#and I have no problem with Zagreus or anything

[a-couple-of-notes]

Okay, so we all agree that when Hades 2 comes out, we’re going to really honestly engage with Melinöe’s story and relationships instead of constantly talking about Zagreus, right? We’re not going to ignore the female protagonist at the center of her story in favor of hot boys, right? Right??

[tossawary]

One of the funniest aspects of the "Hades" video game is that when I first started playing, I was like, "Hm, this protagonist speaks in a very edgy / snarky way. I don't know if I vibe with it yet." And then it turned out that Zagreus is actually also kind, polite, and considerate, a generous, respectful, loving person who strives to help people when he can, optimistic despite an incredibly grim and painful situation, and snarky in the way that he's understandably a little bitter about it all and also trying to have some fun with it because he's hilarious.

He just fucking hates his father. He and his Father are having it OUT with each other right now and they're making it the entire Underworld's problem.

Zagreus speaking to pretty much anyone else is all "Sir" and "Ma'am" and "Is there anything I can do to help?" He's not flawless by any means. He's fumbled some of his interpersonal relationships before, he can be judgey and nosy and bitter, and it's obvious that he's still finding himself, but he's doing his best! And it's so funny to have him talking to one person like, "Hello! It's so nice to meet you. Please have the best possible day here in the Underworld and excuse me while I'm off to die again!"

And then he turns around to talk to Hades and he's like, "Hey, Father! Sorry for DRIPPING BLOOD all over your paperwork like this. I just died! How's your day going RUINING MY FUCKING LIFE?"

[xjulixred45x]

How would be dead royalty au zagreus with his own queen/king of the underworld? He would want heirs? I just want the fluff before the heavy stuff appears(yandere asks)

That would be kind of cute honestly.

Concept of the AU

To refer to Zag's partner in this Au (or reader, as you want) I think they would be called "Consort" (because 1- it is gender neutral and 2- they have the same rank as Zagreus).

and in a way I imagine that Consort was brought as a kind of gift to Zagreus from Zeus (since in a dialogue in the game he offers to give Zagreus a mate when he arrives at Olympus. as Zagreus now replaces his father, He is part of the Olympian pantheon, so Zeus wants to keep his word).

However, when Consort was "chosen" they were SUPER intimidated by the idea of Zagreus (after all, he was the god who killed their FATHER, ANOTHER GOD and ruled the Underworld, they had reason to be afraid) and Zagreus was taken by surprise with all this, because he didn't think that Zeus would continue with that (the poor guy was so involved in the paperwork that he didn't even notice how the other gods were winking at him about it).

Consort would be surprised with a Zagreus who is very shy about the situation and who is not at all as intimidating as they thought. Apart from that well, Zagreus cares about their opinion despite being a mortal (in this case, I love mortal readers, sorry not sorry), giving them a rank equal to his, total freedom of movement through the Underworld, security protection anti-escape, etc.

but above all, Zagreus would be PATIENT with Consort. He knows he has a bad reputation, so he lets them approach him on their own, at their own pace. He honestly finds their nervousness adorable, but doesn't rush anything.

But when they are already in a relationship? The man is CLINGY, Zagreus is touch-starved, you can rip this Headcanon from my cold, dead hands.

We all agree that one of Zagreus' love languages is giving gifts, although in the context of Dead Royalty, now that he is the KING of the Underworld, he can afford to give his partner more extravagant gifts, but they come from the heart, Like, does Consort want to start any new hobbies? Now they have a sewing set in their shared room, do they need clothes? They have a new set in their favorite color, are Consort's gold accessories too heavy? now they are of silver, etc.

He still maintains some of his customs before "that" happened, such as randomly giving Consort bottles of ambrosia/nectar, playing together with Cerberus, walking through some parts of the Underworld that are not dangerous (although no one tries to attack him anymore because well, he's the boss). Consort ends up bringing back a bit of the old Zagreus in a way.

As for the topic of children...it's confusing, on the one hand I think Zagreus WANTS children, but he definitely still has too much of his own trauma with his own father to think he would be a good father, even if Consort reassures him, he would still somewhat insecure. There is also the issue that he does not know if the child could have the same problem of being stillborn, he does not want Consort to go through that traumatic experience for a "whim".

It doesn't help that some gods are concerned about this prospect of Zagreus having children and suffering the same fate as his father (and grandfather), especially Zeus.

although if Consort wanted children/became pregnant, Zagreus would be very, very happy at the idea of having a child, and would definitely be a better father than the one he had.

Although he definitely does not judge Consort if they does not want to have children, it is not obligatory with him.

that's all for now :3

______

(ESPAÑOL)

Eso sería bastante lindo sinceramente.

para referirse a la pareja de Zag en este Au(o lector, como quieran) creo que les dirian "Consorte"(porque 1- es neutro con el genero y 2- tienen el mismo rango que Zagreus).

y en cierta forma me imagino que Consorte fue traída como una especie de regalo para Zagreus por parte de Zeus(ya que en un diálogo del juego se ofrece a darle a Zagreus una pareja cuando llegue al olimpo. como ahora Zagreus suple a su padre, el forma parte del panteon Olimpico, asi que Zeus quiere cumplir su palabra).

sin embargo, cuando Consorte fue "elegido" estaban SÚPER intimidados por la idea de Zagreus (después de todo, era el dios que mato a su PADRE, OTRO DIOS y gobernaba el Inframundo, tenian razones para tener miedo) y Zagreus fue tomado por sorpresa con todo esto, porque no penso que Zeus siguiera con eso(el pobre estaba tan metido en el papeleo que nisiquiera se dio cuenta de como los demás dioses le estaban dando guiños al respecto).

Consorte seria sorprendida con un Zagreus muy timido con la situación y que no es para nada tan intimidante como lo pensaban. aparte de que bueno, a Zagreus le importa su opinión pese a ser un mortal(en este caso, amo los lectores mortales, sorry not sorry), dandole un rango igual al suyo, total libertad de movimiento por el Inframundo, proteccion de la seguridad anti-huidas, etc.

pero sobretodo, Zagreus seria PACIENTE con Consorte. sabe que tiene mala fama, por lo que deja que se acerquen por su cuenta, a su ritmo. sinceramente encuentra su nerviosismo adorable, pero no apura nada.

¿pero cuando ya estan tal cual en una relación? eo hombre es PEGAJOSO, Zagreus esta hambriento de tacto, puedes arrancar este Headcanon de mis manos frias y muertas.

todos estamos de acuerdo que uno de los lenguajes de amor de Zagreus es dar regalos, aunque en el contexto de Dead Royalty, ahora que el es el REY del Inframundo, puede permitirse darle a su pareja regalos mas extravagantes, pero que vienen del corazón, como, ¿Consorte quiere iniciar algun hobbie nuevo? ahora tienen un set de costura en su cuarto compartido, ¿les hace falta ropa? tienen un set nuevo de su color favorito, ¿los accesorios de Consorte son muy pesados? ahora son de plata, etc.

igual mantiene algunas de sus costumbres antes de que pasara "eso", como darle a Consorte botellas de ambrosía/nectar de forma aleatoria, jugar juntos con Cerbero, pasear por algunas partes del Inframundo que no son peligrosas (aunque igualmente ya nadie intenta atacarlo porque bueno, es el jefe). Consorte termina trayendo un poco del viejo Zagreus en cierta forma.

en cuanto al tema de los hijos...es confuso, por una parte creo que Zagreus QUERRIA hijos, pero definitivamente aun tiene mucho de su propio trauma con su propio padre para pensar que sera un buen padre, aun si Consorte le tranquiliza, seguiria un tanto inseguro. tambien esta el tema de que no sabe si el niño podria tener su mismo problema de nacer muerto, no quiere que Consorte pase por esa experiencia traumatica por un "capricho".

no ayuda que algunos dioses les preocupe esta perspectiva de Zagreus teniendo hijos y sufriendo el mismo destino que su padre (y abuelo), especialmente Zeus.

aunque si Consorte quisiera hijos/queda embarazada, Zagreus estaria muy, muy feliz de la idea de tener un hijo, y definitivamente seria un mejor padre que el que tuvo.

aunque definitivamente no juzga a Consorte si no quiere tener hijos, no es obligatorio con el.

es todo por ahora:3

[brainlessbaguette]

I am screaming! Zagreus has a baby sister now! I'm so happy for our poor boy!

