okay for you to be feeling on edge today. It’s your first full moon and I promise nobody will blame you for not feeling or acting like yourself.”

I felt the tension in my shoulders ease ever-so-slightly. I nodded once more, reassuring him that I was in fact okay. I felt better knowing that out of all of the things that had changed, our sibling bond hadn’t. He’d be there with me to make me feel safe and to teach me control. Before long, I would be able to be just like him. I trusted him, and I knew he had faith in me. That meant only one thing: I had to have faith in me too.

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Later in the evening, as the sun was setting, I began feeling the effects of the full moon amplifying. My heartbeat was nearly erratic and Scott was nowhere to be found. I was in the bathroom, standing over the sink and looking at myself in the mirror. There was a flicker of golden yellow in my eyes, and I nearly sobbed out of pure anxiety alone. I balled my hands into fists, trying to focus on anything other than the impending sense of dread that I was experiencing. I felt a warm, slippery substance course down my wrist. Blood.

I opened my fist up, revealing four deep punctures on both of my palms, where my claws had dug into. The temporary flicker of pain was small, but enough to bring me out of the frenzy. I took this opportunity to set out to find Scott.

I didn’t remember the way to the Hale house all too well, but what I did remember was its scent. The smell of charred wood and smoke would be very hard to miss. I maneuvered my way through the darkness, making sure every step I took was careful and calculated. Scott had mentioned that Beacon Hills Preserve was littered with traps set by hunters. It was also a full moon, so I knew there would not be any shortage of hunters roaming around town tonight, hoping to catch and kill their next supernatural victim.

As if on cue, I heard voices from a distance. By the sound of it, there were maybe four or five of them, all men. I swallowed, trying to think of an escape plan. I couldn’t run. It was fall, and the weight of my body against the leaves on the ground would give my location away immediately. I could have hidden, but I knew that they probably had some sort of a thermographic camera. If they happened to get me in one of the shots, I would have considered myself dead.

I tried to weigh any and all other options, but I had none. The best chance at escape that I had right now was simply to run. They sounded far away enough so that even if they did hear me, my superhuman speed would give me an advantage. I decided that now was as good a time as any, and began moving. I tried to keep to the shadows, not daring to make any unnecessary sounds. I noticed too late that I had no idea where I was going. I looked around me, but I couldn’t pinpoint any familiar landmarks. I could have sworn that I was heading back in the direction I came, but judging by my surroundings, that wasn’t the case. I stopped for a moment, attempting to gather my thoughts.

“Come on, Serena,” I whispered to myself. “Think.”  

I was jolted away from my thoughts when I saw a red light from my peripheral vision. I was frozen, completely unsure what to do. More red lights emerged from the darkness, pointing straight at me. Lasers. It was then that instinct spoke to me, telling me to run. And that’s exactly what I did.

I turned on my heel and bolted away from where the hunters had been. I didn’t take the time to care about the tracks or the noise I left in my wake. I had the advantage of speed, but they had the advantage of knowledge and experience. These were professional killers. I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew what move I’d make next even before I did. Through the commotion, I almost forgot why I had been in the woods in the first place. The fury of the full moon hit me, unforgiving. It was as if she allowed me only a few moments of peace before the storm. I looked up at the sky and the moon glimmered at its peak. Almost instantaneously I was overcome with an animalistic urge to go back and rip the head off of every single hunter that was on my trail.

My claws and fangs appeared as if by magic, and my eyes were aglow. I felt angry-- so angry. But it was that anger that gave me power. I felt strong… unstoppable. Against all rational thought, I turned back around, using my infrared eyes to see through the darkness. A few rows of trees ahead was where I spotted them. Two of them were kneeled down, examining the tracks that I had left behind, judging the direction I must have taken. The other three were behind them, standing guard. They looked around, weapons drawn, ready to fire at any given moment.

I growled. It was a sound that conveyed equal parts rage and purpose. I was hiding behind a tree, looking for the perfect moment to attack. Just as I was about to launch myself in their direction, a pair of hands snagged me from behind with tremendous force. Before I could growl or scream, the person used one hand to cover my mouth and tucked me against his chest, making sure our bodies were still shielded by the tree. I tipped my head back to see who it was, and was met with the fiery gaze of Derek Hale.

He broke eye contact first and peered over my head, trying to come up with an escape tactic. His stone cold composure made it clear that it wasn’t his first time evading death by the hands of werewolf hunters. I, on the other hand, was terrified. I felt an equal amount of shame and embarrassment once I realized how foolish I had been. It was a night of the full moon and I wasn’t in control, for one. I also felt extremely stupid for walking into woods that were infested with hunters; ones that wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet between my eyes. Another shame-inducing component was the fact that Derek just had to be the one to find me. I had gotten a brief description of him from Scott, so I knew that he was hardcore. He also hated liabilities, and at the moment, that’s exactly what I was.

“Now’s not the time to wallow in shame,” he whispered to me, his voice gruff. “If you hadn’t noticed, they’ve got us completely surrounded. It’s a miracle they haven’t seen us yet.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. “Don’t bother denying it. The smell of embarrassment is rolling off of you like a stench.”

Your commentary isn’t exactly helping, I wanted to say to him. But I knew better than to push his buttons, especially when we were on the brink of being discovered. I kept my back against the tree, waiting for further instructions. After a few minutes, Derek finally spoke again.

He lowered his mouth next to my ear, his warm breath sending a tingling sensation onto my neck and down my back. “On my signal, you run. I’ll stay behind and cause a distraction so you can get away.” He pointed behind him to another row of trees. “Run that way. Get out of the woods as fast as you can.”

Before I could get a word out, he was gone. He roared loudly, capturing the attention of the hunters that resided a few yards away. As they ran to him, he turned back to look at me, flashing his icy blue eyes. That was my cue. I took off running in the direction he had said. I heard the commotion of the fight almost the entire way. Growls and roars from Derek’s end were met with the sound of guns firing. I found myself secretly hoping that he would be okay, although in the back of my mind I knew he would be. He was Derek Hale, after all.

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I made it out of the preserve after only a handful of minutes of running. At the end of the treeline, right where the road started, a vehicle’s headlights cut through the darkness. The closer I got, the more details I could make out. It was a blue 1980 Jeep CJ5. Standing beside it were two silhouettes, both male. I let out a sigh of relief.

I jogged the rest of the way and launched myself into Scott’s arms. He squeezed me tightly and ushered me into the Jeep. Stiles drove onto the road, taking the route that led back to my house. Scott turned to look at me from the passenger’s seat.

“Why the hell were you in the woods?” He asked. His tone was firm but still held a touch of delicacy. We both knew it was more for my sake than his. “Didn’t I tell you about the hunters? The preserve is not a safe place for a werewolf on a night of a full moon. Argent and his hunters have memorized every square inch of those woods. You’re lucky Derek found you when he did. If he hadn’t, I’m sure Gerard would’ve turned you into a human kebab by now.”

I felt my throat tighten in frustration. “The imagery really isn’t necessary. I know what I did was stupid, and I’m sorry, but I didn’t know what else to do. I felt like I was losing control and you weren’t there, Scott!” My voice caught on his name, and I had to take a few moments to collect myself. “You weren’t there and, quite frankly, I have no one else to turn to on this. I don’t have a best friend like yours. I don’t have one that’ll pick up my call in the middle of the night and be willing to be a part of the world of the supernatural. I don’t have a best friend who’ll chain me up on a full moon and help me find restraint. I was all alone in my home, which I could have easily torn apart if I had lost control of myself tonight. I was counting on you to help me, and you weren’t there.”

The air was thick with tension. I could sense the sadness emanating from both Scott and Stiles. I felt guilty for taking all of my frustration out on my brother, but everything I said was true, and I wasn’t going to apologize for how I felt. Scott was a natural leader, and I admired that about him. Being a leader meant taking on responsibilities, and I understood that he wouldn’t be around all the time. Over the weeks following my transformation, I got a chance to see just how much people needed him.  Peter wanted him in his pack. Derek wanted him as an ally. Stiles wanted him as a best friend. Hell, even the lacrosse team needed him as team captain. But tonight was the one night that I needed him. I needed my brother, and he wasn’t there.