I have never posted anything for Hades to my knowledge but to say I hyper fixated on this game would be an understatement. Like I preordered Zag's nendoroid the day it became available, I was down bad. AND NOW IM GETTING MORE?! The hype is real.

Now if Melinoë doesn't like her brother we may have a problem. I did not spend all those hours rebuilding a family that would actually care about Zagreus only for that family to make more family that hate him. Just let my dumb boy be happy and give him the loving sibling rivalry he deserves.

[jawbone-xylophone]

Still not entirely happy with my characterization, but I do like the slightly experimental choices I made here. I just think Hypnos and Thanatos are extremely divorced, and it's partially because they both think Hypnos should be exactly like Thanatos. Neither of them is sure when it all fell apart, though.

Flavored with an eldritch being having body dysmorphia, and also copious flowery language surrounding People Dying.

~🥀🦋🥀~

It's an old and rotten unraveling, this thing between them.

Before earth and air, before moon and water, there was a suggestion of what could be. And it writ upon itself Night, and it writ upon itself Love, and the darkness filled itself with a thousand shadows, a thousand stars.

And they learned to sleep. And they learned to dream. And they learned to die.

They learned many other things, of course, and Hypnos learned at the knee of Mother Night what gave men delight and terror. He liked to be gentle with them. He liked to weave dreams of river mist and poppy stems and stardust, let mortals taste a little of immortality away from bloody work and bursting callouses. Everyone, everywhere, deserved something nice in their lives.

He'd really thought Thanatos agreed.

Sleep is the midwife of the gentle dead, after all. He lowered their eyelids, fluffed their pillows, reminded them they were loved, drowsy souls all wrapped up in a neat little bow for his brother to take below. They'd danced this dance for aeons, before Time fully knew its own name. A matched set, hand in hand, waltzing the thin blurry line of oblivion and eternity.

They were twins. They should have had an understanding.

Up the hallway Hades loomed over his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose to stifle a gold flush of rage in the wake of Prince Zagreus's latest antics. Mother Nyx hovered outside the prince's door like she'd just happened to be there since the dawn of time for no particular reason, and something about it- her hands, her jaw, the smoke-pale skin they'd all consciously matched to mark out family, was just... a lot. A lot to handle. Honestly, just a little bit hilarious.

He'd been using a human-shaped body for so long it had involuntary responses now, wasn't that funny? Thanatos had come by... some timeless amount of time ago, maybe a decade, maybe a year, to tell him to get better at record keeping. Registering new shades. It wasn't a bad job. It wasn't an ideal job. It could sure prove he wasn't incompetent and clingy and dependent.

All he had to do was stay awake and friendly and not do anything creative, with zero help from anyone, and try not to accidentally slice his hand on his quill every time Thanatos dismissed him. He bled poppy sap, after all, not ichor like the Olympians.

It was kind of funny. Very funny, actually. He really had no reason to bleed anything- he might as well bleed ichor, if he could. Something to work on after his shift maybe. If he dreamed hard enough, he might change enough to improve something. He'd only really remembered in the last millennia to keep the number of his fingers stable. Sometimes he'd wake up with more or less. Maybe that was a problem.

It wasn't, once upon a time. It'd just been him and Thanatos on the banks of the Lethe, dancing the way flowers and butterflies do, drawing souls gently down into that final sleep to end all heartache and pain. Something gentle. Something good.

Hypnos let his papercuts scar like a human, trying to keep track of the last time his brother gave a damn, and got back to work.

[shanastoryteller]

happy halloween! can I have Hades :D

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5

Meg likes Thanatos. What's not to like? He's polite and hard working and never causes her any problems.

She's pretty sure he likes her too, but he's been awkward lately. Well, more awkward than usual, and she doesn't understand why when he could so easily solve his own problem.

Just because she and Zagreus are sleeping together again doesn't mean he's off limits. Frankly, Zagreus is easy and he loves Thanatos and if he wanted to tumble Zagreus into his rarely used bed, Meg is sure that all he would have to do is ask.

But he's not in the practice of having to ask for what he wants. Zagreus knows him so well that it's rare he has to use his words, which is really backfiring for him right now.

But all of that aside, he's the only person she can go to with this. She thinks Nyx might be on Zagreus's side and she knows Dusa is fond of him, but they have their reasons to be loyal to the house too. Maybe the rumors are nothing, or maybe they're something, and if they are she doesn't want to risk Zagreus if she doesn't have to.

She tracks down Thanatos just as he's dropping off another set of souls. He pauses when he sees her, giving her a short nod. "Megara. Do you need something?"

Meg doesn't roll her eyes at his stiffness only because giving him a reason to be defensive won't help her here. "Have you heard the rumors about Zagreus?"

He blinks at her.

Uhg. He's such a workaholic. "There's talk of two courts within one house. Of Zagreus wielding a power that's not borrowed."

Thanatos's gaze sharpens. "That's impossible. All that exists in the underworld falls under Hades's purview."

Impossible. Everyone keeps saying that, as if their queen isn't back due to the impossible, as if Zagreus hasn't fought his father and won enough times that she's stopped bothering to keep track.

Thanatos must be thinking along similar lines, because he says, "Zagreus doesn't want to be in charge of anything." He could challenge his father for the throne, and he'd win it, but he hasn't. Thanatos has a point. "He hates the bureaucracy of it all. And besides," he hesitates, then eventually says, "his skill may have improved, but he doesn't have much power himself. It's all thanks to the gods' boons."

"Do you really believe that?" she asks. There are plenty of spirits that are blessed by the gods even in death, yet she doubts Theseus would last even a minute against Hades.

Zagreus had never been especially powerful before, not beyond the gifts all immortals are granted, but - he's different, now.

Thanatos shrugs and her avoids her gaze.

She doesn't press, just sighs and says, "Keep an ear and eye out, yeah? Maybe it's just gossip. But if Zagreus is getting himself into trouble, it's better we find out about before anyone else does."

"I thought you didn't like him," he says then his pale face drains of even more color.

Anyone else she'd snap their neck, but this is Thanatos. "Liking him was never the problem. He's very likable."

"I know," Thanatos says, and that's apparently all the mortification he can stand, because he's gone in the next second.

Meg hopes he can get to the bottom of this, if there's even anything to find.

[yonemurishiroku]

First and foremost, I’m a pro-shipper. Better lay it all here before anyone decides ro criticize me for my fictional taste.

List of Tags on my blog:

- #yone rambling -> generally whatever I have to babble

- #yone prompt -> literally

- #yone au -> what crazy things my mind decides to spawn this time...

- #fanfic talk again bc what’s new anw? -> talks about fanfic in general, snippets,

- #over analyzing -> I take ONE thing from official and make it everyone’s problem.

- #it’s unhealthy #but nothing i’ve made is ever healthy -> it’s exactly how it sounds.

- #the importance of friendship -> Platonic love especially between friends.

- #underworld family -> Everything between the Underworld family, including Nico and Hades, Persephone, Hazel, Zagreus, Bianca…

- #underworld siblings -> same but for Nico and Hazel, Bianca, Zagreus, Melinoe… exclusively

- #prince of the underworld -> Generally everything concerning Nico and his status as Hades’ son, Prince AU, Nico as a royal…

- #ghost king Nico -> headcanons/ rambling about Nico and the ghosts

- #the platonic love of my life -> My special tag for Nico and Reyna’s bromance.

- #Nico and X -> talks about Nico and X (character).