“I’m so sorry, Serena. I can do better, I promise. If you’ll just let me--” he began.  

“No,” I said, cutting him off. “I don’t want to talk. Just take me home.”

With that, I turned to face the window, looking at the blur of lights, cars, houses, and dark, desolate streets passing me by. Scott sighed, but he didn’t protest.

We rode in silence the entire way back.

TAGS

@broco8

[randomnameless]

@lochnessies I didn’t want to reblog your post since it was long but if you don’t mind me adding my 2 cts to the Empire and your Empire essay

honestly i’m so glad i’m not the only one who nerded about the empire

I’m totally on board with your assertion about Agarthans and the Empire, the agarthans are the one who are the masterminds behind everything wrong happening in Fodlan (Nemesis 1 to Nemesis 2) and how the Empire who started good ended up being the decadent place we’re told about in-game that disappears in 75% of the endings.

However, I have several nitpicks or additions to make.

From the interview, apparently, humans already got their hand on “relics” before Nemesis pulled his stunt. Nemesis wanted to most powerful weapon available, so he ended up tearing Sothis, the leader of the nabateans, apart.

In the fake Church-approved story, Nemesis was king of the Liberation because he got rid of invaders coming from the North. We actually don’t know why the guy styled himself as “King of Liberation”, he apparently wanted to get rid of “liars” in his info blurb in VW, but then in the same route, when Billy fights against Maurice, Maurice asks if Billy’s come to “liberate” him... From this, I’m assuming Maurice, a former Elite, thinks “Liberation” is some sort of euphemism for death or a merciful death, idk. Bar Edel’s story, there is no real clues in game, or even outside, that Nemesis wanted to get rid of “divine beings”. I personally think he wanted to be the strongest so if lizards had to die for this then so be it, but bar that? I have no ideas about his own, personal motivations (save for “Thales’n’pals asked me to do it and they seemed so nice so I did it”).

Wilhelm Paul Hresvelg being one of Nemesis’s men who was lured away by Seiros and her dragon bros is a take that is very prevalent in the fandom, but has no basis in the game.

The Adrestian Empire officially existed in 0 when Seiros crowned the guy, but Enbarr was chosen as its capital because it was the largest city. The War of Heroes “properly” started 3 decades later as Wilhelm wanted to unify the continent.

Lycaon I’s death heralds the end of the war, meaning Wilhelm died during the WoH. Apparently the Church of Seiros was created before the war, even before the Empire, by followers who were inspired by her miracles or something. 

But yes, there used to be a religion before the “Church of Seiros” given how Seteth met his wife in a church in Enbarr, still I cannot say for sure it was here before the first Agarthian war.

Word of God also said Seiros and her friends rewrote history because the Elites and Nemesis were too popular at that time and she wanted to “quell the flames of war and chaos” and keep balance. Kind of unrelated, but given how Marianne is treated in Modern!Fodlan because her ancestor was a (literal) monster, if Seiros revealed the truth about Gloucester, Daphnel and their friends maybe Lorenz and Ingrid would be persecuted and hated like Marianne is... 

I don’t have anything to add to the rest, but some tidbits regarding the Empire and what I could hc i mean interpret from them :

Apparently, in the jp version of Hanneman’s C support with Dorothea, Hanneman says in the beginning nobles were supposed to guide and protect people, but in Modern!Fodlan it’s now just a way to discriminate between nobles and non-nobles.

Maybe at its inception the Empire had this idea about what nobility meant, but with time, the notion became used as a tool and emptied of its original meaning, idk. 

We also have the “Feast of Decadence” novel, it is fiction (apparently?) but the author, writing this book, thought it was perfectly normal to have northeners being torn apart in the background. 

This novel is supposed to happen way after the WoH ended (the Emperor is Lycaon III and we know from Ferdie’s support with Edel (or was it in Feh??) that the Emperor in 100~ was a woman, so she couldn’t have been Lycaon II) but in this context it was normal to have slaughters during a feast celebrating the wedding of the new Emperor.

Given how Rhea has bad history with slaughters for “fun” (as far as she knows Nemesis had no reason to kill everyone in Zanado?) I am pretty sure that if she had been around for Wilhelm I’s wedding, this spectacle would never have happened. Same thing for Lycaon I, the two Emperor she’s sure to have met. Which signifies that either post-Rhea the Emperor thought it was fun to watch northeners suffer, which also adds another kind of discrimination between people from the North and those from the South or the author of this novel had a blood kink and thought it’d be a nice detail, or the author wrote this “decadent feast” to criticise the Empire.

Which ultimately leads to : During Lycaon III’s time, or shortly after, northeners being torn apart during the highest ceremonies were something that happened casually, or it was plausible enough that people from that time could believe it happened.

So combining Hanneman’s “at first nobility was supposed to be this but ended up twisted” and “people ate a lot of bread and fish in honour of Saint Cethleann it was wonderful and northerners were being torn apart and we all laughed” means that even before Ionius IX pulled his centralising policies in place, the Empire was heading down a dark path.

The Southern Church is banned in 1065, way after the Kingdom and the Alliance were recognised as independant nations. In some localised versions (the SP one I think?) it is explained they were banned because they led an insurrection.

So even before Ionius, we have the Empire growing intolerant to its own citizens, stopping being “nobles” in the first sense of the notion, and apparently their ally since creation leads an insurrection. Then, the agarthans happen and they wreck things. 

If I had to compare, I’d say Ionius IX and his extreme policies (destroying Hrym and sending Agarthans to Ordelia, a territory in the Alliance, because they helped the people from Hrym) were inevitable since due to the Empire’s decadence, but Edel getting the means and opportunities to start her war was brought by the Agarthans.

It’s as if the Empire is going downhill and you can either choose to let it disappear (SS/AM/VW where the Empire doesn’t exist anymore, it crumbled) or go with it to the bottom of the hill (CF).

[jxoxsxsxi]

Not all monsters to monstrous things

So yesteday I have stared a fic inspired by Teen Wolf . A lot of people have never seen the show so here is some background information if you are interested.

All this information is either from https://teenwolf.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Mythology?from=W or Wikipedia.

Werewolves

Appearance

They usually appear in human form and can shift to varying degrees into a bipedal wolf-like creature with increased body hair, fangs, and glowing eyes. Most of the werewolves will remain in the "nearly human" form. Some alphas can transform into a regular wolf but that is rare.

Abilities

Heightened Senses: Werewolves can smell, see and hear far better than humans.

Accelerated Healing: Werewolves heal quickly from most injuries.

Enhanced Agility: Werewolves can jump, run, climb and react faster than humans.

Enhanced Strength: Werewolves are much stronger than humans.

Pain Transference: Werewolves can absorb and alleviate pain from other people/creatures and can "heal" in some cases.

Memory Transference: Werewolves can transfer (give or take) memories by inserting claws into the nape of an individual's neck. This ability can establish mind-to-mind communication and, with practice, allow for memory manipulation or erasure.

Unique Abilities

Some werewolves have shown the ability to sense illness and, in one case, the onset of an epileptic seizure. This seems to be due to a combination of their "Heightened Senses" working in concert on a subconscious level.

Some werewolves have so much mastery over their body that they can inhibit their scent. Making them undetectable to other werewolves.

Perks and Quirks

Becoming a werewolf can heal scars and cure chronic illnesses like asthma, epilepsy or even cancer.

Camera flashes and some video recording devices cause werewolves eyes to glow making them nearly impossible to photograph. They can apparently learn to control this effect.

In the dark, werewolf eyes seem to react to light like a regular canine with eyeshine.

Werewolves cannot become intoxicated by drinking alcohol. It is believed this is due to their enhanced healing ability.

Smelling chemosignals allows werewolves to know what someone is feeling.

Werewolves can control their healing ability to some degree, while they are conscious.

Werewolves, like other shapeshifters, are at the mercy of the full moon and can lose control of their temperament. However, the different full moons can have different effects on werewolves.

Eye Color

An Alpha's eyes glow red.

Yellow is the most common eye colour among Betas.

Some Beta’s have blue eyes as an indication that they have taken an innocent life. It is said the root cause of this change comes from within the werewolf. It’s a darkening of the heart. Think of it more as spiritual.

Druïds

There are a lot of different myths about Druïds.

Wikipedia says this:

A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Perhaps best remembered as religious leaders, they were also legal authorities, adjudicators, lore keepers, medical professionals, and political advisors.

Within the Mythology of Teen Wolf, Druids act as advisors, emissaries, to the werewolf packs to keep them connected to humanity.

This connection formed in ancient Greece after King Lycaon and his sons were turned into wolves by the god Zeus. The Druids had shapeshifting abilities and, while they could not undo the curse, they taught Lycaon how to shift back and forth between human and wolf.

“Druid” in Gaelic means “Wise Oak”.

Nemeton

Nemeton is the word used to describe a Druid Sacred Space.

A Nemeton can absorb the power of sacrifices and Druids can use that power in various ways. Mainly to maintain balance in the supernatural world.

I also mentioned a creature which is known under the name Wendigo.

Wendigo

Originating from Native American folklore, wendigos are commonly viewed as malevolent, cannibalistic monsters or evil spirits. They are part of the traditional belief system of a number of Algonquin-speaking peoples and strongly associated with the winter, coldness, famine and starvation.

It is historically associated with cannibalism, murder and insatiable greed. The creature symbolizes one who is never satisfied and keeps indulging their dark vices.

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Sander is alpha.

Robbe is a druïd who has been bitten.  

If both your parents are werewolves, commonly, you are one too. Milan is an exception. He is human.

II hope this helps! You can always ask me for some more information if you want to know something else. I will keep making posts like this if it is necessary.

[catastrophicur]

MUSE AS A DEITY.

Rules:think carefully about your character and their development through their journey ( canon or oc ) within their story.  Fill out the chart and tag whoever you want!  

repost, do not reblog!

Tagged by: stolen from like three different people, lmfao.  Tagging: e v e r y o n e.

Deity of:  Destruction & Retribution / Chaos & Secrets.

Associations: underdogs, mercenaries, renegades, anarchy, conflict / warfare and its subsequent carnage, vengeance, perseverance, artificial life, forbidden knowledge, independent thinking, fallout, creation and rebirth after the fallout, ash and smoke, manslaughter, blood feuds, liberation from the moral and mortal coils. 

Sacred plants: White roses, ironically so, for their associations with innocence and purity... and less mockingly, for how they represent new beginnings. Clematus as they represent ingenuity and a stubbornness to survive, and wisteria for immortality and mocking tenderness.

Sacred stones & gems: Glass, amethyst ( duality / balance, luck, protection, ) black tourmaline ( inner strength / individual fortitude. )

Sacred animals:  Dogs, especially those stray or feral. Dholes. Coyotes. Lycaons. Wolves. Cows.

Colors: Blue, purple, grey, black, white. 

Food: Apples, simple fruit - based pastries, bone marrow, meat from animals you raised or caught yourself ( their eyes and tongues especially. ) 

Scents: Wood smoke, ash, sandalwood, cloves, heat / burning. 

Accepted offerings / ways to honor: Slaying or sacrificing your enemies in his name, divulging your secrets to him or his tethered discplies, artwork in his perceived image, lighting candles or incense, bringing him fresh picked fruits or the eyes and tongues of animals or enemies, burning what can’t be consumed or could otherwise be buried, questioning authority, overthrowing the status quo, fighting against stacked odds, living off the grid and free of governmental assistance or interference, hosting or partaking in ritualistic bonfires, growing and wearing your hair long, adorning yourself with his favorite flowers or gems, keeping a dog as an honored family member or feeding strays, exercising charity and providing for the destitute, sacrificing your right eye to him or covering it in respect. 

Ways to anger: Killing infant children or animals, abusing the poor or handicapped, committing sexual assault, exploiting a position of power for personal gain or bigoted beliefs, lying, giving up on a goal or dream, refusing to acknowledge the ugliest parts of yourself and embrace them, forgiving your nemesis without punishing / killing them, going from zero to hero and becoming the same tyrant you just overthrew, killing one of his disciples or other favorite humans, getting in the way of his Plans.

[atrius-asper]

...2:15. 2:15 in the morning.

The shadows of the night before were still remaining, perhaps even worse. And all light had just seemingly vanished from the horizon.

Only a few were awake this late.

A wolf stood alone in a back alley, cigarette smoke pouring from his mouth before he stuck it back in and took another breath. His hair was a dark shade of violet in color, and one eye of his was that same shade, the other being green. Breath after breath, a little more of the cigarette vanishing after each one, he eventually just dropped it and stomped on the remains, the remaining smoke flowing out slowly and then vanishing into the night sky.

The wolf backed out from the alleyway, ears flicking a fly away from him, and the faint scent of garbage seeming to stick to him. He was just by a dumpster. Disgusting.

He brushed a rotten piece of indistinguishable food off his tail, then a few more times for good measure, and started walking through the old environment around him. Clockhaven felt oddly lonely out right now, even though he'd been here at the exact same time before. Maybe it was just his own perception.

His haze of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a horrid cry, followed by the distinct sound of steel being grated across stone. He backed off from the sound, although his ears naturally turned in its direction. The two sounds eventually stopped, all at once, simply followed by what could only be described as pitiful sobbing.

"God- god dammit-" The voice followed with sobs mixed in as the metal sound persisted. The wolf's ears turned away from the noise as he closed his eyes, nearly grating his teeth together. Finally, the source of the noise limped out of the corner to see the wolf, who the newcomer stopped to look at. The two locked eyes briefly. The newcomer himself had brightly-colored orange hair, and his icy blue eyes were nearly bloodshot. He had a scowl on his face, although it looked as if he could barely hold the emotion. On a closer look, the wolf noticed there were also stains on the newcomer's face, like he had been crying. The wolf slowly inched towards him, making each step as slow-paced as he could, and put his hands out in front of him slowly. The newcomer lowered his guard and instantly collapsed to the ground, and at that point his injuries were visible.

The newcomer had been stabbed with metal pieces, about five stuck in his leg with another two digging themselves into his chest. He held a hand over the spot on his chest to obscure it, but the rusted metal itself still poked out and was visible anywhere. The wolf stopped in his tracks.

"Y-You need to go- you don't understand-" The newcomer faintly croaked, or he talked as loud as he could muster. The wolf disregarded this and ripped off some of his own shirt, taking a small bottle of water to clean off the wounds.

Faint screams rippled out of the area after each piece of metal was removed. Some of the pieces were quite nasty and stuck in there, but they were taken out eventually. The newcomer, tired of this, was laying down on the floor. 'His heart rate was definitely double what a normal human's would be right now...' The wolf thought to himself and sighed.

"So what's your name?"

"Ch...Chr..Chronos. Chronos C..Cercidas." Chronos held one hand to the wounds on his chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding, and as he removed it, he looked at his own hand. Dry, cracked blood. All over it.

"I'm Cider. My full name is Ciderus Lycaon, but just call me Cider, I guess." Cider reached down to help Chronos up. Chronos raised a shaky hand to grab his, and they both shared a little grin with one another. Chronos rubbed his eyes and looked down to his bleeding and seemingly broken right leg. It was difficult to well if it was broken due to all the blood coating it.

"Come on, I'll get you home-"

"Zephyr's in t..the back. I..It was the only thing I could do." Chronos interrupted, his eyes starting to water again as he took a shaky step forward. His leg buckled under his weight and he nearly fell over again, but Cider rushed over to catch him as soon as he slipped. With one hand on Cider's back, Chronos slowly approached the passed-out form in the back of the alley. Cider mostly didn't know what was going on, or what had even happened- he just needed to help these people. But then again, it would only get worse from here.

Zephyr was in the worst shape of them all. Slash marks all over his body, as well as a few stab wounds on his chest and left arm. Cider nearly let Chronos go, as he stopped in his tracks and looked absolutely terrified. He couldn't even seem to move because of the poor thing's shape.

"Cider.. you can walk... right?" Cider snapped out of his petrified haze. Chronos turned his attention to Cider and readjusted his glasses slowly, even though they had looked fine before. Cider slowly nodded his head and was about to speak when Chronos talked again. "Get him... home. I can use a wall or something."