- #Nico headcanon -> literally

List of AUs:

- #pjo au -> literally. Same for the ship tags like #jasico au, #percico au, etc…

- Nico as a god: #god Nico or #deity Nico #immortal Nico for extensive content.

- Nico as a royal: #prince Nico or #king Nico or #royal Nico or #prince of the underworld

- Time Travel + Selfcest (kind of, eh) + Villain Nico AU, wherein I turn Nico into a classic batshit crazy villain and have him return to the past to show his younger self love while destroy everything good in the world: #selfcest au, #time travel au, #selflove Nico

- Whatever Nico and Luke could have brought, together: #nico and luke

- All the ways Nico can die and what follows: #if Nico dies

- #Nico healing in the Underworld : when Nico’s powers go haywire and he has to retreat to the Underworld to heal himself with the help of chthonic deities. 

And the last: My blog welcomes all ships and kinks/fetishes (but try to keep it SFW bc I’d like this to remain PC-13 at most LOL). Free space. Feel free to talk about me anything you’d like, though I can’t guarantee my interest, I would never judge you.

[smallraindrops-blog]

If this doesn't spoil any story plot, could you tell us about how Nyx and Ares view Y/n?

From what we have so fair, it seems like Nyx is more apathic to Y/n, but also weary of him. The talk she had with Y/n in recent chapters makes it seem as if she truly expects us to leave Hypnos at any moment. Did she have any thoughts about when we first started working in the House of Hades and thus getting closer to Hypnos?

And with Ares he of course, is pissed off that we managed to take him down, but what was his first thought of the random mortal standing up to him. Did he know who we used to be before defending the townspeople long enough for them to flee? Or after our death, I'm sure he celebrated it, but did he ever ponder over blood vial? Or was it just another trinket to keep til he met Zagreus?

Thank you for the wonderful story!

sure

Nyx straight up doesn’t like Y/N. Before the Pyrrhus arc, she didn’t care about y/n, he was just a shade/moral that Hypnos had taken as a lover. A toy to pass the time.

Not common for gods of the underworld but not unheard of. And Hypnos seem to be getting caught up on paperwork

Then it was becoming clear that Hypnos caught feelings for this shade, then everything that happened.

Now this worthless shade that had cause all of these problems between the twins and ending up with Hypnos getting hurt, losing his powers.

Other morals would had already given up, ran when the going got tough but not Y/N. Ride or die, baby.

Y/n is lucky that she hadn’t right out spoke to Hades about getting rid of him although behind close doors…

Nyx and Hypnos have a complicated relationship but the love is there, it just maybe not in the way Hypnos needs it and not a way that Nyx can show it.

Ares also doesn’t like y/n but he doesn’t care that much, past the first reunion, the surprise setting Ares off more than anything.

The shade is dead and gone to the gloom of the underworld. When first meeting Y/N, he was lost in bloodlust. Not completely sane.

On some levels, he does actually respects Y/N a little for standing up to him and for others. A lot ppl forget that Ares also inspires courage, and many ppl call upon him for justice.

I think he finds out who Y/N was after his talk with Zagreus and he just like ‘oh that was Achilles’ son? No wonder that he fought to his death then. Like father, like son.’

[teecupangel]

I'm looking at all the "Desmond's sad familial situation" posts here and... Let's fix it a bit, shall we? I mean, insomuch as it's possible in AC 'verse. Potential parental figures for Desmond (cause Isu bullshit, Sage bullshit, time travel shenenigans, etc): Hades, Aita, Sigurd, Hytham, Machiavelli, Shay Cormac

Me at seeing Hades and Aita on the list: ……… yeeaaahhh, they’d probably be better fathers than William Miles.

So let’s tackle each one and see how we can set them up:

Hades:

Hades in AC Odyssey is a dick BUT he does love Persephone. (Persephone though… that’s another story). So, in this setup, let’s say Desmond is Hades and Persephone’s child. Now, they’re commonly known to have two children: Zagreus and Melinoë.

Zagreus would be fun because there are records that state he isn’t Hades’ son but Zeus’ (Tinia) (Melinoë too but that’s because the Orphics believe that Zeus and Hades are the same god). And his death was orchestrated by Hera (Juno) where he was torn to pieces but Athena (Minerva) managed to save his heart which he gave to Zeus. From that heart, Dionysus was born. A little bit of AC Isu-ness sprinkled in this story and we will have an easy “Desmond is actually the Sage of Zagreus” setup instead. Juno had Zagreus killed because Tinia was planning to have Zagreus join them as part of the Capitoline Triad and Juno assumed she was going to be kicked out, not realizing that Tinia’s plan was for him to step down and let Zagreus take over his projects. Minerva (his aunt/half-sister) managed to save his ‘heart’, putting him in a prototype version of the ‘Mead’ and that’s how she changed course in terms of preparing for the Solar Flare. In this scenario, we can also add that Desmond’s main three ancestors (and Edward as well since he died before his grandson was born) were the Sages of Zagreus.

For Melinoë, there are a lot of similarities between her and Hecate. In this setup, Desmond was reborn as Melinoë and she’s Hades and Persephone’s daughter. To make it more interesting, Hades isn’t sure if she’s really his daughter as there are rumors that she might be Zeus’ daughter instead. Because of this, Hades is distant but gives her anything she wants. Persephone doesn’t like her and ignores her so the one person who is actually her usual companion is Hecate. This will setup a more ‘caring aunt that may have an agenda of her own’ Hecate and Desmond/Melinoë relationship.

Another child that is supposed Hades’ (and Persephone’s according to the Orphics) is Macaria. Not much is known to Macaria other than she’s associated with ‘blessed death’ so this is the setup where Hades will be the doting father to her either because he’s sure she’s his daughter or maybe because she looks a lot like Persephone. She can have whatever she wants and can do whatever she wants as long as she does not leave the Underworld.

Regardless of which child Desmond is reborn as, the main plot could probably be: leave the Underworld to find his ancestors who should be in Elysium, maybe pretend to be visiting dear sweet mother.

Aita:

We’re basing this on the idea of him being Aita and Juno’s biological son which we have covered here.

For all the less than savory (to put it mildly) things Juno and Aita have done, they still loved their son as much as an Isu can love their offspring because he’s a product of their love.

So they would definitely spoil him and, really, the only real problem they have with their son is that he tends to be nice to the slaves.

All the while, Desmond is so, so confused by what’s happening and he’s trying to pretend to be a dutiful son because he doesn’t want Juno and Aita to realize something is wrong but this also means that he’s kinda, sorta, enjoying all the affection? It’s a really, really strange complicated feeling, that’s for damn sure.

Sigurd:

Desmond is Sigurd and Randvi’s son that was born after Sigurd left to raid the lands east of their home. He’s really Sigurd’s son and no one disputes that. He would grow up being cared for and loved by the clan, especially Eivor who is both just happy to be with her nephew and also wants Desmond to not feel the loneliness she felt when her parents died.

Then Sigurd returned from his 2-year voyage and he starts spoiling him to make up for the 2 years he had been gone. Desmond both loved and is embarrassed by the attention. He keeps staring at Basim and Hytham because ‘hidden blades! Holy shit, hidden blades! What the fuck!!!’ and everyone assumed that he’s fascinated by them.

Insert a bit of Basim being fatherly with Desmond because he reminds him of his son (and yes, we can overly complicate this and add more soap opera level drama by making Desmond be Fenrir’s Sage as well if you like)

Desmond growing up in Ravensthorpe and being a regular visitor to the Hidden One bureau which will give us big brother!Hytham moments.

Of course, this is Sigurd, and Dag and Basim exist so this will also have Dag telling Sigurd that Eivor is trying to replace him as Desmond’s parent (which is bullshit) and Basim is also being a bit creepy with him because what better way to take his vengeance than to make Sigurd (who he believes is Odin) feel the same pain of losing a cherished son?