"O...Okay. My apartment's just a block away, you think you can manage?" Cider reluctantly agreed, putting one arm under Zephyr's knees and one under his back and picking him up. Cider winced as he felt a mixture of dry and wet blood fall onto his arms, but he never set Zephyr down.

The three walked off down the block towards Cider's apartment, Chronos using the wall for balance while Cider carried the unconscious Zephyr. What a night. What a night this had been.

(To be continued? Maybe? Who knows? Who cares this is a bad au)

[thelittlestkitsune]

Mid Semester; chapter two.

A/N; This chapter is trash, so I do apologise. I hope you guys enjoy the surprise guest. ;) Enjoy! Love Lau xoxo

Pairing: ScottMccallxProfessor!Reader

Author: thelittlestkitsune

Warnings: none. for now.

Word count: 4,083 

Listen to me.              Mid Semester Masterlist               Let me know?

WEDNESDAY.  

“Are you guys comfortable?” You asked as your students looked back at you, dumbfounded at your question. “You guys got snacks?” You asked another question as brows knitted over eyes, chatter of what the fuck is going on as you sank into your chair, pulling it in front of your desk. “‘Cause it’s rant time. You know this is my favourite part of the week.” You chuckled as they all breathed a sigh of relief, the chatter dying down until silence lay heavily over the room. You pretended to crack your neck, a slight shudder rippling through the students as you sat back against the pleather seat. “Can anyone guess what I’m bitching about this week?” You threw the question out there as you waited for someone to bite. “Student loans?” Audrey, the quiet girl in the back row spoke, her eyes avoiding yours as you shook your head. “I mean that’s a whole different pot of tea. But any other guesses?” A chorus of concentrated humming washed through the room as you got yourself comfy in your seat, wrapping your scarf around your shoulders.  

“The government.” Audrey tried again, her voice clearer this time. Nice of you to finally join in the conversations. Good for you boo. A smile played on your lips as you shook your head, her hands falling flat against the wooden desk as she sighed. “Okay but surely you have complaints, I mean the way the president-” Cat started before quickly stopping, taking a steadying breath as she plastered a fake smile on her pink cheeks. “-Never mind, this isn’t the place to talk politics.” She sighed, her breath shaky as you gave her a small nod, her cap flopping back down over her eyes as she slid down her chair further. “So what are you going to bitch about?” Maddie asked, her hair bouncing around her face as she turned back to you. “Well none other than our buddy, our pal, the massive cockend that is Zeus.” A collective cheer vibrated through everyone as you smiled, enjoying when you could teach through pure hatred of a certain myth. “What did he do this time?” Kenzie asked, her elbows leaning on her desk as she propped herself on one arm. “Oh honey, you’ve got a storm coming.” You started, before launching into “WHY ZEUS IS THE WORST PART TWO.”  

“-And that’s why Zeus is the biggest fuckhead in history. Mythological or not, he shaped alot of pop culture these days.” You finished, taking a moment as you let everyone jot down notes. “Wait, lemme get this straight-” Cat started, pulling the cap from her head as she ran manicured fingers over her forehead, her green eyes pooling with confusion. “-So, Zeus decided to test this nefarious daddy Lycaon by visiting him looking like a homeless dude? The dude with 50 sons? And when Lycaon literally straight up murdered his own son and fed it to Zeus he got hella pissed and turned Lycaon into a wolf?” You pressed your lips together in a thin line as you stretched, standing up from your seat. “In not so many words yeah!” You summised, your head cocking to the side as you processed the information. “Now not to be a traitor in this class or anything? But like, doesn’t lycaon sound like the fucking worst?” Kenzie piped up, her lips caught between her teeth as you turned sharply. “Look, I have so much to cover about Zeus that Lycaon? Kinda looks like a martyr, a saint, the best pal a gal could have until he knocked her up!” You laughed as half the class snorted in reply.  

“Why are we even talking about Zeus again? Doesn’t the syllabus say that we should be discussing werewolves?” Todd piped up as you scowled at him. “You need to know the history. God, do you have no flair for the dramatic, I was building to it. You ruined it now.” You faked anger as you turned to the board, revealing your masterpiece. Art class paid off. A full size werewolf head graced the blackboard as you brandished towards your works. “This is being dramatic. Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your butts, we’re diving into the shit show myth that is-” You mocked a drum roll on your desk, holding your breath for even more dramatic effect. “-Werewolves.” Laughter echoed through the small room as you stood up straight, taking your scarf off from around your shoulders, the room warmer than it was when class began. “What kind of werewolves are we talking about? The pop culture ones or the scary old wives tale?” Kenzie asked as she chewed on the tip of her pen, your shoulders shrugging as you perched on your cluttered desk.  

“Well that’s the thing. We’re going to talk about both and do a comparison between the tales of yonder and the effect they have on our pop culture today.” You explained, lacing your fingers together over your knee. “So, we’re talking little red riding hood and twilight?” Em asked, speaking up for the first time in a while. Her eyes flickered between you and her notes as you nodded. “Yeah, well the myth surrounding werewolves goes a bit further than the Grimm brothers. We’re going to explore 4 myths associated with shape shifters; from the Armenians to the Slavic to the French. Of course we’re going to discuss the greeks though. Let’s start with the Armenians; you know, the ones who thought women that sinned were forced to walk as a wolf for seven days and seven nights. Not like they already had enough to deal with-”  

THURSDAY.  

“Cami, where are you? I thought you wanted to meet for coffee? I only have so long before I need to be at my office?” You spoke into the receiver of your phone, balancing it on your shoulder as you scribbled in your notepad. “I won’t be long, I’m like not even two minutes out?” She breezed, a smile in her voice. “Tell me you’re not coming straight from a meeting with Thomas. We all know what those meetings entail!” You laughed as you doodled in the margins, your thoughts distracted once more. “Shut up you, you wish you were taking meetings.” You could almost hear the air quotations as she giggled. “Low blow, that’s cold. You owe me a coffee for that.” You joked, a small frown on your lips as she clicked off the call, leaving you to your devices. You stared at the stack of papers in front of you as you sat in the student coffee house, soft music playing as people chattered around you. “Excuse me, can I borrow this seat a moment?” a dark voice interrupted you, a familiar face coming into view.  

You turned, your mouth hanging open in shock as you gaped, words catching in your throat. “Derek?!” His name finally escaped your lips as you recognised the green eyed guy in front of you, his face much unchanged in the past 6 years since you saw him last. “What are you doing here?!” Derek asked, his fingers still gripping the seat next to yours as he flashed his oh so famous smile. “I’m a professor; believe it or not!” You laughed, tucking your frizzy hair behind your ears as you smiled. His lips mimicked your own as he nodded, pulling the chair out before sitting in it, his tall frame barely fitting in the plastic chair. “I don’t believe that for a moment. I’m just here visiting an old friend and you’re here. What kind of fate is that?” His eyes twinkled as you swallowed dryly, forgetting what a beauty he was. “A twisted sense of fate. 26 years old and still in college, I mean I teach it-” You laughed, looking down at all the papers you had to grade.  

“Yeah, well at least you went!” He joked, his hands running through his thick dark hair. “Look, I’m gonna be in town for a while, staying with my friend, I was wondering if you wanted to get a coffee-” He paused, licking his lips as he looked over you, his eyes lingering on your open shirt for a second too long. “-or dinner sometime. I’ll give you my number, I finally caved and joined society. Gimme a call and we’ll sort something out okay?” He stared at you as you nodded meekly, his lips curling into a smile as he stood. “It was really good seeing you y/n, catch you later.” He winked as you pressed your lips together, trying to stop them from gaping open. “See you later Derek.” You waved shyly, looking over his handwriting as you heard a seat nearby scratch over wooden flooring. “Who in the hell was that?!” Cami exclaimed as she fell into the seat, her hair bouncing as she caught her breath. “An old friend. I’ve known him since middle school, I never thought I’d see him again, he kinda fell off the map when we got to high school.” You stared at the spot he’d sat in as you tapped your fingers on the table in front of you.  

“You don’t just drop off the map if you look like that.” She dropped her phone into her open bag, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she pressed forwards. “You got his number right? Y/N you’d be crazy not to get his number.” She babbled as you nodded, pointing to his scrawl on your notepad. “You need to ring him right now and set up a date. Right now, cause honey if you don’t then I will.” She demanded as you stuck your hands up in protest. “Look I can’t date right now?! I have too much to do!” You tried to defend yourself as her arms crossed across her chest, her brow quirked high above her hazel eyes. “You were complaining about not getting enough dick like last week?” You burst into laughter at her blunt comment, strangers turning to look at the noise that just erupted from your mouth. “Thanks for telling the world I’m sexually starved Cami, it’s just what everyone wanted to hear.” You sniffed, holding back chuckles as she gave you a shy smile. “What? It’s true! Let’s be honest, he looks like he’s hung like a horse.” She mocked a scale, her hands getting further and further apart as you shook your head and laughed. “I don’t think Derek likes me like that.” You smiled, tucking your hair behind your ear again as you looked at the number once again.

“Well then he’s blind. Certifiably insane. Lock him away. In a sex dungeon of course.” she winked as you laughed, your lungs aching as you looked at her. “What would I do without you?” You smiled, looking at one of your best friends. “I dunno, die probably. Pay for your own coffee? Speaking of-” She trailed off, standing to her feet as she grabbed her purse heading off to order the two of you coffee. Maybe I should date? Might stop me being so distracted by certain guys that are so off limits it’s stupid. You gripped your pen in your hand as you searched your coat pocket for your phone, typing in Derek’s number. I’ll just send him a message, tell him it was great bumping into each other. You drafted the message, Cami interrupting you before you could send it. “So, what’s this I hear about you having boy troubles?” Cami’s words brought you hurtling back to reality as you let your phone fall from your hands.  

“Ugh, I guess Mal told you about Scott.” She nodded as she handed you a latte, her eyes sympathetic as she bundled herself into the small chair. “She did, we’re worried about you!” You smiled, your lip caught between your teeth as you thought of your situation. “It’s just so complicated, but it’s also so fucking simple. I feel so stupid even thinking that I could just do this job and there would be no complications.” You sighed, circling over the rim of your mug. “Before you judge me, I know I shouldn’t pursue it. I won’t because it’d be mortifying! He’s not interested in me. Maybe he is but he doesn’t show it at least-” You rambled, your mood plummeting as you dreaded your tutoring session in a few hours. “Y/N, stop it. I’m not judging you for it. You really think you’re the first person that wants one of their students?” She spoke quietly, the din of the coffee house muffling her words as she leaned closer. “You know Thomas was a student just a couple of months ago?” She admitted as you furrowed your brow in confusion.

“You two have been dating for like a year?!” She looked at you as you processed what she told you. “Cami! You didn’t!” You mock slapped her arm as she leaned back a small smile on her face. “I did. I regret nothing. Fuck it, you’re young and he’s hot! I say go for it. I mean what have you got to lose?” She asked, picking up her mug as she sipped at the piping hot liquid. “I mean nothing but my morality, my job, any sense of dignity I had.” You joked, cupping your mug as you sighed. “As I said, he’s not into me that way. I’m just his professor.” She laughed, her head tipping back as the noise carried through the small room. “Yeah, cause guys don’t have teacher fantasies. You’re so naive; it’s like you’ve never seen any porn. Ever. So sheltered. Either way, it’s set okay? If he shows he likes you, go ahead and ask him out. Discreetly of course, if not then you have to leave your options open.” Her eyes connected with yours as you nodded, knowing there was no way you could argue with her. “Fine, you win. If he shows any interest then I’ll ask him out.”  

LATER ON THAT DAY.  

A knocking on your door pulled you from your slumped position at your desk, your eyes streaming as you tore your eyes from your computer screen. “Come in!” You called, readjusting yourself as Scott walked through the door, a smile plastered on his cheeks. “Hey Y/N!” He chimed as you smiled, inviting him to sit down. “Hey Scott, you got that good shit for me?” You asked as he nodded, digging through his bag for the album he’d promised to bring this week. You reached across the desk, your fingers brushing against his as you took the album from him, your touch lasting longer than it needed to be. “You know I always deliver!” He joked, a smile playing on his lips as you quirked your brow. “Oh is that so? If that’s true where’s your paper?” You asked as his eyes widened, a dry gulp echoing in the small room. “About that, um, would you mind if I had an extension?” He asked, his puppy dog eyes batting together as he smiled.  

“Sure, you get a day! But only cause you get me the best albums.” A grin broke out over his face as he dug in his bag, looking for his trusted notepad and pen. “So, what treasured myth are we savaging today?” He asked, his pen gripped between his teeth as he continued to look for his notepad. “Werewolves.” You spoke triumphantly, excited to finally be covering the lesson with him. He paused, nervously licking over his lips as he sighed. “Werewolves?” He asked, a little hesitation in his words. “Yeah, do you believe in the myth?” You asked, turning the fan in the corner off as you shrugged off your cardigan. “I guess you could say that? It’s pretty common talk in my town.” He laughed, the noise awkward as he produced his notebook finally. “Where abouts do you come from Scott? I’m assuming Washington?” You asked, genuinely intrigued to know about him more.  

“California actually, I’m from a town called Beacon Hills? It’s a couple of hours away, it’s quite small.” Your mouth dropped open at the coincidence as a laugh fell from your mouth. “Fuck all the way off. You’re joking right?” He looked at you with confusion in his eyes over your outburst. “Please tell me you’re joking. I mean I don’t believe in fate but this is too rich to even be real.” You continued to laugh, doubled over as you dry heaved, tears forming in your eyes. “What’s so funny? How is it fate?” He asked, worry crossing over his face as he surely thought you’d cracked and gone insane. “I’m from Paradise! It’s like a town over or something right? I went to Devenford back in the day.” You smiled as he leaned back in his chair, pen dropping from his mouth. “No fucking way.” He breathed as you grinned. Well that’s a strange turn of events. “So you know about Beacon Hills? Everything?” He eluded to something grander as he spoke. “I know what you’re hinting at Scott. Yeah I know the myth isn’t a myth. Why do you think I teach this shit? It’s easy to teach something so abstract that actually exists.”  

Scott looked at you like a light had just been shone on you, his face glowing as his eyes tracked over you. A sigh left his parted lips as he flopped his arms down. “How do you know?” He asked, more intrigued with you as you shrugged. “It’s not exactly a secret. I knew of an alpha and his pack constantly saving the town from doing something or other. When the facts are laid out in front of you, you kind of have to add things together.” You knitted your fingers together as you twiddled your thumbs. Scott looked slightly pained, like something was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn’t quite bring himself to say it. “Do you know who the alpha was?” He hurried the words as you shook your head. “No clue, why? Do you?” He shook his head, tapping his foot as he looked at you. “My friends and I had an idea but-” His words caught in his throat as he stopped talking, looking at you with a glint in his eye. “Can you keep a secret?” He asked in a low hushed voice, his eyes darting about the room. “Yeah, I keep a lot of secrets. I have two best friends so that constantly keeps me on my toes.” You laughed as he stood up, heading over to your window as he shut the blinds, his posture straightening as he turned around. “Scott?” Your words were shaky as he turned, something different about him.  

His eyes. Your eyes tracked over him, always returning to his usually brown eyes, however even in the low light of your office you could see them almost glow; red piercing through the dusty air. “You’re the alpha aren’t you?” Your words were a whisper as he blinked, the glow gone as he crossed the room, taking a seat opposite you once again. “Guilty as charged.” He admitted, his cheeks burning bright pink. “I thought you’d be scared of me cause i’m a monster or something and I trust you-” He rambled, his voice small as he looked downwards. “Why would I be scared? You saved Beacon Hills so many times from so many fucking things? You’re not a monster, and even if you are; not all monsters do monstrous things.” You reassured him as he gave you that sunshine smile, his eyes crinkling as he looked at you. “You’re not the first person that’s told me that.” His tongue darted over his lips as you found yourself reaching for his hands. “Well do you believe it?” You asked, your fingers finding callouses on his knuckles, your skin smoothing over his.  