Hytham:

Soooo… my EivorxHytham heart wants to make Desmond their child but a more reasonable/believable idea would be that Desmond was born after Eivor left for Vinland for Odin knows why (seriously, fuck you, last chapter) and Desmond’s mother is… let’s say an NPC we’re going to kill during childbirth. XD

This would be more about Desmond growing up as the son of a mentor (red flag right there) and having him compare Hytham to William Miles a lot. Hytham being a single father would also force him to take care of Desmond as much as he can but he will have the support of his acolytes and Assassins.

Desmond would grow up in Ravensthorpe during the changing time in England. But, more importantly, he will grow up in an environment so similar to the Farm but different in all the right ways as well.

If you want to add Eivor in this, Desmond could end up going to Vinland, not to find Eivor but to go to the Grand Temple. Maybe have Eivor see him and go “Hytham?” and they start to become close the longer Desmond stays in Vinland.

Machiavelli:

Well, according to the internet, he did have a lot of children and it seems like none of them are mentioned in his Wikipedia page? I had to get their names from this site

Since Machiavelli married Marietta Corsini in 1502 (no month), the earliest Desmond could be born is on late 1502 (December 21, 1502 perhaps? Hahahaha).

This would mean Desmond would be born during Borgia rule in Roma and be stuck in Firenze which… okay, he understands he can’t do anything to help since he’s a goddamn baby but still… he wants to be with Ezio.

Machiavelli would be strict, especially with Desmond who will be his oldest son. He would also know something is strange about him, especially once Desmond shows his skills even at such a young age.

Also, making Desmond be born around 1502~1503 means he would be too young to accompany Ezio in Constantinople which gives us the excuse of making this Machiavelli-centric instead of, well, Desmond running away as soon as he can to be with Ezio because he’s dumb like that. XD

Shay:

…. We have the perfect storm to make this the angstiest fic we can make by ensuring Desmond is born after Shay becomes a Templar. To be more specific, Desmond is born around the same time as Arno.

And the day Shay kills Charles Dorian, Arno, and Élise had another playmate: Desmond (who just wanted to relax near the tables full of food but Élise is a persistent little girl and Desmond doesn’t really want to be mean to a girl)

Desmond grew up thinking Shay is a wandering Assassin. He definitely looked the part. So when he learned that Shay is actually a Templar, he’s torn. He loves him as a father but, at the same time, he knows that Shay believes in the Templar cause and… He can’t. He just… he can’t.

So runs away once more.

To Ratonhnhaké:ton.

Of course, there’s a lot of eyes on him, thinking this may be a trap or that he’s planning something but Ratonhnhaké:ton accept him. There’s something about him that just… makes Ratonhnhaké:ton trust him.

So, in this scenario, Desmond does have a happy childhood with Shay but he still chooses to be with Ratonhnhaké:ton because, well, Shay being a Templar is a red flag.

Then Ratonhnhaké:ton received a letter from the Parisian Brotherhood requesting his aid because Shay Cormac has taken over the Parisian Rites after the death of its two last Grand Masters.

Desmond joins Ratonhnhaké:ton because he can’t leave Ratonhnhaké:ton’s side and ends up meeting Arno has been become a Master Assassin and have returned from his self-imposed exile after the death of the love of his life.

And Arno remembers Desmond being the child they played with when his father was killed. He and Arno are around the same age so they get paired up for missions a lot and this ends up making things more complicated when Arno later finds out that Desmond is Shay Cormac’s son, the son of the man who killed his father.

Then there’s Shay who thinks Desmond has been misled by the Assasins and is trying to get him back.

Add in the drama and the slap on the face on Shay’s part once he realized that Desmond is loyal to the man who killed Haytham Kenway.

And we have… one of the most convoluted soap opera drama level fic idea… at the moment...

[babyrdie]

rank patrochilles between Iliad tsoa and hades? i haven't actually read tsoa but i assume you have

Yeah, I read TSOA! And that is a trick question of yours, anon! First of all, I'll make one thing clear: I like all 3! My favorite is still The Iliad, then comes Hades and finally TSOA, but I like all 3.

That being said….

Patroclus

Hades

The Iliad

TSOA

This is where I admit that I like Hades!Patroclus more than Iliad!Patroclus. But I don't like MUCH more, they are close!

Apart from Book XVI, I think Patroclus is a very overshadowed character in The Iliad. Although Hades' storyline still links him to Achilles because it's Patrochilles, I feel that Patroclus is more clearly a separate character from Achilles than in The Iliad. I like his dry humor personality too. I also like seeing him being bitter, because I think Patroclus deserves his bitter moment. And he's very handsome lol

Although I must say that part of my attachment to him is based on the contrast with The Iliad. It's just so endearing to me that he's more dry and bitter in Hades because I remember he wasn't like that in The Iliad, and I like to think about the angst of having gone through all that in the last year of the war and then having spent years in postmortem alone while thinking about drinking from Lethe to forget his own pain. Seeing the way a character presented in The Iliad as communicative has become someone who doesn't want connections and calls others "strange" in an attempt to distance himself has its charm.

-------

My second favorite is Iliad!Patroclus because I think he's multifaceted. People lately like to paint him as just a badass warrior, but I disagree. If Patroclus was just that, he would be the most boring of them all simply because he would be just another badass warrior among several badass warriors.

He is clearly portrayed as kind and wise. It's really cool to see how his death affected not only Achilles but other characters, precisely because Iliad!Patroclus was a guy who was really loved by others. Furthermore, he has 9 dogs and the horses Xanthus and Balius are very fond of him! He's good with animals, he's really cute. But at the same time, he was certainly no pure angel, after all he was a warrior who killed and had slaves like anyone else. As a warrior, he was very good in battle as well.

What frustrates me about Iliad!Patroclus is that in many moments he seems more like a plot device for Achilles' plot, but I understand that it makes sense because he is a secondary character. Lately I've been seeing more of Patroclus in Greek mythology and at the same time I haven't played Hades in a while, so there's a good chance he'll surpass Hades!Patroclus (because of your prev ask, which I still haven't forgotten to answer!!! Wait for me!!!)

-------

My least favorite is TSOA because, in my opinion, he's the most one-dimensional of the 3. I particularly don't like that his relationships with other army characters were removed. I like that Antilochus, Menelaus and Ajax cared about him in The Iliad!!

I know people don't like him being a healer, but I don't really have a problem with that. I like that his healing abilities were explored since in The Iliad we only have one scene, but I think it would have captivated me more if he was a healer and a warrior at the same time because it would bring greater duality. Machaon himself in The Iliad is written as both, so it's possible. I also liked seeing some focus on his past, since in mythology it's more of a vague context than anything else. TSOA remembering Patroclus had a good relationship with Briseis in the mythology is cool too.

I'm also sad because he's the least paternal Patroclus. In the case of Hades!Patroclus, you can consider Zagreus as a bonus for reuniting with Achilles. In the case of Iliad!Patroclus, Achilles clearly states that the plan was for him to take care of Pyrrhus after Achilles died, and since the mythological Pyrrhus has no problem with Patroclus, it would be an interesting possibility if not for Patroclus dying.

Plus, I prefer bisexual Patroclus, so…

Achilles

The Iliad

TSOA

Hades

I actually think that part of Achilles' charm is his mistakes or even his immaturity at certain moments, so the more mature version of him has less charm for me. That's why Hades is in last place, even though I like him, I like the angst of how he regrets everything he's done and wants better, I like his relationship with Zagreus. Like yeah I still love a divorced man who adopted a child and then got back together with his husband lol

But Iliad!Achilles still appeals to me more because TSOA!Iliad is kind of a through-the-rose-colored-glasses version of Patroclus, which makes him more "ah ok". Not in the childhood part, because I actually think it makes sense even mythologically, but in the war part. Plus, I also prefer bisexual Achilles (and in TSOA he's gay) and I also think that, like Pat, he had his relationships beyond Patroclus, Chiron and Peleus worsened or eliminated. The only exception is Briseis, whose relationship in TSOA is definitely less worse than the one in The Iliad (for obvious reasons). But I have to say that I like the fast and almost "wild"vibe Achilles has in TSOA with his agitated behavior, it's kinda cute.

Relationship

The Iliad

Hades/TSOA

As a relationship, I prefer what we have in The Iliad. Between TSOA and Hades, I don't have a favorite for the relationship itself.

[friendball-irl]

[...]

[......]

[.........]

[CONNECTION REESTABLISHED]

"Hello, Rotumblr~! I'm ba-ack~! Here, let me turn on this camera..."

"There we go~! Now isn't that better? Don't I look great? I think the eye color change is my favorite part! The visible aura is also a nice touch."

"Sorry for disappearing yesterday, but I'm feeling SO much better, so I can't really feel bad about it, hehe!"

"Now, before I get into anything else, I first want to thank two individuals! Without them, I wouldn't be here in the first place!"

"The first is my new compatriot, Zagreus the Togetorpor! He's a neat Shadow-exclusive evolution of Togetic, would you believe it? Little guy has the signature move Shadow Blessing! Can close a person's heart just like that! It's great! I would have been screwed without him."

"And second, I owe part of this success to my dear old ex-friend Victoria Gonzap! I wouldn't have ever thought to try something like this if I hadn't seen how HAPPY she is with her life! I mean, she's strong, she's fearless, and she even survived getting killed! I mean, who does that?! Big inspiration for this, so I tip my hat to you Vic! Sorry for ruining our friendship, but I guess I can't really feel that kind of thing anymore, so neither of us lose anything!"

"Oh, and take a look at Andi! Doesn't she look beautiful~?"

[The camera turns to Andi, but she's... wrong. She's obviously been turned into a Shadow, but her colors are completely gone, leaving her monochrome. She turns to the camera and lets out a bloodcurdling screech before the camera turns back to Gray.]

"She looks so cool now! I think I'll call it... Eclipse Form! Yeah! That sounds right!"

"Now, I'm certain you're wondering! 'Gray! What're you gonna do now?' Well, I'm gonna tell ya!"

"The way that Shadow Blessing works is that it's gotta be consensual. Can't force someone into doing this! But it's so NICE being like this! Why would I want to keep this feeling all to myself???"

"So I'm coming back to Unova! But obviously I'm not gonna go home, no no! I'm gonna set up shop in the Dreamyard! It'll be my own little sanctuary to help people close up their pesky hearts! Free of charge, of course! It's a little charity!"

"But I know some people aren't going to like that very much, or they're going to want me to come back! That's going to be a problem! Well, let me tell you this..."

"I'll be waiting for you. And I won't go down without a fight. =)"

"That's all I have to say! I hope you all have a nice night! Or not! Hell if I care anymore! Teehee! Hehehehe! HehehehehehahahahahAHAHAHAHAH-"

CONNECTION TERMINATED]

Final Tarot Drawn: "Death"

Tarot Arc End

Apathy Arc Start

[baejax-the-great]

Hello! Do you mind a Snippet Sunday? Have a nice weekend!

I spent my entire weekend reading ROTE and sobbing so I missed this ask, but here:

Patroclus stares in bafflement as Zagreus takes the spear and goes on his way through war-torn Elysium. He and Achilles stand in silence until he can stand it no longer. “You gave him Varatha?”

Achilles looks at him blankly. “What?”

“Your spear. You gave it away.”

“The spear has a name?”

“Yes, it has a name,” Patroclus snaps. “It has a history. Chiron made it. It was gifted to your father on the day of his wedding with your mother. There is no equal to it. Only you could wield it—it did not allow any other. It followed you into death. It’s—it was—it’s your spear.”

Achilles shrugs. “Now it is his.”

It is a violent reminder that Achilles’ mind is completely empty of anything that might have mattered to him once.

Achilles picks up one of the less impressive ghostly spears that litter the grass and hefts it. “It sent me a dream before you came to the arena. I do not sleep much here, but I believe the spear—Varatha, as you call it—induced it in me. It wanted to go to him, and told me that this was its future. I saw no reason in this at the time, so I ignored it until now.”

His spear “wanted” to go with Zagreus. Sure. It made as much sense as anything else. It was the least of Patroclus’s problems. “What now, Achilles?"

[xjulixred45x]

Yandere Alphabet: Dead Royalty Zagreus

Using this as a (kind of?) precuel to the Drabble i'm about to do about yandere Zagreus of the AU i did where he kills Hades for good and he's the new king of the Underworld.

Warnings: YANDERE BEHAVIOR, OVERPROTECTION, OBSESIVE BEHAVIOR, Zagreus has TRAUMA, mentions of murder and intimidation (not to reader/Consort! They're fine).

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

For someone whom get married bc Zeus said so, Zagreus is such a sweetheart in showing how much he loves His Consort.

I Say it before in another post, but Consort brings back some of the old Zagreus that everyone miss. Being it by he giving them gifts (ambrosia, clothes, things to entretain themself meanwhile he is at work), phisical affection(hugs, Kisses, carrying them around bride style) or with words(compliments, soft praise, pet names), he is NEVER out of options when it comes to spoil his Darling.

I would Said that he's a solid 7/10 in the scale of intense. Like, he IS intense, but it could be worse, he tries to give His partner space WHEN THEY ASK TO(if they don't do it he will continue without problem bc lets be honest, the man is touch Starved BAD).

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

REALLY MESSY, You see him rampaging the Underworld just to meet His mother. For Consort, he would kill His father AGAIN.

He is a Big one in the killing of posible "suitors"(which find insulting bc Consort is already Married TO HIM) that Consort may have, and His understand of "suitors" can go from a Suitor itself to a person who was wayyyy to friendly to be platonic, or a person who is "turning Consort against him" somehow(like, idk, pointing out His strange behavior?).

He is also very enthusiast about getting rid of the people who did Bad to Consort in the past, being a Friend who betrayed them, their parents or sibilings, ANYONE who hurted Consort in the past is in the black list of Zag, and he is nothing if not ressentfull and stubborn.

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

ABSOLULTY NOT. Zagreus may be lay back in an attemp to calm them down, but he would NEVER mock their fear or intentionally make them uneasy around him.

Once Consort it' set in the Underworld, they have to get use to a very clingy, very loving Zag, it's dosen't really change much honestly. When they find out about Zag Yandere Tendencies, Zagreus dosen't change, he's Just glad that he dosen't "have to lied to them anymore" bc it's very aware that THAT would scare them. But now?he just have to make sure they don't leave.

Ironic...

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

Not much honestly, Zag tries His hardest to NOT take away every right that Consort has, bc he has been on that situation before(with Hades trying to prevent him from leaving and treating him like shit), he KNOWS how frustrating and upseting it is, but he can't bring himself on let Consort go.

Zagreus can AND WILL do things in a way Consort feels comfortable and don't force them to do anything besides staying. They don't wanna have children? That's fine, it's not like Zagreus is eager to continue His father legacy anyway. They don't wanna share the same Bed/room as Zagreus? Fair enough, they'll have their own room. Things like that.

Consort can go as they please for the Underworld (the creatures/guards know better than trying to hurt them, specially Theseus) EXCEPT the Temple of Styx, then they only can go with Zagreus or with a person of high trust(like Thanatos or Meg, most likely Meg).

In a good scenario, Zagreus even gets out with Consort to the mortal world! Be it to the temples to His father, meet the other Gods, even some mortals that adore Hades/Zagreus, etc.

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

Oh, pretty vulnerable. He seems pretty scary at first when Consort just marry him, but once he gained enough trust(and obsession) on Consort, Zagreus would be quite open about anything they ask, whatever it is. Even sensitive themes like His father.

Zagreus likes to think he's being honest MOST OF THE TIME, to make sure Consort they can trust him bc he trust in them(and it worked! Kinda), to make them happy. He is not exacly afraid of being emotional vulnerable with Consort, he just has lots of unpacked trauma and dosen't know what to do with it (much less now that almost everyone in House of Hades see him different..), so it's almost good for him being like this. He likes it.