“I believe in a lot of things, I’ve met humans that are darker than the other side of the moon and I’ve met so called monsters that weren’t monsters at all.” His nose twitched as he scooted closer to you, his warmth radiating through you. This is risky. You caught your breath as his hands covered your own, his fingers tracing the lines on your palm as his head dipped. “Some people aren’t born with the monster inside of them, some are just so affected by others darkness that they slip into it themselves-” Something in his words felt off as you furrowed your brow. “I don’t know if you know of what happened a few years ago? The fights?” He looked at you as you shook your head, your lip caught between your teeth as you listened to him talk. “There was this woman. As ordinary as anyone out on the street; but she was pushed to her limit because of my friends and I. She lost her mind and announced war on everyone that was deemed to be unnatural or as she called us mon-” He choked on the words, tears welling in his eyes. “Monsters?” You finished for him, your skin leaving his as he nodded. “Her name was Monroe, she’s the reason I didn’t come here years ago. She’s the business I had unfinished. If it weren’t for her I’d be a vet by now.”  

“Well, that was in the past wasn’t it?” You asked as he nodded slowly, his head lifting as he smiled, unsure of himself. “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it.” You quoted, his lips pulling back in a grin as he shook his head, a light laugh filling the air. “Did you seriously just quote Rafiki from the Lion King?” You nodded, biting back a laugh as he shook his head. “You’re awesome you know that right?” You nodded, crossing your arms over your chest as you leaned back in your chair. “Oh yeah, I’m aware.” You joked, your body jarring slightly as you fell sideways. Clutz. Scrambling to your feet you brushed yourself off, sitting back in your seat before clearing your throat. “Before we get into the actual lesson I just want to thank you for protecting Beacon Hills. I don’t think many people would thank you, but I want you to know that I’m grateful.” He gave you a half smile as he mouthed a thank you. “But that’s enough about werewolves, lets talk about, um shit, werewolves.” You laughed off your own stupidity before turning to your laptop. “Sure, sounds fake, who’d believe in something like that?” He joked as he settled back in his chair, one leg resting against the other as you stopped yourself staring. This is going to be one long semester.  

AFTER THE SESSION  

That was too close, you got too close. You sat at your desk long after Scott had gone, replaying the moment you had held his hand in your head. You’re making a mistake. You need to push him from your mind. You need a distraction. Before you knew it you were typing in Derek’s number, lifting the handset to your ear as blood rushed through your eardrums. It’s just a crush, crushes go away? Especially when they see you as nothing more than a friend.  

“Hey Y/N? What’s up?” Derek spoke as you clammed up, instant regret pooling in your stomach. “It’s not too late for me to be calling is it?” You asked, your lungs flooding as you finally took a breath you didn’t know you were holding. “I like the night time remember?” He breezed as you nodded, locking up your office for the night. “Oh yeah, how could I forget? Sorry, it’s been a really long day.” You rubbed over your tired eyes, trudging your way out of the building. “I was just wondering if you wanted to go for that coffee?” You asked him, your heart slamming against your chest as you waited for an answer. The question hung in the air for a beat before he spoke, his voice like silk through your speaker. “Sounds great Y/N. How about next thursday?” He asked as you thought over Scott, your resolution clear. “Sounds great, text me about it?” You spoke softly, barely audible over the wind. “You got it, goodnight Y/N” You huddled into your jacket as you clicked off the call, your mind racing a mile a moment.  

I just need to get Scott off my mind.  

Tag List: 

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[stellaruesonlinebookofshadows]

Zeus

Zeus was the first of the gods and a very imposing figure. He was the king of the Olympian gods and the supreme deity in Greek religion, often referred to as the “Father of Gods and men,” he is a sky god who controls the weather, offered signs and omens and generally dispense justice, guaranteeing order amongst both the gods and humanity. He controlled lightning (often using it as a weapon) & thunder. Zeus is king of Mount Olympus, the home of Greek gods, where he rules the world and imposes his will onto gods and mortals alike.

Zeus’s father was Cronus and his mother Rhea. Cronus had usurped control of the heavens from his father Ouranos and he was constantly wary of not having the same thing happen to him from his own children. To pre-empt any takeover he, therefore, swallowed all of his children: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, & Poseidon. However, Rhea saved her youngest child, Zeus, by wrapping a stone in swaddling clothes and giving this to Cronus to swallow. Zeus was spirited away to Moutn Dikte on the island of Crete where he was raised by the primeval goddess Gaia (or in some versions by the Nymphs - Amongst them was the Nymph Amaltheia (in some versions of the myth she was a goat) who suckled the young god).

On reaching adulthood, Zeus made Cronus cough back up the children he and swallowed, and then he married his sister Hera. However, the lawless Titans, encouraged by Gaia, immediately tried to wrestle control of the world from the Olympian gods in a ten-year battle known as the Titanomachy (The Battle of Titans). The Titans were the brothers and sisters of Cronus and it was only through the help of the Cyclopes – who made Zeus his lightning bolts – and the hundred-handed giants / Hecatoncheires (Briareos, Cottus, & Gyges) that Zeus was finally able to imprision the Titans in Tartarus, the deepest part of the Underworld.  

As the king of the gods and sitting atop the golden throne on Olympus, Zeus was revered by all. Mortal kings would boast that they were descendants of Zeus. With this supreme power came a number of roles and responsibilities. Hesiod described Zeus as a god who “brought peace in place of violence” and referred to him as the “lord of justice.”

Zeus the Punisher

The god was also the great punisher. Those who did wrong or committed acts of impiety were severely punished, often for all time. The Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus and after acts of impiety against Zeus, Apollo and Poseidon were made to build the magnificent walls of Troy  which proved so useful in the Trojan War. An explanation for the war in mythology was that Zeus sought to curb the rising population of humanity. Zeus also selected Paris as the judge in the famous beauty contest between Aphrodite, Hera and Athena, and when the young prince won Helen as his reward for choosing Aphrodite it was cited as another, more human cause for the Trojan War.

Other victims of Zeus’ vengeance included The Titan Prometheus who was condemned to have his liver eaten by an eagle every day after he stole fire from the gods and gave it to humankind. Atlas had to support the heavens for eternity because of his role in the Titanomachy. Sisyphus, punished for his trickery, was condemned to forever roll a huge stone up a hill in the Underworld. Asclepius was killed by one of Zeus’ thunderbolts because the former’s medicine and his ability to raise the dead threatened the balance of power between men and gods. Pandora, the first woman was sent into the world by Zeus as punishment for receiving the gift of fire and she was to be the source of all mankind’s misfortunes, carried with her in a box. Phineus, who was tricked by Hera into blinding his two sons, was himself blinded by Zeus who also sent the Harpies to continuously harass him. Ixion rashly declared his love for Hera and so Zeus banished him to Hades to be forever bound to a rotating wheel. Lycaon gave human flesh to Zeus to test his divinity and the god punished his impudence by turning him into a wolf. Salmoneus thought he was a god and pretended to be Zeus by throwing flaming torches for lightning bolts and riding his chariot to make a noise like thunder but Zeus swiftly put a stop to his antics by killing him instantly with a real lightning bolt. The list goes on but the message is clear, wrong-doing and lack of respect would be severely punished. 

Zeus the Peacemaker

Despite the terrible punishments Zeus could inflict he was also a peacemaker, famously reconciling Apollo and Hermes when they fought over the first lyre. Similarly, Zeus resolved the conflict between Apollo and Hercules over the tripod from Delphi. He also persuaded Hades to part with Persephone for part of each year and so end the terrible drought her mother Demeter had caused for the human race in protest at being held captive in the Underworld. For mere mortals, Zeus was at least fair-minded. At his feet Zeus had the jars of Fate - one full of bad things, another full of good things and he dispensed both with justice. Similarly, the time of a mortal’s death was carefully weighed in Zeus’ golden scales.