The only thing he lied about was about what happen to the suitors of Consort(and ANYONE in general that get in His way honestly), and still he thinks that was just a white lie instead of a blasting crime and abuse of power.

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

Mostly heart broken, because he KNOWS he caused this, he made them despise him, but he is selfish, so even then, he would't let them get away. He tries to shush them and comfort them, remind them that he loves them, that he's sorry that they have to see THAT. Eventually he gets even better at comfort thanks to this.

A part of him is given a strange feeling of nostalgia? Like in the times when he was the one running away from the Underworld, he thinks that maybe this is His karma for that.

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

It's not a Game and he gets worried SICK when he finds out that Consort it's out there trying to escape, do they even know what kind of danger is in the Chambers of Tartarus only? How Bad things can end if they get across the wrong person??

He don't enjoy this in the slightless, he is a panic mess until he finds Consort and bring them back to the house of Hades safe and sound.

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

Two very different times.

The first one was the first time Consort and Zagreus where introduced to each other for Zeus. Consort was so scared of Zagreus-their figure HUSBAND, and the worst part was that Zagreus didn't even tried ti stop the proccess in the slightless(maybe out of shock or trying not to make Zeus mad).

The second one, way after this, after Consort and Zagreus fall in love; Consort finds Zagreus giving one of Consort "suitors" one of the most nightmarerish tortures they even seen(Fury level TORTURE if You get what i'm saying). This is what caused after all the attemps to run away from Zagreus, because if he is capable of doing such things to a stranger, what about them?

(he would never, but Consort it's way too hurt from this to listen to His "REASONS")

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

Mmm...that's a hard one.

Zagreus didn't even have in mind killing His father, much less becoming King! But now he is more responsible, even more ambisious, so i would say that his plans with Consort are either continue as they are now, riging over the Underworld, better than His father could, or maybe Even go to Olympus some time! Who knows! He is not restricted anymore! He's gonna take adventage of it!

If we talk about a figure where Melinoe exist as His and Consort's Daughter, he's over the moon, that would be a life he would't mind..

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

Oh, he GETS Jealous, and it's escalets pretty quickly. If he copes or explotes, depends on the person and how they act around Consort.

For example, in the Surface, Consort tends to be revere for his worshipers, which is okay! It's the way Zagreus expect Consort to be treated. But it's some of them it's a little too friend/close, he just put Consort on His lap and demands affection(mainly kisses). That normally works to calm him down.

NOW, if is Someone like, idk...THESEUS, when he and Consort go to Elysium to see the Champions and the Pompous bastard is bold enough to try to "make a move" on Zag's partner...yeah, he'll lash out on him, it will not be pretty. (Fortunally, he's never mad at Consort for this kind of things. He trust them! He dosen't trust other people around them..)

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

A love sick puppy, he is way more cheerfull than when he is alone or even working at the main Hall, Consort's presence brings a Big smile to His face. It's almost creepy to the people not used to see "the Godkiller" being this friendly and happy while working.

He acts like the Zagreus before the disaster but a little more calmer. Almost demure(bc it's way more easy to get under his skin now), and obviously, pretty clingy. If he's working, he wants Consort on his lap while finishing paperwork. If he's redecoring, he has an arm around them, etc. It's cute in a way.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

When Consort first got to House of Hades, Zagreus tried to get to know them better in one of the Best ways he knows, ambrosia! And in general at first their interactions we're little and only when Zag start them to give Consort a gift. Gifts that grow of worth and personal value the more he knows them, the more he falls for them.

When Consort started the interactions on their own, Zag's was OVER THE MOON! And start use what would be His signature way of get to know Darling, do tasks with Consort! Whatever it was administrative(Zag's nightmare) or more diplomatic, they get to have good times!

Other way of counting to Zagreus is phisical contact, CONSTANTLY(if they're fine with it), and in general is the softest version of the counting of an average god(maybe it's ctotic thing?being decent spouses?).

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

Nah. He still worship his partner and absolulty adores them, the only difference is the violence he use against OTHER PEOPLE.

Zagreus tends to be quieter around the other people in House of Hades(bc they also are pretty tense with him) but it's not hostile. You can talk to him normally and even have a chat(as long as You don't talk shit about Consort), he's not that different. Just more reserved.

Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

Punishment? Whats that?-Zagreus, probably.

Yeah, he dosen't like the idea of a punishment of any sort. Not only bc that would make him just the same as Hades, but bc he just CANT STAND the sight of Consort in pain. Much less If said pain is caused BY HIM.

The most close thing that he got to a "punishment" was isolation for not even two days, and honestly? It hurt him more than Consort. It's like it's punishing himself most likely.

But yeah, he dosen't do that. He thinks that if he gives a reason to Consort to fear him, they will just hate him even more, they'll want to leave more. He don't want to be a cause of their fear, he wants them to stay bc they like it here. So nop. No punishment (besides, he has escaped the Underworld times enough to know that the task itself it's a pain in the ass, thats ENOUGH).

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

Besides from leaving the Underworld (or most likely, leaving HIM) not much honestly, again, Zagreus KNOWS how Consort feels likes in the situation, he's been there, so he's not wiling to make them feel like they are His prisioner, because their NOT, they are His partner, the love of His life.

The only other thing i can see Zagreus activily preventing His partner to do is killing themself to stay in the Underworld in a Willing Route. Bc OBVIOUS REASONS. And maybe giving them weopons bc they are dangerous. Aside from that, Consort has the same freedoms and priviliges as Zagreus.

Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

For a greek god, he's surprisesingly patience, an a GREAT level of patience.

Zagreus don't rush things with Consort (he thinks even when they're nervious or acting awkward is adorable), he waited for them to come around and they fall in love naturally(until the yandere tendencies strike), and in general he's self aware that he being a god and Consort being a Mortal make some things dificult, so, he's willing to wait.

He can endure Consort's lectures about how wrong he is about the suitors matter, how horrible it is, their screams and cries, he can endure it, because he KNOWS that Consort just don't understand that's how Gods are, and it's fine, after all, their only job is stay and love him, and meanwhile they do it, he's just fine.

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

Escaping Zagreus is almost imposible for His Godly parients (i talk more about it in the V), and the only way of escaping FOR GOOD would be getting out of Greece. If that happens, i really doubt that Zagreus is able to move on.

He'll trow a Demeter move, he'll neglect all of His duties as god of the Underworld until His parients find Consort. And NOTHING but that will make him change His mind. I can see him worsening His Masochist tendencies.

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

Yes and no.

Does Zagreus regrets they meet in Bad circumstances? Yes. Does he regrets being Married to them anyways? No.

Does Zagreus regrets scaring Consort with the torture of their suitors(and maybe some of their Friends)? Yes. Does he regret what he did to those people? No.

He regrets they bad consecuences/reactions those actions caused, but he dosen't actually regret nothing. He seems them as necesary. For the same, he's not willing to let Consort get away from him or, Gods forbite, fall in love with someone else. Just...no.

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

Definitely the actual relationship he has with the people of House of Hades. Don't get me wrong, His childhood as the despised son of Hades has something to do with her being touch starved and eager to love, but the recent events change EVERYTHING in His life.

Before murdering Hades, Zagreus was seen as a troublemaker, but not as a danger, he was a friend, a godling that his parients tried to help and His friends NEVER though they would fear. But after what he did, everyone seems...tense around him, like he's not the same anymore. Maybe they're right, yes, but hurts seeing them look at him with such...pain...fear.

With Consort is another Story, they only know the version of Zagreus that everyone FEARS AND RESPECTS, but they get to know him and, surprisesingly, see the good old side of him, trust him genuinely. Zagreus LOVES THAT.

Loves that he's not feared for them, loves that Consort sees both sides of him, loves that they SEE HIM for who he is, not a king or a Godkiller, but just Zagreus. He miss that horribly and Consort give him that back. And he's not willing to lose it.

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

Guilty and sad mostly. He tries to comfort them the Best he can, but sometimes that just makes things worse and he decides to leave them some space(not too much space thoug, in cases they need something or try to do something...drastic).

Ironicly, he can handle better when Consort yells or cries than when they isoltaes themselfs. At least in the first two they INTERACT with him and he can try and negociate something for them to feel better (like their favorite food or going to Elysium for a walk), but isolation? It's HURTS HIM being ignored and don't know what to do(so You could use this one if You want something).

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

I'll Say he is the most soft yandere You'll ever see, more for a god of the Underworld. He is not exacly menacing(?) someway. He dosen't kiddnap Consort per se, His family does(through an arrange affair with Zeus)! That's pretty un-convencional if You ask me.

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

The mayor weakness Consort could use to get away from Zagreus is his límited time in the surface, bc even now it takes time to get out there, so if Consort gets out and Zagreus don't get to drag them with him to the Underworld, theres is a good chance to get way!

But i would't be very optimistic, Zag is very stubborn and he'll go UP THERE just to fetch them, with the help of all of his Godly parients, just like the old times. There would be NO WHERE TO HIDE with ZEUS HIMSELF lending a hand, POSEIDON making imposible to sail, and HERMES running around with His followers in research for "coz' lost mate".

I would say there's a higher chance to do it if You have Persephone (and extension, Demeter) on your side, but it would be futile against the KING OF THE GODS. Worth the shot though.

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

NO.

Zagreus may have a fucked up sense of love in this AU, but definitely he don't forget how painfull and understimated is phisical pain(His deaths speaks themselfs..) so he would never even raise His hand to Consort. Ever.

He may raise His voice when he's mad or worried or carry them/pin them, but honestly that's it, there's no violence, there's no phisical nor emotional pain. He can't Bring himself to do it. Even when some of His parients tries to encourge him to be "rougher" with His Darling, he really just see them as a fragile creature that must be take care of.

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

He's head over heels for Consort, i can picture him as a worshiper Yandere honestly(bc 1- that feeds His idea that no one really deserves them And 2- its feels complementary to His Masochist tendencies), no matter if they are mortals or "under his level" for His family standards, they are a God/Godess to Zagreus eyes.

He would kill for Consort, he would die for Consort. Either way is a bliss.

He is up to anything to win them over, EXCEPT maybe hurting some specific members of the house of Hades that bring him jelousy (like Thanatos, for respect for their friendship). Besides that, he's even up to get rid of Consort's WHOLE family tree if that gives them a reason to stay in the Underworld.

Still, he wants to go for the no-violence route, and romance them "properly"(sort of...).

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

Not a long time. It's a soon as Zagreus feels connected in a meanfull way with Consort that he "snaps" and makes plans to make them want to stay and don't leave the Underworld, Zagreus don't Even consider His sudden dark feelings "snaping" either, bc he has this mindset of "well, we ARE already married, it's COMPLETLY NORMAL i am very observant of them And i want them to stay"

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

Luckily, no. He is way too soft and unwiling to make them suffer (at least on prupose)that it's virtually imposible that Consort ends up broken for his fault. It's most likely that they develop Stockholm syndrome and either 1) stop trying to get way from Zagreus or 2) they get away from Zagreus but they come Back because...they miss him.

In both cases Consort ends up turning a Blind eye to the horrible things that Zagreus has done(and posible keep doing, but more carefully), but it's kind of a new status quo. They're okay again and Zagreus seems happy than ever...Consort can bring themself to break it again. To break HIM.

It's for the better. I promise.

(this awesome drawing belongs to the Twitter/X artist kurosaki_sasori, here's the link to the original piece , show them support!)

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[stygiusfic]

u cant spell sword without words thats what i always say. with that in mind pls 19, 20, 22 and 23 :D

you are RIGHT and you should say it!! those five letters don't lie!! <3

19. the most interesting topic you've researched for a fic

traditionally I've been allergic to writing anything that requires extensive research. either I won't have the patience for it, or worse, I'll get sucked into the research and never actually start writing. this is why I don't do modern AUs, I prefer to write fictional settings where I can make up the rules.

i did fall down a research hole of flower language when i was writing the hanahaki fic, and that was a lot of fun! (I did waste weeks of bigbang drafting time on that, though...)

20. in what year did you publish your first fic?

trying to count the rings on my tree trunk, i see... my earliest fic posted to ao3 on my first account is dated May 2008, but I was definitely posting elsewhere online for quite a few years before that. I think the very first may have been around 2003 on a forum for my first fandom, but I've lost track of the post so idk for sure. 

22. do you ever worry about public reaction to what you're writing? how do you get past that?

let me tell you a story. I wrote that cursed skelly/zagreus fic (my proud masterpiece Hard to Port) in half a day in january of 2021 to mess with all-star hades writer thepleiades, and I was half-expecting I would be chased out of the fandom with torches and pitchforks for it, so I waited until April Fool's to post it, for plausible deniability.

then after posting it I gained 3 whole subscribers on ao3. the following day i posted a perfectly normal thanzag fic and I lost 4 subscribers

the lesson from the universe here is to always write for the sake of trolling your friends and having fun, and also that trying to predict anyone else's reactions is probably pointless. 

(it still gives me weird anxiety to post now and then, especially if it's something i worked hard on, but slowly I'm getting better at turning my brain off after I hit post. my days of vibrating out of my skin hoping my latest fic will be well-received are certainly coming to a middle. maybe even three-quarters!)

23. pick three words that describe your writing

i answered this one here so i will trade you for the next!

24. how do you recharge when you're not feeling creative?

brain's a sponge so sometimes you just have to walk away if there isn't enough water to squeeze out. I like to read and watch new media for a change of pace, and usually that helps get me out of a rut! other times I'm stuck because the story has a problem I haven't figured out how to fix yet, and when that happens I talk about it to my pet bunny and he just stares or lies down because he enjoys hearing voices. and then very often my problem is magically fixed!

(wip ask meme)

[aikoiya]

DPxHP HC - Thoughts On Obscurials & Wizardry

Something I don't understand is why, when Danny is brought to a Wizarding school & Danny refuses to cooperate, why don't people tell him that if he doesn't use his magic & train it, that he runs the risk of developing an Obscurial?

Like, all they'd have to say is that his magic will eat him from the inside out & that it could result in wild, violent, & dangerous outbursts that could potentially hurt, if not kill, others.

If nothing else, he'd listen to a warning that suggests he or his loved ones could be hurt through his actions.

---

While Illvermorny is recognized as the wizarding school in America, the truth is, it's just the biggest & most recognized. In reality, America is too big to only have 1.

Instead, there are several, the second most famous one resides near Salem, while another can be found in New Orleans, which also has a vast magical community & has America's equivalent of Diagon Alley, which can be found under Bourbon Street in the catacombs, Bazar du Sous-Sol du Laveau.

There are also several small wizarding schools that teach courses on traditional Native American magics, as well as other courses on the magics of other cultures. That is, alongside American magic which is a mix of different culture's magical disciplines.

Like, I can absolutely see Amity being a sort of no-man's land for magic considering the amount of ghosts there are there. It'd absolutely be a Statute of Secrecy risk.

But at the same time, the Salem Magical Institute, the New Orleans Seminary of Voodoo (or NOSoV), known locally as New Orleans Séminaire du Vaudou, & any other schools available would have to take in the magical Amity children because of the possibility of them becoming Obscurials & becoming even bigger risks to the Statute of Secrecy.

At the same time, I imagine that MACUSA has tried to Obliviate the no-maj residents to get them to forget the strange, solid ghosts that have been appearing in the town. Which, I think it'd be interesting if the magical community has had a remarkably small amount of encounters with. Like, the most well-documented Hereafter/IR ghosts that they know about are poltergeists & there's still very little on them. I read a fic where Constantine has never actually met one & even once compares them to demons alongside ghosts even though I think the IR ghosts would find that insulting & inaccurate. I mean, demons are evil by default. Ghosts are more ambiguous.