Sites Sacred to Zeus

Zeus had an oracle, the oldest in fact, at Dodona in northern Greece where ascetic priests served an oracle which interpreted the sounds from the wind in the branches of the sacred oak trees and the babbling of water from the holy spring. Another great sanctuary dedicated to Zeus was at Olympia where every four years from 776 BCE the Olympic Games drew crowds from all parts of the Greek world to honour the father of the gods and where 100 oxen were sacrificed to Zeus at the end of each Games. Also at Olympia, the massive 5th century BCE temple of Zeus housed the gigantic gold and ivory statue of the god by Pheidias which was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Other important sacred sites for the god were on Mt. Lycaios, in Athens, Nemea, Pergamon, Stratos, and in Libya. 

There were surprisingly few festivals in honour of Zeus, one was the Diasia of Athens. Generally, though, Zeus, as head of the Greek pantheon, was omnipresent and so made no particular attachments to specific cities. Zeus was, however, worshipped in most family homes where an altar was often dedicated to him in each courtyard, for as Zeus Herkeios, he protected the family hearth and property in general. He was also Zeus Xenios, the god of hospitality, Zeus Polieus, protector of cities, Zeus Horkios guardian of oaths and Zeus Soter, the protector and general benefactor to all.

Associations: Thunderbolt, Aegis, Set of Scales, Oak Tree, Royal Scepter, Eagle, Wolf, Woodpecker

Offspring

Hephaistos, Ares, Hebe, Eileithyia - with Hera.

Athena - with Metis but as Zeus swallowed his wife in fear a son would usurp his position, Athena was born from Zeus’ head and she became the god’s favourite child.

Apollo & Artemis - with Leto.

Hermes - with the Nymph Maia. Zeus, impressed by his trickery and silver tongue, gave him the role of messenger of the gods.

Dionysos - with Semele who, being tricked by a jealous Hera, asked to see Zeus in all his godly splendour and immediately expired as a consequence. Dionysos was born from Zeus’ thigh as a result of his mother’s premature death.

Hercules - with Alkmene and he was, therefore, forever the subject of a jealous Hera’s scheming but on his death Zeus brought him to Mt. Olympus and made him into a god.

Perseus - with Danae, who was won over to the charms of Zeus when he appeared to her as golden rain in order to enter her chamber where she was imprisoned by her father Acrisius.

Persephone & Iacchus- with Demeter.

The Fates, the Hours, Horae (Seasons), Eunomia (Lawfulness), Dike (Justice), Eirene (Peace) - with Themis.

Helen, the Dioskouroi & Polydeuces - with Leda, for whom he transformed himself into a swan.

Aglaea (Splendour), Euphrosyne (Joy) & Thalia (Good Cheer) - (the three Graces) with Eurynome.

Minos, Rhadamanthys & Sarpedon - with Europa after Zeus disguised himself as a magnificent white bull and whisked her off to Crete.

Epaphos - with Io.

Iasion - with Electra.

Arcas - with the Nymph Callisto - both son and mother were transformed into bears by a jealous Artemis but Zeus made them into constellations - Ursa Minor and Major.

The nine Muses - with Mnemosyne after the couple slept together for nine consecutive nights.

 Titles & Epithets

Zeus Olympios emphasized Zeus’s kingship over the gods.

Zeus Xenios, Philoxenon or Hospites: Zeus was the patron of     hospitality (xenia) and guests, ready to avenge any wrong done to a     stranger.

Zeus Horkios: Zeus he was the keeper of oaths. Exposed liars were     made to dedicate a statue to Zeus, often at the sanctuary of Olympia.

Zeus Agoraeus: Zeus watched over business at the agora and punished     dishonest traders.

Zeus Aegiduchos or Aegiochos: Zeus was the bearer of the     Aegis with which he strikes terror into the impious and his enemies.

Zeus Tallaios (“solar Zeus”): the Zeus that was worshiped in     Crete.

Zeus Geōrgos (“earth worker”, “farmer”), the god of crops and     harvest, in Athens.

Astrapios (“lightninger”)

Brontios (“thunderer”)

Information taken from; 

Zeus: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, September 19, 2014

Cartwright, Mark. "Zeus." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 25 May 2013. Web. 16 Dec 2017. 

[thekingsmanscycle]

Karlemon’s Lands: Isagor

The Mandate of Isagor is a warm, fertile land of green hills founded as a principality near a millenia and a half ago by separatists from Aurelian-era Cosima. It is currently ruled by the Nesson Erathis, an assembly formed of intellectuals, generals, artisans and entrepreneurs. Though debates of the Nesson Erathis are time-consuming and change is slow, anyone may rise to membership through good effort and merit and so Isagor is stable because many feel secure and that they may contribute to society themselves in the future if they wish.

The six large polis are ruled by the archons and the three micropolis by the magisters, all of whom are subordinate to the rulings of the Nesson Erathis, which rules from the Eridanian Hill in Artepolis.

Population: circa 7 million (85% human, 8% elf, 3% dwarf, 2% tiefling, 2% goliath)

Seat of government: Artepolis (administrated by the City Council chamber of the Nesson Erathis)

Polis: Jeradri (ruled by Archon Aedon), Manikon (ruled by Archon Tecmessa), Kastokas (ruled by Archon Leda), Ileumos (ruled by Archon Aridolis), Phylidaea (ruled by Archon Pedasus).

Micropolis: Argypes (Isokrates), Ithocaea (Stesanor) and Mydanes (Doryssos)

Religion: Lydian Polytheism (90%), Church of the Four Virtues (3%), other religions (7%).

***

The nation that is now Isagor has its origins in the days after the drowning of the Ynen Valley, when the lords of Kanja’s Rise refused to accept the refugees for fear of being overrun. A substantial percentage of the population disagreed vehemently with this decision and for daring to make their defiance known were driven out at spear point by the lord’s phalanxes. These dissidents adopted a name for themselves, ‘free speakers’ or Isagori.

Travelling westwards from Kanja’s Rise and bringing with them the primitive iterations of the Lydian pantheon, they crossed the Pylaen Hills at great cost to find a land inhabited by all manner of beasts and beastmen, but also more intelligent and less hostile races who had warred with their more primitive counterparts for centuries. Through alliance with these peoples; centaurs, satyrs, nymphs and kyons, the Isagori drove the beastmen into smaller and smaller pockets of resistance over the course of seven years of war.

It was from this position of compromise and negotiation that the first government and leadership of the Isagori was set out. There would be no inherited power, only that which any man or woman could take for themselves through merit and popular support. So it was that when the first council of peace met under the eaves of a giant laurel tree at the foot of Mount Erathis in 850 EE, the first assemblage of the Nesson Erathis was elected from amongst the different cadres of the Isagori; the generals, the artisans, the scholars and the merchants.

First amongst their number was the Speaker, an itinerant priestess of Nerys, Lydian goddess of fate, justice, vengeance and balance. Over the years, this role became less connected to the formal priesthood of Nerys and took on a more symbolic role where elected candidates swore an oath to uphold the values of the goddess and to deliberate justly and impartially between opposing members of the Nesson Erathis.

The foundation of the city of Artepolis in 500 EE is considered to be the creation of Isagor as a single nation state and its atmosphere of intrigue and debate has shaped the leadership and policy of the realm for centuries to come. Their policies have not always been seen in good terms by their neighbouring Cosima, with whom their rivalry between the two rivals has escalated to war no less than four times between 405 EE and 650 CE.

Despite this, the rural people of Isagor rallied to the side of the Cosimans during the War of Tears, especially during the forced exile of hundreds from the capital of Novena. Over 25,000 refugees fled across the mountain passes into the hands of the Isagori, who upon hearing of the atrocities levied against their neighbours, declared war against the elves. Under General Timantheus Hippo, the phalanxes of Isagor marched for the first time against a non-human foe, supported by formations of demihuman auxiliaries.

Joining up with the fledgling army of Karlemon outside the walls of Siereggio, the Isagori formed a vital part of his western flank as he advanced north into Valarre, their disciplined formations making their presence known through the routing of armies at Montbeliard, Altamira and eventually Belfort Field. At the installment of Karlemon’s children in the monarchies of Valarre and Cosima, the Isagori were said to celebrate like none other, their position at the head of the triumph still not having been forgotten some twenty years later.