That is, even though wizards & wiccans use Lethe river water in forgetfulness potions, they get it from an old fountain in Greece where an ancient temple to Hades lays. As such, it's been largely forgotten by the wizarding world that the fountain was built by an ancient thanatomagical priest of Hades, Persephone, & their children, Zagreus & Melinoe, or that it's from the Underworld, which is just a small section of the IR.

However, I feel like ectoplasm has a small resistance to certain magics, especially the Obliviate spell. As such, because most of the townspeople are in some stage of liminality, they can't be Obliviated.

Either way, they might not want to have anything to do with anything that violates the Statute of Secrecy, but in order to minimize & control the problem as much as possible, they have to.

Like, no one seems to take this fact into account when they write DPxHP crossovers.

---

Another thing is the reactions of the Fenton parents to the revelation of magic existing. Particularly, that they would be very stubborn about disbelieving it.

Both of them.

They're both scientists after all.

Though Jack, having come from a line of supernatural hunters, would be much easier to get to believe it, but at the same time, he is very much against it. He was always the black sheep of the family & was always very terrible at the clan's apotropaic magics & never really understood the process. Like, he just couldn't wrap his head around the 'mechanics.' So, he rejected it, asserting that it was all phoney & hocus-pocus & he instead sought out a way to fight ghosts using something he did understand. Which was science & engineering.

On the other hand, Maddie would absolutely NOT believe in it at all & would be utterly convinced that it was all hooey & it would be like pulling teeth to get her to believe otherwise. Not only that, but she'd get angry about people trying to convince her & her family otherwise.

It wouldn't be until it all comes to a head, possibly Jazz developing an Obscurial & beginning to slowly die, that she'd realize that it's real. But even then, she wouldn't react well. It would destroy everything she thought she knew about the world while Jack would adjust... rather clumsily, but he'd adjust.

Like, I imagine that Danny, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, & Ellie would all have magic & that when an eagle first came with Jazz's letter, & Maddie was the one who read it & scoffed, then threw it away.

It'd be a similar scene to the first book/movie where the owls kept coming. Only here, Maddie would find a way to repel the animals. Maybe some sort of force field around the town, which could be what caused the issue in the first place.

Then, as more & more kids would start getting ill with some unknown illness that lashes out & destroys things, then begin dying, Jazz included. After the first couple of deaths, MACUSA Aurers would come & use their magic to destroy the field.

After which, they'd escort representatives of the Salem Magical Institute, New Orleans Seminary of Voodoo, or Illermorny, as well as healers & Obscurial experts, to the homes of magical children with new letters & begin to try & save as many children as possible.

There would be stern lectures on the negligence of magic & the dangers of Obscurials.

For families like the Mansons, there would also be a clarification that while the sort of witches they were always warned about did exist, they are by far, NOT the norm.

That magic itself isn't evil, rather it's neutral, & that it's just something you're born with. It only becomes a real danger through misuse or disuse.

The only way to become the sort of witches that they fear is for an individual to make a bargain with some dark entity, either for magic or more power.

That there is a distinct difference between the wiccans & wizards (which is what I call the general wizarding public) of wizarding world society, called light magic, & the witches & warlocks of dark magic.

Even still, I don't think the Manson parents would approve. Ida would be supportive if cautious, while Jeremy would be dubious, both due to their religion, but not Pam. Pamela would reject the training of magic outright as a result of generations of anti-magic & Scourer thinking.

It's from her side of the family that Sam gets her magic from & one of her ancestors was a dark witch burned at the stake during the Salem Witch Trials before the invention of the bluebell flame spell. This resulted in magiphobic ideologies in her family &, as a result, they tried to reject their abilities.

Pam had always feared that her daughter would turn out like her ancestor & now, she feels that her fears have been realized.

Though, despite canon, the true emotion behind all her anger & derision is legitimate fear for her daughter.

---

Currently, American magic-users get their wands from a wandmaker in New Orleans: Violetta Beauvais. She creates scarily powerful wands out of swamp mayhaw wood & hairs from rougarous, the dog-headed monsters native to the swamps of Louisiana.

Wizarding World Masterlist

[wolfxkissed]

Thanzag Sickfic

@thatlesbiancrow — first time writing a sickfic, but this was fun! ty for the suggestion, i hope you enjoy it <3 apologies in advance, it's more fluff than anything, but hey, you get thanatos being a little sweetie so ?? :)

Zagreus climbed his way out of the Pool of Styx, making no attempt to greet anyone as he ducked through the lounge's hidden entrance and into his chambers. He let out a groan as he flopped down onto his bed, which he very quickly came to regret, and slowly turned his attention to the marks that covered his skin, left behind by the satyr's poison.

Everything ached as he tried to find a more comfortable position to lay in, eventually settling on laying on his side, with his back to the entryway.

Gods, he felt like shit.

He almost let himself drift off to sleep, until he heard someone enter his room. Without even thinking, he spoke up, deciding to take a guess at who his visitor might be. "Than?"

"That easy, huh?" Thanatos responded, that hint of amusement shining through, that only ever appeared when it was just the two of them — Meg being the sole exception to that rule, of course. He made his way over to the bed, a bottle of the mandrake cure in his hand. It took some time, but they managed to obtain several bottles of the stuff, should situations like this occur.

"The list of people in this house who would think of entering my chambers is so small, I could count them on one hand..." Zagreus muttered, looking up at Than, as he hovered over him. "I'm glad it was you who decided to visit, though," he added, reaching a hand up to cup his face.

Than let a smile show at the comment and sat down beside him, taking a moment to open the bottle.

"Meg found me just after you left the lounge... informed me of your condition," he explained, bringing the bottle to Zag's lips. "Open up."

With a sigh, the Prince took a drink, admittedly feeling a little better almost immediately — likely due to him being a god, or maybe the plant held magical properties; he never bothered to check. He shuffled back on his bed to make room and gently tapped the spot next to him.

Thanatos didn't need to be told twice. He put the bottle and his scythe aside for the time being and laid down next to him.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked, resting an arm on Zag's hip.

Zagreus gave a small shake of his head. "No thank you.. just some company. Thanks for the cure, as well.. feeling better already," he murmured softly, trying to ignore the dull, aching pain.

"It's no problem, Zag. You don't have to thank me," Than murmured back, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead.

Zagreus had made a note of his increase in affection as of late, and found it to be rather adorable. It was nice to see this other side of him, and he made sure to savour the moments while they lasted.

"You're the best, Than.." Zag whispered, planting a kiss on the corner of Death's lips. "Could you stay a while?"

Than nodded. "Of course I can."

He watched quietly, then, as the Prince's eyes slowly fluttered shut. How peaceful he looked.

《 ☆ 》

When Zagreus next awoke, the spot next to him was cold. He wasn't exactly surprised, but that didn't stop him from missing the presence of his partner. He sat up slowly and tentatively stretched out his arms, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt little pain from the movements.

He took a few moments to look around his room, and paused when he spotted a note on the shelf behind his bed, marked with a "θ" — theta. Than. Beside it, sat the bottle of mandrake.

Zag picked up the note and carefully read through it.

'Zag,

I apologise for my disappearance. I would have liked to stay longer — at least until you woke up — but I was called away to work. I left the mandrake with you, should you still need it. Please don't try and tough it out, and don't do anything stupid until you're fully healed.

Get better soon, all right?

Than.'

Zagreus couldn't stifle the smile that formed as he finished reading the note and set it aside. He then directed his attention toward the mandrake and, thinking back on Than's words, decided to take another sip — just for good measure.

"Heh, I love you, Than.." he muttered to himself, fiddling with the bottle for a few brief moments before putting it away. Still smiling like a fool, he pulled out his Companion Mort and held it close as he curled up into a ball, waiting patiently for Death's return.