Since then, the fields of Isagor have been the site of conflict interspersed with unrest and brief peace. During the Titan’s War of 1022-25 CE, the Isagori were then caught underfoot during Sintan Scarbrand’s war of rebellion against the edicts of Queen Andromache Purecrow before the fire giant was slain on Mount Orthrys. In 1290 CE, the rebel Stavros Lycaon attempted to install himself at the head of an Isagori monarchy before being killed at the Battle of the Tzazarion Square and nine years later, the tyrant archon Asius Diagoras was overthrown by the gladiator Laodocus Tecmessa and his rebel army during the Nine Days Revolt.   

***

Speaker of the Nesson Erathis and Head of the Artepolis City Council

Antaeus Jocasta. Age: 65. A firm and stern man known for his honesty and integrity, he has been Speaker for three decades after shouting down his competitor during a heated debate over decision to attack Cosiman holdings in the Pylaen Hills. That man would come to be known as Stavros Lycaon, leader of the Lycaon Sedition (1290 CE).

Archons and Magisters of Isagor

Agathocles Aedon, Archon of Jeradri. Age: 40. A renowned warrior and philosopher, he is the author of 'The Twenty-Four Tenets', a guide to warfare and administration in use across Karlemon’s Lands and also recommended as a textbook by the Arcanum Nobilite.

Laodocus Tecmessa, Archon of Manikon. Age: 33. A former gladiator, he overthrew the previous archon through force of arms during the Nine Days Revolt and now controls the largest private veteran military force certainly in Isagor and possibly in Karlemon’s Lands.

Proteus Leda, Archon of Kastokas. Age: 49. Blind from birth, he earned his position through work as a magistrate and political orator of great skill. He is said to be a cunning and competent player of dragonchess in his spare time, betting large enough amounts of money that no-one has yet matched his full ante.

Korytheia Pedasus, Archon of Phylidaeia. Age: 55. A former Oracle of the Perfumed Mount, she has ruled the city for two peaceful and prosperous decades. At the start of her tenure, she swore not to use her prophetic visions to advance the city beyond its means or for her own gain.

Iolanthe Aridolis, Archon of Ileumos. Age: 41. A decorated warrior, she is a veteran of the Lycaon Sedition, the Battle of the Vestal Sea and the Siege of Kistalint. For her fervour in command and keen eye, she has earned the epithet of ‘Hyperia’s Archer’.

Aeson Isokrates, Magister of Argypes. Age: 50.

Thersandros Stesanor, Magister of Ithocaea. Age: 71.

Erigone Doryssos, Magister of Mydanes. Age: 48.

[senatushq]

Lycaon

NAME/ALIASES. UTP AGE & BIRTH DATE. 3000+ & Unknown SPECIES. Aspect GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male & He/Him or He/They AFFILIATIONS. N/A OCCUPATION. UTP FACECLAIM SUGGESTIONS. Joe Manganiello, Pedro Pascal, Theo James, Zane Phillips, Travis Fimmel, Mahesh Jadu, Alex Meraz, Charles Michael Davis, Sen Mitsuji.

History

King of Arcadia, the halfblooded Lycaon was the son of the eladrin Meliboea and the mortal Pelasgus. On the sacred mountain where Lycaon was born the Gods had once fought for dominion of this world, it too was the ancient site where Ulthar first touched the mortal realm. To pay tribute to the Gods that had won dominion over this world Lycaon established the Lycaean games, an annual festival that involved ritual sacrifice and athletic games pitted the citizens against one another. The Gods demanded blood, penance, and suffering as a rite to earn the land that they toiled across year upon year. Lilith fed into the King’s frustration and seeped a rage into the man’s mind that drove him to test Ulthar’s omnipotence. He invited the God Ulthar to a great banquet and fed him the remains of one of his son’s, a child that Lycaon had been made to sacrifice as part of the annual tradition. It was not until the flesh had passed the lips of the divine that Ulthar knew what Lycaon had done and in his rage he punished the King by transforming him into a monstrous beast. The first of the lycans. In his beastial savagery, Lycaon rampaged through the city and bit first those who were closest to him - the eldest of his fifty children that tried to restrain him. Driven off by the weapons of those who’d once looked up to him, Lycaon was chased through the countryside before he disappeared. Most assumed he perished then. 

Trapped in the form of a mindless beast, Lycaon disappeared into the Otherworld after he fell through one of the fey’s secret paths. A ferocious monster in a realm of monstrosities, even the Otherbeasts grew to fear the first of the lycans - the fey took paths that avoided him, hellhounds receded at his approach, and changelings remained watchful over the hidden ways that led to the faerie court. A muse of tragedy took an interest in the fate of the cultural hero, the pitiable and lonely beast that wandered the expanse of the Otherworld in search of a family that could not be found. Melpomene cut out the heart of a changeling and fed it to him while her other aspect, Mneme, restored his feral mind. Divine power flowed through him still, but centuries had passed in the Otherworld before he finally emerged in the North. It was in Norway where Lycaon was said to have mastered his curse, but it was here that he fathered the last of his children. Lycaon did not age as they did, when they cut him his wounds healed, and as the years went by he saw the truth of his curse - to watch his legacy slip by, to hold nothing in his hands that would not turn to dust. His hatred for the Gods grew and festered until he left again, to the Otherworld, to beyond, to Rome where the fate of both mortals and Gods hung in the balance. 

Connections

Melpomene: Fed Lycaon the heart of a changeling while he was wandering the Otherworld, trapped in lycan form. Because of Melpomene and her twin aspect Mneme, Lycaon’s mind was restored from beast to man. 

Lilith: The corruptor of Lycaon, she visited his dreams for years and polluted his mind against the Gods, it was Lilith that led to Lycaon’s plan to test the omnipotence of the Gods as a result getting him cursed. 

Abilities

Original Lycan: While shifted, lycans have no choice but to answer his call when he howls. Possesses a monstrous strength in his human form that increases when he shifts. 

Lycanthropic Blessing: Lycaon is able to turn mortals into lycans, this applies to druids, witches, humans, and even halfblooded creatures. This is not done through a bite, but must be done intentionally through physical contact. 

Immortal: Does not age, skin is nearly impenetrable and mortal wounds will heal instantly. 

True Alpha: Under the full moon Lycaon has authority over all shifted lycans. He is able to force someone to shift through physical contact. 

Weaknesses

Silver: Poisonous to him, the metal will burn him upon physical contact. While silver weapons are not able to kill him, they are the only thing that can weaken him or cause him significant harm. 

Faerie: When Lycaon consumed the heart of a changeling he made a pact with Melpomene, the agreement prevents him from ever entering the faerie court or harming someone under her protection. 

Lycans: All lycans can sense when Lycaon is near, they’ll feel anxious and find that their shifts are more difficult to control. 

Bloodmoon: Controlled by the moon, Lycaon’s reactions to the different variations of the full moon are taken to extremes. 

THIS SKELETON IS CURRENTLY CLOSED.

[envunlimited]

Good morning 👋.  So here we have a African Painted Dog (Lycaon pictus) pup caught in the act of having too much fun with a coconut at #zoomiami 😂.  Explanations towards playing, range from learning and practicing behaviors that will help an individual in the future, to just having plain fun.  Many will say that the coconut in the #photo represents prey 😅.  Perhaps the answer lies in a grey area?😜  A mix of both learning while having fun?  Regardless of the explanation, this scene is priceless 😍.  So what do you think about this pup and its coconut?  Your comments are most welcomed below👇.  About this photo, since I used a long telephoto lens, the camera sensor needed lots of light.  Of course it did not help that this exhibit is a bit on the darkside 😰.  Implementing a wide aperture was convenient in this case as  'balancing' the light levels meant increasing the shutter speed.  This precautionary measure could prove useful as this pup and its siblings kept running around and could barely stay still 😌.  Then, the camera settings would have been able to 'freeze' motion if needed 🙌.  If more light was needed, I would have had to increase the ISO value.  Also, using a tripod while 'chasing' after the pups with the lens has its disadvantages due to limited mobility but could make the difference between a nice crisp image and a blurred one 👍. If you are interested in obtaining this image, please leave a message below and/or visit my FB page 'Wings to Fly by Salci'.  Thank you and have a great Tuesday.  Best regards ✌. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Ghjd0pU7s/?igshid=ohhwiocfjvlz